The Duel Resumes

By Jim Prior and Diana Cavallero

          In Santa Rosa California there’s something new and old in the air. Nostalgia is hot right now, especially in the racing world. Welcome to NorCal Vintage Hardtops, the brainchild of Mike McClure and Conrad Cavallero.
         
          To understand this new racing series we have to go back to the beginning. Mike McClure says it began for him while he was still in high school. At the time, he pitted for Phil Pedler, know then as Bang Bang Pedler, a racer in the old Hardtop series at the Vallejo Speedway. Today, Mike is driving an authentic replica of one of Pedler’s chief competitors, Leroy Gevings, old number 5.
         
          In 2007, Mike gave Conrad an old Chevy coupe complete with bullet holes. Conrad Cavallero pays tribute to Frank Johnson, who raced under the name of Johnny Franklin. Franklin  drove the number 2 hardtop at the old Santa Rosa Speedway and other venues throughout northern California. Conrad went to the Johnson family, who liked the idea of a tribute car honoring their father. So, unbeknownst to Johnny Franklin, Conrad built the car and presented the finished racer to him in September. 2008 celebrates 60 years of Johnson family involvement in racing.

          Conrad began his racing career in the 70’s with sponsorship help from Johnny Franklin Mufflers and Torvick Datsun/Santa Rosa Nissan.  He raced at Petaluma speedway and many other Northern California tracks.
         
          While going thought old news articles and race programs provided to Conrad by the Johnson family, he came across an article entitled “The Duel Resumes”  a tribute to the fierce competition waged by Johnny Franklin  and Leroy Gevings. So today Conrad and Mike are “Resuming the the Duel” with their tribute cars to these two great racers of yesterday.

          Both Mike and Conrad have raced their old hardtops at the Roseville, Lakeport and Anderson raceways surprising both seniors and youngsters at these tracks. Along the way, they’ve entered their hardtops at the San Francisco Rod & Custom Car Show, where they finished first and second in their class, and the Sacramento Autorama. The response to these old racers has been surprising.  They have received invitations to appear at a number of car shows. After contacting several Northern California tracks, the promoters have agreed to add a few exhibition races for these old hardtops. With six tracks participating there will be over 21 events for the spring and summer of 2008. With the popularity mushrooming, other cars and drivers will be joining the series. Conrad and Mike have been asked to appear at the opening of the  Nascar West season  at Roseville Speedway.

          For more information regarding this growing Hardtop series, a website, www.norcalvintagehardtops.com/ has been developed where interested drivers, car builders and fans can learn more about the upcoming year’s events. Contact Conrad or Mike at their e-mail address norcalhardtops@sbcglobal.net.  NorCal Vintage Hardtops would like to invite other racing series to join them as well. Along with SoCal Speedshop of Sacramento sponsoring Mike and Johnny Franklin’s sponsorship of Conrad, this growing series would welcome a major sponsor to help the series grow.