AUTOBOOKS' MORROW AWARD TO TRAVEL TO PITTSBURGH IN '08

THE AUTOBOOKS-AEROBOOKS HARRY MORROW AWARD
TO BE PRESENTED AT ‘08 PITTSBURG VINTAGE GRAND PRIX

Burbank, Calif. (August 24, 2004) - - “We are very pleased to be able to report that the prestigious Harry Morrow Award, sponsored by Autobooks-Aerobooks will travel East to our 2008 Pittsburg Vintage Grand Prix,” said VSSCA VP, Jerry Greaves.

“The Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSSCA) is honored to be able to celebrate the memory of one of the sport’s true pioneers as well as one of our own participants,” Greaves added.

First presented at the 33rd Monterey Historics in 2006, the Autobooks-Aerobooks Harry Morrow Award celebrates the fact that many thought of Harry Morrow as the heart and soul of 500cc open wheel racing. It was created to be presented at prestige vintage racing events throughout the country to the person who best represents the sportsmanship and camaraderie of vintage competition.

“You don’t have to win the race to be the real winner with this award. Harry Morrow always seemed to have more fun putting wheels under others than driving himself (… and he surely loved to race!). He was a glowing ember very early on for 500cc open wheel racing in the United States. He lived and raced on the West coast, but his influence was nationwide for those who wanted news of those quick little racing cars,” said Greaves.

“We came pretty close to presenting the Award at this year’s event,” Greaves went on. “But ran out of time for proper promotion, so we are announcing early that we’ll be one of the handful of very special events which will be chosen to make the award in 2008. I think we’ll see a lot of our 500cc regulars plus a number of other racers coming back to Pittsburg specifically to celebrate the Morrow next year!”

The Pittsburg Vintage Grand Prix is the only pure vintage race run on city streets and some 150,000 to 200,000 spectators crowd into Schenley Park every year to watch!

Featuring sports and formula cars that range from Pre War (pre 1941) to 1965 sports racers, the cars that race are all wonderfully preserved and enthusiastically driven on an undulating road course that harks back to the very earliest day of motorsports in the USA. Best of all, admission to these nostalgic races is free to the public!

The Vintage Sports Car Club of America has been on the scene promoting the celebration and “exercise” of vintage racing cars since 1984. They operate a number of very well respected special vintage events annually, among them the Pittsburgh Vintage GP.

In the words of the organization’s first President, the late Bill O’Donnell, VSCCA races: “… Are fun for drivers and spectators but, first and foremost, they are settings in which the cars can be used appropriately, not all-out contests to prove which is the fastest car or who is the fastest driver. Those seeking exercises of the latter sort should look elsewhere for their gratifications.”

No winner’s trophies are given at VSCCA races and the Morrow Award is not necessarily destined to be presented to the fastest at the meet … it’ll go to the BEST!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE VINTAGE SPORTS CAR RACING ASSOCIATION: www.vscca.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX: www.pvgp.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HARRY MORROW AWARD: stokes28@earthlink.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AUTOBOOKS-AEROBOOKS: tina@autobooks-aerobooks.com

ADD:

BACKGROUNDER: The late Harry Morrow was, among many things, the man who established the legendary Autobooks bookstore in Burbank, California way back in 1951. He was a racer, and more than that, an enthusiast. He promoted racing and races, he helped other racers (often to the detriment of his own chances at an event). Morrow loved all forms of road racing but he simply adored the little 500cc “Formula 3”cars and championed them fully.

In early 2006, 500cc Club of America member Doug Stokes designed, created, and personally funded a unique new award that would honor the memory of this very special man. Stokes named the award for Morrow and the special store that he started in 1951.

The trophy is the property of the 500cc Club of America, whose Director is Tom Cecil. It is Cecil’s brief to contact and contract with vintage racing promoters about the potential awarding of the “Morrow” at prestige vintage racing and exhibition events nationwide. He sets up the dates for presentation of the award and arranges all shipping. Cecil also attends selected events to promote and present the award in person. Doug Stokes assists with the national, regional, and local publicity-promotion of the “Morrow”.

This is truly a great award, designed to honor both Harry Morrow’s memory and to promote its sponsor’s commitment to the sport of vintage racing … It should continue celebrating the living legend that is Autobooks.

ADD:

Monterey, Calif. (August 2006) - - Life-long motorsports partisan John Streets of Palo Alto was named the first recipient of the Autobooks-Aerobooks Harry Morrow Award as the person best representing the spirit of 500cc racing at the 33rd Monterey Historic Sports Car Races.

Streets' was a very popular winner of this new award, but the "competition" for the honor was fierce. "We had a list as long as your arm (of potential recipients) on Friday," said judge Doug Stokes. In the end, John was the consensus among the judging committee but by a few thousandths of a point … It was that close."

Streets, who had been the center post for the movement to get the 500cc cars accepted at the Historics, was very modest and inclusive in his acceptance of the Morrow Award, thanking everyone involved and indicating that he deemed it a great honor to be given a trophy with the late Morrow's name on it. "Harry was the reason that so many people got into this sport, he was a great influence on me, as well as uncountable others."

In what can only be called “A SIDEBAR TO A SIDEBAR”, Tom Cecil himself was chosen as the sole 2007 recipient of Morrow Award. “His personal interest and dedication to the sport make his name a very worthy one to go on the ‘Morrow’. Like Harry himself, and John Streets last year, “Rigger” (Tom’s nickname from a very long time ago) surely deserves this honor. He’s one of the true partisans of our sport,” said Stokes.

THE AWARD:
Topped by a wheel from an ancient Cooper FIII car, the perpetual trophy will honors the memory of the late Harry Morrow.

Morrow, who founded Burbank's legendary Autobooks-Aerobooks bookstore in 1951, was one of the most energetic supporters of the Formula 3 movement in the early days of road racing on the Pacific Coast.

As the smaller plaque on the upper part of the base reads as follows: "Autobooks Founder Harry Morrow Lived And Breathed To Promote And Race 500cc Formula Cars. His Influence On West Coast Road Racing Was Immense, His Enthusiasm Boundless…"

"He was a true character," said former Autobooks owner Chet Knox. "I really regret that I never met the man; but our customers have filled me in so well on Harry, that I feel he was almost an old friend. His spirit still pervades this store in many ways, many years after his passing. With this new award, we'll be able to celebrate the guy who opened the world of motorsports to so many people with his deep love of books and road racing."

"Harry loved 500cc racing and the people who got involved in it," added 500cc Club Member Doug Stokes. "There were always little formula race cars and race car parts out in back of the store (then a few blocks East of the present location on Magnolia Boulevard). Harry always had time to talk racing with everyone, even me when I was a gawky Covina High School junior who started making regular 'pilgrimages' to Burbank way back in 1958."

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