News
Email this story |
Print this story
 |
| SHEILA MASSON/ADVANCE Joe Huffaker |
Previous News Stories
June 24th, 2009
Our Town: Novatan joins Sears Point ‘Wall of Fame'
By Mark Dittmer Sports Editor
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 2:24 PM PDT
A newly-married Joe Huffaker moved to Novato in 1951. On weekdays, he serviced appliances at Montgomery-Ward. His hobby, at the time, was working on cars.
Sometimes, hobbies grow into something bigger.
More than 50 years later, Huffaker's hobby has netted him not only a career in auto-building, but also the kind of recognition - even fame - normally reserved for race-car drivers. During pre-race ceremonies at next week's Indy Racing League visit to Sonoma, Huffaker will be inducted into the Sears Point raceway's Wall of Fame.
“I was pretty well-known,” Huffaker said, “But this (type of recognition) is kind of unusual.”
Fifty years later, the story of Huffaker's rise to fame has become part of local history. A native of Terre Haute, Ind. (where Larry Bird played college ball), Huffaker married Jean Johannsen of Larkspur and then set up shop in their home garage in Novato. His first car was built in that garage: a roadster put together using the parts from a wrecked Austin-Healey.
“We got the brakes, the engine and the front suspension off of that Austin,” Huffaker said. “I built that in my one-car garage at night, in Novato.”
That first roadster was followed by perhaps the vehicle that did the most to make Huffaker famous. A collaboration with local enthusiast Fred Knoop, the Chevy Special Huffaker built wound up winning a 1956 race against a Lister Jaguar. The driver of that Lister was named Kjell Qvale.
At this point, the story accelerates, with Qvale's foot on the gas. Kjell Qvale (his full name is pronounced “shell kev-all-ee”) had experienced his own rise to fame. A native of Norway growing up in Seattle, he had used a knack for business dealing to become one of the state's most important auto distributors. Now Qvale set out to enter the world of racing, and he hired Huffaker to join him.
That set in motion the mass-production of Huffaker-built cars. No longer working out of his Novato garage, the car-builder worked on BMC Juniors, Genies, Coopers and MGs. During his eight years working with Qvale, the duo brought a team of racers to several Indy 500s. Their most successful trip to Indianapolis was in 1964 - when all three of their cars qualified for the main event.
After eight years with Qvale, Huffaker's reputation was such that he could run his own car-building business - and he did just that, moving from San Rafael to Petaluma to the shop's current location at Sears Point.
His days designing Indy racers were over, but racing remained his business. In the ‘70s and ‘80s his only son (Joe Huffaker Jr.) was driving in SCCA series races - winning eight out of nine national championships during one stretch.
“I grew up around cars,” said Huffaker Jr., who has been the man in charge at Huffaker Engineering since his dad retired in 1991. “It was easy to learn because I was always in the shop with my dad.”
The baton has been passed, from father to son, but the shop remains much the same as it was 30 years ago. Cars, some half-built, some nearly-complete, are spaced out over several-hundred square feet. On one side of the shop, the engine-builder Jim Lerch (once upon a time a classmate of Huffaker Jr.'s at San Marin High School) has his space. He has been working for Huffaker Engineering since 1974.
Across the room, a white half-finished vehicle is being worked on.
“This is my project,” said Huffaker Sr., mostly retired now but still taking the occasional couple of hours to work on this 1959 vehicle. “This is my hobby now. Playing golf is my vocation, and this is my hobby.”
So next Sunday, Huffaker will step forward and accept recognition for all this history, all these accomplishments, that reside in his past.
But last Saturday, Huffaker even-more-gratefully accepted a blessing that promises to reward him in the future. A great-granchild, his first. The newborn's name: Joe Huffaker.
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of NovatoAdvance.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog; all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site. Any material that is contrary to good taste, contains objectionable material, is not in compliance with community standards or does not meet the standards of the Advance, will not be posted to the Web site.
