Roland Leong · The Hawaiian — Drag Racing's Iconic Owner & Tuner

by Lou Hart

From racing the family Oldsmobile in 1960, to winning the Winternationals in 1964, to success with Mopar Funny Cars in the 1970’s and beyond, read about the meteoric rise of drag racing’s greatest owner and tuner in the first-ever book about "The Hawaiian" Roland Leong.

As the son of a Harvard graduate, it could have been difficult for Roland Leong to live up to his family’s expectations. However, that wasn’t the case. “The Hawaiian” knew at a young age that drag racing was his career path. His supportive mother, Teddy, saw potential in Roland and bought him a new 1962 Corvette for “educational” purposes, such as wrenching and tuning. From there, it didn’t take long for the world to discover Oahu’s best-kept secret in drag racing.

In 1964, less than two years after reaching the mainland, Roland was in victory lane at the Winternationals in Top Gas Eliminator. The following year, with Don Prudhomme behind the wheel, “The Hawaiian” immortalized his place in drag racing forever with wins in NHRA’s Top Fuel Eliminator at Pomona (Winternationals) and Indy (US Nationals). Leong became the first ever to capture those iconic crowns in a single season. For good measure, Roland repeated the achievement in 1966 with Mike Snively, showing the world that a Harvard education isn’t required to achieve greatness.

“The Hawaiian” Roland Leong: Drag Racing’s Iconic Owner & Tuner is a tale of family, friends, and forging a path that no other Chinese-Hawaiian before him had carved. Re-live his biggest wins and lasting friendships in this first-ever publication on drag racing's first builder and tuner superstar, Roland Leong!

Contents:

• Foreword by Don Prudhomme
• Roland Leong: Oahu’s Most Preeminent Drag Racing Legend
• 1965: Year of the Snake
• 1966: The Hawaiian’s Imminent Rise to Drag Racing Stardom
• 1967: The Perfect Storm
• 1968: The Twilight of a Phenomenal Run
• 1969: Riding the Wave into the Funny-Car Era
• 1970: The Hawaiian Reinstated to “Legal” Status for NHRA Funny Car Eliminator
• 1971-1972: A New Car, New Drivers, and a String of Wins
• 1973-1974: The Revell Years
• 1975-1979: The GM Years
• 1980 and 1981: A Racing Legend
• Hey, How ’bout a Nice Hawaiian Punch?
• Hawaiian Vacation Tourist Bureau “Drags” Visitors Off to Paradise

Buch, Softcover, 21,5 x 28 cm, 176 Seiten, 71 farbige und 240 s/w-Abbildungen, englischer Text