Honorees were announced today for
the fifth annual National Hot Rod Reunion, Jun. 15-17, 2007 at National Trail
Raceway near Columbus, Ohio. The honorees are John Abbott, Don Cain,
Ted Harbit, Fred Hurst, and the team of Gary Rupp and Pat Dakin. Jeg
Coughlin will be the Grand Marshal, while the Justice Bros. Reunion Spotlight
will fall on Frank Hawley.
John Abbott began his long drag racing career near his Denver home in
1954. His accomplishments at the wheel of fuel dragsters include the 1977
Top Fuel title at the Popular Hot Rodding Magazine Championships, the IHRA
Spring Nationals in 1978 and the AHRA Winter Nationals in '79. He capped
his career with a victory in the NHRA U.S. Nationals, taking the Top Fuel title
in 1981 following a runner-up finish in 1980.
Don Cain's biggest win came with his Top Gas victory at the 1967 U.S.
Nationals. He won six NHRA Division 5 Championships in Top Gas Dragster.
Cain then drove a Plymouth Satellite Funny Car for the team of Pusch and
Cain match racing throughout the Midwest. He retired from drag racing in
1974 and focused his attention on street rods. After his retirement from
General Motors in 1988, he and his wife Nan opened K.C. Street Rod Parts in
Kansas City, Mo.