NHRA Record Holding Bass Player

Posted by pikesan on Sep 30, 2009 in Racing, Shows & Events | 2 comments

Talented Bassist Gene Schwartz hangs up his guitar for a weekend of racing at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Oct. 16-18

BAKERSFIELD, CA – Gene Schwartz is a former NHRA record holder in his 1952 Chevy, but underneath his racing suit Gene can’t stop singing the blues. That’s because his “day job” is as a bass player. For over 30 years, Gene played bass for legendary blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. When not jamming on his bass guitar, Gene has managed to build his skills as a champion racecar driver setting National records in the 60s to present day.

The Euclid, OH resident has made the annual trip to the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Kentucky on numerous occasions, but has yet to visit McFarland, CA for the California Hot Rod Reunion. Fans of both Gene’s music and his racing raised money to surprise him with an all-expense-paid trip to the California Reunion this October. Gene was surprised, thrilled and eager to join fans and friends at the Reunion.

Gene’s car will be a sure crowd pleaser. His ’52 Chevy racecar is one of the few nostalgic gassers that uses a “stick shift” and uses his patented 9000 rpm for a thrilling starting line launch. Now, he’ll be rocking and rolling down the strip in his Chevy, an exact duplicate of the car he ran in the 60s. Don’t miss this talented racer, also considered “the best white guitar player in America” according to Lockwood.

— More information about the California Hot Rod Reunion —

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by calling the Reunion Info Number at 909.622.8562. Requests can be emailed to moc.arhnnull@muesumeht.

Proceeds of the California Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by Auto Club of Southern California.