Legendary NHRA car owner Roland Leong, “the Hawaiian,” passes away

Legendary NHRA group proprietor Roland Leong, recognized far and extensive for a string of gorgeous Prime Gasoline and Humorous Automobiles emblazoned with the title The Hawaiian in tribute to his birthplace, handed away Dec. 29. He was 79.

Leong was a profitable fuel dragster driver in Hawaii and a gentle movie star on the islands, however left his native Hawaii to return to California within the early Nineteen Sixties and acquired work on the famed Dragmasters chassis constructing emporium close to San Diego. Leong’s Dragmaster-built rail was pushed to the Prime Fuel victory on the 1964 Winternationals by future motorsports legend Danny Ongais

Leong had ambitions of being a Prime Gasoline driver however infamously crashed at greater than 191 mph the top of his first run, and his mentor, engine-building nice Keith Black, recommended that he can be higher off as a automotive proprietor and beneficial that one other rising legend, a younger southern California automotive painter, Don Prudhomme, can be a superb driver.

Prudhomme, who had already begun to realize a popularity as a fantastic driver because the wheelman for the lately sidelined Black-tuned, Tommy Greer-owned Greer-Black-Prudhomme dragster, had met Leong earlier that 12 months when the G-B-P toured Hawaii, and so they had change into quick buddies.

They have been an odd couple for certain, Leong, the son of well-off dad and mom James and Teddy, who owned an insurance coverage company and a stake in a neighborhood scorching rod store the place Roland labored, and Prudhomme already the savvy and battle-tested veteran of road and strip wars at age 23.

“I suppose I all the time needed a bit brother,” Prudhomme as soon as mentioned. “He was similar to me. All we cared about was drag racing and automobiles. Despite the fact that I had much more expertise than him, I actually felt like we have been equals. I believe he seemed as much as me a bit greater than I spotted on the time, but it surely wasn’t like I used to be the boss or something.”

Collectively they famously gained the 1965 Winternationals and U.S. Nationals and although they parted firm earlier than 1966 — Prudhomme to exit on his personal and Leong to proceed a rising legacy as a savvy automotive proprietor and tuner — they remained shut buddies proper till Leong’s dying. Leong had been unwell the final couple of years and Prudhomme visited him the day earlier than his passing, and the 2 spent a protracted afternoon collectively reminiscing.

“He was my buddy, my brother,” mentioned Prudhomme. “There’s in all probability nobody on this sport that I used to be nearer to than Ro. I am so sorry to see him go, however not less than he is not struggling. I’ll miss him.”

Leong continued to have success after Prudhomme – duplicating these Winternationals and U.S. Nationals victories in 1966 with new driver Mike Snively – however switched to Humorous Automobiles in 1969 and was instantly profitable there as properly, profitable the Winternationals again to again in 1970 and ’71 with drivers Larry Reyes and Butch Maas.

Leong’s Humorous Automobiles, with stunning paint schemes and The Hawaiian title typically lettered in fake bamboo letters, was an immensely well-liked draw on the match-race circuit within the Seventies and ‘80s with a litany of drivers together with Bobby Rowe, Leroy Chadderton, Gordie Bonin, Mike Van Sant, Denny Savage, Norm Wilcox, Larry Arnold, Ron Colson, Mike Dunn, Rick Johnson, and Jim White.

“It was an expertise; for the age we have been, it was a helluva expertise,” mentioned Leong. “We noticed a number of the nation, and after we’d been on the street for therefore lengthy, we acquired to know folks in nearly each city, and we’d do one thing with them whether or not it was to go to their home for dinner or exit and do issues with them. For me, it was the expertise of a lifetime.”

Leong even reunited with Prudhomme within the late Nineteen Nineties as a crew chief for budding class famous person Ron Capps and would get pleasure from a resurgence in recognition and admiration over the past twenty years as one of many preeminent tuners within the Nostalgia Humorous Automobile wars of the NHRA Scorching Rod Heritage Collection.

He obtained many honors in his profession, most lately being inducted into the Hawaii Motorsports Corridor of Fame.

Search for extra on Leong’s profession within the Dragster Insider column Jan. 5.