How It All Began..

It was February 1981. Greg Maroney asked me to join a group of fellow hot rodders getting together at Dave Stark’s garage. "I will pick you up at 1:00," he said. Well, that was right up my alley, to never turn down a chance for a ride in Greg’s T coupe and meet up with a bunch of car guys.

Greg had just gotten his car up and running the week before. When Greg headed toward my house, I could hear the coupe coming from a mile away. I jumped in, and the small-block Chevy was just rumbling out of the home-built headers. Away we went, no windows, no fenders, and hanging on was an option.

When we arrived at Dave’s garage, my heart was pounding with excitement! There were approximately 15 or so guys there and 3 or 4 hot rods. After visiting with everyone, a fellow named Rick Cowan mentioned the idea of putting on a “rod run.” At the time, we were all in! We discussed the idea and then planned to meet at Rick’s garage the following Saturday. That is when it all began.. The Glacier Street Rod Association was formed in February 1981.

The Glacier Street Rod Association (aka GSRA) went on to host the first annual Rod Run on July 24th, 25th, and 26th, 1981. Member Dick Hampton then began writing the newsletter named.. The Purple Shaft. The newsletter is now known as the Bearly News.

Rick Cowan moved away the following year, and Allen “Gus” Gustafson was voted in as president of the club. Gus spent countless hours, for several years, working on many memorable rod runs with the help of other members.