Hot rod family
8/2/2023
Hot rodding and racing have been part of the Hay family for nearly 100 years.
Chris Hay, director of the Des Moines Valley Region of Sports Car Club of America, has been competing and racing since he was a teen, in cars that he rebuilt or modified.
The Hay family, including Chris’ grandfather, raced. His grandpa owned a “Fronty” — A Frontenac Model T. His dad, also a hot rodder, owned a gas station in the Highland Park area from 1965-1986. His dad and his uncles raced near the Fourth and Euclid area.
What qualifies as a street rod? Any vehicle that has been modified with engines or parts added or taken out for faster handling.
Hay currently races autocross with his 1968 Camaro.
“It has a 2001 Corvette drive train. It’s a sleeper and powerful but doesn’t look like it,” he says.
The SCCA consists of about 200 members and was established 65 years ago. Members compete in events nearly every weekend within a 250-mile radius of Des Moines. They set up courses in large parking lots across the metro, including Valley West Mall or Merle Hay Mall. A course is set up with pylons, far away from light poles, curbs and other objects.
The object of autocross competition is to see how quickly a car can get around the pylons, without knocking them over. Hay has participated in Goodguys autocross since the 1990s with about 130 competitors. This year, he placed second in the Duel in Des Moines Shootout.
He’s been awarded a “5 Finest” recognition for his 1956 GMC truck, which appeared in “Classic Trucks Magazine.” As he drove his 1940 Ford, he ran into NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace, who saw his car and wanted to take a picture with him.
When Chris was young, he didn’t get a hot rod right away, even though his dad was a racer.
“He bought me a bicycle when I was 13. The rest — I was on my own. He wanted me to earn it,” he recalls.
His dad discouraged him from racing.
“He told me if I got into racing, it takes a lot of time and money,” he says. “I figured out that autocross has various classes, and you don’t have to spend your life savings doing it.”
The SCCA holds events at traditional racing spots, such as Newton, which is an ideal autocross racetrack, Chris says, adding many racers are seen as risk-takers.
“Motorsports struggle to maintain positive position in the public eye,” he reflects.
Yet, he insists on safety. At events, they keep 25 feet away from objects or curbs and speeds are less than 60 miles per hour.
“We’ve run about 300,000 cars over the years with less than 15 incidents. It’s a low probability of accidents and shows we have a great safety record.”
As he’s raced most of his life, he likes the speed, horsepower, camaraderie and skill set needed to race in autocross.
“Today’s cars are boring to drive. I could care less about football. This is how I spend my weekends.” ♦
