To keep up with Tracy Valenta, you’re going to need to step up. At 84, Tracy is still the ultimate salesman. On Episode 231, Tracy shares highlights covering the racing years with the Party Ice team. Tracy was inducted in the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2016. Tracy is why we say; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app.
4:20 – I bought a ’32 Ford for 50 bucks and was able to rebuild it in Auto Shop
12:34 – I went to Scott McKenzie and said, “ If I could get Rick Mears to drive for me, would you put together a car for me?”
17:01 – There are so many fish in the little bay right at the Bay of LA, I’ve never seen so many fish in my life
20:26 – I bought 1000 seats altogether and sold them at cost just to help Mickey get people interested
29:33 – I felt like I had made it at the Coliseum, Phoenix was big!
Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:15.770] – Big Rich Klein
Today’s guest on Conversations with Big Rich is a 2016 ORMHOF Inductee, the owner of the historic team Party Ice, which included the likes of drivers like Malcolm Smith, Bud Feldkamp, Rick and Roger Mears, Bobby Fierro, Kitty O’Neill, and even the rock legend Ted Nugent.
[0:01:36.950] – Big Rich Klein
That guest is Tracy Valenta. Hello, Tracy Valenta. It’s so great to have you on the podcast this morning, and I’m really looking forward to this conversation. Thank you.
[00:01:50.860] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah. Thank you, Rich. I’m here for you.
[00:01:53.170] – Big Rich Klein
All right. So let’s get started. Where were you born and raised?
[00:01:59.210] – Tracy Valenta
I was born in the I went to my Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles.
[00:02:03.850] – Big Rich Klein
Born in LA.
[00:02:04.180] – Tracy Valenta
I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley.
[00:02:07.950] – Big Rich Klein
All right. San Gabriel Valley. And it was fairly rural at that time?
[00:02:13.430] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah. Yes.
[00:02:15.210] – Big Rich Klein
What was it like growing up there?
[00:02:19.230] – Tracy Valenta
It was great. I lived in Monterey Park in Alhambra. I more or less grew up in Alhambra. It was when we used to be able to drink water out of the hose and play football on the street. We had a ball.
[00:02:34.770] – Big Rich Klein
You had to be home when the overhead lights outside came on, right?
[00:02:41.410] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah, that’s right.
[00:02:42.930] – Big Rich Klein
I understand that. As a kid, what activities did you enjoy besides football on the street?
[00:02:52.520] – Tracy Valenta
Oh, football, baseball. I was pretty active.
[00:02:58.990] – Big Rich Klein
Okay. Did you have a bicycle, a motorcycle, anything like that as you growing up?
[00:03:05.990] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah, I used to put bikes together and make them the way I wanted to and paint them and made them look nice and sell them.
[00:03:15.730] – Big Rich Klein
There you go. So you were an entrepreneur early.
[00:03:19.070] – Tracy Valenta
I guess so. And then I did the same thing with cars.
[00:03:23.720] – Big Rich Klein
Okay. And what was school like for you? Were you a good student or were you one of those that was always looking out the window wanting to get back outside?
[00:03:33.620] – Tracy Valenta
Well, to be honest with you, I had issues because I’m dyslexic. Back then, they did not know what that was. And they kept saying to my parents, I could do better if I try harder because I’m intelligent, but they just didn’t get it.
[00:03:50.520] – Big Rich Klein
Right. I understand that. And so you got through school, though. Did you play sports and stuff then?
[00:03:58.750] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah, I played C football when I was in high school. Okay.
[00:04:04.250] – Big Rich Klein
And how about any tech courses, like auto shop or anything like that?
[00:04:10.040] – Tracy Valenta
Yeah, I had all that.
[00:04:11.540] – Big Rich Klein
And what was your favorite class?
[00:04:14.440] – Tracy Valenta
Auto shop. Auto Shop.
[00:04:15.290] – Big Rich Klein
Auto Shop. And what was it about Auto Shop that you really liked?
[00:04:20.730] – Tracy Valenta
I bought a ’32 Ford for 50 bucks, and I was able to rebuild it in Auto Shop, so I like that part. READ MORE
