Welcome Members and guests
DRAG-ENS 50th ANNIVERSARY
The Drag-Ens will celebrate 50 years of continuous Hot Rodding in August
2012.
A reunion of current and ex-members will be held at the clubrooms on
Saturday night 11 August 2012. Any ex-members who have not received an
invitation should contact the secretary (Ronnie Williams) via the link
above.
On Sunday 12 August 2012, the celebrations will continue at the clubrooms
and all rodders and their friends are invited.
The morning will kick off at about 10:00am with a cooked breakfast supplied
by our good friends in the Romans Hot Rod Association. A live band, the
Flattrackers, will be performing from 11:00am.
This will be a free day for everyone and the clubrooms will be open for the
display of memorabilia and other interesting items which show the 50 year
history of the club.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Andrew McClelland - Drag-Ens President
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Current Members Rods |
The Drag-Ens Hot Rod Club was first formed in August 1962 when five enthusiastic hot rodders, knowing nothing about club administration, elected a committee, set fees at 2/6 per week and decided to hold meetings every two weeks.
Suddenly the club was inundated with members and the membership grew to a record number of 98. As the club at this stage catered for street hot rodders, drag racing rods and customised cars, the name of the club was changed to Drag-Ens Rod and Kustom Club.
The early sixties saw the birth and fall of many clubs as rodding was growing too fast for many of the inexperienced club officials. Clubs were engaged in drag racing, hot rod and custom car shows, rod runs, the formation of administrative bodies and publicity for public relations.
Many applications for club membership were from people interested in membership as a status symbol or social outlet rather than to become genuine hot rodders. Some discontent broke out within the Drag-Ens due to this and the dissimilarity of interest.
The club committee, realizing what was taking place, took action by tightening up the club constitution and putting pressure on persons not of any real value to the club. Some breakaway clubs were formed from the Drag-Ens whilst other members resigned and left hot rodding altogether.
During this period, the club had achieved what had been planned, although it also cost the club a few good members. As it turned out, nearly all members remaining were street rodders and a very tight club emerged. The name of the club was then changed back to Drag-Ens Hot Rod Club and any new members admitted were required to be at least building a street rod.
It was at that time it was decided to restrict club cars to those of American origin and manufactured prior to 1941.
From this point on the club began to prosper. Scrutineers (members with some considerable rodding experience) were appointed within the club to make progress reports on rods under construction. Members with negative reports placed their membership in jeopardy. This policy, (which continues to-day) together with a membership limit of twenty-five (now forty) full members, accounts for the present high standard of membership and a waiting list of prospective new members.
We hope you enjoy your visit to our website.