Gary Parker

Gary Parker

Gary Parker, racing historian, has been around the sport of dirt late model racing for over 50 years. He is a voting member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame and is a contributor to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. He holds a masters degree in anthropology from Vermont College and a PhD. in anthropology from City University of Los Angeles. He lives with his wife, Elaine, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

About the Author:

Gary Parker racing historian, has been around the sport of dirt late model racing for over 50 years. He is a voting member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame and is a contributor to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. He holds a masters degree in anthropology from Vermont College and a PhD. in anthropology from City University of Los Angeles. He lives with his wife, Elaine, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Bill Holder, a writer and founder of The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, says Parker’s first book, RED CLAY AND DUST is the “Holy Grail” of books on the evolution of the dirt late model.

Parker’s second book, THE ROCK-EM, SOCK-EM, TRAVELIN’ SIDEWAYS DIRT SHOW, is a history of the first national touring series for dirt late models. The National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) was the dream of Kingsport, Tennessee’s Robert Smawley, a visionary racing promoter who was clearly years ahead of his time. This is a must read for any dirt race fan.

HERB “TOOTLE” ESTES: THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, is Parker’s third book. It follows the career of a unique racing legend, Knoxville, Tennessee’s Herb “Tootle” Estes.