Tom Malloy is on a quest to find his father’s 1950’s era Indy Racecar.
Hanging above the collection is a banner with a photo of his dad’s car and team in 1954. The car has eluded him for decades, with the best guys out there searching for the car. One of them, is my old Blacktop Depot business partner Chris Unger.
You see, one day an older guy, Gene Ellis, walks into our store and tells me he has a garage full of Ford Model A parts, down the street in Santa Ana. Chris heads over to check it out. After seeing the garage stuffed with vintage racing blocks, drive trains, and even an old sprint car, he knew just the right guy for the bounty.
Enter Tom Malloy.
We swing a deal with Tom to buy it all and then help his crew load it in his trucks and trailer. One of the backyard sheds had a well preserved, yet taken apart, Hank Henry racer. Gene said the car was taken apart so it would be harder for someone to steal, but all the parts are here. Behind the garage, in the weeds was an original Tamale Wagon chassis too!
Jump ahead three years.
When word came for a private tour of the Malloy Foundation Collection, I had to drop all plans and go see if he was restoring any of the cars. The Hank Henry racer was on a stand being rebuilt! What a joy to see the car getting the once over by his crew.
Tom shared some great stories and his foundation helps young rackers keep racing after a fortuitous accident.
Story/Photos: Tony Colombini
