Dave McClelland, 85, the voice of the NHRA through the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, both on television and at the racetrack, passed away May 22 of natural causes. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing, which was quiet and peaceful.
For many years, Dave McClelland served as emcee for the annual SEMA Awards Gala and SEMA Show Banquet.
McClelland, whose skills, talent, and charm reached all corners of the motorsports world and was always everyone’s first choice as an emcee—including several years as emcee for the annual SEMA Awards Gala and SEMA Show Banquet—was honored with hall of fame enshrinements and awards that spanned his more than 60 years in the broadcasting business. He was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1994.
McClelland continued to be a master of ceremonies and do voice-over work for clients, including NHRA, SEMA, NASCAR, ISCA, AARWBA, PWA, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, R.J. Reynolds, Petersen Automotive Museum, International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, Championship Auto Shows, Petersen Publishing Company, Emap, Primedia, ProMedia, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Castrol, Mopar, Toyota, Shelby Automobiles, Meguiar’s, The California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital and many other organizations.
McClelland was enshrined in the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1994.
Away from the microphone, McClelland’s motorsports career runs the gamut from track operator to founder of the Super Chevy shows to serving as the NHRA’s director of communications. He has been involved with drag racing since 1955; a racer himself, his dragster is in the NHRA museum. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors and as chairman for Racers for Christ, and was a recipient of the SEMA Industry Icon Award and the Car Craft All-Star Drag Racing Team Award, as well as the NHRA Good Hand Award, Don Prudhomme Award, Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Association Award and Goodguys Hot Rod Hero.
McClelland is survived by his wife of 64 years, Louise; son Kevin and his wife Lisa; son Mike and his wife Laurie; daughter Melissa Knight and her husband Tony; granddaughters Ashley and Sara McClelland; grandsons David McClelland and his wife Brittiney; Daniel McClelland and his wife Shirley; Matthew and Ryan Knight; and great granddaughters Alana and Mylah Knight.
McClelland was inducted into the SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Hall of Fame in 2012.
Services will be private, but a celebration of life is being planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Racers for Christ or the Drag Racing Association for Women (DRAW).
Walker Evans: Walker Evans began off-road racing in 1969 and became the first off-road racer to win the Baja 1000 as a driver of a fullsized truck in 1979. Over the course of his career, he has won more than 150 off-road desert and short course races, including championships in the Baja 500, Baja 1000, Fireworks 250, Mint 400 and Parker 400. Beyond racing, Evans is a pioneer in the off-road market, having collaborated closely with automakers such as Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge; worked with major tire manufacturers and suppliers; developed purpose-built products to meet off-road racers’ needs; and paved the way for new opportunities and growth. In 2004, Evans joined SEMA as a delegate on a visit to China to develop new business opportunities and partnerships for the industry. Evans is a role model who inspires young members to deal with emerging technologies and intense legislation, and promotes innovation and creativity in sustaining SEMA, as well as the racing and high-performance industries.
Early in his career, he founded Roush & Gapp—a race team he formed with Wayne Gapp that won multiple championships in NHRA, IHRA and AHRA Pro Stock drag racing. Later, he established Jack Roush Performance Engineering and began supplying racing engines and components for drag, oval-track, and hill-climb cars as well as for offshore power boat contenders. In 1984, Roush was commissioned by the Ford Motor Co. to develop cars and engines for the SCCA Trans-Am and IMSA Camel GT racing series. Roush further expanded his Roush Racing operations in 1988, before establishing Roush Fenway Racing in 2007. The team has claimed two NASCAR Cup Championships, four NASCAR Xfinity championships and one NASCAR Truck Series title. Roush also made major safety contributions to stock-car racing, including the development of roof flaps to prevent rollovers. In addition to his racing successes, Roush is founder and chairman of Roush Enterprises, a global supplier of product development services, including design, engineering, prototyping, testing and manufacturing. He also oversees Roush Performance Products, a supplier of aftermarket performance parts, and he manages Roush CleanTech, a manufacturer of alternative fuel systems.
Robert Eugene "Gene" Winfield: Robert Eugene "Gene" Winfield is an American automotive customizer and fabricator who has been involved in the industry for more than 70 years. He started building hot rods in the backyard of his mother’s house in the ’40s, and came to national prominence in 1959 with a stunning quad-headlight take on a ’56 Mercury two-door hardtop immortalized as the Jade Idol. Besides fashioning his own unique brand of customs, Winfield became famous for inventing the fade paint job. Winfield also played a key role in promoting custom car modifications to the general public by supplying modified cars for movies and TV shows, including a vehicle in the iconic 1982 film "Blade Runner." No fewer than three Winfield creations have won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award, which is the Best Picture Oscar of the hot-rod world. Revered as “The King of Kustoms,” Winfield was featured in the first DVD in a series called “The Kings of Kustoms”—a documentary highlighting car customizers.
