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[TSR]

The late Gene Husting will leave a unique legacy in slot car history. A former gas station owner dabbling with full-size drag racing with what is arguably the first sidewinder "top fuel" car, he later got involved in slot car racing, devising the fastest drag racing machine in its day, eventually setting an E.T. that was not bettered for 21 years.
Not content to leave that mark, Husting redesigned the 1/24 scale pro racing car following his own ideas, inspired by the work of another local genius who had designed and built what is effectively the first true "anglewinder" car, in the 1/32 scale. Roy Moody developed the first car in mid 1967, to fit the potent but cumbersome Mabuchi FT26 motor by shifting its bulk away from the rear axle. It worked splendidly and did "everything right". He called it a "saddle sidewinder". Whatever.



Husting claims that he never saw Roy's car, that was published in MCS in early 1968, but it is possible since the printing delay was a good 60 to 90 days at the time.
He built his first anglewinder in January 1968, and the rest is history.
Actually, he built THREE of them, but two did not survive in the Y2K panic that got to Gene, making him to throw away lots of 'old stuff" in his garage to replace with water and emergency foods. "The End of the World is Near. Women and Children to Suffer Most". 
Fortunately, his 0.93"-second dragster survived because it was on a shelf at the Associated Company, in which Husting was the co-owner with Roger Curtis, and the very first anglewinder had been mailed shortly after its first win to the Godfather of pro racing, and accessorily, a VP at United Fruit, one of the world's largest corporations, in Louisiana.
And fortunately, Bruce dropped by my office one day about 15 years ago with three boxes full of the most significant historical racing cars one would dream of, including... the original anglewinder!
Both the dragster and that car are now safely protected at the LASCM, where I captured these quick shots last week while sorting out more stuff.





The car received a new body I painted and mounted  for Gene years ago because the original had unfortunately vanished. Gene described it to me and I used an identical Dynamic McLaren MK6, decorated as it was, and fitted it to the otherwise unrestored chassis.





The original, Kovacs painted  Lola body used by Bruce Paschal in Louisiana in early 1968 did survive in good condition and is currently fitted over the beautiful Husting replica built by Steve Okeefe:



It is likely that a switch will be made now that the LASCM is in possession of both cars.
 

[Tom Katsanis]

Absolutely awesome I love what you guys at the LASCM are doing preserving the history of the hobby & some very significant cars.
Tom

[Bill from NH]

If anyone doesn't know,, the  chassis build article for Steve Okeefe's clone of the "Husting First Anglewinder" is on Slotblog in "The Independent Scratchbuilder" forum.