Current Events - Steve Collison Memorial

Steven G. Collison
May 20, 1946 - December 14, 2000

Steve Collison, Drag Racing USA's editor and a big booster of Hot Rod Nostalgia, kicked the rods out during an afternoon telephone call in his New Jersey home office. With his final words, Stevie questioned his staff editor and longtime friend, Dale Wilson, as to the whereabouts of photographs scheduled to appear in the DRUSA issue then in production. When Stevie went away from the phone, Wilson assumed that he was searching through his office. In fact, Stevie never left his chair; when his wife, Cathy, came home a couple of hours later, the telephone handset was in his lap.

If his grieving friends and tens of thousands of fans can find any solace whatsoever in such a tragedy, it's that the end came so quickly that this 54-year-old who was never at a loss for words didn't make a sound. When our time comes, we can only hope to be so fortunate.

We can also be grateful for the millions of words that Stevie leaves behind, along with no small number of photos. Because Stevie and his colleagues necessarily carry cameras to work, entire careers and lives are illustrated in a way unique to the journalism and entertainment fields. Our archive photos begin in 1970, not long after Collison launched from oblivion to a Car Craft staff job, and continue through November 30, 2000 — the 14th-to-last day of his life.

Thus are we able to offer a partially complete pictorial history of an incredible 30-year career that included the editor's chair at DRUSA, Bracket Racing USA, Super Stock & Drag Illustrated (thrice!), Drag Racing Monthly, Cars and Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords, among some obscure titles that aren't coming to mind. There was also what is likely the briefest staff-writer stint in the history of National Dragster (a few weeks, after which Steve was inexplicably fired), plus one "real job" (as, briefly, a PR guy for Hurst Performance). We can be grateful that so many images have survived. (For a full-screen-sized view, simply click onto any picture here.)

We'd like to share even more. Those of you with your own set of Stevie photos are encouraged to send them via e-mail (goodcom@volcano.net) or snail mail (P.O. Box 249, West Point, CA 95255-0249). Your own prints or negatives or transparencies of Collison will receive white-glove treatment (literally!) from our staff; scanned on our high-end scanner; added to this collection; and promptly returned. Detailed descriptions and identification of any persons, vehicles, etc., are appreciated. (If you can't stand the e-concept of anyone with a computer being able to copy your image for whatever purpose, please don't send it; the objective here is to share the joy of someone's life with as many people as possible.)

Anyone with additional information about the following photos from HRN's archives is encouraged to elaborate on and/or correct the accompanying captions — which were mostly written from memory by a 51-year-old guy whose personal hard drive is full and somewhat damaged. Some of that damage is undoubtedly attributable to adventures shared with Steve Collison from 1973 through 2000. A small price to pay for so many memories, if you ask me. --DAVE WALLACE

		New Guy Most people got their first look at unheralded Steve Collison when he started showing up at NHRA events in 1970. Prior to answering Car Craft editor Terry Cook's help-wanted ad in the L.A. Times, Collison, a Lions class and bracket racer, had never written a story or shot a single photo. (HRN archive photo)
CC Staff The magazine's 1972 Christmas-edition photo shows (seated, L-R) Collison; Rick Voegelin; Don Green; Norman Mayersohn; (standing, L-R) Cliff Creager; Ro McGonegal; Steven M. Green; Albert Esparza; (reclining) Lois Coffman. What talent! No wonder CC was so good in those days. (Courtesy Norman Mayersohn)
		On Tour Now, here's a scary sight: Collison (left) and Berserko Bob Doerrer crewing on a serious race car! Nevertheless, Wayne Jesel (right) won Comp or Modified Eliminator that day at AHRA's St. Louis Grand American meet. It's 1973 or '74 — the season that saw Stevie fulfill a lifelong dream of touring the country with a competitive doorslammer. He got the opportunity between editorial stints at National Dragster and Super Stock. (Courtesy Berserko Bob)
Fellow Editors Ontario Motor Speedway is the scene, circa 1975. Steve had just been announced as Super Stock's new editor. He's being toasted by Hot Rod editor Jim McCraw. The shot appeared in Drag News, then edited by Dave Wallace. (Tim Marshall photo)
		Lounge Lizard Whatever was going around this motorhome must've been good, because the photographer remembers nothing about this one, including the date; he's guessing 1978. (Dave Wallace photo)
Intensity You won't see many shots without the trademark Collison smile, but this was serious business: Prior to the U.S. Nationals (circa 1984?), word had leaked out that NHRA was about to eliminate Stevie's favorite class, Modified Eliminator, and replace it with the heads-up e.t. bracket then known as Pro Gas. The button reads, 'Save Sportsman Racing.' (Dave Wallace photo)
		Devilfish It's the SEMA Show, circa 1986. Jeff Burk (right) has just been named to succeed Stevie (center) as Super Stock's editor. The ever-cynical Dave Wallace (left), making the fish-hook sign, evidently didn't think much of Burk's deal. (HRN archive photo)
Sticker Shock Then the Super Stock editor, Collison was unknowingly promoting Petersen's arch-rival Drag Racing magazine for a few hours during the U.S. Nationals, circa 1987. So was his old pal, Tommy 'Two-Lines' Garrity (at lower right). (Dave Wallace photo)
		Friendly Rivals This 1987 Indy shot shows rival editors Collison (right) and Dave Wallace (center), plus Doug Fazzalari, now sales manager for Ray Barton Racing. (Francis Butler photo)
On The Line Ex-Petersen colleagues Al Kirschenbaum (left) and Jim McCraw (center) remained among Stevie's closest friends to the end. This is Pomona, mid-1980s. (Dave Wallace photo)
		Caged Stevie could've been saying anything at Indy, circa 1990. Our guess is a favorite salutation: 'Got any?' (Dave Wallace photo)
Nostalgia Fans If it went down a drag strip, Collison loved it. In 1996, he flew 3000 miles to cover Goodguys' March Meet. Among the old friends he encountered was Jr. Fuel racer Mike Civelli (right), longtime crewchief for Slammin' Sammy Miller's rocket cars. (Dave Wallace photo)
		Break Time If you wonder why Stevie looked so guilty coming out of that stall, click onto this photo for greater detail. If the photographer's long-term memory is accurate, this was the end of a long day of 'grinnin' 'n' grabbin'' at the PRI Show in Indianapolis. (Dave Wallace photo)
Old Friends, New Friends Steve Collison was the common thread connecting countless journalistic relationships. This gathering occurred late the evening of Nov. 1, 2000, in Dave and Sky Wallace's Las Vegas Hilton room. New-Media representatives Mark Hovsepian (far right) and Chris Ouellette (second from right) endured hours of bench racing among print-veterans (L-R) Al Kirschenbaum, Dave Wallace, Sky Wallace and Collison. (Dawn Mazi photo)
		Mirror ImageSame evening, same hotel room: Stevie admires his own writing in a long-forgotten joke caption that Dave Wallace produced for the occasion. Collison hadn't seen the copy or accompanying image (of a young Sky Wallace) in 15-plus years. (Dave Wallace photo)
The Last Time What may well be the final photos of Stevie's life were made Nov. 30, 2000 — just two weeks before his death. The occasion was Good Communications' annual client-and-media-appreciation dinner at Buca di Beppo in downtown Indianapolis. With Collison is Geoff Stunkard, the veteran freelancer and publisher (Quarter Milestones), who had just been named editor of Mopar Muscle. Needless to say, neither was feeling any pain at this point in the evening. (Sky Wallace photos)

Backyard Bash
One evening during NHRA's Summernationals, circa 1986, Steve and Kathy Collison hosted a memorable gathering of media types and other friends at their Atco, New Jersey, home. (We could use some help with identification here, Folks!) Among those who can be identified are Stevie (top left, up against the tree); Sky Wallace; Sea Rafferty; Sammy Collison, now 19 years old (being held sideways, third from left); Kevin Collison, now 21 (big kid, center left); Francis Butler; Elizabeth ('Lizzie The Dot') Collison (infant), now 15; Kathy Collison; Doug Fazzalari; Ryan Wallace; Connie Strawbridge; Dave Wallace. At least a dozen of the folks in attendance that night held a sad reunion Dec. 19, 2000, at Stevie's memorial service in Voorhees, New Jersey. (Norman Blake photo)

Finally, to paraphrase the late Mark Dees' emotional eulogy at photojournalist Tom Senter's funeral: Keep the beer cold and the oil warm, Stevie. We'll see ya after a while.

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