Manley Ford  Receives

MGTD racer Manley Ford was honored this June with the MG Vintage Racers? ?Bill Parish Master of Deception Memorial Award? at Virginia International Raceway?s ?Gold Cup? vintage races.  This is an award presented annually at MGVR?s ?Focus Event? - a vintage car race designated by MGVR - where a MG vintage race supporter (not always a racer) is selected to receive this honorary award in memory of the late MGTC vintage racer Bill Parish.  Bill was a grass roots founder of both SVRA and MGVR, but his focus was always in the spirit of having the most ?Fun? at events, and not winning races ? which he never did!   It was established between Parish-Heacock Insurance and MGVR to honor the memory and spirit of Bill, and those who carry on that tradition.  It gets presented annually to someone involved with MGVR who is there for the camaraderie of their peers and the fun of MG vintage racing.  Someone willing to share and help and make it fun for everyone.  This year?s recipient was long time MG enthusiasts and vintage racer Manley Ford.  Manley first knew Bill through MGs from back in the 70?s, even before vintage racing began, and would later vintage race with Bill.  Manley recalls:  Bill was, and will always be, a very special person in my life as he was for so many others.  He had such a laid back approach to all things MG ? and especially to vintage racing them.  Bill took to vintage racing just like a duck to water and brought about as much gear with him to the races.  Just his venerable blue TC and a cooler full of beef tenderloins that his sidekick ?Spatch? would casually prepare in the paddock on a beat up old charcoal grille, while occasionally looking up to observe what was happening on the track.  He was also incredibly generous with loaning out his TC to other racers.  With his typical humor, he once attached a ?World of Outlaws? style airfoil his TC?s rollbar and presented his MG to tech that way!  With antics like this, he became known as the ?Master of Speed Deception?.

Manley carries on this kind of spirit in how he helps other MG racers in so many ways, and is having ?Fun? while making it fun for others.  On being presented with the award by Chris Meyers, head of MGVR, Manley commented:  ?I was truly surprised and honored to receive the award!  Bill will always be remembered by those who knew him.  I am proud to add my name to this award as a fellow MASTER OF SPEED DECEPTION and will do my best to live up to the spirit of its honoree and those who have previously been recognized for demonstrating that joyous spirit in their approach to MG vintage racing?

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Manley at speed in his MGTD	Manley (holding mike) receives Parish award (left) from Chris Meyers (right),

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 - This Press Release also available in Microsoft Word on request.

MG Vintage Racers
Greg Prehodka
Publicity Coordinator
E-mail: pr@mgvr.org
MGVR on the web: www.MGVR.org
July 8, 2009

"The Past Racing Into The Future ? MGVR"