Ask any of the many friends and associates of NHRA founder Wally Parks how old he is and you may be surprised to know that, until recently, many of them weren't sure.

"Wally never liked revealing his age to anyone," legendary driver and long time hot rodder Ak Miller said. "I was actually surprised that he didn't try to hide the fact he was 90 when the announcement was made."

Parks is an American institution, who half a decade ago went from editing what has been known as the bible of the sport, Hot Rod Magazine, to organizing the vast legion of post-World War II southern California motorheads into what has become the largest auto racing sanctioning body in the world, the National Hot Rod Association.

"How could anyone have ever dreamed that what we started back then could have grown into what it is today?" said Parks, who was honored with a special evening of celebration and tribute last Wednesday at the museum which now bears his name, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

"So much has changed and yet so little has changed in all that time," Parks said. "Drag racing has become a professional sport and people like John Force, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, and so many more have successfully taken the NHRA from those early years of our sport to the multimillion dollar level where it is today.

"But drag racing is still about the competition and the excitement of winning and keeping everything family oriented. It's always great for me to see fathers racing with their sons and daughters or seeing them in the grandstands sharing what we have. That's what's so special."

Although the day-to-day operation of the NHRA has now been handed over to the NHRA's third president in it's 52-year history, Tom Compton, Parks is still very much involved in the decision-making process. While he and his wife, Barbara, are not as frequently in attendance at the NHRA's national events, he faithfully watches the TV coverage of every race and has been pleased with what he has seen.

"ESPN has done a terrific job of bringing our sport to a whole new generation of fans," he said. "So much of the growth we've enjoyed over the past several years can be attributed to the way ESPN has showcased our stars and our events. I can remember the days when seeing drag racing on television was practically unheard of and today we can show the entire country what we're all about."

Officially, Parks' birthday is Jan. 23, but the decision was made to schedule his birthday tribute as part of the Winternationals since many of the people hoping to attend the gala would be traveling to Pomona for the event. In attendance were numerous legendary racers, including Gary Beck, Kenny Safford, Vic Edelbrock Jr. and luminaries from other areas of the motorsports world such as Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones and Carroll Shelby.

Shelby addressed the large gathering of well-wishers at the birthday dinner held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and explained what a major influence Parks had been on his success as a championship sports car builder and team owner in the 1960s.

"When we built the Cobra and took it racing, it was southern California hot rodders who put us over the top," he said. "All of the guys in this country who I knew could do what we needed to do at the time were out here building hot rods. Pete Brock, Phil Remington, Al Dowd, all of our guys were hot rodders to some degree. We would have never won the world championship in 1965 if Wally hadn't taken the whole idea of hot rodding and made it into the organization he created and given our guys the inspiration to build what they liked."

With a strong television package, the participation of big-time sponsorship and a membership roster that approaches 80,000, the NHRA owes its very existence to a man who had the tenacity and vision to guide the sport into its rightful place in American automotive culture. And through it all, Parks has remained one of the most beloved and respected figureheads in all of motorsports.

Perhaps Force, a 12-time Funny Car champ, best reflected the sentiments felt by so many as he addressed the 90 year-old NHRA founder and current chairman of the museum.

"Wally, I've known you for a long time and I know you'll agree I've never asked you for anything," he said. "But just this once, I am going to ask you for something. I want you to promise me tonight that you'll be there when I celebrate my 90th birthday."

Amen.