Say Goodby to Joe Reath

Above: Reath Automotive at 10th & Cherry in Long Beach in 1962. (l-r) Dellie Reath, Jerry Ballard, Gary Slusser, Dale Williamson, Ed Nissen, Henry Valasco, Joe Reath.

Joe Reath was born to Elaine Roach and Bennie Tucker in Rutledge, Alabama on 27 February 1925. At the age of two, Joe was taken to Concrete, Washington to live with his grandmother, Emma and his step-grandfather, Frank Reath. Emma was Elaine’s mother. Frank was a manager of the concrete plant in the town, and a while later he was sent to work in Tehachapi, California. Frank and Joe got along well. Joe remembers that Frank would take him to the cement plants that he managed. When Frank died, Emma and Joe left Tehachapi and moved into his mother’s home in San Pedro. Elaine had married a dentist, Dr Charles Ulrich DDS, and Joe developed a good relationship with his step-father. Emma passed away in 1975. Joe had three half-siblings; Emily Marcus of San Francisco, Charles Ulrich 3rd of Palm Springs and Ronald Ulrich of Washington State.

Joe went to grade school and Junior high school while living in Tehachapi. In his teenage years the family moved to San Pedro, California and Joe went to San Pedro High School, graduating in 1943. He spent his time on his studies and his love for cars and did not participate in school sports. He was drafted in February of 1945 and served in the Army Infantry at Fort Hood, Texas as a private, until his discharge in July of 1945, when it was apparent to the military that the war was ending.

Joe raced at the dry lakes in the Mojave Desert and at Bonneville, in western Utah. He also did a little drag racing in the early days. He joined the Road Runners Club in 1947 or ’48. Some of the club members were Wally Parks, Ak Miller, Frank Breen, Vic Edelbrock Sr, Ray Brown, Harvey Haller and Robert ‘Pete’ Petersen. Haller was a close friend of Joe’s. Petersen was the founder of Hot Rod magazine and Petersen Publishing. Parks was the SCTA President in 1947 and the founder of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Joe was also a member of The Arabs of Long Beach and the Rod Riders Club of San Pedro. I think he also belonged to the Lancers car club. Joe went to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1951 through 1957.

Harvey Haller was in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii and that’s where he began building a belly tank that he and Joe raced in 1953. Haller died in a crash at El Mirage dry lake in 1953 and Joe purchased Harvey’s machinery from the estate to start up our business. After Joe met his wife, Dellie, he took her to the dry lakes once. “The wind blew so hard that I couldn’t get out of the car,” Dellie said. “Joe’s friends from the dry lakes and Bonneville Salt Flats were George Bentley, Bob Taylor, Leroy Neumayer, Nick Saad and Harvey Haller. I never went to Bonneville and Joe went before we were married in 1957. I know that he had a lot more friends in land speed racing, but that was a long time ago and it is hard to remember their names now. Joe looked up to Harvey Haller. Harvey was in the Navy and stationed in Hawaii and that’s where he began building a belly tank. I did learn that you didn’t dress up if you went to the lakes and it seems like we sat in the tow truck a lot,” Dellie concluded… read more >

Reath Automotive Dragin Equipment 1957 F/B Vintage Men’s T-Shirt