Ed Iskenderian, founder of
Isky Racing Cams , will be honored with the
Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grand Opening Breakfast for the
2012 Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, to be held
March 23, 2012 at the
Lucas Oil Stadium in
Indianapolis.
"Since reading my first
Hot Rod magazine in the '50s I remember Isky Cams being synonymous with high performance and quality," said
Buddy Pepp, executive director of the
Petersen Automotive Museum,
co-presenter of the award. "Ed Iskenderian is the true 'Camfather.' I
am very pleased that Ed will be honored in Indianapolis in March and I'm
certain Bob Petersen would be thrilled knowing that Ed was selected as
the 2012 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award recipient"
Iskenderian began working on cars in
high school, his pet project a Model T Ford roadster. After graduating,
he worked as an apprentice tool and die maker, then enlisted in the Army
Air Corps, serving with the Air Transport Command flying supplier to
the islands of the Pacific during World War II.
After the end of the war, Iskenderian
returned to working on his hot rod. The hot rod hobby was gaining
traction so it was harder to get parts from the few camshaft
manufacturers on the West Coast.
While waiting for delivery of a special-order camshaft, Iskenderian
bought a used conventional cylindrical grinder that he converted to a
universal cam grinding machine and entered the cam grinding business.
Throughout his career, Iskenderian used
the latest technology to develop his camshafts. Isky Racing Cams lists
him as the first person in the industry to employ computers in camshaft
design. This helped him to develop performance and economy camshafts and
components for racers and stock/street enthusiasts.
"Isky played one of the most critical roles in the very creation of hot rodding," said Barry Meguiar, president and CEO of Meguiar's Inc.,
who will once again serve as master of ceremonies for the Grand Opening
Breakfast. "To hear him relive his firsthand experiences will be a
moment in time for all of us."
Iskenderian was one the founders of the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association, the organization that became
SEMA.
He served as the organization's first president in 1963 and 1964, and
was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1985. He was also named one
of Chevrolet's Legends of Performance that same year.
"It is great to be able to honor Ed Iskenderian with the 2012 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award," said
Travis Weeks, producer of the
Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show and publisher of
Hotrod & Restoration magazine
. "The award is about the heritage of our industry, and Ed has been there from the beginning."
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