Book excerpt: Here are hot rodding's true pioneers--the guys who raced the lakes in the mid-century, the ones who broke the records, and those who, through sheer ingenuity, transformed discarded car bodies, flathead V-8s, and four-bangers into the stuff of myth. In essays by some of the most respected journalists in hot rodding today, these icons of the early days come to life, and the history of hot rodding unfolds in all its gritty glory. Featured throughout are rare photographs drawn from the archives of the American Hot Rod Foundation, an institution dedicated to preserving, promoting, and celebrating the history of hot rodding. Compiled by noted hot rod author Dain Gingerelli, the essays in Hot Rod Roots take up topics crucial to the development of hot rodding from the 1920s to the early 60s: Robert Genat explores the symbiotic relationship between hot rodders and the U.S. military during World War II; Pat Ganahl delves into the birth of the belly tank and its lasting effects on the sport; Greg Sharp tracks hot rodding's impact on the development of circle-track racing; Gingerelli explains how the sanctioning of quarter-mile drag racing accelerated hot roddings growth; Ken Gross documents the effect of enthusiast magazines and car shows; and Mark Morton shows how hot rodding's early roots will always remain a part of the sport. This book also includes a foreword by So-Cal Speed Shop founder and dry lakes pioneer Alex Xydias.