Nice tribute, Louise.
Although I only knew him through his writing, I'll miss him, too. Rest
in peace.
Russ Mack
Louise Ann Noeth wrote:
> It's a(nother) sad day in the journalism business . . . and for Bonneville
> fans as well.
>
> Gray Baskerville passed away this morning, peacefully. His spinal cancer
> was diagnosed only last fall. His wife, Susan, and only child, Elizabeth,
> were with him. No service is planned. Gray was 66.
>
> He was a friend to the salt when the salt needed a pal at HOT ROD and became
> one of the best-known hot-rodding photojournalist in the hobby.
>
> He gave me my name, "LandSpeed" Louise, more than 20 years ago when I occupied
> a 7th floor Petersen Publishing office overlooking Sunset Boulevard and made a
> habit of setting speed records on the staircases -- shoeless, no less.
>
> He had a passion for the sport that never waned. Words and pictures were his
> business and with those tools he gave life to an otherwise mundane page.
> Although his words could sometimes stretch the factual realm, Gray's
> expressions of edgy, razor-sharp commentary were envied by many, but equaled
> by few.
>
> "Basketcase," or "Grayville" as he was sometimes called, was also the king of
> flip-flop shower shoes, wearing them everywhere and were as much part of his
> persona as the cigar was to Groucho Marx. At Bonneville, his uniform was
> simple, a HOT ROD T-shirt (in later years, he upscaled to one with a collar),
> baggy shorts and
> pith helmet. I'd almost bet the racers smiled at him in their helmets as they
> went by.
>
> Armed with a simple 35mm camera, no motor drive, no flash, no fancy filters
> and giant gear bag, he would annually bring back great images of those who did
> great deeds. Until recently, it was he who had to fight the front-office
> "suits" that turned up their noses at land speed racing. Baskerville made sure
> Speedweek got some ink every year and in the little space they begrudgingly
> gave him, he kept the torch burning on the pages that owes its very existence
> to the straight-line velocity crowd.
>
> If hot rods have wings, make his a '32 highboy on '29 rails.
>
> Be Vigilant,
>
> "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
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