In memory of Wallace "Pete" Peterson...
Recently, we lost a truly important figure in the AMC hobby and Superstock AMX
drag racing community whose passing went vastly unnoticed by most in the hobby.
I felt it was necessary to honor his memory for without him we would not have
never had the "Pete's Patriot" SS/AMX nor would we had ever heard of Lou
Downing. I'm speaking of Wallace "Pete" Peterson of Kearney, Nebraska who
passed away on February 23th of this year at age 85.
Pete was a co-owner of Peterson Motor Co., founded by his father in 1917; who retired from the auto business in 1987 when AMC was bought out by Chrysler Motor Co. Pete was the owner and founder of Pete's Patriot Racing Team and hired Lou Downing to drive for his newly formed team. Together Pete and Lou would go on to become true legends in the sport of drag racing and icons of the AMC community with their 1969 Hurst SS/AMX. Their accolades included many event wins, national records and several divisional titles during the late 60's and 70's.
Although he wasn't the man behind the wheel, he was the primary driving
force behind the Pete's Patriot drag racing team and deserves to be remembered
as an instrumental figure in the AMC hobby.
Lets all take a moment and give thanks to Wallace "Pete" Peterson. We have lost
a true icon in the AMC community.
Pete, rest in peace...George Gudat