One of the legends of rallying in the U.S. passed away this week. Gene
Henderson had been active in rallying, and in PRO Rallying, since the early
days of the sport in the U.S. He was the 1974 Sports Car Club of America
PRO Rally Champion. Henderson set the international rally scene on its ear
when he won the FIA-sanctioned 1972 Press-On-Regardless in Michigan with --
Horrors! -- a Jeep Wagoneer! The FIA reacted by banning 4WD, until the
advent of the Audi Quattro a few years later.

Henderson went on to compete in the SCCA Production Class in the 1980s with
a pair of factory-backed AMC Eagle SX4s, one for him, one for his son. He
also competed several times on the Alcan 5000 rally in Subarus provided by
Subaru of America. He remained active for many years as an organizer and
rally worker.

Here is the notice from Henderson's son, Mark:
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One of the founding fathers of rally passed quietly today (4-6-05) at
approx. 9:30 am. Gene Henderson was in ill health recently and after
falling at his home a month ago. He passed while in the care of Oakwood
Hospital here in Dearborn. He was on a DNR at the time of passing. The
night before last was the last time I had a good conversation with him and
we had talked about the MoonLight Monte this past weekend. When we last
spoke, I told him I loved him and said goodbye not knowing that this might
be the last time to speak to him while he was alert. I saw him last night
but he was not with us in mind and I again told him I loved him and said
goodbye. It was this morning while at work that I received the call that I
was expecting that the world of rallye as we know it had shuttered and
shook with disbelief that he was no longer with us. Rallye life will go on,
but it will not be running like a finely tuned rallye car for a little
while. My mother is getting better and will be moving into Dearborn in a
few months near me and my wife and my brother and his wife. I am thinking
about a memorial party later in the summer or fall in his honor at a
banquet hall. This will be a pay benefit type of a food and drink thing
with lots of stories to be told and I would like to have it recorded on
tape with sound. I am already getting offers of help with this party. My
Dad (I think) touched a lot of lives of rallyists through the years and I
think he brought a lot of good and changes to the sport both PRO and TSD.
Who remembers the "Whitmore Lake Concord" (rules changes meeting held at
the best western motel in Whitmore Lake,Mi in the year 2000) when we had 40
of the top guns of rally show up to make rule changes in TSD? Who remembers
my dad coming up with the club called "Friends of P.O.R." and the jackets
and hats that were passed out and the newsletters? Who remembers
"Competitive Line" newsletter he pumped out each month talking about all
the current rallies here and abroad? Who remembers the "Volvo Viking" car
club which became the "Ralligators, Inc." that he was a senior and founding
member of? Who was the one who wanted to preserve the name of "P.O.R." by
running a drag race with service vehicles on the eve the "Marquette 1000"
in 1976 in order to keep the POR name in force so that the SCCA could not
take the POR name and give it to another region? Who was there to preserve
all injustices and keep things on a level keel and let cooler heads prevail
during crisis in moments in rallying? Who stayed out of the limelight when
praise was being handed out for a job well done. Who talked to novice
rallist (as part of his business of course) for long hours to recieve
proper instruction on equipment? Who gave of his time freely to help with
many PORs and put the rallye on and so many others such as Dawnbuster,
Moonlight Monte. Who was the "cop on sight" when we needed to know the
"laws" of driving in Michigan when at rallies? Gene wore many hats in the
sport of rally racing. I was glad that I prompted the article in "SportCar"
that was written recently. I wanted my dad's story told before something
happened to him.

I can be contacted by e-mail and my address here Mark D. Henderson 1563
Walnut Dearborn, Mi. 48124-4023 (313) 441-4521 markdhenderson37@...

PS I will be e-mailing many people with this, but please feel free to pass
this on to everyone you know that might have an interest in the news of
Gene's passing this day. I would like to see this get coast to coast to
coast and Canada all over. Please do this as a personal favor for me.

Sincerely Mark D. Henderson (# 2 son of Gene Henderson)
=====


Tim Winker
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Vintage Ice And Gravel Rally Racing Association
[ V. I. A. G. R. R. A. ]

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