Author Topic: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away  (Read 14603 times)

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Offline Freud

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Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« on: September 15, 2014, 11:46:59 AM »
Matt Williams of the Gold Coast Roadsters told me that Tim Rochlitzer passed away this morning.

Tim goes way back at Bonneville and his talent was used to build several excellent lakesters.

Tim and Matt were the leaders in the presentation of the Gas Up for a long time.

When I know more I'll post it here.

FREUD
Since '63

Offline Glen

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2014, 12:02:06 PM »
Another pioneer lost, Ive know Tim for many years and had many great moments with him. I will miss him and his always happy smile.God Speed Tim and RIP. :-( :cry:
Glen
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Offline jl222

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2014, 12:33:09 PM »
  Tim lived about a mile from me on  Ontare Rd in Santa Barbara and just a few houses up from cousin Arley.

  In the 50ths and 60ths when most of  us were drag racing, Tim was Bville racing and had a lot of influence in a lot of

 Santa Barbarans being Bville racers. Tim also sponsored Bville racers with tubing for headers ECT, through his True Radius Bending shop. In our case without asking.

  R.I.P. Bville racer Tim.

                    JL222

 
« Last Edit: September 15, 2014, 12:42:05 PM by jl222 »

Offline Elmo Rodge

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2014, 12:38:24 PM »
'Bye Tim. You were a worthy competitor.  :cheers: Wayno

Offline Bob Beatty

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2014, 12:49:51 PM »
Thanks Tim for all the unselfish help and positive influence you gave to me and so many others.  RIP
Bob Beatty
 
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Offline USFRAMONTE

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2014, 12:59:21 PM »
Tim was always very nice and personable toward me. He paid me what I consider the ultimate complement. When I showed up with my Thunderbird Super Coupe to run in the 150 mph club, he looked over the roll cage I had built from scratch.  Nodding approvingly, he gave me the thumbs up. Several hours later he came up to me and asked how I had gotten the welds on the upper tubing completed all the way around the tubes.  I told him I had drilled out the spot welds and removed the roof skin so we had access to all the weld places.  I was very flattered that he would check my work so closely and then he complimented me on the workmanship.  Coming from someone like him, I took it with pride and have never forgotten it.  He was a real gentleman racer and great ambassador for our sport.  Tim, thanks for your friendship and class, RIP.

Offline Dynoroom

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2014, 01:15:46 PM »
I have always felt very fortunate to have known and been friends with Tim. Earlier this year when Tim showed up to the land speed portion of the Grand National Roadster show It was good to see him and chat. He seemed to really like the show and talking with old friends. Tim was also a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and built the lakester that was later owned by Seth Hammond.
I took a picture of Tim with my son Kevin at the GNRS.

We'll miss you Timmy, God Speed...
Michael LeFevers
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Offline salt

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2014, 01:29:55 PM »
I've got some free tubing from Tim for my headers. Class act all the way around!
RIP

Willi
Kraut Bros.
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Offline jdincau

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2014, 02:35:24 PM »
RIP Tim, you were really patent with dumb kids asking questions.
Unless it's crazy, ambitious and delusional, it's not worth our time!

Offline doug odom

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2014, 03:30:40 PM »
Tim first went to Bonneville in 1950

Tim became a member of the 200MPH club in 1963

Tim was as nice a person as you have met

Tim was a Racer

Tim was a friend of mine

RIP old friend
Doug Odom in big ditch

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Offline desotoman

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2014, 06:01:02 PM »
Sorry to hear the news about Mr. Rochlitzer. He was a nice guy, and I always enjoyed talking to him. RIP and Godspeed Tim Rochlitzer, you will be missed.

Tom G.
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Offline Freud

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2014, 06:35:14 PM »
Thanks for the fill in info, Doug.

FREUD
Since '63

velocity

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2014, 08:51:51 PM »
Tim Rochlitzer was a teenage hot rodder long into his senior citizen years. I was so tickled to talk with him so often as we were preparing the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame program that was part of the ceremony during the annual Gas-Up held annually at the Mendenhall Museum in Buellton. He served for years as President of the Gold Coast Racing & Roadster Club and was him self inducted in 1993. Good friend Matt Williams (got his red hat in Tim's RR tank) took over as President when Tim stepped down after many years. The club ans HOF continues to rest upon Williams' shoulders.

What I marveled at was Tim's analytical perspective. His had his ducks (and most everyone else's ducks, like it or not) always in tight formation. He had a very low threshold for "BS" which gave rise to his favorite characterization that he was "safety wired in the P.O. position."  I am laughing even now as I write this thinking about it. His ire always had solid basis -- even when he was annoyed with himself.

Let's think about that crew cut, as much part him as any race machine and his big beefy grey truck that push started the tank.

True Radius Bending, his shop in Santa Barbara, helped give rise to many hot rod and race car over the years. My favorite story is that of Al Teague building Betsy. The car began as a lakester. Tim played a big part in keeping Al safe as well as fast. They would have phone chats followed by parts being shipped by Greyhound bus because it was cheaper than the post office or UPS. Back and forth would go parts of the chassis, roll-cage, what have you, until Al was ready to race.

He was the youngest launch director at Vanderberg AFB, where a variety of rockets left earth gravitational grasp. Perhaps he got some of his technical savvt form his mom, Catherine, who was crack ham radio operator in the 1940's. . .got her call sign BEFORE WWII!

He was the "father" of Seth Hammond's #77 lakester (original build 1962) that went onto put more people in the Bonneville 200MPh club any any vehicle to date. 16 red hats I believe, maybe more and at least 3 blue ones, including wife Tanis' and Jeanne Pflum's outstanding plus 300 records.

In later years there was Raspberry Rocket, that spent most of its racing life painted pink, another joke. When Tim brought the car to the painter, the spray man said, "what color do you want?" Tim snorted, "Any color but pink." Gotta love it.

He was lifelong friends with the Markley Brothers, I have photos of them together decades old and all were on the cover of the DEC 1962 Hot Rod Mag (Tim's car is #43).

Jim Miller has slice of Tim here: http://www.ahrf.com/legends/tim-rochlitzer/

Perhaps sons Brian and Bradley have the heaviest hearts today, they were both youngsters when they lost their effervescent mother and it daddy that raised them up -- never marrying again. Sending a cyber hug to you guys. . . .

Those are just a few of the thoughts that percolated back up when I got the news that Tim had died. Another rip-roaring land speed racing original silenced. Gotta go, too sad to say anymore just now.

Offline Stainless1

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2014, 10:07:15 AM »
GodSpeed Tim... another legend lost to the speedway in the sky
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Freud

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Re: Tim Rochlitzer Passed Away
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2014, 01:33:20 AM »
A Mini Gas Up will be held in Tim's honor Saturday, October 25, 2014.

The site is Mendenhall's Gas Pump Museum in Buellton, CA.

This is where the Gas Up is held.

There will be other posts but if you  arrive in Buellton on Oct 25, you will find it.

FREUD

Since '63