Jerry Magnuson

[velocity]

FROM SEMA eNEWS:

Jerry Magnuson passed March 1, 2015, after a battle with cancer. He was considered the father of aftermarket supercharging as it is known today.
After building Indy cars with Dan Gurney, he started Magnuson in the ’70s, supercharging motorcycles and drag bikes and grew it to be a leader in aftermarket superchargers.

He sold Magnuson in 2010, and went on to start Trackmaster Products, where he designed and built world-class roadsters and hot-rod products.
He was an entrepreneur and a visionary, a talented designer and fabricator and a true hot rodder.

[JimL]

I have good memories of visits to Jerrys shop in Ventura.  We were working on the supercharging kits that became possible with the advent of OBD II emissions regulations (began 1994).  Part of those regulations gave every car on the road an ability to meter in 40% extra fuel.  That really opened the door for the right guy and crew to help create a lot of excitement for a new generation of young men and women. 

Jerry was generous with his time and support, and I appreciate the help he gave us.  We were a lot of folks learning and discovering, across many manufacturers and vendors.  Jerry and his crew were often at the center, with their years of experience available to guide us around some of the bad spots.  As my companies "OBD II guy in the field" during those years, it was always the beginning of another interesting problem....  when my phone rang and Jerry was on the line.

"Jim....when are you coming up?"

"thursday"

"OK"

Thanks for the adventures, Jerry.