The last 60-plus years have seen many a rod run come and go. Some we can’t remember but others bring back countless fond memories. And there’re precious few that are intertwined within our very lives and one such event is Andy’s Picnic. If there were ever an unassuming name for an event this one wins the title hands down. If there were ever an event that epitomized what a rod run should be this one wins the title hands down.
Andy’s Picnic which began back in 1966 (my first was in ’72) in a place called Crow Canyon in the Castro Valley region of Northern California. It was exactly what rod runs were intended to be…all about hot rodders getting together with 200-600 of their closest friends and their hot rods. Not much other fanfare with the exception of some good food and music the event was about hot rodders being with like-hot rodders.
You can’t begin to know the story on Andy’s Picnic without having a little bit of the background of the man…and Sue, his wife. (Editor’s Note. Never in the world of cars will you ever meet two more truly good people who will become your friends for life types. B.B.) While we aren’t even going to begin to tackle that journalistic episode here we will touch on but a few highlights so that you understand why Andy’s Picnic was always considered “the one” when it came to rod runs.
Andy picked up a nickname many years back and it rightly fits…the Rodfather. The name stuck for any number of reasons but one most assuredly will be for his continuous efforts to simply drive his hot rods. He’s been everywhere in his cars for the past nearly 50 years and during that stretch there was one 44 year schedule that saw him drive thousands of miles a year. Can you remember back to 1969 and the Volksrod run to Gatlinburg. (Fellow hot rod journalist Bud Bryan covered their exploits on the pages of Rod & Custom.) Shortly thereafter Andy made the trek to the original Street Rod Nationals held in Peoria, Illinois in his American’s Most Beautiful Roadster that had taken home the coveted award in 1970 at the Grand National Roadster Show. (Do I need to say the rest is history?)
Andy Brizio, to listen to his own words, has had just about every type of job at least once and they range was from milkman to garbage man to a dragstrip starter (not once but twice!). Yet it was with his wife Sue (married back in ’63) that the pair became a duo to be reckoned with (we think it was Sue who was the brains behind the operation!).
You haven’t lived a full life if you haven’t had some ups and downs all the while hoping that there’re a few more ups than downs! The ups that we all know range from Andy’s Picnics, Andy’s Wheels & Tires, Andy’s Instant T factory, and Andy’s Tees, the apparel company. Having Andy just show up was cause for a fun filled gathering in which Andy would be the first one standing and the last one leaving!
More of Andy’s history is steeped in the history that makes up the legendary Champion Speed Shop in the Bay Area. Andy along with his lifelong friend and oftentimes companion on his road trips was (and is) Cub Barnett when it came their time to take over the speed shop. It was within the walls of this shop that the Dragmaster Co.’s T-bucket kit was turned into the Instant T, which led to “instant” success. Now many hot rodders to be could step off the sideline and join in on the fun…up close and personal. This went on from 1966 through 1980. It was the second car derived from Dragmaster’s parts that evolved into the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in 1970.
The history of Andy Brizio will fill volumes but today let’s take one last look at one last rod run to end all rod runs…Andy’s Picnic. The traditional pre-picnic banquet at Mel’s & Faye’s Diner begin filled with early arrivals and we enlisted the help of Dave Wallace, Jr. who has viewed all aspects of the hot rodding world through the lens of his various cameras. There is another pre-event meal this time it is Saturday night at Sutter Creek’s Italian Picnic Grounds for the traditional night-before dinner, open to all; 650 meals served in just over an hour.
The last of a long line of Andy’s Picnics that began in 1966 is coming to a close but the lifelong number of friends that have been made will never end…they are passed along to the latest crop of rodders who come to enjoy what a rod run was meant to be all about. Sit back and thumb through just a sampling of the hot rods that were present for Andy’s last go around.
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