Vic Edelbrock

Vic Sr. was born in 1913 in Eudora, Kansas, a small farming community in northeast Kansas. After the family grocery store burned down in 1927, Vic left school at the age of 14 to help support the family by ferrying Model T Fords from Wichita to the many outlying farms in the area. The frequent stops to replace parts that shook loose on the region's dirt roads made Vic an expert in impromptu repair work. Soon after, he found work in a local repair shop, working as an auto mechanic. Vic also picked up extra cash running moonshine for local bootleggers

In 1931, the Great Depression hit Kansas, and Edelbrock decided to follow his two older brothers and emigrate to California. Initially, he lived with his brother Carl and took a job as an auto mechanic. In order to earn some extra money to open his own repair shop, Vic took an evening job in downtown Los Angeles parking cars at a large apartment complex. It was a chance encounter at this parking complex where Vic bumped into a 19-year-old Irish girl named Katherine (Katie) Collins, who was working as a day maid. Despite the fact that Katie was engaged, Vic managed to convince her to give him a chance and not marry her fiancé. Vic and Katie married in June 1933, just eight weeks after meeting.

He was named to the SEMA hall of fame 1977.

He was inducted in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2012.

He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2024.