Bob Hardee Honorary Prowlers Member

A bus driver and custom car owner, Bob Hardee had a passion for photography and could be found on the weekends at many locations around Southern California racetracks.

He also had a love for cars, all types of racing and always had a camera close to him. Bob was seen with his Graphex or Hasselblad cameras at Balboa Stadium taking photos of jalopies, modified sportsmen, midgets and sprint cars. Even a short time at Speedway 117 (close to the Mexican border) and Cajon Speedway. He was a fixture on Sundays at Paradise Mesa, Ramona and Carlsbad Raceway dragstrip.

Bob became a freelance photographer for such magazines as Hot Rod, Custom Cars, and Car Craft. He did the photo shoots at local car shows with the perfect models too! He never had a bad word and always a smile on his face. 

The Prowlers got many years of magazine coverage because of Bob Hardee. That is why he was voted “Honorary Member” of the San Diego Prowlers Hot Rod Club.

Andy Bekech, Club Historian

http://public.fotki.com/2002p51/racin/misc/the-photography-of-/

Louise Mueller-O’Neill is a tall, green-eyed beauty from San Diego who, in the late ’50s, was the model of choice for energetic photographer Bob Hardee.

Hardee, a San Diego bus driver, was a tireless freelancer with a burning passion for motorsports. He documented racing action from Balboa Stadium to Paradise Mesa and covered car shows and the local rodding scene for Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines. Hardee was easily identifiable at any event with his crisp white trousers, curly hair, and Speed Graphic camera, one equipped with twin side-mount flash attachments.

Bob Hardee, the late San Diego Bus Driver that rarely made it out of San Diego County shooting the majority of his photos at ‘backlite’ Carlsbad and Ramona. The likeable Bob Hardee was the first ever in Drag Racing to utilize “dual flash system” and his stuff was fantastic!