Hal Needham, Alan Gibbs, and Gary McLarty
Rick Seaman, Conrad Palmisiano and Roydon Clark recently honored sixteen stunt driving legends at the 20th Anniversary of the Motion Picture Driving Clinic and fundraiser for The National Veterans Foundation and The National Veterans TV Network.
Rick Seaman presented a memorial plaque titled “The Great Pioneers of Stunt Driving” to Erik Stabenau, who accepted on behalf of Stunts Unlimited, and to Conrad Palmisano, who accepted on behalf of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures.
Rick Seaman, Erik Stabenau, Roydon Clark, Conrad Palmisano
Sixteen stunt driving legends were named on the memorial plaque:
Harvey Parry
Carey Loftin
Bill Hickman
Hal Needham
Gary McLarty
Alan Gibbs
Joie Chitwood, Sr.
Vic Rivers
Jerry Sommers
Al Wyatt, Jr.
Bud Ekins
Bennie Dobbins
Dale Van Sickle
Everett Creach
Yakima Canutt
“Bear” Hudkins
Eric Stabenau had this to say, “I can tell you that at our S.U. meetings we regularly talk about and honor the guys who came before us. It’s important that the stunt community, especially the generation coming up, know about and appreciate the men and women who got it all going for them. We wouldn’t have such a strong and popular industry if it wasn’t for guys like these wettin’ the appetite for high octane footage. Yeah, all these cats listed on this plaque who are no longer with us…back in their day they all took some chances. They truly were pioneers. A lot of time they were driving and wrecking into uncharted territory. They were also the kind of guys who could create that energy – come in hot, take after take, but still be on the money. So, to these stunt driving pioneers I would like to say thank you for riding the edge. Thank you for blazing new trails for us to follow, because we are all better for it.”
Stunts Unlimited is honored to add “The Great Pioneers of Stunt Driving” plaque to our collection of stunt awards and memorabilia at our headquarters in Chatsworth. All are invited to visit and view the collection.