Otis Victor "Vic" Edelbrock Jr. (August 23, 1936 – June 9, 2017) was the son and only child of famed mechanic and Edelbrock founder, Vic Edelbrock. He was the president of Edelbrock from 1962 until his death in his home in Rolling Hills, California at age 80.
Vic met his wife Nancy Crook during his senior year during rehearsals for Songfest charity show at the Hollywood Bowl. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, the sorority chosen for the annual show. They were officially engaged on Christmas in 1958 and married at Our Savior's Chapel at USC on March 21, 1959.[2]
Business management
After the death of his father Vic Sr. in 1962, Vic Jr., age 26 at the time, took over to lead the company as president and CEO.[5] He held both positions until 2010, when he stepped down as president; he remained chairman of the board of directors.[6] At the time he took the reins, the company consisted of just ten employees and annual sales were $450,000.[7] For the next several decades, Vic helped grow the company his dad created into a major name among hot-rodders, sanctioned drag racing and short track motor racing. The company grew considerably with Vic, Jr. as president and 2004 revenue exceeded $125 million.[8]
Vic earned his Private Pilot certificate in 1968. He rented Bob Hedman's (of Hedman Hedders) airplane to learn to fly.[4] Once a week, Vic flew the company plane from Edelbrock's headquarters in Torrance, California to the company's foundry, located in San Jacinto.
He was selected as the fourth recipient of the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 for his contributions to the evolution and prosperity of specialized automobiles.[5]