They don’t make them like ‘TV’ Tommy Ivo any more. He was a successful movie actor and TV star who became one of America’s top and most popular drag racers in a stellar career which spanned some 30 years from the Fifties to the Eighties. He was a born entertainer and showman who transferred all the lessons and tricks of the trade he learned in Hollywood across to drag racing. He was almost certainly the first fully professional drag racer and was the first to actually earn a decent living from the sport.
You won’t find his name in the list of NHRA champions because he was too busy tearing around the country trying to earn money rather than championship trophy hunting which paid little to no money in Tommy’s era. However, he was a huge draw wherever he went. Not only did he build outrageous, beautiful, chromed and custom painted cars that went like billy-o, but also he knew how to put on a good show and how to drive the cars superbly, winning more often than not and setting countless records. Unlike many of his rivals, he understood the importance of promoting and presenting himself well and winning the support of the fans. He made a positive effort to talk and laugh with them, he handed out photographs of himself and his cars and signed thousands of autographs. He was also very media-savvy and was comfortable talking with the press and in front of the cameras. This was all at a time when drag racing was a niche sport that flew under the radar. Tommy was largely responsible for lifting it into the spotlight. What’s more, he was an extremely jolly chap who loved a laugh
