Hot Rod Race

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Hot Rod Race is a Western swing song released in November 1950 by Arkie Shibley and His Mountain Dew Boys. The credited songwriter is George Wilson, though some say his teenage son Ron Wilson helped write it. The song tells a humorous night-time street race in California between a hot-rodded Ford and a Mercury, told from the Ford driver's point of view. The race starts near San Pedro, passes through many towns, and the drivers dodge the police, until a faster driver in a hopped-up Model A overtakes them.

Musically it has a hard boogie-woogie beat and talking blues style, and some call it one of the first rock and roll songs. It helped launch hot rod and street racing songs in the 1950s and 60s.

Shibley first took the song to Bill McCall of 4 Star Records. After McCall initially turned it down, Shibley released it on his Mountain Dew label. When it became popular, McCall reissued it on 4 Star's Gilt-Edge label as 5021, credited to Arkie Shibley and His Mountain Dew Boys. The record became a national hit, staying on the charts for seven weeks and peaking at number five in 1951.

Several artists released cover versions on major labels, including Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, Red Foley, and Tiny Hill. Hill's version reached number seven on the country chart and number 29 on the pop chart. The original's second verse included a line about "white folks," which eastern radio stations refused to air; later versions used phrases like "plain folks," "rich folks," or "poor folks."

The song inspired the answer song "Hot Rod Lincoln" and influenced other hot rod songs by Chuck Berry ("Maybellene"), Gene Vincent ("Race With The Devil"), and early Beach Boys records.