This is a big weekend to remember Iowa author Henry Gregor Felsen, who wrote fast-paced books for hot rod loving teenagers.
Felsen (1916-1995) was born and attended school in Brooklyn, NY, and attended the University of Iowa. Later, serving in the USMC, he edited the Corps magazine Leatherneck and wrote magazine articles while stationed in the Pacific.
Felsen returned to Iowa and taught part-time at Drake University in Des Moines, where he also wrote several books, such as Hot Rod (1950), Street Rod (1953), Fever Heat (1954), Rag Top (1954), Crash Club (1958) and Road Rocket (1960). According to an ad for the annual Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute Car Show, “his books didn’t just celebrate speed–they emphasized responsibility behind the wheel, helping shape a generation of car enthusiasts.”
Felson also wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film Fever Heat, based on his novel of the same name (which had been originally published under the pen name of Angus Vicker).
That film was made during 1967 in the small Iowa towns of Dexter (population 670) and Stuart (1,486). Both towns lie along White Pole Road. The racing scenes were filmed at the Stuart Raceway, which is still active. Historic Stuart Clock Tower Building, which at one time housed a movie theater, has a framed poster from the movie.
The Dexter Museum features the poster, plus newspaper clippings and other memorabilia, showing how this small town came together to help with the backgrounds for the actors. The Dexter Museum is open Sunday afternoons from 1:00-3:00 May through October.
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With the rerelease of Felsen’s books, the annual Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute Car Show has been held in West Des Moines’ Historic Valley Junction neighborhood. The event not only attracts classic car enthusiasts (participants and spectators alike), but fans of Felsen’s novels who still have an emotional attachment to them. The 2026 Car Show is scheduled for Sunday September 20.
Here’s an article about Henry Gregor Felsen in Volume 7, Issue No. 5, September/October 2015 of Iowa History Journal. In his Publisher’s Perspective, Michael Swanger quotes Felsen’s daughter, Holly Felsen Welch who grew up in the Valley Junction neighborhood, “Grown men cry when they meet me. That’s how much Dad’s books meant to guys growing up in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s,” she said. “I love hearing their stories.”
Sources: Wikipedia, the Dexter Museum, The Stuart Herald (Sept. 3, 2026), ads for the 2026 Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute Car Show.
You could catch the car show in Valley Junction earlier on September 20, then take a road trip west half an hour to the Dexter Museum to see their display about the movie. The museum is open Sunday afternoons from 1:00-3:00, right off White Pole Road on Marshall Street. You can’t miss it!
I read all of Felsen’s hotrod books when I was in junior high. I loved them! They were exciting because the teens had to learn from their tragic dare-devil mistakes. I wasn’t even a car enthusiast. 🏎😁
What? Girls read them too? Thanks so much, Nancy for your comment!
Great event. I was a car nut in my youth (Wait I don’t think I ever grew out of that stage) Thanks for sharing, Joy.
Thank you, John. A neighbor takes his little convertible to the show, a 1950 something or other.
Fascinating! I had no idea there were hot rod books for teens. The movie looks perfect for the drive-in.
And that girls read them! Nancy Homlitas says she read them all when she was in junior high and wasn’t even crazy about cars!
I kind of wish I’d known about them when I was in junior high!
So awesome!!! What an absolutely marvelous post!!!
Thanks, Linda. I just learned that junior high girls (well, at least one) also enjoyed the books.
The books for girls weren’t as exciting at that time, but I read many of them, too. I was a tomboy, liked sports, and would read bios of baseball players like Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax, and Jimmy Piersal. ⚾️😁
Woo hoo!
I have always loved fast cars and yet. I have never heard of him before you!
At first I wondered whether it’s an Iowa thing, but I’ve heard from followers all over who read them in junior high, even women–which I was surprised at.