By Steve Pedego
In the key Graffiti years, there were car clubs for racing, for socializing and just cruising. There were other clubs that were social, like a fraternity or a sorority. New 2026 Legend, Wendell Pennington was at the helm of the Modesto fraternity the Uptown Boys along with his friend and Legend, Worth Weldon in the late 50s and early 60s. At that time, they were quite a big deal.
Girls really liked Wendell and his sisters taught him how to dance and he would be part of the show where even band leader Kent Whitt would just stop playing drums and watch him dance. When he was in school, he played football, when he could keep his grades up, at four different high schools, Modesto Downey, Ceres and Ripon. Once he discovered girls and cruising at fourteen, his sports days were over, Wendell said “The drag down 10th changed my life”. Now he needed a car since that’s where the girls were.
He borrowed money from his mom and purchased a ‘52 Plymouth. Despite not having a license, he cruised, racking up tickets. After a friend crashed his car, he had it customized by Gene Winfield and painted it bright orange. Gene called the car “the Tomato Can”.
The Uptown Boys hung out at 11th and K or at Burge’s Drive In. Over the years, they had fun, got into many fights and fellow Uptown Boy Tank Serpa were some of the toughest in town, Things changed soon, after a fight when he was nineteen, one of his friends pulled a gun. Not wanting to be blamed, he left Modesto for San Francisco. It was many years later he returned to enjoy Modesto car and cruise culture again.
I was downtown every night in the 50s and Wendell was there too. I consider him my friend and Wendell deserves this honor. The 50s are over, but fond memories live on and Wendell Pennington represents this time and is a great choice for Legends of the Cruise
