NEWSLETTER 32 - December 4, 2007

President's Corner: By Jim Miller. Nothing received this week.

Editorial: Recently someone mentioned that we should forget Newsletters and set up blogs, or chat rooms where we can go on-line and bench race all day and night. I'm not opposed to that, except with my limited abilities that isn't something that I would contemplate doing. Also, I've seen some of the blogs and they get very whiny and what's said on chat rooms doesn't have a very high level of research behind it. We exist to write, photograph, research and save history and not for idle bench racing. Certainly there will always be a measure of bench-racing and speculation in what we say and do, because we are human. For example, Jim Miller and I talk for hours sometimes on the nature of the early SCTA and whether it was the racing or the safety aspects that motivated the early founders. Even with witnesses and documents, there will always be subjective opinions raised on what we write. Yet the very reason for our existence is the scholarly way that we go about writing, photographing and researching hot rod and land speed racing. We realize that the way we send out the newsletter may change and that Jim may not always be the President, nor will I always be the editor of the official journal. So while the idea of a blog or chat room is not in our plans today, that does not mean that it won't be in our plans in the future.

Please note Henry Astor no longer works at the American Hot Rod Foundation. 203-625-4774  Henry: I left several phone messages with the AHRF and they haven't responded to my requests. I don't have any way to contact you. Please send me your new updated email info and phone number if you wish, so I can update the files.

I'd like to invite you to check out a few of my latest works. The first is "Hookin' Hard" -- a couple of Willys Gassers huffin' and puffin'. It's displayed in "Off The Easel" on my home page. Click on the image and you'll get information on the original, and below that, a link to the print information (canvas giclée prints are available in three sizes). The original oil on canvas, framed in a museum-quality frame, is available -- please contact me for pricing if you're interested. Link: http://www.fritzart.com. You may see my new image "Taking The Sleigh For A Spin," painted for Road & Track magazine. Navigate over to my "Automobile Classics - Originals" page (Home > Artwork > Hot Rods & Classics > Automobile Classics Originals). Click on the upper-left thumbnail image -- a red '60 Aston Martin DB4 GT noodling it in a turn. You can read about it in the "Headlines" section of the home page... then click on "More news" just below that for a little longer story. This original is available, and has the distinction of being the official 2007 holiday image for Road & Track. Also, you can view another new image, "As Cool As Ever," on the Automobile Classics Originals page. Click on the upper right thumbnail image. This is a 2005 Ferrari F-430. From time to time, folks challenge me to respond to contemporary machinery...this is one of those times. The original has been musuem-quality framed, and is available. Please contact me for pricing if you're interested. Thanks for taking a look! Thank you for your interest in my work. I wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday season. Peace, Tom Fritz, Fine Art, P.O. Box 800, Newbury Park, CA 91319-0800, (805) 499-1630, (805) 499-1759 (fax), www.fritzart.com, tom@fritzart.com. Readers: Tom Fritz is one of the best hot rod, racing, portrait and landscape painters in Southern California. His Muroc painting is first class. Contact him or see his work at the various museums around the southland.

Editor's notes: I received a request to put Frank Oddo on the lists for the SLSRH Newsletter, but no email address was given, only a phone number. I called and left phone messages on his answering machine, but have not gotten a return call. This will now go into an inactive file until I can get Frank's email address. The Newsletter is only delivered by email and by access to the websites that run the newsletter.

Please add my friend Jim Bremner to the list to receive the Land Speed Newsletter. Jim is a real young age hot rodder preferring to build his cars in the style as in my hot rod days. At present he is building flat head Ford long blocks for various people. He is an old Ford parts guy and knows the parts catalogs and number sequence by heart. Bob Falcon     Bob: I've added Bremner. Please let him know.

I was at the French Grand Prix at Rheims in `61 when Phil Hill was driving for Ferrari. I was a PFC in the Army and snuck in the pit area using my SCCA Comp license posing as press. I yelled at Phil that I was from California. He came over and we talked about Riverside Raceway. Here he was about to race and he gave a lowly private a bit of his time. I spoke to Phil Remington at Art Chrisman's party last year about going into town the night before the race and stumbling into a bar in downtown Rheims. I heard loud singing coming out of the place and went in. The place was loaded with Yanks, Brits and Auzzies, not a Frenchman to be found. Rem said he was in that very bar that very night. I won't say it's a small world...but. If you have the phone number of where Phil is, I'd love to call him. Dick Martin  Dick: I don't have Phil Remington's phone number, but perhaps Isky, John Athans or Art Chrisman knows.

Hi Gang. If you see this magazine on the newsstand, grab one. Two pages on the Old man. I look good, unfortunately all this adventure never came up with much money. Want to wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Grand Dad Rick (Eric Rickman) XX OO to all.    Readers: The name of the magazine is Hot Rod Deluxe and the month is either November or December 2007.

I recently read your review of this pamphlet on www.HotRodHotLine.com, and would like to purchase a copy. Can you provide any contact info for Mr Long? Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks. Best regards, Henry Lehmann   Henry: The information that you request is on the way.  Readers: Henry Lehmann is requesting information on a book review that I did on The Santa Ana Drags, by Tuttle and Long. If you have done any reviews or have books that you would like to review, send them to me and I will publish your reviews in the newsletters. You don't have to stop at book reviews. If you see any movies, magazines or artwork that reflects on hot rodding and land speed racing, do a review and send it to me. We realize that some of our members write for a living and they cannot just give their work away, but after a given amount of time the writings that you have done are no longer exclusively the product of whom you write for. Roger and I use thirty days, give or take, as a base point for exclusivity. Our work ALWAYS belongs to us, but we give those that run our work a period of time in which to show our work for the first time. A month is the least amount of time, but we often give the right to run our original writings and photography a much longer time limit. Or, you can change the articles and photos so that they are slightly different from the original and submit two articles or photographs. Since we are a historical society and we simply wish to preserve knowledge, we don't mind if you give us a story after a very long time span has elapsed from its original showing. If you have a different perspective on ownership, time elapsed before showing it a second time or any other comments, please share them with us. We want to have a standard policy that everyone can live with and still meet our goals of preserving and sharing history. The SLSRH has no income or budget, so all submissions are done on a voluntary basis.

I did not receive Newsletter No 29. Please resend. Tom McIntyre     Tom: The SLSRH Newsletter is sent out to 6 other websites and though I don't check all of them, I'm sure that they definitely do show up on www.oilstick.com and www.hotrodhotline.com. I also try and keep copies on my system, but if you and the other members would check out the websites to get back copies then I would really appreciate that, because my time has become nearly non-existent and it is all that I can do to keep up with the incoming responses. If you or any other member finds it difficult to go to the websites, then Jim or I will find our stored copies and resend them to you. This is one of 5 newsletters that I do. I'm after Jim all the time to expand our contact lists, do research, write a column and schedule meetings. Whatever the members of the SLSRH can do, such as writing articles to share, really helps Jim and myself out. We would love to have you submit some articles about the Petersen Automotive Museum and we hope to hold one of our meetings at the PAM.

Richard and all others that send in information for this valuable site. There is so much that has been lost over the years and cannot be recovered. The history of LSR means so much to us that have been involved over the years. When I look back and see how many years there has been some kind of LSR since the early 30s. People like your dad along with the many pioneers that are now gone gave us something we still cling to and will protect as long as we are around. The wonderful people we have met and been associated with are always to be honored. I came on this earth in 1935 and by the time I was 14 I knew that racing would be in my blood, I just didn't know to what extent. Some of the best years were when I got involved with the timing at the lakes and Bonneville. I worked with Gary Cagle for 10 years until he passed away, I was asked to step up and help out, Some years later I moved from California to Utah. I spent over 20 years in the timing venue and still do the Bonneville events. The many records I have timed are very special to me and the timing staff I have worked with. Knowing the racer has set a record that many are still chasing is awesome. The records large or small mean the same thing to the drivers and teams. I feel blessed to have been part of it. Thanks for this place for people to be part of the LSR history. Glen Barrett Glen: Would you write (1) an article on Gary Cagle and (2) a history of your racing experience? We want every member of the SLSRH to provide a short 3 or 4 page (length is no problem) biography of their lives and racing careers. You are close to Marv Jenkins and if you can write something about Marv and Ab that would be great.

Will be sending you historical stuff on me shortly. Compiled by Hot Rod Magazine interview.  E. Rick  Rick: We'll be waiting. 

The trouble with being a writer is that you need art. Wally Wyss has run out of room. He reports that "since my bread and butter lately seems to come from writing about Ford," he is culling from his archive b & w photos of various & sundry non-Fords so he can add to his Ford library. Contact him directly at Photojournalistpro@hotmail.com, and he will send photocopies of what he's got in the subject areas below that interest you. He is so old, in fact, that he says he once flew the Atlantic in a prop plane. List 1, Alfa Romeo pictures, street cars and race cars, about 40 pictures, sold only as set, leftover from cancelled book, BMW road cars from early 50s, ugly sedans 3-4 shots, '53 Corvette, '53 Corvette Nomad show car rear 3/4, group shot other concepts, 1957 Corvette SS race car, three views, Mako Shark Corvette I and II show cars, 5 shots, Pininfarina Ferrari road cars from early '50s, most are copies from original press shots, about 20 in all, all 4" x 5", Porsche 356 --approximately 40 factory pictures, various road models from Gmund, to last '65 models, Jackie Stewart, portrait during his race career, Maserati, miscellaneousrace car shots, Lamborghini Countach first show car, 3 shots, Lamborghini Miura, miscellaneous 3 shots, Porsche 917 3 or 4 shots, Chaparral, winged coupes, 3 or 4 shots, Gulf Mirage, 3-4 shots, Parnelli Jones, probably shot in Sixties, 2 to 3 shots, Dan Gurney, 2-4 shots. Books: Hardbound book in Japanese on Pininfarina, has many Ferrari photos, torn slip cover, Motor Reference Yearbook 1960, hardbound, small book, Motor Sports Car Road tests 1st edition, 1961, softbound. (note: it will have to be by snail mail as he is "too old to learn how to use a scanner," and only lost one engine, from late '40s through '60s, might be concept car, from the book Pininfarina Ferraris, from the book Porsche 356 Photo Archive, not the GT40-based one, later Cosworth powered car). David Scully David: Thanks for the update.

Hello historians – 2 things, (1) A national enthusiast publication, one of the slickest in print, has asked me to write a feature about Ab Jenkins and his mighty Mormon Meteors, with emphasis on the one that won “Best of Show” at Pebble Beach this past August. If anyone in the group might have an interesting anecdote, can direct me to specific websites or to put me in contact with anyone who knew the “father of the salt” I would be truly grateful – and the readers will get a great insight into the man who opened up the salt flats to the common folk. (2) The Steve Fossett LSR car lives on! The LM-1500 engine will be fired up in the car for the first time in more than a decade on December 10th in Reno. The team has completed the final leak tests and making final repairs to some rather puzzling previous construction and from my perspective, I can honestly and publicly state the car is a contender. I’ll have more news next week. Speedy Regards, "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth

Welcome to Bob Morton and John Chambard, nominated by Jim Miller.

Friends of speedy deeds. With tears and a halting voice, a member of the Arfons family called me early today to say Art passed into the great speed laboratory in the sky at 4:00AM CST Monday morning. Art will be buried in his fire suit, with wrenches in his hands and J79 jet engine operating manual by his side. Also tucked away with him will be a jar of salt bought home – oh so many years ago. Art Arfons was the epitome of land speed racers – an ordinary guy who chose to do extraordinary things; he never tried to be someone he was not, or weave a facade of celebrity around himself. Arthur always let his deeds speak for themselves. He was my friend, one I did not see too often, but whose passing touches me deeply, the historical foundation of the sport is a bit more hollow tonight. Some speed has gone out of the world today. The likes of which is a pioneering touchstone to honor and remember with gladness. Speedy Regards, "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth Louise: We are very sorry to hear that. I met Art at the Gas-Up Party one year when he was being honored by the Gold Coast Club in Buellton, California. If anyone has an article they would like to share on Art, please send it in to the newsletter.

Members:

Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, Gary Carmichael, John Chambard, Jerry Cornelison, G. Thatcher Darwin, Jack Dolan, Ugo Fadini, Bob Falcon, Rich Fox, Glenn Freudenberger, Don Garlits, Bruce Geisler, Stan Goldstein, Andy Granatelli, Walt James, Wendy Jeffries, Ken Kelley, Mike Kelly, Bret Kepner, Kay Kimes, Jim Lattin, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, Fred Lobello, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, Louise Ann Noeth, David Parks, Richard Parks, Wally Parks (in memoriam), Eric Rickman, Willard Ritchie, Roger Rohrdanz, Evelyn Roth, Ed Safarik, Frank Salzberg, Dave Seely, Charles Shaffer, Mike Stanton, David Steele, Doug Stokes, Bob Storck, Zach Suhr, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone, Jim Travis, Randy Travis and Jack Underwood.

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