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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 61 - May 28, 2008
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

Click On All Images For Larger View

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President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)
  As a follow-up to last week's lakes meet I'll talk a little about the inspection process. Before you can run a car you have to get it inspected. For the folks who run all the time this is no big deal but to the first timers that's another story. I guess you could say the main word here is nervous. If you look at the S.C.T.A.'s current rule book and take away all the non-rule stuff you end up with 73 pages of must and must nots that a car has to comply with and that's a bunch. 

SCTA Rules 19461
GIO_030_A good reason to have a Fire

From a historical standpoint I went back to '46. Thanks to Bob Wenz, I've included the thirteen sentences that were all you had to comply with to be able to run back then. Check out no. 7 for example. 

Every rule in the book is there for a good reason as the Kurt Giovanine photo shows. 

In '46 there were four car classes, Roadster, Modified, Streamliner and Unlimited. The top dog then was Bob Rufi whose Streamliner record of 140 mph was set back in '40. With way over 500 classes now you can see that a few sentences just won't cut the mustard. Earlier I mentioned the word nervous. On the top of that list for the competitor is the Bail-out. What we do is have the driver put on their driving uniform, Helmet, Gloves, Suite, Arm Restraints, etc, and have him or her get in the car like they were on the starting line. It's our job to see that they can reach all the controls and actually work them. It's important when you're traveling a couple of football fields a second to be able to work all this stuff without thinking about it. You'd be surprised at how many people who've spent multi-years building their car have never done this and actually can't get out the first time. It's serious business to us inspectors, but sometimes we can't resist having a little fun. When someone is really wound up tight we get them all buckled in then ask the crew to push the car out into the sun. Then I suggest we all go get a beer and let the driver sweat off 20 pounds. That usually gets a big laugh and our victim has the biggest smile.
Most of the time when we find something wrong with the car we also suggest a fix so the car can run. Other times more radical steps are needed. A couple of years ago a team from Sweden showed up at Bonneville with a roll cage that wouldn't do. After hooking him up with some guys in Salt Lake they cut the old one off and built a new one, all in a day. After the OK on the rebuild they went out and had some real fun. It's just part of the experience of land speed racing. You should try it!

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Editorial: Recently a reader wrote in to stress that something in the newsletter sent in by another reader was incorrect. Disputes in facts, figures and conclusions are quite common in racing and have led to bitter feuds, which because of their historical significance, might be discussed in the newsletter. To avoid such disputes leads the future historians into conclusions that are false. One such area concerned the early history of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). There were groups, usually centered around car clubs, that fought for their opinions and felt that the opinions of others were wrong. These discussions turned into arguments, which sometimes became feuds, which often led to one group quitting the Association and going off to other timing associations. These are facts and we cannot avoid them, but at the same time we don't gloat over this or that side being wrong or leaving the group. Just as today there are factions within the SCTA that become quite heated, so there are other disputes in auto racing that arise and stay with us for decades. The dispute between the IRL and CART became so intense that threats were often heard between the parties. Each side had their supporters and fans, their facts and figures and their strengths and weaknesses. As historians we have to look at the facts, resist the urge to draw quick conclusions and know the background in as much depth and detail as we can. These arguments and feuds divide families as well as racing organizations. 
  When I receive letters from the readers I try to comprehend the long term results, but edit in (stet) or edit out (dele) the least that I can. In other words, everything that I do changes history, so I try and make little or no changes to everything that comes across my desk. There are some things that I do change. I change the spelling if I know it, but not if I don't. Therefore I corrected the spelling of Cobb, but left Segrave alone, because I don't know if it was Segrave or Seagrave, but I do know that Cobb is correct. I also change a little grammar, so that if you put a period after quote marks (...".), then I will correct it to putting a period before the quote marks (..."). Being the editor of anything carries great risks and rewards. I try always to capture your feelings and facts perfectly and to make no corrections or draw any conclusions as to what you mean. You state the facts as you observed them and that's the way they go into the newsletter. Where I do make corrections is where you might have erred and I don't want any of the readers to look silly or foolish by a misspelling or grammar error. I make enough of those on my own. Sometimes the letters are inflammatory. What do I do then? Well, if the information is factual, then I communicate with the sender and we talk about it, seeing if we can rewrite it so that the facts are still there, but the inflammatory style is sweetened up a bit. But we still have to be careful, because isn't that changing history too?
  The problem that I have is that history, if I call myself a historian, is exact and precise. That is, it happened. The problem for historians is that people view history from their own perspective and not always with an eye for detail and non-bias. In other words, we all see the events unfolding before us and then we begin to interpret those events to fit what we believe. Even historians make this error. A teacher once told me that you try as hard as you can to be as unbiased as you can be, then when your errors are pointed out by others, you graciously accept them and try and correct them. That's why the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians (SLSRH) always has a generous retraction and apology policy and we mean it. I think that sometimes Jim Miller and I err on putting too much into the newsletter, but if you look at it as history, then it can be argued that nothing is too much. We are not a blog, where every opinion is floated and where the idiotic are given the same space as the sane. We are a historical newsletter and our goal is to find the facts and record and save them and leave conclusions to writers of magazine articles and books. In fact, it is very hard to not draw conclusions when we write, for we all do that, but the best histories are built upon facts. If we have the facts, dates, names, events, etc, then we find it very easy and simple to write the story. 
  It is when we are missing the facts and have to fill in the story with conclusions, speculations and guesswork that our stories suffer. I knew the minute I read the first email from a reader, that there was going to be a problem, and that other family members were going to respond with their version.  We all have these wills of contest and yet the over-riding goal is to get at what happened and tell the story in as kind and fair a way as possible. I want that reader/writer to know that I understood right from the beginning that I know their situation well enough to know what was happening. Yes, in the topics that we discuss, such a negative conclusion will be reached from time to time, but it is never the main point of contention. I could make the same conclusion about my father, that if it wasn't for him, nobody would have done anything in land speed or drag racing. But that isn't true, is it? My father would have been the first to lecture me and say that he was just one cog in the machine. And he would have been right. One person tells his story, then another person tells his side. I will tell everyone that all viewpoints are not necessarily equal in validity. But I will also say that there probably is a little truth on both sides, some mistakes on both sides and a lot of gray areas too. In a court of law, the judge says "weigh the evidence and see which side comes closest to the truth." The judge never says "choose the guy telling the truth and hang the liar," because none of us are ever perfectly right in our facts, nor are we always perfectly wrong either.

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Chuck Daigh practiced at Indy one year in the early '60s, and while he didn't attempt to qualify, he impressed everyone so much there was talk of giving him Rookie of the Year. Joe Stephan     
Readers: Chuck Daigh's memorial is this Saturday, May 31st, at his shop in Costa Mesa, California.

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Editor's notes: More responses to the survey requesting Biographies.
a) Hi Richard...I showed this to Larry. I'll try to get it back to you within a week. Anne Lindsley Anne: I enjoyed doing the biography on Jim Lindsley. My Dad always told my brother and I that Jim Lindsley was one of those pioneers in the SCTA that made the difference between success and failure. He was a man that Dad could count on whenever there was work to do. He said the same about Phillis Lindsley. If you have enough information, send it to me and I will do a separate story on her as well.
b) Attached is my bio. Robert (Bob) Webb, Joined the Gear Grinders in 1987 Bob: I worked on it and sent it back to you for more information. Great bio that you did.
c) ...hope this helps - don't know why you would find any of this interesting to the public. Evelyn Roth Evelyn: Every history and biography is important and helps us understand our past. You are a big part of what we do and how we notify the public.

62 Corvair1
USS Archerfish
USS Permit
s_bville
Box and Box General Mills

d) Attached is my updated bio and some pictures. Use the pictures and captions as you see fit. I tried inserting the pictures in the body of the word document but could not figure out the proper way to format. Instead, I added numbered "figure" notations and included the photos after the body of the document. Document and pictures attached.
All the pictures in my bio are from my personal collection and all were taken by me except for the picture of Troy and Jess Box's car in tow at Fontana. That photo taken by Troy and given to me in 1965.
The two submarine pictures are official Navy photos (USS Archerfish and USS Permit), in the Public Domain, from my personal collection. The photos were presented to all crew members when onboard and are also available, now, from a variety of sources on the internet. There are not any copyright issues with any of these photos if you choose to use them.
I don't know if you need a picture of me or not for the bio, my wife pointed out that I had not included one, but if you do, attached is a picture Pat Riley's wife Delia took of me at Speedweek 2006. Jerry Cornelison
Link To Complete Article With Images:
http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners/goneracin.pdf
Jerry: Thank you for bringing up the issue of photo ownership. Several people have mentioned that recently and we need to be clear on the issues of ownership at all times. We do have a list available of borrowers who have followed the rules and those that have not been good borrowers of historic artifacts.

1938 XO-VGC Coupe
91 MR2

e) Hey that sounds really cool, unfortunately for me I don't have a whole lot of time to sit down and write it all out. Maybe I can set up sometime with Jim Miller who I know quite well and we could do an interview or something - - - - - what do you think? Let me know - - - - - Jimmy Shine Jimmy: This project is on-going and will never end. If you can't get to it today, we'll wait. Jim Miller is an excellent interviewer and perhaps that is the best way to go. As you get older and your children start to ask you about your past racing history, then that might be the time that you compile your history. In the meantime, you should start to record your grandparents and parents lives, because they might not be with you for all that much longer and once they are gone it is very hard to write their histories. You are right about it being cool, I've never had so much fun helping land speed racers and hot rodders compile their stories and biographies. Check out www.landspeedracing.com and www.hotrodhotline.com Guest Columnists for more stories on our past.

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We are going to be having some more famous race cars for sale here on Hotrodhotline and I wanted to know if you would make a small mention of them when we have them come up. I know that they are not Landspeed related but may appeal to some of the readers of the Landspeed newsletter as many are from all different aspects of racing. The one we have just added is Doug Thorley's "Chevy2Much" and the link to the info is www.Hotrodhotline.com/dougthorley. Let me know if you think this is allright to have in the Landspeed newsletter. Thanks, Mary Ann Lawford, www.HotRodHotLine.com, www.HotrodhotlineBIKES.com, www.LandspeedRacing.com, www.HotRodTrucks.com. Or call 877-700-2468 and/or 208-562-0470. Mary Ann: Doug Thorley is a friend of the family and I believe he has also had some contact with dry lakes racing. We are delighted to mention the sale of any famous race car, whether it is stock, drag, oval or land speed oriented. Soon the Henry Astor collection in Anaheim and the Joe MacPherson collection in Tustin, California will be auctioned off. We are sad to see them go and curious to see who buys them. The newsletter would also like a report from anybody attending the auctions. The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians is committed to preserving history and that includes race cars, so yes, anytime you have such a sale on one of your websites, we would be very interested in knowing about it and publicizing it to others.

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Editor's notes: The newsletter is open for all news. If you are involved as a writer, model-maker, photographer, artist, car builder/designer, video maker, etc, please send us what you have done or want publicized. If you want to form a club, find old members, or advertise your events, send it to me at [email protected]. Many of the websites that carry the newsletter do not charge for this service and are glad to link with other sites. Your land speed and hot rodding news is as important to us as it is to you.

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Larry just brought some more "stuff" home from his Dad's place and he was showing me some of the programs, etc from Bonneville and El Mirage meets. There is a SCTA newsletter from 1945 that has a hand drawn picture on the cover and we think that your Dad drew it. Was he an artist? The cover is signed by him so that is what makes us believe that he drew it. I believe the newsletter was actually put together by the Orr's but I'm not positive. Very interesting to look at. Our daughter Pattie and her family were here for a few days and there just wasn't enough time to go through the stuff for her to look at it. We will have to make time for that, because she is the one who would really enjoy doing that with her Dad. I have to admit that it is fun to sit with Larry, Gary and Fred as they go through stuff and remember events. Especially interesting to hear how each remembers certain things too. Their perspectives are so different! Anne Lindsley Anne: Wally Parks and Eldon Snapp were the two main cartoonists and artists in those early SCTA programs. Gus Van Maanam drew pictures of famous cars. There were others who contributed. Veda Orr kept a newsletter going during the World War II years and produced a Dry Lakes Pictorial that is much sought after by land speed fans. We have tried to find out more about Veda and her husband Karl. They were quiet people and apparently they had no children that we could locate and talk to. The art work and skills of those early cartoonists and artists were rudimentary compared to what we have today, but they were complex and fascinating and offer a glimpse into the minds of people who lived and raced in the 1930's and '40's. I would like to finish my father's book on the SCTA Minutes and then copy and produce a book on the Programs of the Era, including the other Timing Associations that existed back then. The Ads are very interesting, especially the lay-outs and the prices. There is a rising market by collectors for Depression Era cartooning and art work. My father liked to draw and he sent back drawings from the South Pacific rather than write a letter. The military had personnel who marked out certain words in letters so that the cards wouldn't give away secrets should they fall into enemy hands. Dad didn't like to see his letters all pockmarked, so he drew cartoons and sent them back to the Mainland. We have a few, but most of them are lost and we would like to retrieve any that we don't have, either the originals or copies. Eldon Snapp was a sign painter and artist and the family has four of his plein air paintings, one of which shows the dry lakes. He signed his signature Snappe. Eldon was a close friend of the family and not much has been done on his story. You should encourage Larry, Gary and Fred to write down their biographies and include stories on all the racers they have known. It doesn't seem important to people now, but later in their lives they will feel bad that they didn't leave behind a record. Over time, even the least interesting things take on an importance that we cannot understand today, but will better know as we learn more.

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I'm happy to be a part of your newsletter. Bud and Joan have a 2nd home in Sparks, so it's always fun to have them close by. Bud is still recovering from his surgery, but is close to making the trip north. Thanks, Doug Clem Doug: Welcome to our group. Readers: Doug Clem lives in the Reno area and has dedicated a museum to Bud Meyer and the Meyer family. The Meyers have been mentioned in the newsletter before. Bud and his uncle Harry, who is only a few years older than Bud, have some landspeed racing history and their experiences were listed in the newsletters. More important is the history of the Meyer family, which Ken Berg is writing about. The three brothers, Louie, Eddie and Harry were involved in engine, race car and racing in the Southern California area since the late 1920's and early '30's. Louie won the Indy 500 three times, when all that it took was a great idea, long hours, whatever money one could scrape together, the help of family and friends and a garage. Today, to win the 500 it takes a sponsor with deep pockets. The old Indy 500 was a hot rodders world. The Meyers produced great race cars and later took over the Drake Company and produced the famous Meyer/Drake. Joan Denver was the past publisher/owner of the Automotive Calendar of Events, Miss Information, a delightful issue that had stories about car events and dates, times and places to go to those events. She sold ACE to Chet Knox at Autobooks/Aerobooks in Burbank, several years ago. I had the pleasure of introducing Bud and Joan at the last Gilmore Roars Reunion, held at the Petersen Automotive Museum, and they married soon after that. Bud, in gratitude, has promised to take me to the Indy 500. Doug Clem will open his private museum to the public on request and has many interesting artifacts representing the Meyer and the Drake families. You can find his address in the past issues of the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter archived at www.landspeedracing.com.

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Cruzin' for Life, September 27-28, 2008, Downtown Santa Maria California, benefitting the Marian Cancer Center. For more information call Bob Labastida at 805-937-8008.

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Here's a photo of Wally's portrait. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Dick Wells Dick: Thank you.

Wally Portrait

The original oil painting was done by Kenny Youngblood, the dean and leader of the many fine hot rod/racing artists in the country and hangs in the offices of the NHRA. A copy is on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, in Pomona, California. Dad always said that he thought it was presumptuous to name the museum after him. He didn't like it at all, but realized that it was what others wanted to do. I think that he just wanted to call it the Motorsports Museum. We also have to be careful of our sponsors, because the facility is underwritten by the Auto Club of Southern California. The Auto Club supports so many worthy groups and we have to be careful not to forget their generosity.

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Bob Nichols is a Hall of Fame member of the Trailblazers. (Editor's notes: The Trailblazers is a Southern California Motorcycle Club that promotes and sponsors motorcycle riding and racing throughout Los Angeles and Southern California.) Bob continues to design, build and race Indian Motorcycles today as he started back in 1939. At 86 years young this healthy and spry gentleman loves to hear tires burn and smell high octane fuel. We got a chance to visit him at his modest Newport Beach home and meet his wife June on Labor Day weekend 2006. See http://www.bike-shows.com/Features/GarageTours/BobNichols/index.html. Precise measurements go into every Indian Motor Bob designs and builds. Bob shared with us his CADD drawings of designs for Titanium Connecting rods and ultra-lightweight rocker arms. Here is a spreadsheet created from the tolerances in the cylinder above. Bob in his office sharing stories of racing. Bob has a complete collection of Automobile Quarterly. As well as some other fascinating books and memorabilia in his office. His two racing bikes in the shop. In the tight quarters Bob mills and builds these fantastic machines. Workbench detail. Note the aluminum rocker arms with enclosed bearing rollers in the foreground. Simple lathe is truly old-school. Bob tests his bikes around the block, occasionally being hassled by the Newport Beach PD. Memorabilia Wall. The bikes share the three car garage with two everyday drivers. Built for Speed. Here is Bob last weekend (8/26/06) at 85 years old getting ready to race at Puddingstone Reservior. Note the checkerboard slip-on Vans. The following is courtesy of Bike-Shows.com. Editor: The above are captions and you need to go to Bob's website to see the actual photographs.

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Indian Nichols Racing Team, Bob Nichols, Newport Beach, California. Race bikes: Indian Sport Scouts (big base): 1940 at 305 lbs, 45 cu.in. (750 c.c.), 1937 at 285 lbs, 45 cu.in. (750 c.c.). There are only 14(?) of 51 (big base) Scout Racers left. The engines were made in 1948 at the Indian factory for the Daytona Beach 200 Mile Race. I have upgraded with: forged pistons; titanium valves & retainers; Bee hive valve springs; high lift cams; Barnes rear wheel / Goodyear (soft) racing tires; custom steering damper; special carburetor & head chamber; large ports and Titanium rods with alum wrist pin bushings, 80,000 volt ignition by SPIKE engineering, & lots more. Objective: The FASTEST INDIAN RACER in the U.S.A & break the WORLD 135.60 RECORD. Race as much as possible & continue to upgrade engine, while reducing overall weight. We are currently using Titanium connecting rods installed in 2003 also machining 2004 T aluminum cam lifters to reduce weight and increase valve lift by .090. Transport: 3/4 ton 2002 Suburban Chevrolet 8100 series 350 HP, 496 C.I. & trailer. Current sponsors-STARKLITE, Bob Stark Indian parts; Galen Brookins money & racing Advice; Tom Seamore SADDLEMAN race seat & motor covers; White Brothers steering damper; SPYKE, Bill McCahill starter, ignition 80,000 volts. Racing results: Del Mar-1st (2), 2nd (3); Ventura-1st (1), 2nd (4); Sacramento-DNF (3); Willow Springs-1st (4), 2nd (4). Shows: Del Mar-1981 to 2002: 1st 2000, 1996 & 1992; 2nd (2); 3rd (2). El Camino-1995 to 1998. La Mirada-1978 to 1994: Best running and many others. Current riders-Dave “Indian” DuVarney #32, Dubb “Dangerous” Ferrell #6, and Jim Rosa # 44. Former riders-Galen Brookins # 48 (1951 Califormia State Champion), Johnny Gibson #5, Don Hawley # 88x and Bob Shirey # 46x.

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Editor's notes: The following comes from Bob Nichols. The original design of the of the double monocoque connecting rod was for a Harley dragster in 1993. I had just received a set from Jim MacClure for $720. They looked fine but seemed heavy. The material was 4130 series. I told him (person not specified) we could design and machine on cnc equipment. A stronger “h” beam and use a stronger matl. Maraging 300 Steel. This would allow a 20% to 30% weight reduction. He (not known) wanted a set. I started designing and drawing for several months, after (5) different designs we agreed and I started writing a (4) axes n/c program with (15) cutting tools. Next I designed the holding fixtures. We then started making plots, first of the part geometry and then the cutter paths. The final item was the cost of the rod materials, cutters and fixtures. All this work took (5) months and the final cost did not include any of my time, only the costs of rod material, fixture material, fabrication time and (4) axes machine time. I phoned his (the man who had ordered the parts-editor) shop, but no answer. I had not seen him in 2 weeks, so I drove over and was stunned to see 3 large chains and locks on the front door by the FBI. He was in jail for dope. I also felt bad for the five months down the tubes. A few weeks went by and I started thinking this design is better than any of the (103) rod manufacturers in 1993. The only person I could think of was Ron Wood and his business is manufacturing racing motorcyles since 1982 and he was just five miles away from home. I stopped by Ron's place and showed him my Harley designs, including several articulating types rods. This was pure luck that Ron needed a new rod. He then told me the story of the “rotax“ engine development starting in 1948, at 28 horsepower and now up to 80 horsepower on his special racer and 58 horsepower on his current standard rotax engines. The horsepower upgrades started in 1983 with only 43 horsepower out of the box from Rotax. Ron Wood made many changes since 1983 and they have proved to be the most reliable in the industry. The engine cases were failing due to this major horsepower increase. So now after five years of delays the factory has changed (1999) to a new thicker engine case. However, Ron had one final item that needed improving and it was the connecting rod. The current factory rod was a standard “i” beam forging, but heat treated to eliminate the usual bearing race and proved to be reliable even now after 50 years and double the horsepower. My job was to increase the strength and reduce weight to allow a higher red line rpm. The current race red line is 9200 rpm. We expected to go up to at least 9700 and maybe 10,000 rpm. However, during 1998 and 1999, we were also developing wrist pins of titanium (plasma sprayed) and the strongest steel maraging 350, with polished i.d. This would allow us to also reduce the weight of the wrist pin also. Bob Nichols, November 2001

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Editor's notes: Our website operators, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, would like to post the names of the members of the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians on their site. Right now we have about 70 names listed, but we are up to around 250 members at the present time. For some reason, we don't have a list, only email addresses. If you would like your name listed on the main page of the newsletter, right up there with Jim Miller and Tom Medley, just let us know. It's voluntary and you don't have to be if you don't want to be. The reason for the membership roster being known is that it helps new people identify with us. When they see a name they recognize it helps them to decide whether to join or not. Our group is informal, as suits a group that prizes individuality. We are historians, amateur and professional, and our love is hot rodding and land speed racing. There are no rules, regulations, fees, duties or responsibilities, other than what you want to do. Our goal is to preserve our history and heritage. Each member does that in their own ways.

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Scarab 50th Anniversary Reunion Celebration, July 17 - 20, 2008. Kohler International Challenge Vintage Races, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Attending this event will be many of the people who were involved in the design and development of the Reventlow Scarab in 1957-1960, or who were a part of the Reventlow, Nickey Chevrolet, Meister Brauser or Mecom racing teams or who now own or have owned or driven one of these wonderful Scarabs. Bob Sirna 248-650-9542

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It was just minutes before the Indy 500 and I was almost out the door to see Speed Racer with my niece and nephew (DVD recorder locked on the race coverage) but checked email at the last moment. Glad I did. There was a note congratulating me on winning a writing award from the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA). This is a tough bunch, so I was delighted to see my FUEL FOR THOUGHT column get a bit of recognition. The winners were announced in Indianapolis and the contest is sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To encourage excellence in the coverage of motor sports, media members submit their best motor racing work for the annual media contest. Categories are for written, broadcast and photographic work. Entries are judged by an independent panel from a major journalism school. The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association is the oldest and largest organization of its kind. Founded in 1955 in Indianapolis, AARWBA has reached the stature of the football and baseball press associations. Because so many support the aims and programs of AARWBA, it has grown to more than 400 members throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. For further info: www.aarwba.org
Specifically, here is where I placed: MAGAZINE COLUMN WRITING
Dave Argabright, “Saddest Day of the Year,” Sprint Car & Midget
Louise Ann Noeth, “The Mighty Molecule Mixers,” Goodguys Gazette
Susan Wade, “Horsepower? Try Forcepower,” Race News
The column focused on the remarkable achievements of the Ford/Roush racing team that brought an incredible piece of hydrogen-powered technology to the Bonneville Salt Flats and ran in excess of 200MPH on the first outing in 2007. It also told the truth on the Ford PR department for claiming a speed record that was never set. The noteworthy team worked technical magic and didn’t deserve the PR black mark on its otherwise stunning performance on the flats. Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally, crowed about the car’s speed achievement at the last Los Angeles Auto Show and during a Q&A among 500 journalists, I challenged Ford’s big man to bring the car back and earn a real record instead turning the wonderful example of the blue oval brain trust into a trailer queen at auto shows. He said he’d “get right on it” but I never heard another word and don’t expect the guy ever intended to do anything about it, but it reminded him I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d be watching the PR people. I have attached the column as it appeared in the December issue of the Goodguys Gazette. I don’t need any pats on the back here, the thrill is getting land speed racing into the consciousness of this country’s best motorsports journalists and hoping they get a nasty case of salt fever because there are more stories on the flats than I will EVER be able to tell all by myself. Oh, Speed Racer is a dandy fine piece of film work, I think I liked it more than the kids. Speedy Regards, "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth

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The Minnesota Cars, by Ky Michaelson
Minnesota has never rivaled Detroit Michigan, in automobile production, but the state has had its moments. Around the turn of the century, long before autos were being castigated as a national calamity, the idea of a self-propelled road vehicle was one, which burned in the brains of tinkers and blacksmiths in Owatonna, Crookston and Minneapolis as well as Detroit Cleveland, and Chicago. Starting from scratch, or purchasing an engine designed for stationary service, local inventers worked long hours in there basements and barns to develop their own contraptions of what came to be known as the horseless carriage, moto-buggy, motor buggy, cycle cars, or finally the automobile or car. Understandably, safety and pollution were trivial matters compared with the task of creating a vehicle which not only ran but ran reliably. Whether powered by steam, electricity, or gasoline, all of which seemed equally practical at the turn of the century.
Before 1910 at least fifteen one of a kind vehicles had been built in Minnesota. Although assembly line production was still in the future, farseeing Minnesotans then began to consider production of cars and trucks on a duplicate or a series basis. Serious and quite successful attempts at manufacturing cars began in Minnesota around 1910, and clearly the automobile was being elevated from the toy status to that of a practical mode of transportation. By the mid-1920s more then forty-five makes of autos and trucks had been built in the state. The manufactures of some thirty of these had series production in mind. Despite this not insignificant promise, manufacture of cars and trucks by Minneapolis-based firms ceased quite abruptly soon after the mid-1920s as the competion from mass-producing automobile giants in other states became insurmountable. In the earliest days of the car, however, Minnesota had as good a chance as any of the several states of becoming a center of auto production I am proud to say my Grandfather Anton, and great uncles Joe, Jack, and Walter Michaelson were some of the pioneers of early transportation.
Cycle cars such as the Michaelson with a tread of less than forty inches. Seating was sometimes side by side and sometimes fore and aft. During 1913 and 1914 a cycle car craze swept the country, and more then one hundred United States firms planed to produce little autos to cash in on the fad. The Michaelson cycle car was built by the Michaelson Minneapolis Motorcycle Company, a manufacture of motorcycles, at 526 South Fifth Street in Minneapolis Minnesota. The most prominent member of the firm was Joe Michaelson who had designed the Minneapolis two speed motorcycle introduced in about 1908. In 1913 he and Walter Michaelson had left the Minneapolis motorcycle company to form a new company the Michaelson motor company, which later on became the Shapiro-Michaelson company. No production figures are known for the firms cyclecar, but newspaper photographs at least indicate that a prototype vehicle did exist.
Then in April of 1914 the Wilcox Motor Company bought out the company. Lee W Oldfield a well known race car driver took over as President. Walter Michaelson resigned, to manufacture a new cyclecar. Joseph Michaelson moved on to the Brasie Motor Car Company at 2743 Lyndale Avenue, South Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they made the Brasie Packet truck. Walter and Joe teamed up again to manufacture toy cannons for a period of time. Walter went on to work for the Hielbrink Company where he was instrumental in the developing the oxygen mask that was used in aircraft. Joe soon became involved with the production of military firearms for World War I, primarily the .4 caliber semi-automatic pistol. During his later years Joe continuously exhibited the knowledge and skill of a master machinist who never quite gained glory from his achievements. After the war he personally designed and constructed an air-cooled, four-cylinder automobile. He also helped engineer a three-cylinder engine of radial design for the Durant Motor Company and later worked for Fuller and Johnson, manufacturers of utility gasoline engines. At the onset of World War II, his talent in the production of firearms was again used. His development and tooling of a twin-barreled, high-speed anti-aircraft gun became his greatest contribution to the war effort. The post-war era found him associated with Northern Pump Company and later, Toro Manufacturing Company where he was instrumental in the design of the modern rotary Blade mower.

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The Michaelson and Minneapolis Motorcycle, and the Michaelson Tri-Car, by Ky Michealson.
In the history of Motorcycling many brands of motorcycles have blazed a glorious trail and made themselves famous by their feats of speed endurance, dependability or style. Although many of these makes are no longer with us, they have not past into oblivion, but are still well remembered and cherished by the clan of golden antique motorcycle enthusiast. As many of us are aware, there are an even greater number of names which are seldom heard of and many of which are all but forgotten, even though many of these various machines laid the foundation for which the well-known names built their reputations. Among those were the Michaelson and its sister bike, the Minneapolis, which was first introduced to the market place in June of 1908. The Michaelson motorcycle was conceived and realized in about 1912 by four brothers in the great Twin Cites area of Minnesota, a Metropolis and the home of the Wagner, Thiem, and the Cyclone motorcycles. The Michaelson brothers Jack, Walter, Joe and Anton developed a motorcycle whose design was one of the freshest and advanced concepts to be introduced into the motorcycle world.
The Michaelson Motor Company’s manufacturing plant was in a brick building at 526-530 Fifth Street South in Minneapolis. Jack was the president and treasurer, Walter was the vice president, the superintendent and the machinist, A.E. Peterson was secretary and Mr. Shapiro was an investor. Joe Michaelson had a considerable amount of mechanical experience; he served as the draftsman and was instrumental in the advanced designs of both the Michaelson and the Minneapolis motorcycle, both of which were manufactured at the Fifth Street plant.
Earlier, Joe had designed and built a two cylinder, air-cooled auto entirely by himself. That was quite a feat around 1910. The Michaelson and the Minneapolis were quite similar in mechanical aspects and it must be assumed that the greater number of machines manufactured under the Minneapolis brand name was strictly for public relation reasons. Both models were available in single and v-twin cylinder form. The Minneapolis used Thiem and Thor engines that were modified to their specifications.
Joe Michaelson also designed a single and twin engine for the Minneapolis motorcycle. The Michaelson engines were built entirely at the Michaelson manufacturing plant by expert workmen with years of experience under the personal direction of Joe Michaelson. The motor is virtually a giant, the bore is three and one and a half inch and the stroke three and three quarter inch. Every motor was tested so it would produce maximum power and speed before it was sent out. The cylinder and the head were one piece. The wide thin fins gave the cylinder plenty of radiation. Mechanical overhead intake and exhaust valves were one and seven eights diameter with adjustable pushrods. The rocker arms on the intake and exhaust are enclosed with caps, which kept out dust and grit. The rockers each had a large oil chamber packed with an oil-saturated wick; the cylinders were carefully nickel plated and polished, as well as other exposed parts. The all aluminum engine case was highly polished for appearance. The whole design for that period was extremely nice and cleaver. The quality of the machines was of the highest degree. Their mechanical details featured an Schebler carburetor, Bosch magneto, chain drive, multiple discs clutches in oil. Overhead valves were on both the single and the twin. The motorcycle also featured leaf front fork suspension.
Lubrication was by mechanical means. A hand pump was provided. The motorcycles were usually fitted with 28" by 3" clincher tires. Several Michaelson Tri Cars were made; the Michaelson was the first motorcycle to feature an integral engine transmission, the Michaelson was truly advanced for its time. The Twin Model A Michaelson cost $325.00 and the single Model B Michaelson cost $275.00. The production of these fine motorcycles continued until the late 1914 when the company ran into financial trouble. Lee W. Oldfield, well-known racing driver from Indianapolis, Indiana, came to Minneapolis to take charge of the Michaelson Motorcycle Company. The company was reorganized with Mr. Oldfield as president and manager. The new secretary and treasurer was I.A. Webb, a well-known mining promoter and capitalist from Deadwood, SD. He invested $50,000 into the company. Their plans were to increase the production of the twin-engine motorcycles and delivery cars and to suspend the single engine motorcycle. Their plans were also to build a larger manufacturing facility in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
Walter Michaelson, then head of the company, resigned. He went on to manufacture the Michaelson Cycle Car, which was just recently placed on the market. The company again ran into financial problems and the stock, assets and parts supply of the company were bought out by the H. E. Wilcox Motor Car Company of Minneapolis, later known for the Wilcox Trucks. This company disappeared from the scene in 1928 and apparently never made plans to revive the wonderful Michaelson Motorcycle. Walter who was a pioneer designer of the Tri Car went on to manufacture the new Michaelson Tri-car Motorcycle; it was a radical departure from the previous models. The frame was constructed from pressed steel channels, securely bolted and riveted together. The axel, yokes and spindles were made to carry 500 lbs. or more down bumpy roads. The heavy-duty steel box measured 26" wide x 40" long and 25" high. It had double doors in the front and had a hinged top with a 300lb. capacity. The new Michaelson Tri-car used an internally expanding 8" inch drum brake. This was the largest brake used on any American Motorcycle at that time. The brake is operated by backpedaling or by a foot pedal attached to a footboard bracket. The advantages of the Michaelson Tri-car over a truck or car was the over all cost of the vehicles, easy to maintain, weighed less than a car or truck so it was easier on the tires and consumed less gas and oil per mile. The brochure stated, ‘Your one horse and delivery wagon costs you more than five cents per mile, your Tri-car costs you less than three cents per mile, including gas tire wear, general up keep and depreciation. Plus a young boy can easily operate a Tri-Car at a comparatively small cost for wages. The same boy that drives a horse twelve miles a day will be able to drive his Tri-car fifty miles a day. This also extends the area you can do business in so you can increase the profitably of your business.’
The Tri-Car had a foot starter. The pedal chain is connected directly to the transmission shaft in the motor through a sprocket and silent automatic ratchet to permit the motor to be started with the rear wheel on the ground. The operator of a Michaelson Tri-car need not place his rear wheel on the stand to start the engine. This is an important feature as the driver can make quick starts on delivery calls, and need not keep the motor in operation and thus cut down the gasoline consumption. The Michaelson Tri-car used a two speed enclosed transmission using a multiple enclosed disc clutch. The gear ratio on the single cylinder was 5 to 1 in high and 10 to 1 in low. The twin cylinder model had a 4 to 1 in high and an 8 to 1 in low. With two speeds on a machine the low gear is always used to start, even on the level. The motor then has sufficient leverage on the rear wheel to make an easy and positive start, even up steep grades without speeding up the motor to excess and with little slipping of the clutch. This argument is not necessary to any rider who has tried out a Two Speed Machine. Once a two speed rider, always a two speed rider. They all say that the two-speed transmission is worth 5 times what it costs. The Michaelson single called the Roadster had 5 to 6 H.P and cost $395.00. The twin model had 10 to 13 H.P. and cost $425.00 and were painted in lustrous dark red enamel. Joe, John, Walter and Anton Michaelson have all passed away but the memories of the Michaelson and the Minneapolis motorcycles live on.

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