SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139) |
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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Editor's notes: More responses to the survey requesting Biographies. |
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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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here's a photo of Wally's portrait. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Dick Wells Dick: Thank you. |
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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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Minnesota Cars, by Ky Michaelson |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Michaelson and Minneapolis Motorcycle, and the Michaelson Tri-Car, by Ky Michealson. |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Links to other land speed and hotrodding websites: |
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Mike Bastian, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, George Callaway, Gary Carmichael, John Backus, 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, Frank Oddo, 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, Maggie Summers, Gary Svoboda, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone, Jim Travis, Randy Travis, Jack Underwood and Tina Van Curen, Richard Venza. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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