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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 102 - March 10, 2009
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

Click On All Images For Larger View

Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, Jim Deist passed, Deuce of Spades Update, More on
Joaquin Arnett, I have an old P-38 belly tank that was built in late 1950's by Bob George, looking for information on failed land speed record attempts, bit of information about the Collectors Foundation, I believe that my son has the roadster owned by Jack Mickelson, Am wondering if Maggie Summers is Jimmy Summers Widow?, Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2009 schedules, In 2008 Riches Nelson Racing set a World Speed Record with an electric motorcycle first time out on the El Mirage dry lake bed, March Meet is also the season opener for the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series.

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President's Corner:  
   Today we lost Jimmy Deist. My heart goes out to his wife Marion and the family. Jim was there at the beginning and helped make the sport safer for all of us. The first picture is a tribute to him. God Speed. Growing up as a kid safety wasn't on the list of things to do. I remember this cool shot in I think '58 showing a BRM that had just crashed through a hay bale at Avis and tossed the driver out. He was OK. The car wasn't so lucky. There was this film clip I remember from Indy about '38 when the driver skidded, hit the inside wall and was thrown out of the car. Again he walked away. The first accident that really got my attention was when Vuki got killed at Indy in '55. That hurt! Take a look at the second shot attached. It was shot at Saugus in '51. If the driver screwed up or if something broke he'd be toast. All I can say now is technology has come a long way and drivers can now survive some nasty spills thanks to it.

1963---'Deist-firesuit-ori
GGC_308_Saugus-Drags-1951

   For the last dozen years or so my job has been inspecting LSR cars. You get to look at some great vehicles and some real junkers but the bottom line is, "are they safe and will they withstand a hit." We have to get nasty sometimes even to our friends. When I see something wrong I'll ask my favorite question, would you let your daughter drive the thing? If I get the wrong answer I'll have the driver sit in the car and proceed to pull a foot, a hand or helmet outside the cage or I'll turn the steering wheel and show them that the rubbing will blow a tire and cause big trouble. Sometimes they get really upset because you're messing with their dream machine. By the end of the meet we usually get a thanks. It's the least we can do to carry on Jim's dream.

Captions:

1963_Deist Fire suit.jpg...This firesuit from 1963 is a tribute to Jimmy Deist for his efforts to keep us safe in spite of ourselves. Jim Miller photo



GGC_308_Saugus Drags.jpg...Safety was non-existent in the early days as can be seen by this shot taken at Saugus Drag Strip in 1951. Jim
     Miller photo

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Editorial:
Someone asked me, "Do you get a lot of complaints?" The answer to that is NO, I don't and it is a shame. Why would I say that? Because complaints or constructive criticism are the only way Jim Miller and I will know when we reported on a story that was incorrect and our only chance to get the right answers into the newsletter. We get a fair amount of compliments, about four pats on the back for every kick in the pants, but compliments don't tell us what we did wrong. Sometimes the emails come in like this, "You &%%$&*(&*)% got it all wrong." I change it to, "You guys got it all wrong." We have to keep the FCC happy and avoid any hate language or phrasing that would lead to trouble. I also get a lot of emails from racers who inter-mix politics in with racing. Before you say, "That doesn't belong in our newsletter," I would like to state that you obviously haven't read some of the minutes of club meetings and the SCTA Board back in the 1940's. Politics is a very important issue to racers. I wrote an article on politics in racing which was published on-line at www.hotrodhotline.com. I told the racing community that you had better get involved in politics and choose candidates that will help you keep racing alive or very soon, it will simply be a historical subject, discussed in newsletters like The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians. However, I remove some of the more objectionable material and place it in my other newsletter, which was created specifically for political opinion, because it is more relevant there. I feel, as do others in the racing community, that we are going to have a very hard time in the next eight years defending the various motorsports racing leagues from attacks by environmentalists and other anti-racing groups.
We aren't really on the political radar screen right now, but we could be. We are using venue sites that are also wild habitat areas. The military needs many sites that are best fitted for our use. Petroleum products are going to go up in price as soon as the economy stabilizes, because the current administration refuses to allow leases for oil drilling within our borders. Ecologists see our sport as polluting and as a non-productive use of money, time and oil products. The desert areas around the playas are developing and where there are people, racing soon ceases. We aren't likely to have a friendly ear in Sacramento or Washington, DC. Now is the time to get really creative and look for support and alternatives, just like the early day SCTA Board members did back in the 1930's and '40's. They went out and held talks and car shows with the general public, fire, police, city, state and Federal authorities. They formed groups to patrol their own areas and convince street racers to join Timing Associations and race safely. They worked for the politicians that they thought would further their cause. They formed SEMA and other organizations to push for legislation that was friendly to car racing and hot rodding. They stopped at the side of the road and helped many a little old lady change a flat tire, then left their car club business card to announce who they were. Yes, we live in a different time and a changed world, but it's funny how things really stay the same way and don't really change at all. We are still fighting the same old battles for the same right to race our cars and parade our hot rods on the streets and at car shows. The only thing that has changed is the date. We are the children and the grandchildren of those dry lakes pioneers, and my how much we resemble the past.
On another topic, the Gear Grinders car club, which is affiliated with the SCTA, held their annual awards banquet and invited Jim Miller, Roger Rohrdanz and myself. It was held behind the shops of Steve Davis and Fiddy Alvarez. Davis is a master car builder and Alvarez and his brothers and friends were original drag racers when the sport was first founded. The article will appear soon at www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnist, with photos. A few photographs will also appear in this issue, taken by Ron Phelps.

Click Images Below for Larger Pictures

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Neil Thompson Senior, Dry Lakes Hall of Fame member.  Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Bob Nichols, Neil Thompson Sr, Jack Underwood, unknown. Jack Underwood is also a member of the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Seated on left is Dan Hart, Keith Allen, Wilma Cotting (Jay's wife).  Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Left to right. Judy Sights, Bob Webb, Grace Stencel seated, rest are unknown.  Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Standing far left is Jim Loving, seated unknown, Judy Sights, and on right is Bob Webb, Dry Lakes Hall of Fame member. Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Left to right is Connie Beavers, Nick Nicholades, Judy Sights. Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Rob Lancaster, partner of Ron Phelps in the Studebaker. Rob is the son of Robert Lancaster who founded Torco Oil Company.  Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Shari Buchta, Keith Allen, seated unknown, Dan Gurney signing Allen's t-shirt, Mark Brazeau with camera, standing next to Mark is Heather Black, Gear Grinders Secretary. The rest are unknown. Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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Dan Gurney signing t-shirt, Roger Rohrdanz with camera, Keith Allen standing on right, rest are unknown. Photo courtesy of Ron Phelps.

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unknown, Keith Allen, Mark Brazeau, Dan Gurney, Belgy Valentin with camera.  Photo courtesy of Ron Phelp.

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Racing safety and equipment pioneer Jim Deist passed away this morning. His involvement in all types of motor sports was from the heart. The many lives that were saved through his equipment and safety development speaks highly of his dedication for all racers. I have known Jim for over 50 years and got my 1st chute from him as well as all of my safety equipment. Jim was the best. GOD SPEED JIM DEIST.  Glen Barrett
   Glen: I called the company in Burbank and they confirmed that Jim passed away. This is a shock. Jim was one of the best. He was a hot rodder's hot rodder. Jim was always there to help someone out. He was unassuming and never bragged about his achievements. He was quick to share his knowledge and his inventions if it would help others. His wonderful wife, Marion, was there at his side and helped to make the business the success that it was. He was a class act in every way. If you have any memories or stories of Jim, send them in to me for next week's edition of the newsletter.

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I noticed that you mentioned the story I did on Dick Kraft, as you know, Lynn Wineland passed. Both Lynn and Rickman had stories in R&C that I wrote some years back. If interested I can look up the dates both stories ran.  Dick Martin
   Dick: I don't think that I ran your stories verbatim. If I do that I need your permission and then I have to quote you. Perhaps it was an obit that you sent in? All entries to the newsletter have to be sent as a reader's letter to the editor, which tells us that the letter is public. Several people have written in to tell me that their letters were intended to be private correspondences. It is important for those writing in to give me the parameters of the parts of their emails that they want included in the newsletter. I didn't know that Lynn passed away. I have his book In Shadow of the Devil, that I promised to do a book review on. Lynn was a very talented man and a good friend of the family and we will miss him. Your stories have always been favorites of mine and any of them that you wish me to publish in the SLSRH newsletter will be our honor to do so. You have a very descriptive style of writing. Would you send us an obit or bio on Lynn?

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UPDATE #3.
When I set out to make DEUCE OF SPADES, I knew what I wanted and I also knew what I did not want. I knew I didn't want to make yet another "caricature" film of the fifties era. I didn't want to make another "Grease." I didn't want poodle skirts, big pompadours, big sideburns and "fifties" greasers combing their hair every two minutes. No. What I wanted was to bring the early fifty's hotrod era to LIFE. Like it really was, not like Hollywood tries to make it look.

faith0103

Caption..... I am very excited to announce that Jerry Mull, my key production assistant, purchased David Cox's red 1929 roadster yesterday. Most of you know the red roadster since it has been residing at El Mirage and been to many SCTA events. David Cox had lent the roadster to me for my film DEUCE OF SPADES and had converted it back to its 1950's hotrod look, complete with white walls, bias plies etc. 

The roadster is the rival car in the film, the car that "FRESNO" (Johnny's Antagonist) drives in the SAUGUS dragstrip scene as well as the famous night race scene. We are all very excited about this purchase which will allow us to now reunite all three main star cars of the film at upcoming car shows, promotion events, premieres and screening of the film.

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Caption.....This 1929 hotrod, driven by TONI CROSCIATO "FRESNO," Johnny's antagonist, is a real 1950's hotrod and still sporting most of its original parts.
To achieve that goal, I went back to the source. With the help of Jim Miller (curator for the American Hotrod foundation), who is a wealth of knowledge, I was able to get a hold of original home footage of dragstrips and dry lake racing from the early fifties.

Also, many magazines from 1953 to 1955, especially vintage HOTROD magazine were closely examined. Each photo was dissected, so to absorb every little details that would help me paint a picture as close to reality as it could get. I looked at cars, hair styles, clothes, shoes, watches, furniture, and streets. I spent two years, (many hundreds of hours) taking in what remains (and I think we all agree on this) America's golden era. But that was still not enough for me. I wanted to talk to the people who had LIVED IT ALL. Our "Ol' timers." After all, this movie is my tribute to them and to hotrodding. So I went out and found old timers, many old timers, and picked their brains until there was nothing left. Leaving no stone unturned. Every little details in my film had to match. When depicting the SAUGUS dragstrip, I looked at photos, I studied what the surrounding area, vegetation, hills, layout was. I then talked to people who raced there. Heard their stories. I even went as far as asking them what color the FLAG was. And matched it in my film. That's how dedicated I am to making DEUCE OF SPADES one of the most period correct and hotrod accurate film to date.

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Caption....World Champion Lindy Hoppers get dressed in full '50's getups, for an authentic look and showcase their cool moves for the film.
Working with no funds to speak of made it very challenging to achieve absolute period correctness and the purists may find some things, here and there, that are not 100% correct, and hopefully they will understand that it was not for the lack of wanting, nor trying, but rather for the lack of funds/budget. 

For example, it was a miracle that I was able to find an airstrip to use for an entire day FREE OF CHARGE. Beggars can't be choosers and that airstrip ground color does not match that of Saugus. However, it is located but a few miles of Saugus and as a result, the surrounding hills and vegetation match to a T. All in all, we did well.

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Caption.....Bringing the SAUGUS dragstrip back to life for one day was a challenge but was also our most memorable shoot to date. Over 100 people became involved to help make this scene happen.
Yes, I worked very hard to make a film that would be TRUE TO THE ERA. So today, when I see old timers watch my trailers and say: "My God, you brought my youth back," or even, "You are Spot on! You nailed it!"

It makes me so very, very happy. Some of them had tears in their eyes. All this hard work was not in vain and has paid off. I truly feel that I am leaving something worthy behind.

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Caption.....Iconic moments of hotrodding get incorporated into the film and brought back to life, with a new twist.
Expect to see no sideburns, clean cuts, 501's rolled a little too high, leather shoes, penny loafer, plaid shirts, saddle shoes, pony tails, scarves, white cover alls, Coca Cola glass bottles and needless to say, lots and lots of period correct hotrods and stock cars. Complete with the right license plates and period correct tags.

Enjoy! In my next update I will talk about some of our period correct sets and locations. Visit the official film website at www.deuceofspadesmovie.com. Want to help me in this worthy endeavor? Please tell everyone you know about this hotrod film. Thank you for your support!

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Caption.....JOHNNY CALLAWAY, the legend, and his deuce.
FAITH GRANGER, Filmmaker, www.deuceofspadesmovie.com, www.theparkbenchmovie.com.

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I just sent the photo to Lee and he recognized the man named Jim Kitchen, a long time friend of his. He holds the D/GR record at Bonneville at 210mph. He has not specified which one he was however, now I know 2 people in the photo that is great. I was snapping photos and listened when they arranged the pics but I did not remember. I know Ron Main is in the back row in red. So Don Francisco is to the right. Now for the other 2, which one is Kitchen? Lee Schelin has not replied back yet. Yes when you find out please let me know. Greg, of www.mightyimage.com, remembers you and talked about you fondly. He was so proud to go to your dad's 94th birthday. He talked about what a legend he was and it was a childhood dream to do what he is doing and meeting all these wonderful racers. He does this stuff for a passion and has a real job with American Airlines. He is another really nice and interesting person I have had the pleasure of meeting in this journey of mine. My dad (Joaquin Arnett) was always so full of energy. He started doing serious bicycles riding when he were 60 years old. He would ride Tecate-Ensenada, San Clemente, Alpine, Baja. My dad rode his 10 speed to Tijuana, Mexico every Wednesday for a year, getting pastries from a pandarie he loved. I used to be in shock. But not Dad; on and on he went. I used to live in Alpine in the east county in the mountains and he would ride his mountain bike to visit with me. I got arthritis in my 20'ies so I was in awe. Jim Lattin's was a neat place to see. Jackie Arnett
Jackie: I enjoy the stories that you have of your father. Keep remembering them and writing them down. Each memory that you have of him is very precious. Tell us more about Mike Uribe, Nagem and the other Bean Bandits. We are a historical society, so you can never run out of room or our patience. We want to hear all that we can. When I started to research into the roots of hot rodding and land speed racing, people told me to call your father. I did and he was so friendly and helpful. Actually, Dave Marquez may have introduced me to the Bean Bandits. Marquez was a hoot. He was the leader of the Motor Monarchs in Ventura and Santa Paula and a competitor of sorts with the Bean Bandits from San Diego. Marquez used to call me, "Hey, ******* *** ****, go get me a beer." If Marquez called you that, you were one of the guys and in his mind, once you were one of the group, heaven and hell couldn't separate them. Dave and Joaquin liked to kid each other, and in the beginning their rivalry was friendly and spirited. I'm not sure that they even thought of themselves as Hispanics, because they lived the hot rodding culture and they accepted anybody who wanted to be a part of that car culture. But they did suffer a lot of prejudice, because the Bean Bandits and the Motor Monarchs had funny tales to tell about how they would deal with it.
Your dad liked to tell this story about the time they were working on their engines inside their motel room and a guy complained and reported them to the manager. Around midnight they walked out to the parking lot, surrounded the guy's car, picked it up and carried it across the lawn and dumped it into the swimming pool. Joaquin would say, "I'm sorry we did that now, because we broke the edge of the swimming pool and we really did like the manager of the motel." He said nothing about the guy's car, just that they chipped the side of the pool. They also talked excitedly about participating in the first US Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas in 1955. For Marquez and Arnett, this was a huge event and they felt great to be a part of it. The other racers didn't really bother them, but the local community wouldn't rent any rooms to the Bandits, or the Monarchs. I think they slept in their cars, but I'm not sure of that. A year later, when the Nationals were held in Kansas City, Dave made friends with a hot rodder who let him stay in his home and the way Marquez told the story, you would have thought that this man was the King of France. I'm not quite sure how often the Motor Monarchs of Ventura raced against the Bean Bandits of San Diego, because Dave sold his car, the 880, in 1956 and it was a two-time US Nationals winner in B Roadster. Car clubs in those days were much more positive and constructive that are the gangs we see today. There is no comparison. Two great clubs and two men who were friends and rivals.
I had the opportunity to go to Black Rock Desert in 1997 with Marquez and later to Bonneville with Arnett and the Bean Bandits. Those were two of the all time high-lights of my life. I met Dave through Jack Mendenhall, who raced drags and stock cars out of Santa Maria. They called him "Cadillac Jack," and he had flashing blue eyes and this gentle, but strong manner that the ladies loved. They made quite a threesome, Mendenhall, Joaquin and Marquez. Dave said to me, "You owe me a ticket since your daddy tossed me out of a race once." Actually, getting thrown out of a race makes you one of the guys and the more you get tossed, the bigger the reception. Marquez took a liking to me and invited me to come along to Black Rock with him. A few years later, Joaquin invited me to go to Bonneville with the Bean Bandits. He told me, "Richard, don't be late or we'll leave you behind." I left early and got down to San Diego hours before the deadline, only to find a couple of Bean Bandits busy welding something on the car. The deadline to leave for the salt passed and slowly the Bandits arrived. Joaquin yelled at a few of the Bandits, telling them things you can't say to one's mother, and they yelled back similar terms. The evening dragged on and now all the Bandits were there, but still there was no decision to leave.
Morning came and Bandits were asleep laying all over the yard and house. We finally roused ourselves and Joaquin was still working on the streamliner. The Bandits argued about which cars to take, who was going with whom and what to do about the streamliner. They started to pack and finally we left around ten o'clock the day after we were supposed to go. I rode up with a good friend of Jeffery Arnett's in his car, while most of the bandits went in the old van. This gave me a chance to learn about the Bandits from someone who was relatively new to the club. On the way we stopped and I bought a fold-up chair that reclines into a flat surface to make a bed. Halfway there we passed Jack Mendenhall, but didn't recognize him. He had gone all the way to Bonneville from Buellton, California, to meet the Bandits and stay with them. When they weren't there, Jack left for home, but his car broke down in the desert and he attempted to hitchhike out, nearly dying of heat exhaustion until a young couple picked him up and brought him into Los Angeles. In the meantime, we slowly made our way to the Salt Flats and reached there late in the day. The Bean Bandits travel on a whim and a prayer and a few dollars at best. They argued over who was going to do the t-shirt and souvenir sales, as the success of the sales of their merchandise meant the success of their trip. Joaquin was quite stern about not giving away any souvenirs, "We have to eat, you know," he told us.
We camped at the KOA Kampgrounds and it was obvious that the Bandits had been there before. Jeff slept on the floor of the van and Joaquin rolled himself up in a big horse blanket with red, white and blue stripes, under an overhang, "In case it rained," he said. Except the overhang had only a few small slats to provide shade and in a downpour would have offered no protection. One of the Bandits claimed the picnic table and pitched his sleeping bag there. Others slept in their cars or on the ground. Marquez would later show up in his motor home, and though it was old and well used, was palatial to us. I put up my fancy chaise lounge and then put a sleeping bag on top of it. It wouldn't last, for about an hour later it would collapse, pitching me to the ground, while the other Bandits laughed and probably thought such pretentiousness deserved exactly what I received. In the morning we got up and Joaquin picked up a sharp rock about the size of a large marble and said, "So that's the ***** thing I slept on all night?" No matter what we did, the Bandits would always stop to kid each other and torment those around them. It was expected. Work on the car, torment each other, get the car to the starting line, taunt each other, eat a bit of lunch, kid each other, work on the car some more, harass each other. Some of the Bandits had more patience than did the others. Pat, Julian and Mike seemed to be immune from even the worst hazing and Joaquin could go off at the slightest setback. Whoever was the butt of the ill-temper or humor at the time bore it with aplomb, while the rest of the Bandits cracked jokes at his behalf, but also saying to themselves, "Thank God it isn't me."
We were lucky in that we were parked right next to Jim Feuling's tent. He had truck transporters, tents, grills, food, and even a little swimming pool for his son to play in. He gave us some chairs and was generous to us the whole time we were on the salt. The Bandits missed the first day and possibly the second day as well due to leaving late from San Diego. Sometime around Monday or Tuesday they finally got the car up to the starting line, with Jeff Arnett as the driver. Jeff had a lot of courage to drive the streamliner, but there was a pall hanging over the team since Jeff's older brother, Sonny Arnett, had been killed in a tragic accident at El Mirage. I was there that day, but didn't see the accident. I spoke to Sonny that day and to the Bean Bandits. I saw Joaquin argue with Bruce Johnston over the firewall plate and finally get the streamliner approved to run. Johnston quibbled about everything, from the tires to the construction and especially the parachutes. At the meet was a very beautiful woman, who was in charge of a cameraman and was there to get an interview with Sonny and the Bean Bandits and then to photograph the car as it made its run. She was a real looker and very persuasive. Sonny made a run down the course and recorded a 240mph time, a record in the class. Usually after a record, the guys will trailer the car and take it home and inspect it, getting ready for the next meet. There's no use bumping a record twice in one day. You get points for a record and move the record up a mile or so at a time, that way you keep getting records and more points towards the championship.
I had been wandering around the pits and came upon the lady, her cameraman, Sonny and a spectator. The lady told Sonny that her cameraman was out of position or for some reason didn't get the pictures that she needed for her story and asked Sonny if he could make another run. He said, "I'll get another record for you," or something close to that and I didn't think much about it. I was tired and so was Ralph Foster, who had been taking photographs all day and we decided to leave. Sonny got back in line for another run and I drove off the lakebed and onto the two-lane highway and headed for home just as they waved Sonny off the line. Moments later something happened at 250 mph and the streamliner pencil rolled end over end, the most horrifying kind of accident that any land speeder fears the most. I could hear and see something from the highway, but at the time I didn't think that anything serious had happened and didn't know anything until I got home later that night. They say the car bounced higher than a telephone pole and that Sonny didn't have a mark on him, but that he died of internal bleeding and that he didn't suffer. We went to the funeral and his services attracted hundreds of mourners, for Sonny was very charismatic and likable.
Sonny had in fact re-established the old Bean Bandits and was their leader. He got the old Bean Bandits excited in racing again and brought new and younger members into the club. Losing Sonny took the heart out of the club, so when Jeff got into the car he was carrying the hopes and dreams of the club with him and hoping to dispel the doubters. It wasn't a matter of courage. Jeff was an adventurer and did all kinds of daring things, so getting in a 250mph land speed car was just another event for him. This was Jeff's chance to show the club that he could do what his brother could do. The run down the salt ended in a fire, though it was contained. It could have been worse, but the safety team of Chris and Ed Shearer spotted the fire and came right up on the streamliner and put out the fire with their fire extinguisher. Safety crews are worth their weight in gold, but there are few as good as the Shearers.' They seem to have a sense for the moment, to see and feel what is going to happen before it does. Jeff wasn't hurt, but the side of the yellow streamliner was scorched just enough that the first and only thoughts in the entire Bean Bandit group was, "Oh, crap, what are we going to tell Vi?" Back at the pit area the guys began to scurry around and Joaquin blamed Pat or Mike or one of the other bandits. A lot of words went back and forth, something to do with Hispanics, fire, gas caps and foul-ups. The mood stayed glum. The next day the streamliner was back on the course and it took off on what looked like a record run, when another fire broke out and Jeff pulled off the course. It burned for a while until Jeff felt the heat as the shielding held up. Again the Shearers were on the scene in an instant, literally leaping out of their moving truck and dousing the flames in the twinkling of an eye.
This time the Bandits were already rehearsing exactly what they were going to say to Vi, Jeff's mother, who stayed home in San Diego. They even found some paint and tried to patch things up, but the consensus was that it was impossible to keep secrets from her. Feuling suggested later that it wasn't a faulty gas cap or the crew's mistake, but that the pressure in the tank caused a leak. I don't know if they ever found the trouble, but for all the excitement, both car and driver escaped unscathed, but the Bandits trailered the car and we were done for that year. I stayed behind to round up some gear and the Bandits boarded the van and rode back into Wendover. At the main entrance where the salt meets the access road, which is paved, they came to a stop while the guys exchanged news with the SCTA security crew. A beautiful young thing asked Joaquin if she could have a t-shirt and the other Bandits, riled up over the way the car had run and Joaquin had berated them, hissed a loud no. If they were told not to give away the souvenirs and shirts, then Joaquin couldn't do it either. The buxom young lady said she would lift her shirt if they gave her the t-shirt and the men were silenced for a second, then said, "Go ahead Joaquin, if she'll do it." She got the t-shirt and though I wasn't there, each and every one said it was well worth the price. That night they added up the sales from the t-shirts and Joaquin said, "We eat tonight," and off we all went to the Rainbow Room for the buffet. The Bandits had just barely enough for gas to get back to San Diego.
On another occasion I had driven up to the salt with my brother and I went over to help out Dave Marquez with his "T&T feed," or Tacos and Tamales. Marquez was quite the chef and he precooked lots of food, kept it in his freezer and put on a party wherever he went, and especially at Bonneville. I helped him with the salad, pasta soup, tacos and tamales and a gentleman from Oregon, who was a butcher, brought down some great meat and put it on the KOA Kampground's barbecue grill. The Bandits put out the word that the feast was on and land speed racers left the salt after a day of racing and drifted over to the party. The Bandits had a mixer that sounded like a lawnmower engine and whipped up drinks fast. They kept it going all throughout the party and made many runs to the liquor store for more mixers and hard drinks. That's the way the Bandits and the Motor Monarchs partied, loose and cool and no one turned away. Soon after that things turned a bit chilly with my transportation and I was looking to thumb a ride home and dropped by the Bandits. This time they gave me the bed of honor, a bench at the RV Park and that horse blanket Joaquin was so proud of. The next day Mike Uribe was leaving early and asked if I wanted a ride home and I told him, "If I can pay for part of the gas." That's the way it works with the Bandits, they share what they have. We took a leisurely ride down 50 and bypassed the old Snake Highway, went past Tonopah and down into California and Mike pointed out the landmarks on the way. All the landmarks that the Bean Bandits had passed by, year after year. I hope the Bean Bandits will find some young people to keep the club going, for it would be a very sad day indeed should we ever lose them.

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I'm the former director of the American Hot Rod Foundation (AHRF). Any publicity and help would be much appreciated. I very much enjoy your newsletters as it keeps me in touch with that hot rod world I miss. Thanks, Henry Astor
Henry: Please send us emailed updates on what you have been doing since you left the AHRF. The newsletter is for past history and current events of those in our spheres of influence. We want to know what you are up to. All the artists, builders, car restorers, model makers and any other persons involved in the sport are welcome to send us their updates. I print close to 99% of everything that I get, unless the sender requests that it is personal or confidential.

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I have an old P-38 belly tank that was built in late 1950's by Bob George from Redondo Beach, California. I had it for some years until I finally got the time to build it. I have raced it for one year now and waiting for the upcoming season. Let me know what you need? I have some old photos and Russetta magazines when I built the chassis. The body still has the old '50's paint job and I even got to use the original number #132 that had been on the car since the '50's. Regards, Erik Hansson 
   Erik: Send the photographs to me, but break them down into only one or two photos per email, or my email box can't handle them. Write up a story about the tank, who had it first, what they did with it, who owned it after that, what times it posted, what kind of an engine and the class it ran in and send it to me and I will be glad to post it in the newsletter. This is the kind of stories that we like to put in the newsletter. I'm sending this to Jim Miller as well so he can start to do research on your belly tank as well. Thanks for letting us know.

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Thanks for the great write up. I had to leave at noon, so I missed the Gear Grinders festivities. If I had known you were there, I would have been sure to say hello. Regards, Frank Scott
   Frank: The Gear Grinders Awards Banquet will soon be available at www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnists. Please send us your bio.

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I am hoping you guys can help. I am producing a show with Jesse James who did Monster Garage and we are going to send him out on El Mirage Dry Lake Bed to see if he can make a speed record for the fastest alternative fuel vehicle. I am looking for information on failed land speed record attempts that have happened, but am not having much luck. The only things I find on the internet are attempts that failed and they say because of "weather" etc. I really want to know what happened and why. Is there a place I can find this information or anyone I could talk to who could help me find this information? I would appreciate any help you could provide me. I look forward to hearing from you. Andrew Berg, [email protected], (310) 740-2504.
Andrew: The best person to contact is Jim Miller, the president of The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians and I've included him on this return email to you. Also, if you wish, I will include your email in our newsletter of which I am the editor. Do you want your email and phone number made public? If not, let me know how you would like to be contacted by our members. Another person you should contact is George Callaway, who lives alongside of the lakebed and can assist you with any questions that you have and how to get permission to use the lakebed and time the event officially

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John Hollansworth asked me to forward to you a bit of information about the Collectors Foundation. John is president of the Board of Directors of the Foundation. Other Board members include: Ken Gross, McKeel Hagerty, Corky Coker, Jean Hoffman, Keith Martin, Bruce Knox, Mike Stowe, Claudio Ballard, Raffi Minasian, and I serve the Board as Executive Director. I hope this information will be helpful to you. Bob Knechel, Executive Director
COLLECTORS FOUNDATION, INC. A public charitable foundation for collector vehicle enthusiasts. The Foundation is a cooperative philanthropic enterprise supporting youth development and the long-term interests of collector vehicle and classic boat enthusiasts. Founded by Hagerty Insurance Agency with ongoing generosity from the HagertyPlus program. Sponsored by a growing network of national and international businesses that have a heart for youth development and self-interest in the collector car and boat industry - (Auto-Net Roadside, Ford Motor Company, FedEx Custom Critical Passport Auto Transport, OneBeacon Insurance, Woodside Credit, Worldwide Group Auctioneers, Specialty Vehicle Dealer's Association, Auto Appraisal Group, Car Collector Magazine, Sports Car Market Magazine, Iconic Motors LLC and others). Supported by numerous individual collectors who choose to share their passion for collector vehicles and youth through the Collectors Foundation.
It makes scholarships and educational grants available to institutions committed to making a difference in the lives of young people through the appeal of historical vehicles and vessels - $500,000 paid out in scholarships so far to young adults pursing formal education for a career within the hobby. $142,000 committed to date for high school auto technology programs. $91,000 awarded to programs working with at-risk youth and cars. $224,000 granted to automobile and boat museums that feature hands-on education programs for school age young people that demonstrate lessons in art, history and science through classic cars and boats. $155,000 made available in grants to club libraries to preserve literature and documentation for the next generations. It's a national movement among collector enthusiasts to encourage youth and their development through unique learning opportunities with classic vehicles and dedicated mentors - Scholarships and grants have so far been awarded to educational programs in 18 different states, 1 Canadian Province and 4 National Clubs. Contact Information: Bob Knechel, Executive Director, (231)932-6835, [email protected].
Bob: Thank you for the background information. Would you give us a few anecdotal examples of the type of young person you have helped and how our members' children might qualify for these scholarships if interested?

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Thanks Richard, you do such a great job of writing. You did not miss much. Cheers, Old Dad, Bob Nichols
   Dear Bob: I don't think of you as Old Dad. Your work on Indians and other motorcycles is impressive and our readers should go to www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnists and read the article on your life. By the way, there was an Old Dad and he was a well-known Road Runner at the dry lakes, and part of a famous racing family. Can you or our readers guess who the original Old Dad was? In the meantime, we are going to call you Indian Red Nichols. But no matter what they call you, the work that you do with bikes and designs puts you in a class by yourself.

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There are a number of anecdotal stories about young people and the encouragement they have received to explore and appreciate historic vehicles. With grade school children: Petersen Automobile Museum has received grant funding for the past 5 years from the Collectors Foundation to establish and help support the Museum's "Free School Bus" program. The program targets Title I schools in the LA School District, has a curriculum that teaches lessons in art, history, and science using historic vehicles as the teaching tool. The students are bused to museum where the lessons are reinforced by the curators and hands-on demonstrations. The program is so popular that it is sold out a year in advance. I have received letters from teachers and principals telling me that they are able to leverage the program to get kids to come to school. If they don't have good attendance, they don't do the field trip. Young children have written thank you letters to the Museum and the Foundation expressing their appreciation and saying "I've got to get my dad to see this..." The Collectors Foundation supports several similar programs at some of the finest automobile or classic boat museums around the country.
An example of high school age youth support could be from the Northwest Vintage Car & Motorcycle Museum in Brooks, Oregon. The Foundation has helped sponsor their annual All High School Car Show for three years. Now, some of the car guys from the Museum want to get more involved with the youth. They approached the Collectors Foundation for a grant to support a Model T Speedster build project. Adult mentors now meet weekly with 8-9 students from Roberts High School, an alternative high school, teaching them the art and science of building a Model T Speedster. Again, the Foundation has awarded similar grants to vocational high school auto tech programs that have a portion of their automotive curriculum built around teaching restoration skills, residential treatment programs for youth in conflict where learning a skill becomes quite therapeutic, and a charter school in California with a wonderful Auto Academy. When young people seek a career within the industry, the Collectors Foundation awards scholarships - not directly to the students but to the institutions that have good restoration, rod and custom building, or design programs. Over $150,000 this year is going into scholarships at community colleges, four-year institutions, and certification programs for both vehicles and wooden boats.
There are lots more stories from specific organizations/institutions which have applied for and received funding from the Collectors Foundation over the past five years, but I hope this helps... I can send you a complete list of the recipients if that would be helpful. It should be noted that the Collectors Foundation does not DO programs, but rather locates and supports existing organizations that are doing some incredible things for young people and the hobby. Bob Knechel, Executive Director, Collectors Foundation, www.collectorsfoundation.org.

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I believe that my son has the roadster that was once owned by Jack Mickelson. I would like to speak to him and fill in some blanks. Do you have his number, or could you ask him to call me? Thank you, John Julis, Riverside, CA
   John: Will do.

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In about 1915, the Drake brothers built a racer at Reedley to promote their Jadson products at races around the state. Using a Chev Baby Grand 4 cyl block, they designed and built an overhead camshaft head and raced it in the Central Valley … Visalia etc. The head still exists. The camshaft and valve actuation looks a lot like that used on the Liberty aero engines, which I thought weren't built until after the US came into WWI in the spring of 1917. The liberty involved Jesse Vincent of Packard and Allison Engineering who built 4 'proof' copies to be used as models by other factories building the production engines. I would be interested in corresponding with anyone having info about the Drake racer, the Baby Grand engines etc. Ken Berg (949) 830-6888, [email protected].
Ken: I sent your letter to Jim Miller and I will publish it in the SLSRH newsletter. Do you want me to publish your phone number, email address, both or none, in the newsletter. Let me know because I don't want you to give out any more information than you want to.

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 I was talking with my aunt today, my dad's sister, she was married to Emery Cook. My dear Uncle Cook, he was another one who I want to include. My aunt has many funny stories to tell about both dad and Uncle Cook.  Jackie Arnett
   Jackie: Please tell us about Emery. Joaquin was his partner for awhile and he liked him very much. We would love to know more about Emery, his crew, car and early racing days.

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Thanks for all your hard work that goes into the newsletter. Am wondering if Maggie Summers is Jimmy Summers Widow? And if so how can I reach her. I think her husband and I owned the same 1936 Riley Sports car in SoCal in 1947. Bob Lytle, 928-646-6606. Email: [email protected].
Bob: I can't answer that, but I can post your question to the newsletter and see if others might know and call you. Please tell me if you want your email address, phone number or both listed in the newsletter. I don't run contact information unless you give me permission to do so.
Richard: By all means include my E-Mail and phone number. And, Thanks. Bob Lytle

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Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2009 schedules, See http://www.lvms.com/. Contact: John Bisci, LVMS Public Relations (702) 632-8231 [email protected].

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In 2008, Riches Nelson Racing, a veteran land speed racing team based in San Diego, California set a World Speed Record with an electric motorcycle first time out on the El Mirage dry lake bed. This year we are raising the bar; we will attempt to exceed 350 mph by building the fastest electric vehicle on earth. Read all about our project on our new website: www.eracebike.com. Our designers and engineers have teamed up with Southern Utah University (SUU) in an attempt to educate the general public about the performance capabilities of existing "off the shelf" green technology. There is a misconception with public opinion in regard to electric vehicles - how they are slow, unexciting, and low-performance: utilitarian at best. We want to change this perception by showing the exciting, real world possibilities of green technology in a package people can relate to. To this end, we will be building an electric motorcycle streamliner. Please visit our site and come back often as a lot of things are going to be happening pretty fast. Like 350 mph fast. ERaceBike, 2530 Fortune Way, Vista, CA 92081

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Besides being nostalgia drag racing's premier event, the March Meet is also the season opener for the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series. See release for details. Photo attached is Bucky Austin, who won the 2008 Hot Rod Heritage Series Funny Car Championship. March Meet Kicks-Off 2009 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series, Mar. 6-8, 2009. Legendary race part of drag racing's 8-race nostalgia series. The 51st annual March Meet is the lead-off event in the NHRA's 8-race nostalgia drag race series. The 2009 Hot Rod Heritage Series, now in its second season, gets the green light at historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Mar. 6-8.  "We're honored to once again kick-off the Hot Rod Heritage drag racing series," said Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operators of Auto Club Famoso and producers of the March Meet. "Nostalgia drag racing fans are in for a great weekend of racing, fun and affordable entertainment." According to the NHRA, the Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series was created to "help preserve NHRA's rich history and tradition while capitalizing on the success of nostalgia drag racing competition." Series champions will be crowned in 14 categories based on year-end points. Last year, Troy Green won the inaugural Nostalgia Top Fuel championship, while Bucky Austin claimed the Nostalgia Funny title. Both are expected to defend their titles, starting at the March Meet. 
   "The Hot Rod Heritage series appeals to drag racing fans young and old," said Peter Clifford, NHRA executive vice president and general manager. "It's a great way to introduce the younger generation to the history of our sport and give fans young and old a glimpse of racing the way it used to be." And what better place to kick-start the series than the famed March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, which expects overflow crowds again this year. The Hot Rod Heritage series will also end the season at Auto Club Famoso, Oct. 16-18, at the California Hot Rod Reunion. Among the highlighted stops in between are Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, for the 38th annual Pepsi NightFire Nationals and Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif., and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In all, there will be eight independently produced events with each class of competition competing at and earning points toward series championships at five of those eight events. There are 14 categories: They are Nostalgia Top Fuel; Nostalgia Funny Car; A/Fuel; Junior Fuel; 7.0 Eliminator; AA/Gas Supercharged; Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Nostalgia Eliminator 2; Nostalgia Eliminator 3; A Gas; B Gas; C Gas; D Gas; and Hot Rod.
   2009 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Schedule
-- Apr. 3-5, Nostalgia Sportsman Shootout, Fontana, Calif.
-- May 15-17, Las Vegas Speed Spectacular, Las Vegas, Nev.
-- June 12-13, Arizona Fuel & Gas Nationals, Wittmann, Ariz.
-- July 10-11, WCTA Fremont Reunion, Sacramento, Calif.
-- Aug. 13-16, 38th Annual Pepsi NightFire Nationals, Boise, Idaho
-- Sept. 11-13, Southern California Shootout (tentative), Fontana, Calif.
-- Oct. 16-18, California Hot Rod Reunion, Bakersfield, Calif.
 Sent in by Bill Groak.

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Land Speed Racing Websites:
www.hotrodhotline.com, www.landspeedracing.com

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Members:

Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Mike Bastian, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, Burly Burlile, 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, Eric Loe, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, Landspeed 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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