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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 114 - June 3, 2009
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, Evelyn Roth just informed me (May 29, 2009) that Will Scott is back at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, Saturday June 6 10AM - 2PM Lou Hart and Friends, The SoCal Chapter of the Society of Automotive Historians presents: 27th Literature Faire and Exchange, Bob Wanner and I are the fellows who are putting together the LSR event in Northern Maine this summer, After reading the note from Phyllis McNeil I wonder if you would ask her if she would like to drop me a note about Karl and Veda Orr, Editor's notes: I had a nice conversation with my cousin Mike Olivero whose father was Laurence and then he gave me his cousin's number, It looks like the BLM has approved our testing to be conducted at Black Rock between July 5 and July 12, Chop-Shop Customs owned by Larry Schaeffer is located at 235 D Salem Street, The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum contact information, From the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum calendar of events on the internet, Golden Hawk LSR Project, editor's notes: The following comes from the website www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk, Gale Banks will be on hand on (Event took place before Newsletter was posted) to help celebrate the grand opening of Pep Boy's first-ever dedicated Speed Shop in downtown Los Angeles, The Fountain Valley Car Show will be held on June 13, Editor's notes: The following correspondence was received in response to the letter sent out to us by Ken Berg, Costa Mesa Speedway (June 6, 13, 20, 27), Santa Maria Speedway Schedule, Michael Shaw sent in a link showing some of the posters that will be used to advertise The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, A lot of old time hot rodders, Young & old had a great time at our gathering to discuss hot rodding from the 1930s through the mid-1960s using our book: Harrell Engines & Racing Equipment: Jim (White) Harrell & Nick / Harrell last Saturday

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President's Corner:  
   I just finished and sent off the cover art for the 2009 Bonneville Program. While gathering pictures for it I decided to include the event Pit Pass, Member Patch and S.C.T.A. Logo Patch to add a little bling to it. While digging the patch out I was reminded that all this weird stuff that's been collected over the years is part of our land speed history and the best part of it is that most of it was free. When you sort everything out and put it in the proper timeline a good picture emerges of how some things change and others don't. The first attachment, 546, is a patch of the old S.C.T.A. logo done by Eldon Snapp back when our organization was formed. It still looks great today and can be had at all the events or the S.C.T.A. web site. Along the same lines, 550, are items from the past that could be had by all at a nominal price. The '87 sticker was also done by Eldon. 549 shows more some old date cards that listed events held during the year. The El Mirage Ladies Auxiliary sticker was given out to people who contributed money to a fund that is used to help racers when they are hurt in the line of living their dream. Next up is 551. At the top is a postcard that could be had at the 50th running of Speedweek. The lower items are a little harder to get. These items are handed out to the working press and let them go some places the spectators can't go. These two examples were shot by famed photographer Peter Vincent. He's one of the many who donate their skills to the event called Speedweek and help make it happen.
   553 is getting into the special stuff. Every year the Bonneville 200 MPH Club holds an invite only banquet. If you're lucky enough to attend there are always some cool table gifts at every chair. Shot glasses with the club logo on them are favorites as are these fridge/tool box magnets.
With 552 you have to enter a vehicle at Speedweek to get one of these puppies. They are a badge of honor especially if you're lucky enough to set a record or get into the 2-club. The word member at the bottom is what sets them apart. Last up is the hard to get stuff. The bigger inspection stickers end up on the car to show its passed tech. If the owner is cool you'll find a row of these on the car and he'll have a million stories to go with each one. The little stickers end up on the helmet after we check them to make sure there not out of date or to banged up. Sometimes we have a little fun with them too. One spectator had a clapped out T-pickup with hay bales and a chicken coupe in the back. We couldn't resist putting a sticker on it. Another friend uses a small stool to climb into his car with. You got it, he's got about 12 of them on it from over the years. There are lots of other things to collect too. T-shirts, Ball caps, programs, dash plaques the list goes on and on. And don't forget autographs. In years to come someone will find your old treasures and pass them on to the next generation of historians. In the meantime have fun.

JMC_546_S.C.T.A
JMC_549_Freebees
JMC_550_Spectator-Collecta
JMC_551_Cards
JMC_552_Member-Patches
JMC_553_B-Ville-2-Club
JMC_554_Inspected

Captions:
546.............Eldon Snapp designed this cool looking S.C.T.A. logo back in the thirties.

Captions:
549.............Save those old date cards that everybody tosses.

Captions:
550.............Collectable patches from the BNI and S.C.T.A..

Captions:
551.............Postcards and press passes from the Bonneville experience.

Captions:
552.............Join the BNI, get a Member's patch and then go run your car.

Captions:
553.............The B-Ville 2-club always has some cool giveaways at their banquet.

Captions:
554.............Inspection stickers on car and helmet help you recognize the salt warriors.

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Editorial:
I wrote an editorial and then pulled it and saved it for today, then rescheduled it for two weeks from now. The reason is that a member wished to discuss and review the editorial before I put it into print. I try to be very flexible and to allow the members to help with the content, bios, photographs and editorializing. I didn't hear back right away, and so last week I pulled the editorial and scheduled it for this issue. I then sent follow-up emails at three or four day intervals and finally I received word that our member and the editor could resolve the issues and run the editorial in this issue. Then the deadline passed, with no word from the member, and so I pulled the editorial for a second time and will hold it out until issue #116, giving our member another two weeks to respond. At that point the editorial will run as is, without redaction or change. An editorial is the Society's and specifically the editor's bully pulpit. It is where an editor urges, coerces, brow-beats and rants on about issues that are crucial to the work of the Society. I need to do that from time to time. For example, we all know that if we don't take care of our photos and memorabilia, something will happen to it and it isn't always a good thing. So I discuss and ask politely, "Write your bio and caption your photographs." When you don't do it, I urge and prod, and when you don't respond I up the ante and use the editorials to rant and rage. That's why they call it a bully pulpit, because I've got the right to the pulpit and I'm sermonizing like a bully. But I have a number of good members who act as back-up editors and I run the complete newsletter by them and they have a day or two, maybe three or four, before Anita at Hot Rod Hot Line has a chance to post the contents to www.landspeedracing.com. Tina Van Curen also posts the SLSRH newsletter to her website at www.autobooks-aerobooks.com, and she also previews it. If a major error crops us, I send a revised newsletter to them.
If there are any others who I think should see the content of the newsletter before it goes to print, I run it by them as well. I don't know of any other newsletter or publication, on-line or print, that gives this much freedom and responsibility to its members. That's because we want to be open and we want to get our comments as correct as we can. Many times one of our pre-viewers will catch something and say, "I don't think it happened that way." I also work very close with Jim Miller and he previews the newsletter too. Sometimes I catch a mistake by Jim. It doesn't happen very often. He has a tendency to spell Datona Beach without the y and several times I thought, "There's another Daytona Beach in Florida?" Or maybe he's using an old Spanish Map and maybe he's right. And then there is the confusion over what is correct, Muroc, Corum, Rogers Dry Lake or Edwards Air Force Base as the place where they once raced. So we are fairly good at working with our readers and members because this is your newsletter as well and Jim and I feel that you all have a right to tell your stories and your history and be a part of this Society. But we do have deadlines. We are seriously trying to make this a professional newsletter. You can only bend the rules so far and then there is no credibility. So I pulled the editorial, no big deal. I've given an extra three weeks. Finally, it will either be reviewed with me or it will run as written. Fair is only fair.

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Evelyn Roth just informed me (May 29, 2009) that Will Scott is back at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, for exploratory tests and possible surgery. See www.oilstick.com, obit and illness page for more details. Our best wishes go to Will for a speedy recovery.

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Saturday June 6 10AM - 2PM. Lou Hart and Friends. See the famous Yeakel Top Fuel Dragster and meet some of the drivers who made history. Lou will also be signing his new book Kings of the Quarter Mile. Saturday, June 13, 10AM - 2PM, Hot Rod Garages. Meet author Peter Vincent and Builders - Bill Vinther, Cal Tanaka, Pete Eastwood and Don Small. See some of their fantastic cars. Bring your own. Saturday, June 20, 10AM - 2PM, meet the legendary George Barris. He will be signing his new book Cars of the Stars. Barris cars will be on display here at the bookstore. Tina Van Curen, Autobooks-Aerobooks, 3524 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505. 818 845-0707, and www.aerobooks/autobooks.com

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The SoCal Chapter of the Society of Automotive Historians presents: 27th Literature Faire and Exchange, Sunday June 28, 2009 8AM - 3PM, at the NHRA Wally Parks Motorsports Museum, Los Angeles County Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave, Gate #1, Pomona. There is free admission and parking for spectators and buyers. Vendors and sellers pay a small fee for their space rental. This is Southern California's largest venue for automotive paper: owner's manuals, books, advertising, posters, automotive art, magazine back issues, photographs, current magazines, pins, badges, event programs, sales brochures, models, small collectibles and memorabilia. If it is paper, you may find it here! No car or car parts allowed, this is not a car swap meet. Plan on visiting the NHRA Museum while you are there. Bob Falcon

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Bob Wanner and I are the fellows who are putting together the LSR event in Northern Maine this summer. Bob wanted me to touch base and tell you a bit about our effort. We're each car guys of course, Bob has a Honda Insight with a much massaged turbo motor. Perhaps you know the car is very aero and light, and has the potential to go very fast indeed, well north of 200. I'm a more traditional guy with a few homemade Fords in the garage. The racer is a '27 F/B Street Roadster with a 2.5 Ford 4 cylinder, again turboed, etc. Each is pretty much our first effort with Speed cars. My affliction was caused by attending Speedweek too many times. Long story short, we became pals pretty much because of the LSR email group, and thought about finding an alternative to the long drives to the Salt and even Maxton, which is a difficult drive from the Northeast. Also, I'm self-employed with a family, so I wanted to be able to change and subsequently tune my car with an air/fuel meter versus the expense of dyno time. We found the folks in Northern Maine very receptive to what we proposed, even though I don't think they know what to expect. Actually at this point we don't know what to expect either! The runway is huge and in good shape. It was last used militarily during Desert Storm in the early 1990's, and while not used (except by an occasional private aircraft), the surface is maintained by the Loring Development Authority, an Agency of the State of Maine. At 700' above sea level, the size of the place has got a lot of people thinking their vehicle can go faster there than anywhere, and they may be right. Bob Wanner did some high speed test runs to confirm the viability of the surface. That is our total experience with speed at the place. While vehicles should have suspension, the surface did seem fairly flat at that speed. In the meantime we're nailing down a long list of things we think we'll need. The Maxton gang has been absolutely fantastic and will continue to help us a lot it appears. Northern Maine is very beautiful that time of year, the farms are lush and active, the people friendly and on the ball. So while there aren't a lot of LSR cars in these parts there are a few, and there are plenty of motorcycles that can be made race ready without a great deal of effort. Our goal is to not screw up so badly so as to provide that there will be a second event on 2010. There is an endangered bird involved, and the weather up there isn't the greatest except mid-summer (when it's only sometimes o.k.), so we have no plans to move beyond a one event season. Please let us know if you have any questions for us, and wish us luck! Again, the folks involved are all first rate, and that almost always assures success.  Thanks for your interest and good wishes, Bob Jepson, Milton, Massachusetts
   Bob and Bob: What you are doing is amazing and we really appreciate what you are doing for LSR. The rule is this; if you have a venue, you will grow your audience, that being racers and spectators. If you don't have a venue site to race on, all the racers in the world are frustrated. So in your efforts to bring us a new site to race on, you are creating an atmosphere where new drivers will be attracted and the sport of LSR will grow in the North East. LSR needs an outlet in the North East. We can also use a few more across the country as well, for the Midwest north of Texas could also use a site. Every LSR site that becomes successful grows the sport by leaps and bounds, so that when the military or the civilian boards that operate closed air bases look at another LSR request, they will be more likely to approve our requests. When events are successful at Bonneville, El Mirage, Goliad, Maxton and now Loring, it has a cascading effect on our sport, just as a closure of a racing facility has a debilitating effect on us. We are going to publish everything you send us and try to support your efforts so that you succeed and make your event an annual affair. There isn't too much advice that we can give you because each venue site is unique and the local boards have to decide on how they can make LSR work in their areas. Here are a few ideas, any of which you can toss out if they don't work. Environmental concerns are often due to spectators more than the racing vehicles, so form a committee to investigate and work on traffic congestion in the area. The actual racing is brief and over with and in the long term does not affect wildlife, but continued street traffic is liable to get the wildlife and their supporters up in arms. Work with these groups and often they will simply monitor the races and accept you as part of the problems they face. Ignore these groups and they will work to get you removed. You should talk to them and invite them to your meetings and where their suggestions work, adopt their recommendations. You want to make this work for everyone. 
   You can see some of my articles on the politics in racing at www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnist, Richard Parks. Another facet that you have to face is who runs the group and what continuity you are looking for. I have studied group dynamics since my father formed the NHRA back in 1951. Spreading the work load, cross-training the next leaders and insuring that there are trained people to take over is a prime directive. Don't expect too much from the first race. You want to hone your security skills and the tech support and have a very well trained Safety Safari, lookouts and static and roving patrols. There isn't much difference between runs of 90 to 160 MPH and those of 100 to 190 MPH. You can hardly tell the difference as a spectator or official, but the safety will be enhanced and damage controlled. You are proving several points. The first is that you can run a meet efficiently and safely, that you can break even or make money for next year's event, that you can train new leaders and that you can handle the pressures and problems. Speed is your last problem and it will come as your efficiency, skills and administrative capabilities increase. You never want to have the GREATEST race in the world at your first event. Then you risk too much and you can't top it in the years to come. So set a plan, have a number of entries in mind, keep in the black, enjoy the planning and the race days, keep everyone safe, ditch the alcohol (in the people) and give yourself room to do even better in 2010. Should you decide on having more than one meet in the future, and that will happen only if you take care of the growing pains in the first few years. We really think you are doing a wonderful thing for LSR and we hope you will prosper beyond your wildest dreams. Finally, write in and share your thoughts, plans and problems with us. We have about 500 members and they have a lot of knowledge and experience in LSR and they are only too happy to share what they know with you and to make you feel that you are not alone in this quest of yours

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After reading the note from Phyllis McNeil, I wonder if you would ask her if she would like to drop me a note about Karl and Veda Orr and I will respond with some thoughts when I was a regular at the Orr's Speed Shop and their home. Bob Falcon
   Bob: I'm sure that Phyllis would like to hear your stories about Karl and her family and I would ask that you CC me as well, because Karl and Veda Orr were special to land speed racers. Karl was a competitive guy and Veda had a heart of gold, but what they did for dry lakes racing can never be forgotten by us. We are making an effort to find out every last bit of information that people have about the Orr's before it is too late. I am sending this email with your email address to Phyllis as a BCC'd message for her. We know each other and communicate often, but I'll leave it up to Phyllis to contact you. Thanks for the George story. And, Bob, anything that you can remember about Karl and Veda, even if we've already gone over it, please send me all you have and can remember. Karl and Veda can't be forgotten by us, they were simply giants in our racing history and we've got to do everything that we can to keep their history alive.

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Editor's notes: I had a nice conversation with my cousin, Mike Olivero, whose father was Laurence and then he gave me his cousin's number. I called and spoke to Bobby Olivero who lives in the Southern California area. Bobby retired from sprint car racing in 1984 and told me that he rarely sees a race these days, but he promised to work on his bio and that of his father, Tony Olivero. Bobby also told me about his time working with my uncle Kenny Parks at Bell Auto Parts. I hope to have his bio soon at www.hotrodhotline.com

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It looks like the BLM has approved our testing to be conducted at Black Rock between July 5 and July 12, 2009. The Air Force decided that we could run at Edwards Air Force Base if we paid a fee of $24,500 for the privilege. Additional fees would be charged if we needed any support from them. We would have to provide an aviary consultant to oversee any migratory bird pathways in case our shelter interfered with said birds. We also would be required to employ a zoologist to keep track of the desert tortoise in case one gets onto the lakebed. We would not be allowed to use our aircraft radio because it might interfere with their radio transmissions. Wolf Air, who films our runs from the air, would not be allowed to land their aircraft on the lakebed unless approved through the Pentagon. That one is a laugh because Wolf Air films aviation projects at Edwards on a regular basis. In addition to all that, we would not be allowed to transmit our run data from the NAE to our wireless ethernet towers to the base station because they fear that the transmission of data could interfere with satellite communications on the base. I guess the real mission of the Air Force bureaucrats at Edwards was to find any excuse to say NO. Well I hope the Steam Car guys have fun.  Ed Shadle
   Ed: Isn't bureaucracy fun! They did something similar at Vandenburg Air Force Base after we formed the NATA, or North American Timing Association to race there. Several people; Bob Joehnck, Wally Parks, Vic Edelbrock Jr and others managed to get permission to hold LSR meets at VAFB because they knew the commander there and had some contacts. Unfortunately, by the time Joehnck, Jack Mendenhall, Chuck Small, Don Edwards, myself and other volunteers managed to get going, they changed base commanders and the new guy could only see the dangers and not the advantages in having us race on the base. Part of the problem had to do with the fact that the base was on a zero based budget, so any revenue they took in from us would be subtracted from their Pentagon budget. They were taking risk without reward, exactly how government works. The previous commander was a car guy and willing to stick his neck out for other car guys. The new commander wasn't going to take the risk and we got the same excuses. You saw right through them, but it doesn't matter, for they aren't going to take any risks that keep them from getting that promotion. Even Black Rock Desert is not an easy venue to get any more.

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Chop-Shop Customs, owned by Larry Schaeffer is located at 235 D Salem Street, Woburn, MA 01801 USA. To receive their newsletter and see their projects go to [email protected].  The newsletter carries some of my articles.

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The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum contact information taken from their website:
1101 W. McKinley Ave., Building 3A, Pomona CA, 91768. Email: [email protected]
Museum Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day)
Museum Main Number: 909-622-2133. Museum Fax Number: 909-622-1206
Reunion Hotline - Kat Lotz: [email protected]. 909-622-8562
Tony Thacker, Executive Director: [email protected]. 909-622-3454
Greg Sharp, Curator: [email protected]. 909-622-2735
Rose Dickinson, Manager of Marketing and Advertising: [email protected]. 909-622-2575
Sheri Watson, Museum Services Coordinator: [email protected]. 909-622-2133
Monique Valadez, Manager of Education and Public Relations: [email protected]. 909-622-3389
Wayne Phillips, Facilities: [email protected]. 909-622-2133
Working News Media Only, contact: Monique Valadez, [email protected]. 909-622-3389 direct
For Reunion Media Credentials: http://www.museum.nhra.com/media.asp.

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From the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum calendar of events on the internet:
   Summertime Display of Famous Lakes Racers at Museum  Imagine driving toward speeds of 200mph in cars made out of war-surplus fuel tanks. Well, these guys did it back in the 1950's. So, with a little help from Uncle Sam, these hot rodder's were well on their way to setting records and making hot rod history. Join us at the Museum this summer to check out one of the many unsung heroes of hot rodding honored with a display of two of his most famous race cars. Known as the father of the belly tank, lakes racer Bill Burke was the first guy to see the potential of racing a surplus wing tank albeit with a bicycle seat welded directly to the driveshaft-it went 131 mph in 1946. Forever experimenting, Bill really made a name for himself with "Super Shaker," a fiberglass-bodied 'liner powered by an 88-cubic-inch Harley that went 151 mph in 1959. The following year he fielded the "Pumpkin Seed," another 'liner that propelled him into the 200 MPH Club with a Falcon 6 motor. Later, with a Tempest 4-cylinder on loan from Mickey Thompson, Bill ran 264 mph. Both the Super Shaker restored by Jerry Weeks Baker and the Pumpkin Seed restored by Jim Travis will be on display at the museum throughout the summer. Another famous lakes tank racer on display is the So-Cal Speed Shop Belly Tank.

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Golden Hawk LSR Project, see www.goldenhawk.ca, (or click) http://goldenhawkproject.blogspot.com/. Randy Pierce

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I do have a blog on www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk, but any mail would have to be bumped through to me by the site operator. If you want any comments from Americans who have read the book you might contact Bob Keith or Carl Olson. [email protected]. Brian Taylor (editor's notes: The following comes from the website www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk)
Well the official launch of “Crazy Horses” is on Sunday May 24th at Santa Pod during the Main Event. It looks like being the largest gathering of the sport's pioneers yet with people like John Bennett, Alan Allard, Gerry Belton attending Santa Pod for the first time since the late 1960's, and in the case of Californian Bob Keith his first time ever. They are being joined by many more including Dave Lee Travis, Dave Stone and Gerry Andrews (a Stones racing team reunion), Dennis Priddle, Peter Crane, Roz Prior, John Hobbs and the complete Pegasus team of Ian Messenger, Mick Butler and Derek Chinn. Russ Carpenter and Norm Wheeldon are two more recent additions to our list. Two more bike racer contacts who have confirmed their attendance are Alf Hagon and Brian Chapman. And although he is now in his '80s, Harold Bull of Stripduster fame says he will make it. Harold received the first timing ticket issued at Santa Pod in 1966. There will be several book signing sessions during the weekend and the Pod Shop will have plenty in stock. This really is an occasion not to be missed. Hope to see you there to say hello. I've been keeping an eye on the early book reviews posted on the book sales websites and the drag racing forums, and it seems to have gone down very well. In fact I have been overwhelmed by the comments and I'm so pleased everyone is enjoying the read. We'll now wait to see what the national press makes of it. We made the Telegraph on May 9th with a short but positive review and a jacket picture, and also Autosport on May 14th. We have received enquiries about the availability of “Crazy Horses” in Sweden. MarGie Bookshop, Roslagsgaten 14, 104-32 Stockholm will stock the book, Tel 08 612 7050 or e-mail [email protected]. I noticed that we even have a presence on a South African book retailing site. Other stockists across Europe are: Kosters, Denmark, Automobilia, Norway, Alfamer, Finland, ASN, Holland, Disch Fachbuchhandlung, Germany, Libro Motor, Madrid Spain, Libereria dell'Automobile Milano Italy, Gilena, Brescia, Italy, and Passion Automobile, Paris. Any other European book retailers interested should contact me on [email protected] and I'll get Haynes on the case. In the meantime, Scandinavians and other Europeans visiting Santa Pod for the Main Event can purchase the book at the Pod Shop and get it signed by the author, plus loads of the drag racing pioneers attending as well as the cream of today's European racers. Brian Taylor

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Gale Banks will be on hand on Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31 to help celebrate the grand opening of Pep Boy's first-ever dedicated Speed Shop in downtown Los Angeles. Manny, Moe, and Jack (the world, of course, knows them better as the Pep Boys) are combining the old-time feel of a traditional speed shop with the latest in performance products and accessories at a location designed to serve southern California auto enthusiasts with all they need in performance for their rides, from muscle cars and hot rods to sport compacts and imports to trucks and off-roaders. Customers will be invited to check out all that the Pep Boys' new Speed Shop has to offer during its official grand opening celebration on May 30 and 31. Gale Banks, President and CEO of Banks Power, the leading manufacturer of diesel and gas performance products will be there in person from 11AM to 1PM both Saturday and Sunday to meet customers and to talk about the Banks Power line of performance products that Pep Boys will be carrying. Banks is well-known in the high-performance world for having pioneered innovations, techniques, and systems which produce both power and efficiency. His championing of the use of twin-turbochargers on both gasoline and diesel-fueled engines fostered a whole industry, his long-time personal mantra of "guilt-free performance" ringing clearer as each year goes by. A member of the SEMA Board of Directors, Banks was recently honored by being named by the Automotive Hall of Fame as a recipient of a 2009 Distinguished Service Citation. Enhancing the "visuals" at Pep Boys, Banks will be bringing along one of his record-setting Sidewinder Duramax-powered drag racing machines. The Banks Sidewinder Chevy S-10 Pickup recently went into the record books with at scalding 7.77-second/180 mile-per-hour run at the Speedworld Dragstrip in Whittman, Arizona, making it the quickest/fastest diesel-powered drag racing pickup truck on the planet.    To create their new Speed Shop, Pep Boys loaded up its larger-than-average store on Washington Boulevard in LA with hundreds of performance-related products that until now could only be found online or at independent specialty shops. The new store is located at 1200 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, and will be staffed by Speed Shop professionals, experts who really know their performance products. "We're thrilled to open our first Speed Shop, this enhancement of our business is a natural fit for Pep Boys," said Pep Boys' Senior VP of Merchandising and Marketing Scott Webb. "There's a high demand for specialty performance products like those that Banks Power offers, and we're excited to combine our retail automotive knowledge with our service expertise to make this Speed Shop a truly one-stop-shopping experience for all of our enthusiast customers." The two-day event will feature custom cars, performance vendors showing their products and food and entertainment will be available. Gale Banks was in the speed shop business very early-on in his life, starting his own "CP's Auto & Marine Parts-Racing Engines" in Lynwood, California in 1960 at the young age of 18. Banks' shop was the place where high-performance enthusiasts could get their hands on the latest and greatest in "go-fast" hardware as well as take advantage of Banks' hot rod knowledge and keen engine-building skills. Banks' "First 50 Years" in the business were recently acknowledged with an ongoing 3,400 square foot exhibition which opened at the Wally Parks NHRA Motor Sports Museum in late 2008. Banks Power is the leader in the design, testing, manufacture, and sale of complete high-performance engine and braking systems for both diesel-and gasoline-powered light trucks, SUVs, and motorhomes. Located in Azusa, California, the organization is squarely focused on the future of fuel economy and performance through technological innovation, world- class engineering, and intense product testing. The company celebrated its "First 50" years in business in 2008, and, in January, Gale Banks himself was awarded a 2009 Distinguished Service Citation by the Automotive Hall of Fame. www.bankspower.com. Sent in by Doug Stokes and Ron Main
   Editor's notes: Often PR and individuals will send word of an event on Wednesday's, just prior to a showing. For the newsletter I need at least three weeks notice and even more time if you can allow that for me. Once I send out a notice, it takes the website operator some time to put it on-line. So please allow for plenty of time before an event date.

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The Fountain Valley Car Show will be held on June 13, 2009 at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, California and Roger Rohrdanz and I will be there to cover the show and to interview the pinstripers. Ron Henderson's The Lady Dragon will be the featured car. For more details go to http://www.fvcarshow.com/. Also featured will be Von Hot Rod and the Pinstripers.

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Editor's notes: The following correspondence was received in response to the letter sent out to us by Ken Berg, concerning the finding of a museum willing to archive the history and records of automotive racing in Southern California. While the SLSRH is not a blog, it recognizes that this subject is vital to our work and so it will allow the comments. Hopefully this will help us to find a museum that would archive all the records of hot rodders, racers and car guys rather than to see these sources lost forever. One caveat of advice, museums sometimes have sharing provisions between and with other museums, but sometimes the artifacts end up in vaults and are rarely seen, so it is important that we check carefully before consigning our collections to any facility. Neither the editor nor the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians has taken sides in this debate. Part of the problem is the sheer enormity of it all. There are hundred of thousands of hot rodders, car racers, car racing fans, officials and interested parties who have house and garage full of memorabilia. To save it all would take a thousand Smithsonian Museums and untold numbers of curators, docents, directors and researchers. But at least we have a culture and a history right in front of us to save and it is up to us to do so, or watch our heritage fade away in front of our eyes.
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"There already is a mighty collection and the infrastructure to make it actually work for information retrieval in place. Attempting to duplicate all of the trappings at the Pete is an uphill slope that is very slippery. Let's say that miracles happen and the Petersen sets up a viable paper collection division ... Now the information gets further regionalized, fragmented, BALKANIZED ...Doug Stokes"
I got the discussion so far just because I'm on Doug's e-mail scatter list; I'm an auto historian only by avocation, and pretty damned amateur
at that. I do have something to say about all of this, however, and that is whatever you or we do to collect, record and catalog the printed and
photographed history, we must keep in mind two things: first, that the storage media for digital data are all much more fragile and prone to
corruption than most people realize (a CD is emphatically NOT forever!); second, that digitized data requires a specific kind of device to decode
it. A digital file of any kind, unlike an analog language, is completely undecipherable gibberish without the right machine. I am still horrified at the fact that just about every library in the country has digitized its card files and then thrown out the cards, trusting to the future of technology alone for the preservation and maintenance of its records. I certainly hope they don't do the same with their books. I think any institution that has the resources to catalog and scan all of its collection should do so, and then post the digital content and store the physical as safely as possible. This is not Balkanization, really - libraries are scattered all over the world, and scholars know where the good stuff is and delight in visiting it when they're in town. I would love to visit the Bodlean at Oxford, and if the Petersen had its automobiliana catalogued and accessible that'd give me even more reason to get down there more often. I've scoured the 629 section of every public library I've been to. Will Owen, Managing Editor, Automotive Calendar of Events
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In relationship to sending motoring papers to the Petersen. I have the greatest of respect for the people who run the Pete. However paper is a completely different deal than metal. I would certainly support an electronic annex of the IMRRC on site at the Pete. A lounge area where writers/historians/schollars could "virtually" access these materials ... that would be money better spent. There can only be one Cooperstown or Canton ... the vehicles are dispersed all over the place and will remain that way ... the papers should be centralized and handled by experts. This sort of undertaking is a road paved with GREAT intentions that at this place and time in history that I strongly suggest not taking. I look at the list of names above and see a group of great people ... that alone is not enough and most likely way too much of everything. (except the VERY big dollars) that it would take. There already is such a repository. IMRRC (International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen, New York, see www.racingarchives.org). It works, they know how to work it. Trying to duplicate that establishiment is a wonderful idea that would seem (again, in this day and age) almost impossible to achieve with any level of satisfaction. Why not support, build, and champion what we already have in the Bank. One more thing to ponder, where all the paper that went to the Pete is. Doug Stokes
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I tend to agree with Doug Stokes and Tim Considine regarding this matter. In my opinion, there's no reason to duplicate efforts when there are already similar organizations already in place doing the same thing. Thank you for your time and hope to see you on Saturday morning. Hector Cademartori. MOTOR RACING ART, La Verne, California
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Pursing the idea of establishing a working research center at the Petersen Museum is certainly a valid one, and one we hope would work, despite past efforts that have fallen short. As you say, Tim, it's worth a try. If such a viable research center would come to be at the Petersen, I would be one of, I'm sure, many contributors of historical materials. William Edgar
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For the most part, count me in with the opinions expressed below. However, I would like to suggest that the ideal home for such an effort would be the Petersen. So, how to do it? How to fund it? I don't have the answers, but I do know the Pete is a treasure. It already has many existing library resources, albeit unboxed, unclassified and admittedly, unfunded. I'd like to see a conversation started with the Pete to explore ways that their library project might be forwarded, and that a motor racing research center be a part of that. Obviously, funding is an issue. We have very knowledgeable semi-retired people here like Jim Sitz and Bob Schilling who might, for nominal salaries, be persuaded to begin, perhaps with the aid of part-time or occasional volunteers, to classify existing books and materials at the Pete. That would be a start. Others with appropriate skills might begin to mine those materials that eventually would be a part of a Petersen online research facility. We need a west coast version of the Watkins Glen Research Center and the Pete would be a natural home. The point is, if there were a concerted effort by people on this list, by SAH, by the Riverside Raceway group, by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and other west coast groups, to develop a specific plan with the Pete and some work actually began, there are many Petersen supporters who would have a special interest in realizing a Petersen library and research center, and who might offer support when some progress is made and the project gains some inertia. The Petersen Museum exists and is not limited to one track or one type of racing. It is a natural home for what has been discussed. I know there have been false starts before, but so what? We have an incredible motor racing history on the west coast and we deserve our own version of IMRRC. I hate to see our resources go elsewhere. Dean Case, I'm curious, what are your thoughts? Tim Considine
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The idea of a West Coast repository is tempting, but I think that it would be near impossible to organize and operate such a facility without a substantial endowment going in. As Michael and Doug have mentioned, the IMRRC has already established a track record of serving the enthusiast and serious researcher alike. Will Edgar's suggestion on a virtual repository with internet access is worth persuing - even the Luddites among us are taking advantage of the vast amount of information available at the click of a mouse. David M. Woodhouse
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Like Doug Stokes, I am very suspicious of these ideas, if only because so many have failed in the past. The Pikes Peak Museum, created to house memorabilia from the hillclimb closed unannounced a few years ago and the memorabilia disappeared. This story has been repeated many times at other private motorsports museums. Many donations have been made to the Petersen. Some have disappeared at the change of administrations. Others, if I am not mistaken, sit in the boxes they were delivered in, not cataloged or available to serious researchers. The only place where I've seen the idea work is at the Watkins Glen Motor Racing Research Center and that is probably because it was created as part of an existing organization, the Watkins Glen Public Library. Heavy funding by the vintage racing community has also helped. It is the only place I would personally consider donating anything. A repository as suggested needs a facility and needs a staff. Both require money. Money to fund an operating budget ebbs and flows unless there is an endowment. I would point out that even the Petersen did not have an endowment, but operated on a year-to-year basis and probably always required private funding to make up the difference between income and operating costs. I have no knowledge of the museum's arrangement with the Petersen estate.
I think energies in this area would be better served by getting stuff put on the internet. Getting permission is a problem. Here is one example that provides a valuable research tool for motorcycle racing results and related material. There is a drawback. You cannot print the material.
http://books.google.com/books?id=vvUDAAAAMBAJ&dq=american+motorcyclist&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=2_2&atm_aiy=195 0 # all_issues_anchor. Then there is the work of the late Bob Norton, who scanned and posted much material on his own dime. This is “MotoRacing”, the semi-monthly motor racing tabloid published in LA in the 1950's and '60's, as provided by Bob. He also posted several other publications. http://www.box.net/public/iboyi76hqk#main. This type of stuff is very helpful to researchers, does not require a facility and does not require an endowment. It does take time and there are ongoing fees for online storage. Since Bob died, the material is often not available for part of the month because the site only offers a certain amount of free bandwidth. When it is used, the site is shut down until the first of the next month. In the matter we are discussing, I would advise pursuing a virtual repository with some kind of central funding and scanning source we could all donate money to and loan material for scanning. As Stokes said, let's hear some opinions. Michael T. Lynch, Carmel, California

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Costa Mesa Speedway; June 6, 13, 20, 27. The dirt is flying again around the track with the return of the Costa Mesa Speedway. Amateur afternoons, kids' nights, sidecar racing and more are scheduled. See http://ns.ocfair.com/ocf/Calendar/calendar.asp. From internet message

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Santa Maria Speedway, Santa Maria, California. See www.santamariaspeedway.com, for schedule of events and dates.

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The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is hardly a hot rodders show, but Michael Shaw sent in a link showing some of the posters that will be used to advertise the show at http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/3017/Photos.htm. One of the photos shows Roland "Rollie" Free at Bonneville on his motorcycle and he is in a bathing suit lying flat on his stomach. It's an excellent shot which today would not be allowed.

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A lot of old time hot rodders, young & old, had a great time at our gathering last Saturday (May 30), and we would like to publically thank everybody at Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank for hosting our event. Our intent was to discuss hot rodding from the 1930s through the mid-1960s using our book: Harrell Engines & Racing Equipment: Jim (White)Harrell & Nick /Harrell as a point of departure. Obviously not many dry-lake-racers from the 1930s dropped by, but drag-racers from the 50’s & 60’s had a great time remembering some of the best times of their racing lives. For instance, Jim and Pat Berardini came with much of their memorabilia, and Leslie Long joined others in reliving the 1950s at the drags. Rod Larmer brought some of the great photos he took in the early 60’s of the Harrell/Borsch altered, and Rod McCarrell brought several volumes of his photos from the drags during the 60’s & 70’s to share with all of us. I’ll post more of the photos of the get-together/book signing on the www.HarrellEnginesHotRodding (http://www.harrellengineshotrodding/) web site where others can see what Harrell Engines & Racing Equipment has been all about since the 1930s.

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Rich Harrell (L), Leslie Long, Jim & Pat Berardini, and Rod Larmer (standing).

Rich Harrell (L), Alec Harrell Carlson, Augie Esposito, Roger Harrell, & Augie’s roadster with Harrell heads and manifold.

Rich Harrell & Alec Harrell Carlson seated

Younger hot rodders found they could also laugh with and at the old guys.

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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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