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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS |
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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter: |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ President's Corner: |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Editorial: |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Doug Harrison Passes Away. Lifetime Hot Rodder and Co-Pilot to Ak Miller on several successful Carrera Panamericana road races passed away last week in Texas. Residing in Mexico since meeting his wife during the Mexican Road Race, Doug was an honoree at the 50th anniversary of the Carrera in 2000 at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Survived by several children and his wife of 50+ years, Doug's father was also a racer and qualified for the Indy 500 I believe back in the 30's or 40's. Charles Rollins. Courtesy of www.benchracing.com. --------------- |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Good morning U.S., U.K., Irish and Canadian VW racers. Below find a new sight dedicated to 36hp Challenge racing and VW land speed racing in Australia. The site is new and just beginning to build its readership and would welcome all the support and participation you could share. The first VW raced on Lake Gairdner this spring and the folks are hoping to get a 36hp Class formed to give us Yanks a challenge. Please take the time to visit and join and offer comments. See http://www.vdubber.com/groups/entry/Saltflat-Racers. Burly Burlile |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This video shows Stephen Muller, an independent VW technician in Sydney, Australia, and a new member of the 36hp Challenge practicing his pits stops (I hate to tell him we don't have to do that at Bonneville!). See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKF6dcKjLJo, World's Fastest VW Engine Swap. Burly Burlile |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I went over to see Deloris Matisi and she was not home, but I left her a note to call me and she did. I told her what I was up to and she was delighted that I was still around. She has recalled a possible picture of Mickey Thompson that I have seen. This was when drag racer McLennen was present at the time. Delores knew McLennen well. At the time I was supposed to show her my Lightning Bolt pictures. That was when the scenario started to happen. She said that she has to wait till her daughter or daughter-in-law returns from Monterey, California, where she may have the photograph. I am to meet her to show her my photos and maybe by then she will have her pictures. Spencer Simon |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following videos are found on You Tube. Courtesy of Burly Burlile. |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have just returned from the World Finals at Bonneville where I have been asked to work as the new announcer. Ron Christian has been doing this duty and this year he was experiencing some health issues and Mike Waters the BNI chairman was kind enough to offer me some mic time at Speed Week this year and I did Monday and Tuesday afternoon. The mic was offered to me full time starting at the World Finals and I had a ball this last week. They have offered me the job again for next year so I guess I have a new gig. While in that position this year I was talking to Rick Yacoucci about his Nebulous Theorem III streamliner and we got to discussing Jack Costella his partner and constructor/builder of the car. After a long conversation we decided to get Jack up to the announcer's tower for an interview. I was just about done for the day on Sunday and I did a proper interview with him and just started taking notes. I typed it up today and I have sent it to him for accuracy and adjustments. Once I receive it back I would like to forward it to you for the history annals. Is this something that you would be interested in? |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gone Racin'… Inboard Racing - A Color Album, by Bob and Elladine Foley. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz Inboard Racing - A Color Album is a soft cover book with 62 color plates showing hydroplane and runabout race boats and their drivers. The text and photographs are by Bob and Elladine Foley; this volume is a companion album to Inboard Racing - A Wild Ride. The book measures 11 inches in width by 8 ½ inches in height. While it is called an album, it has the feel of a calendar, only without the dates. Resist the urge to cut out the photos and mar the book, but if you have to frame these fine prints to adorn your garage or den, buy an extra book to keep on your coffee table. The text is limited but the photographs are impressive and are a full 11 by 8 ½ inches on high quality, heavy bond and glossy-waxed paper. The author/photographer is the editor and publisher, with assistance from AuthorHouse in Bloomington, Indiana. The ISBN# is 1-4208-8279-1(sc) and the Library of Congress number is 2005911104. You can order Inboard Racing - A Color Album through the author or from Amazon.com, AuthorHouse.com or any bookstore. The 62 prints have been culled down from over 250 color photographs that the author originally intended to include in Inboard Racing - A Wild Ride. The size and cost of such a book became impractical and so Foley picked out 62 that would best represent their classes in boat racing. The photographs were taken at races in Washington, California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. The cameras used by the photographer included a Konica Rangefinder, 35-mm Argus C-20 and a Honeywell Pentax H-3. The photographer used 35-mm color transparency film. When Bob Foley wasn't racing his boat, Full House Mouse, he and his wife, Elladine Foley, were taking photographs and recording the history of boat racing as they witnessed it. Inboard Racing - A Color Album is the result of that effort and we can only hope that Foley continues to publish more of his work in the future. Since there is little text and that is captions, the book is not broken down into chapters but into the various American Power Boat Association (APBA) boat racing divisions. The first category is the 225 cubic inch Hydroplanes. The 225 class used the Ford and Mercury flathead V-8 engines and were capable of speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. The flathead V-8's were later superseded by small block Ford and Buick engines. The boats pictured in this class were Bob Best Jr's Special Edition, Marion Beaver's Uncle Gummy, Gummy's Ghost driven by Wayne Thompson, After Math driven by Mickey Remund and Ty Evan's Ty's Toy. The E Racing Runabouts ran either a 246 c.i. engine on methanol or a 330 c.i. motor on regular gasoline and were capable of speeds in excess of 100mph. Wes Knudsen is pictured driving his boat Stardust, which won 5 National Championships. Bud Murphy is shown in his 4-time National Championship boat, the Go For Broke. The next category was the 150 c.i. and 2.5 litre hydroplanes and they often used the Ford V8-60 midget engines. Four boats are featured; Bud Meyer's Avenger 9, Jay Root's La Cucaracha II, Howard Arnett's Invader IV and Dr Hank Eastman's Piranha too. The Ski Racing Runabouts had a 400 c.i. maximum engine size and were often powered by Chrysler Hemi's or the big block Ford V8's. Ed Olson is shown in his Cream Puff IX, Don Towle is driving the Haf Gast Too, and Tony Maricich is in Suddenly!, and Ladd Penfold is seen in Hullin' Ice. The highly popular 136 and 145 c.i. hydroplanes changed over the years to allow the Ford V8-60's, Jeep, Henry J, Ford Falcon 6 and the SOHC Ford Pinto engines. Photographs include Drone, driven by Jim Vallely, Allan Ford's Lanky, the Miss SM driven by Jim Mitchell, Guy Del Vecchio's Sunset Too, Kenny Dumbauld in his Obsession and the Six Pak driven by Dick Sanders. The 280 c.i. hydroplane class was created to run showroom stock engines. The most popular were the 265 c.i. Chevrolet small block and the 273 c.i. Plymouth motor. Those shown are; Tijuana Taxi, raced by Jerry Ballard and Gerrit Piek, Joe Siracusa's Pepperoni, Jack Schafer Jr's Foxy Lady, and Wade In The Water, driven by Wade Williams. The Crackerbox Runabouts are still a fan favorite. These little boats are two man affairs with a driver and riding mechanic. They bounce around and swivel while reaching speeds of 100mph. The Patterson built hull Hot Cinders won the National Championship on three occasions. The Lou Brand/Leonard Fulkerson Orangoutang was twice Crackerbox National Champion. Tom Patterson, Bob's brother, is shown in the Sparkler. The Pattersons' are still active in Crackerbox racing. Three boats are listed in the 7 litre Division I and II; Bill Allan's Tool Crib Special, Warren Wolbert in Miss Heidelberg and Miss San Diego, driven by Bob Boster. The smallest category is the 48 c.i. and 850 cc hydroplanes. Small but full of action and suspense and good competition for the money invested. Pictured in this class are; Ed Kelson in the Racket III, Kenny Harman's Tinker Toy, Jack Philpott in Miss Better Bilt, Bob Brown in Go'n'Broke, Al Varden in Wing Ding, Bob Foley in Full House Mouse, Tom Davis Jr in PBS Blue Chip, Randy Pickton in 2 Slo II, Chuck Dale in Good Grief Too, Darrel Olson in Double Trouble, Steve Ball in Dragon Fly, the author in Full House Mouse, and Hang In There. The Super Stock Runabout class allowed for a 428 c.i. motor and a sixteen-foot hull length and became a very popular flatbottom racing division. Shown in the photographs are Don St John in Gil Suiter's Never Enuff, Paul Grichar in Ron Cuellar's Gone Broke and Jack Jones in Screaming Yellow Zonker. The 72 c.i. hydroplanes use Datsun and Toyota engines and reinvigorated the smaller classes. Greg Foster is shown driving Howard Arnett's Race Ace. The 266 c.i. and 5 litre hydroplanes use Chevy, Ford, DeSoto and Pontiac motors and the hull length was extended from 16 to 19 feet over the years. Mickey Remund is shown in The Going Thing, Bud Burns is in the Shady Lady, Lloyd Marschall is in his Wicken's built Mai Tai and the Patterson built Prancin' Ansen is shown waiting for the five minute gun. The K Racing Runabouts had no restrictions on engine size or modifications. The Chevrolet 427/454 c.i. engine was a very popular motor in this class. They often added methanol or nitromethane fuel. Hallett, Sanger, Biesemeyer, Rayson Craft, Hondo and other boat builders competed ferociously in this category. Those pictured include; Vic Van Ella in Oni Too, Paul Grichar in the Hobbit, Phil Bergeron in the Big Splash, Don St John in another Hobbit named boat, Al Grundstrom in Rare Hare and Jiffy, Gordon Jennings in Liberty, and the boats Suddenly! and Coldfire. The final class is the Unlimited hydroplanes, which replaced the Gold Cup Class. The Gold Cuppers were limited to 725 c.i. or 12 liters, but the unlimiteds had no limit on engine size. They used Allison V12 and Rolls/Royce Merlin V12 engines and their designs became ever more aerodynamic. Boat builders and designers like Anchor Jensen, Dan Arena, and Ted Jones created superfast boats. The class eventually adopted the turbine engine and capsules for safety and endurance. Featured are Fred Alter in Miss Bardahl, Harrah's Tahoe Miss, Dean Chenowith in the Miss Budweiser, George Henley in Pay 'n Pak, and the Thunderboats Miss U.S. and My Gypsy. Bob and Elladine Foley have put together a wonderful pictorial display of the boats that raced in the golden age of boat racing. The author can be reached at rjfoley0319@sbcglobal.net. Gone Racin' is at RNPARKS2@JUNO.COM. |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gone Racin'…Big Daddy, the Autobiography of Don Garlits, by Don Garlits and Brock Yates. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz One of the best biographies on racing personalities is Big Daddy, the Autobiography of Don Garlits, by Don Garlits and Brock Yates. This is the second enlarged and updated edition that has gone through four revisions and updates and numerous printings. Big Daddy is adapted from the original book King of the Dragsters, by Brock Yates. Don Garlits is one of the pre-eminent drag racers of all time and he works with Yates to produce a fascinating biography of his life in racing. Big Daddy is published by the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Inc, 13700 S.W. 16th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 32676. The phone number listed in the book is 904-245-8661. The book design and topography is by Philippe H. Petot and the photo credits are extensive and well documented. Big Daddy is a paperback book measuring 6 by 9 inches, with 354 pages on matte, acid-free paper and has held up remarkably well. The front cover is well done, showing a wheel-standing dragster and the back cover a photo of Garlits' Kendall-sponsored Navy dragster on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The front and back covers are the only color photographs. In addition there are 177 black and white photographs and one ink drawing. The captions for the photographs are explanatory, but they are brief and the reader needs to refer to the text. The photographs are also on matte paper and not the waxed paper normally used for photographs, but the quality of the photos is good enough to add to the textual material. The ISBN number is 0-9626565-0-x and a copy can be purchased by contacting the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, one of the best car racing museums in the country. Garlits began collecting vintage racing cars long before it was fashionable and has an outstanding collection. There is no table of contents, acknowledgments, introduction, preface or index. Garlits is a man of few words and what he says he honestly states and believes. He gets right into the subject of his life and tells it in a straightforward manner. There is a list at the back of the book which tells of his racing achievements and milestones in a chronological manner and which is worth consulting as you read his life story. As a reviewer, I really miss having a comprehensive index to refer back to, because Big Daddy is a historical work as much as racing literature. Don Garlits is a man who is bigger than life and he instills a vigor and enthusiasm that is difficult to explain. He is passionate about his beliefs and unwilling to suffer fools easily. It is this passion that inspires some men and women to follow and emulate him, while other people dislike him for the same reasons. What he brings to racing is passion. He is also an inventor and craftsman, who is never happy until he has made something better and more efficient. He also brings that same zeal to people and organizations, constantly pushing, prodding and seeking to do things more efficiently. If he fails it is only because he is human and such failure gnaws at him and makes him strive to turn disappointment into success. His life from the earliest days was never easy and the competition fierce. The book ends around 1990, four years before he runs for a Congressional District seat in northern Florida. A true conservative like many drag racers, Garlits feels that a man is known by his achievements and not by media spin and glitz. When hot rodders and racers came up with the terms "all show and no go," and "all flash and no cash," to emphasize their disdains for empty words, you can just see Garlits' face and know that he is a man of substance and merit. In Big Daddy, Garlits tells about how he fought for what he believed to be the right course of action and he readily admits that he sometimes made the wrong decision or came to the wrong answer, but there is this indomitable spirit in him that says he must keep at it until he has it right. His inventiveness and genius as a mechanic and driver are legendary. His victory count is impressive, considering that he raced when there were fewer National titles in his day. Many other drag racers have won more races and have greater accolades heaped at them, but when a poll of drag racers is done, they look up to Don Garlits as "The King of the Drag racers." There are Princes, Dukes, Barons, Lords, Knights, Earls, Counts and many other colorful titles claimed by drag racers, but no one has ever claimed to be "The King." Statistics can be manipulated in so many different ways. John Force has won some 120 National Races in 350 some events. His success rate is one victory in three, a phenomenal percentage. Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein have been successful as drivers, team owners and in raising the standards of gaining sponsorships. Shirley Muldowney brought women into the mainstream of pro drag racing. There are blogs, websites and car clubs that debate endlessly the place that each racer belongs and yet, it is Don Garlits that sets the standard that drag racers will always follow. Just as Babe Ruth left the nation amazed at his ability to hit home runs in baseball. Hank Aaron and that Bonds fellow ended up hitting more home runs than the Babe, but when Americans vote they will rank the "Babe" as the man that stands out in their minds as the best at what he did. So it is with Don Garlits, he will always be seen as the quintessential top fuel drag racer and that has to do with who he was a man just as much as with his record as a drag racer. Big Daddy has 46 chapters and 354 pages and they are filled with the history of drag racing from the mid-fifties right up to 1990 when this edition ends. No doubt he is constantly updating his life story and there will be more and later editions available. Garlits unabashedly tells his side in the struggles with track operators, promoters and the competition with other drag racers. His battles with west coast drag racers are the stuff of legend. His fight with the NHRA and his association with the AHRA and PDRA is told from his perspective with no punches pulled and a desire to "tell it as he saw it." Many people will proffer a different view and say that Garlits' got it all wrong, but few will say that he didn't try to explain it honestly as he saw the events unfold. Big Daddy is a book that has to anchor the library of the serious fan of hot rodding and drag racing. It is a story of what many call "the Golden Age of drag racing," from 1957 to the 1970's. This was an age when creativity and passion could win races. Today it is the vast sums of sponsorship money that puts together the best crews, cars and drivers. As a book, Big Daddy is a must have, as a man, Don Garlits is truly "The King." This book is rated 7 out of 8 sparkplugs and a must have book for the hot rodders library. Gone Racin' is at RNPARKS1@JUNO.COM. |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RANDOM PHOTOS |
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The 402-cubic inch small block Chevy powered Special clocked its best numbers ever in the State Capitol as the team brought the all-new combination in top fuel drag racing into ever quicker and faster runs down the quarter mile. "We've been trying to get our 60-foot and half-track times down. In Sacramento it started to come around. That's what we were looking for," said Bob McLennan. With the car back at the South San Francisco base after the mid night grab for the Governor's Cup, data and engine component analysis has yielded a plan to match out of the gate performance with a top end charge for lower elapsed times and higher top speeds from the Chevy-powered digger. Driver Adam Sorokin agrees the potential for maximum velocity is in order for the California Hot Rod Reunion - a fantastic place to witness drag racing history in motion and in the making on the very same weekend. Sorokin clearly felt the car coming into line at Sacramento, and has confidence the team has learned what it takes to run nitromethane with success through the unprecedented engine setup. While the venerable Chrysler hemi has huffed nitro through thousands upon thousands of runs down the dragstrip, the small block Chevrolet nitromethane formula is the sole provenance of the Champion Speed Shop. "I really think we have a car that can win. We've got some of the best people on the team you can possibly have," said Sorokin mere days before the season finale of the 2009 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage series points battle finale. The 18th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion takes place at Famoso Raceway on October Oct. 16-18, 2009. For event information please visit: NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. The latest incarnation of the Champion Speed Shop Special continues the tradition of lightweight small block Chevrolet powered dragsters set in motion by Jim McLennan in 1954, and carried on by son Bobby McLennan into a new era of front engine dragsters. The Champion Speed Shop Special is driven by Adam Sorokin, whose father Mike Sorokin drove The Surfers front engine top fuel dragster in the sixties. The Champion Speed Shop is based in South San Francisco, California. For more information please visit the Champion Speed Shop at: http://championspeedshop.com. WHO: The Champion Speed Shop. Driver Adam Sorokin |
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Speed Racing Websites: |
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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