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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 134 - October 22, 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, The legendary Slo Bo O'Brochta has passed away we are reaching out to the community that he influenced to let everyone know that the services will be held on November 7 2009 in Dunedin Florida, On September 30 2009 Jerry Cornelison Rep for the Roadrunners fell while trimming a tree and suffered a fractured back and internal injuries, Car and motorcycle shows carnival midway and amusement rides vendors and food November 1 2009, I was wondering if you could help me, A friend of mine sent me this shot and I thought you might like to pass it along, Captions c/o Spencer Simon, I knew you were one busy man I will either try to scan them or contact Jim Miller, Here is the final copy of my interview with Jack Costella, Gone Racin'… Inboard Racing A Wild Ride by Bob Foley, Gone Racin'…"The Birth Of Hot Rodding: The Story Of The Dry Lakes Era" by Robert Genat and Don Cox, Random Pictures and articles

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President's Corner:  
   Shot over 500 pix at Bakersfield and it took too long to download and go through them. Here's a little story to go with some of them. Had a great conversation with Dean Murray who used to race with Mike Waters during the '50's. I asked him to do a bio. He's got a million stories.
This last weekend I went up to Bakersfield to attend the Hot Rod Reunion. I know it's a drag race deal but you'd be surprised at all the LSR guys that are part of it. Everywhere you turned you'd run into somebody that ran or still is running at the lakes and salt. Guys that made Bakersfield famous back in the day are still running cars there like Tony Waters. He also runs at Bonneville so that makes him extra cool. He even had Fred Dannenfelzer in the pits with him. Then you have guys like Al Eschenbaugh, Carl Olson, Dean Murray, Don Garlits and Art Chrisman et al that made there names in both playgrounds. If you looked not to hard you saw a lot of t-shirts featuring LSR stuff. All the really cool guys wore their Bonneville 200 MPH Club hats with pride like Eschenbaugh (JMC_749), Carl Olson (JMC_823) and Art Chrisman (JMC_815) as can be seen in the shots attached. Other guys I ran into were Jim Travis, Mark Johnson, Fogliadini, Dave Tuttle, Gary Brauer, John Kilgore and Gene Winfield to name a few.
   Guys like Mike Cook grew up playing at the drags and the lakes and brought out his dad's famous ride, the Stone, Woods and Cook Willys for everyone to drool at. If you look at the shot of the car (JMC_820) you'll see Mike's son Mike Jr and his son riding in Grampa's car. To me it can't get any better than that. Tom Hanna showed up at Bonneville in August with the bitchenest streamliner seen in years that he built for Bobby Moore. He spent years honing his craft on diggers and is seen in his over the top ride (JMC_748) during the announcements of cars for the "Cacklefest." Turning back the clock to 1949 how many of you remember the Marvin Lee "City of Pasadena" Lakester/Liner? The torch has been passed in the involvement department as his son Troy is sponsoring driver Tim Boychuk's Pontiac Firebird funny-car ride (JMC_736). Another guy who made his mark at the salt years ago is Pete Eastwood. He is now one of the top dogs in street rodding and the find/save/resto world. This Fiat coupe top shot shows off his skill (JMC_741).
   The coolest part of the whole deal is the cars "Cacklin," and there were more than a hundred this year.  The earth shakes when you walk up, down and between them when they are running. You can't describe the feeling. Here are a couple of shots that try and capture it. The Tennessee-Bo weevil (JMC_747) is seen spittin' out nitro flames that makes you cry and leaves you gasping for air as the gent in the background demonstrates. They lined up the cars all the way down the strip too and this shot JMC_757) shows a couple as they shut down. The SW&C Willys is seen on the left. The last shot (JMC_743) shows me what I should wear next year when I try to get even closer for you next year.

JMC_749_Al

JMC_823_Carl-Olson-Driver

JMC_815_Chrisman-in-'Hustle

JMC_820_Stone

JMC_748_Hanna

JMC_736_Tim-Boychuk

JMC_741_Fiat-Roof

JMC_747_Tennessee-Boweevil

JMC_743_Smokey

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Editorial:
Today's editorial has little to do with racing, but it is an important topic that we should all be aware of. Art Evans sent out a mass email telling his friends and family that a hoax and scam has been played on him. A scammer tried to extort money from his friends by claiming that he was stranded in England on a trip and needed money to get home. Below is the letter that I received from the scammer, followed by that of the real Art Evans;

Am in a hurry writing you this note, Hope you get this on time, I Just wanted to seek your help on something very important, you are the onlyperson i could reach at this point, and i hope you come to my aid. Because something very terrible is happening to me now,i need a favor from you now,I had a trip here in UK on a mission. Unfortunately for me all my money got stolen on my way to the hotel where i lodged along with my bag were my passport was ,And since then i have been without any money i am even owing the hotel here. So i have limited access to emails for now, please i need you to lend me about $1200 so i can make arrangements and return back please,i have spoken to the embassyhere but they are not responding to the matter effectively, I will return the money back to you as soon as i get home, I am so confused right now.Iwill be waiting to hear from you.RegardsArt Evans800 S. Pacific Coast Hwy.
You will notice that the pronoun I is misspelled as i. There are other anomalies and mistakes in the short letter that lets the reader know that this is a fake. But the email address was correct, though there was probably a re-routed email address that caused any emails to go directly to the thief, who is probably in Nigeria. How can you protect yourself? Well, the best way is to never reply to these thieving scam artists, but to call the person in question and speak to them on their cell phone. I happen to know Art and I know that he would NEVER email me for money. He might PHONE a few of his closest friends, like the Dixons' and ask them for assistance, but he would never send out a mass mailer. And I know that his writing style is educated and proper. I've seen this email before and it is copied over and over again, the only thing changing is the name. You see, if you know the person involved very well, you can spot glaring errors in the writing that is a dead give-away. If you also know the individual's personality, then that is a valuable clue as well. Sooner or later this is going to happen to Jim Miller and myself. We are going to have our email addresses or website scammed. How can you tell that the message is not from Jim or I? Well, for one thing, Jim has resources with the AHRF and will contact them. As for me, why I will probably never go more than 50 feet from this blasted computer and England is far from my computer. If you know someone well enough to send them money on their request, you will spot the flaws in the scam immediately. If you don't know someone that well, then you shouldn't be sending them money. Below is the REAL email that Art sent to me.
Dear Friend and non-member of our Fabulous Fifties:

On Wednesday, a criminal hacker invaded our Fabulous Fifties email site and sent a message to everyone, purportedly from me, saying that I was stranded in England without funds and asked that money be sent so I could come home. I think virtually all of you decided this was a scam. Quite a large number of you called me on my cell upon which I spent much of the day. Most of you who called offered to send money if I really was stuck in the U.K. Others of you emailed me on my personal site to tell me about what had happened. The best part was that I got to talk with friends, some of whom I had not heard from lately. To those of you who contacted me: THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I am heartened to know I have so many friends. When Casey Annis called me, I asked him to respond as if he intended to send money. He was given an address in England. I asked one of my English friends to notify the police there. Dennis Seminitis at R&T told me that he knows someone who had the same scam pulled on a hotmail email site. Al Moss said that he received a call from someone who said he was Al's grandson asking money be sent to Canada. Another friend told me that this short of scam was discussed on the TV news. So it's going around. BEWARE. Meanwhile, Yahoo found out about the scam and shut down our Fabulous Fifties email site. Yesterday and today, Ginny Dixon worked with the Yahoo people and got our site restored. Ginny has a great deal of patience and perseverance. Thanks from all of us. This email was actually written and sent by me. All the very best to you and I hope to see you soon. Art Evans

Now I want you to see the differences. In the bogus email the scammer mentions only the person and the address, both copied from the website. The thief doesn't know any names nor does he have anything personal to say. In the real email from Art Evans, he mentions 4 people by name and 3 organizations. He is specific and he doesn't make grammatical errors. You can tell the true and original from the fake. But we all go by our hearts as well as our minds and when a fellow car guy is in trouble the normal response is to help. By responding we do more than simply lose money, we give the scammer our identity too. There's no telling what damage that will cause. Until our government gets serious and starts to protect us by going after these scammers and thieves and putting them in jail for a long time, we have only one recourse and that is to remain vigilant. Here is another scam that I received at around the same time. Notice the spelling and grammatical errors and ask yourself this; would a large and influential corporation allow such untidy and inept language to represent them?
Because you have to many wrong attemps on your Bank Of America OnlineBanking, we had to put your account on hold. Account Status: Blocked Weask you to complete as soon as possible our security steps which willreactivate your online banking. To do this please follow the link bellow: http://www.her.com/phpMyAdmin/config/.\, After this steps are complete you will be contacted by phone in 3 days by a Bank Of America reprezentative.
In the final analysis, scams like this do more than cost of money. We also suffer a loss of faith, since we are less likely to open and read emails in the future. Jim Miller and I send out a lot of emails and we rely on our good reputations to get responses back. If our reputations are damaged by scammers and thieves, then we cannot do our work as well, because the public will not put their trust in us. Scammers and thieves make our work just that much more difficult. Bottom line, be alert and use the phone to double check all emails that seem to be in doubt.

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The legendary Slo Bo O'Brochta has passed away we are reaching out to the community that he influenced to let everyone know that the services will be held on November 7, 2009 in Dunedin, Florida. Please contact us at 954-914-9374 or by email at [email protected]. Nate and Sheri Goodwin (Bo's daughter)
Nate and Sheri: I'm very sorry to hear of your father's passing. If you wish I will post your request in our newsletter, The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians for our members to read. I found two websites that mentioned your father. They are located at; http://homepage.ntlworld.com/kelvin.fagan/dragracing/bo3.jpg, and http://www.stripbike.com/bo.html. If you have a biography or obituary that you would like to send us, we would be glad to post it. Our goal is to learn as much as we can about the history of straight-line racing.
Did your father ever race at Bonneville?

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O'BROCHTA, Robert F. "Bo" age 70, of Dunedin, passed on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at his residence. Bo was born in Chicago & resided in Florida many years. Bo was a world renowned Professional Drag Bike Racer. He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was a Navy veteran. Bo is survived by his 2 daughters, Sheri Goodwin and P.J. Havilland; 1 brother, Richard O'Brochta, & 6 grandchildren. A Celebration of Bo's life will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 3 pm, at Moss Feaster F.H. Moss Feaster Funeral Home Dunedin Chapel 1320 Main Street, Dunedin, Florida. Courtesy of the St Petersburg Times
Readers: For a nice history on drag bikes, go to http://www.dragracingonline.com/special/fuelbikes_1.html, "A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOP FUEL MOTOR-PSYCHOS," By Chris Martin. It includes a section on the late Bo O'Brochta.

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On September 30, 2009, Jerry Cornelison, Rep for the Roadrunners fell while trimming a tree and suffered a fractured back and internal injuries. He has undergone surgery to repair the internal damage and is starting to mend. Jerry is at Parkview Hospital in Riverside, CA, room 214. He can be reached on 951-688-2211 and after Wednesday October 21, he can be reached at home on 951-686-2166. I know that he would like to hear from his SCTA friends. Thanks, Pat Riley

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Car and motorcycle shows, carnival, midway and amusement rides, vendors and food. November 1, 2009, Castaic Regional Sports Complex, 31230 North Castaic Road, Castaic, California 91384. November 15, 2009, Crescenta Valley Park, 3901 Dunsmore Avenue, La Crescenta, California 91214. See www.MoldyShows.com for more details, or you can call me at, 800-880-6567 or, 661-944-2299. Moldy

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I was wondering if you could help me? On this page www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/guestcolumnists/richardscorner/09harrell/, there is a picture of Rich Harrell's Cuda at the lower portion. Now is in my hands......I would like to get a hold of him, do you have any info on his whereabouts? Thank you for your help, Garen Ballard.
Galen: I'll pass this on to those that I think might know where Rich can be found and also post it in next week's newsletter.

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A friend of mine sent me this shot and I thought you might like to pass it along. Michael Brennan
"I ran across this photo today. I borrowed this picture and copied it from Kong Jackson about ten years ago. This was a friend of his that lived in Las Vegas. Jerry Stohler"
Michael and Jerry: Is this the Las Vegas shop of Ed Winfield? Kong Jackson was one of the disciples and students of Ed from way back in the 1940's. Kong was a very interesting person and I interviewed him and got some tape recordings of his history and turned it over to Jim Miller to be transcribed and add a copy to the American Hot Rod Foundation as well as to the archives of the SLSRH. Kong and a rather large group of Winfield aficionados made an annual trek from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to visit Ed every year. I never saw the Winfield shop so I cannot verify that the photograph in question shows Ed's place. Maybe one of our readers can identify the shop in question. There certainly is a wealth of flat-head parts at that shop.

Flathead intakes

Caption:
Flathead intakes.jpg ... Shop in Las Vegas with some nice flathead equipment. Courtesy of Michael Brennan, c/o Jerry Stohler. Original photo from the collection of Kong Jackson

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Captions c/o Spencer Simon

Ted
0804sr_01_z+jim_palmers_1932_ford_highboy_roadster+
Eikenbary

Caption:
Terrible Ted Gotelli. His speed shop is still in South San Francisco. I remember meeting him when he was still around. I actually gave them literature of drag racing news of the past that Ken Fuhrman printed many years ago and gave me, and to the McLennan's as well as TV Tommy Ivo. The McLennan's own a big exercising place. I talked to Tommy Ivo. This all happened 15+ years ago. I did see some notes of mine about the conflict between Fuhrman and Medley. Your dad personally had to go to Fuhrman to resolve the problem. That would explain the wild atmosphere that would arouse the two. Whether they made up, I could not be sure. That is probably why the situation was not meant to be heard or remembered. The first pix is Ted Gotelli ... Photo courtesy of Spencer Simon who found it on the internet.

Caption:
This is Jim Palmer's roadster ... Photo courtesy of Spencer Simon who found it on the internet.

Caption:
A friend of Chet Carter and Jim Carter, Eikenberry at the same dragstrip where Carter set his drag stand. I will send some old photos of the drag strip that Ray Hiatt gave me many years ago ... Jim Carter photograph

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I knew you were one busy man. I will either try to scan them or contact Jim Miller. Thanks for the return communication. The thing is that there are ups and downs to my project. Part of the history has to do in some ways that connects to your dad (Wally Parks), Tom Medley, Pete Petersen, Jack Houttes, Eric Rickman and Ken Fuhrman. Fuhrman printed the Rod Dust article for Jack Houttes dragstrip which Pete and Jack went in different ways earlier. Fuhrman, I think, got in trouble with Medley and your dad had to do the knock off, I think through Hot Rod publishing. The wild atmosphere in my mind tells me that connecting the info would not be mixing well together due to the 60 plus years situation. What would you do? Would you just say, "The heck with what anyone says." The reason why I say this is that you are Wally's son and I don't want to create a new wild atmosphere. I think what you do is awesome. Deep down inside me I get the feeling that this old bridge is still on fire, and I am trying to find a way not to reignite it. Spencer Simon
Spencer: Thank you for your series of excellent emails. Some of the emails were of a private matter and so I responded to them in that way, but this email brings up some good points and allows me to set the record straight, in as far as it touches on old matters. The first issue is a huge one and that is the question of what to do with original documents, artifacts and memorabilia. My house is full, and my brother and I rent a huge storage area and still we could use more room. Many people have offered to simply give me more "treasures" since they can't store them and they are getting older and closer to the end of their lives. Many have no children or relatives to leave their car-tifacts to and those that do have children and relatives have found out that unless the memorabilia has monetary value, the relatives won't take it. Jim Miller and I have been focusing on making the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter a focal point for raising this issue and in trying to find museums and collectors who would take and preserve our car racing heritage. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is full and so is the Petersen Automotive Museum. They do take objects and historical photographs and text, but there just isn't enough room to store all of the collections that are pouring in or would if there was room to take it all. Jim and I aren't spring chickens anymore and so we can't honestly tell people that we will be around to store artifacts for much longer. My suggestion is to contact Jim and see if he will take your originals. He may still have some room and he is a true historian and archivist and will put effort into preserving what you send him. But find out first, because space and time is always an issue. What Jim and I are trying to accomplish is to have our readers scan and caption their photos and write their biographies and then we can store that information at least on-line. It is vital that our members help us to preserve what we have and to look around in their areas and see if there is a museum or library that will take our treasures. Bear in mind that even if we find such a place, money is a factor. It takes lots of money to run a museum and often the facilities will cherry pick only the best of your collection and sell off the rest. There is no way to keep it all as we are all short of space and trained curators and archivists.
As to your next question concerning whether the past fights and squabbles will carry over to my generation and yours, well the answer is that it is unlikely to do so. As my father used to say, "Pick your own fights and your own future and leave ours alone." But more than that, it's very true that the farther we are away from an incident the more we can tolerate it. My brother, David Parks, and I were never involved with the NHRA in any capacity other than as their guests. Our family has donated things and I've bought 8 of those plaques at the museum that help to fund some of their programs, but that is the extent of it. We have never drawn a paycheck, sat on a board of directors or made any policy decisions. In fact, we have no ties and our loyalties are to the sport, not to individuals. I am aware of some brutal fights in land speed racing, hot rodding and drag racing. Believe me, there have been some huge disagreements. But I tend to like all the people in the sport and opt to keep the playing field level. As the editor it is my job to edit, which means add, subtract, change and correct text and copy. I tend to have a light hand, letting most of what comes to me go into the newsletter. I change and edit very little. Usually what I change is intended to keep our writers and readers from being embarrassed. Little things like spelling mistakes, capitalization, grammar or sometimes a fact or two will be changed in order to keep people from laughing at our members. But in some cases I keep what is sent to me intact because that is the writer's own special style. As for the past, well there were some brouhahas and some of them were intense. I don't know a lot and my father always put on a "don't disclose the dirt" sort of face around my brother and myself. My step-mother, Barbara Livingston Parks, was another story. She was all about loyalty and she never suffered fools wisely. Her opinions were blunt and she never held back. There are stories about Connie Kalitta, Robert "Pete" Petersen, Don Garlits, Scotty Fenn, Mickey Thompson, Shirley Muldowney, J. J. Junkins, Ak Miller and many more personalities that are sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes tragic. That list can be expanded greatly and we would still miss out on a lot of incidents.
As historians, we are expected to research and keep the history as it occurred, not as we would want it to have been. We are not fiction writers who love a good novel. We are historians and our job is to record history "as it happened." We pick our words and descriptions carefully though. My father received a lot of abuse from people, but he handled it well and he understood that the reason people gave him a bad time was that he was in the middle and had to mediate between some angry situations. Sometimes he had to admonish, fine and disqualify people for infractions. As Ak Miller used to say, "There is no cheating in racing unless you are caught." He also used to say, "That the rulebook is your friend, read it like the Bible." My father was in the middle and he had to make decisions and those decisions irritated a lot of people. He was called every name in the book. It sometimes irritates my brother, but it doesn't irritate me. Sometimes that abuse is directed towards me, but I realize that it isn't personal and even if it is I don't let it deter me from my goal. I can separate out what is honest emotion from that which is malicious and dishonest, just as my father could. I don't hold many grudges and I can't remember right now even if I have any grudges to hold. At this point in time, after 60 and 70 years from the event, I don't know if I even remember grudges any longer. But how do we record the past, much of which was sometimes negative? We have to record history and sometimes we have to give our judgments and opinions. What we do is look at our biases and realize that we do have biases and then try our best to walk the fine line and record history as honestly as possible. My father was not without his faults, but I'm not here to tell family secrets that have no bearing on racing history. Our family has been involved in the history of straight-line racing for only a short time and we are not aware of all the events. There is a series of circles in our lives that intersect with other circles and thus we run into everyone else eventually.
I remember recording stories from people who knew and worked with Scotty Fenn and some people loved the man while other people despised him. To write honestly and fairly means that I have to withdraw from a distance and look as objectively as I can and compare notes. The volume of evidence is important, but the weight that we give to facts is equally as valid. It's much like a jury panel in a trial. Historians look at the witnesses and judge their validity. We give more weight to some testimony than to others based on what we have determined to be better testifying. We look at circumstantial evidence and place it into context with primary evidence. Since we were there at the time we are probably not going to be as emotional and detachment from an argument helps us to remain more impartial. We can never be completely above the feelings and emotions of the past, but we can make an effort to remain fair. In fact, the problem that gives me the most grief is not disliking a person, but liking them too much. My errors tend to come from trying to show people I like in a historical context that is "too beneficial," not in the other way around. Historians tend to like their subject matter and thus we forget about the warts and negative things of people we write about. We also tend to "put things in their time and context." This is a nice way of saying that we gloss over some rather nasty behavior and say, "Well that was how they thought and acted during that generation." Some of the racers were enlightened for their age and treated minority groups with respect that was unusual for that time. Other people were full of hate, bigotry and racial prejudice. One story is about a famous racer who solved the problem of unwanted stray kittens and puppies by picking them up by the nape of the neck and dropping them into the wood burning stove to burn to death. There is only so much that Historians can do to try and portray what happened before they lose all relation to the truth.
Of the people that you mention the person that I was closest to was Eric Rickman. I adored the man and anything that I wrote about him represented the virtues of the age in which he lived. He was idolized by many other people as well, because he was always helping people. The way that most people remember Rickman is that he had a burning sense of curiosity and he would cover a story and give people plenty of ink. He covered car, boat and air races and anything else that people asked him to. Many organizations became well know and popular because Eric took the time to write on them. I don't know anyone who has a grudge against Eric "Rick" Rickman, but if you listen to Eric you will hear another side, one that is very painful to discuss. Rickman had a tough life, unwanted as a young man and having to make his own way in life at a very young age. He compensated by being ultra nice to people, but to write his story is to delve into unpleasant areas. In fact, one guy that I admire in hot rodding once told me, "I don't know how you ever managed to survive your upbringing." To which I replied, "You should talk, my life was a piece of cake compared to yours." The Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam, the '60's, Watergate, these are all difficult times and I remember a cousin telling me that he doesn't "remember what happened during the 1960's." For him an entire decade was spent in a daze. Drugs, addiction, alcoholism, broken families; these were a part of our greatest racing generation too. We have the good and we have the bad and a lot of boring stuff in between. The historian must record it all and as fairly as he or she can, but we don't have to be mean and cruel either. Lastly, the feuds and fights of my father's generation are not the feuds and fights with my generation. I intend to accept the sons and daughters of my father's friends and foes for whom they are, not for what their parents were. I intend to record and save the history of those feuds, but I'm not going to get involved in them. As my father said, "They're not your feuds and fights, go find your own." And that's exactly what Jim and I are going to do; record the past and look for our own destiny separate and distinct from our parent's generation.

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Here is the final copy of my interview with Jack Costella. You will find this very interesting for sure. I have also attached the pictures that he sent along for the article. It was surely a good interview and he is a very cool guy. Thanks for publishing it. I will be sending another addition to this, a narrative by Rick Yacoucci from El Mirage that I am cleaning up for publication. Scott Andrews
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Interview with Mr Jack Costella, owner of the Nebulous Theorem LSR cars, during the Bonneville World Finals, Sunday, October 10, 2009 in the Announcer's Tower from 0915-1015AM. Interview conducted by Scott Andrews.
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I requested an interview with Mr Jack Costella after the urging of his partner and driver of the Nebulous Theorem III #988 Rick Yacoucci. Rick and I had been discussing Jack over dinner the evening before and I was intrigued by the shape and construction of Nebulous Theorem III #988 and their approach to running a land speed racing car. Rick mentioned that I should do an interview with Jack and speak with him as Jack's approach to these types of vehicles is very unusual. Sunday morning of the World Finals saw an opportunity for me to interview Jack Costella after record runs were complete and my announcer's duties were finished. After a brief exchange of pleasantries we jump right into the interview. Below is Jack's story:

interview with jack
Nebulous Theorem II Jack and Rick Red
Nebulous Theorem Trio Photo
nebulous Theorem 6060

Scott Andrews: Jack, I wanted to ask you about what your approach to land speed racing is and how that affects your design and influence in your vehicles:
Jack Costella: First of all these are speed trials not races. It is not about going quick or getting to the finish line first. It's all about the most speed in the fifth mile. I build my cars by the five "L's"-long, low, little, light and languorous like Nicole Kidman and they need to be beautifultoo. That is the way I try to build my cars. I try to get my cars to fly on the ground, trying not to touch the ground. I try to optimize the aero package by creating a small picture. If you read Aerodynamics books they contain all of the theories of aerodynamics and they have all of the

answers. These books are very helpful in obtaining good information but only if you ask them the correct questions. I would never drive the big end of a nail into a tree, you just don't do that. This is just one justification for the small front ends on my cars. I think there are many well shaped streamliners now running. That streamliner Spirit of Rhett is good. The long rectangle with pointed ends is a very stable and efficient shape. I like the flat bottom and aero top of the Speed Demon/Flatfire. Look what "Proteus" did with long straight lines and "Kenny Hoover"! My new designs are started by trying to always use my basic design philosophy as a base line. I then try to find and implement the next design.

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Scott: Tell me a bit about your first car.
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Jack: My first competitive effort was a model airplane I designed and built when I was in grade school. I called it "The Fleep." It was the combination of a fly and a flea. Small and fast. It won first place, it's what I still try to do. I started in drag racing. I was influenced by some local early drag racers. These guys would smoke the tires all the way down the track and still go really fast. I liked the small tires, and that was all that I could afford. I would put small 5-1/2" wide X 24"diameter midget slicks tires on the back and bicycle tires on the front of the four dragsters that I built. In fact I was getting good with the small tire concept, but the rules changed and I lost my advantage. I sure wasn't going to compete with a handicap start! I believe that spinning tires are not necessarily a disadvantage because it doesn't use up distance. I know that there are people that will say that I am wrong on this. I believe controllability is all important. Let the tires spin with your foot on the floor making that all important horsepower. I am constantly trying to justify my own B.S. and my way of thinking about these things. I will never say my way is the right way. Hard work is the most important factor of success. The mathematical formula for speed is absolute. It consists of frontal area, coefficient of drag, weight, rolling resistance, coefficient of traction and horsepower. It is never wrong but it has to be studied and interpreted!

Jack digresses into another area on CG or center of gravity: Everybody is all worried about center of gravity. Hell, you can put an elephant in the middle of a car and have a 50/50 c/g cut him in half and put one end on the front and one end on the back and you would still have a 50-50 center of gravity. There are many ways to look at things.
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Jack makes a few comments on front end designs: I believe front end geometry used in LSR should be studied and thought of as unique. The geometry used in vehicles that turn could be dangerous in a vehicle that needs to maintain control in a straight line. The drag racers have evolved; LSR in my opinion has not. My latest designs have no caster, no camber, no kingpin inclination, no toe-in and no Ackerman. The driver should be in control not the geometry. Remember this is Jack's world. I am not telling anyone how to build their car. I do not want someone taking my ideas and building something that might not work for them. Just try to justify your ideas by finding and comparing the opposite thoughts before making a decision. Theorem is an improvable idea that works, Nebulous makes it a little cloudy at that.
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Jack went back to the aerodynamics area: I was fortunate to meet a renowned Polish Aerodynamicist. She had written many books on Aerodynamics. When I asked her what she thought about the shape of Nebulous Theorem #788, she asked if it was successful. I said yes, she then said it is good. She told me that in Poland they are big into gliders. She then told me something I have always remembered. She

said if you were to touch a glider and leave a fingerprint, you would be run off with a club! And that's what I learned from her. She taught me that surface is (very) important.
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More on aero/hydro: "The fastest shape on water is a piece of plywood." There is a lot of info in that simple statement. This great bit of information was told to me by an old Swedish boat builder. The basic premise of aerodynamics is to part the air and then control it. Because of the complexity of that statement, I say I will make my shapes go under the wind or make them invisible. Of course I prove this with my leaf blower and strips of toilet paper.
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We get off on another subject: The most honest answer to most questions is "I don't know." Questions have to be simple, and in my opinion are more important than answers. Just keep trying and asking and you might be the only guy with the answer.
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Jack moves on to other thoughts: 1969 was my first Bonneville trip and I built four mini-bikes and set some motorcycle records which caused a new wheel/tire rule. My designs were so successful that the rules no longer allow mini bikes or small tires. The streamliner classes allow more innovation, that's what I like. I have always had to build these things within my means as well, which has influenced my designs. Now with multiple vehicles, I have quit driving. The vehicles are now in the hands of some very competent partners. I can't say enough about Rick Yacoucci. His exploits with Nebulous Theorem #988 are absolutely astounding. Now with partner and (Master flathead) engine builder Jimmy Stevens, Nebulous Theorem #788 will accomplish even more! My rider Cliff Gullett set nine motorcycle streamliner records in 2 years and that success would have continued in Nebulous Theorem #7070 (if not for tragic events). Glen Dennee' with his extensive racing background and his daughter Michele Brading (their newest driver) had a great first year in 2009. Tim Cunha, my partner with our latest car Nebulous Theorem #8080 will add to this success starting in the 2010 land speed racing season.
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Jack now starts to discuss safety, a subject close to his heart due to past racing experiences: Safety has been pushed to the forefront for me now. I have built these cars with my own hands and I have learned about human safety in cars. I have had to make changes in all of my cars. We have added more rigid padding into the seats and more metal around the driver to keep them contained. The belt system that works so well on sit down drivers has some limitations in lay-down cars like our streamliners. We even look at the way that we steer the cars and don't use a traditional steering wheel, we use a back and forth style steering to keep our hands better contained. We use extra forearm restraints. All of our cars have Hans devices. Safety is my utmost concern, and we are looking to improve our cars' safety constantly. I think it's important to search for new ideas, and put in the effort to try them. Yes we are continuing to develop and improve my four competing Nebulous Theorem vehicles. And of course, this is all made possible by my wonderful wife and partner Keiko whose love and support through thick and thin has always been there. Our Mantra - Racing is work, Winning is fun!
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Scott: I thanked Jack Costella for his time and he was more than gracious with his exit. Thanking us for allowing him time to speak. He is certainly a very interesting character and a very humble man as well. This is the end of my Interview with Mr. Jack Costella. I can honestly say that Jack Costella is a pioneer in land speed trials competition. He has set many records with his cars and partners and he continues to innovate. It was a pleasure speaking with him and understanding a bit of what drives the mind of this land speed racer and innovator. Scott C. Andrews, October 20, 2009, Chatsworth, CA.

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Gone Racin'… Inboard Racing, A Wild Ride, by Bob Foley. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz

Bob Foley is a long time boat racer and avid historian of the sport of motorized boat racing. He writes informative and interesting stories for websites on the history and heritage of boat racing. His latest work is called Inboard Racing, A Wild Ride. Foley researched the material and was assisted with the publishing, editing, layout and printing by AuthorHouse Publishing, in Bloomington, Indiana. Inboard Racing, A Wild Ride is a soft cover book with a glossy cover and is printed on high-quality, non-glossy mat bond paper. The cover shows two color photographs on a high-gloss heavy bond paper. The book is 287 pages in length and there are 103 black and white photographs in addition to the two color pictures on the cover. There were two short notices/letters and 41 charts showing racing outcomes and other data. The ISBN is 1-4259-0354-1 (sc) and the Library of Congress number is 2005910524. You can order the book through Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, AuthorHouse.com and from the author. Inboard Racing, A Wild Ride has an introduction, 16 chapters, 8 appendices covering a large amount of information and a glossary, but no index. Foley kept extensive notes on his boats and racing career, much of which appears in the appendices. The text is full and detailed and gives a very good description of what it was like to go boat racing in the heyday of the sport. Foley raced during a period of time that will probably never be replicated again. His personal knowledge, combined with the research that he does, gives him a special ability to tell the story of inboard racing at its very heart.

Chapter One gives a brief overview of drivers, owners and designers of Unlimited Hydroplane racing in the middle of the 20th century. Men such as Bill Muncey, Stan Sayres, Ted Jones, Anchor Jensen, Lou Fageol, Les Staudacher, Danny Foster, Joe Taggart and many more fan favorites battled for those coveted Gold cups. The names of those boats conjure up the dreams of our youth. There were Slo-Mo-Shun, Tempo, Gale, Miss Thriftway, Miss U.S., Miss Pepsi, My Sweetie Dora, Breathless, Hawaii-Kai, Maverick, Shanty and other nostalgic names from the past. Foley grew up in this era and marveled at the excitement of this dangerous and enthralling sport. He and his father built their first boat while Bob was in high school in 1955, an outboard runabout. In Chapter Two, Foley tells us that he graduated from college in 1962 and went to work for General Dynamics Corporation in San Diego and this allowed him to continue to be near the sport of motorized boat racing that he loved so much. After watching the sport up close for five years, Foley decided that he needed to build his own boat and join the pursuit of speed. Chapter Three discusses how Mickey Remund gives Foley the sound advice of buying a good used boat instead of building his own. He took Mickey's advice and bought John Lyle's Full House Mouse, a 48 cubic inch hydroplane, powered by a Crosley engine. Chapter Three is written with a special love, because on July 4, 1967 Foley enters his first race in order to qualify for his APBA license as a certified boat racer. He takes the reader on the qualifying laps with the pathos of a first time novice and the understanding of a veteran reliving those pulse beating
memories.

Foley is a quick learner and pays attention to the men who have come before him in racing. These men would become his lifetime friends and on the shore they would do anything they could to help him learn and perfect his skills. On the racecourse they would try every trick in the book to beat him and this only served to teach Foley the finer arts of racing. His first victory in his class came just two months later on Labor Day, 1967 at Marine Stadium in Long Beach. Foley has a wealth of stories to tell about those exciting races. He also takes the reader on a mechanical tour of the boat, engine and the dynamics of racing. Chapter Four finds Foley a hardened veteran, just months into his boat racing career, finishing 3rd at the Parker Fall Regatta and winning the 1968 Southern California Speedboat Club (SCSC) Kickoff Regatta at Marine Stadium. Full House Mouse follows that up with a victory in the 1st Annual Arizona Invitational Powerboat Regatta six days later. The prize money totaled $75 and a case of STP additives. A week later Foley blows up the engine at Parker and is "on the beach." The author shows photographs of the Crosley engine stripped down and patiently explains how he adapted the engine to give him superior performance. Chapter Five is detailed, long and thorough. He shows the reader that knowing the mechanics of the engine and the aerodynamics of the boat are just as important as driving skills in winning races. In Chapter Six, Foley breaks in his new engine and takes 2nd place at the San Diego Mayor's Trophy Regatta in October, 1970. At the next race his luck turns sour as a broken strut allowed the shaft to whip and the propeller to chew a hole in the bottom of the boat. He beached his damaged boat and was fortunate not to have sunk on the course during the race itself. A driver in the water, unseen by the officials can be a harrowing experience.

At the start of the 1970's, the 48 cubic inch class is struggling to find boats to race in their category. It is common to see only two or three such boats at a regatta. Full House Mouse, Chuck Dale's Good Grief Too and Kenny Harman's Tinker Toy are fierce competitors with Dale taking many of the early races, while Foley starts to dominate later. Chapter Seven discusses the changeover from the 48 cubic inch to 850-cc class of racing and the stimulus that had for several new owners to build boats for this category. The change wasn't beneficial to everyone, for the Crosley engine would be giving up 67 cc (almost 10%) to the new engines. For a while, Foley stepped up to the 145 class and took excellent notes from those races to use in this book. 1972 was a difficult year for Foley, but the results changed once he got to Marine Stadium where he always seemed to do so well. He took all three heats and the trophy, six years to the day he first got his license. In Chapter Eight Foley tells us about the exciting 1973 season and Full House Mouse is doing well, considering her age. The Mouse had been built in 1954 for Sonny Meyer and had gone through five owners. While testing his boat on Mission Bay in San Diego, the engine blew and the Mouse swerved violently, throwing Foley into the water. The Western Divisional attracted the best drivers and boats in their classes. There was Julian Pettengill, Paul Grichar, Gordon Jennings, Newt Withers, Leo Bonner, Wendell Page and Cap Selleck. Chapter Nine describes the other boats that Foley drove in the year after his accident. He tells how difficult it is to adapt to new boats, engines and classes.

Foley and Chuck Dale find a good deal on used Bearcat outboard motors in Chapter Ten. Jack Schafer offers Foley the Hang In There De Silva hull that Schafer had crashed. Foley was back in the race again. The author was now the Inboard Race Secretary for the Pacific Power Boat Club and his family was growing. He tells us about the tragic death of Gordon Jennings on Utah Lake in 1974, an event that struck a deep chord in all of boat racing. By the end of the '70's, Foley and the Full House Mouse had reached the end of their career. The boat was over twenty-five years old and the 850 class was struggling for contestants. Foley retired from racing but kept his love for the sport. In chapter Eleven, Foley tells us some interesting stories that he observed in boat racing and in his interviews, especially the battles between the Mr Bud and the Avenger. Chapter 12 describes the smaller hydroplane classes and their rules. Chapter Thirteen details the rules and regulations for the intermediate hydroplane classes and chapter Fourteen discusses the larger and more powerful hydroplane classes. In chapter Fifteen, Foley describes the racing runabouts and Crackerbox boats. Chapter Sixteen reverts back to the Unlimited hydroplanes and some of the stories he has recorded. The last part of the book is a series of appendices, footnotes and log book records that will be of interest to mechanics and drivers. There is also a glossary of terms that the reader will find interesting. Foley has written articles on the history of boat racing and has published two books. The author has a natural writing style and a warm feeling for the men and women he knew in boat racing. His stories are enchanting and bring back the glory days of a little documented sport. Gone Racin' is at [email protected].

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Gone Racin'…"The Birth Of Hot Rodding: The Story Of The Dry Lakes Era," by Robert Genat and Don Cox. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz

Robert Genat and Don Cox have teamed up to bring car buffs a unique book. Genat brings his skills as a writer, and Don Cox provides photographs unparalleled in quality. Genat interviewed many racers who competed at the Dry Lakes in Southern California and captured the spirit that prevailed among this pre and post World War II generation. Cox photographed the energy and the spell, which this racing held over the young men and women of that era. Using the new state of the art 35mm Kodachrome slide film, Cox took some of the first color photos of this early period. There are 96 color plates, many full page, 58 black and white photos, and the book is 156 pages in length. The book is divided into five easy-to-read chapters, with a foreword by Wally Parks and a short index and bibliography. Take extra care to preserve the book jacket, for it is one of the best that I have seen. The bibliography rests heavily upon rare source material, out of date publications, SCTA archives and books. The foreword and introduction were quite moving and set the stage for the rest of the book.

The first Chapter deals with the Dry Lakes history and I was surprised at the new information presented here which was new to me. I couldn't believe how clear and stunning the Kodachrome colors were. It is usual to see only black and white photos from this period, and yet here, at the beginnings of this sport, were all these magnificent full-page color prints. Genat doesn't skip over the early history. In a clear and precise style, devoid of hyperbole, he tells the compelling story of the Dry Lakes racer. Chapter two explains how difficult it was to get to the Dry Lakes, the structure of the organizations that set up the races and the actual racing and time trials that went on at these meets. Chapter three describes the hot rod clubs and speed shops where we would have found the hot rodders during the time when they weren't racing. The speed shops and clubs provided a place for the serious racer to pick up tips and learn new ways to enhance the performance of their cars. The clubs provided structure and created a sense of identity.

Chapter four describes some of the roadsters that raced. The author explains the passion, which prevailed at that time for the sporty looking roadster, and the fervent belief that it was the fastest style of racecar. SCTA banned coupes from racing at its meets. To race anything but a roadster was sacrilegious. Other timing associations would organize to allow coupes to run at the Dry Lakes, but the sleek looking roadsters were the pride and joy of the SCTA. Chapter five ends this book with the story of how Dry Lakes racing finally matured into a multifaceted sport that grew to accept the coupes, modifieds, Belly Tanks and streamliners as part of the racing scene. As Genat weaves the story and Don Cox provides the images, this book is equal to, or better than, any book on Dry Lakes racing that I have seen before. There is real substance and historical merit to this book. If you only have a few minutes, then just enjoy the wonderful photos. If you have time, then this book is one of those treasures that you will find impossible to put down. There are quite a few books, many that are out of print, that deal with the Dry Lakes period of hot rodding, but this is the book that you should build your library around. Gone Racin' is at [email protected].

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Random Photos and Articles

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Friends of the Challenge and fellow land speed racers, check out the news below from Jeremy Freedman in Texas. His car is a "street legal" 97 VW Golf GTi running a 3.0 VR6, turbocharged. This is his second visit to the Texas Mile located in Goliad, Texas. Although 36hp VW's have yet to make a pass at Goliad, Jeremy's efforts are going a long way to making VW's welcome, be they water or air cooled. Be sure to watch his video of the 205 mile per hour pass. Also, Bruce Cook will be attempting to break the Blackline/Birks DSS record of 103 miles per hour this weekend in Maxton, North Carolina and also gain entry into the "1" Club. Good luck to Bruce, Cody and Whitey. This will be his last race in the 51 split as a new 36hp bug is coming together that should be even faster. Again, congratulations to Jeremy and may the "Speed" be with you Bruce! Burly and the 36hp Challenge family
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Hey Burly, I thought I would update you on the weekend at the Texas Mile. First pass on Friday we broke 3rd and 5th gears. We got it back to the pits and started pulling it apart. Despite the car falling off the jacks with no tires on (I thought we were done then) we were able to get another tranny in the car to go out and run again. That pass the boost was turned off and was running just waste gate. The car went 186 and felt perfect so we shut her down for the night and waited until Saturday to run again. On Saturday we went out and ran 191, 198, and then the 204!I finally did it! We got to 200mph! We decided to end on a good note and partied the night away celebrating the 204mph pass. We woke up Sunday and turned it up since we had met our goal on Saturday and the car went 206, and then 208! We did it Burly! We stole the show and I've never had soooo much fun in my LIFE! I can tell you that 200+ mph is fast and in the little VW it's a handful to keep her going straight! Thanks Jeremy Free See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYEiEL-keZg, 205 mile per hour VW pass.

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Larry Monreal  57 Ghia by Burly Burlile
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Captions:
SCTA/BNI World Finals October 8-12, 2009. Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
   The White Goose Bar Racing (WGBR) team of Mike Manghelli and Keith Pedersen finally struck pay salt this year at the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) and Bonneville Nationals Inc (BNI) World Finals (WF) event in October. The BNI had postponed the event one day due to rain storms that dropped several inches of water on the Bonneville Salt Flats and had a spectacular event after the day of drying. The teams blue and yellow Volkswagen Rabbit Pick-up truck experienced a disappointing turn of events at Speedweek when they first fired their turbocharged 2.0 L VW motor and proceeded to break the transmission on only the fourth tune up pass on the truck. At the World Finals event however, the WGBR team managed to run a 165.990 mph on the first run against a 158.828 record held by a turbocharged Toyota truck. The required return run netted a 165.880 mph because Mike shut the truck down early and coasted through the mile after seeing some disturbing readings on the gauges. Fortunately, the data and a quick check of the engine showed no problems that would prevent the team from running the Rabbit in the upcoming late O ctober El Mirage dry lake S.C.T.A. event. The two way average for the new G/BMMP record was 165.989 mph.
   The team is hopeful that additional tuning will gain greater results next year. The runs would have been faster if Keith, who normally drives, would have been in the seat instead of Mike. Mike drove at the last minute because Keith could not make it to the salt this time. The team would like to thank John Romero, who was the crew chief on the truck at the WF event and is always there when you need him. Also the rest of the WGBR team, Rick Yacoucci, Pete Belich, Jim Stevens and Greg Waters for their assistance in the impound.
   In addition, perrenial Volkswagen land speed racer, Larry Monreal, brought his yellow Ghia back to the salt and also set another record. The two way average speed for the #57 racer averaged 164.158 miles per hour and was also powered by a DOHC Volkswagen four cylinder watercooled engine. All in all, it was a great weekend for the VW guys at the final land speed event on the salt in 2009. Text and photographs by Burly Burlile

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Rockabilly Reunion Art

SAVE THE DATE: The Rockabilly Rod Reunion returns -- and is coupled with the NHRA Heritage (nostalgia drags) Series -- May 28-30, 2010 (Memorial Day Weekend) The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (702) 632-8213, www.RockabillyRodReunion.com.
14 bands.
Rockabilly DJs.
Pin-up Girl Contest.
$2 beer all weekend.
NHRA nostalgia drags.
Burn-out contest.
Pre-'65 hot rods, traditional’s, customs. Sent in by John Bisci

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Captions:
Subject: Fwd: Old Drag Race Photos. Sent to us by Ron Main.

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Caption:
The following cars belong to Ted and Sharon (Sunflower) Forbes live in Sooke, B.C. which is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  Sent in by Marilyn Lachman.

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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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