SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 177 - October 1, 2010
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)
Photographic Editor of the Society: Roger Rohrdanz, [email protected]
 

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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, The Chino Police Department is investigating the death of Timothy L. Woods 64 of Harbor City, Lenny Woods was found dead at his California Ford dealership after committing suicide he was 64 years old, Editor’s notes: The following emails have been received concerning the passing of Bean Bandit car club founder Joaquin Arnett, Saturday October 2 2010 Leslie Long is organizing a Santa Ana Drags and Main Malt Shop, Reunion, Thanks! That will definitely get me going on the right "track", I received the following message from Ed Justice Jr. from the Justice Publishing Co regarding a new book by Tom Madigan called "The Chrisman Legacy - Always Faster", Kathy Weida with All American Racers forwarded your email regarding the Santa Ana Drags Reunion this Saturday, Editor’s notes: I received a message from Captain Ed Ballinger that he is going to be on the Wally Bell Radio show on October 27 2010, LandSpeed Louise Ann Noeth sent in a copy of her article that was published in the October issue of the Good Guys Gazette, Every week I post the Scratch Main event from Costa Mesa on my speedwayzar YouTube Channel, Please share this information with your readers, Crawford collection and the Crawford family found a safe and secure home for their collection, I'm an old Santa Ana Drags person, Thinking ahead to our reprint of the Veda Orr book I would like to know if you are aware of any errors in the book that needs to be corrected, Sidewinders Club (SCTA) 2010 Picnic Sunday October 3 2010 11:30 to 5:00, A fellow hot rodder from Japan has posted this photo in one of his Facebook albums, Trailer for 50min documentary, produced by Brian Leckey,pictures we have received to date from Bud Lang

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President's Corner:  
   Jim Miller is away on assignment, covering land speed racing and having lots of fun. That’s what you get to do when you are the Society’s President.

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Editorial:   
   A recent article was sent to me concerning Danica Patrick, who races in the IRL open wheel league and NASCAR. Patrick has a well-known name and persona and sometimes is portrayed as a hot-head. That got me to thinking, because when the men get out of their cars and trade punches, the hot head identity lasts for a few weeks at best and then is forgotten. Dale Earnhardt was called a head-hunter and was known for being coolly calculating as he garnered many championships. In drag racing you have had some real angry people, some that were very mellow and others that were in between. For some reason people tend to remember the mistakes that the ladies make more than the men and hold women to a higher standard. I suppose it goes back to mothers that we have known and how lady-like and gentle they were. Except that the ladies are quite human and quite capable of being just as hot headed and tough as the men, in their own way. I’ve always liked the Shirley Muldowney’s, Ashley Force’s, Paula Murphy’s, Della Woods and the many other fine racers in drag racing. We have quite a few lady racers in land speed racing; more than I can mention and it would be unfair to name only a few. I’ll probably get a few emails saying, “You forgot me,” and they would be right to chide me. One lady that I admire a lot is Hila Sweet who raced under the name of Hila Paulsen. She was Ummie Paulsen’s wife and they gave Parnelli Jones a ride in their car. Hila was quite a race driver and was also called on by the promoters to match race the men. It was a real crowd pleaser in those days and the women in the stands pulled for Hila to win the race. More often than not she did. While the guys she raced backed off a bit in respect to her gender, Hila roared ahead and if you didn’t surrender that inside spot she would put you into the wall. She was super tough on the track.
   Like many of the women who raced from the 1920’s to the late 1960’s, they had to face a great deal of prejudice, or maybe you could say fear. The fear was in the minds of the men who thought if a woman got hurt or injured the media would stir up the people and demand a cessation of racing. That’s why there were no women in land speed racing until Veda Orr was given permission to race by the SCTA, and that was due to her tireless effort during the war to keep the SCTA members in the military updated about affairs back home. In drag racing women were rare until the mid-1960’s and even then they were often only given minor licenses to race in the slower classes. The same was true in NASCAR and in open wheel. Talking to Dusty Brandel and Bobbie Colgrove is an eye-opener, for they were two of the first group of women allowed into the infield garages to cover the Indy 500 for the media. Once women began to make inroads into racing and do well with few injuries, the racing promoters and sanctioning bodies began to loosen up their rules and make car racing a genderless sport. There are many women in all sports who deserve credit for this; it is a group effort and no one individual is responsible for letting women into full membership. However, if I had to mention just one name that brought credibility to women in racing it would probably be Shirley Muldowney. She not only won multiple championships, but she beat the best and baddest. She did it with grace, charm and an iron will. She didn’t just place a few times or make the top ten; she obliterated the record books of the time with her wins. Other women racers will claim championships; Angelle Seeling in her prime was an unbeatable bike rider. Then there are others who simply raced during a time when there weren’t a lot of races and thus their numbers of event wins are deceptively low.
   What the recent article and videos on Danica Patrick reveal is contempt for her emotions, not her won and lost record. The media and racing fans seem to be saying that she isn’t lady-like enough. I thought we had gotten past that old stereotype when women weren’t allowed to participate because racing wasn’t genteel. In my mind Patrick can be as aggressive and catty as her team owner and sponsors will allow. If she is criticized for a few choice words to a fellow driver then that is wrong too. Don’t you see how the men behave? They are far worse and to my knowledge Patrick has yet to bloody someone’s nose or break her fist on someone’s helmet. Besides, the drivers of today make better lovers than fighters. If you want a car racer who was a fighter you should have seen Parnelli Jones in his prime, or Hila Sweet for that matter. She once told me that racing in the 1940’s and ‘50’s was real racing and the men and women didn’t back away from anyone or anything. It was a serious business back then when a driver and crew had to race nearly every night in a different city and sometimes another state. You raced, protected your car, got your prize money if the promoter didn’t run off first and then drove on to the next track. If you could afford it you stayed in a motel and if winnings were slim you slept in your car or on your trailer. The race team knew all the great places to eat and where you could get the best deals. A diner up in Wisconsin was famous for its great tasting meals and cheap prices until the Feds busted it for laundering illegal gambling money. That’s how they kept prices low. 
   After the races there was usually time to meet at a bar and have a few drinks. That often led to angry disputes over how one driver cheated or pushed another into the wall or the infield. Sometimes blows were struck, but usually when the alcohol wore off the drivers headed for the next town and the next race. Hila told me that she got into some fights with the lady leadfoots and other women racers. The secret she told me was to swing for the nose while the other gal grabbed hair. A few quick blows and the fight was over. She even told me how she was banned by the woman’s league and she attributes it to the 58 wins in a row that she said she won and the jealousy over her rough driving style. Other lady leadfoots mentioned safety issues and other reasons, but it all boils down to a time when auto racing was a tough business. But it paid very well if you could keep your car running. You didn’t race recklessly back then, because your car was your meal ticket and you were hoping to clear $250 a week if you did well in the heats and mains and then raced 6 or 7 nights a week in various cities. That was back when good wages were $50 a week or $200 a month. Danny Oakes said that he won $250,000 one year in the 1940’s. He probably gave half to the car owner and expenses, but what he had left was the equivalent of 50 homes in the value of money in those days. So it seems that we still have a double standard in racing by the way we treat women versus the men. We don’t want to see women reach the low standards that some men set, but if they do, we should certainly cut them some slack.

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The Chino Police Department is investigating the death of Timothy L. Woods, 64, of Harbor City.  Woods’ body was found inside Chino Hills Ford, which closed this year, after 30 years in business.  Based on the dealership website Woods, who was also known as Lenny, purchased the dealership in 1981.  A former business manager at the dealership called Chino Hills Police at 8:44 a.m., Tuesday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.  Woods was reportedly in the process of selling the remaining assets of the company.  His body was discovered in an office.  The dealership is located at 4480 Chino Hills Parkway, it closed in April of this year.  The dealership was owned outright by Timothy L. Woods, II, whom was known by friends as “Lenny.”  InstantRiverside.com.  Tuesday, September 21, 2010
   Editor: I met Lenny a few years back at a car show. He was one of the original members of the Stone, Woods and Cook team that was famed in early drag racing of the 1960’s. Our condolences to his family and friends on the loss of this fine gentleman. The Stone, Woods and Cook car has been on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, in Pomona, California.

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Lenny Woods was found dead at his California Ford dealership after committing suicide; he was 64 years old. His father, Tim Woods, had founded the drag racing team in the late 1950's with Fred Stone, who worked for him as a manager at his construction firm. Doug "Cookie" Cook joined the race team in 1961, and the trio became known for their ‘41 Willys coupe with a supercharged Oldsmobile engine that they named the "Swindler." They were part of the Gasser wars of the 1960's, going around the country with other drag racers who would stage several races a week. To drum up interest and get the crowds excited they would write elaborate critiques of each other in drag racing magazines. The sponsors and equipment manufacturers like Iskenderian Cams would egg them on. They won hundreds of races, and became the leading image in the public’s mind of the gas-powered drag racers of the Golden Age of drag racing. Revell made a miniature model of the car that was a fan favorite and sold millions of copies. Lenny Woods had his name on the race car instead of his father's due to concerns over liability should there be an accident. Lenny was a gentle man as well as a gentleman. To the Woods' family the race car was a family sport and they loved to participate in racing. Leonard went to school in the Bellflower area at St John Bosco High School. Fred Stone and the Woods' family were both black, Doug Cook was white and this was one of the first interracial racing teams in the country. It was also one of the most successful and the first to win a National title in drag racing. Doug Cook retired from drag racing in 1967 after a serious accident, but the Stone, Woods and Cook car continued to race for nearly another decade. Lenny Woods purchased a Ford dealership in Chino, California in 1981 and lost it to bankruptcy in 2010 after nearly thirty years under his control. Like his father, Fred Stone and Doug Cook, he was loyal to his dealership even when the economy had turned against him. He put all his resources into trying to keep the dealership open and in the end he had nothing to fall back on. Lenny returned to his office one last time and there he took his life, the last of the team of Stone, Woods and Cook. We send our sincerest condolences to the family. (This notice comes from several sources including an unnamed internet source that the editor is trying to locate in order to give credit to. This story has been rewritten)

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Editor’s notes: The following emails have been received concerning the passing of Bean Bandit car club founder Joaquin Arnett.
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I tried to send you an email about my dad. I am not at home and something happened to it, so I am resending it again. My dad passed in his sleep this am. He was receiving hospice care at Country Hills in El Cajon. We are showing his original dragster at the San Diego Auto Museum from October 1st through Jan 2011. The Museum is featuring cars of early San Diego. Just wanted you to know. Jackie Arnett
   Jackie, Vi and all your family: I am so sorry to hear of Joaquin's passing. He was truly a remarkable man and I admired him so much, as did my father and our family. I can never explain fully how much your father meant to so many. Words just can't quite tell the story. Joaquin, Dave Marquez, the original Bean Bandits and the ones who came later are truly a fine bunch of men and women. Please let me know when the services will be held so that I can post it in the newsletter. Our love and prayers go out to you all at this sad time.
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"Joaquin Arnett, Long time racer and pioneer drag racer, Bonneville and lakes racer passed away today. I posted your note in the H/W page. We are working the front page. Ed Safarik
   Ed: Thank you for the news. It is sad, but Joaquin's health has not been good for some time. I remember going to Bonneville with the Bean Bandits and wrote about the experience. I was the gringo that bought the fancy chaise lounge that collapsed on the dirt in the KOA Kampgrounds. The rest of the bandits found a place that was comfortable to sleep out in the open; on the picnic tables, on the trailer, in the van or like Joaquin, wrapped up in a big old horse blanket. Jeff had a sleeping bag and slept under the awning to keep any rain out, except the awning had no roof. The Bean Bandits were always the hot rodders of old and that was their charm.
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Sad news, Joaquin died around 2:30 a.m. this morning, Friday, September 24, 2010. He stopped breathing and they couldn't get him going again. Vi and Jackie haven't decided about the services yet. I will let you know, when I find out. Sincerely, Bill Freeman
   Bill: Please accept my condolences on behalf of the Parks family. We knew and loved Joaquin for 60 plus years. My stepmother fondly told me of the Bean Bandits jacket that the club gave to her and my father many years ago. This is a reminder that we all need to do our biographies before it is too late. We need to leave our record behind for the next generation. Talk to the club and encourage them to get started on their bios and to caption their photographs. Please let me know. I want to be there if I can for the services.
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They are not going to have a formal funeral for Joaquin. They are going to combine a "celebration of life" with a Bean Bandit reunion, some time in the future. I will let you know when. Bill Freeman
   Bill: Thank you for the information. Please keep me informed way ahead of time so that I can publish the Celebration of Life for Joaquin Arnett in the newsletter at www.landspeedracing.com. I am sure that there will be a lot of people who will want to attend.
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Readers: The Arnett Family is receiving a lot of mail, letters and phone calls. Please allow them some time to make the plans and to rest from their ordeal of losing their husband, father and head of the family. Make your contacts in person or by phone later next week. You can write and email them at any time, just expect their response to be slowed by the volume of well-wishers that are contacting them.
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The New Bean Bandits are going to have a Celebration of Joaquin's Life and make pass with his little dragster at the Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield. They are also going to something in San Diego later. I imagine you will be there anyway. When I was told it was going to be at a reunion, J.J. didn't say Bakersfield. Go to this blog of Jackie's for more info; http://beanbanditssandiego.blogspot.com. 
I will let you know when I find out more.  Bill Freeman

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Saturday, October 2, 2010 Leslie Long is organizing a Santa Ana Drags and Main Malt Shop Reunion. It is a picnic and you can bring your own food or share with others. You will find a beautiful park along Santiago Creek on the border of the cities of Orange and Santa Ana. It’s about 500 feet to the east of Main Street and Memory Lane. It starts around 10 am. It's totally free, to park and to join in. The old timers may include guys like Otto Ryssman, Isky, Gene Ellis and I talked to Al Teague, who said that he is planning on attending. Mark your calendars and come. This is one of those really special affairs and the men and women who raced at Santa Ana are some of the earliest drag racers anywhere on the planet. They are gracious and easy to talk to. Bring a video camera, note book or any collectible that you want autographed. They raced in the '50's when drag racing was just starting to figure out their rules and culture. Email me for additional information.

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Thanks! That will definitely get me going on the right "track". My paper is due in three weeks but I am trying to get ahead of the game because of the other classes that I am in. This is a regular three month semester and we are enrolled in five college level courses. I'm a real college "rookie" because I went into the military after high school and after serving for eleven years I was hired into the Alaska State Troopers, so I am a little out of my element here. I really appreciate everything that your family has done for the sport.
   Check out your niece driving my 77 Camaro drag car on youtube.com, just type in the word "Metlakatla" and there will be lots of racing footage from the last two years, look for Tamara's name. The village of Metlakatla is the only Federal Indian Reservation we have in Alaska and it happens to have a huge abandoned commercial runway. Metlakatla is on Annette Island and approximately 15 miles by water from Ketchikan. We have to take a ferry over to go racing but we love it! This runway was last used in the 70's when Alaska Airline was landing there prior to the runway in Ketchikan being built. It is still in great shape and is plenty wide and long enough to run pretty much anything. I am the president of our local car club, the Ketchikan Kruzers (ketchikankruzers.com) and we are working toward acquiring a tree and timing system which I think will really start to attract people to the events. We are still doing the old school arm drop style drag racing but at our last race and car show we had approximately 300 people come out to watch and check out the cars. Anyway, I hope you get a chance to check us out. Thanks again, Sergeant Gary E. Webb, Alaska State Troopers "A" Detachment Patrol Supervisor, Ketchikan, Alaska.
   Gary: There are several things that I want you to do. The first is to send us reports of your club's activities in the Pacific Northwest. We get very little news from that area. My brother and I are in the process of trying to accumulate all the information that we can about my father, but it is sparse and spread out all over, mostly in magazine articles about a current event that he was involved in. Put what you can in a story and send it to me and I will look it over and give you some suggestions and added information to incorporate into your project. I will post your letter to the website at www.landspeedracing.com. Secondly, after you write your paper send us a copy to publish at the newsletter and also at www.hotrodhotline.com, biographies section. If you wish I will post it to the Gone Racin' by-line under your name as the author and you will get some exposure. The next thing that I want you to do is talk to your club and encourage every member to start on their biographies, because my father did not write his and now we are all the poorer for that. After that, hold a club party and bring out your photographs and caption them while everyone still remembers names, places, dates, etc. Make this a fun outing and include family members if possible. My two nieces enjoyed their stay in Ketchikan and at the drag races. The best drag racing experiences come from small tracks like yours. Write up a history of the track because I can tell you from experience that we have lost hundreds of drag strips and race tracks and the history of when, where and who raced on them. My brother says that he wants to go back up there next year and maybe he can take a few runs down the track.

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I received the following message from Ed Justice Jr. from the Justice Publishing Co. regarding a new book by Tom Madigan called "The Chrisman Legacy - Always Faster". Numbered copies/limited publishing run. Jerry Cornelison
   "I thought all members of the ROADRUNNERS would want to know about a great new book that is scheduled to be out towards the end of November, beginning of December. Please go to www.thechrismanlegacy.com to find out all of the details. The total print run is very small. Thanks." Ed Justice, Jr Duarte, California 91010 USA. website: www.edjusticejr.com

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Kathy Weida with All American Racers forwarded your email regarding the Santa Ana Drags Reunion this Saturday. I am a former AAR employer and have a fabrication shop in Costa Mesa. I am presently completing the build of a '34 Bonneville roadster for myself and I am new to LSR. I have never met Al Teague but have heard a great deal about him and would like to invite him to my shop Saturday either before or after the reunion. Do you have an email address, or other contact information for him? Very much appreciated if you can help me. I look forward to Saturday's event. Thanks, John Weatherwax, Cutting Edge Metal Specialties
   John: I forwarded your email to Al Teague today. Come to the reunion and talk to him. You will find him to be very knowledgeable about the sport of land speed racing.

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Editor’s notes: I received a message from Captain Ed Ballinger that he is going to be on the Wally Bell Radio show on October 27, 2010. The show starts at 7pm and goes until 9pm. To access the show go to the website www.wallybell.com. The Wally Bell Show Wednesday Evenings at 7:00 Eastern Time Live at www.racersreunion.com (click on Radio). Produced and broadcast by the Zeus Radio Network for Racers Reunion Radio.     
   Wally, Michael and Captain Ed: Thank you for including us in your communications. I will inform the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians (SLSRH) of the show. Let me know if the time or date changes and allow at least 10 days notice, because we are a weekly publication.
Richard Parks, editor www.landspeedracing.com. 
   Readers: Captain Ed Ballinger was a crewmember and consultant to Craig Breedlove on the Spirit of America LSR team at Black Rock Desert in 1997. Captain Ed also drove jet cars when they were an active part of drag racing back in the 1960's and '70's.

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LandSpeed Louise Ann Noeth sent in a copy of her article that was published in the October issue of the Good Guys Gazette. I wasn't able to copy and print the article, so you will have to find an October issue to read it.

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Every week I post the Scratch Main event from Costa Mesa (costamesaspeedway.net) on my speedwayzar YouTube Channel. I also try and post the Mains for Handicap, Support and Sidecars when they run. Every week I post the Scratch Main event from Inland Motorcycle Speedway (inlandmotorcyclespeedway.com) YouTube Channel. I also try and post the Mains for Handicap, Support and Sidecars when they run. Howie Zechner

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Please share this information with your readers; Captain Ed Ballinger, on The Wally Bell Show on 10/27. The Show is 7 to 9 eastern time. Ed's segment will be at 8 pm or so. Live Internet radio! Go to  www.racersreunionradio.com, click on radio (also, you can listen to past shows click on archives). Al Hanna was awesome last week, as was Roger Gustin a few weeks ago. Wally Bell
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This week on the Wally Bell live internet radio show for September 29, 2010. Rockets and JETS. The WALLY BELL SHOW. www.racersreunionradio.com, click on live radio www.dragracersreunion.ning.com, click on live radio Wednesday evenings 7 to 9 pm eastern time. Call in Phone number (toll free)1-877-500-9387. Away from, or No Computer, call to listen to the show phone number 1-347-884-9756. Please Join Wally, Gordy Foust and The Patrick Reynolds Segment.
9/29- Mike Evegens--Hall of Fame Jet Car Racer, Many great stories about Racing and Touring.  KY MICHAELSON "THE ROCKETMAN." Check out www.the-rocketman.com. 
10/6 Randy Lajoie, NASCAR Champion, Safety Innovator and TV Commentator. Don Teague Fuel Car Racer, Don's match racing, Circuit Racing Career. 
10/13- Wheelstander, over 55 years as a Pro Drag Racer. BOB HALL, "The Paddy Wagon."  
10/20- Ford Ace Dave Lyall, old friend of Gordy Foust. Factory Lightweights author Charlie Morris.
10/27- Captain Ed Ballinger. Rocket Driver.
Coming; Sam Memmolo, "2 Guys Garage, Shade tree mechanic" fame has a brand new TV Show with Dave Bowman.  Richard Broome; Great Drag Racer, Crew Chief, A major part of the growth of Hendrick Motorsports. Bob Yonkel Past, NASCAR, ADRL, NHRA Stars. Guests are lined up daily, suggest whom you want to hear from. email [email protected] at Zeus Radio Network www.zeusradio.com.

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http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TnIhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dogFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2097,225657 6&dq=crawford+auto-aviation+museum&hl=en. Mike Kacsala
   Mike: I tried to copy and paste the article but it was in some kind of protected mode and I couldn't do that. Very few readers will actually go to a link to read the newspaper article, but almost all readers will scan at least a few lines when the entire article is posted in the SLSRH. That's just human nature and I do that too when I'm trying to conserve valuable time. I might open about 1 in 20 links. So if you can remove the article from the internet site and send it to me as a regular email with text that I can copy and paste I will be glad to use it.
   Readers: The gist of the article was that the Museum was delighted to have the Crawford collection and the Crawford family found a safe and secure home for their collection. At the time, in 1982, no one at the museum or the Crawford family envisioned that the collection would be sold off to keep the museum from financial ruin. To be fair to both parties, no one can see or predict the future.

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I'm an old Santa Ana Drags person. We live in Henderson, Nevada, but will be in the area on Saturday and would like to attend the picnic. I'm not exactly sure where Main Street and Memory Lane is. Could you please help us out? Thanks, Bob Jaques
   Bob: It's best to google some maps and see, but I'll try and give you some instructions. It will start at 10AM and with the heat that we will be having I'm going a little earlier than that. The park is right on the border of Santa Ana and Orange. Using Main Street you will go East on East Memory Lane no matter from which direction you are coming from. The corner of East Memory Lane and Main Street has several huge buildings and to the west is the Main Place Mall. Once you turn onto East Memory Lane you will go about 500 feet and come to a signal. Turn right at that signal and it will lead you down an embankment to the creek bed below, which is paved for parking. The park is no more than 30 feet away from the parking lot and you will see the tables and benches and the guys bench racing. 

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The New Bean Bandits are going to have a Celebration of Joaquin's Life and make pass with his little dragster at the Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield. They are also going to something in San Diego later. I imagine you will be there anyway. When I was told it was going to be at a reunion, J.J. didn't say Bakersfield. Go to this blog of Jackie's for more info; http://beanbanditssandiego.blogspot.com.  I will let you know when I find out more.  Bill Freeman
   Bill: I will definitely try and make it to the Bean Bandits Reunion and Celebration of Life for Joaquin Arnett in San Diego. I appreciate that you are keeping us all informed.

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Thinking ahead to our reprint of the Veda Orr book I would like to know if you are aware of any errors in the book that needs to be corrected? Also would you be interested in writing a foreword for the book - I have also contacted Joe Babiasz with a similar request. We are ahead of schedule with our Clymer reprints and it’s very likely that we will reprint this book within the next 4 to 6 weeks.  Dave McClure LMG ~ Gallery L’Automobile, 9006 Foxland Drive, San Antonio, TX 78230, USA. Phone & Fax: 210-979-6098 (USA) E-Mail: mailto: [email protected], Automobile books & Automobilia: www.LMGauto.com. Automobile Year: www.AutomobileYear.net Publishing Division: www.VelocePress.com.
   Dave: I don't know of any errors, but the person to contact is our President and chief researcher, Jim Miller. Even if there are any errors, a reprint should stay true to the original though in brackets you could point out the corrections. Since Veda published right on the spot and knew the cars and the guys, any errors would be long since forgotten. It has been three generations since then. As far as the introduction goes, I certainly would like to assist, but it has more punch coming from a guy who was there in the 1940's and who may have also been overseas and appreciated the newsletters and the Pictorial. Have you thought about Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock, Burke LeSage, Tom Medley or people like that? Also, talk to Greg Sharp at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. He can give you more leads. You can also write the introduction by committee, which I like to see done more often. Joe Babiasz is also a fine choice.

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Sidewinders Club (SCTA) 2010 Picnic. Sunday, October 3, 2010 11:30 to 5:00. D.A.V. Memorial Park, 6543 Corbin Avenue, Woodland Hills 91367. Free Admission (with one door prize per sidewinder family). Bring something special from one of your family’s favorite heirlooms or a Big prize to be raffled off. Non-Sidewinders will be $5.00 each and a door prize. YOU MUST RSVP! Call Elaine at (818) 786-1575 or Ron Main at (818) 998-7848. Monster BBQ, Giant chicken breasts, 1/3 pound Burgers, and Jumbo Hebrew National Hot Dogs with all the fix’ns.  Horseshoes, Baseball field, Fun and Games. All you can drink; Lemonade, Soda Pop & Ice Tea. Full “No Host Bar” Provided by the DAV. The Sidewinder’s Famous “Pot Luck.” Add to our party. Bring a casserole, salad or desert; Call Elaine (818) 786-1575. Chili Cook off; Cook up your vittles and win a big prize. And our course our fabulous door prizes. JURASSIC JUNGLE PARADISE: COME PLAY, BOUNCE, CLIMB AND SLIDE ON ITS THREE LANES AND TWO BOUNCE HOUSES, INCREDIBLE! Be in the Winner’s Circle; Bill Guzenski’s Go-kart. Racing returns on our Mini-Indy Racing Track. Sorry; No Dogs or pets allowed. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the park. Do not bring any alcoholic beverages into the park. They will only be available from the DVA “No Host Bar” at special rates for our club party members. Picnic Hours: 11;30 AM to 5:00 PM, Lunch at 12:00 Noon. Take the 101 freeway and exit at Tampa, go North to Victory Blvd, turn Left on Victory, right on Corbin to the Park. 6543 Corbin Ave, Woodland Hills, Ca 91367 (818) 340-1422.  Sent in by Ron Main.

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Your comments are appreciated and while we intend to stay as true as possible to the original we have to re-orient the format of the book from landscape to portrait to fit within our printer’s capability. Consequently, notating any errors would not present a problem. Certainly, any major corrections would be identified as you proposed, but I am also concerned with typos, for example on page 40 the lower left image description reads “Ord V8” which I assume should read “Ford V8” and those are the sort of corrections we would likely make without any notation. As for your suggestion of a foreword written by committee I think that would be a great idea, I am just unsure of the logistics and how to best handle it. Therefore, I am sending copies of this email to those individuals that you mentioned in the hope that we can start the ball rolling in the right direction. Perhaps an appropriate place to start would be for anyone copied to contact me directly if they are interested in participating? Dave McClure, [email protected]
  Dave: I will post your request in the newsletter and see if any of our readers have any corrections of mistakes in Veda Orr's Dry Lakes Pictorial. I know that my father wrote something to be included in his book on the early SCTA minutes and you can contact my brother to see if he would be willing to share that sidebar with you to use as an introduction. I will write something and send it to you and you are free to use it if you want, providing that I can also use it in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter to bring attention to your project. I hope it is a huge success, for we would definitely like to see some of the old material republished.

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A fellow hot rodder from Japan has posted this photo in one of his Facebook albums. He is hoping to identify the fellows in the photo. I of course thought of you first. If there is anyone with a good handle on vintage hot rodders, it will be you. (Click Image for Larger View)

Best regards,
Rich Venza

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Trailer for 50min documentary, produced by Brian Leckey (Click For Article). Sent in my Ron Main

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News From The 2010 BSA Jamboree Troop 601. (Click For Article) Sent in by Ron Main

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The first time I visited the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah was in 1958. I owned a '50 Olds coupe outfitted with a '37 Cad/LaSalle floor stick trans and 4.30:1 rear end gears for drag racing. I had moved to Salem, Oregon after leaving the Navy up in Whidbey Island, Washington the year before, after serving 9 years. I soon met one of the engine builders working for Glenn Volz, owner of Salem Speed Shop. Al Blake.  Al suggested we go together, and hop up the engine for a go at the Salt. I checked a parts interchange book, and discovered an early Ponitac wagon ran, I believe, 3.23 gears, so I bought a third member. Al modified the heads, installed a Crower log manifold (made from a kit) and four 97 Stromberg cars, an Isky cam, and built up-swept headers much like dragsters, that exited holes cut in the fenders. 
We stripped out the seats and installed a simple bucket seat and strapped a G.I. gas can on the right side. Bought all new tires, painted the car, and towed it to B'ville with Al's '36 Plymouth coupe. It was an exciting week, yet very relaxed. All the teams worked on their cars under the warm sun. The salt was damp and cool. Then the cars and teams would line up for their turn to make a run. Nothing like the drags where drivers race their engines, do burn outs to make the tires hot and sticky. During our week on the Salt we made maybe a half-dozen runs, topping out at 132.93 in our C Gas Coupe & Sedan car, with its mild 305-cubic inch engine. One of the slowest in our class, but it was an enjoyable week.
As a side bit, after returning back to Salem, we stripped the headers and manifold from the engine, replaced the front seats, etc., then we towed the car to the rear yard, at the apartment I was renting. Car was still painted bright yellow, with two racing stripes over the hood, top and rear deck, and number 195C painted on each door. I was driving a little Chevy sedan delivery at the time, and had just obtained insurance on it. Then it happened. I received a phone call from my insurance agent, telling me my insurance was cancelled, but he wouldn't say way. Speaking to my landlady soon after, I discovered the agent had come by one day while I was at work. He asked her who owned the "Jalopy" parked out in back. She replied truthfully, "Mr. Lang". It so happens there was a local Jalopy race track nearby, and he assumed the Olds was my "jalopy." and cancelled me. So, I drove without insurance for about six months, until moving back to California.
Roger, I'll send some pictures down in a few minutes. Have to check and see what I have already scanned.  Bud Lang
NOTE: Below are all the pictures we have received to date from Bud Click on images for larger picture and text.

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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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