SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 181 - November 3, 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]
 

Click On All Images / Link For more Info / Images

Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, Dexter called this morning after he heard from Rich Whittaker that Scott Ayer passed away, I don't know how many of you have heard but I just got an e-mail from Paula Gross Wathen Ray Gross' daughter Sonny Ates passed away quietly, I responded to a person that emailed me that she was in trouble, As for copyright Floyd Clymer did copyright his publication of Veda’s book in 1949 and as we own the Clymer rights we can legally republish it, Here’s the official definition of Public Domain as it applies to the subject in hand, Underground Racing Lamborghini crashes at Texas Mile driver survives, I am having my Premiere Sunday November 14 2010, I have contacted you many years ago I am trying to trace the current owner of Lee Taylors Hustler, Patterned after The Blue Flame via the Budweiser car Lee Taylor's Discovery II rocket boat was one of the most ambitious and revolutionary projects in the history of record breaking, I’m trying to find out information and photos of this car, Auto racing and the sports playoff mentality, Sam Auxier Jr Show Mondays 7-9PM EST, I owned a 1953 Ford with a 354 Chrysler Firepower Engine from 1968-1970, Yes there are two Walt James' The one I'm referring to was born in Iowa, I would like to publish your paper in my newsletter, The father of organized motorsports Wallace "Wally" G Parks By Gary E Webb, Remember AOC stands for “Agents of Change!”, I hope all went well at Bonneville; I would love to see that event someday, Legends of Ascot-2010, A call for help from Doug Stokes - TOYOTA SPEEDWAY AT IRWINDALE ANNOUNCES OPEN INVITATION, I have not spoken to Lee Kunzman in the last week, Faith Granger is a friend of mine who has worked tirelessly on this film; mostly by herself, I was finally able to get hold of Kenny Sapper for about my Richmond 5 speed trans-axle with the quick change, Good morning Richard Anthony Young has just put the finishing touches on his C / Fuel Rear engined Modified Roadster, Life Article

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President's Corner:  
   Last weekend we were supposed to be at El Mirage for an S.C.T.A. meet bet our friend Mother Nature had a little fun with us and deposited some rain on our playground. It wasn't enough to bring out the Alky Hydros so we had to settle for pot luck and find someplace to play. Naturally that was easy to do. First up out at Perris Speedway on Saturday, Don Weaver was putting on the sixth edition of the Legends of Ascot for all those lucky enough to have enjoyed racing at Aggie's place down in Gardena where the freeways collided. At the same time our bud Gene Winfield was holding a little party out at his joint in Mojave for all the custom car guys. Luck also had him doing the same thing on Sunday so the weekend got filled.
   At Perris there was a big meeting room with tons of tables that were filled with drivers that everyone's heard of but couldn't recognize since you only saw them at work with helmets on. Parnelli Jones was the featured guest and I think you know who he is. Another was Vince Granatelli who played in our sandbox at El Mirage with his Chrysler 300's years ago. And who can forget the funny clothes his team wore with all those STP logos on them. Outside were a couple dozen old race cars to drool on plus one of the Dayglow Lotus Turbines Vince and his brother Andy raced back in '69 that Joe Leonard put on the pole. (Click For JMC_1549) captures the car as art. Another piece of art surviving from '72 was built by Don Edmunds at his Autoresearch Company in Anaheim. (Click For JMC_1557) shows the unrestored jewel that he just brought home from down under after all these years. Don related the story of his "safer car" with independent suspension, offset off mill and lower center of gravity. Seems it was too fast for the USAC boys when it first showed up and was promptly banned. Don once worked for legend Eddie Kuzma before he went to work for Bill Thomas and built Bad Bascom and the infamous Cheetah sports cars, and a slew of dirt and formula rides. Seems like he and the Granatelli's had the same problem, build a better mousetrap and you can't race it. Bummer.
   A short walk to the grandstands was all it took to meet up with another legend in all fields of racing, Lou Senter. He and Bob Leggio were seeing who could pick the most winners in the night's race program. Guess who won? (Click For JMC_1551) captures Tony Jones warming up before the race program started. After the races it was down to the pits and check out all the cars and cute girls. It's hard work but someone's got to do it. After getting home about 1 AM it was hit the hay and hit the road the next morning to visit Gene Winfield. The place was loaded with customs and a few hot rods. The wildest one there was this slammed Model-A (Click For JMC_1555). For you that like way out machines how about his Reactor (Click For JMC_1558) that graced the cover of Rod & Custom back in '65 and was featured in a TV show for weirdo's called Star Trek. I know it's not Land Speed stuff but it's still cool. With that, let’s talk a little about building an intake system for a land speed car. In this case it's the one used on my, "when will it ever be done," racer. Let’s run through some of my thinking and then on to the nuts and bolts.
   First off you have to figure out a few things like will it use carbs or be injected and will it be supercharged. Once you figure that out you have to decide on how to fit it all together. A layout of the chassis was already decided on so it was a matter of doing a few sketches to determine how to fit everything into a narrow space. (Click For Image 1) shows the basic layout for a turboed 4-banger from the top in a 19" wide chassis. The exhaust pipes feed a centrally mounted T4 that feeds out the top of the body. The air intake is over the motor, feeds through a 1,000hp intercooler, a throttle body and into a plenum (red). Let’s look at (Click For image 2) for more details. The stock head has a single injector that squirts right on top of the valve. A little research revealed that two were better than one and you could phase them to squirt at different times to get better VE. More digging revealed that with a longer intake runner you can get better torque so I was looking at about 11" from the end of the bell to the valve seat. The bells are an art form in themselves. I chose a 2" intake tube so the optimal bell radius on the inside should be 1".  Outside bell radiuses want to be big too but space dictated otherwise. I also found that the bells flow better it they are raised off the floor. Plenum sizing was also something to seriously consider. Some experts said make the volume 1/2 the engine displacement. Others said make it one to one and some even said 1 1/2 to 1 is good. Since I couldn't get a consensus it was start looking at pictures of setups on really fast cars. Indy cars run turbos, as did 1500 hp 90" F1 motors. Audi was kicking butt at LeMans with turbos too so everyone was looked at real close. Once you've done your homework and decided on a basic design it's time to figure out how to make the part so let’s get at it.
   I decided on using a 4" tube 20" long as the basis of the plenum. (Click For Shot 3) shows me whacking a tube in half lengthwise. (Click For Shot 4) shows the parts I ended up with made from the tube and some sheet stock. The insert shows a 4" ball cut in half to make up the ends of the plenum with. This was a $5 item used for making fence decorations. (Click For Shot 5) shows the pieces being tacked together and the final basic shape. Note it's tapered. The LeMans Audi used this same arrangement so it was monkey see monkey do. Holding parts in place when you're working alone is usually a problem so one tends to get crafty. I use wood a lot because it's easy to work with. (Click For Shot 6) shows the plenum holder in place and in use. Runners from the plenum to the head all have to be the same, so what better way to make them that way than use a simple wooden jig to hold them as seen in the top half of (Click For shot 7). The bottom half of 7 shows a 2" runner tube with slots cut in the end for the taper needed to make them fit the intake manifold flange.
   The top of (Click For shot 8) shows how I ended up making the bells. There wasn't room for a 1" radius so I fudged and used 5/8" instead. A template of the radius was made from paper so they would all end up the same. Without fancy cutting tools an air grinder and files with a sandpaper finish worked great. A smaller outside radius was also added. The lower part shows my home-brewed manifold flange and a scrap tube used to determine the taper needed to make it fit. Note the finished bells and the simple jig and paper template used to determine cut angles on the tube. The top of (Click For figure 9) shows the finished runners with bells welded on. The lower half shows the plenum with holes cut to accept the bells. A hole saw did the trick. A little explanation is in order with (Click For shot 10). The plenum is flat on top and rolls down on the sides. The bells had to be about 1 3/4" deep so they would have an edge to weld to and still protrude into the plenum close to the edge. Needless to say getting everything to fit was a real bear. The top of the shot shows the first runner welded in place all around before the second one was added. There wasn't any room for the torch tip if the second one was tacked in place so it was one at a time, left to right. The bottom show the finish welded part.
   (Click For Shot 11) shows how the injector setup was done. Bungs were machined up that the injectors pressed into and were fitted to the curved runners. I made up some dummy injector out of aluminum so that everything would line up when put together for tacking and finished welding. The bottom half shows the finished setup. The top of (Click For shot 12) shows a tube that happened to be the perfect ID that matched the 75mm throttle body to be used. The edges were flared for a smooth transition. The bottom of the shot shows the finished snout and the bungs for the injectors finish welded. The bar stock with the rounded nose was used as a dolly for inside the runners and snout. Lucky (Click For shot 13) shows the finished snout with throttle body attached. A return spring and clamp for the throttle cable end was also added. This was strictly a homebuilt, eyeball engineering job. The throttle body was the big ticket item. The u-bends were next. Everything else was made from odds and ends picked up at the local metal supply house. Do a little pre-planning and go for it, that's what land speed racing is all about.

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Editorial:   
There is a movie premiere coming up in November to introduce the movie Deuce of Spades.  See; http://www.deuceofspadesmovie.com/world_premiere.htm. Faith Granger is the producer, director and writer and the story is based on an idea that she developed. Her muse was Gene Winfield and the plot takes us on a trip that is pure hot rod culture. I hope to be able to review the movie soon and will publish the review in the newsletter. What makes this movie so special, sight unseen, is that there isn’t much out there in the way of hot rod movies and yet it is a major factor in many of our lives. We have American Graffiti and some James Dean movies, but the car culture is rarely the basis of a complete film. Elvis Presley drove around in John Athan’s roadster in one of his films and I suppose that is as hot rod culture as anything. Thelma and Louise is as close as Hollywood likes to get to cars as a thematic outlet. Thelma and Louise dragged along until the two women went on the road and then the film came to life. Of Course we cannot forget The World’s Fastest Indian with Sir Anthony Hopkins playing Burt Munro. An excellent movie overlooked by movie fans. Then there are the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies that show lots of great old roadsters, but they are never the theme of the movie. Those old B movies from the 1940’s and ‘50’s might have been made to complete a double feature at the local theater or drive-in, but their quality was pretty good. You can still buy some of those old films at swap meets and car shows. Maybe it’s a political thing; Hollywood being Liberal and hot rodders generally conservative. Or perhaps Tinsel Town just couldn’t see any money in hot rodding to justify the budget for a well-made movie. 

   Deuce of Spades may find a studio willing to pick it up and distribute it. Faith Granger is hoping for video sales and I’m going to buy a bunch to give out as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. I’ve only seen clips of the movie, but from what little I have seen it is well written and that makes all the difference in a movie. The actors are able to bring a good deal of emotion and rebelliousness to their rolls and the plot is tied to the cars and the hot rodding culture. In most movies that have hot rods and roadsters, the plot lines do not necessarily need the cars. The director could just as easily have put the actors in coupes and sedans and the action wouldn’t have made any difference. Most audiences aren’t going to the movie to see the cars; they are going to see the stars and the love scenes that Hollywood loves to churn out as art. I’m not revealing any of the plot of Deuce of Spades now, for what I have seen is available on-line. You know as much as I do if you have followed the clips and trailers. Expectations and hopes though are really high on this movie. Faith filmed this on a tight budget that she financed herself and with the help of friends and donors. She talked some serious young actors into doing this film and though they are unknown for the most part, this movie is a good vehicle for gaining the attention of Hollywood producers. I hope it is a huge success for Faith, because I would like to see her take on another movie in the same hot rod culture. We have a great number of stories to tell and hopefully we can encourage more young filmmakers to tell our stories.

   The Legends of Ascot Reunion is over and I missed it. My mother-in-law passed away earlier in October and it has been a hectic month. My wife flew down to the island of Samoa for the funeral and in all the rushing, I missed the reunion. From what I’ve heard the numbers are down quite a bit from last year and that was expected by Don Weaver, the founder and promoter of the event. I always have a good time at his event and I’m sorry that I missed it. Jim Miller was there and so I’m going to ask him to write something on the Legends of Ascot. In this issue we also have a report on the reunion by Bob Falcon. If you go to www.hotrodhotline.com, biographies, you will find Bob’s bio. Health has been a big concern lately for so many hot rodders and along with the recession, is the reason for the decrease in this fine oval track reunion. Here’s another email from Bob Falcon; “IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY HOSTS ANNUAL TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET AUTO RACE.  The 70th running of the event which began as The Gilmore Grand Prix in 1934 will be contested for the 12th year in a row at Toyota Speedway located in Irwindale, California.  This year the speedway has decided to honor each and every living driver who recorded a top five finish in all the previous races in the series.  All these surviving drivers, and a guest, will be hosted by speedway management in a special reserved section at the start/finish line of the grandstand seats. They will also be recognized in the pre-race ceremonies.  The call for assistance in getting the word of this program out to the SLSRH members who may know some of these competitors and make them aware that their presence will be appreciated. If readers know of anyone who was a driver and who finished in the top five of any previous event they should contact Doug Stokes at 626-391-3772 or [email protected].  Doug will set them up with VIP Parking and tickets for the driver and his guest in a special section at the START/FINISH line. Please contact Stokes before Monday, November 15 to allow time to prepare the credentials.”   Bob Falcon

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Dexter called this morning after he heard from Rich Whittaker that Scott Ayer passed away. Scott had been a hot rodder forever, a MSRA member since the early eighties, and was very instrumental in our flyer, web site, and newsletter artwork. He was a graphic designer with his own agency. He had been fighting cancer for some time. He was another great guy who will be deeply missed. Our condolences to Charlene and to his family. No word of any arrangements yet. Gil Coraine

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Monday, October 25, 2010. Sad news; I don't know how many of you have heard, but I just got an e-mail from Paula Gross Wathen, Ray Gross' daughter.  Sonny Ates passed away quietly. No particulars or arrangements yet. I will relay when I get them. John Potts

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I responded to a person that emailed me that she was in trouble. I thought that I had checked the email address carefully, but I didn’t. I mistook an r n for an M and now the hacker has my email address. I was going to use the return address in my email address book, which was the correct address, but since the type was so small and it looked like the same address, I didn’t use my email address but simply hit reply. I’ve said before, “ALWAYS copy and paste in a situation like that and use your email address book info and NEVER hit reply.” For the record, I am not in Wales, London, Paris or anywhere else and I don’t need financial help. 

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As for copyright, Floyd Clymer did copyright his publication of Veda’s book in 1949 and as we own the Clymer rights we can legally republish it. However, it’s really a moot point as the copyright of both Veda’s original work and Floyd’s version has expired and they are now in the “public domain,” which means that copyright protection no longer applies.      
     Here’s a copy of a portion of an email that I sent to Jim Miller addressing that particular issue: I am sure that you understand that I do not want to tread on (anyone’s) toes, but as both Veda’s original copyrighted publication and Clymer’s copyrighted version are now in the Public Domain no single entity technically owns the rights to either! In addition, Clymer always contracted his authors’ as “works made for hire” which means that they contractually relinquished ownership of their “rights” and transferred ownership to him, there is also legal precedence with this particular book due to the fact that the Clymer version of the same publication carries the later copyright date. Consequently, as Veloce Enterprises owns the rights to ALL of the pre-1970 Clymer publications, we have the right to republish Clymer’s version, just as Jim (Lattin) had the right to republish his version, but in reality it’s not based on the fact that either of us owns the “rights” but because of the Public Domain status of both versions.    
     I share a great deal of affinity with other individuals that expended considerable financial resources in purchasing “rights” (just as we did!) but the bottom line is that as more time passes more publications enter the Public Domain and the question of rights ownership becomes moot and that investment becomes diluted. Again, my interest in republishing this particular book is its lack of availability on the secondary market and used copies selling in the $300 to $500 range is normal. Consequently, many individuals are being denied the opportunity to own and read the book at a reasonable price and I feel that needs to be corrected.  Warm Regards, Dave McClure
     Dave: Thank you for the information on Veda Orr's Lakes Pictorial.  I've learned something here and with your permission I will publish this in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter.  One reason is that our readers and the general public should be aware of ownership issues.  In this case we now know the background and that is important.  We want to respect ownership rights and protect them.  In our opinion it is better to ask first before someone spends a great deal of money only to find a clouded title.  In this case you have a clear title.  As historians we need to preserve and archive as much as we can, but we also know that sometimes there are ownership rights that we have to go through in order to do that and it may slow us down, but the proper course of action is to be legal and ethical.  We know that you will do the same thing and that is why we want to support you in each and every one of your projects.  Another reason to print this email is to educate our group and to keep stressing this point that ownership rights are important and we need to understand the rules.  We also want to publicize your projects as much as we can, for what you do benefits all of us and helps us to increase our personal libraries at a reasonable cost. 

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Here’s the official definition of Public Domain as it applies to the subject in hand:  
   Anything published, and copyrighted, between 1923 and 1963 was protected for a period of 28 years after the copyright date. If the copyright was renewed before the end of the 28th year, that protection was extended for an additional 47 years.  
   Here’s the problem, most publishers wrung out all of the sales of a book in its first 4-5 years so very few copyrights were ever renewed. This means that the copyright on Veda’s original 1946 publication expired in 1974 and (it is now) in the Public Domain. Regardless, it is legally considered to be a completely different publication from the Clymer book that was copyrighted in 1949, otherwise the Clymer copyright would have been denied, and as the copyright on that publication expired in 1977 it is also in the Public Domain. Once a book enters the Public Domain it cannot be retrieved (unless you are Walt Disney – see the Mickey Mouse copyright) so even if (anyone) copyrighted his reproduction and we were to copyright our reprint of Clymer’s book it does not provide any retroactive copyright protection to the original publications. I hope this is not too confusing?  
   As a publisher, I have spent a small fortune on copyright attorneys over the years, and the bottom line is that it’s not worth the effort or the investment as the largest majority of pre-1963 books never had their copyright renewed. However, most publishers will acknowledge rights ownership regardless of public domain status as we are all very aware of the expense involved in purchasing those rights. Unfortunately, there will always be those individuals that want to capitalize on the fact that a good title is now up for grabs as it’s in the Public Domain regardless of who owns the rights. Things are getting much worse with the advent of online publishing, eBooks etc and I honestly believe that copyright recourse is destined to go the way of the dinosaur within the next 25 years, unless you have extremely deep pockets and don’t have any consideration for the costs involved. Finally, copyright and their renewals can be checked at the Library of Congress, you can either research it personally at the Library as pre-1978 publications are not online, or they will do it for you at a heart stopping open ended $165.00 per hour fee!   Dave McClure
   Dave: I came across the same situation with a genealogical work. In that case I did not republish the book because of the respect that we had for the original author. We patiently waited for him to reprint his own book, not because we didn’t have the legal right to, but simply because we felt it was the best way to handle the situation.

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Underground Racing Lamborghini crashes at Texas Mile, driver survives By DALE JEWETT on 10/26/2010. This Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, upfitted by Underground Racing, broke 250 mph at the Texas Mile event in March. Underground Racing, the Charlotte, North Carolina tuning shop that broke the 250-mph mark with a twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo in Texas last spring, saw that car crash on October 23, 2010 after making another run at the Texas Mile high-speed challenge. Video of the run, posted on YouTube, shows the orange Gallardo passing the 1-mile marker on the closed runway, deploying a parachute and veering to the right and off the runway. The car becomes airborne and flips twice before landing. Internet reports say the driver survived with no major injuries, and that there was a strong crosswind at the time of the crash. The twice-yearly Texas Mile is held on the runway built for the Goliad Industrial Air Park, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio. During the three-day event, participants drive to post a top speed for a one-mile section of the runway. Underground Racing makes a business out of upgrading Lamborghinis with twin turbochargers to boost engine output to more than 1,000 hp. Car owner Richard Holt pushed his Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera upfitted by Underground Racing to 250.1 mph at the Texas Mile event in late March. Holt's car is the same color as the one that crashed last weekend.  More: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101026/CARNEWS/101029927#ixzz13ct2Wx6B.  Sent in by Mike Meierle

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I am having my Premiere Sunday, November 14, 2010.  This is going to be a big event, very cool, a complete, "roll back the clock to the fifties." We are closing the historical Fillmore downtown area and holding our event there, to bring back the fifties with a BANG. Event will include:    
1- Car show up and down the main street.  
2- Screening of DOS the Fillmore downtown historical theater (one of the oldest running theater in country - built in 1916).  
3- Food served on historical authentic 50's train docked at historical train station downtown Fillmore.  
4- Doowop, rockabilly and 50s live music by Bands from the film :)) (in front of city hall - adjacent to train station).  
5- Swing dancing demonstrations by top dancers and open dancing (in front of city hall). 6- Exhibit of world renowned painter Tom Fritz - including painting of 50's hotrod races, and the two DEUCE OF SPADES original oil paintings.  
7- Wine tasting available (but not included in ticket price).   
Event is costumed - everyone must show up in fifties or fifty’s style apparel. WE ARE GOING TO LIVE THE FIFTIES AGAIN from Noon to 8PM that Sunday. Tickets are $35 per person and go on sale Thursday 11/28 at noon. Event is expected to sell out very quickly so grab your tickets while you can. Reserved VIP parking for cars pre 1960 available for an additional $15. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT: www.deuceofspadesmovie.com.   FAITH GRANGER Filmmaker

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I have contacted you many years ago  I am trying to trace the current owner of Lee Taylors Hustler. I know that Jim Deist had it and I believe restored it. With Jim Deist's passing is it still in the family or has it been sold on. Any Information would be gratefully received. Regards, Brian Millin
   Brian: Contact Marion Deist at Deist Safety Company, 641 Sonora Avenue, Glendale, California, 91201. It was stored in their barn next to their house, which burned down. The barn and the boat escaped unharmed. I haven't seen the boat for about 5 years.

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Patterned after The Blue Flame via the Budweiser car, Lee Taylor's Discovery II rocket boat was one of the most ambitious and revolutionary projects in the history of record breaking. The great irony of this boat is today it is almost forgotten, even though it remains the last attempt with a rocket vehicle (air, land, or water) on a major world speed record. On his final run, Taylor crashed as he left the kilometer after clocking an average of 269 mph. It was believed at the time running in water conditions too rough for the boat (as described in an attached article) were a significant contributing factor to the crash. This at least resulted in the ventral fin underneath the engine coming out of the water and no longer providing directional stability. The boat's designer, Art Williams, reviewed films of the crash and concluded that the rudder appeared to come off the ventral fin before the crash. "Since the rudder was pivoted about one-third back from the leading edge, it created a tendency for "rudder lock" -- refusing to return to the trail position...the load might have been great enough to rip the rudder off the hinge pins." Franklin Ratliff

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I’m trying to find out information and photos of this car (Click For Image), driven by Saderup-Sinclair and Freudiger-Cobb. Are any of these people still around. Thanks, Joe Hickenbottom
   Joe: I'll refer this on to Jim Miller and will also post the photograph in issue #181. I think that Jim can probably answer your question as to who may still be around.

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Subject: Auto racing and the sports playoff mentality. My guess is this is a ruse by the broadcasters to gain larger audiences for the fans who need drama in order to enjoy competitive sports. I think it all goes back to the plethora of data that the baseball broadcasters began to spew to liven up their boring sport. Baseball broadcasting has an overabundance of dead airtime. The NASCAR "talking heads" go so far as to spew out drivel about who is going to win the championship while broadcasting the first race of a new season. Give me a break. Back in my oval track driving days I never knew, nor cared, where we stood in championship points. My usual answer if someone asked where we were ranked was, "Ask the car owner..." and most of them never knew or cared. My job was winning the race; PERIOD.  I talked with Jim Miller at The Legends of Ascot gathering last Saturday. In fact the two of us were involved visiting with several people. The crowd was good.  Bob Falcon

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Sam Auxier Jr Show, Mondays 7-9PM EST. Presenting Lee Holman, Ronnie Sox Foundation, Diane Sox, Funny Car driver Della Woods, Drag Racers Notebook Jim Amos. http://zeusradio.com/station/RacersReunionRadio/. Call In 1-877-500-9387, Sam 3. See http://racersreunionradio.com

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I owned a 1953 Ford with a 354 Chrysler Firepower Engine from 1968-1970. I seriously doubt it is related to the car referenced in the post but was just curious. I thought it quite a coincidence that someone else had this engine in a '53 Ford. I am located in Pensacola, Florida which is where I was when I had this car. Just checking to see if any possible relationship to it. Link post below and I have pasted the post below that. Thanks and enjoyed your site. Sam Rogers   
   Sam: I will run the post again, just to refresh our readers’ minds. Sometimes our readers get lucky and someone will see an article and write back. However, most of the time we get no response to requests and that is why I encourage enquirers to do two things; One, write in as you have written in and post on the newsletter, and two, start a phone tree. A phone tree can be a lot of phone if one enjoys meeting strangers and likes to ask a lot of questions, which I have no trouble doing. The goal is to contact as many people as you can so that it leads to the answers that you are looking for. It also lets people know that you are looking for someone or something. Glad you like the newsletter. Write your bio and caption your photographs.

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http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/heroes/landspeedracing/2009/09newsletter136/.  Yes there are two Walt James'! The one I'm referring to was born in Iowa, I believe, at least that's where we first met. Walt and my brother Ed (Snyder) went to the same High School, and our two families were good friends. We moved to Southern Cal, Fullerton to be exact, in September of 1957 when my Dad got an offer to work at Hughes, in Fullerton, and I was in the 8th grade. The James' followed us out a few years later. Walt's Dad, Bill James, took over a Richfield gas station on Valencia and Gilbert in Fullerton, and I hung out there until Bill could afford to hire me. Walt worked there too, and he taught me a lot about wrenching on cars. Fullerton Muffler was just a couple of blocks away, where the Lakers Car Club met every other Tuesday, and Walt and I joined the club. It's about 1960 now. I graduated from Buena Park High School in '62, and went on to Cal Poly Pomona that fall to study Mechanical Engineering. Walt built a '53 Ford to run at El Mirage, with two 4-barrel Holley's on a 354 Chrysler Hemi, and I built a '40 Stude with a 258" Dodge Red Ram Hemi a little later. I forget how fast Walt's Ford went at El Mirage, but we sure had some fun with that car cruising Whittier Blvd! My Stude went 140 mph at El Mirage. Later Mel Bonita, Walt and myself went into a partnership putting Walt's motor into my Stude' and went drag racing. We ran it at Lions, Irwindale, OCIR, and even took it to the Smoker's March meet one year. We didn't qualify but I'll never forget being there! The Bonita/Snyder & James pearl yellow Stude was a fun car to drive. It weighed about 2200 lbs if memory serves, and our best was 10.50 and 125 mph. Neil Thompson drove the car once or twice. Ray Alley and Bob (last name unknown) set up a clutch-flight trans for us; I used the clutch to get off the line, and then just push the lever one click at a time forward to shift into 2nd and again into 3rd. The car would carry the left front tire off the ground the whole way down the strip, at least that's what Walt always told everyone! I'll also never forget the wheel stand that Stude' did at Lions one night! That was awesome as they would say today! We designed a set of wheelie bars for it after that! By the way, Mel Bonita ran a '54 Ford with a 392 Chrysler and went 184 mph at El Mirage in the late 1950's. Walt was the engine man and chief mechanic project, and he did a fantastic job. Those were the days! Yes there are two Walt James' in the news both gear heads. Jim Snyder

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To Gary Webb: I would like to publish your paper in my newsletter, The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter, which is published at www.landspeedracing.com.  I would make a suggestion and that is to lengthen it where you have the facts; if only for your own use and that of your family.  I enjoyed the way you brought other people into the project.  You didn't just mention Wally Parks and ignore other people.  You went outside of the subject title and included others into your paper.  In my mind a story or history cannot stand alone, it must be interwoven with the stories of people who lived and had dealings with the person you are portraying.  In this you have excelled.  Notice how you also wove together story lines with biography.  A story is an event that is observed or was told to you that you record and it does more than give facts and figures; it tells a moral.  A biography might include stories or events, but is basically a listing of when a person was born, what he did in his life, who he was as a person and where it all took place.  A biography is the scaffolding of a person's life, his skeleton so to speak.  Stories are the events that bring life and muscle to the framework of our lives.  Biographies are the dull part; stories are the fun part.  You mixed and matched story with biography and you did an excellent job.  But don't stop here; continue on with your own family and friends, and of course, yourself.  A good biography with story material is something that your descendants will treasure forever.  It is an excellent one, far better than most and you should be proud of it. 

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The father of organized motorsports: Wallace "Wally" G. Parks.  By Gary E. Webb

Introduction  

It would only be appropriate to explain why I chose the founder of the National Hot Rod Association Wallace Gordon Parks, aka “Wally Parks,” as my subject for the critical essay assignment.  When I was growing up in Maine my family was surrounded by the automotive business and motorsports.  My grandfather owned two auto parts stores and an automotive repair/machine shop in Augusta, Maine.  He had three sons, my dad and my two uncles, all of whom worked in some capacity in the family business.  My father, Richard Webb is the oldest of the sons and began working in the machine shop after he graduated high school in 1962.  My dad took over the business in 1983 and still owns and operates it today.  My dad loves motorsports but he never got into driving the cars much; his involvement in motorsports consisted mainly of sponsorship and building the engines for the race cars and competition pulling trucks for the local drivers.
It was my dad who instilled my passion for drag racing and motorsports.  If we were not at the local circle track or drag strip on the weekends, we were either working on a car or watching the Wide World of Sports on NBC. My brother and I spent most every weekend with our dad so naturally my interest in motorsports continued to evolve as a result of my dad’s profession and the people he surrounded himself with during my youth. I enjoyed the circle track races but my favorite was the drag racing.  I will never forget the time my dad’s good friend and business competitor, Dave McMaster, took me for a ride in his 1968 Camaro drag car named “Master-Mac.”  I was between eight and ten years old at the time and we had just arrived home after a full day of drag racing. Dave was backing the Master-Mac off the trailer and I jumped up and asked him if I could ride in the car with him while he unloaded it, he told me to get in. 
The car was very loud and shook when he pressed on the gas and the odor of burning race fuel is still one of my favorites. Dave lived in rural Pittston, Maine and his property was adjacent to a long straight stretch of road.  Dave, being the typical “show off” drag racer that he was, took the car out onto the road and drove it a few hundred yards to a gas station just down the street from his house.  No one was around as Dave pulled the car back out onto the street facing it back toward his house and stopped.  Dave looked over at me as he revved the engine and said, “Are you ready Gary?” I said “Yep” and Dave nailed the gas pedal to the floor launching the car down the road. I was amazed at how powerful the car was as it pinned me back into the seat.  Dave was shifting through the gears, each time my body would lurch forward and back into the seat; all the while I’m sure I had a huge smile on my face.  Suddenly, somewhere between third and fourth gear, there was a loud “Bang!” and the hood flexed upward under pressure.  Smoke began bellowing from under the hood and the engine quit after making several sputters and metallic crunching noises.  The Master-Mac rolled quietly into the driveway where everyone was waiting, including Dave’s wife, and she didn’t look happy.  Dave looked over at me and said, “Well Gary that was about a fifteen hundred dollar ride.”  Dave had blown the motor in the car because he had not properly warmed it up.  Dave may have been in trouble with his wife but I was hooked! 
I raced motorcycles a few times during high school and finished second in my debut race in a class of twenty five bikes. My racing career was short lived and purely amateur and I entered the military after high school.  A few years later I was married and starting a family of my own.  Fast forward a little over two decades to 2007 when I got back into racing after meeting Gene Owens and Steve Phillips who are friends of mine in Ketchikan, Alaska.  When it comes to building engines and drag racing; Gene and Steve both have a wealth of experience and knowledge.  Gene was a drag racer in the sixties and his team held the national record in the “B” Stock Automatic class.  Steve was involved in dirt track racing and was part of a hydro drag boat team in California from 1973 to 1980. Steve told me one of his best passes was in a hydro drag boat named “Optical Illusion” at 143 miles per hour; the boat was owned by an optometrist.  Steve grew up near San Francisco, California and was working at a local speed shop when the movie American Graffiti was being filmed nearby.  Steve told me the engine for the ‘55 Chevy that Harrison Ford drove in the movie came out of one of the dirt track cars he had raced.  Steve is now a successful businessman in Ketchikan but still has family and friends in California. 
For the past several years Steve, Gene and I have become close friends and we have taken several trips to southern California to attend NHRA drag racing and NASCAR events.  We have taken several side trips to the Wally Parks NHRA museum in Pomona which is where I began learning more about Wally Parks and how much of an impact he had on the sport of drag racing.  Unfortunately Wally passed away on September 28, 2007 at the age of 94; I never had the pleasure of meeting him so I am writing this paper on Wally Parks as my way of recognizing Wally as a true leader who never gave up on a dream and a man who provided a path of inspiration for many people to follow.
Wallace Gordon Parks was born on January 23^rd, 1913 in Goltry, Oklahoma.  Soon after his birth the family moved to Kansas and then when he was eight years old they moved again to southern California where Wally began to develop an interest in cars.  By the time Wally was in high school, he was building stripped down Model-T Fords for street use.  After high school Wally began working at the South Gate General Motors plant assembling Buicks, Oldsmobile and Pontiacs.  He eventually moved up to road testing cars, which he loved.  During WW2 the plant was converted for military use (building M-5 tanks) and Wally was able to continue his road testing job on military vehicles.  Wally became known for his union cartoon drawings which were published in the union newsletter.  While some of his cartoons were not “flattering” to the management, he was good at it and he ended up assigned to GM’s Process Engineering Department where he took a course in perspective illustration at the art center in Pasadena.  After finishing the course and returning to the plant, Wally created detailed drawings of the tank’s assembly parts that were then enlarged and posted above work stations for use as installation guides.
During the early thirties car clubs began sprouting up in southern California and it didn’t take long before they started racing on the nearby dry lake beds in Muroc & Mojave.  One weekend Wally and two of his friends decided to go out to Muroc to check out an event.  Wally was quoted as saying, “we were in our own special Mecca, with sights and sounds being firmly implanted as memories on that special day.”  (National Hot Rod Association [NHRA], 2008, p. 2)  Wally ended up speaking with one of the men in charge and after a short exchange he asked if there was anything he could help with.  To Wally’s surprise the man said, “yes, follow me.”  The man seated Wally on a wooden crate in the back of an old dump truck at the mid way point of the track and gave him a military field phone with a headset that allowed him to listen in on the conversations between races.  His job was to watch the races and report any problems.  Later in life Wally said, “it was that first day’s experience and awareness of the details and responsibility that may have triggered my later interest in the planning and administration of automobile performance activities.” (NHRA, 2008, p. 2)
By 1937 the dry lake beds were being overused and lacked organization, and the State of California threatened to close the races.  Several top members of local car clubs got together and held a meeting at the “Throttlers” club house.  This is when the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) began to take form.  The SCTA’s primary objective was to plan and organize time trial events for club members.  Wally and his friend Jack Harvey were founding members of the “Road Runners” club who helped tremendously with the progress of SCTA, which is still alive and well today and considered the oldest organization of hot rod car clubs in the United States. A few years later, WW2 was in full swing and Wally felt it was his time to join the military so he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.  He was assigned to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland before serving three years with the 754^th Tank Battalion in the south pacific.  Wally was involved in the battles on Guadalcanal, Bougainville and with the liberation of Manila.  Even while at war and far away from home, Wally did not lose his interest for hot rods.  While serving in the South Pacific Wally even “hot rodded” his military jeep by installing a V-8 engine he scavenged from an old passenger car. 
Prior to going into the military, Wally had been appointed to the board of directors with the SCTA and after the war he was elected president of the club.  Wally was the driving force behind the promotion of the club and their values which eventually placed him in a very influential position in the hot rod culture. After the war Wally returned to work at the GM plant and continued road testing and drawing installation guides for the tanks.  Wally and Jack Henry had gained a lot of support for the SCTA, but local government officials were still considering closing the dry lake beds for racing events.  In an attempt to win over the local community leaders Wally came up with the idea of having a car show to promote who the racers were and what they did.  Wally’s idea of a hot rod car show became known as the first official “hot rod exposition” which also led into a job opportunity at Hot Rod magazine.  Wally eventually left the GM plant in 1947 to work as SCTA’s full time general manager.  During this time Wally was also helping Robert Petersen and Bob Lindsay operate Hot Rod magazine which some people believe was Wally’s attempt to promote maximum exposure for the SCTA and its related events.  In 1948 Wally, with the cooperation of Hot Rod magazine, began to pursue an effort to open up Utah’s salt flats for hot rodders to use for racing.  This event was called “speed week” and began in 1949.  Speed Week put a whole new light on racing and has evolved into the now famous Bonneville Salt Flats racing events. 
Wally continued to promote the use of the salt flats for racing but he also saw a growing interest in street racing.  Wally knew street racing was not popular with the community leaders and police and any mishaps or violation of laws could eventually lead to a total shutdown of any further negotiations and continued use of the dry lakes.  Wally also recognized street racing was not only illegal but very dangerous and unorganized.  He felt that if he could get the cooperation of clubs across the nation to join together in a national association they could overcome the negative stereotyping and become a validated group.  Wally knew from the hundreds of letters Hot Rod magazine was receiving from readers across the country that they wanted uniformity and organization.  Wally along with fellow publicist/journalist Lee O. Ryan acting on nothing but a hunch as to what could come of it; drafted a “fictitious” letter to the editors of Hot Rod magazine which started with, “Isn’t it about time that the thousands of hot rod devotees around the United States band together in a national association?”  (NHRA, 2008, p. 5)
The letter outlined the ideas and goals of a “national racing association” and was published in the March, 1951 issue of Hot Rod magazine with an unexpected positive overwhelming response welcoming to the idea.  So, it was an easy decision for Wally to make at that point and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) began to take shape.  For a minimal membership fee, the people received a window decal and an NHRA membership card.  The association had rules and detailed bylaws, officers and a newsletter to help with communicating with a membership that was spreading across the country.  It didn’t take long for the popularity of an organized racing association to take hold and Wally pulled the SCTA along with it.  Wally continued to utilize Hot Rod magazine as a primary source for information sharing and announcements of upcoming events for both clubs.  The articles incorporating the NHRA were drawn up and signed on May 13, 1951.  Wally was elected president, Ak Miller (former SCTA president) was elected vice president and treasurer and Marvin Lee, a dry lakes racer was elected secretary.  All three agreed to serve in their respective offices without compensation.  Only two months later the NHRA had 350 members and eventually hit 1,000 per month.  Barbara Livingston, Hot Rod’s editorial secretary, had the tedious task of hand sorting and organizing the applications, eleven years later Wally and Barbara would become man and wife. 
As I mentioned earlier, the police were not very supportive to the racing idea, especially when it came to street racing and the whole concept of an organized racing association was nearly lost.  One person who rarely receives recognition for the success of the NHRA is Clifford Peterson, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.  C. Peterson recognized the benefits of getting young people off the streets and into an organized event and he became one of the NHRA’s more enthusiastic supporters.  C. Peterson organized several events to promote the CHP’s involvement in the safety aspect of the events and also wrote several letters of endorsement.  C. Peterson was granted an honorary membership as the NHRA’s 7,000^th member.  Wally also recognized the racial tension that was occurring across the country in the 1950’s and made it clear to the NHRA officers that a membership to the NHRA was open to anyone, regardless of race, religion or nationality.  Wally was quoted as saying “Representing a sport against which there has been unfair criticism and unwanted prejudice, the NHRA is itself a kind of minority group; it is unthinkable, therefore, that it would permit racial discrimination, religious bigotry, or prejudice to influence in any way, its principles and ideals.”  (NHRA, 2008, p. 11)
I mentioned earlier in the paper that I never had the chance to meet Wally Parks.  However, in June of 2009 I had the pleasure of meeting his granddaughter Tamara who was working a summer job in Ketchikan, Alaska and had traveled over to Metlakatla to watch us race our cars.  I was very excited to meet Tamara and to have her there to watch us race.  After introducing myself with a self initiated huge hug and thanking her for attending, I asked her if she would like to make a run with my car.  Her eyes lit up and she said “sure!”  Tamara is in her early twenties and I never considered this could be her first time in a race car.  My excitement changed to a moderate level of concern after I saw, “the deer in the headlights look,” on her face as she was trying to figure out the gauges and how to adjust the belts.  I realized at that point she didn’t have much experience so I asked her, “have you ever raced before?”  Tamara smiled sheepishly and replied, “No, this is my first time.” 
I had an immediate flashback to my “first time” in a drag car and the memory of the Master-Mac’s blown motor suddenly took on a new meaning for me.  I didn’t want to take back my offer so I changed gears and gave Tamara a crash course on how to drive the car.  I told her to “drive it like a regular car on the first pass and just get the feel of it.”  She took off real easy and made a smooth solo run without incident.  As Tamara came back around after the run I could see a huge smile on her face.  I asked her if she wanted to go again.  She said, “Yes!,” so we lined the car up for a second solo run.  This time I told Tamara to only go as fast as she felt comfortable and let the car shift on its own; she made a second pass which was much better than the first one.  One of our local drivers had pulled out onto the track with a 1972 Chevelle, 454 big block car, a pretty fast car.  When Tamara came back around after her second run I asked her if she was ready to race another car and she said, “Sure.”  So we lined up the two cars and I gave Tamara some last minute instruction and words of encouragement which included, “This guy is not going to let you win.  You have to take it from him, you can do it!  Just keep your foot to the floor and let the car shift by itself, don’t let up until you cross the finish line.”  I am proud to say that Tamara Parks, granddaughter of Wally Parks, won her first drag race in my car.  Tamara was very excited and she graciously signed her name on my car as well as several others. (Youtube.com, n.d.)
We all kept in touch after that weekend and when Tamara’s father David and wife Barbara visited Ketchikan earlier this year we invited them out to the shop so they could see the cars.  I don’t think they realized how honored we were to have met them and how grateful we are for Wally’s accomplishments. After receiving this assignment I contacted David Parks and told him about the paper I was writing on Wally and asked if he could provide some information on his father.  Ironically, he told me that he was leaving the following day to the Bonneville Salt Flats for Speed Week.  David told me he became a member of the “Bonneville 200 mph club” about twenty years ago and is still involved with the sport today.  David put me in touch with his brother, Richard Parks, who writes as a guest columnist for an online hot rod magazine called www.HotRodHotline.com.  Richard sent me an article he wrote after Wally’s passing called, “Gone Racin’…To the Celebration of Life for Wally Parks.”  The article is several pages long but I found the following paragraph had the most meaning behind the idea of my leadership paper.
I’ve heard so many people say that they wished he was their father, but in many ways, he was.  He nurtured and encouraged people to succeed and had very little interest in the business of business.  He was all about friendships and loyalty and the need to legitimize drag racing and encourage safety in the sport.  Even his disagreements with people in racing were gentle and he always tried to reach an understanding with everyone.  His method for leadership was by consensus.  He gave those who worked for him a great deal of freedom and leeway to create and develop new methods and ways of doing things. (Hotrodonline.com, 2007, para. 2)
Since the inception of the NHRA in 1951, it has grown into the largest sanctioned motorsports organization in the world with more vehicles in competition than all other major motorsports combined.  Currently the NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks worldwide.   NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States; NHRA presents 23 professional national events annually featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.  Two NHRA-sanctioned bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels.  NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17.  (NHRA.com, 2010)

Conclusion

Wally Parks was a man who believed in teamwork.  He was an innovator who had many values and a competitive spirit.  He had foresight that he believed in and he was not afraid to challenge the process and to be out front while doing it. He was not a believer in “the status quo” and was quoted as saying, “Any new concept in racing is targeted by doubters- usually ones with their own personal interests at stake and others who simply resist change without full knowledge.”  (Competitionplus.com, n.d., p. 4)
Wally also possessed a number of important leadership traits such as patience, confidence and dedication.  He was confident yet polite when confronting the “non-popular” issues such as overuse of the dry lake beds and street racing that were causing negative public views of the racing community and hot rod clubs.  He was able to quell the stereotyping and gained public trust and eventually nationwide cooperation of community leaders by promoting safety and organization of the sport.  His efforts ultimately helped facilitate lifelong relationships through a shared vision between participating members, police and local community leaders.  I feel his personality, reputation, unwillingness to fail, and non-confrontational approach to change were key factors in his success.    

References

Competitionplus.com. (n.d.). http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/feature-stories/1546-twenty-questions-with-nhra-founder-wally-parks

Hotrodonline.com. (2007). http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/heroes/07celebration/

NHRA.com. (2010). http://www.nhra.com/nhra101/about.aspx

National Hot Rod Association. (2008). Wally Parks Hot Rodding’s Hero. Los Angeles, CA: National Hot Rod Association.

Youtube.com. (n.d.). http://youtube.com/watch?v=vxDnGVw3Tg0

JA 578: Grading Rubric – Critical Essay

Name: Gary Webb

Wally Parks is a very interesting leader (from a sport I know little about). You need to provide a bit more application to your work life. Good Work A- JA 578U: Final Grade Report

Remember, AOC stands for “Agents of Change!”

From: Gary Webb- Hi Richard, I wanted to send you the paper I did on Wally, I just got the graded version (A-) back today. I also wanted to thank you for your considerate reply when I was asking for information on Wally, it really helped. I am not a "college student" so it was a challenge for me to write this paper. I have to write lots of reports but if it doesn't start out with something like, "On today's date and time I was on patrol in a marked unit traveling southbound......' I'm a little slow getting it started. I used a number of resources including a section of your article and incorporated a lot of personal information but my main focus was the book Wally Parks Hot Rodding's Hero. I'd like to meet you someday; maybe we will cross paths at the Winternationals or at the NHRA Museum. Anyway, I remembered you had asked for a copy when I was done so here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again, Gary Webb

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I hope all went well at Bonneville; I would love to see that event someday.  Please let me know how you did. As I said in our phone conversation. I am enrolled in a Managerial Leadership course; I will be here until the first week of November. Part of my course assignments is to prepare a paper on a person who I feel was a good leader, I chose Wally Parks.  I obviously chose him because I feel he would be a fun person to study as well as the personal admiration and connection I have for him and the things he did. As the current president of the Ketchikan Kruzers car club, I find myself faced with a lot of similar issues that Wally faced such as organizing projects, keeping people motivated to move forward with our club and most of all making the racing we do as safe as possible for both the fans and the drivers.  It is not easy and I can't imagine what he went through on a much larger scale. What I am hoping to gather is basic information as well as your personal knowledge and memories of how things happened. 
   We are studying five practices of exemplary leadership (management) which can be applied to any situation:
Model the way- One of the best ways to prove something is important is by doing it yourself and setting the example.
Inspire a shared vision- Enlist others in a common vision/ task, talk about it and get them excited about it.
Challenge the process- Search for opportunities to innovate, grow and improve (experiment and take risks).
Enable others to act- Give them a sense of ownership in the process, build trust.
Encourage the heart- Recognize contribution and celebrate accomplishments as a team. 
   Keeping these five areas in mind I am hoping you could take a few minutes and provide me with information about Wally's life such as: Born and raised where? Parents names and occupation? Grew up where? Occupations? Marriage (to whom/when)? Number of children? How did Wally's interest in motorsports begin? His mentors? How did Wally get people interested in making salt flat & drag racing a safer event? Keeping the five leadership practices in mind, what personal characteristics did Wally possess as a leader that enabled him to accomplish this enormous task? Explain how the salt flat racing and NHRA have evolved over the years. Please feel free to elaborate as much as you like and attach any photos. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. Gary E. Webb

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Legends of Ascot-2010. By Bob Falcon. 
   The event was well attended and the estimated turnout was near 400. In addition to the well prepared BBQ luncheon of tri-tip beef and chicken the program consisted of an “Ascot Legends” induction ceremony, a showing of near 20 race cars from many eras and many classes; Midgets, CRA Track Roadsters, Sprint Cars and a couple of USAC Championship Dirt Cars. As soon as my guests and I walked outside the auditorium building to view the car display we crossed paths with Jim Miller, with camera in hand. Jim and your reporter viewed some of the cars together and each of us tried to impress the other with our race car knowledge. I think it was a toss-up! Back to the honorees who were inducted, which included some of oval track racing’s well-known participants. The ceremony was MC’d by Chris Holt who toils as the PAS Infield PA Announcer. 
   The list includes Lifetime Achievement Awards for the three Agajanian brothers-Cary, JC Junior and Chris for continuing the racing promotions established by their late father JC Agajanian. Other individuals recognized included Evelyn Pratt, 90, who has served many years as the Pit Steward; Tony Simon, 64, retired CRA and USAC Sprint Car and Midget driver, and a host of racing people who have crossed life’s finish line, Vel Miletich and Paul Jones, Parnelli’s younger brother. Among the attendees we spotted longtime STP owner Andy Granatelli and his son VJ along with former Racing Director Ralph Salvino and his bride, Doris. It had been near 20 years since I had visited with the Salvino’s. We searched for Tom Malloy but didn’t spot him, but his beautiful HOW Champ Dirt Car that was owned by Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Mari Hulman was on display. 
   Several cars from the WRA Vintage Racing group were on display and we chatted with a few of them; Ernie Casale, Lloyd Hendrickson, Bill Steve’s son (Bill was the driver of a track roadster I helped build, and crewed on while attending high school).  Others included Chuck Hulse, Louie Senter, Don Edmunds, Judy Jones, Ann Wilkerson, Page Jones, Steve Chassey and of course Doug Stokes who was scooting all around to keep the plates spinning on the end of the sticks! Ted Kennedy was also there, notebook in hand, and if anyone would like to read his report of the event, please E-mail me at [email protected]. Last, but not least, our thanks go out to Belita Michnowicz and Don Weaver for all their efforts to make these events important annual affairs.

Click on Images Below For Larger Views

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A call for help from Doug Stokes. TOYOTA SPEEDWAY AT IRWINDALE ANNOUNCES OPEN INVITATION: ALL TOP 5 “TURKEY NIGHT” DRIVERS. 70th Running of the Legendary Event To Honor Past Contestants Irwindale, California - -  
   We’re very proud to once again be the site for one of our sport’s longest-running and most prestigious racing events, the 70th running of the Thanksgiving Night Midget Grand Prix, which we all know as “Turkey Night,” said Toyota Speedway VP/General Manager Bob DeFazio.  Thursday, November 25 will be the twelfth time that our facility has hosted the event, every one of which has been memorable, but we want this 70th running to be even more special for the drivers who gave all those thrills for so many years.” “Our plan, our invitation, our call, goes out to each and every driver who finished in the top 5 in any of the 69 races run thus far, to join us at the Speedway on November 25, bring a guest, and be seated in a special section where they’ll be recognized during the opening ceremonies of the race,” DeFazio explained. “What we need now is the help of every fan across the country to get the word out to these drivers, of course a number of these heroes that we’re seeking have passed, but there are many out there that we need to reach and invite to this special event. We’re counting on the press and the public to help us get the word out to all of these great drivers.”  (NOTE: a list of the top 5 drivers is attached to this information.) The race, which began at Gilmore Stadium at 3rd and Fairfax in 1934, has special meaning to racing fans all over the world. A Southern California tradition as ingrained as the Rose Parade or the Rose Bowl football game on New Year’s Day, open wheel midgets racing on “Turkey Night” is a true working part of the LA cultural landscape. The 70th running of the annual event is always a reunion of race fans with many coming great distances to witness the event. For the drivers this one is anything but “about the money”. The honor and prestige of having one’s name engraved on the Agajanian Trophy along with racing greats like Swanson, Vukovich, Parsons, Bettenhausen, Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Kenyon, Fox, Kaeding, Stewart, Darland, and Shuman is recognition far more treasured in American open wheel racing. FOR MORE INFORMATION, TICKETS: www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com (626) 358-1100  MEDIA FRIENDS: PLEASE TRY TO HELP US GET THIS WORD OUT TO THESE GREAT DRIVERS … AND PLEASE TRY TO JOIN THEM HERE!  TOP 5 DRIVERS: Please get in touch with Doug Stokes at (626) 391-3772 or [email protected]. We’ll set you up with VIP parking & tickets for you and guest in a special section right at START/FINISH. Please get in contact before Monday, November 15 so we can set up your seats & parking pass for the event. Sent in by Betty Packard

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I have not spoken to Lee Kunzman in the last week. I assume that he is still doing well. He is living at his house, walking without the aid of a walker or cane, and driving himself to/from any doctor appointments. His back (old injury) is acting up, so he’s been seeing a chiropractor to correct this problem. His recovery will take time, but he appears to be well on the way. David Gentry

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Faith Granger is a friend of mine who has worked tirelessly on this film; mostly by herself!  I can promise you that this will be a day of great fun!  Read my review of the film (attached PDF) and get busy making a costume, or polishing up that vintage ride!  Wish I could be there; don’t tell me about it, I’ll be sad to have missed all the fun!  Speedy Regards, "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
     LandSpeed: Thank you for the review.  Would it be possible for you to send a review to be posted in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter?  I'm going to do a review as soon as the videos are available and I would like to have as many reviews as our members would like to send in.  They will be posted on www.hotrodhotline.com and www.landspeedracing.com.  From what I have seen of the clips and trailers, Faith has made a great "hot rod movie" and I hope the car guys will take this film to heart and support it heavily. 

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I was finally able to get hold of Kenny Sapper for about my Richmond 5 speed trans-axle with the quick change. He was happy to hear Bob Falcon's name mentioned. Although he was not able to help me on my piece. But he gave me a good lead through Richmond Gear. A Stewart Hamilton who is a knowledgeable person who was in the company a long time. I won't be able to get contact with him till he gets back from SEMA. Thanks again to Bob Falcon.  Spencer Simon
   Spencer: I'll send your message on to Bob and include this in the newsletter.

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Good morning Richard, Anthony Young has just put the finishing touches on his C / Fuel Rear engined Modified Roadster. Its powered by a 354 CI early Chrysler hemi and is a very well engineered piece of work.  I'm attaching some photo's of the vehicle, as you know Antony has been involved with Al Teague and is close friends with Manuel Flores, Alan Fogliadini and Doug Robinson to name just a few from the long list of close friends he has. Most of the fabrication and chassis building was done out of his garage and is quite impressive. Mr. Jack Underwood said it in an e-mail " the newest baddest ass of them all". Jack has said on numerous occasions that those Pico Rivero boys run fast.  Best regards Ron Phelps

Click Images Below For Larger Views

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Life Article Send In By Ron Main - Click Images Below For Larger Views

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We lost a rod on Saturday, We found some Dural in a Machine Shop, wrapped it around crank, Drilled hole for splash system put pan on turned the Modifed up on wheels. The next morning I ran through trap at 108 miles, engine parts flew every where. I drove for Snuffy he was sick. I was 18 years old. God Bless John 

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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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