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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
President's Corner, Editorials, Michael and Tara Parks wish to announce the birth of their second son, You might want to ling this page to the next SLSH issue it shows Danny Thompson's crash, We had a fun time with Ed Iskenderian when we were in L.A. a couple weeks ago, ZEUS Drag Racing, Monday November 15, 2010 7-9PM EST, THE CHRISMAN LEGACY is now taking pre-order requests, I noticed Bob Falcon was looking into board track info specifically Culver City, There is an error in the Remington piece regards his joining with the Howard Keck Racing Team, The error appears on page 12, second paragraph that begins with, Impound Insights El Mirage Season Wrap By Dan Warner, I've added the link for the newsreel of the 1934 Gilmore Gold Cup at Mines Field, Irwindale Drag Races 6 November 2010, All the phone numbers that I had for Don Gillespie are no longer working, Automobile Club of Southern California and the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion have announced new dates for the popular nostalgic weekend festivals, The Sam Auxier Jr Show Monday November 22 2010 7-9PM EST, Not only is Page Jones a Racing Hero he is an extraordinary human being for us all to learn from, I received a call this afternoon from Bob North he said that Tom Shaden's girlfriend called him early this morning and informed him that Tom died this morning at 2:30 am, You've probably already figured by just reading the subject line for this message that newsletters have been paired back to a less frequent reporting interval, You should have been there But you can get the DVD There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, On September 11 2010 a media preview of a new exhibit took place that will become a permanent structure of the Henry Ford Museum located in Dearborn Michigan, I want to let you know that I saw the Deuces Of Spades film at the premier in Fillmore California and it was excellent, Speedway Motors Streamliner The Speedway Motors-sponsored MacKichan & Schulz streamliner ended a 22-year racing career in September with a pair of nearly identical passes at 324 mph and 322 mph, After four years of hard work blood sweat and tears Faith Granger’s Deuce of Spades film is DONE
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President's Corner:
Jim Miller is on assignment and will return next week.
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Editorial:
Recently I got an email from a reader asking how to go about holding a fundraiser to help a needy and deserving hot rodder who is suffering from medical problems. I receive hundreds of requests for the newsletter and publish all that are appropriate, but sometimes I wish that I had a way to track the effectiveness of these letters. Based on the increase in attendance at reunions and events, my feeling is that if 1 percent of the people that I mass mail actually respond, that is a howling success. At the SLSRH Newsletter we discuss these topics repeatedly and it amazes me that people will go back to the same old ways of doing things. There are two explanations; one they work or two, it's just habit. I haven't printed any of the emails that this good Samaritan sent to me in the website newsletter yet, because there isn't an organized effort that our readers can respond to. An internet appeal might work, but my experience hasn't been very positive. What does work is an auction at a well-known museum in one's area. But auctions are tricky things. If you draw a group that is local they often watch their wallets carefully and the take is meager. If on the other hand you include guys like John Force, ZZTOP's Billy Gibbons and other famous people then you would indeed have a successful fundraiser. Something donated by a well-known hotrodder or racer has much more value than the same object donated by someone without a recognized name.
There are great reasons for getting involved in these types of programs and events. The most important is that we help those who have fallen on hard times through financial or medical setbacks. Many of the racers and hot rodders that we know were active in the 1940’s, ‘50’s and ‘60’s, when purse winnings were much lower. Poor investments, bad luck, ill health, divorce and many other problems have made their lives difficult and when we can help them out it repays a debt to these pioneers for starting and maintaining our sport. A second reason for getting involved has to do with psychology. We often help those in need with financial assistance, but neglect to help them with their emotional and psychological needs. Remember, many of these people once were the kings of their respective sports and everyone wanted to get their autograph or talk to them. As they retired the adoring fans left them and hung on the coat tails of the new champions and the hot new rookies. Gradually as time went by these old heroes are forgotten; no one recognizes their names any longer. Ill health or financial loss often means that they are home bound and sometimes their cars are taken away from them. They could use a visit or a ride to an event. Not all of these old racers are destitute financially, but they do miss the roaring crowds and fan adulation. In past issues I have mentioned how I befriended many of them and offered them rides to events. It’s very easy; just ask the promoter of an event if he knows anyone who needs a ride in your area. Over the years I have taken maybe 40 people to about a 100 events and I’ll tell you this much; whatever I did for them was nothing in comparison to what they did for me. I got to drive famous race car drivers and other hot rodders to events that I normally wouldn’t have gone to or made the effort to go.
I learned so much and people appreciated what I had done. In some cases the tickets were comped and in other cases I had to pay for them, but it didn’t matter. The important thing was that this was a chance to touch the past and learn from it and give these old timers a few more shots at hearing the crowds call out their names. Giving yourself to a cause to help others ends up benefitting the giver as much as the receiver. You can’t believe the number of people that I’ve met simply because I offered to help. There are never enough volunteers to go around. My only regret is that I didn’t start this when I was 20 instead of waiting until I was 50. There are thousands of people out there still with us who could use a hand up, a helping hand, a ride, a few minutes of our time to just bench race and relive their past. That’s one of the reasons that I wrote about Jack’s Garage in Fountain Valley, California. Jack and Nita Underwood open their home and garage every day of the week from 7 to 9:30 AM and the kind of people that come are true pioneers in my book. Such caring is common in hot rodding around the world. Whether you offer to help, or just open up your hearts and garages for others to meet, you are doing service to your fellow racers and hot rodders.
On another issue the recent AARWBA elections were held and here are the results. PRESIDENT; Dusty Brandel - 109, Susan Wade - 24, Lewis Franck - 1.
NATIONAL VP; Gil Bouffard – 65, Kathy Seymour – 65. Tie, to be resolved later.
WESTERN VP; Anne Proffit - 97, Jamie Reynolds - 33.
MIDWEST VP; Ron LeMasters Sr - 80, Nick Dettman - 48.
EASTERN VP; Lewis Franck - 120.
SOUTHERN VP; Joe Jennings - 81, Corinne Economaki - 49.
This election was a very heated one and this is not normal for this group of racing’s oldest professional journalistic association. Each and every candidate has an extensive list of credentials to argue their case for election. Congratulations to the winners and also to those who did not win, but put forth a strong case. I mention this because many of you within the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians are members and working journalists. Reporters, Broadcasters, Writers, Photographers and other journalists are eligible to join and I encourage you to do so. I am a member as well. AARWBA is not a union and they don’t collect payment like unions do. There is a $45 yearly dues which pays for overhead and upkeep and all the elected officials serve without pay. The Association looks after and tries to protect the interest of journalists who are often treated well at one track and cast aside at another. There was a time when race tracks catered to journalists who filled magazines and newspapers with many pages of news, public relation releases and free advertisement of their races and events. Today the amount of space given to auto racing is severely restricted, often no more than 500 words per event per day. Journalists and photojournalists were once kings of the track, but today are relegated to a corner or forced to buy a ticket to write on the event. Associations like AARWBA are trying to bring back the old days and restore our privileges which we once held. Google AARWBA and contact them for membership, even if you are only a part time journalist. The more members that they have the more clout they can exercise on our behalf.
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Michael and Tara Parks wish to announce the birth of their second son, Dane Wallace Parks who was born at 5:15 pm on Monday, 15 November 2010 at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, California. The proud parents said that mother and baby are doing well. Dane was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19 and 1/2 inches long. Dane’s grandfather is the SLSRH Newsletter’s editor, Richard Parks. Dane is the great-grandson of Wally Parks.
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You might want to ling this page to the next SLSH issue. It shows Danny Thompson's crash. Jim Miller
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Here is an article written by Erik Arneson from SPEED Channel on Team Hajek assault on its own 255 mph record at Bonneville during World Finals. See http://auto-racing.speedtv. com/article/arneson-heavily- baked-and-lightly-salted/. Danny Thompson
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http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/hot-rods-to-hell/190238/. We had a fun time with Ed Iskenderian when we were in L.A. a couple weeks ago, what a Time Capsule he is, to think that he and his pal John Athan still have the Hot Rods they built in the mid 1930's is awesome. Ed's a very special person. Ed's pal John Athan still owns the old Cam Shaft building on Sepulveda by the 405 Freeway, and like Jay say's the logo's still there. Bob Painton
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ZEUS Drag Racing, Monday November 15, 2010 7-9pm EST. Presenting "Top Fuel Legend" Joe Amato; S/S to Funny Car "Legend" Al Joniec; "Mid America Motorworks" Mike Yager; "Drag Racers Notebook" Jim Amos. Sam Auxier Jr Show Interviewing The Greatest Names In Racing; http://zeusradio.com/station/RacersReunionRadio/.
Call in 1-877-500-9387, Sam 3. http://racersreunionradio.com. Sam Auxier Jr
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THE CHRISMAN LEGACY is now taking pre-order requests. We are expecting the books to be available in the coming weeks; the end of November or the beginning of December. At this time we are taking payment for your order. By clicking on the following link you will be taken to the page to make your payment. http://www.thechrismanlegacy.com/order_new.html. Ed Justice Jr
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I noticed Bob Falcon was looking into board track info, specifically Culver City. Coincidently I have a customer’s board track racer I am restoring and have had to do quite a bit of research on the subject as of late. Here is a list I have compiled along with others that denotes the tracks city location, state, course length and period at which time they operated. I am also including a link to a board tack video that is hosted on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZY-MUx8qk&feature=related. This is phenomenal; all of us have heard the myths but I doubt there is anyone left that truly experienced it. Here is your only opportunity to actually see board track racing. Enjoy! If you encounter problems loading this video because it is large 10 minutes in length try the other links where it has been split into two parts or the Akron website where it is also hosted. Again it’s worth the trouble. Michael Brennan
USA BOARD TRACKS
Quite a few board tracks through the teens-20s, most were closer to the two coasts it seems. Most of the info I received from the late Gordon Betz, his father was the Beverly Hills steward and I believe Gordon worked at Culver but I would need to go back to my notes to be certain. Interesting note is that the Beverly Hills track was moved to Culver City. The track was a promotional tool financed by the home builders to entice people to buy homes in those areas.
Playa Del Rey, CA 1.0 mile 1910-1913
Elmhurst, CA 0.5mile 1911-1913
Chicago, IL (Maywood) 2.0 miles 1915-1917
Des Moines, IA 1.0 mile 1915-1917
Omaha, NE 1.25 miles 1915-1917
Brooklyn, NY (Sheepshead Bay) 2.0 miles 1915-1919
Uniontown, PA 1.125 miles 1916-1922
Cincinnati, OH 2.0 miles 1916-1919
Tacoma, WA 2.0 miles 1915-1921
Beverly Hills, CA 1.25 miles 1920-1924
Fresno, CA 1.0 mile 1920-1927
San Carlos, CA 1.25 miles 1921-1922
Coati, CA 1.25 miles 1921-1922
Kansas City, MO 1.25 miles 1922-1924
Altoona, PA 1.25 miles 1923-1931
Charlotte, NC 1.25 miles 1924-1927
Culver City, CA 1.25 miles 1924-1927
Salem, NH (Rockingham) 1.25 miles 1925-1927
Laurel, MD 1.125 miles 1925-1926
Miami, FL (Fulford-by-the-Sea) 1.25 miles 1926-1927
Amatol, NJ (Atlantic City) 1.5 miles 1926-1928
Woodbridge, NJ 0.5 mile 1929-1931
Akron , OH 0.5 mile (no dates)
Bridgeville, PA 0.5 mile (no dates)
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There is an error in the Remington piece regards his joining with the Howard Keck Racing Team. I know this is a piece that was published before but the history is inaccurate and I know this because I was close to the story and had mentioned it in print in the Norman Timbs story I crafted for The Alternate. If you would like me to write a bit relating to the true history, let me know. By the way it is nothing against Phil since I have known him since my high school days and have always had an enormous amount of respect for him as a person and a fabricator. Bob Falcon
Bob: Certainly I would like to have you write about this event and any other event that you remember from the past. History can never be explained by only one view and one side. I am going to publish your letter because this is an important issue; that of errors or mistakes in articles, stories or personal remembrances. In 182 issues we have only had 2 major problems and because our operating procedure is to work with the various parties we resolved those issues to the satisfaction of most of the parties. Errors are part of the job. We cannot do what we do without making errors, mostly because of the volume, but sometimes the information is false for other reasons. You are one of 12 people that receive the SLSRH Newsletter so that any errors that get by me can be caught. Sometimes the mistakes are a matter of opinion. Sometimes the submitters make an error and sometimes I make an error, as when you caught my mistake concerning the Ord V8, instead of the Ford V8. You pointed out that it wasn't Ford, but truly an Ord V8. Historians do not work in a vacuum and we must publish what we know and allow other historians to review our work and improve upon what we do. So you never need permission to write a rebuttal or another history and submit it. I never turn down anyone's submission. If I do I will explain my reasons and ask the sender to rewrite the article. A rewrite is very rare and a refusal even rarer. The SLSRH belongs to the members and I am simply their editor.
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The error appears on page 12, second paragraph that begins with, "...Remington later hooked up with Travers....." I knew Phil starting from about 1947 when he was a regular visitor at the West family household on Charles Avenue in Culver City. Phil and Dave West were old Dry Lakes Roadster buddies, Rem campaigned his SCTA Modified and Dave was associated with a car named "The Skippit." Dave's younger brother and I were neighborhood Culver City street roadster buddies. Dave had served in the US Navy as an Aviation Machinist Mate (Navy title for Aircraft Mechanic) and he befriended a Marine airplane mechanic named "Swede" Lindskog, who just happened to be a pretty successful, pre-WW2 oval race car driver. They were serving together at the Naval Air Station located on the island of Iwo Jima. As the war was winding down in the Pacific, the two decided that they would build a Midget Race Car so that Swede could hone his racing talent prior to his military discharge and he returned to his professional driving career. So they crafted the vehicle using a Japanese motorcycle engine for power. I have a photo of this car in my collection. Dave West was released from the military before Swede who directed him to call on John Balch, who operated a large auto repair shop on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. As Swede explained to Dave (and as Dave related to me); "...you are very good with this race car building and John campaigns a couple of Offy Midgets and he will give you a job..." Swede also provided Dave with a letter of introduction to John Balch and John did, if fact, hire him to manage his racing team that consisted of his own rail frame Midget and the second car owned by Bob Pankratz who was the body shop manager for Balch. Dave went to work for Balch and was listed in the 1946 Gilmore Speedway programs as the Chief Mechanic for the Balch Garage team. About that time Frank Kurtis began to manufacture his new design tube frame Midgets on an assembly line basis at his shop in Burbank. Balch purchased one of the first of these cars to be produced and hired Ed Haddad to drive it. Maintaining three Offy Midgets on a schedule that was in the process of expanding to several events around Los Angeles every week was a little too much for a single mechanic to handle. Jim Travers, a Dry Lakes friend of Dave and Remington had just been separated from the Army Air Corps, and was a good welder, so Dave got permission from Balch to hire him as a race car mechanic. Making a long story a bit shorter, at the end of the 1946 season John Balch sold his two midget racers to Howard Keck, a member of the Keck Oil family entity known as The Superior Oil Company and the mechanics went with the cars since Keck was a newcomer to the racing business. Later when Kurtis began to build much improved tube frame Midgets with torsion bar suspension systems, Keck purchased one of these. By that time the URA Blue Circuit was racing in Los Angeles four or five nights a week so the Keck team needed another mechanic. Phil Remington was at the top of Dave West's future employee list, but that is when Phil suffered the broken leg in a motorcycle accident. Frank Coon was hired as the third member of the racing team that was headed by Dave West. Howard Keck decided that he wanted to go Indianapolis 500 racing so he retained Norm Timbs, a local aeronautical engineer and designer to design a state of the art car similar to the Lou Moore Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials, front wheel drive cars designed by Timbs that had been the cars to beat at Indianapolis. This new car was built by Emil Deidt who had just partnered with Lugi Lesovsky in a race car building operation on Figueroa Street in the building, I am told, where the Curly Wettheroff shops were located. The car was finally assembled at the Superior Oil Company field office and shops located near Torrance, California. I was a regular visitor to this location in the evenings when the car was being assembled. Dave West, who I had great admiration for as a fabricator was not a formally trained designer, and his brother, became great friends of mine. Dave left the employ of Howard Keck after the 1948 Indy 500 and went to work at the Douglas Aircraft Company located in El Segundo. This misinformation about Jim Travers career in big time racing keeps cropping up with the claim that he and Swede met on Iwo and fabricated a midget for Swede to practice race car driving. These claims are false and if the writers who were mistaken by these statements did a little WW2 research they would discover that the Iwo Jima campaign was a US Navy and Marine Corps assignment. The role of the Army Air Corps was to make regular cargo runs to the island. As far as I have been told, the Jimmy Travers contribution to the Iwo Midget project was that he had procured the Bomb Cart Wheels that Dave and Swede used on the race car. This assumption of the identity of Dave West by Jimmy Travers irritates the two people I know of who have an involvement; Dave's younger brother Wayne and myself. I remain in close touch with Wayne and his wife, Ann. Bob Falcon
Bob: Thank you for the clarification on who was involved in the event. This has happened to me where I have used the sources available and believed them to be accurate, for a historian has to use what is available. I hope this helps others to clarify this event and end the misunderstanding. Travers’ accomplishments are worthy by themselves and do not need additional misrepresentation.
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Impound Insights; El Mirage Season Wrap. By Dan Warner
The October and November meets were cancelled due to heavy early fall rains and standing water. This means our season champs were decided in September. Miriam Macmillian, SCTA Secretary and Assistant Starter will carry number one in 2011. David Isely will have the number one plate for the motorcycle gang. The first three cars were separated by only nine points; it could have been an interesting end to the season. The El Mirage 200 MPH Club had three new members, Doug Macmillan, Miriam’s husband and the 2009 champ, in May. Ralph Hudson and Greg Watters joined the roster in September. Congratulations to all. The final season records set at El Mirage are: EL MIRAGE CAR RECORDS
10.A Special Construction Category
Blown Fuel Streamliner - /BFS
XF Costella/Yacoucci/Pappas/Stevens R. Yacoucci 07/10 238.321
Blown Gas Streamliner - /BGS
XF Erik Hansson R. Lundring 06/10 199.511
Unblown Gas Streamliner - /GS
J Costella & Cunha T. Cunha 07/10 149.640
XF Costella/Yacoucci/Pappas/Stevens R. Yacoucci 09/10 183.123
Unblown Fuel Lakester - /FL
K Costella-Dennee M. Brading 09/10 158.873
Blown Gas Lakester - /BGL
V4F Greg Martinez G. Martinez 07/10 147.761
Unblown Gas Lakester - /GL
K Costella-Dennee M. Brading 07/10 156.606
10.B Vintage Category
Blown Fuel Modified Roadster - /BFMR
H Eyres Moreland Holt T. Holt 09/10 157.501
Blown Gas Modified Roadster - /BGMR
H Eyres Moreland Lintner M. Lintner 07/10 161.443
Unblown Gas Modified Roadster - /GMR
AA Salty Dogs Racing J. Rank 07/10 224.413
Unblown Gas Rear Engine Modified Roadster - /GRMR
C Low Sodium W. Boelcke 09/10 192.404
Blown Fuel Roadster - /BFR
H Eyres Moreland Eyres R. Eyres 06/10 152.852
Blown Street Roadster - /BSTR
C Vintage Hot Rod J. Beck 09/10 207.449
V4F R2 Racin’ R. Reed 07/10 124.934
Unblown Street Roadster - /STR
F Mariani Farms D. Mariani 09/10 170.005
V4F Lattin & Gillette W. Lattin 06/10 114.649
Unblown Vintage Gas Altered Coupe - /VGALT
XXF Ferguson Osborn T. Osborn 06/10 145.599
Unblown Vintage Gas Coupe - /VGC
V4F Lattin & Gillette W. Lattin 09/10 85.070
10.D Modified Category
Unblown Fuel Competition Coupe - /FCC
F Hondata CRX M. Macmillan 07/10 184.417
Blown Gas Competition Coupe - /BGCC
H Hondata CRX M. Macmillan 09/10 186.519
Unblown Gas Competition Coupe - /GCC
H Hondata CRX M. Macmillan 05/10 136.230
Unblown Fuel Altered Coupe - /FALT
XXO Harris & Wester R. Ross 05/10 170.492
Blown Gas Altered Coupe - /BGALT
G Hondata RSX D. Macmillan 07/10 201.607
Unblown Gas Modified Sports - /GMS
B Jesel & Cook M. Cook Sr 05/10 214.100
Blown Modified Mid-Mini Pickup - /BMMP
F White Goose bar Racing K. Pederson 05/10 162.910
10.E Production Category
Production Supercharged - /PS
H Kruse D. Kruse 06/10 135.712
Production Mid-Mini Pickup - /P/MP
F Steve’s Machine P. Shotrosky 07/10 137.682
MOTORCYCLE RECORDS
175cc
A-BG Team McLeish TZ S. Mattern 09/10 133.129
250cc
P-P Mercury J. Manning 07/10 135.797
500cc
P-PP Len Jones L. Jones 06/10 113.315
SC-PF Screwball W. Anderson 09/10 120.157
650cc
APS-G Van Butler Racing C. Butler 05/10 177.238
P-P Honda Racing R. Leclercq 07/10 164.928
750cc
A-BG Higgins/Watters J. Higgins 09/10 195.198
APS-BF Watters & Higgins & Noonan G. Watters 09/10 201.073
APS-F Ralph Hudson R. Hudson 09/10 191.950
SC-F Riches Nelson K. Riches 06/10 153.959
SC-PBG MPH Racing H. Meeker 07/10 132.673
SCS-F Team McLeish Bros. D. McLeish 07/10 169.362
SCS-G Team McLeish Bros. D. McLeish 06/10 152.462
1000cc
A-G Jamie Wagner J. Wagner 07/10 172.965
APS-G Ralph Hudson R. Hudson 09/10 203.774
A-VG Dave Iverson Knuckle D. Iverson 07/10 132.509
P-P Jamie Wagner J. Pflum 07/10 193.215
1350cc
SC-PBG Isley Racing D. Isley 09/10 161.273
SC-PG Isley Racing D. Isley 07/10 159.034
1650cc
APS-BF Noonan/Derwin/Moreland J. Noonan 07/10 252.035
APS-BG Noonan/Derwin/Moreland J. Noonan 09/10 248.327
P-P Shooting Star S. Chappell 09/10 191.895
3000cc
SC-PF Tri-Pod II W. Eller 07/10 170.632
The Top Speed of the Year for cars and motorcycles were both set at the July meet with Rick Yacoucci at 238.321 and John Noonan at 252.035 respectively. Complete results for the year can be viewed at www.scta-bni.org. Click on El Mirage in the left column. The next event will be held at El Mirage on May 14/15, 2011. See everyone there! Dan Warner
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I've added the link for the newsreel of the 1934 Gilmore Gold Cup at Mines Field. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8hPymtL1_A. Michael Brennan
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All the phone numbers that I had for Don Gillespie are no longer working. Anyone have a good number (or email) for him? Harry Pallenberg at www.wheretheyraced.com.
Harry: I don't, but I will circulate your email.
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POMONA, California. Organizers of the annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, and the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion have announced new dates for the popular nostalgic weekend festivals. “Start your engines and plan ahead for next year, race fans!” said Reunion Director Tony Thacker, “The new dates for the 2011 Reunions were selected to best accommodate NHRA race fans, and we’ll be better than ever in 2011.” In 2011, the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion will now take place on Thursday through Saturday, June 16-18 at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY. The new dates will provide Reunion fans more action on the track with night racing on Friday and allow fans to spend Father’s Day with family. In 2011, the 20th Anniversary California Hot Rod Reunion will take place on Friday through Sunday, Oct. 21-23 at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway in McFarland, CA. Tickets to the 2011 Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion go on sale Dec. 16, 2010 and tickets for the 2011 California Hot Rod Reunion go on sale June 16, 2011. To purchase tickets online and information on HOT ROD REUNION events, http://www.museum.nhra.com/apcm/templates/general.asp?articleid=676&zoneid=41&navsource=reunions. MEDIA CONTACT: Monique Valadez, Education and Public Relations Manager. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Building 3A; Pomona CA, 91768.
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Subject: LEE TAYLOR'S HUSTLER JET HYDRO. Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010
Besides my interest in Unlimited hydroplane racing, I have also followed the Water Speed Record jet boats. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Lee Taylor's HUSTLER hull? Sponsored by Harvey Aluminum. It set a then-World Speed Record at Lake Guntersville, Alabama, 276 mph, around 1967 or so. I do know that the hull was owned by Jim Deist in 1999. Deist was a well-known manufacturer of drag car parachutes and fire-retardant drivers' suits. Deist had a lady driver run it once, as Kaptain Krazy, but they only hit 225 mph. Deist has since passed away, but I'm wondering where is the boat now? Somehow I recall that Deist resided in Glendale, California. I would appreciate any information you may have. Bob Senior
Bob: About 7 or 8 years ago Don Edwards and I visited Jim and Marion Deist at their home. Deist showed us the Hustler that he purchased with the intention of racing it again to try and get the waterspeed record. The Rich Hallett Sr designed and built boat is similar in style to Don's boat that was to have a turbine and not a jet engine as the power plant. The only difference in the two boats was the external compartments housing the engines behind the driver. Don's boat, almost identical, had a squarish cover while the Hustler had a rounded covering. For more information on the Hustler and Lee Taylor see my book review at; http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/bookreviews/07runtogloryrp/. A tragic fire destroyed the Deist home a few years after that, but the barn was spared and we last heard that the boat was still there, unscathed. Jim passed away and Marion Deist is now running the safety equipment firm. The address is Deist Safety, 641 Sonora Avenue Glendale, CA 91201 (818) 240-7866. I don't have Don's phone number, but his last residence was in the Solvang, California area and you might be able to track him down through the operator. Don Edwards and Rich Hallett Jr probably have the most extensive knowledge of the Hustler. Rich Hallett Jr moved to the Arizona side of the Colorado River and has a shop there. Don's boat was cut up and sold for scrap metal by a volunteer of the Hydroplane Museum in Seattle in a monumental misunderstanding. Though Don's boat did not get a chance to set the record, it was a remarkable Rich Hallett Sr design and its loss simply cannot be measured. While I edit the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter (at www.landspeedracing.com), we realize the importance of motorboat racing throughout the world. Motorboat racing is older than the land speed and road course racing groups. You can find book reviews on boat racing at our sister website; www.hotrodhotline.com. The Hustler appeared to be in good condition, but had a few cracks on the upper deck. It is not the same boat that Lee Taylor crashed in and perished.
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The Sam Auxier Jr Show, Monday November 22, 2010, 7-9PM EST. Presenting Top Fuel & Funny Car Legend Tom "Mongoose" McEwen; From S/S Magazine to Show Cars; You Know Legend Photographer Francis Butler Butler; Writer To Photographer Latest Book; Yenko Chevy "Legend" Bob McClurg; Drag Racers Notebook Jim Amos. See http://zeusradio.com/station/RacersReunionRadio/. Call In 1-877-500-9387xSam 3. Archived Shows see http://racersreunionradio.com.
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Not only is Page Jones a Racing Hero, he is an extraordinary human being for us all to learn from. Please watch his story so he may inspire you the way he has inspired me; he is beyond compare. I request that you forward this email to your friends and family and share his courageous story. Sempre amore, Andy Granatelli
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For the Page Jones Video see http://www.site.godspeedpj.com/. Page Jones Named Grand Marshal for Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix. 11/2010 Vintage Motorsport-The Journal of Motor Racing History. See Page.bmp.
Irwindale, CA - His father won the Indy 500 in 1963 and the annual Turkey Night race twice (in 1964 and again in '66), and Page Jones, son of the legendary Parnelli Jones, younger brother of driver P.J. Jones, was himself on the trail toward motorsports fame when a violent crash in September of 1994 ended his promising career and almost took his life. This year he'll preside over the 70th annual Thanksgiving Night Midget Grand Prix as the event's Grand Marshal, a well-deserved honor for a very brave young man. Jones' story since that awful night in Rossberg, Ohio, when his life as a racing driver ended and the challenge of bringing himself virtually back to life is a truly inspiring one. Doctors who had warned his family that Page might not even survive his injuries at first, and then cautioned that he might not ever regain the use of his limbs, or be able to speak, have been amazed at Page's progress as he has fought back against all odds. "Everyone here is very pleased that Page has accepted our invitation to act as Grand Marshal for the 70th running of the Thanksgiving Night classic," said Toyota Speedway VP/GM Bob DeFazio. "Page is one of the most inspirational young people I've ever met; he was on the road to becoming one of the best ever to drive a race car. In reality, though, he's doing more for understanding head injury rehabilitation than all of the glory that he's missed on the race track." A big part of Page's personal outreach is his association with a documentary motion picture company that's putting together a film about his life and his remarkable road back. It is hoped that this story Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones, will inspire and provide hope for the 1.4 million people who are affected by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) per year in the U.S. Information and an early look at the film can be found at: www.godspeedpj.com. This will be the 12th year that the Speedway has hosted this decades-old traditional night of open wheel racing and each race has been an epic battle for the honor of having ones name inscribed as that year’s winner on the J.C. Agajanian Trophy. That perpetual trophy carries the name of every winner back to the first: Bob Swanson at LA's Gilmore Stadium in 1934
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I received a call this afternoon from Bob North, he said that Tom Shaden's girlfriend called him early this morning and informed him that Tom died this morning at 2:30 am. Tom ran sprint cars and was the go to guy at Roy Richter’s Bell Auto Parts. He later became President of Cragar Industries and then after retiring he worked with Simpson setting up their hospitality center at the Brickyard. I don't know more but if I can come up with some nice old stories I'll pass them along. Michael Brennan
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You've probably already figured by just reading the subject line for this message that newsletters have been paired back to a less frequent reporting interval; mainly because not much has happened. What has occurred, I will share here. My unsuccessful bid for public office has put me back into part-time work in the classroom as a substitute, now that I'm retired from full-time work. Likewise, our bid for arranging a test session last month fell through because our own government bureaucrats decided they wanted to make it as difficult as possible for us to use their facility - paid for by our tax dollars - by charging us an exorbitant amount of capital which our project could not muster together. So, we were forced to drop the whole notion of conducting any tests this year. However, looking on the bright side of the situation, this has provided the team with lots of time over this winter to continue necessary modifications of the NAE that are needed before it runs again next spring or summer. Mid-wheel station wheel wells have been fabricated so that dust kicked up during a run will no longer accumulate a "truck load" of fine powder inside the main landing gear doors bay when the doors are opened to remove the mid-wheels for loading into the travel trailer. A more reliable deployment system has been made to the rear cans which hold the parachutes as well, but the main bulk of work being done now is in the cyber realm of powerful computing. Computational fluid dynamic analysis is being conducted by aerodynamicists using our sponsors powerful software and computers from Geomagic and Lenovo. Along with determining potential build up of airflow pressure when the car makes future test runs into the transonic speed range above 570mph, our focus is to determine just how to best cover the exposed rear suspension, and parachute cans, which sticks out from the car's body. Mitigating "dirty air", or turbulents which could add both drag and instability on the rear of the car, is our goal in figuring the most appropriate way to fair this portion. Are you as eager as we are to see this project take a shot at the record? We're not going to ask you to donate to our project in order to fund it; especially in this economy. However, you can do your part to promote this project, and it won't cost you anything more than time and effort. Do you know someone, or a business owner who might be looking for an opportunity to promote their business through such a high visibility project like ours? If so, then we ask you to contact them and direct them to our web site. Invite them to check it out, and perhaps consider contacting the driver/owner - Ed Shadle. You never know what might develop! Our intention is to pin down sufficient funding by next summer to mount an assault on the record; most likely in the fall season in eastern Nevada. There are still a few other details to work out regarding peripheral logistics related to making this happen. But, if we can get a financial backing, it certainly will make it that much more certain to happen. More to come, Jon M. Higley C.I.O./E.A.D. Crew Lead/Webmaster North American Eagle, Inc. http://www.landspeed.com
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You should have been there! But you can get the DVD There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. See http://www.deuceofspadesmovie.com/. Ron Main
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On September 11, 2010 a media preview of a new exhibit took place that will become a permanent structure of the Henry Ford Museum located in Dearborn, Michigan. This new exhibit titled Racing in America will serve to provide insight to the visitors of the Ford Motor Company history of involvement in automobile racing. All types of American motor racing will be featured including stock cars, open wheel cars, sports cars, drag racing vehicles, winged sprint cars and land-speed record cars. The exhibit will encompass a space size of 22,000 square feet and will feature many interactive displays. The information will be linked to educational institutions. The Henry Ford Museum located a mere 10 miles west of Detroit and features standing display topics of The Automobile in American Life. The Museum also features powerful educational tools about history, science and physics. Another site is Ford's well known Greenfield Village which depicts actual structures of a small farming town from the early 20th century. The village also has, not only the actual Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop complete with all the furnishings and equipment but the family residence that stood next door to the shop. You can check it out on line at www.racinginamerica.com. Bob Falcon
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I want to let you know that I saw the Deuces Of Spades film at the premier in Fillmore, California and it was excellent. The ride was long but definitely worth it. I have not received word from Delynn Mason on about transaxles yet. He is perfecting a 7-speed transaxle currently. Unfortunately, my computer has been down for almost 2 weeks and I am using my work's computer I will try to down load what I have on pictures. I will be building my Flathead engine together with Will Mederious, an expert on flatheads referred to me by whiz flathead Engine Builder Tony Lloyd. I will learn his techniques as I build with him. Interestingly the engine I am working on is a 1941 flathead and I was told that the cam Degree on this engine is 1 degree off verses the 46'-48' 59 AB. Good ol' Henry built the cranks offset. Now I know why these engines have a lot of mystery to them. I will catch you next time with some pictures. Spencer Simon
Spencer: How about writing a movie review which I will publish in the SLSRH?
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Speedway Motors Streamliner; The Speedway Motors-sponsored MacKichan & Schulz streamliner ended a 22-year racing career in September with a pair of nearly identical passes at 324 mph and 322 mph, establishing a new D/FS land speed record of 323.3mph. The record-breaking runs took place during the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association World of Speed meet at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Co-owners John MacKichan and Tim Schulz (who is also the car’s driver) designed and built the streamliner in the late-1980s and have re-engineered portions of it to remain competitive over the past two decades. Through the years, the 26-foot long, 3,000-pound bullet has competed in a variety of classes using several different small-block Chevy engine configurations, setting eight records along the way. This USFRA D/FS record was set using a nitrous-injected 302ci small-block Chevy engine. Changing rules render the car obsolete for future competition, so it is being restored and will go on permanent display at the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed, where MacKichan oversees museum operations. For more information on the museum, visit www.MuseumofAmericanSpeed.com. See also; www.SpeedwayMotors.com. Speedway Motors is America’s Oldest Speed Shop and has made street rodding safe, fun and affordable since 1952. Taken from www.hotrodhotline.com.
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After four years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears, Faith Granger’s Deuce of Spades film is DONE. And Sunday November 14th, 2010 she got to share it with the world for the very first time. This was a time for celebration. And not just any kind of celebration: A completely authentic 1950's celebration that made you think you just stepped out of a time machine and into the fifties. Mike Levy from www.hotrodhotline.com
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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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