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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
President's Corner, Editorials, Petersen Automotive Museum Panel Discussion: Past Present and Future of Drag Racing, Sure Richard no problem Use what you like Sam Hawley, I read your review of the movie Deuce of Spades, This YouTube video is of exceptional interest featuring Don Ferguson Jr and Alex Xydias, The Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club announces the 18th Annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame and ‘GAS-UP’ Party will be held in Buellton California on Saturday April 30 2011, Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame (updated January 2010) Oilstick Home by Evelyn Roth, I visited with Fred Chapparo figuring he might have a clue and it turns out that I was correct with my assumption, I just read your review of Faith Granger's "Deuce of Spades", Automotive Radio Network presents the Sam Auxier Junior Show, Editor’s notes: A member of the SLSRH is looking for people who knew Mauri Rose, I can send you a lot of written info about myself and Ed Winfield and some about Clifford H. Collins, About Mauri Rose he passed away on January 1 1981, A while back there was an e-mail sent I think from Ed Justice Jr about ID'ing a land speed looking car, Editor’s notes: We have been trying to find out as much information as we can on Ed Adams and Arthur C Tilton, I have been following with interest the stories about restoring Europe's first dragster, Steve Gibbs -- NHRA Director of Competition – Gentleman by Don Prieto (1998), Green Monster: Lee Pendleton interview by Samuel Hawley, The Petersen Automotive Museum February Through July 2011 Exhibitions & Events, Petersen Automotive Museum to Celebrate "Deuce Week" Honoring The 80th Anniversary Of The 1932 Ford, Revised 2011 schedule for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway sent in by John Bisci, Left to right; Veda Orr, Bob Sweikert, Marion Sweikert and Karl Orr
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President's Corner:
Jim Miller is on assignment and will return next week. Spencer Simon joins us as our Northern California reporter. Welcome aboard Spencer.
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Editorial:
I hope that you are as amazed as I am with the fine work that Sam Hawley has done in his interviews with land speeders. His interviews are crisp and informative and we can only hope that he decides to do another book on our sport. I received a note from a reader stating, “I read the newsletter at www.landspeedracing.com and you made some errors. Shouldn’t books and magazines be underlined?” The reader is right, and when I send my newsletter to the websites I double check everything. But in the process of taking what I compile and placing it on the website, some things are left out. It isn’t a flawless process and the website owner and staff are providing me with a free service and they are always pleasant and helpful to Jim, Roger and me. To ask the website people to take extra time away from their business is just something that I am not willing to do. So, yes, the newsletter does lack some of the markings and under-linings that I put into the original, but in the long run it isn’t that important and we can figure out that Hot Rod magazine should be underlined and also italicized. Sometimes I am at fault and sometimes it is the spell check that I use. But I don’t consider it to be a mistake when in the “copy and pasting” process the computer does not pick up these losses. I do check out the on-line editions and if it really affects the understanding of the item, then the burden is on my shoulders to rewrite it so that it is clear when it goes on the website. All mistakes and errors stop at the editor’s (mine) desk.
Here’s another one; “In the Newsletter you put that Ken Eichert passed away last night February 14, 2010. You might want to let the others know that the year should be 2011.” Wrote a reviewer. I have a number of reviewers who check over the newsletter before it is posted on-line. I make mistakes, responders to the newsletter make mistakes and even my reviewers let this slip through, but Anita caught it. There are times when I am reading one of the hot rod magazines and as an editor I look for such mistakes. They occur even though editors and writers scan and re-scan their work. Even proof readers miss these errors. But a good publication tries to limit mistakes and Jim, Roger and I really care about having a reliable and accurate newsletter. Have you noticed that I have editorialized about this in the past; how you, the readers are also editors and we want you to let us know if you spot something that’s incorrect. How often are you nagged by the other magazines and newspapers that you subscribe to? Do they chastise you for not catching their mistakes? The reason that we do this to you is because as a historical society we want to set the bar as high as we can when it comes to quality. We don’t have a professional staff because we have no income to pay them. So we rely on you, the members, to take it upon yourselves to be assistant editors and inform us when we err. Sometimes what we publish is opinions based on the facts that we have learned. In that case you are free to comment and add what you feel to be the truth. In other situations, please feel free to respond on any subject related to straight-line racing and hot rodding. This is your society too.
The Seaport Museum in New York City is under great financial distress according to an article sent in by Ron Main. The recession has dropped revenues substantially and the museum, housing eleven sailing ships and priceless artifacts of sailing history is deeply in debt. Employees have been laid off and directors have been resigning. While this is not a land speed racing museum, it represents the plight of museums throughout the country. As museums face the loss of donations and support from organizations and governments, they face economic bankruptcy and that in turn forces them to make choices that they would prefer not to make. One choice is to sell off their artifacts. When you make a donation to your favorite museum, you expect that they will honor your request by keeping it on display forever, with your name prominently listed as the donor. But museums can only do that when the economy is booming and money is flowing in; when the money stops they have to find ways to firm up their balance sheets. Otherwise they begin a downward spiral; laying off workers, borrowing money or selling off parts of their collections. This has already happened in Cleveland, with the sale of some of the cars in the Crawford collection. As I recall from previous emails received from our readers, about 40 to 50 valuable vehicles have been sold out of the total collection of 140 cars in the original donation.
It doesn’t do much good to blame the present board, or the past boards, or anyone else at this point. They made poor decisions that at the time looked like good decisions and now they realize that bankruptcy is staring them in the face. Times were good back in 2000 and growth was viewed as a way to expand the reputation of the museum. So why not borrow and build and grow and expand. Debt can always be repaid, right? It wasn’t only museums that fell under this delusion; millions of people did the same thing. Borrow and expand, that was the way to success. So we were wrong. Some individuals and institutions managed to work their way out of the problems created by their own debt and the recession. They paid down debt by selling off assets, letting some employees go and doing whatever else they had to do to survive. Then we had a small boom in the economy and we went right back to our old habits and borrowed to the hilt and expanded our operations. But this time there is a feeling that the good boom times are not coming back and the last four years have seen a grinding away of our will as well as our assets. This time museums cannot run back to their donors, because those donors are pretty much depleted. The museums and libraries can’t ask for more money from the local governments, for they have deep debt burdens as well. That leaves three choices; sell off artifacts, lay off more employees or simply go bankrupt and close their doors.
In any case, the result is often that the valuable collectibles are sold off. The previous promises made to donors of artifacts are ignored. They have to be ignored or the whole institution fails. That prized and valuable race car that you donated may be the first to go. Or those racing suits, helmets, trophies, plaques, photographs or other collectibles are sold. What choice does the director have? It costs money to create and sustain a museum or library and the director has to raise it to pay the bills. The administrator is between a rock and a hard spot. Bills for rent, utilities, salaries, supplies, protective services, janitorial and other costs keep coming. He has to raise the money from some place. But you have a “promise” from the previous director, right? These are promises that the administrator shouldn’t have made. Promises that the former director regrets having made to you. He has a choice, keep his promises to you and see the museum fail. Or he can break his promises to you and try and keep the museum afloat. I encourage people to donate to museums with both money and objects. What will we do with them? Eventually we won’t be alive and our families won’t want these automotive artifacts. They have to go somewhere if they are to be preserved. Museums are a wonderful home for our treasures. But you must clearly understand the options that you have and the options that museums have. If you randomly and unthinkingly give objects away and expect your wishes to always be honored, then you haven’t done your homework and you will be disappointed.
Here is another great event. The Main Street Malt Shop and Santa Ana Airport Drag Strip Reunion is set for Saturday, May 7, 2011 in Santiago Park. The event will start at 10 AM and end around 3 PM. The park is located on the border of Santa Ana and the City of Orange. Directions: From Main Street, go east on East Memory Lane for two street lights, or about 1000 feet. At the second light, turn to your right and go down into the parking lot at the bottom of the creek, which is paved. The reunion is next to the parking lot in plain sight. The reunion and parking are free. This reunion celebrates the early drag racers and hot rodders who raced at the Santa Ana Airport drag strip in the 1950's. Photographs and scrapbooks will be available to look at. This information was provided by Leslie Long, who raced at Santa Ana in the very early days and is the historian for this great drag strip and the dry lakes. Leslie’s goal is to find every run at every meet and record it for posterity. This is one of my favorite reunions because this was the first professionally run drag strip. There were others, such as Goleta and around Pomona, but they were impromptu affairs and often lasted for only a few meets. The Santa Ana Airport drag strip was run as a business by C. J. “Pappy” Hart and intended to continue on, which it did for ten years. All other drag strips owe their operating plan to the vision of Pappy. We need to encourage as many as we can who raced there to show up and also the younger generation to come and learn. Bring your tape recorders and come and have a great time. Remember, this reunion cannot last much longer since it celebrates the decade from 1950 to 1959.
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Petersen Automotive Museum Panel Discussion: Past, Present, and Future of Drag Racing. Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 7:30 p.m. Howard Gallery. Spend an evening at the Petersen Automotive Museum hearing the first-hand accounts of drag racing from the early decades of the NHRA all the way to current racers and what is in store for the next generation. Special guests: Bob Muravez, a.k.a. Floyd J. Lippencotte, Jr., early member of the Road Kings of Burbank known for mastering the twin-engined "Freight Train" dragster in the 1960s who is currently active in NHRA vintage racing. Jerry Darien, former L.A. school teacher, driver (winner of 1981 Winternationals, Top Alcohol Dragsters) and car owner who has helped young racers like Gary Scelzi, Ashley Force Hood and many others on their way to NHRA event wins and championships. He is currently the crew chief to Brittany and Courtney Force in A/Fuel Dragsters. �Jack Beckman will be driving the Aaron's/Valvoline Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing in 2011 after finishing fourth in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series for Fuel Funny Car. He was 2003 NHRA Super Comp Champion and currently holds the Funny Car speed record (quarter-mile) at 333.66 mph. This program is free for museum members and included in the cost of regular admission for non members ($10 for adults, $5 for seniors/students, $3 for children 5-12 years, children under 5 years free). Members will receive free parking validation. The museum will reopen at 7 p.m. Reservations recommended. Please contact Clayton Drescher at [email protected] or 323-964-6347 for more information or to RSVP. Sent in by Albert Wong
Albert: Thank you for the notice. It came in after I sent the newsletter to publisher and the next issue will be on the 23rd, too late to help the Petersen, but it will alert our readers to activities sponsored by the museum.
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Sure, Richard, no problem. Use what you like. Sam Hawley
Sam: Thank you for the usage of the interviews. They are tremendous.
Readers: Go to www.samuelhawley.com and read all of his interviews. They represent some of the finest research I have seen from men that we don’t normally hear about, but who have changed our sport immensely.
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I read your review of the movie Deuce of Spades. I looked on Amazon.com and it wasn't available there. I was wondering where it could be purchased. Thanks, Skip Bradlee
Skip: From what I have been able to find out, the movie isn't available in stores or in theaters. I purchased my copy directly from the Filmmaker, Faith Granger at the Grand National Roadster Show in January. You might try to see if you can purchase the DVD from the movie's website. It is at: http://www.deuceofspadesmovie.com/. I will also try and contact Ms Granger and see where the DVD is available. I've had a lot of comments on the film and so I am curious about where it is available. I believe she will also have copies at various car shows in the area. It is an exceptional film. When you see the movie, compare it to the review and tell me your opinion of both. I always like to get feedback to see how close I come to getting it right.
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Just to let you know that I went on the web site and ordered the movie. You can get them autographed. Plus they have posters and pictures that you can get autographed for a charge. But it's cool. Can't wait to get the movie. I think I might start popping the popcorn right now! Thanks, Skip Bradlee
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This YouTube video is of exceptional interest featuring Don Ferguson Jr and Alex Xydias. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvVVKC_7dXg. William Hoddinott
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The Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club announces the 18th Annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame and ‘GAS-UP’ Party will be held in Buellton, California on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The Club is excited about the new Spring date which will kick-off the racing season and expects an exceptional turn-out. The event begins at 9:00 am, and includes a Buellton-style Barbeque lunch followed by the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony and then concludes with raffle prizes until 5:00 pm. Land Speed and Dry Lakes racers, hot-rodders and other interested enthusiasts inclined to bench race with famous, and infamous, racers are invited to attend this entertaining and memorable event. Photos of past events, a list of Hall of Fame Members, (like Al Teague, Vic Edelbrock, Sr. & Jr., Ed Iskenderian, Art Arfons, Craig Breedlove, Wally Parks, Mickey Thompson, Alex Xydias, Ak Miller, Nick Arias, Jr., Don Vesco, Ab Jenkins, Paula Murphy, Gale Banks, Eddie Meyer and so many more). Space has always been limited and veteran attendees know that pre-registration is highly recommended. Tickets purchased early are $42, (a limited number will be available at the door for $55).
The 2011 inductees are: Historical Race Vehicle; Mormon Meteor, Presently Running Race Vehicle; Ferguson Streamliner, Motorcycle; ACK Attack, People Who Have Contributed; Alan Fogliadini, Harry Hoffman Sr., Joyce Jensen, Judy Sights, Chuck Small, Larry Volk, People from the Past; Ed Adams, Gene Burkland, Jack Calori, Art Tilton, Manufacturer; JAZ Products, Historian; Ed Safarik. The Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame began in 1992 as a one-time event of the Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club to honor a few people thought to have made a difference in hot-rodding and dry lakes racing. The party was such a success that the following year the first official “Gas-Up” event was held at club member Jack Mendenhall’s Petroleum Museum in Buellton, and evolved into this much-anticipated annual event. Each year the GCR&R Club solicits votes from all 12 SCTA Clubs, current Hall of Fame members, the Bonneville and El Mirage 200 MPH Clubs, USFRA and ECTA to recognize and honor those outstanding individuals who have contributed significantly to the sport of land speed racing on the dry lake beds, past and present – car owners, drivers, builders, manufacturers, sponsors, event volunteers, and the media who preserve the history for everyone. In addition, and of equal importance, is to honor outstanding vehicles that have been created by these talented people. To put your name on the mailing list for a registration packet which will include a map and local hotel listings (mailed in March), or for information on how to advertise in the award-winning ‘Keepsake’ program please call or write the Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club at the address or phone number listed below or email the Club Secretary at [email protected]. Mailing Address; P.O. Box 1234, Buellton, CA 93427. The telephone number is; 805-245-8519. Sent in by Don Oaks
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Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame (updated January 2010) Oilstick Home, by Evelyn Roth
Chuck Abbott Year inducted 2005
Multy Aldrich Year inducted 1998
Don Alderson Year inducted 2002
Keith Allen Year inducted 2005
Art Arfons Year inducted 1995
Joaquin Arnett Year inducted 1997
Nick Arias Jr Year inducted 1996
Bill Baldwin Year inducted 2007
Gale Banks Year inducted 2001
Glen Barrett Year inducted 1999
Gray Baskerville Year inducted 2003
Dean Batchelor Year inducted 1995
Steve Batchelor Year inducted 2005
Tom Beatty Year inducted 2000
Ron Benham Year inducted 1997
Ernie Bennett Year inducted 2005
George Bentley Year inducted 1998
Keith Black Year inducted 2003
Noel Black Year inducted 2003
Don Blair Year inducted 1997
Craig Breedlove Year inducted 1995
Vance Breese Year inducted 2008
Bob Brissette Year inducted 2001
Ray Brock Year inducted 1998
Racer Brown Year inducted 2000
Mark Brazeau Year inducted 2009
Tom Bryant Year inducted 2002
Warren Bullis Year inducted 2004
Larry Burford Year inducted 2007
Bill Burke Year inducted 1996
Clark Cagle Year inducted 2000
Gary Cagle Year inducted 1997
George Callaway Year inducted 1999
Dave Campos Year inducted 2002
Tony Capanna Year inducted 1992
Fred Carrillo Year inducted 1998
Don Carr Year inducted 2001
Lee Chapel Year inducted 1999
Mel Chastain Year inducted 2002
Art Chrisman Year inducted 1994
Don Clark Year inducted 2003
Ron Cohn Year inducted 2007
Doug Cook Year inducted 2002
Mike Cook Year inducted 1998
Penny Cook Year inducted 2004
Frank Coon Year inducted 2001
Wes Cooper Year inducted 1999
Jack Costella Year inducted 2006
Roy Creel Year inducted 2006
J. Otto Crocker Year inducted 1997
Bruce Crower Year inducted 2006
Jim Culbert Year inducted 2005
Don Cummins Year inducted 1995
Tom Cusack Year inducted 2009
Dennis Dalton Year inducted 2002
Fred Dannenfelzer Year inducted 2000
Pete Dean Year inducted 2003
Glen Deeds Year inducted 2002
Mark Dees Year inducted 1998
Jim Deist Year inducted 1995
Ed Donovan Year inducted 2003
Julian Doty Year inducted 1999
Jim Dunn Year inducted 2006
Vic Edelbrock Jr Year inducted 1997
Vic Edelbrock Sr Year inducted 1994
Bill Edwards Year inducted 2000
Chavin Emmons Year inducted 2003
Kent Enderle Year inducted 2003
Quin Epperly Year inducted 2008
Earl Evans Year inducted 1996
Tom Evans Year inducted 2006
Russ Eyres Year inducted 2006
Don Ferguson Sr Year inducted 2001
Don Ferguson Jr Year inducted 2007
Don Ferguson III Year inducted 2008
Jim Feuling Year inducted 2008
George Fields Year inducted 2004
Don Francisco Year inducted 1995
Glenn Freudenberger Year inducted 2003
Phil Freudiger Year inducted 2005
Ted Frye Year inducted 2003
Gary Gabelich Year inducted 2002
Bruce Geisler Year inducted 1998
Elmo Gillette Year inducted 2001
Rick Gold Year inducted 2008
Andy Granatelli Year inducted 1999
Bud Greenleaf Year inducted 2005
Emil Grisotti Year inducted 1997
Scott Guthrie Year inducted 2009
Seth Hammond Year inducted 1999
Tanis Hammond Year inducted 2009
Kenny Harman Year inducted 1999
Duke Hallock Year inducted 2005
Ernie Hashim Year inducted 2001
Meb Healy Year inducted 2009
Carl Heap Year inducted 2002
Bob Hedman Year inducted 2006
Chet Herbert Year inducted 2001
Bob Herda Year inducted 1998
Bob Higbee Year inducted 1994
Stu Hilborn Year inducted 1997
Wes Hutchens Year inducted 2006
Ermie Immerso Year inducted 2003
Ed Iskenderian Year inducted 1994
Kong Jackson Year inducted 1999
Wendy Jeffries Year inducted 2007
Ab Jenkins Year inducted 1999
Jim Jensen Year inducted 2008
Bob Joehnck Year inducted 1993
Harold Johansen Year inducted 2005
Howard Johansen Year inducted 1997
Bruce Johnston Year inducted 1999
Barry Kaplan Year inducted 2001
Bob Kehoe Year inducted 2003
Lee Kennedy Year inducted 2009
Bill Kenz Year inducted 1999
Chico Kodama Year inducted 2009
Jerry Kugel Year inducted 2002
Eddie Kuzma Year inducted 2009
Fred Larsen Year inducted 1995
Joe Law Year inducted 2003
Les Leggitt Year inducted 1998
Burke LeSage Year inducted 1998
Roy Leslie Year inducted 1999
Jim Lindsley Year inducted 1997
Larry Lindsley Year inducted 2006
Phyllis Lindsley Year inducted 2005
Fred Lobello Year inducted 2004
Jack Lufkin Year inducted 2000
Ed Mabry Year inducted 2004
Dave Macdonald Year inducted 2005
Ron Main Year inducted 2007
Mike Manghelli Year inducted 2008
Denis Manning Year inducted 2007
Bob Markley Year inducted 1997
Charlie Markley Year inducted 1997
Verlin Marshall Year inducted 2000
Ernie McAfee Year inducted 2001
Allen McAlister Year inducted 2001
Moose McCaulley Year inducted 2001
Cec McCray Year inducted 2007
Bob McGrath Year inducted 2003
Duane McKinney Year inducted 2003
Tom Medley Year inducted 1999
Bobby Meeks Year inducted 1996
Bruce Meyer Year inducted 1995
Jack Mendenhall Year inducted 1993
Eddie Bud Meyer Year inducted 2007
Ak Miller Year inducted 1996
Eddie Miller Jr Year inducted 2006
Jim Miller Year inducted 2005
Moe Mills Year inducted 2005
Dean Moon Year inducted 1997
Gene Mooneyham Year inducted 1998
Johnny Moore Year inducted 2004
Joe Mondello Year inducted 2002
Don Montgomery Year inducted 2000
Bob Morton Year inducted 2007
Burt Munro Year inducted 2001
Paula Murphy Year inducted 2000
Barney Navarro Year inducted 1996
Leroy Neumayer Year inducted 1998
Mike Nish Year inducted 2009
Terry Nish Year inducted 2002
Louise Ann Noeth Year inducted 2001
Bob Noice Year inducted 2001
Gene Ohly Year inducted 2000
Karl Orr Year inducted 1999
Veda Orr Year inducted 1999
Romeo Palamides Year inducted 2004
Wally Parks Year inducted 1995
Bert Peterson Year inducted 2003
Gail Watson Phillips Year inducted 2009
Bob Pierson Year inducted 1994
Dick Pierson Year inducted 1994
Joe Pisano Year inducted 2002
Lionel Pitts Year inducted 2005
Chuck Potvin Year inducted 2001
Levan Prothero Year inducted 2004
Cal Rayborn II Year inducted 2004
Roy Richter Year inducted 2004
Eric Rickman Year inducted 2000
Doug Robinson Year inducted 2001
Tim Rochlitzer Year inducted 1993
Bob Rufi Year inducted 1994
Otto Ryssman Year inducted 2002
Ken Ruble Year inducted 2005
Nick Sadd Year inducted 2005
Chuck Salmen Year inducted 1997
Paul Schiefer Year inducted 2005
Charles Scott Year inducted 2001
Gene Scott Year inducted 2007
Walt Scott Year inducted 2009
Louis Senter Year inducted 1999
Tom Senter Year inducted 2004
Cris Shearer Year inducted 2003
Ed Shearer Year inducted 2003
Greg Sharp Year inducted 2006
Clay Smith Year inducted 2001
Tex Smith Year inducted 1997
Gus Sommerfeld Year inducted 2007
Tom Spalding Year inducted 1992
Chuck Spurgin Year inducted 2005
Mike Stewart Year inducted 2005
Clyde Sturdy Year inducted 2000
Bill Summers Year inducted 1997
Bob Summers Year inducted 1995
Bill Taylor Year inducted 2009
Al Teague Year inducted 1993
Clem Tebow Year inducted 2003
Bill Temple Year inducted 2000
John Thawley Jr Year inducted 2008
Al Thayer Year inducted 1998
Richard Thomason Year inducted 2008
Mickey Thompson Year inducted 1995
Neil Thompson Year inducted 2006
Steve Toller Year inducted 2008
J. D. Tone Year inducted 2004
Ed Tradup Year inducted 2008
Jim Travis Year inducted 1998
Marlo Treit Year inducted 2000
Roscoe Turner Year inducted 2006
Jack Underwood Year inducted 2002
Paul Vanderley Year inducted 1993
Dennis Varni Year inducted 2000
Eric Vaughn Year inducted 2003
Don Vesco Year inducted 1996
John Vesco Year inducted 1996
Rick Vesco Year inducted 1996
Ken Walkey Year inducted 2000
John Walsh Year inducted 2009
Tom Walsh Year inducted 2009
Dan Warner Year inducted 2004
Mike Waters Year inducted 1999
Robert Webb Year inducted 2008
Phil Weiand Year inducted 2006
Mary West Year inducted 2000
Sam Wheeler Year inducted 2000
Rick White Year inducted 2000
Nolan White Year inducted 2000
Dick Williams Year inducted 2004
Matt Williams Year inducted 2006
Dana Wilson Year inducted 2001
Bozzy Willis Year inducted 1998
Ed Winfield Year inducted 1995
Monte Wolfe Year inducted 2002
Earl Wooden Year inducted 1998
Ted Worbieff Year inducted 2001
Alex Xydias Year inducted 1995
Don Zig Year inducted 2007
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I visited with Fred Chapparo figuring he might have a clue and it turns out that I was correct with my assumption. Ray McDowell had his shop in Burbank when WW2 began and the Government put a stop to auto racing. Ray McDowell, just like many who were involved in racing, but who were too old for military service, scored on a job as a machinist in a defense plant. Ray, as with many old racers who lived in The San Fernando Valley, went to work for Lockheed and closed his shop. He never became involved again in auto racing after the war ended and he retired from Lockheed, but continued to reside in Burbank. I cannot recall who scribed the note you sent, but he had Ray McDowell mixed up with Johnnie McDowell, who was a very popular local midget driver. John McDowell drove for Ted Halibrand when he was campaigning his midget and won a big event at the LA Coliseum. Thanks for your help on this matter. Bob Falcon
Bob: So it is likely that Ray McDowell, when he had his machine shop prior to 1942, was the man who turned out the heads and other racing equipment and to your knowledge, he never left the state of California, but remained retired from the speed equipment business. Johnny McDowell is listed in many books, but I could find no reference to a Ray McDowell. Thank you for clarifying the issue for us.
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According to Fred Chapparo, it was Ray McDowell in Burbank who manufactured the special racing cylinder heads for the four cylinder Fords, Model A, B, and C. This was the truck engine that continued in production beyond 1932. Fred stated that he met Ray McDowell's daughter at one of the last Gilmore Roars parties and he believed it was one that was held at the Gilmore Adobe. She filled Fred in on the mystery and stated that he still resided in Burbank and was getting along in the years. I have informed the race car collector in Ohio of my result from the search. Bob Falcon
Bob: Do you think Ray McDowell is still alive? Carmen Schroeder put on 30 reunions and they ended around 2000, the last one was held at the Petersen after Carmen passed away. Before that the Gilmore Roars Reunion was held for about 15 years at the old Adobe inside the Farmers Market, next door to the CBS studios, which was built on the site of the old Gilmore Stadium race track. Then 15 more years prior to that up in the Hollywood Hills on the Schroeder’s ranch. If Ray McDowell was in his 80’s at the last Gilmore Roars Reunion, then he must be close to a hundred by now. Maybe Jim Miller can track him down if he’s still alive. He or his daughter must have some very valuable photographs and perhaps oral history to share.
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I just read your review of Faith Granger's "Deuce of Spades." Thanks for the report. I look forward to seeing the film sometime soon on DVD. I met Faith at an NHRA Heritage Series race at Fontana in April, 2009. She was filming a few runs by some A/F cars for her movie. I was shooting stills at trackside for Don Ewald and his WDIFL.com race coverage. Fellow photog Roger Rohrdanz was there also, and I believe he brought her out to Fontana or somehow helped arrange for her to be there. Here is a fun sequence of pics of Faith at trackside that I thought you might enjoy. I must admit it was hard not to watch her work; she is very attractive and that accent can slay you. Faith was at her camera. I was busted while pointing my lens at her but she seemed to take it as gracefully. Bob Brown
Bob: The film Deuce of Spades did not go into theatrical release, but instead went right to DVD. I believe you can order it by going directly to Faith's website at www.deuceofspades.com. May I have your permission to post your photos to www.landspeedracing.com?
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Automotive Radio Network presents the Sam Auxier Junior Show. Live every Monday. The next show is February 21, 2011 and will feature Pro Mod 'Animal Jim' Feurer, Auto Meter's Marc Erickson Director Of Racing, NHRA Museum Tony Thacker Executive Director, Lou Santiago, Jim Amos, and NHRA Top Alcohol driver Christine Chambless. Sent in by Sam Auxier
Sam: The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter goes out every Wednesday, or every other week if the news and research is slow. So I won't be able to inform our members until after your show is over. One day's notice is not enough time. Please allow for at least three weeks prior to an event. I will publish this so that others can see what they missed and put it on their calendar to watch future Monday night shows.
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Editor’s notes: A member of the SLSRH is looking for people who knew Mauri Rose, the Indy 500 winner. She is attempting to learn more about Mauri Rose and to put together a history or report on him. If you know of anyone who can be a resource, please let me know and also send me what you know about Mauri so that we can post it in the newsletter.
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I can send you a lot of written info about myself and Ed Winfield and some about Clifford H. Collins, if you'd like tell me how many words or how much you can print in your newsletter. Dema Elgin
Dema and Spencer: The newsletter is called The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians and is found at www.landspeedracing.com. There is no limitation on space. The longest article to date is 77,000 words. We will print as much as you have. Our goal is to record and save as much history as we can. The only way I can handle the volume though is by email, where I can copy then paste the information into the newsletter. Attachments are fine. I remember talking to you at the Gas-Up when they honored Ed Winfield.
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About Mauri Rose, he passed away on January 1, 1981. When he won the Indy 500 in 1947 there was a picture of him taken in victory lane. Next to him was Tony Hulman. Perched on Tony's shoulders was a little boy about 5 or so. That boy was Mauri's son Mauri Rose Junior. I'll see if I can find any info on him. Jim Miller
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Hi Again- If you go to the url below it has Mauri Rose's complete driving history. See http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/RoseMauri.htm. I think there was a story on him in Speed Age during the early fifties. Below are a couple of bios on him. Hope all this helps. Jim Miller
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Mauri Rose, was born on May 26, 1906 in Columbus, Ohio and passed away on January 1, 1981 in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was an American racecar driver. He started from the pole position driving a Maserati in the 1941 Indianapolis 500, but spark plug problems put him out of the race after sixty laps. He then took over the Wetteroth/Offenhauser car being driven by Floyd Davis that had started in 17th place and won the race. In 1947 and 1948, Rose captured back-to-back Indy 500's driving a Deidt/Offenhauser. Mauri Rose made his fifteenth and final Indianapolis 500 start in the 1951 race. Knocked out from an accident after 126 laps, the forty-five-year-old Rose retired to a home in California. For the 1967 race, officials of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway invited him to drive the Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car. While his career in racing was filled with success, Rose considered his most important accomplishment to be his invention of a device that made it possible for amputees to drive an automobile.
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American driver Mauri Rose won the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 500 race three times; 1941, 1945 and 1947. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994, and Motorsports of Hall of Fame of America in 1996. Rose began his driving career at a Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, board track on July 4, 1927, before making his way to Indianapolis in 1932, where he would eventually drive the Indy 500 15 times. In 1933, he drove a modified Studebaker all the way to fourth place before falling out on the 125th lap with a failed engine. The following year, he finished second to "Wild Bill" Cummings by just 27 seconds. Rose came in 4th in 1936, 5th in 1939, and 3rd in 1940. Driving for owner Lou Moore, he earned first Indy victory in 1941, starting the winning race in the pole position driving a Maserati-powered Elgin Piston Pin Special. But he crossed the finish line in the car that started in the 17th position. When spark plug problems forced the Maserati out of the race after 60 laps, owner Moore pulled teammate driver Floyd Davis from his Wetteroth-Offenhauser on the 72nd lap and 14th place, replaced him with Rose, and Mauri went on to capture the race averaging 115.117 per lap. His 1947 and 1948 Indy victories were won driving a Deidt-Offenhauser. Rose was also a prominent dirt-track driver, winning the American Automobile Association (AAA) Championship in 1936, and runner-up in 1939. Over the years, the very private Mauri Rose developed a mystique for leaving Indianapolis immediately after qualifying for the 500 and returning shortly before race-day, foregoing customary practice runs and car preparation. Rose held a full-time off-track job and considered racing an avocation to his work-a-day life. Inasmuch as the Indy 500 was held over America's three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, Rose never had to miss a day from his regular employment. Another close associate maintains Rose opted to spend as little time as possible around the Indy Brickyard to minimize anti-Semitic taunting from racing contemporaries. Rose was an auto engineer who happened to also be a race driver, working for a period for General Motors (GM). He considered his proudest accomplishment not winning the Indy three times, but his invention of a device that allowed amputees to drive an automobile.
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Born in 1906 in Columbus Ohio, Rose began his driving career in 1927 on the Ohio dirt tracks. His first try at Indianapolis came in 1933 running a modified Studebaker. He was running 4th when the car broke at 125 miles. The following year he finished 2nd to Wild Bill Cummings and started a string of qualifying for 10 straight Indianapolis races. 1936 found him finishing 4th at Indy, but he won the AAA National Championship. 1940 brought a 4th at Indy. In 1941 Mauri Rose was driving for Lou Moore when his car dropped out with mechanical problems. Rose immediately told Moore that he was going to seek a ride as relief for another team. Moore pulled his other team car in, driven by Floyd Davis. Rose took the car over in 14th place, and at 225 miles was 9th, 4th at 300 miles and took the lead at 425 miles and was never headed for his first of three Indianapolis victories. In 1946 Rose crashed into the retaining wall and was thrown out onto the track, but not seriously injured. Mauri Rose and Lou Moore now picked up two straight victories. They were really hooked up and unbeatable. Rose's winning determination, with Moore's superior equipment and careful planning was hard to beat. 1947 was the year of the controversial pit signals from the Moore team as Bill Holland was given the E-Z sign and Rose motored by Holland, with only a few laps to go, for his 2nd 500 win. In 1948, after a battle with Indy greats such as Duke Nalon in the famed Novi, Ted Horn and Rex Mays, Rose captured his 3rd Indy 500 win. Lou Moore almost had his cars finish 1-2-3 in 1949, but with 8 laps to go, Rose's car broke while he was running in second place. An argument broke out between car owner Moore and driver Rose after the race and Mauri quit the team. 1950 found Rose driving for Howard Keck but a fire in his pit caused too much lost time for Rose to catch leader Johnny Parsons when the rains shortened the race. 1951 brought the curtain down on the great driving career of Mauri Rose when, again at the wheel of a Keck car, a wire wheel collapsed and the car flipped, but Rose escaped injury, and retired from racing on the spot. He spent the remaining years of his life as an engineer for General Motors. January 1, 1981 brought in the New Year in a very sad way for racing fans, for on this date, Mauri Rose passed away at his home in Warren, Michigan at age 74.
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A while back there was an e-mail sent I think from Ed Justice Jr about ID'ing a land speed looking car. I said it was used in a movie starring James Stewart. Well guess what; here's a synopsis of the movie. Jim Miller
Speed (1936); James Stewart, Wendy Barrie, Una Merkel, Ted Healy, Weldon Heyburn, Ralph Morgan, Patricia Wilder. The racing scenes are dull but Stewart is not. He plays driver-mechanic Terry Martin who develops a high-speed carburetor. Good supporting cast as well. Partially filmed at the Chrysler testing grounds in Detroit. The land speed record attempt was based on the 301.13-mph record set by Sir Malcolm Campbell at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935.
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Editor’s notes: We have been trying to find out as much information as we can on Ed Adams and Arthur C. Tilton. They were the first president and secretary of the SCTA. All my sources for Adams are now gone. Even my dad was somewhat uninformative about Adams. I do remember this; Adams got tired of the job just before the war and just before the SCTA stopped racing for the duration of WWII it was Bozzy Willis that was the president before Pearl Harbor and Thatcher Darwin was his secretary. After the war in 1945 Bozzy agreed to allow a race late that year before all the guys had returned from the service. Bozzy wasn't elected for 1945, no one was, because the clubs hadn't been reconstituted and without the clubs you couldn't have an SCTA. But Bozzy was under stress to organize a meet by those that had already returned or guys like Karl Orr who never went into the military, to run early. Evidently the race was a disaster, but I don't know why. My dad was really angry with Bozzy for jumping the gun before there were enough guys back in order to legally reform enough clubs and thus restart the SCTA. Now here's where it gets interesting. Ed Adams, who had resigned before the war and before Bozzy was elected president of the SCTA, came to the meeting and said that there could be no SCTA until the election of a new president, who must then contact the state and transfer the records from Ed Adams as head of the group to the next head of the SCTA, because it hadn't been done previously. Ed Adams held the funds from the SCTA treasury and he wouldn't relinquish them until the SCTA was officially restarted and the California authorities in charge of recognizing a corporation (which the SCTA was) transferred the name of the leader from Adams to whomever. The election occurred in December of 1945, Wally Parks won a close race and took the gavel at the first board meeting in January '46. Adams then transferred the funds from the old treasury in his possession and to my knowledge never attended another meeting or meet. He was an influential leader around which the early clubs formed the SCTA in 1937. Then a few years later he was gone.
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I have been following with interest the stories about restoring Europe's first dragster. When I was maybe 10 years old, and still living on Long Island, my Dad took me to a sports car club meeting, where Sydney Allard was the speaker. Afterwards, I met him and shook his hand. As best I remember, he was a big fellow; well over 6 feet tall and huskily built. I believe that was after he had run the Le Mans 24 hour race in his own built car driving all 24 hours himself. Both significant feats! Already, at that time he was marketing his cars in the U.S., and abroad. My family had at least 2 of them and possibly 3; I can't remember for sure. One was a J-2, the other a J-2X. Both were Cadillac powered. As best I remember, Olds and Caddy were the most common power plants. I remember the J-2X the best. It was my first real experience around a really fast powerful car, and probably established in my mind, the fact that I was not scared of speed. One summer day, Dad had to make a trip out to our second nursery property, and he took me along in the Allard. On the way back I asked him what it felt like to go 100 mph and he was only too glad to show me!
We were on some divided, 4 lane road on the Island [it may have been the Long Island Expressway; I don't remember]. At any rate he floored it, zipping up to 100 in short order. As he backed off we went under an overpass simultaneously with passing an elderly couple in an old Model T. The Allard mufflers were basically afterthoughts, so the racket was considerable. Pop used to recall with glee how the Model T weaved back and forth, in our wake, having startled the crap out of the old gentleman driving. Allard's were cool cars, much more like an American hotrod than a typical European sports car. They were brutish looking in an elegant way, and looked like all business. They were not sophisticated machines; more brute force. They were Shelby Cobra's before there were such things. It does not surprise me to read about Allard's dragster. He was much more American hot rodder in his outlook than an effete Euro sports car guy. As a foot note, our cars were imported through J.S. Inskip, in New York City, back when New York still had dealerships. I have to thank Sydney Allard for inspiring a young boy to eventually become a funny car driver. Jeff Foulk
Jeff: This is the sort of story that we encourage people to write down. We often start with a biography, because that opens up a person's history and allows us to ask additional questions. But bios can be done in an hour or two, from start to finish, including some editing by the newsletter staff. It is the stories that we tell that really let people know who we are. Sometimes the term used by hot rodders is bench racing. Most people have no idea how powerful a story can be. A good story is repeated over and over again and becomes a part of the culture. Recently a man told me about Von Dutch and the coffin story. That one will live a long time. A master story teller was Ak Miller. Another person who had great stories to tell was Charlie Gilmore. The funny thing about stories is this; it doesn't really matter how talented the story teller is, only if it fires our imagination. Stories that aren't told and kept alive kill our very spirits. Stories that are told, written down and repeated become the basis of our culture. Some very great people refused to tell their stories. Today they are forgotten, while more humble men and women are remembered. I wish we could get every single racer and hot rodder to do at least four things; write their bios, caption their photos, write their stories and find a safe home for their collectibles before they pass on. Thank you for your story and I hope you send us more.
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Steve Gibbs -- NHRA Director of Competition – Gentleman, by Don Prieto (1998)
Axiom one: People in power are often disliked. People in power are seldom trusted by those who are subject to that power. Never is a person in power both liked and trusted---especially in the world of motor racing. Axiom two: People in a position of making big decisions are often hated for the results of their decisions. People who make big decisions are often suspect in the making of big decisions. Very often with just cause. Axiom three: People in power are seldom thanked for making the right decisions and are never recognized for using their power properly. Steve Gibbs is the Director of Competition for the National Hot Rod Association, a position of considerable power. He is the antithesis of the above statements. A giant of a man, at over 6'4", with a resounding voice, Gibbs goes about running major drag races, directing the Safety Safari on the track, barking instructions into his walkie talkie while making sure that the track surface is kept in the best condition possible. (It should be noted that the phenomenal leaps in performance in recent years has largely been a function of the superb conditioning of the racing surfaces at all of the National Events across the country.) Most of the improvements in traction as well as the devices and substances used to soak up and remove oil spills are the result of his dedication to the task. You see dedication is what has driven Gibbs all of these years.
Dedication to the sport he loves so much. As fate would have it, newly married Steve and his wife shopped in a market where the two guys who ran the butcher shop just happened to be the Tice Brothers, Will and Jack. As a side-line, the brothers Tice invested their hard earned cash in a drag strip known far and wide as San Gabriel Drags and it was in 1961 at Ol' San Gabe that Gibbs got his first job at the races. He was given a black and white striped shirt like a football referee, and was given the task of painting the class designation and numbers on the side windows of the race entries. He was an official. Like everything else that Steve has set his mind to, he did an extra special job of numbering...precisely applied numbers and letters with a long lasting fast drying blend of shoe polish and other ingredients. So special, in fact, that most racers left the numbers on all week as some kind of badge of honor or status at the schools and drive-ins in the San Gabriel, San Fernando and Walnut valleys of Southern California...the hot bed of drag racing. Having spent his days at Mt. San Antonio Junior College studying art and journalism, it was a natural transition for him to move into the position of reporter for the drag strip in addition to his other duties.
He worked his way up to assistant manager and speaks fondly of the time when Jack Tice put him in the car and together they made several trips up and down the state of California visiting speed shops and racers garages all day and half of the night. Shops like Gotelli, Masters and Richter, Champion Speed Shop, Palamides, Vic Hubbard etc. all in Northern California, where they met face to face with the big time drag racing world. Tice, and tag-along Gibbs were doing this to encourage these guys to make the big drive to So Cal for the big money to be won at Ol' San Gabe. While other L.A. drag strips ran gasoline only, Tice placed emphasis on an Open Top Fuel Show and he paid money...tow money as well as purses. He had taken Gibbs under his wing and taught him the ropes...all on a part time basis. Gabe was THE place to race fuelers and Gibbs got to know 'em all. He remembers fondly the informality of the Green Shack, a watering hole across the road from the drag strip where racers gathered to have a beer and tell lies about why they hadn't won the money that night. It was heady times for a young drag race enthusiast like Steve.
Gathered in this run down bar were the who's who... Lefty Mudersbach, Glen Ward, Dick Goss, Don Yates, Tommy Ivo, Bob Haines, Sammy Hale, Pete Ogden, Steinager and Eschenbaugh, Peters and Frank, Don Madden, Howard Johansen, "Boof" Palmquist, Bob Sidebotham, Jeep Hampshire, Kent Fuller, Rod Stuckey, Chris Karamesines, Garlits, Don Maynard, Lyle Fisher, Fat Jack Bynum, Vance Hunt, to mention only a few. A big grin comes over the bearded craggy face of Gibbs when he runs down the list of guys he met during those early days. "I've got to say that those were special times back then. It was a lot of fun...a lot of camaraderie. It wasn't so much about money. Now, it is so competitive that the guys hardly have time to say hello. Drag racing is different than it was back then, says Steve. It's not better or worse just different and still a lot of fun." True to Gibbs style, he took on more and more responsibility at the San Gabriel race track. He became the track Drag News reporter, did ad layouts for print, did copy for radio...lots of little jobs that helped make that track a success. Despite all the hard work, when the lease ended, the track folded.
Steve looked around to see if there was something he could do to keep his hand in drag racing. He wrote stories for the late lamented Drag Sport Illustrated of one Phil Bellomy and he even interviewed to go to work full time at Drag News but the terms were not to his liking. He ended up at a Ford Dealership in Garden Grove with Mel Reck and it was here that he and Reck both got a call from his friend and former associate at Gabriel, Jack Minnick. Minnick had good news. A new racetrack was being planned and they needed Steve and Mel to help out. Irwindale was about to built, was right in his own back yard, as was San Gabe, and he was pleased to take the part time slot of assistant to track manager Jim Blake. In a series of fast moving events under Blake’s tutelage, Steve moved up to full time and soon became the track manager...his people skills more evident than ever. It was also during his stint as track manager that Steve developed a great and lasting relationship with competitive track managers, legendary C.J. ‘Pappy’ Hart of Lions and Orange County International Raceway's Mike Jones. Together, they furthered the cause of drag racing in the Los Angeles area by cooperating with one another, thereby assuring that each track got a fair share of the racing activity.
Steve credits his maturing as a track operator to his long time friend Jim Blake with whom he maintains contact 'till this day, thirty five years later, and to Pappy Hart whom he later brought into the NHRA family. A brief deviation in Steve's career path found him in the employ of one Ron Miller at the Fremont Raceway in Northern California. And it all came to an end when Miller booked a bunch of funny cars in for a 2-day race and then left in a huff after a dispute with his backers and owners. Leaving Steve with a bunch of racers wanting appearance money and facing the threat of rain to add to his woes, Steve called all of the racers into the office and laid it out for them. "Here's the way it is guys, says a concerned Gibbs. There is only so much money, and I'm going to count it out and give each team an equal share." There was much grumbling and private conversation among the racers but they reluctantly agreed to Gibbs plan. It then rained out race day. No additional money. Monday dawned bright and sunny with Gibbs down in the dumps, his family in Fremont, no job, racers upset over not getting paid, when the phone rang. It was Jungle Jim Lieberman and he wanted Steve to come to the hotel for a meeting. Figuring he was going to have to listen to a bunch of racers whine about not getting paid, he first refused, but when Jungle insisted that was not what was going to happen, he went.
To his surprise, the racers were very cordial and supportive of Steve and Jungle gave him an envelope with three thousand cash in it. "Here, Steve,” said Jungle, “We know that you are in trouble with no job and all. So, we took up a collection and we want you to have it to tide you and the family over the rough spots." Steve was touched. So much so that when he recently related this tale to me some thirty years hence, his voiced cracked and he also wanted the world to know that no matter what, Jungle Jim and that gang of roving funny car guys will never be forgotten and he will always be in their debt for what they did for him in his time of need. Steve had worked for the NHRA and Jack Hart as a member of the emergency crew, albeit on a volunteer basis, so it was of no particular surprise to Steve when Wally Parks called to ask if he would like to work for NHRA as the ad director of the publication National Dragster. Given his experience with Drag News and Drag Sport Illustrated, the new position was a natural and he did it well. "I shoulda stayed there," admits Steve given the current success of that paper and kind of advertising revenue that it generates versus the responsibility of running a major drag race. I suspect he's right but where would we be without him.
As NHRA grew from a two major race organization to four and then seven in 1970, the responsibility for running the association rested primarily with Jack Hart and the seven Division Directors and he (Hart) desperately needed competent help. He drew on Steve because of his track management experience and made him his number two man. This move by the NHRA was met with approval throughout the drag racing fraternity because it was widely held that Hart could be difficult when it came to race track decisions. As usual Steve gave it his all and when Hart developed health problems, it wasn't long before he was named Competition Director, the job he has held since 1973. Not one to rest, Gibbs recognized that a big problem for the racer at large National events, was having to wait in line, sometimes all day, to get to make a run. Following the lead of rival sanctioning body, IHRA, Gibbs refined the current system whereby each category has a designated time to qualify and that schedule is strictly adhered to and is varied only if there is an oildown or a crash. It is without a doubt the best system to date and it guarantees everyone the same amount of attempts to qualify.
Those of us who remember the old "get in line early and hope" method welcomed this change with great relish. Being the Competition Director was not without its trials and tribulations. The Division Directors, known internally at NHRA as DDs and outside as the Seven Dwarfs, had their own little power base and were reluctant to give Gibbs very much slack. But it didn't take long for him to win them over with his style and grace and he proceeded to build a safety crew second to none in any racing organization. Steve credits the dedication of those who make up the safety crew explaining that they are more than just the guys who when called upon to save lives at the end of the drag strip do so with great temerity, but to the man they take on the lesser tasks of putting down oil dry, and working the business end of a broom all while attired in a hot full fire suit, with equal enthusiasm. When Steve took over from an ailing Jack Hart, he had a couple of boxes in which was transported the timing equipment that was used at each race. "It was pretty primitive in those days" recalls Gibbs. "Now, we have eight trucks and trailers full of equipment and doctors present at every event...we have come a long way."
Steve's personal dedication to the sport of drag racing and his constant search for new and better ways to improve the race track surface consistency, (concrete launchpads come readily to mind), seek out the best crew to maintain that level of consistency and manage an entire race has not gone unnoticed. Steve was singled out for the Ollie Award at the Car Craft All-star Team banquet. This award is given to only to select individuals who contribute to the betterment of the sport and who display special dedication to drag racing. Steve credits his success to his wife of 31 years Gloria Gibbs. "I've known her since fifth grade," marvels Gibbs as he recalls the times he and Gloria spent their weekends at the drags and their evenings at the original In-And-Out burger stand as a member of the Sand Flea Brothers as his club was known. Gloria confides that one of the many things that Steve has done there are few who know that he designed the prototype for what became the Motorplex drag racing facility on the dining room table. "I have no idea how others got hold of the original plans, reckons Gloria, but it was Steve who designed that layout and he's never gotten the credit he deserves." He has now, Gloria, and let me add that the single most admired character trait of the Competition Director is that no matter the crisis or the controversy, he remains a gentleman at all times. We need more human beings like him.
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Green Monster: Lee Pendleton interview, by Samuel Hawley. (This is only half of the article, for the rest go to www.samuelhawley.com. –editor)
Lee Pendleton was a drag racing friend of Art Arfons's going back to the mid-1950s and was on the "Green Monster" crew when Art set the land speed record in 1964 and 1965. In film footage of those heading days, it's Lee's Ford truck that you see hauling the Monster's start cart. I interviewed him over the phone at his home in Cleveland, Ohio on June 11, 2009.
(Sam Hawley) When were you up on the salt flats with Art Arfons?
(Lee Pendleton) 1964, when Walter was there and ran first, and Art ran second. [Oct. 1964, when Art went 434 mph.] I was with Art in ’64 when he broke the record first.
Did you return with him to the salt in ’65?
No I didn’t. Wait a minute...Yes, I was there, come to think of it. But I wasn’t there when he broke the record. I remember coming home, and my wife and her friend were with us, and the brakes went out on my car. That’s why I would remember that.
And what about 1966, when Art had the crash?
No, I wasn’t there. But I was in ’65.
Did you know Art in Akron, stop by his shop?
Oh yeah, Pickle Road, sure.
Did Art and Walt have their shops in one big building cut in two, or in two separate buildings?
Well, it was two separate buildings. It started out as a feed mill. Back in the late ‘50s farming was still that close to Akron. They ground grain and sold things. And then it kind of died and they started doing the "Green Monster" work and they loved that. The old man died who did the business, he was Art’s step-dad, I guess, and Walter’s real dad. [It was the other way around.] So the feed mill closed down and Walter had the southern end of it [the property] and Art got the building at the north end.
[I ask about the story of Art having the crew kiss the car.] Do you think this actually happened?
Absolutely not. He was a very serious racer. At Bonneville, I remember him getting, ah, reclusive might be the word. In other words, he didn’t want to talk to people the day before the big run. He would get a little serious.
Just day to day, was he sort of a gregarious, talkative guy?
Oh yeah. Well, not really gregarious, but smooth. Just smooth.
But when he was on the salt he would get kind of serious.
Well, we were there the first time about a week ahead of time in ’64 because Walt had the salt. So he was just everybody’s friend and everybody liked him and he was truly a good friend. Was he...I don’t know if you’d call it gregarious...He was just a matter-of-fact guy who had a nice, smooth, easy-going attitude.
[I ask about the Monster having two seats.] Was it the original plan for Ed to ride along?
No.
Was it then solely a matter of symmetry?
Yes, absolutely, symmetry. For design purposes.
[I ask if any weight was added to the dummy cockpit to even things out.]
Later on, Art was running at Green Valley with that same car, and he switched over to Goodyears and had a blow-out. He never would take anybody with him. Never. But this reporter stayed after him and stayed after him—I wasn’t there; Art told me about it—but this reporter kept telling him he was going to give him a nice write-up and he had all these connections, and he really wanted to go for a ride in that car on the drag strip. So lo and behold, that was the trip when the front tire blew, I think it was the front tire, and killed this reporter.
When you were on the salt, how many guys would have been on Art’s team?
I have pictures that Firestone sent out as a thank-you brochure to all the crew.
Would there have been as many as a dozen?
Oh yeah. And General Electric sent an engineer for the engine.
Just the one time, or regularly?
I think regularly. I know in ’64 and ’65 he was there, a big, tall, thin guy. [Lee mentions having a box of stuff labeled “Racing Days,” and wonders how he can get me pictures.] Jim Deist was there, for the parachute. I just had a reason to go through old pictures because a guy named John Roly is restoring the Green Monster Number 5 to run and show in these nostalgia races. We bought it [No. 5] from Art in 1957. [Later in the interview Lee mentions that Number 5 is at Art Chrisman’s shop in Santa Anna, CA, being restored.]
You own it?
I used to. I sold it to Charlie Hall and then Charlie sold it to John Roly. [Lee is going through his photos as he talks to me.] But here is a picture from Firestone, with a thank-you letter, okay, I see the Firestone guys, and Ed Snyder and Art, and oh, that’s Les Medvane. He used to own the drag strip in Atco, New Jersey. I don’t know if it’s Pennsylvania or New Jersey. And then there’s the official [Joe Petrali], and Charlie Mayenschein [having trouble remembering names.] I see three Firestone guys.
[I ask about Bud Groff.]
Yeah, I knew Bud Groff. I can’t think if he was there or not. And then the old man, oh yeah, that’s Bud.
[I ask how old Bud looks in the picture. Lee estimates him to be in his sixties, has a mustache.]
There’s another picture here where Art blew the right rear tire. It was Les’s and my job to dig the bead off that rim. The bead was at least an inch and a half diameter. Do you know what the bead of the tire is? It’s the steel cable, covered with rubber, that’s right next to the rim, and it’s what holds the tire together. It was so big, you wouldn’t believe how big it was. And it’s all hard steel so we had to cut it and hack it.
Do you have any memories of that blow-out? Was it pretty dramatic, or did Art take it in stride?
He took it in stride, yeah.
Did you ever see Art shaken by any of these blow-outs, or did he stay pretty cool?
I know he could get angry with people.
What would set him off?
People trying to promote him, trying to get in on his act. I think that’s the only times I ever seen him angry. He and I started out, I was in a flathead, this was in 1954, the first year I raced.
Once Art and Walt started building racers with aircraft engines, were those really heavy dragsters, heavier than the dragsters of most other drivers?
Some of them. Art had the Baloney Slicer, and that was about the same weight as Garlits. And Garlits got beat by Art. [Lee refers to Green Monster # 6, with the double rear wheels being particularly heavy. I comment that Art would get a slow start with it but always catch the other driver by the end. Lee says:] Well, not always. Being heavy, you had to give up too much at the starting line. It just took longer to get that weight moving. My little flathead, which was a Ford early model engine, V8, and I was running alcohol and a little bit of nitro, he would beat me usually, but not always. In Akron I beat him a couple times. There was a guy in Cleveland named Joe Martenzik, and he had one of the first overheads, it was a Chevy motor, of course that worked out to be the hot rodders favorite motor, but he was real tough too, and he could beat Art.
Back when Art and Walt were working the drag meets, were they just getting winnings, or were appearance fees also important?
Oh, that’s what it was all about, the appearance fees.
How much could that amount to for a meet? A few hundred dollars? Five hundred dollars?
Oh yeah. In those days $500 was quite a lot of money. Garlits could get five hundred most everywhere. I went on three years of exhibitions with my car when I broke the record, this would be ’62, I could get up to five hundred dollars. [Lee adds that if you hustled you could work in two meets in one weekend and make twice as much.]
Was Art using his own bus back then, working the drag meets in the ‘50s, or did he fix that up later?
No, I think he had flatbed trucks. I know when he first started out he had the mill truck. [Lee talks a bit of Art’s tractor pulling days.] He and I always ran the Nationals, we had the Number 5 car with an Allison [Lee had bought Green Monster #5] and Art had Number 11 with an Allison, and he was a very...He raced all the time and he got to be a real ace driver. First class. So he would usually beat us by two or three miles an hours and he’d be fastest time of the meet, we’d be second fastest. You never got paid to go to the Nationals. You went there just to have the bragging rights...See, what you’re doing when you run an exhibition, you are being advertised in advance of the meet and they draw a crowd that way. And Art would get good crowds, so he’d earn big money. In the late ‘50s he was probably earning 500 dollars [per meet] or more.
[I ask about Art’s lucky jacket, a black leather jacket.]
Yeah, that’s what he always wore. I guess he probably called it his lucky jacket.
Did he ever wear an oxygen mask?
No... I have this picture before me, and there are nine people gathered in front of it. One of them is the big tall guy from GE [Henry Butkiewicz], so there were eight of us on Art’s crew. And Art has on his white Firestone outfit, without the jacket. But I do remember a black jacket that he would wear.
[I ask about Art’s pit on the salt: Art’s bus, the Monster, a tent, a bunch of cars.] Anything else?
No. My truck was there with his start cart, to start the J-79. I towed that out behind by pickup truck. It had a camper, not a full camper, just a little cover, on the back.
Was there a fuel truck as well?
[Long pause] You know, you got me there. I don’t know. But you see, you didn’t have to set up a whole lot in the pits because we would run early in the morning...I’m looking at another picture here that shows two airplanes on the salt, my truck behind it with the start cart, and sixteen people, three or four of them with cameras in hand and taking pictures...Here’s another picture of Art in the car, Charlie handing him his helmet. [Lee says that these pictures are his personal property. They were sent out by Firestone to members of the crew.]
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THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM FEBRUARY THROUGH JULY 2011. EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS.
February 1 Curator’s Tour – NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder
February 5 Discovery Day: Car Calendars
February 22 Panel Discussion- Pioneers of Southern California Drag Racing
March 5 NEW EXHIBIT- Supercars: When Too Much is Almost Enough
March 5 Discovery Day- "Auto-mobiles"
March 22 Panel Discussion- Safety at 300 M.P.H.
April 2 Discovery Day: Finger Puppets
April 5 Curator's Tour: Supercars: When Too Much is Almost Enough
April 16 SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A Annual Check-Up at the Petersen
May 7 Discovery Day: Car Greeting Cards
June 18 NEW EXHIBIT- Scooters
June 28 Curator's Tour: Scooters
July 9 Scooters and Supercars Day
Through Feb 13 Margie and Robert E. Petersen: Driven to Collect
Through May 29 NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder
NEW EXHIBITS
SUPERCARS: WHEN TOO MUCH IS ALMOST ENOUGH
Opens Saturday, March 5, 2011. Grand Salon
Supercars have existed since the first decade of the twentieth century and while their mechanical and design specifications have evolved from era to era, they have always had in common immensely powerful engines, minimal passenger carrying capacity, adventurous mechanical specifications, and a commanding presence. Like supermarkets, supermodels, and supercomputers, supercars represent an extreme. More than mere transportation, they offer a bold and extroverted means to express oneself.
SCOOTERS
Opens Saturday, June 18, 2011
Gordon R. Howard Gallery
With today's high fuel prices, growing traffic congestion, and environmental consciousness, people are looking for easier, cheaper and cleaner ways to get where they are going. The diminutive scooter has been popular for generations in other countries, yet until recently has remained but a footnote in American transportation culture. This exhibit will explore different types of scooters from around the world, how and why they differ, and the culture that surrounds them.
DISCOVERY DAY
Car Activities & L.A. BookPALS
First Saturday of every month, 1-4pm
Join us on the first Saturday of each month for arts and crafts, and at 2:30pm, actors from L.A. BookPALS read stories. The program is included in Museum general admission. Call 323-964-6308 for more information. Future topics include:
February 5, 2011, Car Calendars
Welcome the New Year by making your own unique car calendar!
March 5, 2011, Auto-Mobiles
Use straws, string and paper to create a unique mobile you can hang anywhere!
April 2, 2011, Finger Puppets
Create one-of-a-kind puppets for entertainment on the road!
May 7, 2011, Car Greeting Cards
Make Mom a lovely greeting card for Mother's Day!
CURATORﾒS TOUR ﾖ NHRA: SIXTY YEARS OF THUNDER
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
7:30 p.m. Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Join Petersen Automotive Museum Curator Leslie Kendall and guest-researcher Tony Thacker, Executive Director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, as they guide you through NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder to explore the history of the vehicles and individuals that have made the NHRA the world-class automotive association it is today. Reservations recommended for all programs. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected], or go to www.petersen.org for more information.
PANEL DISCUSSION- PIONEERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DRAG RACING
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
7:30 p.m. Racing Corridor
Spend an evening at the Petersen Automotive Museum hearing the first-hand accounts of the early decades of the NHRA’s 60-year history from the legends of Southern California drag racing. Special Guests:
“TV” Tommy Ivo, famed showman known for his Hollywood acting career, multi-engine dragsters, and glass-sided car haulers.
Bob Muravez, drove the famous “Freight Train” twin-engine gas dragster to many wins under both his true name and the now-legendary “Floyd J. Lippencotte, Jr.” alias.
Panel moderator Jack Beckman, NHRA National Champion, currently drives the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing. 9 career Funny Car wins and Funny Car speed record holder at 333.66 mph (on quarter-mile).
Reservations recommended for all programs. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected], or go to www.petersen.org for more information or to RSVP.
PANEL DISCUSSION- SAFETY AT 300 M.P.H.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
7:30 p.m. Racing Corridor
The NHRA was founded to provide a safe and controlled environment in which hot rod enthusiasts could compete. After sixty years of sanctioned racing, cars now regularly reach speeds of over 300 miles per hour in less than a quarter-mile. To operate at those extreme levels, track preparation and safety technology must be the highest priority for any racer and track manager. Panelist Steve Gibbs has been involved in drag racings since the 1960s, has managed race tracks and numerous drag racing events, and was the NHRA Director of Competition until the late 1990s when he became Vice President of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Steve will share his decades of experience in track set up, racing regulations, and what it takes to keep competition safe at such extreme speeds. Joining Steve on the panel will be front-line safety workers from the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Current Funny Car driver for Don Schumacher Racing Jack Beckman will moderate the discussion and share his 300 mph experiences behind the wheel of a top-level drag racer. Reservations recommended for all programs. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
CURATOR’S TOUR – SUPERCARS: WHEN TOO MUCH IS ALMOST ENOUGH
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
7:30 p.m. Grand Salon
Join Petersen Automotive Museum Curator Leslie Kendall as he guides you through Supercars: When Too Much is Almost Enough to explore the fastest-moving genre in the automotive world. Reservations recommended for all programs. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
SAFETY BELT SAFE U.S.A ANNUAL CHECK-UP AT THE PETERSEN
Saturday, April 16, 2011
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Petersen Parking Structure
SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., the national non-profit organization dedicated to child passenger safety, partners with the Petersen Automotive Museum to present the annual Safety Seat Checkup Day. Check your vehicle for proper use of child safety seats and get a current, comprehensive recall list in the family resource packets. Reservations required. Call 323-964-6308 for more information or to reserve your time today.
CURATOR’S TOUR – SCOOTERS
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
7:30 p.m. Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Join Petersen Automotive Museum Curator Leslie Kendall as he guides you through Scooters to explore the unique two-wheeled vehicles that have spawned cult-like followings in some countries and mobilized others. Reservations recommended for all programs. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
SCOOTERS AND SUPERCARS DAY
Saturday, July 9, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 3rd Level Petersen Parking Structure
In conjunction with its summer feature exhibitions “Supercars: When Too Much Is Almost Enough” (3/5/11-10/16/11) and “Scooters” (6/18/11-2/5/12), the Petersen Automotive Museum is hosting Scooters and Supercars Day. The highlight of Scooters and Supercars Day will be the public super car and scooter show. Only at the Petersen will you see vehicles by Ferrari, Lamborghini, Vespa, and Honda all proudly parked next to one another! Guest of Honor Steve Saleen will speak about his racing and manufacturing endeavors and technical how-to sessions with Griot’s Garage car care products throughout the day will have you polishing your vehicle of choice like never before.
Car show pre-registration is only $15 per vehicle ($10 for Petersen members), a great weekend activity for your car or scooter club! Registration provides free admission for two (2) to the Petersen Automotive Museum on Saturday, July 9, 2011, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. All programs are open to museum visitors with paid admission on July 9. For more information or to register your car or scooter contact Clayton at 323-964-6347 or [email protected]. For information on vendor spaces, contact Chris at 323-964-6320 or [email protected].
MARGIE AND ROBERT E. PETERSEN: DRIVEN TO COLLECT
Through February 13, 2011
Grand Salon
During his lifetime, Robert E. Petersen, together with his wife Margie, acquired dozens of important automobiles. Today the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection contains one of the most diverse samplings of important vehicles ever assembled. Each one offers a look into our rich motoring heritage and if they appear familiar, it is because you have likely seen them on television, in movies, or in displays at other museums and events around the world.
NHRA: SIXTY YEARS OF THUNDER
Through May 29, 2011
Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Explore the colorful and exciting history of one of America’s most popular motorsports. From the wild Gassers and Altereds, to nitro-burning top fuel dragsters and fabulous funny cars, the Petersen Automotive Museum will be filled with enough horsepower to change the Earth’s rotation!
IMAGINING THE FUTURE:
The Southern California Automotive Design Studio,
Presented in Cooperation with Art Center College of Design
Ongoing Exhibit
Visitors will see a comparison of a 1930's studio with a modern-day studio with various examples of the creative process in 2-D and 3-D form from different points in California's rich automotive history. Design demonstrations by Art Center students will occur in the exhibit on the second and fourth Sunday of every month from approximately 10am-3pm.
HOT WHEELSﾮ HALL OF FAME
The Hot Wheels Hall of Fame at the Petersen Automotive Museum, features Hot Wheels® full-size and die-cast cars, original models, wooden patterns, injection molds and drawings of original vehicle designs.
ALTERNATIVE POWER: LESSONS FROM THE PAST, INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE
From the highly styled 1963 Chrysler Turbine to the General Motors EV1, automobiles equipped with innovative propulsion systems are presented to illustrate the growth of alternative vehicle technology.
MAY FAMILY DISCOVERY CENTER
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm
The May Family Discovery Center is an interactive learning center that teaches basic scientific principles using the fundamental elements of the car.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND FILMING – Please call (323) 964-6348 or visit www.petersenevents.org to host your event or shoot film at one of LA's most exciting venues!
BIRTHDAY PARTIES - The Museum offers a wonderful venue for children’s birthday parties. Party guests can enjoy all three floors of the museum including the May Family Discovery Center. For more information or to book your party, call 323-964-6373.
SCHOOL TOURS- Taking a field trip to the Pete is an excellent way to teach your students about the history of Los Angeles and its intertwined relationship with the automobile. Students learn basic scientific principles and their applications as they explore hands-on activities in the Discovery Center. School Tours focus on history/social science, visual arts, and science & technology. Call (323) 964-6358 for information and reservations.
GROUP TOURS – A docent-led tour is available to groups of ten or more. - (323) 964-6346.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - Come and be a part of the Petersen’s “Pit Crew”. For an application or more information call - (323) 964-6358, email [email protected], or visit www.petersen.org.
MUSEUM STORE – Excellent souvenirs and gifts for auto enthusiasts (323) 964-6328.
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PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE"DEUCE WEEK" HONORING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1932 FORD.
The streets of Los Angeles' Miracle Mile will once again resonate with the sounds of finely tuned V-8s when the Petersen Automotive Museum celebrates the 80th Anniversary of hot rodding's most popular car, the 1932 Ford, during Deuce Week in March 2012. Mention the word "Deuce" at any hot rod event around the world and no matter what the native language is, they will instantly know you are talking about a Ford vehicle built in 1932.
The Deuce is a significant part of automotive culture because it was the first V-8 powered vehicle available at a price affordable to the common man. Quite often '32 Fords were stripped of their heavy fenders, running boards, and sometimes even headlights and windshields (on open cars) simply for the pursuit of speed. As the number of speed equipment manufacturers grew, an entire aftermarket industry was born, eventually finding a voice on the pages of Robert E. Petersen's Hot Rod Magazine.
"The Petersen is the perfect venue for a celebration of the Deuce," says Buddy Pepp, Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. "The 1932 Ford has been a huge part of the hot rodding community and the automotive culture of Southern California for 80 years. Few man-made products can boast of that kind of following." This four-day event begins Wednesday, February 29, 2012, and will include two driving tours which will visit local hot rod builders and private collections. On-site events at The Petersen include Thursday evening's "Hot Rod Round Table; Past, Present and Future" panel discussion featuring distinguished hot rod builders and historians, a Friday night gala, and a Saturday "Deuce Day" car show featuring over 400 1932 Fords. The show will be limited only to Fords built in 1932.
All proceeds raised during Deuce Week will help fund educational programs and exhibits at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. For more information, to buy tickets, or to register your 1932 Ford for Deuce Day, go to www.DeuceWeek.org. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles. Admission prices are $10 for general admission adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $2 per half hour with an $8 maximum for Museum visitors. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. For general Museum information, call 323/930-CARS or visit the Museum’s Web site at: www.petersen.org. From Chris Brown
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Revised 2011 schedule for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, sent in by John Bisci. Event starting times and gate information will be released approximately two weeks prior to each event (and also will be posted on www.LVMS.com).
February
18 – Pro Stock, open testing.
19-20 – Pro Stock Showdown.
20-23 – Professional testing.
March
11 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem Kick-Off.
12 – Open testing, racer registration day.
18 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
19 – First Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event; bracket testing.
20 – Second Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
24 – Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Test ‘n’ Tune.
25-16 – Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series time trials and qualifying.
27 – Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations.
April
1-3 – NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals – Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national event.
4 – Professional testing.
5-6 – Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
7 – Mopars at The Strip (www.moprasatthestrip.com) Test ‘n’ Tune
8-10 – Mopars at The Strip: all-Chrysler drag racing, car show, swap meet.
11-13 – Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
13 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA Kick-Off.
14 – Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
15 – PSCA (www.pscaracing.com) Test ‘n’ Tune.
15 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
16 – PSCA Racin’ 4 Jason Nationals qualifying.
17 – PSCA Racin’ 4 Jason Nationals eliminations.
27 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
29 – Super Chevy Show (www.superchevyshow.com) Test ‘n’ Tune.
30 – Super Chevy Show (concludes May 1).
May
1 – Super Chevy Show.
6 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
6 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
7 – Third Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
7 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
8 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
11 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
13 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
14 – Fourth Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
15 – Import Face-Off.
20 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
20 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
21 – Fifth Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
21 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
22 – Sixth Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
25 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
27-29 – Rockabilly Rod Reunion & NHRA Heritage Series (www.rockabillyrodreunion.com).
June
3 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
3 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
4 – Seventh Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
4 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
5 – Eighth Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
8 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
10 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem Summer Kick-Off.
17 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
17 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
18 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
21-24 – Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
22 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
24 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
July
8 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
15 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
15 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
16 – Wicked HP Bracket Series (Late Night Special).
27 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
28 – PSCA Test ‘n’ Tune.
29 – PSCA late-night qualifying.
30 – PSCA late-night eliminations.
AUGUST
12 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
12 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
13 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
19 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
26 – Formula Drift (www.formulad.com) qualifying, Bracket Test ‘n’ Tune.
27 – Ninth Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
27 – Back-to-School Bash: Formula Drift, Wicked HP Bracket Series, thrill show, Jet Cars, Bigfoot Monster Truck.
SEPTEMBER
2 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
3 – 10th Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event (special event).
4 – 11th Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event (special event).
9 – Test ‘n’ Tune.
9 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
10 – 12th Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
10 – Wicked HP Bracket Series.
11 – Wicked HP Bracket Series Finale.
14 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
16 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
17 – 13th Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
18 – 14th Short Line Express Jr. Dragster event.
28 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
30 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
OCTOBER
1 – Event TBA.
2 – Las Vegas Volkswagen Drags.
4-7 – Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
5 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA.
7 – PSCA Test ‘n’ Tune.
8 – PSCA qualifying.
9 – PSCA eliminations.
19 – Wednesday Night Drags by PSCA Finale.
21 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
27-30 – NHRA Las Vegas Nationals – Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national event.
31 – Professional testing.
NOVEMBER
2 – Supreme Sportsman Shootout.
3-6 – Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
17 – Street Car Super Nationals Test ‘n’ Tune.
18 – Street Car Super Nationals qualifying.
19 – Street Car Super Nationals qualifying, eliminations.
20 – Street Car Super Nationals eliminations.
23 – Las Vegas Bracket Nationals – Time Trial Day, Geezer Gambler.
24-27 – Las Vegas Bracket Nationals.
December
2 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
2 – LVMS Members Only: Free Jr. Dragster and Bracket Race.
2 – LVMS Strip 2011 Awards Banquet.
4 – Import Face-Off.
9 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
16 – Dodge Midnight Mayhem.
Schedule subject to change. For more information, please call The Strip at LVMS’ office at (702) 632-8213 or visit www.LVMS.com. Follow LVMS on Facebook and Twitter.
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CLICK HERE FOR IMAGE: Left to right; Veda Orr, Bob Sweikert, Marion Sweikert and Karl Orr. The Sweikert's chose Karl and Veda Orr to be the Godparent to their first born child. Courtesy of the "Sweikert's firstborn daughter's collection."
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Land Speed Racing Websites:
www.hotrodhotline.com, www.landspeedracing.com
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