SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 60 - May 21, 2008
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

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President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)
  Well it's started again. El Mirage is up and running. I pulled out a copy of the first official S.C.T.A. meet that ran at Muroc on May 15, 1938. Do the math and were almost to the day 70 years old. Think about that for a minute. Everything in the world has changed so much except for a bunch of gearheads who like to roll around in the dirt. And think of the payoff, how about personal satisfaction. We're the last group in motorsports that can still build their own cars in their own garages and go as fast as we dare and not have to worry about mileage or restrictor plates or templates to make sure we've got cookie-cutter machines. Yes! We're still a rag-tag group of volunteers that seems to do a pretty good job. The entry count for this weekend consisted of 150 vehicles of which no two were alike. Seems like it wasn't too long ago that that's
all the cars you would see at Bonneville so we're doing pretty good. We also had people show up from all over the states. David Steel and Mark Lambert came to enjoy the festivities all the way from Nashville. Imagine traveling all that way to get sunburned and really dirty. I walked them around a little to visit with fellow racers and you should have seen their reactions. Every turn was like finding a new sack of gold. All the stuff we take for granted seems to really effect the youngsters. More good for us. The coolest happening this weekend is the norm for us lakes racers and that's helping our fellow competitors go after our own records. Take Pete Prentice for example. He's top dog at El Mirage with a speed of 312.100 mph and he's helping "Fast" Freddy Dannenfelzer go after his record. Fred's crew took off Saturday after he set fast time of the meet with a 287 and change pass. He decided to take another lap on Sunday with a little extra pop poured in the tank, so Pete and another legend, Tony Waters step up and get the beast started. After Fred takes off all you see is dust, but wait, as it blows away everybody was shocked at what they saw. This place is dirt and one look at the track told it all, for all you could see fading into the distance were two black lines indicating Fred was on it hard just like the old days in his dragster at Bakersfield in the '50's. The results, Fred ran a cool 298 mph to bump his top speed of the meet feat from the day before but was a little down, because he didn't grab the brass ring. A beer soon fixed that problem.

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Editorial:
  On several occasions we have had individuals write in to say that certain things were incorrect and did not happen the way they were described. Sometimes it is due to the fact that people attribute a car to a certain owner or builder, or in the restoration of the car, the new designer/restorer is not given full credit. Sometimes the issue concerns who owns the original car and who has the reproduction. There is also the case where the original car and parts were cannibalized to make two, three or more cars. The complexity of the problem sometimes takes bizarre twists and turns and it becomes an on-going feud. Often the parties will come to an agreement and say that car A is 45% original, car B is 35% original and car C and D constitute the remaining 20%. We also have a problem with terms; what constitutes "original," what is "restored," what is "reproduced," and what is a "facsimile." It is perfectly alright to report on a story that you have honestly researched and find to be accurate, then do a retraction later when all the facts come to light. We aren't perfect and we make mistakes. Sometimes the errors are due to bias, sometimes to lack of all the facts and sometimes because we are extrapolating what we do know in trying to fill in the blanks. We often err due to misunderstanding the era that we are reporting on. We really think that we know what it was like in the 1920's or '30's, because we have interviewed so many people from that time. But, that would be a fallacy for this reason. The very people we are interviewing are evolving. When they went through those days there were a lot of unknowns, but as the decades passed by, these heroes of our sport aged and gained wisdom and saw the problems in a newer, more enlightened way. Unaware of their maturity and growth in knowledge and wisdom, they began to change the way they saw the past and re-interpret those long ago events. Another place where we err as historians is perspective. I was at Black Rock for 7 weeks and should be able to tell you everything there is to know about Craig Breedlove, Andy Green and Richard Noble. In fact, I am probably the worst source to use. Why? Because my position was more of a roaming, unchosen supervisor and so whenever there was a breach in our security wall, I filled it. I was somewhere on the perimeter of the lakebed, covering some 600 square miles, at any given time. There were weeks that went by that I never saw either of the two cars make a run for the record. I can tell you about mountain lions, coyotes, lonely outposts that never saw a single car drive by for 8 to 12 hours. I can tell you about fixing food, cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, taking volunteers to emergency services and recovering the radios after the day was done. That was my perspective, and most of the volunteers would say the same thing. Lucky spectators who came for a day or two at the right moment, saw more in a day than we did in seven weeks. It doesn't mean that we weren't there and doing jobs that needed to be done, but it also means that many of us aren't as expert as others think we are. At races and time trials, we might turn away just when the accident happens. There is also what we call Woodstock Syndrome.
Remember Woodstock, when ten million people showed up to see "The Happening" in upstate New York. What, you don't recall that many? You're right, the numbers were a fraction of that, but even though people actually weren't there, over the years they have convinced themselves that they were there. They're not liars. People learn so much that after a while they truly think they were there. We remember what we want to remember. Just as some racers told me stories that sounded so true, then I asked others and got a completely different picture of what happened. People aren't lying, they really believe that their version of the event is true. From their angle and perspective and the lapse of time that has gone by, they truly convince themselves that their memories are the valid memories. Another land mine is photographs. How can anyone fake a photograph, you say? Today photographs are deliberately changed, altered and faked to cause someone problems. But altering photographs is not necessary. Just look at some of those old, grainy photographs and what do you see? Rather, what do you want to see? If you are looking for your father, grandfather or friend, notice how just about every roadster looks familiar and every person on the dry lakes looks like the person you are searching for. They were all slim, it was the depression after all. They all dressed alike. They all copied each others designs. It takes a keen eye, a detective's instincts and a background of research to ferret out who's who in those pictures. What do people do? They look at a photograph and mark on the back "Ak Miller 1939 Muroc." Unfortunately, it's not Ak and the date is 1947 and the place is El Mirage. Mismarking photographs with the wrong captions is devilish, because historians get lazy and they don't want to do research on some memorabilia that has already been identified. Errors creep in, that's the point I'm trying to make. Sometimes because we aren't careful, and sometimes because we are too trusting. Most of our errors are due to too little facts. This is one reason we started this newsletter, to get the information out there in the public to have our members go over everything with a fine tooth comb and tell us if they spot mistakes and bring it to our attention. We aren't perfect, but we try to be. We willingly do retractions and apologies to parties that might be offended and make right our errors. We try never to commit an error willfully. But every one of us is going to make them and hopefully, we are going to help each other unmake them and tell the story accurately.

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The Fabulous Fifties, Charles George Daigh died on April 29, 2008. There will be a memorial service for Chuck Daigh at his shop on Saturday, May 31, 12 Noon to 2 PM hosted by his daughter, Denise. There will be a tent with tables and chairs nearby. All Fabulous Fifties non-members are invited. There will be refreshments and food with wine provided by Frank Arciero. You are invited to bring stories and memorabilia to honor Chuck. The shop is located in Costa Mesa at 670 W. 17th Street, Building F4.  Art Evan

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Thanks so much for your input. Denise, Chuck Daigh's daughter has decided that she will have the event at Chuck's shop in Costa Mesa. It will be cleared out by then and plenty of room. It will be Saturday, May 31 from Noon to 2 PM.  I'll keep your suggestions on file to consider in the future. We're always trying to think of someplace to go. Ginny and John Dixon      
Ginny and John: I hope there will be enough room for everybody, although there is ample parking across the street from his shop in the industrial complex. Chuck had a lot of friends. Hope to see you there.

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Chuck Daigh, the unsung hero, by Art Evans
Carroll Shelby once remarked, “There are only two people I can think of who could sit down, take a welding torch, build their own chassis, go out to test it and then win races with it. They are Jack Brabham and Chuck Daigh. I put Chuck in the same category as Jack.” Except for the war years, Chuck Daigh has been associated in one way or another with internal combustion engines. At age 15, while still in high school, he ran a Union Oil gas station in Long Beach where he grew up. In his eighth decade he was busy at work preparing a car for a record run at Bonneville. Between those times, he had a legendary career both behind the wheel and wielding a wrench. Bruce Kessler told me recently that he thinks Chuck was the most under appreciated racing driver of his time. According to his Sebring teammate, Dan Gurney, “Chuck was not only an excellent engineer, but he could also drive the wheels off a car.” Dan went on to say, “When I got into racing, I soon found out who the real heavyweights were. In those days, Chuck was like a god to us.” Daigh’s parents moved to Long Beach in 1923 where Chuck was born on November 29th of that year. His father owned and operated a garage where, according to older brother Harold, they grew up. Both were typical hot rodders. They made a car with a Model A chassis and an Alfa Romeo body. Chuck graduated from Compton High School in 1941. Along came the war and Chuck joined up and served with the famed 82nd Airborne Division for the duration. In the spring of 1943, the division parachuted into Sicily and later dropped near Salerno, Italy, and took Naples in October. The next month, they left for England to prepare for D Day, when they jumped into Normandy. After the Battle of the Bulge, they took Luxemburg where Chuck was shot and mustered out in 1945.
Returning to Long Beach, Chuck and Harold built a track roadster and raced it at Carroll Speedway in Gardena. Chuck was out practicing when J.C. Agajanian came over and asked Harold who was driving. Harold replied, “Oh, that’s Chuck; he’s just fooling around.” “I don’t know about that,” J.C. said, “but he just broke the track record!” In 1952, Benson Ford hired Chuck, Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to build Lincolns for the Mexican Road Race. Chuck went along as a riding mechanic and navigator. His first sports car race was at Moffett Field in 1953 piloting Marion Lowe’s Frazer Nash. Then he came in fourth overall in the main event at the October Terminal Island race behind the wheel of the ex-Dan Parkinson (Phil Hill’s brother-in-law) Jaguar Special. His first sports car victory was at Willow Springs in May 1954 driving his Kurtis with a Lincoln engine. Next, he started driving the Troutman-Barnes Special for Dick and Tom. After winning the fall 1955 Santa Barbara, he campaigned the car for another year winning more than his share of races and always was a front-runner. In 1957, Lance Reventlow asked Troutman and Barnes to build an all-American sports car. The partners wanted to involve Chuck, so he went to work at Warren Olson’s shop where the car was to be constructed. Warren said of Chuck, “He was one of my two most valuable employees; the other being Phil Remington. Chuck would try anything. If something didn’t work, it didn’t bother him. He would just try something else or do it a different way.” Chuck was responsible for the Scarab engine, suspension and brakes. The first Scarab—the Mark I—won its second race at Santa Barbara with Lance at the wheel.
The first big-time professional road race in Southern California was the U.S. Grand Prix for Sports Cars sponsored by the Los Angeles Times in October 1958. Lance had named Chuck his number one driver and entered two Mark IIs. Chuck won against very serious competition, making a name for the marque. That year, in a Scarab, Daigh won the opener at Meadowdale. At Montgomery he defeated the Cunningham Lister team led by Walt Hansgen, and won at Laguna Seca and Nassau. After the Scarab days, Chuck raced at Sebring three times, winning one with Dan Gurney in a Ferrari Testa Rossa. He also raced in Europe including Silverstone and Le Mans, usually in a Maserati. During Carroll Shelby’s GT-40 effort at Le Mans, Daigh was in charge of carburetion. Even so, the Ford mechanics thought they knew better. Bruce McLaren went out to practice and complained, so, unknown to the factory people, Chuck fixed the problem. Bruce credited both his Le Mans wins in part to Chuck. Daigh didn’t confine himself to four wheels. He had a very successful career with an offshore racer called the Thunderball. Chuck not only built the engine, but was also the pilot. In later years, he left Long Beach and moved to Costa Mesa where he set up shop. A few years ago, I visited Chuck in Costa Mesa. There sat his Bonneville streamliner, up on blocks. It was gorgeous; a work of art! It seemed to me it would be as at home in the Petersen Museum as on the Salt Flats. After a brief illness, on Tuesday morning, April 29, 2008, Chuck Daigh passed on. He was 84 years old. He was not only a great driver and designer/mechanic, but also a wonderful person. I’ll miss him. I understand a Scarab reunion is planned for the July 17-20 Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman at Road America. Augie Pabst told me that a remembrance of Chuck Daigh will be included in the celebration

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Editor's notes: Here are some answers from those who we asked for their biographies. We want EVERYONE to write their biographies and share them with the newsletter and we will publish them as they are received and completed.
A) I am extremely busy with the upcoming National Hot Rod Reunion. I will work on this between getting my work all done. When do you need it? What website are you referring to. Eileen Daniels Eileen: There's no hurry. I'm contacting everyone I know to do this project to record and keep the history and heritage of hot rodding and land speed racing alive. The websites are www.landspeedracing.com and www.hotrodhotline.com. We also encourage people to write their biographies and caption their photographs so that their families will know what they accomplished. Be sure to list all the stories that you and Bob had. What we are interested in are the histories and the stories of our hot rodding culture.
B) I'd rather not...Anon Readers: This partial email came in response to my request for biographies. I understand completely if you prefer to keep your privacy, but please record your history and leave it to your family at least. Those who leave behind their memoirs are the beacons by which we remember our past. Those who don't write will not see their views of history prevail. Those that do write their histories will be the creators of history and it is their stories that will become the history that we remember.
C) I'll save it and get to it (biography) when the next Bonneville Racing News is done. Wendy Jeffries, Editor Bonneville Racing News Wendy: Please feel free to use any of the accumulated stories and biographies in the Bonneville Racing News if it is of interest to the readers.
D) I would like to thank you again for the nice book review. The response from it has been incredible. Ky Michaelson Readers: Ky Michaelson is known as the Rocketman and his book review is on www.hotrodhotline.com Guest Columnist.
E) Will get this (biography) to you this week. Mary Ann Lawford Mary Ann: Looking forward to seeing it.
F) I'm working on it. Have it about 75% done. Will get it to you in the next day or so. I had not done a bio because, compared to most of the members of SLSRH folks, I don't have a big racing background to report on. But......I'll get 'er done and send it to you. Jerry Cornelison Jerry: Biographies are not just for famous race car drivers. The history and stories that you saw are important in their own right. We are telling a story as we saw it, about the times we lived in and what we did. Please feel free to add anything you know about those who did race on the salt or at the dry lakes.
G) Will do. Paula Murphy Paula: Now your biography is one that I can't wait to read and publish.
H) We will complete ASAP. We are leaving town for a week and will complete when we get back. Thanks for all you do for all of us. Al and Jane Teague Al and Jane: Be sure to tell us all about your brother, Alan Welch. He was the most unassuming and gentle man I think I've ever met. You wouldn't know how much Alan was loved and appreciated by talking to him. But when he was in public he would attract lots of attention and people would come over and talk to him. They would reminisce about the old days and I couldn't believe how much Alan achieved and how many people that he helped in his life. He is one of those unsung legends that we are aware of, but know so little about. Another one of those people that you hear about was Carmen Schroeder. I took Carmen to the drag races once, knowing that she was an open wheel kind of person, and did I ever get an education. In two hours we walked about 100 feet. People saw her and came up to talk to her and we hardly moved from the pits. Of course, two others are Steve Gibbs and my father, both of whom probably averaged about 50 feet an hour while walking or carting through the pits. Another place I love going to is the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. You meet such great people there and they become life-long friends. Doing these biographies is fantastic. It gives us a newfound sense of who our friends are and what they did in their lives.
I) ...printed on your request and will try to get to answering all the questions some time this weeken. Ron and Marilyn Lachman Readers: Marilyn was the long-time secretary to the NHRA Presidents. History might be made by leaders, but it is the secretaries who do all the work. We look forward to knowing more about you and Ron.
J) Flattered, this might take a bit of time, Ok? Doug Stokes Doug: Take all the time you want, but don't forget your Karting days, your media work, Irwindale, Autobooks and Gale Banks Engineering. We want to hear it all.
K) That's a tall order. Fill me in as to why me. I'm the guy that writes about the other folks. Dick Martin Dick: Part of our goals are to do the following; a) compile personal biographies, b) caption all photographs, c) save and restore racing memorabilia, d) find a place that will house land speed and hot rodding collections in a museum setting where research can be done, e) bring together in a group all of the historians (fans if you will) so that we can communicate in a group forum. Other groups do the same thing, especially the American Hot Rod Foundation owned by George Memesian, with help from many hot rodders across the country. Your life's experiences and the stories that you know are important too. What we are looking for right now is a biographical outline of around 1500 words. We are accumulating these stories and making them available to www.hotrodhotline.com and www.landspeedracing.com, from which sources they are then available to the general public to read and download. No one is forced to participate, but look at it from this standpoint. Those that record their history will MAKE history. Those that don't record their history will be absent from history. The only way that we can make sure that our records are accurate is to compare and contrast them with many written records. The more biographies and records that we have, the more accurate our knowledge of the past will be.
L) I am sorry, but I just don't have the time to fill out your questionnaire - enclosed is a copy of my resume and one of my bios. Hope this will do. Andy Granatelli P.S. I work very hard 7 days a week doing mostly charity work. Dear Andy: The resume and biography that you sent was far more information than what others have sent in. You did a great job. I will combine the two into one and print it in the newsletter. Those that own a copy of your book will have your biography. Thanks.
M) ...here is my Bio. I had not written anything before because, compared to most members of the Land Speed Racing Historians group, my “racing career” is not that big a deal. For better or worse, here it is: attached. Jerry Cornelison
N) Give me a little time. Anonymous Anonymous: If you have the time, we'll give you the time. Hopefully that'll be plenty of time to get your biography written.

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I found a picture of your Dad and I. Over the years I have met a lot of people. Your Dad, was a man among men. Because of your Dads efforts of organizing drag racing, he opened the doors for me. I love drag racing, it helped shape my life, and it gave me many opportunities. If this world had a thousand Wally Parks it would be a much better place for mankind. Ky Michaelson 

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I noticed in the list of famous racers who had land speed records, you missed Sir Stirling Moss. He was recorded as over 200 mph in MG Special at Bonneville. I just returned from Monaco from the Grand Prix Historique and was with Stirling. We were there together in 1961 when he won after a great dice with Richie Ginther in the shark nosed Ferrari. If you haven't been to this event, be sure to go next time. To me, it ranks with the Goodwood Revival. Herb Jones, Menorca   
Herb: I haven't put out any comprehensive lists of famous land speed racers, but the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians (SLSRH) is thinking about compiling a list of all the records from all the timing associations, including the FIA. The problem with records is that when a timing association goes out of business, no one to our knowledge, takes over and stores their records. They become "lost" records. Also, when a record is broken, only the new record is listed and all the old records seem to get lost in the shuffle, except for the timing tags and programs. The SLSRH is located at www.landspeedracing.com. We are doing a survey right now, asking people to write their biography, so here's the list and we would be honored if you completed your story and sent it to us to add to our newsletter. It's always nice to hear from you and hope to see you at one of the Fab '50 events.
a) Where did your family come from; your parents and grandparents and what did they do for a living?
b) Where were you born and where did you grow up? What elementary, junior high and high school did you attend?
c) Did you take any shop classes, while you were in school? Name your friends, especially those interested in racing.
d) Did you join any car clubs or work on or own a car, or a race car, or work as a crewman on a race car while in school?
e) What kind of jobs did you have as a young person while growing up? What kinds of hobbies and interests did you have?
f) What did you do after graduation? Did you join the military? Were you drafted? Did you fight in the war?
g) What kind of racing did you get involved in? Did you own a racecar, drive a racecar or work as a crewman? 
h) Who were some of your friends that were involved in racing with you? Name and describe them.
i) Tell us about your family, your wife and children. Were they involved in racing?
j) What kind of work did you find after you left school? Was it racing related employment?
k) Are you retired from racing? What are you doing today?

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...it's Garry Baker in Melbourne...long time no see! Your email address still seems to be a hit and miss so this time I'll try a text only message. Firstly, how are you going, and what keeps you occupied these days ... motoring stuff I'll bet. Some years ago Rosie Roussel, and Art Bagnall co-operated on sending me a copy of Art's history on Roy Richter .... which in my view, is truly a gifted piece of writing ... and to cap it off, Art signed it. It was free of charge, and since I've had a weather eye out for ways to respond in kind. At the time, Art did leave a 'stick on' postal address in the front of the book, but it was a PO Box in Kernville CA, not the real thing...which is what I'm after now...and a phone number if possible. When the book was sent out, Rosie said that Art did not have email - however, times change, so if you have such an address it would be helpful. All the best...Garry Baker  
Garry: Always glad to help.  I'm sending out the information you requested by separate correspondence. We are doing biographies right now, so here's an outline for you to do yours and send back to us for publication in our newsletter at www.landspeedracing.com. 

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Editor's notes: Readers, Garry Baker is a gifted historian in Australia and I know him from a long time back when I put out the Car Racers Newsletter and relied on Garry for news "Down Under." The policy of the SLSRH in regards to sharing addresses, emails and phone numbers is for Jim and I to ask the party you are seeking for permission to divulge that information. However, when Jim or I know both parties and have developed a trust, then we will forward phone numbers and email addresses only, perhaps a Box number, but no street address without your permission. If we don't know the parties well enough, we will send an email to the requestee and ask for permission to give out the information. If we don't have the requestee on our records, then we will publish the requestor's letter in the newsletter and hope that one of our readers knows the whereabouts of the requestee. It is very important to be able to keep in contact with our members and with hot rodders and land speed racers. It is the only way we can continue to do research and help to facilitate research into the past. If you need to get your name and email/phone information out to the members on a continuous basis, perhaps because it is a need for your occupation or you want people to contact you, the newsletter will run your information. We can post your email/phone on a one-time basis or at the end of the newsletter on a continuous basis. We want all of our members to be in contact with each other, but we have privacy issues to contend with. So, it is up to each of our members to tell us what you prefer in the way of disclosure. For example, Jim Miller lists his phone number and I list my email address. For him, it is easier to deal with requests by phone and for me it is easier to do so by email, but we make exceptions and we are always available to answer your calls and emails.

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Gear Grinders Club minutes - May 1, 2008. Doug Mcleish is having hip replacement on May 7th. Chuck Day passed away. Gaines Markley passed away April 24th. He and brother Charlie (The Markley Bros.) out of Washington State were pro drag racers, Bonneville racers, and record holders in their gas lakester. Howard Eichenhofer passed away April 16th. He was the first man to set a record at El Mirage over 200 mph in June 1957. (Picture taken at Russetta meet October 1957. Bob Brissette (L) and Howard Eichenhofer (R). Club: Road Benders. Editor's notes: The photograph would not copy) Walt Scott lost his battle with cancer on April 8th. He served as a part of our event security at Bonneville for the past 19 years. His service was held at the Veterans Memorial Park at The south end of the Salt Lake valley. Walt’s casket was picture perfect, placed in front of a large window overlooking the Wasatch mountains. Just outside the window the American Flag blew in the breeze. Clear sky except for a few large bright clouds that blew gently across the valley. There were about 40 people in attendance. Walt's daughter from his first marriage and her husband drove here from Arkansas. Walt's ex-wife Bonnie talked about their fun times working security on the salt. Lynda Ainge, Walt's best friend spoke about their working together at the races many years. She also told a few fun stories of their experiences while helping Walt drive back to Utah from Alaska. Walt was so homesick he wanted to get back home to be with his family and friends. Between Lynda and Ed and Cris, they were able to help Walt move back. Walt was never happier then when he arrived home. Walt's son Les and daughter spoke about how good a father he was. Walt lived for the salt. He loved working security for SCTA and USFRA and any private events. Even as Walt was dying, Les said Walt so desperately wanted get well to put in his 20th year on the salt. He never got to do this. A few USFRA members who were in attendance were; Larry Volk, Hugh Coltharp, Gary Wilkinson and of course Ed and Cris Shearer. Right after the service, a prayer was given over Walt's & his final resting place. We said our goodbyes and left Walt in a beautiful place, high on a hillside overlooking the valley below. Walt's spirit will be with us forever. Dave Castillo who was battling Leukemia is now cancer free. Elmo Gillette is having prostate problems. Ralph Foster is very ill. Members Present: Scott Andrews, Kevin Barre, Connie Beavers, John Bjorkman, Craig Black, Heather Black, Keith Black, Regan Boll, Royce Branch, Mark Brazeau, Cathy Butler, Van Butler, Jeff Cheechov, Bob Chilson, Dan Chilson, Steve Coleman, David Cox, Neal Doty, Ruth Doty, John Drake, Steve Field, Kim Harding, Katrina Herbert, Rob Hilton, Howard Hoffman, Dick Holt, Richard Hufnagl, Len Jones, Bill Kennedy, Max Kranz, Ralph Leclercq, Dennis Lightle, Larry Lindsley, Rick MacLean, James Manning, Gary Mansfield, John Mitchell, Robert Nichols, Nick Nicolaides, Bob Opperman, Joe Panek, Ronald Phelps, Richard Reed, Alan Rice, James Rice, Eric Ross, Wally Ross, John Salkins, Ashley Sangster, Frank Scott, Stan Settles, Matt Shickler, Jimmy Shine, Judy Sights, Robert Sights Sr., Robert Stahl, Don Stegen, Bob Sykes Jr., Neil Thompson, Mark Vigeant, George Vose, Tim Wallingford, Bob Webb, & Laney Yates. Members Excused: Nicholas Arias III, Ron Bell, Jay Cotting, Robert Sights Jr., Jack Underwood, Lisa Wallingford. Guests: Denny Falschlehner, Sean OFlaherty, Mike Robinson, Shaun Austin, Ruth MacLean, Pat Reilly, Vaughn Crispin, Lori Andersen, David Bozzie, & Rick Cottrell. Corrections to the minutes: Rick MacLean was excused. Frank Scott received the Gary Cagle Award. Motion to approve or amend the minutes: Motion to approve – Judy Sights (1st) & Bob Chilson (2nd). El Mirage Course Prep – Saturday May 10th, 2008 & Saturday-November 8th, 2008. No more double duty for next 5 years. Thank you again, to all the volunteers who helped Frank Scott get the timing trailer finished. Your help is greatly appreciated! Pat Reilly from the Road Runners Club came in and spoke about the committee who is revising the El Mirage Safety Procedures. There are seven men going through the safety procedures, collecting input from the clubs, and then submitting it to the SCTA. The goal is to put the penalties for infractions in the procedures so the penalties are fair and consistent. Some of the subjects this committee has been going through are: Warm-Up, Push Vehicles, Speed Limits, Course Prep, Assigned Duties, Vehicle Registration, & Patrol Duties. Safety Patrols – May 17th & 18th – Report @ Starting Line @ 6:50 a.m. Rulebooks & Plaques from the Gear Grinder Banquet were mailed out. New Business: T-Shirts – Minimum order 144, Tee $6.50, Sweatshirt $13, Hats $7.50. $9.75 x 144 = $1,404.00 + Tax = $ 1,512.81. Up charge for XXL or XXXL. $1000 Charge if we want to change the artwork. Neil Thompson (1st) and John Salkins (2nd) the motion to purchase club t-shirts. The club voted unanimously to purchase the t-shirts. Jackets – No minimum purchase required. $85-89 each. You can purchase the jackets with the new or original logo. The artwork was donated by some club members…Thank You! Gear Grinder Membership Cards – Bob Chilson (1st) and Judy Sights (2nd) the motion to discontinue the membership cards this year to Save money. The club voted unanimously to discontinue the cards this year. Member Profiles – Please send in as soon as you can with the pictures of your vehicle. Member Roster – Club voted unanimously to distribute the roster only upon request, and to only include name, city, state, email, & phone number.

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SCTA Reps meeting report: April 4, 2008. March Minutes Corrections – Course clear volunteers – Bob Opperman and Cliff Wheeler – George Vose – Alternate. Selling rides – treated as a vendor SCTA get 10% and BNI gets 3%. SCTA Treasurer’s Report: El Mirage Checking $38,071.94, Citibank Hospital Fund $22,878.52, Savings Reserve $87,833.07, Total $148,783.53. Also, Bank of the West asset account is $7,209.86. BNI Treasurer’s Report: 1249 Members – 33 Entries, Wells Fargo $209,591.38, Key Bank (Utah) $15,611.88. BNI Report: Bought wire trailer – to be lettered. Firmed up fire and ambulance service. Timing set up (Rice Brothers). 3rd Course – Definite.
Rent-a-ride to be Banned – No entries accepted. Save The Salt: 5 Weeks Intrepid still pumping. 40 Thousand tons – Soon will terminate
Exploring closing off portions of the El Soro Dam area. Treasurer’s Report $49,869.00 End of 2007, $2,800 2008 Donations $52,098 Total.
Insurance Review: $2,440. Commercial Liability, 2 Million per occurrence, $3,948 Participant Accident Liability, 2 Million per occurrence. One day El Mirage Cost $3,650. Two day El Mirage Cost $4,779. Property Insurance $6,825, $2,277 Automobile Insurance, $450
Director Liability, $1,815 Land Use Bonds, Barstow $100, Salt Lake City $100, Toole County $100, Worker’s Compensation $200, PI Questioned. Club Reps: El Mirage procedures – Re-Distribute next club meetings for vote. Uniform Penalty Committee: Met – Need club vote.
El Mirage Increases: Outhouses – same rate plus $100 fuel charge. Ambulance from $155 per hour to $195 per hour. 2nd Day Deal – Jim Lattin is working on it. Friends of El Mirage: Broke ground on Visitors Center, BLM pays for parks and recreation personnel, Motion passed for El Mirage logo, On El Mirage Day Shirts - $100, El Mirage Day is May 3rd & 4th. Car Tech: Inspectors Training – April 12th at Doug Robinson's. Dick Russell protest on V4/VXF Class Issue right in rulebook. Motorcycle Tech: Electric Motorcycles run Omega Class, 2 Classes only – Streamliner or Partial Streamliner. Rulebook ad sales – Only 4 ads not paid up. Open Discussion: Frank Scott is looking for volunteers for timing at Bonneville on the 3rd course. If anyone would like to volunteer or has any questions, please give Frank a call. Members would like to figure out a way to save money on mailing. New club members: Sean Austin, Sean O’Flaherty, and Mike Robinson (Sponsored by Richard Reed), David Bozzie and Rick Cottrell (Sponsored by Doug McLeish), Ruth MacLean (Sponsored by Rick MacLean) and Neil Thompson Jr was reinstated. Welcome to the club! Please make sure you get your email address to Heather. That way you will get all the info a lot faster than by “Snail Mail.” Permanent Duties: Chief Timer-Frank Scott. Chief Timer Emeritus-Glen Barrett. Assistant Chief Timer/CB Announcer
Bob Webb and Ron Bell. Assistant Timers-Bob Oppermann, Alan Rice, James Rice, Ron Bell, Ruth MacLean. Communication Equipment-
Bob Sykes Jr. Emergency Response Trailer Maintenance-Keith Black, Craig Black and Crew And Gear Grinder Club. Timing Equipment Maintenance-Frank Scott, Bob Oppermann, Alan Rice, James Rice, And Gear Grinder Club. Set Up and Take down of Timing Traps and Timing Trailer-Frank Scott, Bob Oppermann, Alan Rice, James Rice And Gear Grinder Club. Transport of Timing Trailer (El Mirage Only)-Dan Chilson, Rick MacLean. Safety Patrol Coordinator/Assistant Safety Patrol Coordinator-George Vose and Howard Hoffman. Motorcycle Inspection & Transport, Setup, & Take down of Motorcycle Inspection Trailer-Russ O’Daly. El Mirage Pre-Stage Line Stewards-Steve Field and Max Kranz. El Mirage Pre Inspection and Greeters-Bob Sights Sr and Judy Sights. Timing Trailer, ERT Trailer and Motorcycle Inspection Trailer Responsibilities-Frank Scott, Russ O’Daly and Gear Grinder Club. Shutdown Rover-To Be Determined. The patrols are responsible for their assignment. Patrol positions are 11 Return Road and 11 Spectator Side. You need to be at the Starting line at 6:50am on Race Day. These positions are drawn from the club roster in alphabetical order, starting with the last patrol members name from the November meet of the previous year. The Secretary will assign the names with the established criteria of past years. The patrols are published by the February club meeting in order to have a current roster and time for you to put the date on your social calendar as a reminder. George Vose is the Patrol Coordinator and will be in charge of all patrols. If something should happen to club member and they cannot stand their patrol, it is up to that club member to get his/her replacement from the Gear Grinder roster (you all should have a current club roster to use). If you cannot find a replacement, please ask George Vose and see if he can find a volunteer to stand your patrol. The club member that misses their assigned patrol will have to make up a patrol at a later date (non alphabetical placement), you will not be excused. Failure to perform assigned Patrol duties or a “No Show” will result in a $200 fine and/or suspension from the Gear Grinders. The member is also responsible for any fines that the S.C.T.A. levies upon the club. Remember that it’s your responsibility to find a Gear Grinder club member to stand your patrol. You will need to call George Vose and inform him of any swap ASAP. Important Dates to Remember: 2008 Gear Grinder Club Meetings- January 3rd, February 7th, March 6th, April 3rd, May 1st, June 5th, July 3rd, August 7th, September 4th, October – depends on world finals, November 6th, and December 4th. 2008 Race Dates: El Mirage-May 17th - 18th, June 22nd, July 20th, September 14th, October 26th, November 15th -16th.
Bonneville Speedweek 2008: August 18th – 24th. Inspection: August 17th. Bonneville World Finals 2008: October 8th – 11th. 2008 Board and Rep’s Meetings; In Irwindale- January 4th, March 7th, May 30th, July 25th, September 19th and November 21st. In Anaheim-February 1st, April 4th, June 27th, August 29th, October 31st and December 5th. Meeting Adjourned at: Time: 8:45 p.m. Motion: Judy Sights, Seconded: Bob Chilson. Next Club Meeting: June 5, 2008 @ 7:00pm (The First Thursday of every month unless there is a conflict with holidays or other dates) Dad Miller’s Golf Course, Greenside Caf�, 430 North Gilbert Street, Anaheim, California.

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See http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx. Enter your zip code in the site below, and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest and the highest prices on gasoline in your zip code area. It's updated every evening. John Higley

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We have added a section to our "Swap Meet" for the sale of Racing memorabilia and also racing parts. If you go to our classifieds www.hotrodhotline.com/classifieds/classifieds.php and then click on "Swap Meet," you will see a category for Racing memorabilia and racing parts. These ads are free and include 4 pictures. We also have a section in the Classifieds under Vehicles for sale where people can list Dragsters and Race Cars for sale. There is a charge for these ads but the cost is very small considering the exposure. Just wanted to let you know about these changes. Thanks, Mary Ann Lawford
Readers: Check out the website and see if it will fit your needs should you want to sell photos, timing tags, parts or other memorabilia that would normally sell on eBay.

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The 26th Annual Literature Faire and Exchange will be held on June 22, 2008 by the Society of Automotive Historians Southern California Chapter at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at the Los Angeles County Fairplex, in Pomona, California. Enter at Gate 1 off of McKinley Road not far from the intersection of McKinley and White Avenue. No car parts are allowed, but all sorts of photographs, collectibles, books, catalogs, brochures, memorabilia and much more will be on display by vendors. Vendor spaces are 10x20 feet and the rental is $30 if paid by May 1st and $40 thereafter. No applications for space after June 15th will be accepted. Vendors should call Bob Ewing at 693-3580. Time is 8AM to 3PM. Admission is free, parking is in the Museum parking lot. Catering truck will be on premises. Jay Leno often comes out for this Faire. Last year Phil Hill's personal library was for sale at reasonable prices. (Retyped from an announcement received from Landspeed Louise Ann Noeth)

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BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky. (May 19, 2008), by Bill Groak. Dick LaHaie was named Grand Marshal of the 6th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15, Beech Bend Raceway Park. LaHaie is a member of The Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In a career that has spanned nearly 50 years, LaHaie won The NHRA Top Fuel championship as a driver in 1987 and as the crew chief for Scott Kalitta in 1994 and 1995. LaHaie joined Don Prudhomme Racing and guided Top Fuel ace Larry Dixon to NHRA Top Fuel world championships in 2003 and 2004. LaHaie retired as Dixon's crew chief following the 2005 NHRA season but decided in 2007 to return as a tuning consultant for Kalitta Motorsports. In addition to his professional racing accomplishments, LaHaie, 66, and wife Claudia own several show quality street rods. QUESTION: How does it feel to be named the Grand Marshal for the 6th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion? What does the Reunion mean to you?
DICK LaHAIE: At first I was shocked, but I'm extremely honored. I never looked for recognition like this - I was doing what I loved to all my life. I was just a guy out there trying to win. I guess as it turned out, I was pretty successful. Maybe I'm just dense, but it (recognition) never crossed my mind. I was never one of those guys who walked with their chests out, like (Tom "the Mongoose") McEwen-ha-ha. McEwen's an old friend and I was telling him and (Don "The Snake") Prudhomme recently, 'the older you get, the better you were.' But seriously, we all had a lot of fun back when and I made a lot of great friends in drag racing. Many of my old friends will be congregating at the Reunion - that's why it's so special to me. I can't communicate with everybody so it's great to see them at the Reunion. I look forward to seeing all the Division 3 guys - Pat Dakin, G.L. Rupp, Dale Funk - we used to compete against each other, racing pretty damn hard.
QUESTION: When you started racing back as a teen in the late '50s, did you think you'd be honored years later? Are you surprised that people remember your racing exploits?
DICK LaHAIE: I never had a clue: I only wanted to run a car down the track. I always wanted to win, but that wasn't the biggest thing. If your number was still on your windshield at the end of the weekend, that meant you did ok. I guess I'm not surprised people still remember me - it was something I did for 47 years. What does surprise me is that people will come up and talk to me about a '55 Olds that I ran in Stock Class the late '50s. But that's what racing is about: camaraderie. Racing brings people together.
QUESTION: What are some of your fondest (and funniest) memories about drag racing in the '60s-'70s-'80s? What do you miss most about the "old days?" Do you keep in touch with a lot of your old drag racing friends?
DICK LaHAIE: Drag News used to have a Jr. Eliminators list and in 1965, the Heidelberg Roadster from Springfield, Ill., was No. 1. I took my Fuel Roadster and drove down from Lansing, Mich., to Alton, Ill. and submitted a challenge to match race it. I had the No.6 spot at the time. In the first round - it was a best of three format - I whipped them handily. I was really excited to be a win away from the No. 1 spot and I got cocky. But I learned quickly how humbling the sport can be. My crankshaft broke - I was devastated. My mind was going 100 miles per hour thinking what to do, but it was over. I didn't have extra parts. It was the hardest thing in the world to watch him run single to keep his title. Two weeks later, though, he came up to Michigan and I whipped him two straight like a stepchild to win the title, which I never relinquished. This was all about the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. My most exciting time in my life was in '87. That was the first year of major corporate
sponsorship and I won the championship as a driver with just my family as the crew. It was just my daughter Kim, my son Jeff and my wife Claudia. That was the highlight of my career. What I miss about the old days was the camaraderie and the fact you had to do everything
yourself. It wasn't like today and the 'UPS cars' - where if something breaks you just order another part and they overnight it to you. I miss the challenge of out-thinking my opponents. It wasn't who had the most money - it was about who built the best car and ran the fastest. I do keep in touch with my friends, but many of them are dying off, and that's scary. It's sad to see the heroes of the sport dying off.
QUESTION: Are you surprised at the popularity of nostalgia drag racing? Why do you think people enjoy it so much?
DICK LaHAIE: I think it's popular because the nostalgia races are places where old guys like me can enjoy themselves. It's like going back to another era, and I think younger folks like that too. In my day it was more of a rogue era, not as commercialized. There were no set schedules. There were more race tracks and you could race everyday of the week. There were 12 to 14 tracks in Michigan. You went to the people instead of the people coming to you. But nostalgia is big today in everything from cars and boats to coins and guns. It brings the interest out in people. It's human nature to be interested in times past. I know I am. Even I am amazed when I see the old-time cars. I still can't believe we raced those things. Because we did, things are much safer today, though.
QUESTION: Since you were a driver, owner and crew chief for many years, what do you think of drag racing today compared to when you were on the circuit?
DICK LaHAIE: The drivers are much more professional and polished today. That started with all the corporate sponsorship stuff in the '80s. Today's drivers work out a lot and are more physically fit. We didn't do any of that. They also know how to speak in front of a TV camera. But the basics are still the same: two cars on the line, first guy to the end of the track wins. Today you just have better tracks and equipment. There's not as much on the driver to get to the finish line. In my era, we were all green and didn't know how to do something until we tried it. Today it's more scientific. You can map out an ignition curve. In my day, we were lucky to have an ignition!

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The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Reunion is part of the museum's "living history" philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

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Links to other land speed and hotrodding websites:
www.landspeedproductions.biz, http://www.landracing.com, www.speedrecordclub.com,
http://www.ahrf.com/video.php, www.hotrodhotline.com,
www.landspeedracing.com, www.Autobooks-Aerobooks.com

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Members:

Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Mike Bastian, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, 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, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, 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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