SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER - , 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)
  It was the hot rod weekend of the year. The L.A. Roadster Show took place as usual at the Pomona Fairgrounds this last Saturday and Sunday and everywhere you looked there were cool rides. Scattered amongst them were a few land speed cars and I had to capture them for you. 

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Editorial: This column is just bits and pieces, but what pieces. Roger Rohrdanz and I were out and about, which is rare for me, because this job requires a lot of sit-down computer work. We went to Eibach Springs in Corona, California, to interview Wilfried Eibach, who makes a great deal of the springs and suspension systems for race cars. The plant is impressive and the products that they turn out are even more so. We will have an article out soon on Eibach Springs and a biography on Wilfried. Then we went to see Bob "Indian Red" Nichols, who is one of the most interesting and inventive creators that you will meet, especially with motorcycle engines. I call him "Indian Red" after the red Indian motorcycle hat he owns and races. Bob's story will be told soon. Then we went to take photographs of Bob Webb, for his biography. Bob has been a Gear Grinders and SCTA leader for two decades. The next day Ron Henderson came by and we went over to see Jack Underwood, whose story is already on www.hotrodhotline.com, under Jack's Garage. Jack told us about Major Gilbert, an old friend of my father's and a member of the SCTA before WWII. Gilbert used to stamp the metal timing tags and family members found some of the original plates before the logo and designs were changed and they are offering them for sale. These pre-WWII SCTA and land speed racing artifacts are priceless and we are glad they were found and saved. This leads into the topic for today and that is that the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians does not oppose the selling of artifacts, though we would ask that those that do sell memorabilia make it known to as many people as possible. Many historical and archaelogical groups, such as those dealing with ancient civilizations and ship wrecks, oppose the treasure hunting methods used to find and then sell artifacts. When people do this, it destroys the area where the artifacts were found and makes research all but impossible. With land speed memorabilia, it isn't that great a problem, since we can identify most of what you sell, but we would like to know where you got the material and from whom, so that we have a paper trail of the objects. This paper trail is called a provenance and makes your possessions more valuable. The more people, especially well-known people, who have owned or used your photographs, engines parts, cars, etc, the more valuable they become. So keep a record, let people know what you have and if you sell it to collectors, ask them to show the memorabilia to us as well, so that we can do research.

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We are looking for anyone who can tell us more about Jack Peters, a Hollywood Throttlers club member in the SCTA. Peters also was a leader in the Western Timing Association and the founder, publisher and editor of Throttle Magazine. He went into the service in WWII, came back on leave in his uniform and was seen at an SCTA function in 1942 and no one has heard or seen him since. Throttle Magazine's first issue came out in January 1941 and the last issue was December 5, 1941. Peters, in the December issue told his readers that the growth of Throttle Magazine had been phenomenal and that he looked for continued growth in ad revenue, sales and readership in the coming year. Two days later the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked American warships at Pearl Harbor, Oahu and we were at war. Throttle Magazine never came back. Seven years later Bob Lindsay and Robert Petersen brought out Hot Rod Magazine, which looked almost exactly like the layout and design of the old Throttle Magazine. The question remains that if Peters had survived the war, wouldn't he have brought back Throttle Magazine in 1945. If he did, his success might have kept Lindsay and Petersen from developing Hot Rod Magazine and the lives of so many people would have been forever altered, including that of my father, who was called the "first professional editor," of HRM.

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I have this photo with a little information about it which I am able to forward to you. The photo is not of good quality, but interesting. I have had a talk with my dad and recorded a few stories which I have to translate then I'll be able to send it to you. Geri Lanier

Myself, as a photographer for SCTA and CRA had many photographs and so the magazine got started out of most of my photos and negative files. So I was Hot Rod Magazine's first Staff Photographer. The first issue was January 1948 with the cover as one of my photos as well. I had several mint condition editions, one of which made it into Don Gartlits Museum in Ocala, Florida.  Sorry about the poor condition of the print. The original Hot Rod Photo Collection (Negs) is at Don Garlits Museum. You can use this photo anyway you want. Lee Blaisdell
Lee and Geri: Thank you for the photographs. Please start working on your biography and share it with your family and with land speed and hot rodding fans. Very few people know that you were the first photographer for Hot Rod Magazine. I remember that my father used to take photos and give them to Petersen too. In those days no one thought that the magazine would last very long, but the purpose of Hot Rod Magazine was to hype the SCTA Hot Rod Show and so it was in everyone's interest to help Lindsay and Petersen with their publication. Lindsay put up the money and had the printing contacts, but I think his interest lay elsewhere and he sold out to Petersen, who had an eye for what would work and what wouldn't. Petersen was younger than a lot of guys in the SCTA, but he was very astute and practical. After the Hot Rod Show, Petersen must have realized that the demand was bigger than anyone had thought and he started to spend more and more time on the magazine and less on Hollywood Associates Inc. He could always be seen with stacks of magazines under his arm, leaving them at shops "on consignment," hoping to share in whatever was sold and trying to get ads from the speed equipment makers. Those that advertised, like Lou Senter and Ed Iskenderian found that their business boomed and the Ad Wars would make a book all of its own.

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I talked to Bob Joehnck 2 days ago, and he told me he came back from El Mirage with another record. Tim Tuthill Tim: We need someone to sit down with Bob Joehnck and get his story. Bob is instrumental in the early land speed racing era and in the Goleta drag race that started the craze. He also worked with my father on many projects, including a failed attempt at getting the Vandenberg Air Force Base 2 mile landing strip for a land speed attempt. His story is crucial to our understanding of the past.

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I was at the 2 club meeting last Sat at NHRA museum and also saw Otto. I got in the 2 club in 1957 and at that time through the early '60s Grant Piston sponsered the Club. I went a couple of times to meetings and dinner at his house. He was a great guy. Bob Brissette Bob and the Readers: Otto is Otto Ryssman and his story is told at www.hotrodhotline.com. Otto Ryssman was one of THE pioneers of drag racing and in the early days was just about unbeatable.

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I assume you have my bio although I did not respond to your specific questions. As I read through the newsletter, I feel so insignificant - - just one small piece of an infinitely larger puzzle. I am impressed that so much has been accomplished during the last 60 or so years by those who stuck with it and those who came along. John Chambard John: Part of your story shows up in the George Rubio story and the rest is in the book review Chambard; A Teenage Experience. Sometimes I do biographies, sometimes they turn out as book reviews and sometime as stories. Basically, they are all similar and tell the readers what happened in the past. You should be able to find it at www.hotrodhotline.com and from there I add that material to www.landspeedracing.com. Your story is the beginning, now you should add more and more to it and leave it to your family as one of the greatest gifts that you can offer them, a look into their heritage. Our stories are never ending. We always have more to tell. Perhaps not all of our descendants, family and friends will care to read everything that we write, but some of them will want to read our stories. What we leave behind will influence those who will come after us. Every person, not just racers, have a story worthy of writing down and leaving to the next generation. It is selfishness to refuse to do that. Your booklet was fascinating and I want to thank you for giving me a copy. I put your story in the book review category as an example of how we can write our own stories and publish them for a dollar or two. You made twenty or thirty copies in a format that will last and didn't cost you a fortune. I want others to know what you did and copy your idea.

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Wally Parks; Hot Rodding's Hero, by NHRA Publications. Paperback book $15.95 Printed: 44 pages, 8.5" x 11," perfect binding, full-color interior ink. Description: "Every great endeavor has a father, a key individual who through willpower and wisdom, determination and design, faith and fancy, and heroics and humbleness possesses the tools necessary to advance the cause. For the hobby of hot rodding and later the sport of championship drag racing, that man was Wally Parks. From his formation of the National Hot Rod Association in 1951 to his passing in 2007, Parks gave his all to the sport he loved. Today, the 330-mph NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series is his legacy. Originally created by the National Hot Rod Association as an insert to "National DRAGSTER" and reproduced here in paperback with additional rare historical photographs, "Wally Parks, Hot Rodding’s Hero" features interviews with Parks himself and is an inspiring must-read for race fans of all ages." 44 pages; 60 photographs. Source; www.NHRA.com. Editor's notes: This book, or paperback has not been reviewed. The quality and accuracy is undetermined, but is probably taken from sources already in print and from interviews in the National Dragster. As soon as I get to the museum I will see if they have copies there for sale so that I can review this book.

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I failed to include my web site www.bryantauto.com in the previous post. Thanks, Tom Bryant Tom and the Readers: I just received Tom Bryant's biography and 7 photographs. There is still some work to finish it and post it to www.hotrodhotline.com, but Tom has submitted 6900 words so far and his story is fascinating. How much is too much? Anything over a million words is probably too much, so most of the biographies that we have received so far are just perfect and can probably use a little more text. I can't begin to tell you all how interesting these biographies and histories are. The SCTA is full of some real achievers and this project will be appreciated by the generations to come.
For those of you who would like the questionaire again, here it is. Follow the guideline or make up your own and then send it to me. I will edit what you send, take the photographs that you send and archive them on www.hotrodhotline.com and www.landspeedracing.com.
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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I am trying to find information on Les Watermann (could also be spelled with one n) who broke motorcycle speed records some time in the 1960's on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I don't recall the exact year. Also interested in how long the record was held. Would you be able to help me or to suggest who I can contact? Thank you very much, Patricia Rumsey  (email at [email protected], or call 707-961-1116)  

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News from hot rod artist Tom Fritz:
I've completed a commissioned series of five paintings that will be included in a national collection, and three other commissions and a handful of works I did for myself. I put some of the images up, and some news items also. I invite you to take a look. First, check out “10-8/” Go to www.fritzart.com: Artwork>Motorcycles>Harley-Davidson Originals. Harley-Davidson asked me to create a painting celebrating their 100th year of providing motorcycles to police departments. This work depicts a 1908 single and a 2008 Electra Glide, and highlights the technological evolution of the bikes, the officer’s uniform, weapons, and communications. This image is currently available as a very limited edition print. The title of the painting, "10-8," is part of the ten-code, a standardized code which law enforcement uses to make radio transmissions brief, thus keeping message traffic to a minimum. "10-8" translates to: "In Service," or "On Duty." It was an honor for me to be selected by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to create an artwork for their 2008 Vintage Motorcycle Days celebration. As the Marque of the Year is Triumph, I produced “Knowin’ What’s What,” a depiction of Gene Romero, sitting astride the 750cc Trackmaster/Axtel/Romero Triumph, giving an impromptu lecture on whatever to an admirer on a ‘59 Bonneville. You can see it here at: Artwork>Motorcycles>Other Motorcycle Originals. You can also view two new Hot Rod pieces; a ’32 roadster that’s just been rolled out of the shop called “Hot Stuff, Sho’ Nuff,” and “Dazzle” (Mazmanian’s Willys Gasser) which was painted in my booth during the Barrett-Jackson event last January. They’re at: Artwork>Hot Rods & Classics>Hot Rod Originals. One of the private commissions I completed was "Gettin' There From Here," a stock ’34 Ford coupe bustling down a wagon road on the prairie, and can be seen at: Artwork>Hot Rod Classics>Automobile Classic Originals. Thank you taking a look! I'll have my booth set up at the L.A. Roadster Show in Pomona this weekend. If you're there, please stop by. I also wanted to call attention to the following art exhibitions I'm participating in: "Hot Rod!" at the College of the Canyons Art Gallery in Santa Clarita, California, from June 21 through July 21. Reception June 21, 12 - 5 pm. "Velocity - the Art of Motion" at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, in Hopkins, Minnesota, from June 28 through August 3. Reception June 29, 4 - 6 pm. I hope this finds you well and you have a cool summer! Sincerely, Tom Fritz ([email protected])

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I got a phone call from a friend, Jim Sitz, about food and drink availability at the upcoming Literature Faire at your digs. Unable to remember exactly how things are set up there? Can you help me out here? regards, David Scully Dr David: The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, sponsored by the Auto Club of Southern California, has a unique arrangement with the operators of the Los Angeles County Fairplex, which is the Los Angeles Fair Association. Notice how I mentioned everybody. It's important to mention all the sources, because this museum is a group effort to run and when anyone is left out, they feel slighted. I know that my father would have been happy to not have been included on the list of names, but once on the marquee, it's hard to get one's name off the billboard. The Auto Club of Southern California is a major sponsor of racing events, especially NHRA drag racing and the motorsports museum in the Southern California market. The Los Angeles Fair Association is a private company that runs the nearly square mile of land that is called the Los Angeles County Fairplex, which is owned by the County of Los Angeles. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is the organization that operates the museum through a separate Board of Directors. The museum gets a very good deal rentwise, but is contracted to use only the suppliers who have contracted with the Fair Association. See how complicated your question really is. No outside food caterer is allowed to bring food, beverages or equipment onto the grounds except for Cornucopia Food Service and/or the Sheraton Hotel. Not legally anyway. The people to contact to find out if food has been catered for the Literature Faire is The Society of Automotive Historians Southern California Branch. Kat Lotz at the museum might also know. Harold Osmer was the President of the SAH in Southern California the last time that I checked. The museum's phone number is 909-622-2133. When I attend these events on the grounds of the Fairplex, I usually go north on White Avenue to Michael J's in La Verne, about 2 miles from the museum for breakfast or lunch. There are some very nice restaurants in the La Verne area just north of Arrow Highway.

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I tried to copy the information off the Road Runners Club website at http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners, but was unsuccessful. This website has some very interesting subjects and historical photographs and text.

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We would like to invite you to spend an evening with Dan Gurney to celebrate the launch of the Dan Gurney Signature Edition vehicle now available for sale in the Los Angeles metropolitan market. The premier event will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, June 13, at GALPIN FORD located at 15505 Roscoe Blvd., North Hills, California, 818-787-3800. Those arriving to the event in a Ford Mustang will be allowed to park next to the event where Dan will be signing autographs and cars. (Please arrive early.) The Saleen / Dan Gurney Signature Edition vehicles are available for purchase in your choice of red, white, or blue. These colors commemorate his All American Racing history. Only 300 will be built, 100 in each color. Elvia C. Garcia Elvia: This publication comes out weekly and then sends the newsletter to the website owner. Give us at least 10 days notice of your event, otherwise by the time we go to print your event will be over. The best way is to give us a 3-month notice, a 1-month notice and a 2-week notice. You can NEVER remind hot rodders enough.

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The e-mail below is from Brent Hall, who drove in his first hydroplane race last weekend. Brent is being mentored and coached by Harold Mills. Brent was able to run 4 heats and made quite an impression among the veteran drivers. In addition, he raised some money for the charity Friends of the Children, which tutors children. What makes their program unique is that the tutors are full time, paid professionals and follow the kids from elementary school through high school. Skip Young
We still have a couple of checks coming, but our total money raised so far for the Friends of the Children far exceeded our $3000 goal. Drum roll please. We raised an amazing $3718.25, and sold 111 tickets to the event. Considering the Weather forecast, 111 tickets sold is pretty incredible too. At the event, the owner of the Unlimited Hydroplane Miss Red Dot donated an additional $100 towards our cause. We will officially present all of the money to them in the next week or so. The race was a blast as well! Saturday we were having some radio problems, so I was flyin’ solo. That actually was good, because I learned by figuring it out for myself, which was a huge confidence booster. Day 2 with the radio working, I had my fastest heat with a top speed of 91 mph based on my GPS watch. The owner thought it might have been faster than that based on how I was doing compared to the other boats. The wind picked up for the final heat of the day, so I made a smart decision and backed off the throttle quite a bit down to a top speed of 74 mph. Since I finished all of my heats I believe I finished 4th or 5th overall out of 7 boats entered. More importantly, the Kids from the Friends of the Children came out, took turns sitting in the boat, enjoyed the racing, and the other festivities. Still waiting for those pictures, but the announcer took quite a bit of time talking about the Friends of the Children and all of the money AT&T Mobility raised every time I was on the course! Tons of pictures and some video clips will be added to Call Center share point, but I wanted to make sure to thank you all for your support with our Company Sponsored Spirit of Caring Campaign, and helping me make my dream come true! You all are awesome! Brent Hall Readers: Harold Mills and Skip Young are part of a hydroplane team from Seattle, whom I met while doing a story on SeaFair. While they do oval water racing, there were quite a few fans in the Seattle area interested in the water speed record, run on a straitaway course like in land speed racing.

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BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky. Nostalgia drag racing is one of the fastest growing sports around and the record racing field at the 6th Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion (NHRR) proves it.

Showcased on the track will be Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, competing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others, plus and a variety of exhibition entries. All the top names in nostalgia racing will be competing, including Brad Thompson, Adam Sorokin, Brendan Murray Roger Lechtenberg, Howard Haight and Troy Green. The race is affiliated with the NHRA's new Hot Rod Heritage Series and next year will be an official stop on the tour. "Despite the slowness in the economy, guys are coming out to Bowling Green to race," said Gibbs. "This event means a lot to young and old racers. They want to compete at Beech Bend. It's a special place and special event." Gibbs said Carl "Cannonball" Johnson, who won the 1958 NHRA event in Oklahoma City, is driving down from Rockford, Illinois to compete in his Sterling nostalgia Fuel Altered. It's Johnson's 50th year of racing and he still has his Wally Parks-signed pit pass from the '58 race. Speaking of the unpredictable Fuel Altereds, "fans will be itching to see Nostalgia match races, such as the Ron Hope's Rat Trap vs. the Dave Hough's Nanook," said Gibbs. "These are two legendary cars that really put on a show for fans. It's these types of races that make the Reunion so special." On the Top Fuel side, Thompson, who won the 2007 California Hot Rod Reunion, is coming all the way from Visalia, Calif. for the event. It's the first time he's raced at NHRR, according to Gibbs. Also coming east again will be High Speed Motorsports of Anaheim, California, which has four consecutive victories in the Nostalgia Top Fuel category at NHRR. Troy Green, who took over from three-time champion Sean Bellemeur last year and won, will again be the driver for HSM. Adam Sorokin, who finished as runner-up to Bellemeur in 2006, will challenge Green for the title in Brian Van Dyke's RB Entertainment Special from Tulare, California. Sorokin, who lost in the first round at the 2007 Reunion, is the son of the late Mike Sorokin, who drove the legendary "Surfers" top fuel dragster in the late 1960s. Murray, who survived a spectacular fire at last year's Reunion, is making his 6th consecutive trip to the event and is still looking for his first title. But those won't be the only Nostalgia Top Fuel cars competing in the Hot Heads Eliminator drag racing at NHRR. The "Orange Crate" fueler owned by Dale Suhr and Roger Lechtenberg of Waterloo, Iowa was the winner at 2003's inaugural National Reunion. A new "Orange Crate" was built for the 2007 event and it'll be primed to return to victory lane. Other Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragsters include David Pace and Brad Green's "Speed Merchant" from Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Ernest McClain's Tri State Racing "Mill Road Boys" car from Elkton, Maryland; Jeremy Hasket's "Backyard Guys" car from Charlotte, North Carolina; Randy Bridges of Virden, Illinois and Julius Hughes II in the "Zot 5" from Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to the event purse, the Top Fuel dragster drivers will be shooting for the low elapsed time qualifying position and a special trophy and cash prize being awarded by racing veterans Fred Frey and Jim Fox, in honor of the late Paul "Dodger" Glenn. Glenn drove funny cars including the "Iceman" Vega and the Frantic Ford Mustang II. He held NHRA Top Fuel license #128 and Funny Car license #126. Glenn died in a crash of the Frantic Ford in 1978. Qualifying on the �-mile dragstrip in all classes, plus exhibition runs, will be held on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14, with final eliminations set for Sunday, June 15, on Father's Day.  Bill Groak     Bill: Please allow at least two weeks notice before an event so that the SLSRH can get the word out to its members.

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Since you asked for additional biographical input a few days ago, I've tried to think of someting to contribute. The following doesn't fit the outline that you proposed but I hope it will interest some of your readers. Warmest regards, Thatcher
Dry Lakes Memories
I had always been curious about the origin of the name “Muroc” for the dry lake east of Rosamond, California. Recently I learned that the area was originally settled by Ralph, Clifford and Effie Corum, a family of ranchers. When their settlement grew large enough to need a post office, Corum would have been its logical designation. However, there was already a small town by that name so the alternative adopted was to spell it backward - hence the name Muroc. The hard-packed salt pan made an ideal surface for high speed runs and following the formation of the Southern California Timing Association in 1938, the name “Muroc” became synonymous with amateur speed trials. The Army Air Corps had been using the lake for some time and earlier had designated it the “Muroc Army Air Field.” Later, together with a large surrounding area, it became Edwards Air Force Base. With America’s entry into World War II, it was closed to all civilian activity and the lake itself was renamed Rogers Dry Lake.
During the war, all SCTA activity had been suspended and, by the time VJ Day finally came, impatient members were putting heavy pressure on the Association to resume racing immediately. With “Muroc” no longer available however, our first order of business was to find a new venue. Rosamond Dry Lake was actually more accessible than Muroc had been and was almost as large but its surface was not as hard and well-suited. Some consideration was given to Harper Dry Lake and a group of members drove up to look it over. It was of suitable size and offered a fair surface but it was located in a desolate area several miles northwest of Barstow and would have involved a much longer trip for most SCTA members. The best choice seemed to be El Mirage Dry Lake located a few miles east of Palmdale. It was not as large as the others and had some drawbacks but it was easily accessible and proved to be our best compromise. Heading for “The Lakes” - we always referred to it in the plural (!) - meant getting on the road in the middle of the night. Some of the cars were towed; some driven and often there would be caravans of members from the same club. My fellow Throttlers and I usually met at Ted Cannon’s shop for last-minute preparations and would then caravan up through Mint Canyon toward the desert.
One night Ted was still working on someone’s “modified” while we all stood around, anxious to get on the road. Finally he finished what he was doing when it was noticed the car had no license plate. Ted quickly scrounged one up, dialed down the amperage on his arc welder and lowered his helmet. With his left he held the plate against the car’s gas tank and before anyone could yell, “Wait a Minute!“ he had struck an arc and laid a neat bead across the plate’s top edge, welding it to the tank! Ted was a real artist with the arc welder and we never doubted his skill but this was one time we might have questioned his judgment! The Saugus Caf� was open all night for its truck driver patrons and we would often stop there for coffee and donuts. There would always be interesting cars out front and fellow ‘rodders to “talk shop” with before pressing on. The highway east from Palmdale was straight, two-lane asphalt over open country and - truth be told - some of our members couldn’t wait to get to Mirage before putting the pedal to the metal! Of course this was extremely dangerous. The road had a couple of right-angle jogs and, if you were going fast at night, they would come into view with terrifying suddenness! I recall one tragic scene - a group gathering around a young ‘rodder sobbing as he cradled his dead brother’s head in his lap. The crumpled wreckage of their Model A roadster lay a few yards away. They had arrived much too fast at one of those jogs and had gone end-over-end, off the road.
While it was still dark, the course had been laid out and Otto Crocker would have set up his timing equipment and PA system. The line of entrants would have started forming and those of us on the Inspection Committee would have been checking tires, steering and safety belts. The main occupation of those who weren’t busy with their cars was trying to keep from freezing! Pre-dawn on the desert brought a bone-piercing chill like no other and one that we never adequately prepared for! We would usually just drape a blanket around our shoulders and stomp around, trying to avoid leg cramps! There was absolutely nothing combustible on the lake surface but ingenious ‘rodders would “invent” a small fire. We would search our cars for road maps, paper bags, rags, even chewing gum wrappers (!) to start a fire and heat an empty oil can. Once the oil can got hot enough, we could keep the fire going by dribbling oil on it, one drop at a time, from a full can. It would only give off enough heat for three or four of us, crowded around shoulder to shoulder, but it provided a little relief! Food was another thing we usually forgot to bring! Sometimes a small catering truck would show up or someone’s wife would bring a few sandwiches to sell but there was seldom enough to satisfy the ravenous demand!
The timed runs would start at the very first glint of dawn. By full sun up, the meet would be well under way. The course was surveyed for about a mile and a half. This allowed a little over half a mile to get up top speed, then a quarter mile through Crocker’s time trap and another half mile for safe slowdown. Cars would take a wide circle to the right for turnaround and then a slow run back to the starting area. I was fortunate to be on the timing stand and witness one momentous bit of Dry Lakes history. It was quite common at the time for SCTA club members to record speeds in the 130 to 140 mph range and a few were pushing into the area of 145-plus. On this day, Stu Hilborn arrived on the lakes with his little black streamliner. The car was powered by a Ford V-8 engine but had no carburetors. Instead, it was equipped with a fuel-injection system that Stu had designed and built himself. By today’s standards, it was rather primitive, consisting simply of butterfly valves over the ports through which raw gasoline was fed. The car was beautifully built and, judging by its sleek shape, we guessed it would be pretty fast. We were right!
As each car exited from the timed quarter mile, Otto Crocker would announce its speed over the PA system. “One four six, point seven three” he might call out for one of the faster times. When Stu completed his run, we all listened intently because we sensed he had gone very fast indeed. Then Otto announced his speed, “One,” followed by a dramatic pause while we all strained to hear, “Five.” At the word “five,’ we all broke into a cheer that could be heard clear back to Palmdale! Hilborn’s 150.15 was the first time in SCTA history anyone had exceeded a hundred and fifty miles per hour! In the context of today’s record speeds, a hundred and fifty doesn’t seem impressive but, at the time, it was like breaking the sound barrier! As the governing body of numerous hot-rod clubs, the Southern California Timing Association filled an important role in amateur motor sport. Its time trials were well-organized, quite safe and they certainly gave the sport a better reputation in the public’s eye that it had had previously. As with any organization there were, of course, occasional hitches. One bothersome problem was non-members who sometimes showed up uninvited. These could be anyone in any kind of car who just wanted to “go fast” off to the side. These “outlaw” drivers were a nuisance to us and dangerous to themselves because they didn’t realize that parts of the lake were not safe to run on! Some of our people on motorcycles would chase them and try to warn them off but they weren’t always successful.
One time a kid in a stock Ford convertible barged at full speed into an area that still hadn’t dried out from the seasonal rain. His stop, floor-board deep in mud, must have been like being snared by the arrester gear on a carrier deck! Our people were anything but sympathetic! The consensus was, “Let the S.O.B. stay there!” although someone did eventually tow him out after our timed runs were finished. By around 8:00 the last car would have been clocked and we would be picking up course markers and reeling in the timing wire. The desert wind would have begun to raise little eddies; tumbleweed would be crossing the course and even a small gust could render a car unsafe at top speed. It always seemed strange to be shutting down when the sun was not yet high in the sky but, for that day, the meet would be over. Within a few hours, those of us from the Los Angeles area would be back at home, hot, tired and hungry -ready for a shower (!) - and feeling a bit disoriented that we had covered many miles and put in a day full of excitement when it was not yet noon!
G. Thatcher Darwin, SCTA Recording Secretary (1947) Thatcher: Thank you for the memories. Can you tell us more?

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I am filmmaker working on a project that centers on the history and culture of hot rodding with Bonneville, Tony Piner and the Piner and Walsh AA/Gas street roadster as the thread that will weave the story together. I have chosen Piner because he grew up with many of you, is a lifelong rodder and he lives in Prescott, AZ where I do. It was Tony Piner and his lifelong friend Ken Walsh that introduced me to the alt (at long last) as a member of their team. Ronnie Benham was going to be prominent in the show but I just couldn't get with him soon enough. If any of you have any pictures or video/film of Ronnie I would dearly like to know about you. Also any memories of contact you had with Ronnie over the years would be greatly appreciated. As this project gets funded I can arrange to have materials you might wish to contribute reproduced in your area so that they don't have to leave your hands. It saddens me to know that some of these things have been lost by others doing projects. I also am in dire need of photos and film/video of The Phoenix. I have been in touch with Carl's son but I know there is a great deal more out there lurking. Any memories or comments about Carl would also be greatly appreciated. My other need is of images from the earlier days in Wendover of people doing engines in motel rooms and motel room parking lots, gatherings at the hotels day or night, bars, eating, etc. I have other needs but don't want this to be too long a request. You can contact me here at [email protected]. Or call me at 928-713-5959 if you wish. This program is being developed to air on either a cable network or PBS stations. We are in talks with all of them right now so I don't know which it will be at this point. I also have a blog at www.bonnnevillesaltflatsracing.wordpress.com if any of you would like to participate on the general topic I anyway. Thank you. Sincerely, M.D. Morgan. Milagro Beanfield Films, 4870 North Meixner Road, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314-6104. M.D.: I will post your comments to the newsletter, the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians, and see if you get any responses. We want to help you, since what you accomplish will be a part of the public record and if you sell tapes or disks, many of us will want to buy a copy after you are done. This newsletter's purpose is to bring people together to add what they know and serve as a way to inform the public as to what has happened and what sources are available. You can send in comments, status reports, ads that look like reports and any news that will assist you in your quest. We have about 400 members and we started about 6 months ago. You can go to www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnist, and www.landspeedracing.com. Sometimes there will be email addresses and phone numbers to call. We hope this helps you. Because photo collections are borrowed and sometimes never returned, there is hesitation by many racers, and some will deny access. I can't guarantee that people will provide you with what they have and this newsletter makes no endorsements, but we do have a list of borrowers, both positive and negative ratings. The more people who will speak up on your behalf the easier it will be, though many people have told me they no longer lend their photos or archives and blatant theft has been occuring lately. You might contact Jim Miller, who is our President and who's phone number is listed in the newsletter. He does copying and research in the Southern California area. He also knows most of the sources and can tell you if a collection is available and if the owner will allow it to be copied.

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Evelyn Roth sent these photos and while they are not cars or land speed racers, they do show the technology of aircraft at the turn of the century. These pictures are posted as an addition to the last issue of the newsletter. Thank you, Richard ~ Click Here for Really Old Aviation Photos

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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, Burly Burlile, George Callaway, Gary Carmichael, John Backus, John Chambard, Jerry Cornelison, G. Thatcher Darwin, Jack Dolan, Ugo Fadini, Bob Falcon, Rich Fox, Glenn Freudenberger, Don Garlits, Bruce Geisler, Stan Goldstein, Andy Granatelli, Walt James, Wendy Jeffries, Ken Kelley, Mike Kelly, Bret Kepner, Kay Kimes, Jim Lattin, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, Fred Lobello, Eric Loe, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, Landspeed Louise Ann Noeth, Frank Oddo, David Parks, Richard Parks, Wally Parks (in memoriam), Eric Rickman, Willard Ritchie, Roger Rohrdanz, Evelyn Roth, Ed Safarik, Frank Salzberg, Dave Seely, Charles Shaffer, Mike Stanton, David Steele, Doug Stokes, Bob Storck, Zach Suhr, Maggie Summers, Gary Svoboda, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone, Jim Travis, Randy Travis, Jack Underwood and Tina Van Curen, Richard Venza.

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