SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 124 - August 14, 2009
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, Editorial: Normally I write a special editorial but Bob Falcon's name came up and we have a biography on him, Funeral services for Billy Harper Wilkerson were held on Tuesday August 11, Barry Bryant died in an accident at Bonneville on Sunday August 9 2009, Roger Rohrdanz reports that a drag racer was killed at Fontana Dragway, Our new grandson (Findley Isaac) arrived safe and sound Aug 4th in Japan, I received word that Joaquin Arnett won't be able to be at the Bean Bandits reunion, As many of you know I have been working diligently to secure a slot in this new ABC TV show where Inventors attempt to convince a group of venture capital investors to finance their projects, Autobooks-Aerobooks, Dave West passed away several years ago; he succumbed to the after effects of injuries suffered in a house renovation project at his home in Bullhead City Arizona, What can I say? You guys really pulled off one of the best events I've seen in a long time, On Saturday (August 29, 2009) there will be a Bean Bandits reunion and car show, I think this will be of interest to you, It was the greatest!, I passed the picture (in issue #123, roadster on the dry lakes with Pacemakers car club) on to Wayne West, You can vote in a poll on the sale of cars through WEWS web site, I am looking for the following items for my Hall of Fame Museum, Here is a family project that you might consider, Checkered Flag 200 Car Show and Family Fun Day Petersen Automotive Museum, I'm working on an article about stock car road racing in Southern California during the 1950's, All these names were given to me by one person to another and/or is connected to my car in the magazines, A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Auto Airplane Museum and would put it on a par with The Nethercutt Collection, What a shock! Billy Wilkerson and I went to the same Temple City California barber for many years, Dear auto racing fans car enthusiasts and environmentalists, Random Photos

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President's Corner:  
Jim Miller is away on assignment at Bonneville for Speed Week.

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Editorial:
Normally I write a special editorial, but Bob Falcon's name came up and we have a biography on him that I think you ought to read. Bob is trying to get on a TV show as a contestant to show his Shoehorn Rapid Rescue Device, which is in use in the IRL and the NHRA. Because safety is a paramount purpose, along with going fast, I want to let you all know what Bob Falcon has done and what he is doing today. He's a good friend, but more than that, Bob has done just about all one can do in racing. He's one of six people that review all the issues and photographs of the SLSRH before it goes into print. Here's his bio.
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Gone Racin'…To visit Bob Falcon. Biography by Bob Falcon and Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz
Bob Falcon was born on June 26, 1928 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. His father was Lou Falcon, who made his living as an auto mechanic and participated as an owner-driver in auto racing events at half-mile horse tracks located in the area. "The only race track that I can recall was Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, where I took my very first ride around a race track in a race car, on my father's lap during the warm-up. It was permitted in those days," Bob told me. Lou raced on the half-mile fairground tracks located in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. His father's race car was a single seat Ford Model-T with a Frontenac cylinder head. The race car was demolished in a Labor Day race event in 1930 at Jennerstown Speedway. The race car was later rebuilt with a Rajo head and raced until the mid 1930's. Lou attended the Bear Manufacturing Company School in Rock Island, Illinois and became an auto wheel alignment specialist. Bob's mother, Carolyn DePolo, also came from Connellsville and worked as a telephone operator, before becoming a full-time housewife. Carolyn's father was Robert DePolo, who was born in the Italian Alps. Robert DePolo came to the United States when he was 10 years old to help his father install marble in a new railroad station being built at the time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After the father and son finished their stone masonry work on the train station, they returned to Europe. The young 10 year old DePolo dreamed of immigrating to America permanently. He knew there was plenty of work in this country for a young man and he stowed away on a ship going to America from Venice, Italy and landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He didn't know at the time that there was a South and a North America. DePolo eventually reached New York City and began working at numerous masonry jobs, then moving on to Pittsburgh. He specialized in Western Pennsylvania stone, of which he soon became well-known as an expert. Because of this skill, he was chosen by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America's greatest architects, to cut the stone and do the masonry for Wright's Falling Water, the name of the summer home for the Kauffman family in Bear Run, Pennsylvania.

Falcon grew up in Connellsville, an area noted for coal mining and illegal whiskey distilleries. His family made several attempts to move to California, traveling by auto in a 1934 Huppmobile, along the old Route 66, made famous by song. They would remain in Los Angeles for awhile, and return to Pennsylvania in response to family emergencies. Bob attended grammar school in Pennsylvania, and later in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland, California. He remembers a two room parochial school in Dunbar, Pennsylvania that had grades one through 8. The town of Dunbar was established during the French and Indian War. The family finally settled in Southern California in January, 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, at the beginning of World War II. Bob attended Hamilton High School in West Los Angeles and his goal was to get out of school as fast as he could. He took auto and metal shop classes and only the required academic classes. Most of his friends were interested in cars, especially street roadsters. Bob's first car was a 1930 Ford Model-A Roadster powered by a four cylinder engine with a Cragar or Miller Schofield head, with the noted water jacket crack between cylinders number three and four. He became skilled in auto diagnostics in order to keep his car running. During his high school years, just after WWII had ended, he assisted two men in fabricating their track roadsters. One man was John Kelly, who raced with a group that called Culver City Speedway their home track. The other man was Sandy Belond, who raced with the California Roadster Association (CRA), which was later renamed the California Racing Association, when the CRA allowed sprint cars to compete. Belond went on to gain fame as a car owner and a winning sponsor at the Indy 500 race in Indianapolis, Indiana, probably the greatest and most well-known auto race in the world.

Bob also assisted a returning war veteran, Burleigh Dolf, with the fabrication of a rear-engine lakes roadster. Also, at that time, he helped a Culver City neighbor, Dave West, who was serving as Chief Mechanic and build-supervisor, during the fabrication of the Howard Keck front-wheel drive Indianapolis race car. This beautiful car was driven in the Indy 500 by Jimmy Jackson in 1947 and '48, and by Maurie Rose in 1949 and '50. Jackson may have been the last driver to run the entire 500 mile race without a pit stop. During high school and due to his experience gained in fabricating race cars), Bob had charted what he wanted to do with his life. His high school academic counselor was a Physics teacher, Mrs Margaret Davis, and she altered his plans concerning his career path. She had developed a new course called Physical Science, which was made mandatory for students to pass before they could advance to the 12th grade. Mrs Davis was familiar with Bob's deportment, so she seated him right up in front of the classroom, near her desk. She gave course lectures and interpreted formula, which Bob recognized as matching the tasks needed to build race cars. Thanks to this, he passed the course with an A grade. Mrs Davis never realized how much she had helped Bob develop the love for science. Later, she apologized to him, wishing that she had recognized his aptitude for physics earlier, so that she could have inspired him towards the correct higher education path of an engineering career. Her efforts and recognition of this latent talent was a "wake-up call that changed his life. Bob also gained experience working in a gasoline station at night during the time that he was gaining experience building race cars.

He joined the US Navy in October, 1947, hoping that he could learn a trade that would aid in building race cars after his tour of duty. Bob requested submarine duty from the recruiters and they assured him that it would be no problem, which turned out to be standard recruiting baloney in those days. After boot camp, rather than dispatching him to New London, Connecticut for submarine school, he rode on a small boat to the USS Dixie, a Destroyer Tender anchored in San Diego Bay. A few weeks later he was serving on the Dixie Deck Force, where you learn few skills other than housekeeping chores and was enroute to Tsingtao, China. Bob had a front row seat for the final days of the Chinese Revolution, as he was cruising through the Formosa Straits headed for Hong Kong on his 21st birthday. While stationed in Japan during the Korean War, he bought a set of drafting tools and taught himself mechanical drawing. Bob had convinced a shipmate who owned a Model-A Ford that was back in the states, that they could fabricate a finned, aluminum cylinder head for the car. The shipmate worked in the on-board foundry so they embarked on the project. When the design was completed the pair fabricated all the patterns and tooling needed to cast the head. The Dixie was a naval repair ship and had many shops and equipment specialized for making parts to maintain a destroyer class ship in time of war. Bob found that he learned many skills on board the Dixie that applied directly to race car fabrication. He was riding his Ariel Twin motorcycle when he suffered a serious ankle fracture when his leg hit a fence post at 50 miles per hour (mph), while rounding a corner. This led to a year of rehabilitation in the Naval Hospital at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base, in Oceanside, California. Bob was discharged in 1952 and re-entered civilian life. He could not qualify to study engineering on the GI Bill, so he worked at an aircraft plant, AiResearch, and took night classes in mechanical engineering at several local community colleges. He looked forward to using his military skills and training to build a race car and drive it on oval tracks, just like his dad had done back East. He also received some good GI Insurance that covered race car drivers.

Bob began Jalopy racing at Culver City Speedway, serving on the crew of a car owned and driven by an old friend, Dick Long, in 1953. At that time Jalopies were the entry level for aspiring race car drivers. Dick let him drive the car during warm-up laps, and later allowed Bob to drive the car in the Hooligan event, the race for non-qualified cars and new drivers who needed seat time. Bob's first race lasted just one-half lap as he somehow found the car teetering atop the crash wall in the back straightaway. As Bob gained seat time driving for other car owners, he received a great deal of driving advice from Van Johnson, a driver who was transitioning into the Midget ranks. As his racing skill level advanced under Van's tutelage, Bob designed and built a very advanced car for that time when Jalopies had evolved into decent racing machines. The "Hard Tops," as the early NASCAR class was called, were considered a step down from the Jalopies in those days. Bob's 1932, 5-window coupe, which germinated from drawings and sketches produced when he came home from working the swing shift at AiResearch, was perhaps the very first of these Jalopy class cars built from the frame up. It was an extremely light race car, which set two records simultaneously at the Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium for speed and altitude. He had trouble during the final qualification lap when a steering U-joint failed. The car struck a crash wall gate, which was unlatched and swung open, then hit a huge fence post head-on and soared to a height estimated to be 40 feet. The car then tumbled down the front straightaway, end-over-end for 60 or 70 yards. The timer stopped the clock manually as the car cleared the lights, although he was extremely high and he had set a new qualification record. The chrome-moly roll cage proved to be quite strong. At the time he was racing at Culver City and Long Beach, Jalopy racing was the toughest competition in all of auto racing, which was confirmed by Parnelli Jones. Each Sunday there were over 200 cars checked in through the Pit Gate. All the entrants received three attempts at qualifying for the program and the fastest 16 would race in the Main Event and this was the only way you received a spot in the starting grid for the feature. The field was inverted with the fastest car gridded in the rear of the starting grid. The time spread between the 16 fastest qualifying cars was a mere one-half second. The track was a � mile, dirt surface and the lap time was approximately 14.5 seconds. If you qualified for the feature on a regular basis, you were considered to be a pretty good race driver. The 17th through the 32nd fastest Jalopies would race in the Semi-Main Event, while all the other drivers made the hooligan event.

An opportunity to drive sports cars with a new organization that paid prize money presented itself and Bob stopped driving Jalopies. He raced in the under 1500cc Production class driving an MG-TD, which was owned by Bob Anderson. Working together, Anderson and Falcon converted the MG to a neat little race car that handled really well on the ovals, which the new racing group scheduled to host events, a rarity for sports cars. Most remarkably, this little 1250 cc car beat several Porsches on the Bonelli Stadium race course, which was a 1/3 mile, very flat, paved oval. Anderson sold the car after he got married and Falcon lost his ride, but advertised for work as a driver in the RRR newsletter. Whitey Thuessen answered the advertisement and invited Falcon to visit his shop for a meeting. The meeting turned out to be a fit check for Thuessen's Offy Special. Whitey told Falcon that he also got him a ride in an XK140 Jag. Bob won the very first race he drove for the Jag's owner, Jack Furcho. In this initial outing at Willow Springs Raceway, Falcon started from the 27th and last place on the grid in a standing start and won the event, the very first victory for a Furcho car. In true 'Falcon Fashion,' he also set an Altitude Record in this car at Orange County Fairgrounds, in Costa Mesa, California. Furcho planned to purchase a new Jaguar C Model for Bob to drive, but a disagreement between Falcon's wife at the time and Furcho's wife, soured the deal. This led to Furcho dismissing Bob and hiring a new driver. The argument between Furcho's wife and Bob's wife, and his subsequent loss of his job put a strain on his first marriage that ended in divorce. During this period Bob also made many racing friends who came to his father's shop for help on their race cars. Many of these young men belonged to the Russetta Timing Association, which held land speed time trials in the Southern California deserts. Russetta was one of many timing associations holding time trials for young men eager to test their cars against the clock. For one reason, or another, Bob did not run a car at the dry lakes or Bonneville at this time in his life, but he did compete at the Santa Ana Drags several times. He would drag race on Sundays when a Jalopy race was not scheduled. Most of his friends were members of the Screwdrivers car club and several were well-known in dry lakes racing; Jerry Bondio, Craig Breedlove, Cecil Sutton and Nick Arias to name a few.

Bob went to work for Halibrand Engineering in 1963 and stayed with the company for over 30 years. His first assignment was on the design crew of the Halibrand Shrike Indianapolis cars starting in 1963 and ending in 1966. He made his first trip to the Indianapolis 500 in 1964.
Falcon also served on the Halibrand Engineering staff for the feasibility study vehicle for the Linear Induction Motor (LIM) technology. This work was to gauge the performance of a magnetic powered train. This study vehicle was fabricated in the 1970's at the Halibrand Engineering shops. The LIM was clocked just a few ticks less than 260 mph at the DoT high speed test track in Colorado. LIM technology formed the basis for today's Mag-Lev high speed transportation systems. Bob also worked for Echlin Manufacturing as a Field Service Engineer for their Accel ignition product line. As Racing Director for Echlin, which is the parent company for Accel, he supervised a crew of Field Service Engineers that covered the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) drag racing circuits and the Indianapolis 500, including the USAC National Championship events. Among the Accel product line the top end was the Breakerless Electronic Ignition (BEI) which was developed by Dawson Hadley when he worked for Tom Spaulding's Ignition Company, located in Monrovia, California. Falcon covered the USAC and Indianapolis events by himself. One of the BEI equipped teams was the Lindsey/Hopkins/McLaren car driven by Roger McCluskey. This car won the 1972 Ontario 500 and the 1973 USAC National Championship. It may have been the first car equipped with an electronic ignition to win the title.

Bob also served as the secretary of the USAC Safety Committee and served from 1975 until 2005. It should be noted that this was in the period in which the most progress was made in mandating safety modification to USAC race cars, which carried over to many other car types. This was when fire was the major cause of most deaths in racing. USAC was considered the leader in safety improvements and it was during this period that Bob developed the Shoehorn Rapid Extrication Device (SRED) to aid in the rescue process of extricating injured race drivers from the tight cockpits of Indy cars. At the present time this device is the extrication tool of choice by the world's leading racing organizations. In 2005, Bob was awarded the first Indy Racing League/Delphi Annual Safety Award. This award is presented to the one person or company each year, in recognition for their contribution to racing safety. In 2006, Bob was awarded the Annual Pioneer in Racing Award by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA). Both of these prestigious awards were presented in recognition of Bob's development of the Shoehorn Device and the lives it has saved through the years. He also worked in the aerospace industry with Sargent-Fletcher Inc (SFI), in El Monte, California. SFI specializes in aircraft external fuel tanks, special under wing equipment pods and aerial refueling systems. Since leaving SFI, he has been engaged in the promotion of the Shoehorn Device, and to introduce it to the nation's municipal fire and rescue departments. This life and lifestyle saving rapid extrication tool is the device of choice by use, of every major auto racing organization in the world and most of the US super speedways. In 1992, Bob purchased a brand new Ford Taurus SHO. His friend, Jerry Bondio, convinced him that they should try racing it at the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) time trials. After a few tweaks and relying on Bondio's and George Bently's past dry lakes and drag racing experience, Bob drove it to a new F Production class record at Muroc Dry Lake, on the grounds of Edwards AFB), with a 137.709 mph clocking. The Taurus was a 3600-pound, four-door sedan powered by a normally aspirated 3.0 liter engine. The car is now up for sale.

Bob has been married twice, first to Wanda Fry. His second marriage was to Sondra (Sandy) Roberds and that marriage also ended in divorce. His oldest daughter is Cynthia Falcon, who lives in Kodiak, Alaska and teaches at the University of Alaska in Social Sciences. His second child is his son Christopher Falcon, who lives in Morris Plains, New Jersey and is the manager for IC Network, a manufacturer of medical stents. His next child is Robb Falcon who lives in Simi Valley, California and works in the home loan business. Michelle Lehman is his next daughter, and though she is a stepchild, Bob loves her very dearly. Michelle lives in Altadena, California and is the Vice President of the Human Resources department for West Corp, a very large banking industry services provider headquartered in Azusa, California. Evan Falcon is his youngest son, just one month younger than Michelle, and he lives in Santa Rosa, California and is the Executive Vice President for an IC company located in Rohernet Park. Evan worked for Bob Bondurant when he had a driving school located in Sonoma at Sears Point. Falcon has discovered a recent talent for literature. He has had three By-Line stories published in a national auto racing pocket magazine. 'The Alternate' is a magazine that specializes in items concerned with racing nostalgia. The Southern California Chapter of the Society of Automotive Historians (SCCSAH) selected his story concerning the factual history about the Distarce brothers. The Distarce's created a regular schedule of weekly Midget auto races at close-by neighborhood race tracks in 1933. Falcon's story was the winner in the periodicals category of the SAH's annual Valentine Memorial Award for literature. Bob also enjoys membership in two prestigious organizations, The Indianapolis 500 Old-timers Club (a 20-year member) and the Quiet Birdmen, Long Beach Hangar. He can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] . Gone Racin' is at [email protected]

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Funeral services for Billy Harper Wilkerson were held on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 1 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Sky Rose Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA, 90601.

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Barry Bryant died in an accident at Bonneville on Sunday, August 9, 2009. He was going about 200 mph at the time. He passed away from his injuries before reaching the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Barry was the son of Tom Bryant. Our sincerest condolences to the Bryant family on their loss. Information received from David Parks.

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Roger Rohrdanz reports that a drag racer was killed at Fontana Dragway, Fontana, California on Saturday, August 8, 2009 while testing his car in the pits. No one else was hurt in the accident.

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Our new grandson, Findley Isaac arrived safe and sound Aug 4th in Japan (that equates to Sunday here) with a robust 9-1/2 pound thud. Our daughter is fine while her spouse is now learning what she normally does, having more fun than flying an F-15. Wish to extend my thanks to all able to assist with my request for believe me it does make a difference when you are that far from home. All the best, Pat O'Hern
   Pat and the members: It's nice to be able to announce a birth for a change. Congratulations on the birth of your grandson. And to our members, Pat is a Road Runner.

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I received word that Joaquin Arnett won't be able to be at the Bean Bandits reunion. He is in the Community Care in La Mesa, California should anyone like to pay him a visit. The reunion will be held at the Point Loma Masonic Center half a block from Jackie Arnett's home in Ocean Beach. The reunion is set for Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 10AM at the Point Loma Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, California. This will be the 60th anniversary of the famed car racing club. The $5 donation lunch includes the famous Bean Bandits recipe of beans, beef, salad, tortillas and soft drinks.  Tshirts and other souvenirs will be on sale to the public. Hot rods and race cars will be on display. The organizers are asking the racing community for information on any records, event wins and times set by Joaquin Arnett and the old Bean Bandits in the LSR, SCTA, NHRA or other racing groups. They are trying to put together a history of the club. You can send any information on to Jackie Arnett at [email protected]. 

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As many of you know I have been working diligently to secure a slot in this new ABC TV show where Inventors attempt to convince a group of venture capital investors to finance their projects. We were told the selections would be made last Friday and contestants would be notified by telephone. Our phone did not ring. I had assumed they were searching for contestants to fill their shooting schedule for a series of shows, but research last evening proved that there is a Pilot scheduled for screening this month and a future schedule planned, depending on the ratings. So we are still in the hopper depending on the ratings. The Pilot will be broadcast on ABC TV on August 9, 2009 @ 9 PM PDT. Check your local listings for "Shark Tank." Tell all your friends to tune in or record it on their DVR. In retrospect, filing the application was not a simple matter and we feel so strongly that The Shoehorn Rapid Rescue Device needs to be in every emergency response vehicle in the world. Our opinion is not based on ego, but on results of the many years use of the device in auto racing and our testing videos showing municipal firemen rescuing a subject from junk cars in a matter of two to two and one-half minutes. The device has garnered us two prestigious awards, The IRL/Delphi Safety in Racing Award and The American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters (AARWBA) "Pioneer in Racing" award, but we continue to be one of the best kept secrets in auto racing!  Bob Falcon
   Bob: I checked my old email address and found your email. I'm running it anyway, late as it is, because our readers need to be reminded of the Shoehorn Rapid Rescue Device and how it saves lives. Please give me at least 3 weeks notice, because it takes that long to get the news on-line.

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Autobooks-Aerobooks, 3524 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505. 818 845-0707 Tina Van Curen

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Dave West passed away several years ago; he succumbed to the after effects of injuries suffered in a house renovation project at his home in Bullhead City, Arizona. Jim Travers is still around and the last I heard was he is living in Kanab, Utah. I just spoke to Wayne West a few minutes ago to let him know about the picture. Swede Lindskog was killed in a Midget crash at Gilmore Stadium not long after the racing resumed (after World War II). Lindskog lived with the West family for a brief time after he was discharged from the Marines.
Bob Falcon
   Bob: Can you give us some biographical material on Jim Travers, Swede Lindskog and Dave and Wayne West?

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What can I say? You guys really pulled off one of the best events I've seen in a long time. Great job putting it all together. The internet chatter gives you a big thumbs up. Congratulations! Sorry I couldn't be there for Sunday, but I'll plan on both days next year. Did you get to run your car? How fast? Any problems?  Paul Howard
    AND
We were hugely lucky and had a great speed meet in Northern Maine. In the end I never found the time to run the car, it really didn't matter with so much fun around! We got invited back, our goal, so there's next year. Fastest (sit-on) motorcycle speed ever recorded at 265+.
Absolutely everybody had a terrific time. It was a real thrill! Bob
   Paul and Bob: Thank you for the report on the Loring Timing Association meet in northern Maine. We are glad that you had a great first meet and hope that you will send us a complete report, including times, who ran, the officials, how many entrees and any other facts that you can provide. It is great that you can add another land speed racing venue site on the east coast. That makes two there, one in Texas, one in Utah and the dry lakes in southern California.  I will include your remarks and any stories that you send me, in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians at www.landspeedracing.com.  

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On Saturday, August 29, 2009, starting at 10:00AM, there will be a Bean Bandits reunion and car show at the Point Loma Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA. The theme is to honor the 60th year of the San Diego BEAN BANDITS Racing Team, and to honor Joaquin Arnett. Joaquin is suffering from Alzheimer's, but is expected to be in attendance. Also featured will be the famous $5.00 donation lunch. If you can attend, please do, and extend an invitation to any and all that may be interested. Jack

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I think this will be of interest to you. If any of you know of Internet sites where people who like Bonneville racing gather, please feel free to put it there. We want the maximum publicity for this - I think - exceptionally interesting story! All the best, Bill Hoddinott
   In September 2008, the Burkland's team takes the FIA World Record. Fastest piston-powered car for one mile in history! It has just been announced that award-winning writer Bill Hoddinott has now interviewed Tom, Betty and Gene Burkland on the comprehensive story of their 38 years at Bonneville and ALL the technical content of their three famous HOME BUILT racecars! This will be a LONG serial in 12 Parts which will cover many issues of Bonneville Racing News, beginning with #150 in September. All text has been fact-checked by the Burkland's and they have supplied the best photographs from their personal collections for the article! To subscribe to the Bonneville Racing News; 1 year (7 issues) - $24, 2 years (14 issues) - $48, 1st Class Mail in USA - Add $12 per year, Canada - Add $12 per year, Foreign - Add $28 per year. VISA/MC Accepted. Phone 951-926-2277 Fax 951-926-4619. E-mail - [email protected]. Bonneville Racing News, PO Box 730, Hemet, CA 92546. Wendy Jeffries
   Bill and Wendy: Thank you for the information and I will be glad to post any notices in the SLSRH that you send me.

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It was the greatest! As we figured, it really was a terrific venue to go like hell! The Mainers are the best, too, you know. Cool locals and cool racers got along like you wouldn't believe! Woodstock on Wheels. The website has a lot of info and a link to the Landracing forum. We didn't get going until noon on Saturday, but had about 260 runs on Sunday for a total in the high 300's, I think (Sorry, I was in shutdown). Fastest bike was a Scott Guthrie machine (Shane on it?) at 261+ on Sunday, 265+ on a special private Monday effort). Fastest Car was Joe Ledford's nice '32 roadster at 214 mph as I recall. Nearly everyone went their fastest ever at Loring. A moose caused a brief delay when he made an appearance. The beaver stayed in his pond at trackside, however. I'm very mindful of your guidance about finding new members of the organization, I found them, or actually they found us. Everybody's coming back, they want us back at Loring, our goal met!
http://www.lta-lsr.com/HOME.htm. Bob Jepson
   Bob: A MOOSE? I've seen mountain lions, wild horses and asses, vultures, turkeys, coyotes and a few other animals put a hold on racing, but moose are a first. Keep us informed and also keep all the paper records, programs and other reports, because as the first event, historians will have a special interest in what you went through, especially as the years pass and you hold more and more successful events. That first race will never be equaled in your minds and hearts.

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I passed the picture (in issue #123, roadster on the dry lakes with Pacemakers car club) on to Wayne West and he suggests that the second guy from the left might be Zelmo Herman who was a close friend to Dave West and Jim Travers in those dry lakes days.  Bob Falcon
   Bob: What does Wayne remember about Zelmo? Any club affiliations?

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See http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/08/western_reserve_historical_soc_1.html. You can vote in a poll on the sale of cars through WEWS web site below. http://www.newsnet5.com/automotive/20328833/detail.html. Jim Brennan
Readers: Jim is referring to the sale of rare automobiles by a museum in Cleveland to raise money to pay off debts owed by the museum. The subject is crucial, because will people donate their rare and valuable cars to museums if the museums only turn around and sell them to private collectors?

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I am looking for the following items for my Hall of Fame Museum, which will open late this year in Auburn, Indiana. I need information on anything speed equipment or cars built by Grancor Automotive Specialists (Granatelli Corporation) like Ford Flathead motors, heads, manifolds, etc. Also, looking for any racecars I owned or built, including Indy cars, street rods, Bonneville cars or a Fordillac. I would like to have any information on the whereabouts of any of the above. I will consider a loan, a donation or I will purchase the items. No matter what, I would like to know what's out there. Contact Andy at [email protected]. Thank you. Andy Granatelli

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Here is a family project that you might consider. We call it the bio and caption program. I have four newsletters that I send out, for various reasons, and each of these newsletters contain an occasional bio. What we try to do is to encourage people to write their biographies and caption all their photographs. We realized a need to capture history, especially for our family members, before they passed on. I have helped about 80 people with their bios so far, some only 1200 words long, with the longest being 39,700 words. Bios are a gift that we leave to our children, extended family and friends. Every story starts out rather plain, but by the time the bio is done, something magical has happened as the writer has gone back and found that his/her life is not as dreary as they believed. But it does more than that, it inspires the rest of us and tells us things about our family and friends that we never knew about. A bio becomes more and more valuable as time passes and our generation leaves this mortal existence and our children and grandchildren learn more about us. What we have to tell them is a big help in their finding their place in life. They learn what we went through and it reassures our descendants that they too can handle similar problems in their life. I use a guideline, which is basically this:
 a) Tell us about your grandparents on both side, what they were like, when they were born, married, died, what they did for a living.
 b) Tell us about your parents, what they were like, when they were born, married, died, what they did for a living.
 c) Tell us about you, when you were born, where you grew up, what schools you attended, what part time jobs you held, your friends, etc
 d) Did you go to college, into the service, get married, have children, where you lived.
 e) Tell us about your job, vocations, vacations, raising a family, important life experiences, wife/husband/children/grandchildren.
 f) What are you doing today.
The key is to have the person writing the bio to write it as fast as they can, say no more than 30 minutes. Then have someone edit it and return the first revision to the writer asking more questions or asking new questions. It usually takes me about 4 revisions to get up to around 2000 words and a really nice bio or history. Then the writer can make the decision whether to keep it only for his/her children, or share it with others. Once I get one bio done and published, others see what it looks like and they want me to help them with their bio too. Total time is usually about 2 hours. Negative things are usually handled in a positive light or not put into the bio. 
   The photo captioning is also critical, for an uncaptioned photo becomes worthless over time. I suggest a Caption Kegger Party, for those that imbibe, or a Caption Family Reunion for those (like me) that don't. Purchase peel-off stickers, about 2" by 4" and have the best printers in the family write the information on the stickers, then peel and stick the labels on the back of the photographs. Grandparents and parents will be the "guides" who look at the photograph and "guide" the printers back to the past and tell the printers what to write. The rules are simple:
 a) Never write on the back of the photograph, always print the information on a peel-off sticker and put the sticker on the back of the photo.
 b) Always answer the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE that the photo is trying to tell you. Sometimes a HOW and WHY too.
 c) Try to get as much information as possible on the peel-off sticker, print clearly and small if you have to.
 d) Besides the factual info, be sure to add some "color," such as slightly embarrassing things that sometimes happen. Something to laugh with.
 e) Have lots of fun, don't make it tedious, make it something the kids will always remember, and make lots of copies for everyone.

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Checkered Flag 200 Car Show and Family Fun Day Petersen Automotive Museum, Sunday, August 30, 2009 11 a.m.-3p.m., 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. See www.petersen.org.  Chris Brown

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I'm working on an article about stock car road racing in Southern California during the 1950's. There were two races at Paramount and one at another location, I think perhaps Pomona. I have dates on the two Paramount's, but not the other, also promoted by JC Agajanian, I think. Do you have any info? Do you have any photos? Thanks, Art Evans, Phone 310-489-5330.

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All these names were given to me by one person to another and/or is connected to my car in the magazines. Also for the search for the one arm guy + the tornado.  But this is what it took to get this far. I had made some smiles and I have ran into some deceased. And over the 15 years that have gone by, I was depressed by some of the great people that I had a good time talking with go to valhalla. All has been a great inspiration to me regardless of who they are. They were there and part of my 17 year project; Charles Johnson - Gary Mylar - Moe Miller - Ivan Scorcer - Fredd Fox - Mary Root - Tom Prufer - Ken Foster - Chet + Jim Carter - Al Marsaline - Gene Roebeck - Roy Brizio + Allen Stewart - Robert Coulsten - Frank Archer - Jack Workman + girlfriend - Johnny Delong (cams) - Dino Fry - Bob + Mariella Allinger - Lee Chapel - Les Joseph - Mike + Joe D'Angelo - Rich Fox - Jack Costella - Don Lewis - Paul Harris - Dick Lieb Fritz - Mike Dobrin - Jim Palmer - Tony Casho - Mel Selvera - Ken Puccio - Mark Romney - Don Tognotti - Greg Sharp - Don Radbruch - Bill Peters - Joe Miller (friend of Dan Gurney) - Pat Hall (friend of Richard Petty) - Jack Houttes - Blackie Gejeian - Allen Heath + family ( another 1 arm racer) - Tom Sparks - Bobby Meeks - Gorden + Perry Grimm - Lehnart Sailer (Helen Dessoux) - Victor Edelbrock jr - Mike Eddie - Paul Kamm - Jack Hagermann sr.+jr. - Arnie Roberts - Ron Covell - Bob Maywald - Tom Langdon - Armond Orr - Johnny Haigler - Ray Hiatt - Carl Schmid - Kentucky Colonel Eric Rickman - Jane Barrett - Pat Gahnal - Ken Furtado - Angus + John MacDonald - Ernie Pereira - Tony Lloyd - Jim Davis- Doug King - Helen + California Bill Fisher - Dick Williams (1949 Oakland grand National Roadster winner) - Dick Williams (poli- Form) - Vern Hart - Ken Fuhrmann - Tom Medley - Norm Rapp - Tom Palmer - Bill Bartello - Vic Sala - Andy Magnucci - Tom Motter - Tex Smith - Al Drake - Don Perata - Ron Atterbery - Jack T Chinn + Family - George Tagney - Don Montgomery - Peter Sarber - Mike Russel - Don Zig - Bruce Bromm - Bruce Johnston - Jamie Jackson - Gene Winfield - Rick Perry - Ed Archer - R J (Bob) Owens - Ed Haggerty - Harry Souza - R. Hendall - Perry Fantos - Perry Costas - T V Tommy Ivo - Rick Hauf - Dean Moon - Chip At Mooneyes - Al of Vick Hubbards - Jerry Light - Ralph Lindy - Ralph Lindy - Bob Miller - Loui Spinanz - Tut Willow - Bob Estrata - Clem Tebow - Joe Cardoza - Ted Gotelli's - Dema Elgin - Dick Wallin - Al Sloanaker - Ron Grable - Gorden Schroeder - Tom Carlton - Eddie Archer - Offenhauser - Don Smith - Rosie Rousel - Sal Leslie - Floyd Simoni - Walt James - Howard Segur - Rich Cordola - John Force - Tim Tilman - Force Edwards - Mel Janson - Bob Rushing - Ken Kronke (Holly Johnson) - Mclennan - Bob Mcloud - Mike Dutra - John Moore - Neil O"Kane - Joe D"martini - Walter Rachet - Al Gatanal - Joe Valenti - Randy Daniels - Joe Signorelli - Rod Eschenburg - Tommy Cobb - Art Chrisman - Danny Foster and Danny Foster Jr. - Don Garlits - As well as Richard Parks (son of Wally Parks).     Spencer Simon
   Spencer: Thank you for taking the time to thank all those who have helped you in your quest to learn the history of your car. Most of the time car restorers are so busy in rebuilding their historical cars and doing research that they forget to thank all those who helped them on their journey. This is a very nice thing that you did, to take a bit of time and thank all those who helped you. It also shows the rest of us who you contacted and we know most of them, so that takes us down memory alley.

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A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Auto Airplane Museum and would put it on a par with The Nethercutt Collection. The news story overlooks one important historical item and that is the fact they served as the historical gathering point for the Cleveland National Air Races, the forerunner of the present day Reno event. The air racing portion was emphasized even more since the operation was the property of The Thompson Company, sponsors of the Thompson Trophy-the air racing equivalent of the Borg Warner Trophy that is the winners award at The Indianapolis 500. The air racing section had the Roscoe Turner Lockheed Vega, sponsored by The Gilmore Oil Company in which Turner flew with his pet lion cub "Gilmore." Turner was to air racing what Wilbur Shaw or A J Foyt were to big time auto racing. In the 1930's (perhaps 1938), on a summer trip to Cleveland to visit with my aunt and uncle and their family, my uncle, who did not own or drive an automobile, arranged for a neighbor to drive me to the airport and see an air race. The day we visited the Grieves Trophy race for lightweight racing aircraft was scheduled. Tony LeVier was the feature winner. In later years I came to know Tony and two other famous aviators who were in that racing event, Herman "Fish" Salmon and Scott Crossfield. It is a shame that our motorized history is fading off to the private collectors. Thankfully we in the Southland have a real treasure in The Nethercutt. To "J.B.'s (Nethercutt) credit his project has been secured for many, many years. So LA's best kept secret, The Nethercutt collection will be with us for many more years. Did you know there is no admission charge to visit either the auto collection or San Sylmar? So all you ladies out there, keep buying those Merle Norman cosmetics! Bob Falcon
   Bob: I visited the Nethercutt when the Society of Automotive Historians held their meetings there. We were given a royal tour of both museums and the engineering and auto restoring department in the basement was the hit of the day. I also enjoyed seeing the Duesenberg engine that was on display. J.B. bought the engine from one of our SLSRH members, Ron Henderson, who is writing his bio and will give a description of it and how he came to buy, then sell the engine to the museum. Please tell us more about Wilbur Shaw, Turner, LeVier, Salmon, Crossfield, Nethercutt and the museums. Your bio is scheduled to run in this week's issue of the SLSRH.

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Please add Wayne West to the subscriber list. His E-mail address is [email protected]. Thanks. Bob Falcon
Bob and Wayne: Greetings and welcome. Actually, I don't add a person to the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians newsletter and the website. The site is free and one doesn't need a membership. There are two ways to read the newsletter; the first is to simply add the two websites to your list of favorites (www.hotrodhotline.com and www.landspeedracing.com), and the second way is to go to www.landspeedracing and sign in. You can use both methods, but signing in gives you an advantage in that the website owner will send you an email letting you know that the latest newsletter is available and on-line. Either way will work and I'm usually on time and send a new issue to the website every Wednesday. There is no index, so to see the past issues you have to go to each newsletter and read what's there. Even though you don't have to file forms, pay dues, etc and etc, we do expect our members to complete their bios and caption their photographs. We explain how to do that and we even offer to help our members. That's how we operate, we all contribute what we know and keep it on-line for future generations to read and appreciate the fascinating history of straight-line racing. Welcome aboard.

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What a shock! Billy Wilkerson and I went to the same Temple City, California barber for many years. My standard greeting to him was, "Hey Billy! Nice Haircut!" I haven't seen him in a while but I never knew he was ill. He was a nice guy and a helluva racer...got his start at the Jalopy races at Culver City Speedway.  What I recall of Zelmo Herman was observing him on his "home from work ride" southbound on Elinda Avenue, Culver City-aboard his Triumph Speed Twin...wearing a sport coat and tie! Zelmo later switched to aviation and became enamored with powered gliders. He relocated to ranch property near Palomar Airport, but "crossed the finish line" about ten, or twelve, years ago.  I have requested Ann West if she would ask her husband Wayne if he would like to receive your newsletter. A Bob's Small World story...Ann West and I were in the same graduating class from Hamilton High School and her brother Richard was my "replacement" in the pipe shop of the USS Dixie, AD14. I had broken my ankle and was transferred to the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton in 1952.  Bob Falcon
   Bob: Do you know if Billy even went out to the dry lakes, to Bonneville or did any straight-line racing on the drag strips in the early days? Tell us more about what you remember of Billy.

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August 4, 2009. Dear auto racing fans, car enthusiasts and environmentalists: For the past seven years I have been attempting to develop the "Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park" on 140 acres of my 320-acre property. Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park is located in the Antelope Valley, twenty miles northwest of Lancaster, California. It is South of Avenue D (Hwy 138) between 150th and 155th Street West, 13 miles West of Hwy 14 and 24 miles East of I-5. This 3.6 mile Alan Wilson-designed race track will include a 30,000 square foot clubhouse, 45,000 square feet of garage facilities and overnight accommodations and other amenities, helping to make it a world-class racing facility. The new motorsports park will bring with it several important benefits to the surrounding communities including: Employment opportunities, Increased area commerce
Facilities for community activities. In order to make this beautiful new motorsports complex a reality, we must have the approval of the County of Los Angeles. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been distributed and the County is receiving opposition comments from a small but vocal group associated with the nearby Poppy Reserve. Despite the facts clearly stated in the report, this group has distributed incorrect information about the project which is addressed later in this letter. A digital copy of DEIR Case No: 02-176 is available at:
http://planning.lacounty.gov/case/view/tentative_parcel_map_no_26805_proj ect_no_02_176_fairmont_butte_racetrack_pr/. This is where you come in. If you feel, as many in the community do, that this new project would be beneficial and desirable for the area, we would appreciate your support. First you can provide a positive independent voice in a letter campaign to the County of Los Angeles supporting this race track. I have attached a copy of our brochure which contains some track renderings and additional information. Your letters need only be short
containing one or two paragraphs highlighting the points made here, as well as your own opinion. Second, I am requesting your attendance at a Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing to be held on Wednesday September 2, 2009 at 9:00 AM at the Hall of Records, 320 West
Temple St. Los Angeles, Room 150, in support of the new facility. I know this is a big request, but I think you'll find it very worthwhile and interesting. The track will be built in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County in Supervisor Mike Antonovich's Fifth District. Please refer to DEIR Case No: 02-176 in your letters. Letters of support should be addressed to Jodie Sackett, Department of Regional Planning, Room 1382, Los Angeles County, Department of Regional Planning, 320 West Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Or you can e-mail Jody:
[email protected]. You can also send your support comments directly to Supervisor Antonovich by emailing the Supervisor at: [email protected]. If you do, please make sure to copy Jodie Sackett. All letters must be received at the County office no later than August 19th.
I would like to address the environmental issues. My property and much of the surrounding property is presently used for the illegal dumping of trash and is overrun by trespassing off-road vehicles. It is nearly impossible for me or my neighbors to control this situation without full time property caretakers. This project will put a stop to this illegal activity on my property and I will assist in protecting my neighbor's property. Much of the facility will be constructed on land that has been zoned for agriculture. I could farm this land, as many of my neighbors around me do. I have been told by the Los Angeles County head biologists and by interested environmentalists that the Fairmont Butte's primary attribute is its beauty. My project will protect and preserve that feature. Although the track and the paddock areas will be paved, other areas of the property including those being recklessly used by trespassers will be restored to their original beauty. Our neighbor to the south, the California Poppy Reserve, is approximately one mile from the proposed track. You cannot see any part of the track from the Reserve as it is protected by the 300 foot high Fairmont Butte, which also helps mitigate any noise. As part of the DEIR, sound tests were run at the site with actual race cars. Sound was monitored at various locations on the Poppy Reserve. At the popular locations on the Reserve, you could barely hear the sound at all. In all tests points monitored at the Reserve, the sound level was well below the County standards and even below the ambient level. I have listed here some important additional facts about the project: The proposed zone change to Commercial-Recreational is consistent with the recreational uses of the Poppy Reserve. No night racing is proposed and the race track itself will not have lights. Security lighting will be used. A lighting plan is required following dark sky provisions to preserve astronomy observation potential in the area. There are no historical structures on the project site. Some cultural resources may be disturbed, but the project would be required to preserve artifacts in place or excavate and move them to an off-site preservation area using qualified archaeologists. Wildflower areas are impacted only in areas previously used for agriculture. A habitat management plan will be prepared to foster and encourage wildflowers in non-paved areas of the project site. Both poppies and goldfields will be cultivated on the project site. The impacts to biological resources were well studied, including wildlife movement. There is no regional movement corridor on the project site and the local corridor through Broad Canyon Wash would not be blocked with structures. Viable movement routes within and around the site for species such as fox, coyote and bobcat would be preserved. A small amount of development is proposed within the north end of the Sensitive Ecological Area 57 (SEA). The majority (84%) of the SEA will be preserved in perpetuity through a conservation easement. There is no development proposed on the butte. The track will be convenient to all of Southern California and open to club races and other automotive events, car company testing, promotional and filming activity. The track will operate as a private facility not generally open to the public. Attendance should not exceed 2,000 people. When the facility is not being used for its primary purpose it could be available for community activities such as town meetings, Soap Box Derbies and other community activities. I am committed to being a good neighbor to the community and sensitive to the environment. Also, I am willing to work cooperatively with the Poppy Reserve. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 951-739-0508. Thank you very much for your support. Thomas E. Malloy
To Mike Antonovich and Jody Sackett: Tom Malloy asked for support in the racing community concerning his attempt to build his motorsports park. My name is Richard Parks and I am the oldest son of Wally Parks, who founded the NHRA in 1951 in an attempt to get young people off the streets and onto safe and sanctioned race tracks and drag strips. Our family has been trying to reduce public and illegal street racing since the late 1930's and it has been an on-going battle. Often it is a losing battle, because conflicting interests oppose racing. They don't oppose auto and boat racing perse, they are simply in competition with it. It would be the same thing if someone wanted to open a huge swap meet or rifle range. The land is valuable and it has to be carefully shared. But what Tom Malloy is trying to do is satisfy the racing community and the environmentalist and our family has never contested the claims of either. As a supervisor, you are well aware of the problems of safety on our streets and in the wilds. I know you have seen your safe of fatalities. I can assure you that I have as well. We need more sanctioned and supervised places for racers, not fewer, for every track that closes puts more young people on the streets. I haven't met those who are opposed to this plan, but I've traveled over much of California, trying to bring opposing groups together so that all can work out their differences. Most of the time we meet with stubborn and rigid groups, who won't try and work out a solution, but sometimes we succeed and it is worth the effort. I would heartily express the feeling that progress can be achieved and both sides can reach half-way in an attempt to reach an accord. The Antelope Valley needs a racing outlet. I've seen people use the streets in that area for dangerous activities. I don't support illegal street racing, but when the young people have been deprived of racing facilities that have been closed, it becomes hard to lecture them about safety. They don't listen at that point.

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West Coast Sprints and Ladies Night This Saturday! Santa Maria (California) Speedway. [email protected].

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Random Photos

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Attached is a photo of him last week with a couple of old bean bandits. Pat and Marco go way, way back. They have visited him weekly since he has been hospitalized. Hard to find friends like these.  The young guys are really looking after the old bandits.  They will be on their way to Bonneville tomorrow. Pat Durant is going with Fabian and the new group. I wish them safe speed. Fabian is building a new car. I attached a photo he sent me July 17th. In the tradition of the Bean Bandits he was still working on it yesterday. They will be on their way mana�a. Jackie Arnett (I know in the past that the photos I sent you had problems hopefully these don't.) The Point Loma Masonic Center is 1/2 block down from my place in Ocean Beach. Mom and I will be there. Hope to see you, if you can make it.. Parking is always a problem in OB so I suggest to come early... especially during the summer weekends.
Pat Durant - Viola & Joaquin and Marco Miranda

The San Diego BEAN BANDITS RACING TEAM will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of their founding with a reunion and car show at the Point Loma Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. San Diego, CA. The feature of the reunion will be to honor their legendary founder, Joaquin Arnett. Joaquin is suffering the effects of Alzheimer's Disease but is expected to attend. The traditional $5 donation lunch will be served. BEAN BANDIT paraphernalia will also be available for purchase. If you can attend please do. Also, if possible , please notify anyone that you think may be willing to make the trip to San Diego to honor Joaquin. If any of you folks have access to any listings of records set by Joaquin, be they LSR, SCTA, NHRA, or whatever please send me a copy via return e-mail. THANX, Jack

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The following comes from www.bangshift.com, via Ron Main and is a report on Bonneville. Slight editing was made.

Today, Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at 12:00 PM, Ron Main’s son David Main, went to Wilmington, California to get a replacement rear end for the Speed Demon Streamliner and was last reported going through Fontana, California around 5:00 PM today heading for Bonneville. Speed Demon will run again just as soon as the team gets it installed. They have every intention of breaking the 400 MPH with the 5 liter motor. BangShift.com has unbiased comprehensive coverage www.bangshift.com.

BangShift.com Coverage of the 2009 Bonneville Speed Week Starts Now By Chad Posted 08/08/09
It's almost midnight in Wendover, Utah, on August 7, and I just arrived in town (late, as usual) to start off the BangShift.com coverage of the SCTA/BNI 2009 Bonneville Speed Week. Racing starts after the drivers' meeting tomorrow morning, and I'll be there on the starting line and in the pits bringing you breaking news, photo galleries, and videos for most of the week. Keep checking back for more!  While I got here too late to see the big hot rod cruise in front of the Stateline Casino (it's the Nugget now, but everyone knows Stateline), there were still a few rods in the lot, so the coverage starts below with a quick video and some snapshots of cars that have obviously already been out on the damp Salt. It's drizzling a tiny bit right now, hopefully for the last time this week!

Event Coverage: Saturday at the 2009 Bonneville Speed Week By Chad Posted 08/08/09
Today was the first day of competition at the SCTA/BNI 2009 Bonneville Speed Week, and if today's top speed is any indication of things to come, we are in for some great racing action. Poteet and Main's Speed Demon Blown Gas Streamliner ran an incredible 369.46 to take the early lead in the running for the Hot Rod Magazine Top Time Trophy. Team Nish Motorsports, last years' winner, has yet to make a pass, but are expected to run tomorrow.  Can Poteet and Main maintain their supremacy? We'll find out. Insiders tell us the tune was soft, the traction control wasn't even turned on, and that the big number will come later in the week on fuel.  We can't wait. Conditions on the salt today were some of the best in recent years, but a thin layer of wet salt made it difficult for some teams to get good early numbers. Ed Van Scoy from Gilbert Arizona made his first run Saturday afternoon in an effort to run 234 mph or better on the B/GT record in his C4 Corvette. Ed told us the track was smooth as a pool table, but that it didn't quite have the grip he needed. He'll be back out tomorrow to see what his Beck Racing Engines powered 'Vette can do. We'll be back out at the salt before the sun comes up to bring you results from the first record return runs of 2009 Speed Week, so check back tomorrow for more racing action from the salt.
 

When we arrived at Bonneville Speedway on Saturday for the start of the 2009 SCTA/BNI Speed Week, it was no surprise that the team of Poteet and Main had the first car on the line to make a pass. With salt conditions even better than last years once-in-a-lifetime surface, everyone in attendance was looking for big things, like a 400-mph pass. And the Poteet and Main D/Blown Gas Streamliner named Speed Demon did not disappoint, laying down a pass of 369 mph to start the week. This was enough to take and maintain the lead in the quest for the Hot Rod Top Time Trophy even though teams like Nish and Spirit of Rett were giving it their all. In fact, the Spirit of Rett team ran a 369 mph pass of their own, but it fell just .200 mph short of the Speed Demon.

After multiple attempts to best their own 369 mph on gas, which resulted in breaking three quick change rearends, Poteet and Main decided to switch to alcohol, to only shift the trans through fourth gear (ignoring fifth), and to wing the snot out of it. We’re talking over 9,000 rpm. The result? 387 mph and change! When he got out of the car, Poteet exclaimed that he wanted to make sure he put some real estate between him and the other teams because he wants the team's name on that Hot Rod Trophy home.

Nish will be running tomorrow morning again, the Spirit of Rett is planning to run it til it blows or beats the competition, and Tom Hannah has shown up with a new streamliner that is as big a piece of art as instrument of speed. We’ll keep you posted as the Poteet and Main team continue to reach for the elusive 400-mph mark, while also watching their butts.

Event Coverage: Sunday at the 2009 Bonneville Speed WeekBy Chad Posted 08/09/09
photos http://www.bangshift.com/gallery.html
As Saturday’s hard but slightly slick salt conditions slowly faded into hard-packed, dry salt for Sunday, teams brought out the big guns. Records fell on Sunday in dozens of classes, and some by huge margins. Many other cars qualified for records that will be backed up Monday morning, including the BMR C/FR roadster which is best known for being the fastest roadster in the history of El Mirage with a 2008 record over 249 mph. When Alan “Fogi” Fogliadini pulled to the line Sunday for his run, all eyes were on the yellow BMR roadster. An earlier run had been a bit more sideways than even Fogi was comfortable with, so some tuning was done and they were back. The record Fogi was running against was in the mid 250 range, and he was expected to cover that fairly easily. But nobody on the line was prepared to here the announcer say he had just gone through the 4th measured mile at 291!!! He’ll attempt to back up the record Monday morning, and with any luck we’ll be bringing you news of a new C/FR record. Throughout the day, we witnessed record after record falling to speeds 15 – 40 mph higher. The #896 A/MP 1953 Studebaker truck ran 187 mph on a 154 mph record, and looked great doing it. The team brought a spare AA motor, and are planning a swap and more runs later in the week. But while many succeeded in besting others records, many struggled with new combos, new cars, or not enough power. Our buddy Ed Van Scoy, with new Beck Racing Engines power, is driving the car like a mad man, but is still a few miles per hour slower than the 234 mph record. Scott “DieselGeek” Clark who you’ll find on the BangShift.com forums, is tuning a couple of cars here at Speed Week, including Gary Hart’s 1953 Studebaker. Making big power, and running on a 244 mph record, Gary and Scott are experiencing traction issues, but are making progress. Our own Keith Turk is also managing a D/RMR effort this year, and the car is making great headway; it qualified for a record at 218 mph just on a warmup pass for the new driver. It’s now lined up for Monday morning, and expected to be in Impound before lunch. Poteet and Main’s Speed Demon streamliner still holds the best single pass speed at 369, but problems have plagued the team and they have been unable to make two clean passes in a row for a record. We’ll keep you posted, as the team’s engine builder and tuner Ken Duttweiler has said the car is tuned soft and has a lot more in it. We can’t wait to see just how much. Sadly, another racer was lost on Sunday. Here is the report from the SCTA-BNI web site: “Officials of the Bonneville Nationals Inc. report that Barry Bryant, 46, from Anderson, California, died after competing at the speed trials on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The accident occurred at 5:55 p.m. when his racing vehicle went out of control while traveling approximately 200 mph. He was transported by ambulance off the race track to Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Race Officials were informed that Bryant died before arriving at the Medical Center.” Our thoughts are with Barry’s family, including his father, longtime Bonneville racer Tom Bryant.  Look for more Bonneville Speed Week 2009 coverage throughout the week. Also, see these past reports:

Sadly on Sunday, Barry Bryant [46] lost his life as his race car, the Tom Thumb Special, careened out of control at 200 mph, turning in a spin that tossed car parts hundreds of feet. The accident can only be described as horrific.  Bryant's family says they take comfort knowing that the racer of 30 years died doing what he loved. Some of the news coverage follows below the Speed Week daily logs.
 

Event Coverage: Monday at the 2009 Bonneville Speed WeekBy Chad Posted 08/10/09
The 2009 SCTA/BNI Speed Week at Bonneville got hot on its third day, and we aren’t just talking about the 105-degree temperatures. With teams vying for a piece of record pie, the Hot Rod Top Time trophy, and bragging rights in general, the competition was as fierce as the air temp. When Alan “Fogi” Fogliadini left the line this morning on his record return pass, driving the BMR Racing C/Fuel Roadster, every person on the starting line was holding their breath. The Sunday-afternoon 291 mph pass was stunning, and there was no doubt Fogi and the gang had the little yellow roadster set on kill. Unfortunately for Fogi, the SCTA requires you to go between all of the orange mile markers, rather than slalom around them, so he aborted the run early. A run later this afternoon was looking great to re-qualify the car for a record, when it suddenly fishtailed and spun multiple times. Fogi and the car are fine, and will be back tomorrow. The Poteet and Main Speed Demon continues to be plagued with drive train problems. Apparently the quickchange rear end has not been happy with all the horsepower that engine builder Kenny Duttweiler is trying to shove through it, and we were not alone in our disappointment at yet another aborted run today. We want to see 400 mph from the team, and so does everyone in attendance. And speaking of attendance, the Speed Week spectator numbers have been through the roof. Several competitors and officials have commented to us that they have not seen this many people camped out on the sidelines ever. As we left the salt this evening, we found the Scott “DieselGeek” Clark�tuned Studebaker of Gary Hart in the impound yard mid thrash. The lack of oil pressure going through the lights was only mildly alarming while in the seat, but a real issue if they are to back up their 248 mph qualifying run today to get Gary into the 200 mph club. The Keith Turk managed D/Rear-engine Modified Roadster entry is sitting in impound as well and they are looking forward to tomorrow morning’s record return run. One of the hottest moments in the morning will be watching Mike Cook and Bob Johnson as they both run for a C/Modified Sports record; they both qualified at 245 mph.

Event Coverage: Tuesday at the 2009 Bonneville Speed WeekBy Chad Posted 08/11/09
It was another long day for BangShift.com at the 2009 SCTA/BNI Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats, as we tore all over the Salt to bring you a photo gallery of all the action from Tuesday. The big news from today is the battle between two streamliners vying for the top time of the meet and the Hot Rod Magazine trophy. It was very tight between Spirit of Rett and Speed Demon, both running 369 mph until this afternoon when George Poteet in Speed Demon ran 387 mph.  Also, two of our friends lost records today. David Freiburger's AA/Classic Fuel Altered record of 252 was upped to 255 mph by Gary Spencer (seen in the small photo at the upper left), and Tonya Turk's Modified Sports record fell to a new 245 run by Mike Cook.  The Studebaker of Gary Hart that we have followed, and that is tuned by BangShift.com forum member Dieselgeek, had a bad day, as Gary failed to make his record return run this morning when he fragged one of the Ford Powerstroke turbos on his big Chevy. We'll have video of that soon. In fact, we're working on several new videos from today, so stay tuned. 
Poteet and Main Speed Demon Streamliner runs 387 MPH at Bonneville Speedweek 2009 By Chad

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TUESDAY, August 11, 2009 http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13030674

Updated: 08/11/2009 06:43:02 AM MDT

Wendover � A driver killed at the Bonneville Salt Flats was "a prince" who had passion for history and nature in addition to land-speed racing, his cousin said Monday.  Barry Bryant, 46, of Anderson, Calif., was fatally injured Sunday at 5:55 p.m., when his car went out of control and crashed during Speed Week.  Bonneville National Inc. officials said Bryant's car was traveling about 200 mph when the accident occurred.  After being taken from the track in an ambulance, he was transported to the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, but he died before reaching the hospital. Bryant was the youngest son of longtime Salt Flats racer Tom Bryant of Redding, Calif. His brothers, Dan and Jeff, also drove for Bryant Racing.  The three brothers all worked in the family automotive business that Tom Bryant and his wife founded 50 years ago.  "Those boys were partners with their mom and dad," said Kathryn Lindstrand, Bryant's cousin.  According to Lindstrand, Bryant has been driving race cars for over 30 years. Land-speed racing was "the bond -- the glue -- that held the family together." Her voice breaking, Lindstrand said Bryant was "just a prince of a person. ... He was more like a brother to me than a cousin. To know him was a privilege. That's what makes this so hard." Away from the family business and the race track, Bryant's interests included history, panning for gold in the mountains near his home and mentoring youngsters as a Master Cub Scout.  A local historical society in California had just informed Bryant of plans to publish a story he had written about covered wagons. "He was very excited about that," Lindstrand said. "... He was a history buff and a real nature boy."  Bryant and his wife did not have children, but his love of the outdoors was partly responsible for a lifelong commitment to scouting.  "He big-brothered boys all his life," Lindstrand said. "He was always teaching kids camping, knot-tying and kyacking -- things like that. ... Barry would do anything for anybody. He didn't have a mean bone in his body." The family has not received any word on what caused the accident that killed Bryant, and Lindstrand believes they might never know.  "If anyone could have prevented something this, it was Barry," she said. "But things happen so darn quick in the cockpit of a race car."  Mark Goodfellow is a crew member for a land-speed race team owned by his father, Lynn, of Boulder City, Nev. Their car, the Mormon Missle, has reached a speed of 315 mph on the Salt Flats.  According to Goodfellow, driver safety is "the first thing" track officials check when drivers show up for Speed Week.  "It's very much at the top of the list," he said. "That's why they perform a very thorough [pre-race] inspection, with a minimum of three inspectors. They go over every car very, very carefully. And you have to meet the safety criteria or you don't get out on the salt." Goodfellow says the reaction in the pit area after the death of a driver is "pretty severe. It's not an issue very often but, when it is, it's a difficult thing to deal with."  Asked what can go wrong for a driver at such blistering speeds, Goodfellow said, "You never know. Maybe a gust of wind. Maybe a little something on the track -- just a bump. Maybe a little suspension trouble. There are so many variables with this type of racing -- with any type of racing, really."  In the hours after the accident, the Bryant family has been overwhelmed by the reaction of friends, neighbors and the land-speed racing community.
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Barry Brant, third from left, posing with members of the Bryant family in front of the car he was driving during crash

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