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SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 139 - December 3, 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, Blacktop Magazine is a hobby site of mine and I just keep having fun in this industr, Out of over 50 original race trophies I received from Max Balchowsky over half are Drag Racing trophies and Tom just sent me some valuable information recently, Would you like me to pass on some comments in support of your stance on racing safety, My dad raced 2 cars at Muroc El Mirage and Bonneville, I visited Wayne with the lakester bodies last weekend, Racing Clubs: Historians listed for each club, Here's a complete list of the 2010 classes for the Pebble Beach Concours, International 36 horsepower land speed record history as of 22 November 2009, Dan Wright our USFRA 130 MPH Club contact has forwarded me the following link for a second Lakester Body manufacturer located in West Virginia, Friends of the Challenge just thought I would send you information on two recent publications and a web-link that have posted results and information on our recent 36hp Challenge activities, The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame based at Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Ocala Florida has announced the induction to the Hall of Fame for the year 2010, Gone Racin'… American Sports Car Racing in the 1950's by Michael T. Lynch, Gone Racin'…Edelbrock made in USA, by Tom Madigan

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President's Corner:  
Stats are an important part of history. Just look at Baseball, you can find out who batted what, when etc. and that goes back to the late 1800's. Us crazy's in motorsports aren't so lucky. We know the AAA kept records and doctored them and they were the big guys. Just think what all the small tracks did and you can see that most of the time we come up with zip, zero, nada. There are two places I've found to get old racing info and that's in event programs and the newspapers of the day. Programs can help fill in who pre-entered but always misses the late comers. Newspapers sometimes gave race results and if they were major events, a day or two of who's going to race before it happened. How many of you know the first documented race in this country took place in November 1895 in Illinois. Or in '32 Clark Gable's agent had a bet with Zippo Marx and it was settled at Muroc with a race. How about a bunch of small racers turning up at a high school on Venice Boulevard near Vermont in L.A. during 1933. 4000 fans saw what was to be called a Midget race. Even more obscure is movie actor Reginald Denny having a race track that was wiped out by the big flood in L.A. before WWII. There are tons of these stories to be uncovered and documented.
   Auto related magazines are also a source of info. Discounting the Bergan Harold/Speed Sport News and Throttle magazine, plus a few obscure publications, it wasn't until after WWII and the advent of Speed Age Magazine that we folks started to get mass market info. We also have to hand it to our land speed folks Wally Parks and Veda Orr for spearheading the inspiration that "Pete" Petersen ran with that we've all grown up with. With the advent of the net our lives are so much easier trying to find older race info but there is so much still missing that it's going to take years to fill in the gaping holes. Two weeks ago our editor arranged it so I could meet Bob Frey who announces NHRA drag races. His self-made project is to try and document every drag racer who's taken a lap just like we're trying to do with the land speed stuff. These kinds of projects are bigger than life and someone has to start doing it. I like to think we'll be the next Phil Harms' who spent years documenting big car racing in the U.S. and left a great body of work for the future researchers to build on.
   With that let's think about the early missing lakes results before and after the S.C.T.A. (they're missing a lot too) showed up. Just think Russetta, Western, the Revs, Mojave, Bell, Arnon, Pacific Coast Timing and Cal-Neva to name a few. Add to the mix all the Ascot's, Carroll's, Huntington Beach's, Gilmore's, Saugus', Fontana's, Santa Ana's, Lions' that aren't here anymore. There were some racing organizations like WRA, CRA, Hurricane's, and PDRA etc, that crossed the country. I think you're getting the message. Every body knows a little piece and we're trying so save it to make a big pie. Thousands of people saw the races at Corona and Santa Monica, the Targa Floria at Ascot, stockers at Elgin and Mines Field and long lost venues all across this country. Most of this history is lost. I've always considered L.A. as a special place in race history. We had the weather and the first Board track built at Playa Del Rey. And that was years before Beverly Hills or Culver City. Add to that the lakes in the desert that were put on the map by guys like Nikrant, Lockhart and Shaw. Again most of this stuff is long lost. In the next fifty years we'll be lucky if we have a place like Pomona or even internal combustion cars if the Green's get their way. I'll go on record and say that the automobile is the most important toy in the last 150 years and we get to play with them. I'm saving some of that soon to be lost history for future generations. Are you?

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Editorial:   
Recently I was on the phone with a former president of the SCTA and he told me about the time that he was thrown out of a meet. There's a point here, so readers, just be patient. I wasn't there to see exactly what occurred and why the officials of the meet felt it necessary to toss out one of their past presidents. Of course, we've all been asked to leave, either by a nice request or running for our lives from buckshot. That is, if we're anybody at all that is, for races and time trials have to have some security. Believe me, I've been asked to leave and been given the heave-ho many a time. I consider that to be a badge of honor. You're only as famous as the places you've been tossed out of. But it is a funny way to treat our leaders and past presidents. Just a few years ago they did the same thing to my father at an NHRA race. The young kid at the gate simply didn't know who the 90 year old man was. It's very possible to outlive your fame and notoriety, even if you founded the NHRA. In fact, I believe the only proper response for the evictee is to expect such a thing to occur every once in a while and take it with a grain of salt. Don't get upset or resentful, for those who put on the meets, trials and races are under a lot of pressure. Still, to toss out your former president because he may have been forgotten or because he's a difficult person to deal with, or for any other reason is a bad precedent to set. Anyone who knows virtually anything about the SCTA knows just how irascible the group is. The members exult in their grouchiness and resistance to change. This has become their charm and why they mean so much to us in a world that changes their lipstick and their underwear hourly. 
   It's much more than simply an unwillingness to change at the drop of a hat. The SCTA is a tradition bound group and though they do implement changes in their procedures, they do it under great duress and after a great deal of study, debate and pure resentfulness. It's actually refreshing to call the SCTA a group of dinosaurs. What's wrong with that? They've found the formula for success in what they wish to do and they don't want to mess up the system. Good for them and in a way, good for us. In an age and in a world that has gone stark raving mad for changing everything and anything that's more than a day old, the SCTA represents tradition. I'm proud of someone who will stand up and say, "Why change it if it isn't broke?" But that's not to say that the members aren't for change if it will help them go faster and set more records. Practical, proven, hot rodding type change that makes things more efficient and economical is a long tradition among the land speed racing fraternity. Still, maybe they could at least have assigned a volunteer to the VIP committee. I'm sure that the USFRA and the SCTA have selected one of their members to be the liaison with the press, public and VIPs that come to their meets and time trials. A VIP committee person would have been just the perfect touch to assign to a former SCTA president and to give the past leader a trip around the track and into the pits and to make the former leader welcome. To toss out such a person might be very "traditional" in the SCTA, but it's counterproductive and sort of rude. Traditionally speaking, our leaders represent the best of all of us and so we need to go just a little bit further than we normally would to show them our respect.
   John Hollansworth sent an inventory of collectibles from the Bill Hill collection. I am sending the list on to Mary Ann Lawford at the website to post for our readers. I can't copy and paste it since it is a pdf file. Bill has 414 programs, many over 70 years old and historically valuable, though they are oval track programs. He is asking $750 or will negotiate.  In addition he has 122 annuals and yearbooks for sale, again of a roundy-round nature.  He has 39 books of a historical nature, some of which I have already reviewed. He has another 39 biographical books for sale. In the collection are 1036 sprint car photographs, some of which are autographed. Bill has 1322 midget photographs in his collection. 760 of the total amount of photographs are autographed. Hollansworth can be reached at [email protected] if you are interested in some or all of the collection. Bill prefers to sell the collection as a whole rather than by piecemeal. It is a prized collection for oval track collectors and fans. 

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Blacktop Magazine is a hobby site of mine and I just keep having fun in this industry. Tony Colombini (www.BlacktopMagazine.com)
Tony: As a website and emailed magazine, Blacktop Magazine has that old-time 1950's style to it that brings back the hot rodding experience as many of us remember it. Please send me periodic updates on what you are doing. If I have time I will do a magazine review. My newsletter is a purely historical one, so if you find something there and wish to use it, go right ahead. I interviewed Mitzi's Pin-ups founder, Mitzi Cardenas and she is a very talented businesswoman and photographer. She brings back that old "Cars and Girls" sort of modeling that has become a retro look with many other magazines. The article on Jay Leno was very good and the Sandy Belond Roadster, owned by our member Michael Brennan, was very interesting. Keep up the good work and we appreciate the publicity you give to up and coming hotrodders.
Readers: Blacktop Magazine has a nice article on the Sandy Belond roadster, built by Belond and Sam Hanks in the late 1930's and raced at the dry lakes. The car is now owned by Michael Brennan. See http://www.blacktopmagazine.com/index.html.

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Out of over 50 original race trophies I received from Max Balchowsky over half are Drag Racing trophies and Tom just sent me some valuable information recently. Max went to the drags a lot to check the torque of his motors only and most times they would open the front gate when he cruised up in his Old Yellers and they would open the gates and allow him to go to the head of the lined up cars as per Max. He would make a record breaking run most times and go home leaving most of the trophies with the other entrants. Ernie Nagamatsu
   Ernie: Our purpose as a society is to collect all the data that we can and publish it. Then researchers and historians can have access to our files through the Lawford's at www.landspeedracing.com to use in writing their articles and books. Would you type out the information on the trophies and create a record of the Max and Ina Balchowsky Ol' Yellers. Such a record of their times, dates, ET, speeds, drag strips and other data may prove very valuable to our members. I only wish we had thousands as committed as you are. What a treasure trove of information we could then glean about the sports of drag racing and land speed time trials.

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Would you like me to pass on some comments in support of your stance on racing safety, from the view of my 30 to 40 years as a racing safety official in oval track rule making? Bob
   Bob: By all means, the history of safety equipment in racing is racing history. We would be honored to have your input and stories.

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My dad raced 2 cars at Muroc, El Mirage and Bonneville. I have timing papers 1941 to 1948 for the SCTA and Russetta timing associations, most are signed by Wally Parks. Dad raced a 1936 ford 3 window coupe and on the door it said Barber/Dolph and said they had a world land speed record of 136 Mph. Are there any records anywhere?  Mike Baldwin
   Mike: My computer crashed when the server updated their programs. Jim Miller and I had stored the work of Leslie Long on our computers and my records are gone, but maybe Jim still has those records. He could possibly check to see if there are any records in the SCTA meets. As for Russetta, that timing association merged into the SCTA and their records were scattered and we are trying to find out where they might have gone so that we can get copies of them. Leslie worked on this project for years, dedicating his time, effort and money in trying to find and compile all the records that he could of El Mirage, Muroc, Bonneville and the Santa Ana Drag Strip. It is the efforts of individuals like Leslie Long that allows us to leave a history of this time period to the next generation. I would also suggest that you talk to everyone that you can who may have known about your father's dry lakes racing history. The more that you know and the more that you publish, the more memories that your history will jog loose among our older members. Send along whatever you have and I will publish it in the newsletter. Contact Jim Miller by phone (it is listed in the heading of the newsletter). Dolph would be Burleigh Dolph, a very important early dry lakes racer.

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I visited Wayne with the lakester bodies last weekend and took the above photos. Dark, but maybe useful. Here are the specs for the body he sells:
Length-------12' 6",
Diameter----36",
Spacing at 1' increments: 0/1-18.5"/2-25.5"/3-31.0"/4-34.5"/5-35.5"/6-35.5"/7-34.0"/8-30.5"/9-25.0"/10-18.0"/11-12.5"/12-7.5"/12.5-0" This is a larger belly tank body than used by Dick Beith back in 1962 and '63 and a VW engine would be completely enclosed inside this body. Looking at photos of Dick's lakester, you will see the VW engines valve covers stick out and through the body. This body would be ideal for enclosed engines up to V-8 size. The bodies sell for $2000 US each and can be "stacked" in multiples for reduced shipping costs. Additional information on Wayne's fiberglass lakester bodies can be found at: www.p38-droptank.com or you can email Wayne at [email protected]. Burly Burlile

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Racing Clubs: Historians listed for each club
Eliminators...............................................................none
Gear Grinders..........................................................Glen Barrett
Gold Coast Roadster and Racing Club.....................none
Gophers..................................................................Michael Brennan
Hi Desert Racers.....................................................none
Idlers.......................................................................Michael Brennan
Lakers.....................................................................none
LSR........................................................................Mike Cook Jr
Milers.....................................................................none
Road Runners.........................................................Jerry Cornelison
Rod Riders..............................................................none
San Diego Roadster Club........................................none
Sidewinders............................................................Ron Main
Super Fours............................................................Roy Creel
Throttlers................................................................Michael Brennan

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Here's a complete list of the 2010 classes for the Pebble Beach Concours at http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/about-entrant-divisions/index.htm. Dan Smith

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International 36 horsepower land speed record history as of 22 November 2009. Sent in by Burly Burlile.
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NA36 Record and TOP OVERALL 36hp  BUG SPEED
2009 - 106.514 mph - 74 BUG - Tom Bruch/Gaylen Anderson - Bonneville - New Age S/P Bruchrasa 1378cc - Turbo
2008 - 103.496 mph - 74 BUG - Tom Bruch/Gaylen Anderson - Bonneville - New Age S/P Bruchrasa 1378cc - Turbo
2008 - 83.291 mph - 77 BUG - Steve Ward - Bonneville - New Age S/P - 1192cc - Turbo
2006 - 83.091 mph - 69 BUG - Bruch/Burlile - Bonneville - New Age S/P - 1192cc - Turbo
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SS Record
2009 - 73.492 mph - 58 BUG - Allen Leggett - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2009 - 73.235 mph - 58 BUG - Glenn Patterson - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2009 - 73.006 mph - 51 BUG - Bruce Cook - Maxton, NC - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2009 - 71.389 mph - 58 BUG - Dan Durie - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2009 - 64.794 mph - 74 BUG - Britt Grannis - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2008 - 70.670 mph - 57 BUG - Ed Fall - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2007 - 68.502 mph - 51 BUG - Bruce Cook - Maxton, NC - Stone Stock - 1192cc
2006 - 66.419 mph - 60 BUG - Craig Wilson - Bonneville - Stone Stock - 1192cc
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SSS Record
2009 - 90.203 mph - 74 BUG - Bruch/Anderson - Maxton, NC - Super Stock Single S/P - 1415cc
2005 - 81.223 mph - 57 BUG - Bruch/Schlabaugh/Burly - Maxton, NC - Super Stock Single S/P - 1415cc
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DSS Record
2009 - 103.056 mph - 60 BUG - Justin McAllister/Chip Birks - Bonneville - Dual Carb S/P - 1621cc
2009 - 101.772 mph - 51 BUG - Bruce/Cody Cook - Maxton, NC - Dual Carb S/P - 1493cc
2009 - 99.815 mph - 51 BUG - Bruce/Cody Cook - Maxton, NC - Dual Carb S/P - 1493cc
1962 - 94.40 mph - 54 BUG - Melvin Ellis/Jon Gosvig - Bonneville - Dual Carb/Okrasa D/P - 1285cc
2007 - 91.649 mph - 69 BUG - Bruch/ Anderson - Bonneville - Dual Carb/Bruchrasa S/P - 1378cc
1965 - 89.92 mph - 56 BUG - Tom Bruch - Bonneville - Dual Carb/Okrasa D/P - 1285cc
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K36 Record
1961 - 101.296 mph - 56 BUG - Dick Beith - Bonneville - Pepco Supercharged S/P - 1282cc
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Below is the ORIGINAL Volkswagen Bug Land Speed Record;
1960 - 77.107 mph - 56 BUG - Dick Beith - Bonneville - Dual Carb/Deitz S/P - 1192cc 36HP Factory Top Speed - 68.00 mph - 1192cc - at sea level
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GHIA 36
2009 - 101.163 mph - 59 GHIA - Richard Troy - Bonneville - Dual Carb/Denzel - 1598cc
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Other Significant 36HP Speeds
1963 - 129.100 mph - Lakester (Pepco) Dick Beith - Bonneville
1967 - 109.572 mph - 56 Porsche (Okrasa) Tom Bruch - Bonneville
1949 - 120.110 mph - 39 Type 64 Berlin/Roma P. Muller - Autobahn, DE
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Note: Bonneville is located at 4200 foot altitude (Utah), Maxton is located at 210 foot altitude (North Carolina), Goliad is located at 164 foot  altitude (Texas), Loring is located at 623 foot altitude (Maine), Lake Gairdner is located at 397 foot altitude (Australia), Verneukpan is located at 2887 foot altitude (South Africa).

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Dan Wright, our USFRA 130 MPH Club contact, has forwarded me the following link for a second Lakester Body manufacturer located in West Virginia. They also offer a P38 replica fiberglass tank like Wayne's so I would suspect the specification should be very similar. Those interested in lakester bodies can add this to their files. Burly Burlile
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http://www.rodnrace.com/c99/p-38-Belly-Tank-WW-ll-Drop-Tank-Shell-Mark-ll -Drop-Tank-Shells.htm. Another vendor for fiberglass tanks. I have a roadster body for the USFRA club car on order from these folks. Dan Wright

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Friends of the Challenge. Just thought I would send you information on two recent publications and a web-link that have posted results and information on our recent 36hp Challenge activities. As always, VWMA (VolksWagen Magazine Australia) has given your efforts a nice write-up in their issue #24, Nov 09 - Jan 10. Thanks Craig for your interest and support. The attachment above is from Street VW's, a longtime Japanese VW magazine which I know you will not be able to read but which shows the story written about the 36hp Challenge, Mike Manghelli's Rabbit pick-up at Bonneville and Jeremy Freedman's fast 208 MPH Golf at the TEXAS Mile. Thanks Dai for sharing the 36hp Challenge and VW land speed racing with our fellow Vdubbers in Japan. In addition, Cal-Look.com posted the World of Speed results at: http://www.cal-look.com/blogs/36-hp-challenge-land-speed-records-2009/, as a new blog. Please add your comments and put them on your favorites to follow. Burly Burlile

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The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, based at Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala, Florida has announced the induction to the Hall of Fame for the year 2010. The list of eight inductees is as follows:
John Buttera (Chassis & Body builder), Jack Engle (Cam Pioneer), Leroy Goldstein (Driver - F/C - T/F),
Dickie Harrell (Mr Chevrolet), Jim Read (Australian Champion), Bill Simpson (Pioneer - Safety equipment), Bob Stange (Pioneer - Drive line parts), and Bobby Warren (Sportsman Champion).
The popular ceremony will take place at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center on March 11, 2010 during the NHRA Gator Nationals. A cocktail reception starts at 6:00 PM with dinner served at 7:00PM. Be certain to reserve your table early. Corporate Table sponsorship includes seating for ten, listing in the program, and a copy of the annual DVD, at a cost of $1000. Additional seating is available at $100 each for each ticket. Call Peggy Hunnewell at 352-245-8661 or 877-271-3278 or fax 352-245-6895 for more information. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is located at 13700 SW 16th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34473.

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Gone Racin'… American Sports Car Racing in the 1950's, by Michael T. Lynch. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz

Sports car racing fans are in for a real treat in a book called American Sports Car Racing in the 1950's, written by Michael T. Lynch, William Edgar and Ron Parravano. This is a hardcover, coffee table quality book, with an outstanding dust cover jacket. The book is 10 inches by 10 inches in size with 172 pages on the finest quality, heavy bond glossy paper. The book has extra thread holding the paper to the spine and is a sign of superior craftsmanship. The dust cover jacket shows Masten Gregory and Carroll Shelby at Palm Springs in 1955. Always keep your dust cover jackets as they enhance the value and quality of the books that you own. The publisher is MBI Publishing, 729 Prospect Avenue, Osceola, Wisconsin. There are 161 black and white photos, 51 color photos, three prints or drawings and four programs and posters. Some of the photos are full page and very impressive. There are only 212 photos but they are very clear and they help to support the story. You will find the photos to be a major component of the book. The text is impressive and well researched and written. There is a good index that is very accurate and historians will find it useful. The writers provide a comprehensive table of contents and an epilogue, which explains where all the main characters are today. There is also a very interesting and useful appendix where the race results are listed for the years 1947 through 1959. The appendix was compiled from the records of John von Neumann, John Edgar, Tony and Ron Parravano. Exactly how complete the appendix is cannot be determined but it is an interesting summation and I spent some time going over it to see who won at the various events over the years.
The appendix covers races at Palos Verdes, Van Nuys, Carrell Speedway, Tujunga, Goleta, Sandburg, Palm Springs, Carrera Panamericana Mexican Road race, Santa Ana, El Segundo, Pebble Beach, Buchanan Field, Reno, Torrey Pines, Golden Gate Park, Stockton, Elkhart Lake, Costa Mesa, Madera, Bergstrom, Phoenix, Bridgehampton, Offutt AFB, Chino, Moffitt, Nurburgring, Santa Barbara, Terminal Island, Stead AFB, March Field, Willow Springs, Bakersfield, Sebring, Supercortremaggiore, Santa Rosa, Seattle Seafair, Oulton Park, Salinas, Targa Florio, Sacramento, Caracas, Glendale, Nassau, Cumberland, Ft Worth, Pomona, Beverly, Santa Maria, Mt Washington, Giant's Despair, Brynfan Tyddyn, San Diego, Braakneck, Paramount Ranch, Montgomery, Thompson, New Smyrna, Cuba, Avandaro, Hawaii, Hour Glass Field, Cotati, Eagle Mountain, Salt Lake, Lime Rock, Marlboro, Virginia, Gaisburg, La Forclaz, Riverside, Laguna Seca, Argentina 1000, Tracy, Vaca Valley, Minden, Del Mar, Watkins Glen, El Paso, Daytona 1000, Mexico City and Vacaville. The Foreword is written by Carroll Shelby. There are fourteen chapters, an epilogue and the interesting appendix. The first chapter is called Creation, Decline and Renewal and covers road course racing from 1894 through 1948. It is a short chapter of only 8 pages and I would have loved to see it expanded to about 20 pages to cover in more detail the history of road course racing in its formative years. Chapter Two is named Western Rumblings and discusses the post World War II period of 1945 through 1949, when road course racing was being re-established. Chapter Three is named Racing Takes Roots and covers the one-year period of 1949 through 1950. It is a short time but American road racing explodes in popularity and variety during this period.
Chapter Four is called Racing for Fun and Profit and profiles John von Neumann. John was instrumental in importing and selling fine European racecars and putting aspiring drivers in these fast cars. He hired Ken Miles to drive for him and was always the owner that racers aspired to drive for. Chapter 5 is titled A Professional Approach to an Amateur Sport and discusses the events and races in the year 1951. John Edgar hires a young Jack McAfee to race for him. John Fitch drives for team owner Briggs Cunningham. Other road course racers include Masten Gregory, Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby, Don Parkinson and Bill Pollack. Chapter Six is named Purpose-Built Racers take Center Stage and discusses the changes occurring in road racing and results in 1952. Chapter Seven is called The Whole Ball of Wax and discusses the impact that John Edgar had on road course racing in America. Edgar was born in 1902 and literally grew up with the automobile. He started out in boat racing and it was only due to the many serious accidents in that sport that convinced him to take up road course racing. Jack McAfee drove his cars and Ernie McAfee, no relation to Jack, worked on the cars. Edgar put money into the sport and gave his drivers the freedom they relished. Road racing was spectacular and attracted the Hollywood crowd. Chapter Eight is named The Air Force Comes to the Rescue and discusses the years 1953-1954. Road courses are set up at many Air Force bases around the country. Many drivers race in the Carrera Panamericana Mexican Road race. Chapter Nine is titled The Man with the Golden Screwdriver and discusses Tony Parravano. Passionate is the word to describe Tony Parravano. He goes to his first race and is born again to the sport of motorsports racing. A salesman, businessman and avid sports fan, he buys the best cars and the best drivers. Jack McAfee and Parravano make an exciting team and then suddenly, Tony is gone, and there are rumors that he had been murdered by the Mafia. The energy that Parravano brought to road course racing would never be equaled.
A special color photo section is interspersed between chapter nine and ten. Chapter Ten is called Mid-Decade Momentum and details the events that occurred in 1955. Road course racing is reaching a maturity and acceptance in the American psyche. Chapter Eleven is named Growing Pains and talks about the professional versus the amateur controversies. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) took the side of the amateurs and upheld rules that favored easy access. The professional racers wanted more say into how the races should be run, with more emphasis on prize money. Drivers like Masten Gregory were racing in Europe rather than in America, where they could earn a better living. Chapter Twelve is titled A Fast Texan and the Kingfish Engineer and discusses the years 1956-57. The Texan was Carroll Shelby and the Kingfish was none other than John Edgar. Their collaboration would prove to be very successful. Chapter Thirteen is called The Wave Crests - California is Triumphant and talks about the year 1958. Lance Reventlow and the Scarab cars burst onto the scene and California drivers and owners make their presence in road racing a reality. Chapter Fourteen ends with the title The End of a Decade, the End of an Era and discusses the year 1959. While road racing continues on, the golden age of the sport from the end of World War II to the end of the Eisenhower administration had come to a close. James Dean, the Hollywood actor, had died in a crash on his way to a road course event. Parravano was gone and many of the racers had moved on to other automotive endeavors. Lynch, Edgar and Parravano have brought forth a book that gives us all a glimpse of a by-gone era in road racing that will never be matched. A fine book to compliment your racing library. Gone Racin' is at [email protected].

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Gone Racin'…Edelbrock, made in USA, by Tom Madigan. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz

A massive and well-crafted coffee table book on the first family of speed equipment is now available. Edelbrock, made in USA, is written by Tom Madigan and available through www.edelbrock.com or at Autobooks/Aerobooks in Burbank, California. The book measures 10 � by 11 � inches in size and is an inch thick. It has a superb dust cover and is in a hardbound format with a fantastic blue/red/black color scheme that sets it apart on your coffee table. Edelbrock, made in USA has 324 pages, with 255 black and white photos, 141 color photos, 148 sepia tinted photos, and 99 posters, programs, ads, drawings and other interesting eye-catching displays. The photos show a high degree of professionalism and blend from black and white into sepia brown and into color. The visual displays break up the text so that there is a great deal of variety. Edelbrock, made in USA has the feel of a hot rodders version of the National Geographic magazine style. The binding and paper are of the highest quality and the book jacket should be kept with the book at all times because it enhances the book. Book jackets, or dust covers, are essential for book collectors so keep this one attached to your copy. The paper is waxed and has a heavy bond to it, giving it a shiny and expensive look. Edelbrock, made in USA is dedicated to Katie Higgins Edelbrock and Otis Victor Edelbrock Sr, by their son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The Preface is by Vic Edelbrock Jr and the Foreword is by Benny Parsons. The printer is Tehabi Books. There is an introduction followed by extensive photo credits listing all the contributors. There are 8 chapters, an epilogue, an index, acknowledgements and a source guide. The index covers two pages and makes this book more than a coffee table book. It is a bonafide history of the Edelbrock family and their achievements. Madigan has done an excellent job of interviewing his sources and working with them to provide this outstanding book. There is a full page dedicated to helping the serious hot rodder and car racer to find additional information.
The Edelbrock family came from humble beginnings but their talent, drive and will to succeed is special among the hot rodding community. They would be the first to tell you that they appreciate the support and encouragement of those in auto racing and speed equipment innovators. Yet their success is due to their unique heritage and cohesiveness as a family. The Introduction traces the family's journey to Hollywood from Coffey County, Kansas. Nelson and Margaret Edelbrock had three children; Ross, Carl and Otis Victor Edelbrock. Otis was born in Kansas in 1913, just a few months and a few miles away from his long time friend and Road Runner club member, Wally Parks. He dropped his first name and used Vic among his friends, later adding Sr when his son was born in 1936. Vic Sr grew up on the farm and was skilled in many rural talents, especially as a hunter of wild game. Like so many other families, the Edelbrocks' came west to California in the 1930's to look for a better life. Chapter One is titled Palm Trees and Movie Stars and tells the story of Vic's new life in California and the garage and service station that he built in Hollywood. He met and married Katherine 'Katie' Collins and the photos show a very happy couple, especially after Vic Jr came into their family on August 23, 1936. Vic Sr was only 23, but already he was forging ahead with plans that would make the name of Edelbrock synonymous with quality speed equipment. The late 1930's would find Vic Sr joining the Road Runners club and racing his car on the dry lakes of Southern California.
Chapter Two is titled Dark Clouds and Pain and discusses World War II and the impact that it had on the car guys in Southern California. Vic Sr had many friends of Japanese/American ancestry who were interned in camps until after the war was over. Many of his friends and fellow Road Runners Car club members ended up fighting overseas. One of the saddest occasions happened when Katie's brother, Wes Collins, committed suicide over the stresses caused by his time in the war. Chapter Three is titled A Promise to Keep and discusses the discharge of the hot rodders after the war and their return to racing. This was the Golden Age of automobile racing and the beginnings of new sports in drag racing, Bonneville time trials, Midget racing and other forms of car racing. Chapter Four is called The Sweet Smell of Innocence and tells the story, among many, of the time the V8-60 took on the might Offy's and won, with the use of the unknown nitromethane fuel. Another story concerns the Wa-Wa I, a fast Flathead powered boat driven by Henry Lauterbach. Chapter Five is named Passing the Torch and discusses the rising influence of young Vic Jr in the family business. With a degree from USC, Vic Jr takes over and moves the Edelbrock Corporation from a small regional to a national business. Vic Jr married Nancy Crook and they have three daughters, Camee, Christi and Carey. On November 11, 1962, Vic Sr passed away from the ravages of cancer at the young age of 49. The Edelbrock Corporation would now be firmly in the capable hands of Vic Jr.
Chapter Six is called Winds of Change and explains the rapid growth of the speed equipment industry and the Edelbrock Corporation. Vic Jr and the company rapidly expand into sponsorships in stock car, open wheel and drag racing. New products come pouring out of the minds of Edelbrock engineers and marketing and advertising play a bigger role in their expansion plans. Testing of cars and products assumes an important part of the Edelbrock mystique. Vic Sr and Jr prove to have an uncanny knack for finding and promoting the best talent and the loyalty of their employees adds to their quality in parts and service. Edelbrock firmly supports the work of the SEMA organization to protect the rights of the speed Equipment manufacturers. Chapter Seven is entitled The Fun Team and explains how the Edelbrock Corporation wants to make a job at the company more than just a paycheck. The attitudes and hopes of the founder infuse a new spirit into all the members of the company. A great part of this fun attitude was the sporting events that they attended and participated in. Boat racing with Jerry Herbst was a great part of this fun attitude. The family was expert horse riders as well. For the Edelbrock's, any activity that called for challenges was readily supported by the Fun Team. Chapter Eight is called In Sight of the Goal and describes the company today and the expectations for the future. The product line is expanding and the philosophy founded by Vic Sr of quality is being maintained by the third generation of Edelbrock's. They believe in America and its ideals and they practice the slogan 'made in America' and mean it. The Epilogue pays tribute to men and women who have molded the Edelbrock family. This is a book that touches the lives of nearly every hot rodder who has ever lived and one you must include in your library. Gone Racin' is at [email protected]. See www.edelbrock.com for information on Edelbrock, made in USA.

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