SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 154 - March 11, 2010
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)
 

Click On All Images For Larger View

Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
 President's Corner, Editorials, Hal Minyard was a local Midget driver and later went to work for Clarence Cagle at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, In case you haven't heard I am sorry to report that Gary Sigman passed away the other day, Dave Crouse at Custom Auto (www.realhotrods.com) was prominently mentioned in www.hotrodhotline.com for his restoration of the Norman Timbs streamlined roadster, Motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts was honored by the Justice Brothers Car Care Products company with the 2010 Shav Glick Award, I have been a member on the Land Speed History list for some time now, I have long been a member of an exclusive bunch of motor sports folk who do not believe that one make racing is good for the highest level of auto racing in America, "Keeper Of The Flame" the Spurgin / Giovanine Roadster, From: Assembly member Jeffries March 8 2010 Subject: AB 1740, I am working on a biography of Frank Lockhart for publication as my MA thesis, Faith Granger has notified us that her movie Deuce of Spades is going to be ready in a few more months, The History of the GCR&R Club by Gail Phillips and members of the club, 19th Annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame announcement by Matt Williams, Please find enclosed the link for the Cleveland Plain Dealer article about the WRHS and the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum we have discussed and you have requested, Hi Burly Whew! A long day First the bad and then the good news, I just made reservations at the Montego Bay for Bonneville in September at the World of Speed, Jerry Cornelison sent in the Road Runners news for January-March, Thank you so much for everything you do for all of us that have the "fire and passion" for all of the great Land Speed stories that you bring to us for what it is without any strings attached, Gone Racin'… Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1 by Don Garlits and Michael Mikulice, Gone Racin'… Flat Out; The Race For The Motorcycle World Land Speed Record by Rocky Robinson, The Petersen Automotive Museum March through June 2010, Boyd Coddington's Aluma Coupe Recently Donated to Petersen Automotive Museum. Iconic Hot Rod Builder's Vision Finds a Permanent Home

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

President's Corner:  
Last weekend I went to another land speed racing club party. Everyone has a different feel according to the club's WA. To illustrate the point at the Sidewinders banquet two weeks ago there were a ton of gifts raffled off and they were definitely not your run of the mill gifts. Bobby Walden of speed shop fame put together a barbeque grill for the Winders that was spectacular with the addition of an air cleaner, valve covers and exhaust manifolds. This puppy would look right at home in your shop next to other engines on their stands. The grand prize was an all expense paid vacation to Speedweek in 2010. It consisted of a tent, sleeping bag food etc. for all the comforts at the end of the road. In other words having fun with fellow racers is just as important as going fast. The Rod Riders Party this weekend was more gear-head orientated being held in the Ferguson's Race Shop. The first shot (JMC_1067) shows just a portion of the folks who came to play. Note "Jelly Bean" Mike Cook's dragster that got lit off with a load of nitro more than a few times. Normally they have Ermie Immerso's turbine powered car's second body on the floor and use it for a serving table. This year it was hanging on the wall about 15' off the deck for all to gawk at (JMC_1069).

   At these deals food and beer always play an important part and this year was no exception. The old Ford pickup in the corner had its bed lined with plastic and filled with ice and a beverage of choice. Over on another table was a cool looking cake showing the Ferguson's streamliner buzzing down the track at Bonneville last year about ready to take out the mile marker (JMC_1068). It actually happened and the marker is hanging on the wall proudly. The car had just been repainted by wizard Denny Jones and DII somehow managed to scratch the paint before it was even dry. JMC_1066 shows a close-up of the car with Von Jones's signature on it so you can see how nice the streamliner is. The last shot, JMC_1070, shows why everybody came. To get one of the all important trophies with ones name on it. In fifty years nobody will have forgotten that so and so set a record on this date at that track. It's all about living the dream and land speed racers do it best. Last weekend was a new land speed venue called the Mojave Mile. I'll be there and take some pix so you'll be up to speed on another LSR event.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial:   
Do you remember those old editorials that started, "Spraying to all the fields," or "Bits from the Pits," or "All the news that's fit to print." That's what I need, a catchy editorial slogan. But until I find one, I'll just go on telling you what needs to be said. In the last issue of the newsletter, issue number 153, we received a letter from Bill Junge who is the website owner/operator for www.relicsandrods.com. Bill is putting together a website for his club and also collecting the history of hot rod car club plaques. There are several large collectors and Bill is one of them. Two others are Dennis O'Brien and Stan Chersky. I've seen Chersky's collection and it is outstanding. Recently, Hot Rod Deluxe did a six page photographic tribute to Stan's car club plaques displayed on the walls of his office and business. Car club plaques need some special attention on our part because they are an integral part of the hot rodding environment. If you have a car club plaque, or know the history of the plaque, please let us know so that we can pass the information along to Bill, Dennis and Stan.
I'm working on about 20 more book reviews. Books, magazines and newspapers are a good source of material for historians to work with and we should all have a working library. I recently inherited quite a few racing books from my late father and I want to get the word out about these racing or hotrodding books. Many of them are out of print, but they are available on eBay, at garage or law sales, or at swap meets. Some books are simply outstanding and it would be a sin, yes a sin, for you to not include them in your library. One such book is Albert Drake's Hot Rodder from Lakes to Street. Drake does some great field research and he's got a reputation and a cult-like following among car guys. I've tried to find him and talk about his books, but so far he's as elusive as Where's Waldo. I even called Glenn Freudenberger, the dry lakes racing hall of fame historian and even he doesn't know where Drake is. I would really like to see Drake get back out there in the field and keep those excellent interviews going. One chapter was about Veda and Karl Orr and it was fascinating. It gave me new insight into what Karl and Veda thought and believed in and it verified my views about this land racing husband and wife team. Another chapter on John Riley was equally enlightening. But the best was the interview that Drake had with Jack Henry and Vern Houle. It was absolute GOLD.
Another classic is David Fetherston's Heroes of Hot Rodding. It's a flashier book than Drake's and the interviews are with better known personalities including my father and my Godfather, Ak Miller. Well, Ak's not really my Godfather, but if I could ask for one, he would be the person that I'd want. Fetherston has 33 great stories on equally great people and there is material in each of the chapters that I didn't know before. It's larger and has an index and the writing's crisper, but Drake's book is its equal. You rank a book by the content, not the flash, but in this case both of these books rank as nearly perfect. The format is simple enough, form a new chapter around a racing hero, keep it to 6 to 10 pages and provide some captioned photographs to back up the text material. If only Fetherston, Drake and other writers could capture the pure professionalism of Robert Genat and turn out these books in three months like Genat does, then Jim Miller and I would be in heaven. Genat creates some of the best car books by a set formula of two months research and one month writing. He does four books a year and he has no life. That's what we would like to see Drake and Fetherston do, churn out these magnificent short biographical histories of our favorite racers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hal Minyard was a local Midget driver and later went to work for Clarence Cagle at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I heard that he was working for the museum as one of the tour bus drivers the drove the visitors around the 2.5 mile oval, so I climbed aboard his bus one day and we had a few moments of "Hellos" when I uttered, "Well you finally found something to drive that you won't plant into the fence!" And we both had a laugh. He's been under the weather for quite a spell. Bob Falcon
Bob: I'm sorry to see Hal go. He was always a favorite at the reunions in Southern California. He passed away on Thursday morning, March 4, 2010, around 1am. I tried to use a bio for Hal from Indiana, but I couldn't remove it from the pdf program. If anyone has a bio for Hal Minyard, please send it in to me. He's been honored many times and he was one of the best drivers of his time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In case you haven't heard I am sorry to report that Gary Sigman passed away the other day, please see link. Although Gary was mainly a stock car racing guy and business (PRE) he did do a lot of work for drag and land speed racers. Services are going to be March 25, 2010 which would have been his birthday. Will forward the info as soon as his wife (Nadine) of 50 years e-mail's me, should be later in the week. Google www.racingwest.com/community/focus.php/Gary+Sigman/. Michael Snider
Michael: I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Gary Sigman. I checked the website that you sent me and that web site led me to this one:
www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_srescue26.415ae50.html. Back in February, Gary was in the hospital with burns, but the story said that he would recover. Burn complications are often unpredictable. Please give my condolences to Nadine and the family. I will post any biographical history on Gary that is available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave Crouse at Custom Auto (970-669-6691, www.realhotrods.com) was prominently mentioned in www.hotrodhotline.com for his restoration of the Norman Timbs streamlined roadster. Crouse will be sending in some historical material on the car to give us a better perspective of this trend-setting and beautiful car.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts was honored by the Justice Brothers Car Care Products company with the 2010 Shav Glick Award. Kenny received the award from the president of the firm, Ed Justice Jr, who is also a radio show host.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been a member on the Land Speed History list for some time now. My name is Zach Suhr; I am friends with Joe Devine and the recently passed Phyllis. I have learned a lot from each of them. Joe and I are currently working towards putting out a new issue of The Alternate. I was wondering if it would be possible for you to advertize this in the land speed newsletter. I'm not sure how we will go about finding readers again as most of Phyllis' information has been lost in her memory of how to access it. It feels like we're starting from ground zero, but that's ok. There's plenty more stories to be told while keeping Phyllis' dream alive in the printed form for as long as possible. I created this e-mail account through my website while we try to manage the www.racepaper.com site. Please do not direct people to the old site as we have no way to access the pay-pal information at this time. If anyone would like to be added to a mailing list please have them e-mail me at this address [email protected]. Please include full address, phone number and e-mail to reply. Once we know more details we will fill everyone in. I would very much like people to know that we are doing the best we can to return "their" paper. Please let me know if you have any ideas or advice that may help. Thanks, Zach & Joe
Zach and Joe: I am reprinting your letter just as you sent it, unless you tell me that it is personal and confidential. I print almost everything that is sent to me, because the SLSRH is an archival newsletter and I cannot know what future historians will treasure or not want. If you send me a weekly update or even several emails a week, I will publish them all, as long as the emails contain content, such as facts. The next thing I have to say is that Phyllis Devine was a unique woman. I idolized her as did many others who I know who took the newspaper that she published. She had character and charisma. She was a dedicated and loyal supporter of auto racing. She encouraged and she taught us all about what it was like to love the sport of auto racing. Her passing was like a gut blow and many of us felt her passing with deep sorrow. The Alternate was more than a racing and historical newspaper. Phyllis allowed and encouraged people to write stories and biographies. In effect, her newsletter was the prototype and the standard bearer for newsletters like this one; The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians. I copied many of her ideas and procedures. A lot of websites and printed newspapers used The Alternate as a template for how they report the news. In some regards I thought long and hard about establishing the SLSRH and at one point I seriously gave consideration to simply sending Phyllis more articles rather than create a newsletter/newspaper of my own. Phyllis simply couldn't take the volume that I could generate into her newspaper and that's why Jim Miller and I started the SLSRH. When you state that The Alternate was "their" paper you couldn't have been more accurate. Phyllis was the editor and owner, but she made everyone feel welcome and wanted and coaxed material from us all, just as I try and do with our members. She set the goals and the bar high for the rest of us to follow. Phyllis made it very clear that everyone was welcome to write for The Alternate and so indeed, it was "their" paper. It won't be easy to re-established The Alternate in exactly the way Phyllis ran it. First of all your readership is aging and there is a point at which costs factor in. Having more readers mean a greater income and a greater efficiency in operations. I would almost make this observation that you go to an on-line format, with a few copies print-bound and mailed out to those who don't have computer access. You could charge the standard rate that Phyllis charged for the US postal mailed newsletters, but make the on-line versions free. Then I would charge for ads, but maybe reducing the ad rate in half for subscribers. Phyllis gave up too much revenue by giving free ads for her subscribers. The problems with a snail mail newspaper are spacing, distribution and cost. In a printed format, you are always on deadline and if something great comes in after you go to print, it has to wait a month for the next issue. Distribution and costs are other factors weighing in against a print format. You overcome those problems if you go on-line for the New Alternate can be as long or as short as you have material on hand. With an on-line newspaper the costs drop considerably and if you find a sponsor, like www.hotrodhotline.com, it could be free. You might have to share some revenue, but at least you would be in the black each month. I have mailing lists that I can send you. They are not the best, but you're welcome to them if you want them. Send me updates as you go along and any releases for the SLSRH that you wish.
---------------------------------
I really like all of your ideas! I need more people who are willing to throw ideas at us. I don't want to change the paper from what Phyllis made it by any means. But I do think that gradually we can make it into something able to be enjoyed by a larger audience. Not in changing the paper but in marketing it differently. My daily job is in a graphics department at a beer wholesaler, so I'm able to sneak in a few signs here and there. Plans will be to be able to have a nice booth/table to set up at car shows and vintage events here locally to spread the word. My personal background in "traditional hot rodding" plays along well with the racing of the same time period. So I hope to be able to portray the paper to more people in this area, outside the realm of racing, who would enjoy the stories just the same. I've been reading a lot of Veda Orr's newsletters lately wondering if Phyllis had drawn any influence from her? Any thoughts on that? I added your site to the links page. I wanted to do that but wanted to be sure you were alright with it first. Funny you mention Chris Economaki, I have a few things that he autographed hanging near my computer. I bought them among other things at different auctions held to raise money for emmr.org. Zach Suhr
Zach: Veda Orr was involved mostly with the dry lakes in the 1930's and '40's. It's possible that Phyllis Devine owned a few of the newsletters or Lakes Pictorial that Veda printed and mailed to the servicemen during the Second World War. Phyllis was very involved with saving the history and heritage of oval track racing, especially in the northeast region where she lived. She never shied away from accepting and even encouraging other types of racing in her newspaper, The Alternate. She wanted me to write a story on Black Rock when the Brits and Breedlove were dueling it out for the land speed record. I never did get around to that and there's no reason, since I kept a lot of the records, notes and newspaper clippings from that event. I even have a bucket of "black rocks" fodded off the course at Black Rock Desert from that 1997 land speed trial. The Alternate had a subscription list that was heavily oval track racers and since Phyllis encouraged these me and women to write about their experiences, the newspaper represented mostly oval track racing. Phyllis' goal was to save history. I don't believe she really tried to make money. She was happy if her little newspaper/newsletter broke even. If money was the goal then she resisted making much. She gave away free advertising to anyone who was a subscriber.
Ads were basically free and an extension of the textual stories in the newspaper. The only people she charged were those who didn't have a subscription and the way she explained that policy to me was that she used it as a way to encourage people to subscribe to The Alternate. She would tell them, "Ads are so and so but if you take out a subscription then the ad is free." Now she may have changed her policies, but that is what she told me. I think she just wanted to take in enough money to break even and maybe to have a reserve fund in case of emergencies. There were also monthly columns in the newspaper. We call The Alternate a newspaper, but it was a small, folded pamphlet or tract. It had the feel of a newsletter, but Phyllis made sure that it had the professionalism of a real newspaper. She was very careful with accuracy. Phyllis told me on many occasions that anything that I submitted to her needed to be accurate and double-checked to make sure there were no errors. She told me that The Alternate was a serious endeavor and that she was leaving a history and heritage behind. That's why I stress history and heritage. Those are words that I borrowed from her. Be sure to contact Bob Falcon and get him to write for you. Bob is one of my advisers. He's been with me for years, on my Boat Racers Reunion Committee and with the Car Racers Newsletter and now the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter. I regularly ask Bob to review what goes out to the public. He's an amazing man and a real car racer. He's had his seat time and he's exact to the details. A story by Bob Falcon is worth its weight in gold to me. He wrote for Phyllis before and you should encourage him to do so again. The trouble that Phyllis experienced is that she either had too much material or too little. When she had too many stories she had to hold them back for a long time. You don't have that problem of space requirements when you go on-line.

---------------------------------
I sure appreciate your kind words towards Phyllis Devine and I will pass them along to Joe. It's a go for publishing just as I wrote the first e-mail. I will definitely keep you in the loop as to what's going on. If you would like to send any mailing lists, it would be a big help to try to build back a readership, whether on-line or in print. I think for now we will try to keep the print version going and see what happens. There's something nostalgic about holding the paper in your hands, at least in my 28 year old eyes. So basically a big thank you, and keep in touch! You're more then welcome to contribute any and all stories that you may see fit. I just rebuilt the website for The Alternate at the following; www.racepaper.com. I will continue to add to it as things progress. Thanks, Zach Suhr

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have long been a member of an exclusive bunch of motor sports folk who do not believe that one make racing is good for the highest level of auto racing in America! No Innovation! No Technological Development! No opportunity to test and develop practical ecologically safe technology for the daily driver! Visit www.fastlinesinternational.com to get my views on open chassis race car designers for Indy Car racing. Gil Bouffard

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"KEEPER OF THE FLAME," the Spurgin/Giovanine Roadster. Racing swiftly in the swirling dust from the clay pans of the Dry Lakes of Southern California in the SCTA racing season of 1948, flashed the dark teal blue sleek and innovative Spurgin/Giovanine Roadster. This was the legendary Albata Club Dry Lakes, Land Speed racer that established one of the most incredible records ever in Dry Lakes racing history. "It was the little Chevy 4 that thought it could and it did."
March 5, 2010. We just opened a packet from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the letter enclosed stated, "After reviewing the many entry applications for the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, we would like to invite your 1948 Chevrolet Roadster Spurgin/Giovanine Custom Dry Lakes Roadster to participate in our 60th Anniversary celebration on August 15, 2010." It is truly amazing as there are such few slots for the Special Category and there are hundreds of Dry Lakes and Bonneville Racers of high and important significance.
It has been a long and exciting journey with everyone on the team helping at all of the many different levels starting with the gathering of all of the correct historical information (and your careful editing and assembling of the story) from the families for the 12,000 word story for the 100th Edition of the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter to the re-building of the legendary SCTA Dry Lakes Champion making absolutely sure of having all of the correct parts with historically correct fabrication as needed. Ernie and Elaine Nagamatsu
Ernie: Congratulations, that is quite an honor. You are right about the many deserving cars from the dry lakes era that have been restored recently. To receive the invitation from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is truly an honor for your team and the car itself. Keep us posted on what happens at Pebble Beach. Has your Old Yeller II also been honored by Pebble Beach? We would like to have a history of the Old Yeller I and II to post in the SLSRH newsletter and also a bio on Max and Ina Balchowsky. You've told us a great deal about them, but they were important to the racing community and we would like to know everything that we can about them and the cars they built.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Assembly member Jeffries at [email protected]. March 8, 2010, Subject: AB 1740.
Thank you for contacting me regarding your interest in AB 1740, a bill which would delete the current 500 'kit-car' limit on the number of specialty constructed vehicles that can be registered in the state on an annual basis. Our bill would delete this limit, and instead require the Department of Motor Vehicles to register any car that meets specified criteria. This issue is a particular interest of mine, having grown up around custom cars as the son of Dean Jeffries and being an automotive enthusiast to this day.
AB 1740 will be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday, March 22, at 1 PM, in Sacramento, CA. Because it is a public hearing, any member of the public can testify and express support or opposition of the bill. Traditionally, the committee chair gives the support and opposition of the bill approximately three minutes total to speak. After these three minutes are up, additional interested parties can register support or opposition, for the public record, by stating their name, affiliation and whether they support or oppose the bill. We will have a designated witness or two to testify on our behalf, so our best course to influence the outcome of the bill is to write letters, make phone calls and contact members of the committee prior to the hearing.
We would encourage you to write letters, send faxes and make phone calls to the Transportation Committee consultants, and to the Assembly members who sit on the committee, which I have listed below. I do not believe we will have any problem getting Republican members of the committee to support the bill, but it is critical to contact the Democratic members of the committee to let them know how important this bill is to you. Please feel free to share your story (what kind of car you have, or wish you had, and what kind of events you drive it to), with a call, e-mail or letter, in order to try and persuade them to support AB 1740. At a minimum, everyone (and every club) should write a letter to the Chairman of the committee and/or the committee consultants.
It is especially helpful if you actually live within the district of one of these members. Furthermore, if you have friends, or know of other car clubs that do live in the districts represented by the members of the Transportation Committee, I would encourage you to let them know about this bill as well. Please note that the "official" deadline for having your support registered in the official committee analysis is Tuesday, March 16, 2010. All communications should be received by the Assembly Transportation Committee at that time.

Assembly Transportation Committee
(ph) 916-319-2093 (fax) 916-319-2193
Address: Assembly Transportation Committee, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814
Assemblyman Mike Eng (D/El Monte ) Chairman:
[email protected], 916-319-2049, (fax) 916-319-2149
Assemblyman Bill Berryhill (R-Stockton):
[email protected], 916-319-2026, (fax) 916-319-2126
Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Van Nuys):
[email protected], 916-319-2040, (fax) 916-319-2140
Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan (D-San Ramon):
[email protected], 916-319-2015, (fax) 916-319-2115
Assemblyman Warren Furutani ( D-Long Beach ):
[email protected], 916-319-2055, (fax) 916-319-2155
Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani (D-Merced/Stockton):
[email protected], 916-319-2017, (fax) 916-319-2117
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal ( D-Long Beach ):
[email protected], 916-319-2054, (fax) 916-319-2154
Assemblyman Jeff Miller (R-Corona/Mission Viejo):
[email protected], 916-319-2071, (fax) 916-319-2171
Assemblyman Roger Niello (R-Sacramento):
[email protected], 916-319-2005, (fax) 916-319-2105
Assemblyman Chris Norby (R-Fullerton):
[email protected], 916-319-2072, (fax) 916-319-2172
Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim):
[email protected], 916-319-2069, (fax) 916-319-2169
Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Martinez):
[email protected], 916-319-2011, (fax) 916-319-2111

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Andrew Shedlock, in my Capitol office, at 916-319-2066, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Thank you again for your support. Sincerely, Kevin Jeffries, Assemblyman 66th District

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am working on a biography of Frank Lockhart for publication as my MA thesis. Would you please post on your next newsletter? Inputs are solicited at http://stutzblackhawk.tripod.com. Regards, LT John Bayer, USN ([email protected])
John: We received your letter from Mary Ann Lawford at www.hotrodhotline.com, who also owns and operates the website that we use for our newsletter at www.landspeedracing.com. Our newsletter is called The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians, a group that is comprised mostly of amateur historians and fans and a few who write professionally. We have discussed Frank Lockhart previously in our newsletter and although we can't add much more than you have already written, perhaps we can help you find sources. With your permission I will copy your website article and run it in our newsletter for our readers to see, and perhaps to respond. Do you want your email address displayed? I suggest that you call Jim Miller and see if he has any sources for you. Jim's phone number is listed on our newsletter masthead. Frank Lockhart passed away so long ago that most of the people that he knew are gone too. Jim may know of a few people who are still around from that time span who can help you. Lockhart is mentioned in John Lucero's book, Legion Ascot Speedway. The California Racer's Reunion is set for April 3, 2010 and there may be a few there who can tell you something about Lockhart. I would also suggest that you get a phone tree going, and get a few phone numbers from Jim Miller. Then call the people and ask them if they know anything. Before hanging up, as each of these people if they have 5 phone numbers that they can give you to call. It's a quick way to see who knows what and it will get the word out to people that you are looking for sources for your project. Another source might be Don Weaver. Everyone I know from that era was just a young child when Lockhart was running and wouldn't know him.
-----------------------
Frank Lockhart and the land speed record, by John R. Bayer.
-----------------------
Of all the racing careers there have been in America, among the brightest has always been Frank Simpson Lockhart. His career packed, death came too soon, his goal in reach. Frank's story is also the story of the Stutz Black Hawk Special. Born in 1903 in Dayton, Ohio, Frank's father died when he was six, the rest of the family moved to California. As a teen, Frank decided he must have a racing car. Gathering a free chassis and parts from his work at Ray McDowell's garage, Frank had the car running shortly, driving so hard in his first race that he melted the exhaust manifold! With a better engine, the wins then began. By 1925 Frank's success earned him finer mounts and he found himself on top the Pacific Coast circuit. He traveled to Indy the following spring, to watch the race and maybe bum a couple of practice laps.
Frank was nearly turned away upon arriving, but for spotting Ernie Olson. Olson, mechanic for "Benny" Hill, was riding mechanic for Jimmy Murphy's triumph in the 1921 French Grand Prix. Knowing Frank's reputation, Ernie got Lockhart in, and permission for him to take some practice laps. He set a one-lap qualifying record at 115.448 mph with a car not at the top of the pole, his first time on the track! Frank was assured they'd call on him if Hill needed relief. Memorial Day dawned, rain predicted. Driver Pete Kreis had pneumonia, Frank got the nod. The record crowd was about to see an upset from the 7th row. By lap three, he was in 5th place, one more, he was fourth! The leaders, signaled of Frank's approach, increased the pace. By lap 50, Lockhart was second. Then the rains came, most took to the pits, not Frank. The #15 Miller was 1st after 9 more laps! Frank led 12 laps later when a downpour suspended racing. Fast forward 75 minutes and a restart. Lap 93, Frank finally pits. Harry Hartz then leads, but only for five laps, when he also pits, Lockhart back in front. The rain returns at 400 miles, but this time it's over. Frank, leading by two laps, is declared the winner.
Frank continued winning that summer, putting him in contention for the AAA Championship. Car troubles allowed Hartz the overall win, with Lockhart second. The team gained Ernie Olson as mechanic as a result of the season. When Frank's car held up, he was almost unbeatable, but he pushed, his engines eventually pulling 285 hp at 8000 rpm, vs. 154hp/7000 from the factory. This output cost, breaking or bending valves. Sensing the supercharger was the problem, Lockhart rigged a power take-off on the transmission of his street Buick so he could experiment, finding that the air exiting the supercharger was red hot - this was the intake air! Frank contacted John Weisel, whom he knew from Harry Miller's. John and brother Zenas were Cal Tech engineers and the trained help needed. The intercooler was the solution, invented by Frank, refined by the team. Still in use today, the design is substantially unchanged. In the first test, the car went more than 8.5 mph faster! In March at Culver City, the device had its first competition, setting a track record of 142.2 mph.
Frank was now poised to attempt more at a whistle stop in the high desert of California named after the Corum brothers. A small white single-seater veered around an oval on the hard lakebed. Through the mile, a speed of 171.02 mph was recorded - within the last 12 months, the absolute world speed record had stood at 170.6 mph - from a purpose-built car driven by 443 c.i., vs. Lockhart's 91.5 c.i. Miller, modified only by a gearing change, wheel disks, and removal of the tiny windshield!
At Indy this year, Lockhart sat on the first row, as the race laps ticked off, no one came close. Unfortunately, a connecting rod gave. Ernie and Frank set about redesigning the rods. The team was also first to field the locked differential, radius rods, and modern type wheel bearings. 1927 victories were topped at Cleveland with more records, winning the 100-miler, breaking all international records from 1-100 miles, and averaging 80 mph for the day - 101 records in a day! Though immersed in cars, Frank courted and married Ella, the only woman he ever dated. She was a kindred spirit often found helping out in the garage. Frank, who stood 5'8" and weighed 135 pounds, still looked more like a teenager than his 24 years. Frank was prospering at last, but set that aside to wager it all on this new venture. Ernie Olson believed Frank should focus on the champ circuit, and left the team. Jimmy Lee and Jean Marcenac replaced Olson. Frank had gone to Harry Miller for backing; the answer was a definite "NO."
Timing is everything; the reconstituted Stutz Company headed by Fred Moscovics was looking to again make a name for itself. Moscovics' acquaintances fronted $20,000, Fred put up $15K of his own, plus use of Stutz shops. The one condition was the machine bear the moniker "Stutz Black Hawk Special - Made in Indianapolis." Fred said of Frank, "...that kid is by far the most extraordinary person I have ever met, he is without doubt the greatest mixture of driver and mechanic in the world today." In early 1928, an idea Frank had been working on since Muroc appeared, in the slippery form of the "Stutz Black Hawk Special" record-breaker. Looking like something out of Buck Rogers, it was revolutionary. Team Lockhart was way ahead in their obsession with power-to-weight ratio. Typically, designers had to apply huge power increases by adding cubic inches, meaning added weight, needing even more power, a classic vicious circle, to gain a few mph. Frank had prophetically seen the future at Muroc, if you kept your frontal area and your weight down, much less power was required. That was it - almost miraculously simple.
The team, aware of wind tunnels, designed the car with tightly cloaked bodywork. Wheel spats were needed because air pressure would wobble open wheels. The front spats turned with the wheels, with the center of pressure aft of the kingpins, causing sluggishness in steering, but lending stability. Models of the Muroc car and the proposed beach car were constructed and compared, with Curtiss Company tunnel test revealing a top end of 283 mph for the beach car, with similar results at the Army's McCook Field! The existing LSR stood at a mere 203 mph, the team shot for 225 mph. Frank thought he'd run two 91 engines in tandem, for no more frontal area than a standard Miller. Zenas convinced him to run the two blocks parallel on a common crankcase, the car was still very narrow, the center body scaled to the width of Frank's shoulders. The Black Hawk would be heavier than a standard 91, but featherweight compared to Seagrave's Sunbeam. The British contender was 8000 lbs, carrying a 2745 c.i. engine producing 1000 hp. Lockhart's was only 2800 lbs and 183 c.i., but produced 570 hp at 8100 rpm. The Stutz had a 6:1 advantage.
A big question was tires; no one had much knowledge of dynamics. They set up a test machine to see the effects of a blow-out at 225, fired a shotgun at the tire, and vibration tore the machine to pieces. Frank intended to use proven Firestones, but a newcomer, Mason, put up $20,000 in sponsorship and free tires. There were other challenges: the suspension needed to be very rigid, to help keep Frank from loss of control due to gusting winds or shifting sands, the steering wheel would also travel very narrowly. Intercoolers were in the plans from the start, flush with the hood and cooled by airflow. New was an ice tank, replacing the usual radiator/grille and drag. Another innovation was the full belly pan. The crew was pushed, on the drawing boards for ten months; the car was constructed in three! Three months can be eternal when making, testing, and remaking parts. Moscovics said often the crew would have to be ordered home, or they'd work all night.
In February, 1928, they were ready. It was almost over before it started; the car wouldn't run above 180. Were they all wrong? In the Stutz shops, the engines ran great, now they were starving. Days went by. The intakes had been made flush with the skin, and this was thought to be the issue. It has been widely reported small scoops were made to solve this problem, but in photos, they are absent, a mystery. The weather then kicked up, rain and wind so heavy the timing crew only gave Frank until the 22nd. 22 February 1928 dawned with squalls passing through the Ormond area, putting ripples in the beach that could throw a car at speed. Visibility was down to a half-mile or less. The day was waning. Soon, a whine was heard from two superchargers. The Black Hawk was reported at over 225 mph when without warning, it veered and flipped into the surf, remarkably landing upright, Frank trapped in the wreckage. One of Frank's hands was seen moving, Moscovics, first on scene, saved him by holding his head above water. A crowd materialized with a rope and pulled the car ashore.
Frank's injuries were minor for a flip into the surf at 200+ mph - cut tendons, small cut on chin, mild concussion. The car was little damaged; Moscovics ordered it back on the train to Indy immediately. Frank returned to Indy as hero. The car was soon repaired, but Moscovics wanted Frank to wait until the next year, he was back on the beach in two months. Frank appeared calm as he posed for photos that sunny April day. The beach was smooth and hard, Lockhart began warm-ups, seeing a time of 198.29 mph, a class record, on his final practice. Frank got on the brakes a little at the end of the run, skidding 100 feet. He lined up for the first record attempt. Observers saw him coming estimated at over 220 mph approaching the measured mile and still accelerating. Suddenly, there was a rooster tail of sand from a rear tire, a flash of metal, a 'pop' heard by some. The car skidded, Frank fighting; it seemed for a moment he would pull it out. Then the Black Hawk skidded even more radically and literally leapt into the air. Coming down sharply, the car buried its nose, and Lockhart was thrown down the beach, mortally injured.
When officials examined the course and the marks the car made, they found a clam shell in the skid left at the end of his last practice; evidence the shell had sliced the tire. The editorial staff of the New York Herald said, as others did, that Frank was, "...the latest sacrifice on the altar of speed," but Frank had achieved his goal, even if it wasn't official, that last run. Lockhart left a legacy not to be forgotten. The designer of the Tucker, Alex Tremulis, paid tribute over 20 years later, with the front skirted fenders on the Tucker '48. Frank's intercoolers revolutionized championship racing. Connecting rods and other features with Lockhart mods saw reliability edge higher. Lockhart's 91 engines were unbeatable in other hands until the end of the formula. The remnants of Frank's beach car also lived on, the engine was salvaged, and when the larger formula reigned at Indy once again, set new records. It qualified at the front as long as 18 years later and still exists in the museum at Indianapolis, where anyone familiar with Frank Lockhart and the Stutz Black Hawk Special may ponder what might have been.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Faith Granger has notified us that her movie Deuce of Spades is going to be ready in a few more months. You can see clips at this website; http://www.deuceofspadesmovie.com/film_reviews.htm. DVDs will be on sale for the public.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The History of the GCR&R Club, by Gail Phillips and members of the club.
The Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club is a member of the Southern California Timing Association and is dedicated to the furtherance of land speed racing at the El Mirage Dry Lake bed and the Bonneville Salt Flats. The club was originally formed in the summer of 1992 by Dean Murray and Bill Mathews after returning from an inspiring trip to Bonneville. With Art Branum as the first President, and Bill Mathews as Secretary/Treasurer and a group of Central Coast "gearheads" all with the aspiration of racing at El Mirage and Bonneville, the first meeting was held at All American Taco in Atascadero. In September it became the first new SCTA sanctioned club in twenty years and had grown to 31 members by October and 45 by the following year. Club meetings were held in restaurants, various member's garages and shops in northern San Luis Obispo County. In the SCTA tradition, a club party was held in December of that year to celebrate their new status and to honor two local individuals who the club thought had made a difference in hot rodding; Tony Capanna and Tom Spalding received the first "Pioneer Award."
In 1993 the first official "Gas Up" party was held at Jack Mendenhall's Petroleum Museum in Buellton, California. The honorees selected were a mixed representation of the currently famous, and infamous, including the first vehicle. 300 people attended that event with the response being so great that it became an annual event. For 1994, a selection committee was chosen to nominate outstanding individuals and vehicles and the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony enjoyed today was officially born. The selection process has continued to be refined such that all living Hall of Fame members, SCTA Clubs, and other Dry Lakes racing organizations now vote in the people and vehicles they deem most deserving of the honor of outstanding contributors to the sport. By 2009 239 people have been honored and joined this prestigious group of contributors to the sport of land speed racing. The GCR&R Club continues to have members who build cars and race regularly at El Mirage and Bonneville with many in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. A club Roadster is being built by and for members without a car so everyone will have a chance to race, and a dedicated group work hard for six months every year so the "Gas Up" continues to be a successful, fun and rewarding experience for everyone in the racing community.
------------------------
ORIGINATING CLUB MEMBERS; President-Art Branum (Atascadero), Vice President-Dean Murray (Paso Robles), Secretary/ Treasurer Bill Mathews (Templeton), Smokey Alleman (Atascadero), Dave Foltz (Paso Robles), Warren 'Hoke' Hokinson (Atascadero), Ray Kinney (Atascadero), Ray Lattie (Atascadero), Dan Pace (Arroyo Grande), Mel Santos (Los Osos), Chris Silva (San Luis Obispo), Eldon Smeltzer (San Luis Obispo), Mel Tull - SCTA Advisor (Atascadero).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19th Annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame announcement by Matt Williams.
   The Gold Coast Roadster and Racing Club wishes to take this opportunity to announce a change in the date of the annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame GAS UP. Due to the many events just prior to, during, and immediately after the usual September date, the Club has decided to move the event to the spring - just prior to the first El Mirage event in May. To facilitate the move the 2010 event will be delayed until APRIL 30th, 2011, so mark your calendars now! After 2011 we expect the event will be held in the first week in May depending on the holidays around it, like Mother's Day and Easter. For SCTA Clubs and other voting members, expect your ballots for the 19th Annual Hall of Fame to arrive in October of this year. We believe this change will be more convenient for more participants and allow more racers to attend. We appreciate everyone's understanding as we transition to the new date. Matt Williams, President, Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club, P.O. Box 1234, Buellton, California 93427.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please find enclosed the link for the Cleveland Plain Dealer article about the WRHS and the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum we have discussed and you have requested. Be sure to look at the sidebar links as well outlining some of the items sold. To open the article, Google the following; http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/03/western_reserve_historical_soc_3.html. There are some statements about donations returning but I feel those may be just "seed" statements in efforts to draw in donations from donor who may have stopped. You may also notice that there is no mention of the restoration facility closing and planned sale or the inconsiderate and irresponsible treatment to the veteran volunteers. My feeling that was purposely ignored as to continue to attract new unknowing volunteers. Thanks again for everything, Mike Kacsala
Mike: The article was distressing. The Cleveland Plain Dealer was obviously trying to explain both sides without rancor or favoritism, and it appears that the letter sent out by the museum directors had the effect of softening the newspaper's reporting. I have to be honest, there comes a time when the old ways are tossed aside and new leaders and methods are adopted. I've been on the receiving side of many a coup by the new bloods, or as the media likes to call them, "the young Turks." During the first few defenestrations, I tried to reason with the new groups, only to find out that they knew they had the power and were in control and talking to me was simply a waste of their time. Over the years I've had to relinquish positions and hand power over to others. It is never easy and never fun and the new groups think of us old-timers as a complete waste of their time to listen to our advice. They've got to learn the hard way, through their own efforts and in the process, lose time, energy and money. That's the way groups function in a democracy. The people hear the siren call of change by the new power elites and the citizens rally to that call, only to find out later that they have lost a great deal of their history and heritage in the bargain. In the end, the new group is ousted by another, newer group and the cycle continues. The new leaders will find new donors and new volunteers, for a vacuum always attracts people. Whether the museum continues in the ways of the last two boards and sells off their priceless collections as a cash cow instead of building up their cash reserves and endowments, is a question only time will answer. But once a group learns the easy ways of financing grand schemes and plans, it's hard to go back to the tried and true "community fund-raising," earning one difficult dollar after another.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Burly, Whew! A long day. First the bad news: no new records for the Beaver Geezers, Dan and Orange Thunder. While the temps and lack of rain were much better than forecasted, headwinds were just a killer for record seekers. Examples: the famous 1100-HP '69 Camaro, BIG RED, managed only one run over 200mph (200.7), compared to previous runs of 224 and above elsewhere. The nine beautiful Ford GTs, legitimate 205 mph cars, all struggled in the 160-180mph range all day. And the Beaver Geezers struggled in the 65-71mph range as well. But the Good News: The Mojave Mile appears to be a great venue for the 36 HP Challenge. It's close to Pacific Coast states, and drew from all those states, as well as Nevada, Arizona, and other western states. While it doesn't have the traditions, beauty and atmosphere of Bonneville, it does appeal to folks who don't want to expose their cars to the salt, and it's potentially damaging after-effects.
   The 12,500 foot track is roomy, pretty smooth, has good traction, and good rain run-off (as you would expect from an airport runway). The organizers are experienced and efficient, and cycle cars down the track quickly. They do not mess around....virtually every run, they checked and rechecked for things like leather gloves, fire extinguisher, and in my case a head sock, which was required for the helmet I have...apparently it is a dirt bike helmet, and is OK, but for the head sock (balaclava). We'll go again if we do not sell the car. They are planning to run twice a year, and two full days of racing. We were really made welcome, and they made a big deal over the 36HP Challenge, and the Beaver Geezers.
Time for some R&R, Glenn Patterson & Dan Durie

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just made reservations at the Montego Bay for Bonneville in September at the World of Speed (September 14-17, 2010 - 4 nights leave the 18th). I was able to get a room for 4 for $59 per night Tuesday through Thursday with Friday @ $99. The phone is: 1-800-537-0207 and it tells you can save $10 reserving on-line (www.wendoverfun.com) but the on-line prices are way higher than $59 phone-in rate. If you are planning to race or spectate at the World of Speed, I would encourage early reservations asap (do not mention racing, they would like to think you are coming to gamble!) Just a heads up. Burly Burlile

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jerry Cornelison sent in the Road Runners news for January-March, posted at http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners/news.htm.
----------------------
Road Runners News / Special Events: Updated: Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Meet Results and Photos.
Road Runner Meeting Notes - Tuesday, March 9th, 7pm at Ed Martin Garage - Prospective members from the Claybaugh Race Team joined us again this evening: Jim Claybaugh, Steve Claybaugh, Chad Claybaugh, Mark Sotelo (all prospective members) and Guest, Bill Claybaugh. Jim, Steve, Chad and Mark will be submitting their Membership applications at our April meeting. Vice President Mark Cavender covered the 2010 El Mirage Road Runners duty assignments for the upcoming El Mirage racing season. Those assignment will be posted on our "2007 Race Schedule and Duty Assignments" webpage shortly. Road Runners SCTA Club Rep Charles Shimko reported on the results of the 2010 ELM Procedures changes. The new 2010 ELM Procedures will be posted on the "2007 Race Schedule and Duty Assignments" webpage as soon as available from SCTA. President Jack Masson reminded members of our upcoming Annual Road Runners Awards Banquet. It is March 20 at the Old Spaghetti Factory, 11896 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga (Google Map). No host cocktails at 5pm, dinner orders beginning at 6pm. Price is $10 per person. RSVP deadline is March 15. Send checks to Treasurer Bill Harris. (Mailing address on our Members Only page). Jerry Cornelison thanked Club members for their support during the illness and loss of his wife Susan. He thanked the Club for the donation is Susan's memory to the Riverside Humane Center - SPCA. A complete copy of minutes of our March meeting has been e-mailed to Members. Next meeting will be April 13, 2010, at the Ed Martin Garage, 7pm.
----------------------
Road Runner Meeting Notes - Tuesday, February 9th, 7pm at Ed Martin Garage - At tonight's meeting we welcomed four guests, The Claybaugh Race team, prospective members attended their second meeting; Jim Claybaugh, Chad Claybaugh and Mark Sotelo. Unfortunately, Steve Claybaugh could not attend. He works for the LA Dept of Power and was out working damage control due to our recent storms. Sarah Burns, member Wendel Burns' daughter attended as a guest. We announced our 2010 Membership roster. We dropped five members: Two long time members resigned. Three members were dropped for not renewing their Road Runner and SCTA dues by the January 31, 2010 deadline. Bill Harris and Dale Wester presented the final version of our Road Runner's New Member Orientation plan. It is a fine piece of work and fits in nicely with the proposed modifications to the SCTA El Mirage Procedures Rookie Orientation and Training program. This is all a proactive step to ensure we maintain a safe and efficient racing situation for our organization and the public. Dale Wester brought some head restraints and safety info from Safety Solutions to share with the Club. This was a chance for some "hands on" with these items. Thanks to Dale for providing this important material. Our annual Road Runners Banquet date was announced, March 20. Information regarding the event and where and how to make reservations has been sent to all Club members. A complete copy of minutes of our February meeting has been emailed to Members. Next meeting will be March 9, 2010, at the Ed Martin Garage, 7pm.
----------------------
Road Runner Meeting Notes - Tuesday, January 12th, 7pm at Ed Martin Garage - Seven guests: Robert Miller, prospective member attended his third meeting. He submitted his application for membership and was voted into the Club. Robert is part of the McSwain "Casper" diesel truck team. Five prospective members visited us for their first meeting. Race team consisting of grandfather Bill Claybaugh, dad Jim Claybaugh and sons Steve and Chad Claybaugh and their friend Mark Sotelo were in attendance. They are rebuilding a retired Lakester they recently purchased. The final guest joining us was Sarah Burns, member Wendel Burns daughter. Welcome to all. Charles Shimko has volunteered to become our second SCTA Club Rep, replacing Pat Riley who was recently elected SCTA Treasurer. Thanks to Charles for stepping up and thanks to Pat for his long service as our Club Rep. Reese Adams announced a new item available to Club members. We will have a very nice denim with embroidered Road Runner logo over the pocket available within a few weeks. Shirt can be work informally or semi-formally, with tie, to attend meetings or whatever. Nice way to represent or club and historic Road Runner logo. A complete copy of minutes of our January meeting has been e-mailed to Members. Next meeting will be February 9, 2010, at the Ed Martin Garage, 7pm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for everything you do for all of us that have the "fire and passion" for all of the great Land Speed stories that you bring to us, for what it is, without any strings attached, for all of us to enjoy. Last night I watched a video assembled by Curt Giovanine and it was like "family movies." The thrill of just to hear Bob Giovanine talking about Rufi and Hallock while watching old race films of the Spurgin Giovanine Roadster flashing across the Dry Lakes at El Mirage. We shared a great story about Chuck Spurgin when Chuck fell off of the truck with a tow line when they were testing before a meet and in the middle of the night. Chuck said for them to continue testing in the pitch dark vast Dry Lakes (not knowing that he had just broken his ankle in the fall and he still had very recent burns from a working accident on that same day). Bob had a chuckle telling how they were looking everywhere for Chuck and finally somehow found him in the dark of night. There was an incredible film clip of Bob Giovanine discussing every little detail and at length on how they made the legendary Chevy 4 motor fly to astounding records with durability in the 1948 SCTA season. He discussed all of the engine tricks as it also reflected on how important it is to gather Oral History when one can and you stress that constantly in the Newsletter. Ernie Nagamatsu
------------------------
In response to my questions, Ernie wrote the following;
"The Old Yeller II was invited in the Special Class at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance a few years ago, in the Hot Rods-Road Racing Hot Rods class. I will get to a history of the Old Yeller II one day and the Mile Square reflections and amazing that I have a plaque won by Ina Balchowsky for a Mile Square event, so they were organized somewhat." Ernie Nagamatsu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gone Racin'…Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1, by Don Garlits and Michael Mikulice. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz.

Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1, by Don Garlits and Michael Mikulice is a hard-bound book published by Walsworth Publishing Company. The ISBN number is 0-9626565-2-6 for volume 1 and 0-9626565-1-8 for the three volume set. This review is only for volume 1 of the pictorial. Check with your local book store or order direct from The Museum of Drag Racing, 13700 SW 16th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34473, or call 877-271-3278. Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1, is a cloth bound book on high quality waxed paper suitable for excellent photographic reprinting. The book measures 8 � by 11 � inches and has 216 pages. There was no dust cover protective jacket, but the book looks very sturdy and built for constant usage. There was no price listed for the volume or the three books in the set. I am only reviewing volume 1 and will review volume 2 and 3 separately. Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1 has the following components; 362 black and white, and 89 color photographs. In addition there are 89 sidebars with all sorts of information; including races competed in, dimensions of Don's cars and other interesting facts in his racing career. There was one artwork, three drawings, nine magazine covers, five newspaper clippings and one map included in the book. The degree of factual information is extensive. Some of the captions for the photographs were short and the rule of thumb for captions is the more the better. Captions should stand alone from the book and should always include; who, what, where, when and sometimes the how and why. There was no index and although this is a pictorial, it hurts the cross-over appeal of a book like this to be lacking an index. Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1 can easily be a pictorial, a coffee table book or a history, but without an index the historian and serious student of the sport of drag racing can only guess where the material he/she seeks is located. Adding an index would easily have made this book superior to others like it.
I was really impressed with the factual thoroughness of the sidebars. This is a book that one could pick up and devour, then set it aside for a while and come back and read it thoroughly again. The text is limited, but then it is a pictorial after all. Therefore the captions need to be really thorough and often they weren't. However, that's the historian in me asking for more. For the general public the book is outstanding. This is volume one of a three volume set and I just cannot fathom there only being three volumes of photographs on the racing career of Don Garlits. Perhaps this is just a start and more books will come forth in the future. I could say that Don Garlits is the pre-eminent drag racer for all time and probably few people would argue with that statement. But I'm not sure that's the way to define who and what Don Garlits is. He certainly is well known. But notoriety sometimes obscures a man and puts him above and beyond what he really is. Garlits is first and foremost a hot rodder with a burning desire to take on a challenge or solve a problem in the most expedient and smartest way. He also just happens to be a drag racer who has won a lot of races and championships. Add to that his reputation for innovation, design and mechanics and he has earned his place in drag racing lore. Garlits is far more important to racing though. And it is unfair to judge him solely on his racing career. Other drivers and owners have won more races and championships, but Don raced in the early years when there were far few national events for him to compete in. He also raced against the very best drivers the sport has ever had. His competition was ferocious. Don also raced in several sanctioning bodies, many of which are no longer in operation and when a league folds, so often the records are lost or not mentioned in the newspapers or magazines. He is one of the most focused men I have ever met. He has a well defined view of what he is and what he believes in and is not willing to change his core values. He is a Christian who does not leave his views behind when he goes on the road. He is direct and tells you exactly what he thinks and feels, even if it isn't politically correct. He is as honest as they come and a southern gentlemen, yet he's willing to fight for his beliefs at a moment's notice.
There's another side of Don Garlits that's known, but often not stressed enough and that's his desire and willingness to share his knowledge with others. This includes the efforts that he has put into building up the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida. Long before it was popular to invest one's time, money and effort into saving the history and heritage of hot rodding, drag racing and the car culture, Don was building a museum and restoring cars that he had found. We can't possibly thank those individuals who create private and public museums to house our automotive history. The research that is done in the restoration of racing vehicles and the memorabilia that is uncovered keeps our history and heritage alive for future generations. Don Garlits is also interested in preserving the history of our country and protecting our culture. He spent his own money to run for the House of Representatives in 1994 in an effort to provide honest and capable leadership in Congress. That he failed to be elected tells more about the corruption in our political system than it does about Don Garlits. Big Daddy; A Career Pictorial Volume 1 is arranged like a diary, rather than by chapters. There are a few photographs from the 1930's and '40's, mostly family pictures, and I would have preferred to see more from this time period. Often writers will overlook the formative years and start right in with those years when they were best known. The first section or chapter if you must, starts with the years 1950-54. Don's first drag race was at Zephyrhills, Florida in June of 1950 and he recorded an elapsed time of 19.10 in a 1940 Ford convertible.
The years go by, the sidebars record times, dates and places and Garlits begins his ascent to the peak of the drag racing world. His reputation as a fierce competitor is achieved through one race, event or contest after another. He leads organizations and has a fan base that stretches from coast to coast, but it is a grueling schedule and his competition strong and capable. Don readily admits that many things that he tried to achieve could have been done better. He is honest in relating his mistakes as well as his successes, but the most important attribute of a hot rodder is the desire to solve a problem and make things better through innovation and ingenuity. The pictorial is a testament to a man who strove to overcome the problems that he faced in his professional, business and family life. The last section ends with the year 1970 and by then Don Garlits is an acclaimed champion and trend setter. Volumes 2 and 3 will pick up from there, as he has more races to win and new challenges to meet. Yet if this were the only volume that you owned, the consensus that you would reach is that Don Garlits had already made it "Big" and that there were no further worlds to conquer. You would have been wrong though. Don is no longer racing, but he is still actively promoting the sport of drag racing that he loves so dearly. The quality of the photographs is for the most part good to exceptional. The ratio of black and white photographs in comparison to color is to be expected due to the era that we are dealing with. The list of contributors is impressive in size and scope. There is a short but interesting page pertaining to glossary terms and another page describing drag racing slang. Don devotes a page thanking all those who made an impact on his life, including his love for his family and his creator. There is a one page description of his museum and a map where the museum is located. This is a very informative and interesting book and I give it a 7 out of a possible 8 sparkplugs. Gone Racin' is at [email protected].

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gone Racin'…Flat Out; The Race For The Motorcycle World Land Speed Record, by Rocky Robinson. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz

Rocky Robinson has written an exciting book about his efforts to set a land speed record in the streamlined motorcycle class. The book is called Flat Out; The Race for the Motorcycle World Land Speed Record, and is published by Motorbooks, a division of MBI Publishing. The book is hardbound, measuring 6 � by 9 � inches in size and sells for $25.95. The dust jacket cover is exceptional, and as I have mentioned before, keep the cover in good condition as it enhances the look and value of the book. As with all Motorbooks/MBI issues, this is a quality addition to your racing library. The pages are separated into 6 sections and bound to the spine of the book with a high-quality cloth fabric. There are 255 pages of text on acid-free matte paper, double-spaced for easier reading. In addition there are 16 pages of photographs on a special waxed paper that provides excellent reproductive results. Flat Out; The Race for the Motorcycle World Land Speed Record contains 39 color photographs and 21 black and white photographs. The B&W photographs appear at the beginning of each of the 21 chapters to the book and are roughly 2 � by 4 inches in size. The color photographs are slightly larger in size.
Robinson provided a three-page acknowledgment section and a ten-page introduction followed by 21 chapters, divided into three sections. There is no bibliography, table of contents, appendix or index. The book was written to tell a story about a man's quest to set an unlimited record in the motorcycle streamliner class on the Bonneville Salt Flats and it is the story that takes center stage here. There is crossover appeal for those who love motorcycles, motorcycle racing, ultimate speed contests and land speed time trials. There are many classes and categories for men and women to test their skills and courage in land speed motorcycle racing. Classes are created according to the size and power of the engine and whether the motorcycle is streamlined or altered from that of a showroom bike. Streamlining adds aerodynamic panels and turns the motorcycle into a two-wheeled version of a sleek four-wheeled racecar. From a distance the streamlined bike might look like a small racecar, but make no mistake, it is still a motorcycle and it takes skill and courage to drive these machines.
It's hard to comprehend that the unlimited record runs for a four-wheeled vehicle is 200 mph faster than the average speed of a Jumbo jetliner in flight, but at least there are four wheels on the ground. For nearly two decades men and women have attempted to break Don Vesco's record of 318 mph in a streamlined motorcycle. Dave Campos would improve on that mark by a mere four mph and his record would last another 16 years. It takes brazen courage to race motorcycles at these speeds, courage that few mortal men and women will ever possess, or absolute ignorance of the hazards faced at speeds that high. There is no doubt that land speed racing takes a very special kind of man or woman to create the vehicles and then race these machines to the ultimate in motorcycle speed records. We are fortunate most of the time to have a newspaper or magazine interview, with a few photographs, to explain the motivation of these brave men and women. In the case of Rocky Robinson we are privileged to have his very thoughts and feelings as he sets out on his quest to break the world's record. Robinson sets out to build suspense, telling the readers that there are challengers who are also set on breaking Dave Campos' record.
Any book that sets out to create a suspenseful thriller is bound to have the weaker readers who can't help but read the last chapter first. Yes, I was one of those readers who went to the end to see the results. What makes a book great is not necessarily the end of the book and which race team actually set the record, but in the rereading of the work, keeps our interests strong. Rocky Robinson has an easy style of writing. He is driven by zeal and though his story telling is not always polished, he doesn't linger on any topic and effectively moves the story along. It is possible to read Flat Out; The Race For The Motorcycle World Land Speed Record in a few days, but I found myself returning to the photographs and the texts out of interest in the subject matter. I won't give away the ending, only to say that one team set a record at 344 mph, another team broke that record with a two-way run of 346 mph and a third team went 355 mph, but failed in a second run to back up the record. For a land speed record to be certified a racer must make two runs within a short period of time in the opposite directions and the average speed of the two runs is the record time. That rule factors in the wind advantage.
Knowing the final outcome did not satisfy my need to know why Rocky Robinson set out to put his life on the line to set these dangerous records. To do that I had to read each chapter and delve into the mind of men like Robinson. It is as fascinating to know these men as it is to marvel at their fast records. There is more to the story than one man wishing to go fast. It takes a great deal of support and dedicated team members to be able to build a streamliner and afford to race it. The technological skills and safety equipment must increase with the increase in the speeds of the motorcycles if the racers are to survive in their quests to set new records. There have to be volunteers who run the sanctioning bodies and maintain the courses where the riders race their bikes. Land speed time trials require dedicated men and women volunteers at all levels in order to make it possible for men like Robinson to attempt to set such records. Rocky Robinson is one of only a few men who have gone over 300 mph on a motorcycle and set a record. It is an exclusive club and the members are a tight knit group. There are more men who have orbited the moon than those who have set records over 300 mph on a motorcycle. Flat Out; The Race for the Motorcycle World Land Speed Record is available at book stores under ISBN#13-978-07603-3163-7 or by the title of the book. Gone Racin' is at [email protected].

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW EXHIBITIONS

FANTASIES IN FIBERGLASS. Open through October 3, 2010. Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Invented in the 1930s, fiberglass was first used as heat insulation before automobile enthusiasts came to recognize its potential as a material for car bodies and other components. From Corvettes to dune buggies, many of the most iconic fiberglass customs and production cars of the past half-century will be on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum beginning in the spring of 2010. Together, they offer an interesting contrast to both the mainstream cars that populate our motoring landscape and those made of carbon fiber, the newest wonder material to be embraced by today’s innovators.

NEW EVENTS

AUTOMOTIVE AWARENESS 101 CLASS FOR TEENS. Saturday, March 6, 2009, 10:00 a.m. OR 12:30 p.m.
This class teaches teens age 14-16 the basics of what is under the hood, how a car works, and how to maintain it. This engaging and exciting class will be taught by award-winning Monrovia High School instructor Phil Jelinek, who is also a member of the Petersen Pit Crew. This class is perfect for teens with their learner's permit and their parents who want to brush up on their car knowledge. For more information, or to sign up for either workshop, please call (323) 964-6308. Class is $15 per each parent/child pair. (Parent attendance is required)

CURATOR'S TOUR: FANTASIES IN FIBERGLASS. Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 2^nd Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Join Curator Leslie Kendall for an in-depth tour of the Museum's latest exhibit, Fantasies in Fiberglass. Both fun and informative, Mr. Kendall's tour will present the subject of fiberglass automobiles in an enlightening format. Please RSVP Clayton Drescher at (323) 964-6347 or [email protected].

FREE SAFETY SEAT CHECKUP DAY. Saturday, April 17, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Museum Parking Structure
Safety Belt Safe USA is hosting their annual Safety Seat Checkup Day in the parking structure at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The event is free to the public. Museum admission is standard pricing. For a checkup appointment, please call Adrienne at (310) 222-6860. Safety Belt Safe USA is the national, non-profit, member supported organization for child passenger safety. www.carseat.org.

Family Fun Shop: Science and the Car. Saturday April 24^th, 2010, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Join us at the Petersen Automotive Museum for a brand new and exciting hands-on workshop taught by the instructor of the West Side Science Club, Ben Dickow. Class members will use the museum’s extensive galleries to learn the basics of physics and how scientific principles relate to the automobile. Mr. Dickow is an engaging teacher with nearly 15 years of experience in exhibit development, experience design, and education. He has extensive experience in formal and informal education, particularly science learning, along with museums, having served in senior staff positions at the California Science Center, Los Angeles, and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Class is open to child/parent pairs. Please call Liv at 323-964-6308 for further information or to reserve your spot today!

ANNUAL CARS AND STARS GALA. Heroes of Drag Racing: Honoring the 60^th Anniversary of the NHRA. Saturday, May 8, 2010. Petersen Automotive Museum
Save the Date! Join the Petersen Museum in its annual fundraiser celebration of the automobile, with dinner, cocktails, live entertainment, an auction of memorabilia and much more!

Fiberglass Day and Car Show at the Petersen. Saturday, June 26, 2010, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Petersen Automotive Museum parking structure
The Petersen will be hosting a public car show for fiberglass-bodied cars of any make or model in the Museum’s parking structure. Guests of Honor include Bruce Meyers, father of the dune buggy, and Harry Hansen, creator of the Hansen Cobra. Both guests will give talks on their long careers, famous creations, and experience working with fiberglass. From micro-cars to Corvettes, owners of fiberglass cars of any kind are invited to participate in the car show. Registration is free so sign up early to reserve your spot for this unique opportunity to meet automotive legends and view the amazing diversity of fiberglass cars at the Petersen. Cars must be driven to the Museum; there is no trailer parking. For more information or to register your car for the show, contact Clayton Drescher at 323-964-6347 or email [email protected].

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS; NEW CAR SHOWROOM. Streetscape
The three makes that we feature in our 1939 New Car Showroom are: LaSalle (created 1927, discontinued 1940), Oldsmobile (created 1897, discontinued 2004), and Pontiac (created 1926, will be discontinued in 2010).

SOUNDS OF SPEED. Through April 25, 2010, ArtWall
From the Beach Boy's first recordings to The Fast and The Furious soundtrack, see a unique collection of 180 automotive-inspired albums accumulated by "Speedy Bill" Smith.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Misfits of Motordom. Through Sunday, July 4, 2010, Grand Salon
This in-depth study of the truly bizarre, the poorly developed, and the unfeasible ideas that people have seriously attempted to sell to the general public has now been extended due to popular demand! This autotorium of automobile oddities from around the globe is certainly the only assembly of vehicles where the Edsel is the "normal" car!

IMAGINING THE FUTURE: The Southern California Automotive Design Studio, Presented in Cooperation with Art Center College of Design. Ongoing Exhibit

Visitors will see a comparison of a 1930's studio with a modern-day studio with various examples of the creative process in 2-D and 3-D form from different points in California's rich automotive history. Design demonstrations by Art Center students will occur in the exhibit on the second and fourth Sunday of every month from approximately 10am-3pm.Check the calendar at www.petersen.org for dates.

HOT WHEELS® HALL OF FAME
The Hot Wheels Hall of Fame at the Petersen Automotive Museum, features Hot Wheels^® full-size and die-cast cars, original models, wooden patterns, injection molds and drawings of original vehicle designs.

Hollywood Star Cars
Vehicles of Hollywood lore including the Batmobile, “Black Beauty” driven by Bruce Lee in The Green Hornet television series, the “Hannibal 8” driven by Jack Lemmon in The Great Race (1965), a replica of the "Mach 5" from Speed Racer (2008), "Herbie the Love Bug", the VW bus from Little Miss Sunshine (2006), plus cars once owned by Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Fred Astaire, and more!

ALTERNATIVE POWER: LESSONS FROM THE PAST, INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE
From the highly styled 1963 Chrysler Turbine to the General Motors EV1, automobiles equipped with innovative propulsion systems are presented to illustrate the growth of alternative vehicle technology.

ONGOING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES

MAY FAMILY DISCOVERY CENTER; Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm
The May Family Discovery Center is an interactive learning center that teaches basic scientific principles using the fundamental elements of the car.

DISCOVERY DAY; Car Activities & L.A. BookPALS. First Saturday of every month, 1-4pm
Join us on the first Saturday of each month for arts and crafts, and at 2:30pm, actors from L.A. BookPALS read stories. The program is included in Museum general admission. Call 323-964-6308 for more information. Future topics include:

March 6, 2010, License Plates
Make your own vanity plate for your bike or the wall of your room.

April 3, 2010, Blingin’ Hot Wheels
Use feathers, jewels, googly eyes, to make your Hot Wheels wild!

May 1, 2010, Pop-up Greeting Cards
Be ready for Mother’s Day with these festive cards.

SPECIAL FEATURES AT THE PETERSEN

SPECIAL EVENTS AND FILMING – Please call (323) 964-6348 or visit www.petersenevents.org to host your event or shoot film at one of LA's most exciting venues!

BIRTHDAY PARTIES - The Museum offers a wonderful venue for children’s birthday parties. Party guests can enjoy all three floors of the museum including the May Family Discovery Center. For more information or to book your party, call 323-964-6373.

SCHOOL TOURS - Taking a field trip to the Pete is an excellent way to teach your students about the history of Los Angeles and its intertwined relationship with the automobile. Students learn basic scientific principles and their applications as they explore hands-on activities in the Discovery Center. School Tours focus on history/social science, visual arts, and science & technology. Call (323) 964-6358 for information and reservations.

GROUP TOURS – A docent-led tour is available to groups of ten or more. - (323) 964-6346.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - Come and be a part of the Petersen’s “Pit Crew”. New Docent Training Class will be held in the fall of 2008. For an application or more information call - (323) 964-6358, email [email protected], or visit www.petersen.org.

MUSEUM STORE – Excellent souvenirs and gifts for auto enthusiasts (323) 964-6328.
Follow us on Twitter for daily news! http://twitter.com/Petersen_Museum

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Los Angeles, CA March 3, 2010) The 1925/34 "Round Door" Rolls Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe. Steve McQueen's 1956 Jaguar XKSS. The Batmobile. Ed Roth's Outlaw. What do these iconic cars have in common? They are all part of the Petersen Automotive Museum Collection. The Petersen Automotive Museum houses a collection of over 300 vehicles that rotate through the many themed galleries to give people a new experience every time they visit. A recent donation has added yet another iconic car, "Aluma Coupe", to the Museum's impressively eclectic collection. Aluma Coupe was built at Hot Rods by Boyd, founded by the late Boyd Coddington, an icon in the automotive industry, and star of The Learning Channel's American Hot Rod. Long before Hollywood discovered hot rods, Coddington had revolutionized the aftermarket wheel industry along with occasional friend and long time colleague "Lil" John Buttera with what was to be known as the "Billet" wheel. Machining forged billets of aluminum opened up the creative minds of the industry who could now produce limited quantities and one-off set of wheels at a reasonable price. Hot rod and custom car build styles were revolutionized by the high tech look that CNC –machined wheels and accessories created, and the "Boyd Look" was born. (Much like Madonna, Elvis, and Prince, Boyd needs no last name when mentioned to any hot rodder.)
Boyd constantly pushed hot rodding to the next level. When it was time to create a forward-thinking hot rod, he turned to then General Motors Designer Larry Erickson who had designed "CadZZilla", another Boyd-built car for ZZ Top front man Billy F. Gibbons. (Erickson went on to design for Ford Motor Company, and now runs the transportation Design program for the College for Creative Studies.) During the design process, the opportunity to work with Mitsubishi surfaced, and the project soon took off in a unique direction. Aluma Coupe's one-off, slippery shape and transverse mounted Mitsubishi V-6 mounted in the trunk debuted in Mitsubishi's display at the 1992 New York International Auto Show. In the new car show world, the concept car/hot rod garnered much attention from automotive journalists and show goers for its radical departure from the typical concepts of the day. However, for many traditionalists at hot rod events, the aluminum body's radical shape and the Japanese motor mounted "in the wrong end" of the car was pushing things a bit too far. –But isn't pushing things too far what hot rodding is all about?
“The luxurious, scratch-built Aluma Coupe represented a complete departure from typical design practice by combining traditional styling themes with extremely sophisticated engineering. Like a large number of other vehicles in the Petersen Automotive Museum collection, it demonstrates how the creativity and craftsmanship of local builders can influence the course of an entire movement.”, said Petersen Curator Leslie Kendall, of the Museum's latest acquisition. Aluma Coupe is now a permanent part of the Petersen Automotive Museum thanks to the Museum Board Member, David Sydorick, who generously donated the iconic coupe which is now on display and will be shown in future exhibitions whenever possible. The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles. Admission prices are $10 for general admission adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $2 per half hour with an $8 maximum for Museum visitors. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. For general Museum information, call 323-964-6347 or visit the Museum’s Web site address at www.petersen.org.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Speed Racing Websites:
www.hotrodhotline.com, www.landspeedracing.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members:

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[HRHL Home] [2010 Show Coverage] [Classifieds] [Press Releases] [Stolen] [Tech]
[Guest Columnists] [Build Articles] [Barn & Field Cars] [Book Reviews] [Shop Tours]
[Garage Shots] [Rodders Row] [Young Rodders] [Vanity Plates] [From our Friends]
[Our Heroes] [Blast to the Past] [Modern Rods] [Newsletter Archive] [Event Listings]
[Club Directory] [Biker Hotline] [Landspeed Racing] [Buyers Guide] [Order a Catalog]
[Vendor Directory] [Rodders Forum] [New Products] [Advertising Information]
[Hotrod MD] [Site Map] [EMAIL]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1999 - 2010 Hot Rod Hot Line All Rights Reserved
No Portion May Be Used Without Our Written Permission
Contact Us Toll Free (877) 700-2468 or (208) 562-0470
230 S. Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83709