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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
President's Corner, Editorials, Here's pictures of the Joe Reath tees, Saturday October 2 2010 Leslie Long is organizing a Santa Ana Drags and Main Malt Shop Reunion, I think I know where this is at however could I get some directions or a map, Tomas Leijon and Jonas Romblad raced their car Dreamliner III in Falkenberg in 1996, You make no mention of Pat Berardini is he going to be there, Thanks for your information but I'll still be in Germany, Wish I could make the journey to California for the event, I have heard that about 400 miles per hour but consider that a misnomer, Perhaps the images were too big, On Saturday September 11 2010 a Celebration of Life was held in Newport Beach California to honor the life of Mari F Palash, The September El Mirage results are now posted on our Results/Points/ Standings webpage, Do You have Jim Millers email address, Here are some scans of the research I did on Santa Ana Airport and the drag strip, I joined Petersen Publishing Company (PPC) in the Fall of 1959, As you're probably aware I'm sort of in the dark right now, Corrected copy of the Road Runners September minutes attached, We are preparing the ACK Attack for the upcoming Loctite Presents Mike Cook Motorsports Land Speed Shootout, Jerry Cornelison received word from Faith Granger that her movie The Deuce of Spades is finally finished after 44 months of hard work, Evelyn Roth has a new website, Just a quick reminder that the Legends of Ascot is back inside the hall again this year, I have some B/W pictures I took in 1969 of John Beaudoin's Hustler jet boat, This idea of a new type of airplane has been forming in my head for a couple of years now as it would not leave me alone, A young Louie Senter took some laps in Swede Lindskog's midget at the old Southern Speedway aka Southern Ascot before WWII, Louie Senter is a hands on guy. He's seen playing with the Jim Hurtubise Mallard at OMS in September '71.
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President's Corner:
The unique thing about Land Speed Racing is that it's still an amateur sport up to a point. The origins go back to let’s build something in the garage at home and see how fast she'll go at the lakes. And yes it has to be faster than your buddy's. Another part of the whole experience is using your own imagination on how to solve the hundreds of decisions you have to make when you're building the thing. In the old day you built as much as you could yourself with scrounged parts because nobody had any money and prowling junkyards was still possible. Today it's a lot harder but it can still be done. To prove it, following are some shots of my garage built ride that's taking forever but done in the spirit of the past.
Let’s start with (Click for Image 1) The Layout. LSR cars today are pretty complicated these days so you have to have a plan on where you're going. I did this sketch to figure out the placement of the components for the intake and exhaust system for the Turbocharged Olds Quad 4 that will power my ride. Once this part was done it was time to tackle the exhaust side. To me anybody can build a Chevy powered car so for the sake of being different the Quad was chosen. Right off the bat that sets you up for having to build everything yourself so let’s get to it. I started with drawing the exhaust manifold flange (Click for Image 2) as it was going to be made of 3/8" Stainless. Being lazy, there was a water jet outfit about a mile from my house so off I went with the drawing. Four days later I had a finished part for a mere $100, programming included. They even through in a test cut from 1/16" stock.
Exhaust pipes can get a little tricky to fabricate, especially when you want all the pipes to be the same length to feed the turbo with even pulses. I headed over to the nearest Home Depot and returned with a shop-vac hose the right diameter and length for under $10. I cut it into four lengths that were pre determined and stuffed one end into a port and the other into the collector (Click for Image 3). The hose was easy to bend and helped me figure out the bend radiuses for ordering the tubing. I used zip-ties to kinda hold things in place for the measuring as you can see. After all the bends and pieces were delivered it was time to do the flanges that transition from the ports to the pipes (Click for Image 4). If you've ever worked with stainless you know that it's a bear to work with so you have to get creative. A piece of 3/4" bar stock, a vice and ball-peen hammers got me in the ballpark as seen in the left image. On the right it shows the thin test cut used as a template and the finished stainless manifold flange.
The inset in (Click for Image 5) shows some bar stock that was machined to fit the ID of the main pipes with a flange on it that would be used as a swedge. The larger image shows how a bar clamp was used press the swedge into the part. A rosebud was used to soften the part and a ball-peen was again used to get the shape right. With a little hunting I bought a second motor to use for building parts off of. It set me back $100 and was well worth it. (Click for Image 6) shows the flange bolted to the spare head and the inserts welded in. It helps keep everything from warping and makes getting at everything really easy plus you don't mess up you good engine. It doesn't take a lot of tubes to make up a good set of pipes especially if you order U's with long ends. (Click for Image 7) shows what I mean. (Click for Image 8) shows how easy it is if you divide and conquer. By using masking tape to hold stuff together you can check the length and fit of the tubes before tacking. The upper bend is already tacked in this shot. It all goes back to the shop-vac hose and figuring the routing of the pipes. It took about 20 minutes for each port to collector fab.
One thing to keep in mind while fitting all the tubes in a really small space is keeping them away from the body. (Click for Image 9) shows a little trick I used. While getting the vac hose I also picked up a couple of those cheepo 3/4" x 1/8" shelving rails that screw on the wall. They flex but are rigid at the same time. I cut them to length and clamped them to the forward and rear body panels and they worked like a champ in simulating the compound curves of the body shape. (Click for Image 10) shows all the individual runners tacked together and taped to the manifold flange. When everything's perfect un-tape the runners, finish weld them, tape them back in place and tack to the flange. Pull the head, put it on the bench and finish welding.
All good turbo setups need a pop-off valve and (Click for Image 11) shows the setup. While doing the layout you have to decide if you want the pop-off exhaust to just dump out the body or hook up to the main pipe. I chose the second so she faces inward. The left image shows how the pop-off is fed from main pipe to the turbo. Lots of filing is needed to get a good fit then grab your sharpie and do a trace. Cutting odd shaped holes in tubes is a real bear (center image), but a rotary cutter in a small air-driven gun works wonders. On the right it's all tacked together and fits great. With running the pop-off to the main exhaust tube you have to figure in heat expansion. Those nice little stainless expanders are real pricey so being the cheepo that I am it was off to Norton Sales for some scrounging of old aircraft parts. In the top of (Click for Image 12) it shows what I found for $15. That works out to $7.50 a part instead of around $80 and I've got an extra one. The bottom shows the finished part. Like I said I'm cheap. The last shot, (Click for Image 13) shows the complete setup on the engine. It all takes time and costs lots of dollars. It also gives you lots of satisfaction doing it the old fashioned way like our heroes did. I just hope it works like I think it should.
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Editorial:
There are other people in the race to build, test and set the ultimate land speed record besides the Bloodhound team of Noble and Green. I’ve heard from Rosco McGlashan in Australia and Waldo Stakes in the US. There are more and I need them to write in and tell us what they are doing. How can we let the LSR community know about their efforts if they keep their work secret. Now I do receive criticism about various racing teams, but I try not to take sides. Some claim that the different land speed teams are not being accurate with the public. That’s not my domain. We deal in history and when these teams succeed or fail then it becomes history. The SLSRH gives coming events and calendars dates for you. We don’t mind editorializing about current and future events, but that is not the goal of the Society. The goal is to find and save all the history that we can even if it is esoteric and trivial as to seem unimportant to most people. That’s because we just don’t know what the future generations will want to know about and write about. We save the sources and the next generational group decides what they want from it. That’s why we discuss timing tags, trophies, conditions of courses, mystery cars, old memos and memorabilia. We put it all down and sort it out later. Sometimes my friends in LSR will say, “That’s a pipe dream…” Well maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. I sure didn’t think that Andy Green could drive a car on land at 763mph. I still can’t believe it and I was there. But he did it, pipe dream or no pipe dream. Other land speed teams are stating that 1000mph is their goal and there is one person who is aiming for Mach two and Mach three. Multiply 740mph by ones, twos and threes and you see the speeds that they are talking about.
Can they do it? Well, yes and no; it all depends on one’s definitions. They haven’t done it yet, so the answer is no, but when they do and prove us wrong, then we’ll say, “Sure, we knew it all along.” The power plants are ready and able to push a car to those speeds, but like my father found out long ago, is the safety equipment and security able to make those runs doable. You can’t go 1500mph one way and crash. You’ve got to go that fast TWICE in a two way run and do it within an hour. Personally I think that the FIA rules are antiquated. Like others, I think the FIA is pass� and that the only true timing associations in land speed racing are local groups who do so in their own venues. I believe that because these groups do the vast majority of the timing that they deserve the laurels. A two way run in under one hour is fine for cars racing in 1898 along the back roads of Belgium and France, but totally absurd today when the cars are going ten times faster. A one hour turn-around rule creates a safety issue for the driver, crews, safety and security people and spectators. That fast a turn-around rule is a tragic accident waiting to happen and it is unnecessary. A tailwind is not a benefit at such speeds, it is a detriment. A perfectly level course, free of FOD and with perfectly still air movement is best.
Speed is only one component of setting the ultimate land speed record. I told you how efficient the Brits were and how they managed to get food and water to hundreds of volunteers. Without food, water and shelter for hundreds of helping hands, you won’t set records in the unlimited LSR category. Oh, you might set a one way record, but it is unlikely that you will be able to replicate the first run. Driving a car that fast takes testing, lots of testing and that takes endurance and to have that trait you need volunteers. And you need replacements for the volunteers that you wear out in the desert. It’s a team effort today, even though the driver and the owner get the credit and the newspaper accolades. To the critics I say offer your advice to the race team and then let it go. I remember the time that I was at Black Rock and I made my opinions known and they weren’t always accepted. I made up my mind to do the best that I could to help wherever I could and let the responsibility for success or failure rest with the team owner and crew chief. Speak up, but then help out.
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Here's pictures of the Joe Reath tees. They both have "Tribute to Joe Reath" Crankshaft logos on the front, and your choice of the (Click for 'Dragin Parts') or (Click For Crankshaft license plate) on the back. Asking $20 donation. I'm planning on selling them at the Santa Ana Drags reunion, if I get an OK. Jim Snyder
Jim: Your plan to help out Joe Reath is a great idea. Joe has given so much to the racing community and now it is our turn to buy a t-shirt and help out a great guy. Be sure to ask the Motorsports Museum if you can sell some shirts at their cruises.
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Saturday, October 2, 2010 Leslie Long is organizing a Santa Ana Drags and Main Malt Shop Reunion. It is a picnic and you can bring your own food or share with others. You will find a beautiful park along Santiago Creek on the border of the cities of Orange and Santa Ana. It’s about 500 feet to the east of Main Street and Memory Lane. It starts around 10 am. It's totally free, to park and to join in. The old timers may include guys like Otto Ryssman, Isky, Gene Ellis and I talked to Al Teague, who said that he is planning on attending. Mark your calendars and come. This is one of those really special affairs and the men and women who raced at Santa Ana are some of the earliest drag racers anywhere on the planet. They are gracious and easy to talk to. Bring a video camera, note book or any collectible that you want autographed. They raced in the '50's when drag racing was just starting to figure out their rules and culture. Email me for additional information.
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I think I know where this is at however could I get some directions or a map? I remember sneaking to San Ana when I was a kid. I have a friend who is an old funny car racer and I think I might be able to drag him along. Perhaps I can also drag Henry Velasco out as well. Thank you, Regards, Mike Bastian
Mike: I tried to copy a Google map but couldn't make it paste to an email. Try googling Main Street and East Memory Lane, in Santa Ana, California. It's just east of the Main Street Mall. Once you turn onto East Memory Lane from Main, you will come to a signal about 500 feet from Main Street. You turn right and it takes you down into the concreted bed of a creek. The park is only 10 feet away from the parking, which is free and unsupervised.
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Tomas Leijon and Jonas Romblad raced their car Dreamliner III in Falkenberg in 1996. I happen to have my summerhouse there. http://www.konditori100.se/garage/carmakes/k1cao2r2.htm. Hans Lundholm
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You make no mention of Pat Berardini. Is he going to be there? Thank You. Carlo Berardini
Carlo: I haven't heard about Pat. I think that he will be at the Santa Ana Drags Reunion because he stays in touch with the group that started the reunion. I looked in my phone book and didn't see a phone number. Would you call him and remind him about the reunion. It wouldn't be a complete reunion without him there. I make up and send these notices so fast that sometimes I forget some very important people and things and Pat is one of those grand old men of the sport that I forgot to mention in the newsletter.
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Thanks for your information, but I'll still be in Germany. I return to CA towards the end of October, ready for the SEMA, Baja 1000 and Turkey Night. Wilfried Eibach
Readers: Wilfried Eibach owns Eibach Springs and his products are used on race cars everywhere. Roger Rohrdanz and I visited his plant in Corona, California. See www.hotrodhotline.com, bios section, for his story.
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Wish I could make the journey to California for the event. Was it your dad or relative that had the T-bird that ran the strip the day I raced him in my XK120 with "C" type engine. Having beaten him he insisted that we drive back up the strip to have another "go." I later brought Steve McQueen to watch the runs. He really enjoyed it and was into everything he saw. Herb Jones
Herb: You must do your biography for us. There is so much that you saw and that relates to the history and heritage of car racing in all its glory. That sounds like my dad; he was always promoting drag racing and loved it when people took an interest. It could also have been Ak Miller, or my uncle Kenny Parks. Tell us all that you can remember about the incident, including the track, location, dates, etc. Also tell us more about Steve McQueen. I am not name dropping here. It is my goal to have people write their bios and include all of the names that they remember, famous or otherwise. The idea is to archive the material that we save so that future racing historians will have something to use in their research. Hope you can come to the Fab 50's Christmas banquet.
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I have heard that about 400 miles per hour but consider that a misnomer. Craig Breedlove survived a rollover at 676 miles per hour in 1996. Rosco McGlashan has hit a course marker at over 600 and Art Arfons survived a total destruction crash of his 1966 Green Monster at somewhere between 585 and 610 miles per hour depending on who is telling the story. Art told me personally it was 610 but his trap speed was only 585. No matter, he survived I believe for one reason and that was because his cockpit was placed at the cars center of gravity. So the impacts and force loads were like being at the hub of a propeller. Most of the more dramatic and energetic action (higher G and greater velocity impacts) are taking place at the ends of the car. i.e. if you are strapped into a jet car which has the cockpit located at either the tail or in the nose and it does an end over end flip eventually the cockpit will be struck like the head of a hammer and the force moment will be fed into that area directly. Even at a couple of hundred miles per hour you are probably not going to make it.
I personally locate all my driver cockpits in my vehicles at the vehicle's Cg. This also gives me the advantage of using the ends of the vehicle as crush zones. Even if the vehicle rolls like a pencil on a table top it will probably do more sliding than rolling so the rotating G loads shouldn't be that bad. As for there being a certain death for sure crash speed. History says that on more than five occasions SR-71 Blackbird pilots had to eject from their planes due to engine problems at greater than Mach 3 (2,000 miles per hour) and altitudes of greater than 50,000 feet. Most of those crew members survived and that is a much more dangerous environment than a 400 mile per hour land speed car will ever see. There is a lesson here: If you are designing a LSR vehicle get to be friends with a great egress engineer. The most dangerous environment for race drivers in my mind is F-1 or Grand Prix racing not land speed record racing as the cars have a lot of things to hit on the race course (barriers, railings and other cars) besides tumbling and crashing. Notice where the drivers are located in those cars. They are located at the CG with all four corners made of materials that can bleed off energy as they are destroyed. They reduce kinetic energy by tossing off pieces sort of like a human body cools by sweating.
Remember when you are looking at a Formula-1 car you are looking at an evolution of nearly 100 years of many of the best automotive engineering ideas and multiple team research all incorporated into one car. That is because all the teams copy what worked best for there competitors last season while incorporating their own best efforts into each new car. So every year the cars evolve greatly. You don't have that luxury in land speed record racing because all the vehicles are different and all trying to do something no one else has ever done before. I have run class cars and motorcycle streamliners at Bonneville and every class record has as much glory in it as the unlimited class. And I have as much respect for everyone running a class vehicle at Bonneville as I have for the unlimited LSR guys. That is my opinion anyway. Driving an LSR vehicle is just like falling off of a building. Once you get over two stories up the end result will probably be the same. It just takes a little longer to get there. No one builds a land speed vehicle with the intent of dying in it. They do it to push it just a bit farther. I remember when I would work for guys running a vehicle at Bonneville and see them set a record I would get a tear in my eye and usually light up a cigar alone out there at the measured mile. Unless you have done that I can't explain the feeling to you as it is very personal.
Lastly, it will be a sad day when what a man can do or attempt is dictated by the more faint at heart who are content to spectate. It would be like a Roman gladiator being told not to fight by the women in the arena. Man will always want to go higher, faster and farther; it is in his very DNA and God bless us, may that never change. For if it ever does man will go the way of the Dinosaur. Man has always been an adventurer, warrior and a conqueror and I hope that never changes. He has to reach out for the stars and beyond because one day this planet will perish and when it does so will everything on it. In order for man as a species to survive he will have to leave this Solar System by designing and building starships and that won't be done by a bunch of wimps waiting around to become extinct. Let there always be the test pilot, the land speed racer, the adventurer and the stuntman. God made us this way, he knew what he made and just as he did with all the things he made he looked back at us and saw that it was good! Waldo Stakes
Waldo: Very nicely put, though there will always be a sanctioning body somewhere who will inject a bit of rules of order into the enthusiasm of the brave.
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Perhaps the images were too big. Could you see the images of Charlie's car, or was it all symbols? Hans Lundholm
Hans: on the earlier photos I could see the car. On 9/14 I couldn't get into it at all and maybe it is my server who has limits. But all photos that go into the newsletter are sent to Roger Rohrdanz at [email protected], who is our photo editor. Keep the news coming from Sweden.
NOTE: This was a segment posted in the Newsletter 175 for Charles Beck's record setting SCTA streamliner from 1942
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On Saturday, September 11, 2010, a Celebration of Life was held in Newport Beach, California to honor the life of Mari F. Palash. The event was hosted by Andrea Palash, Mari's only child and present was Mari's grandson, Jonathan Palash. The Celebration of Life began at 1 pm on board the Electra, a boat built in the 1920's and used now for events within the Newport Beach Harbor and inlet. Present were Mari's friends from the Orange County Museum of Modern Art, where Mari served as a board member. Also present were Marilyn and Ron Lachman, Shirley Bunce, Sandy Evans, Chris Carlton, Betty and Brian Tracy, Sandie and Dallas Gardner, Richard and Epi Parks and about 25 friends and family members. Mari was born on January 21, 1936 and passed away on July 3, 2010. Andrea read a heartfelt eulogy about her mother's life. Mari worked for various businesses and was always impeccably dressed and glamorous. She gave up a career to be a wonderful mom to Andrea and wife to Harvey Palash. She had many wonderful friends; including Chris Carlton, Barbara Livingston Parks, Sandie Gardner, Marilyn Lachman, Shirley Bunce and many more. She had a way of making people feel at ease and welcome. She was well known for being a maverick and for doing the impossible as soon as she was told she couldn't do it. She was active in road rallies in the 1980's and when her partner couldn't make it she would call on Marilyn Lachman to be her navigator. Once when the route took her on the freeway ramp she stopped the car in the middle of the ramp and refused to go any farther. Marilyn had to drive to the next off-ramp and learned that Mari could navigate by any road, except for freeways.
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The September El Mirage results are now posted on our Results/Points/ Standings webpage. Jerry Cornelison, Secretary, Road Runners - SCTA http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners
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Do You have Jim Millers email address? I can send him the pictures. I do a lot of research on old airports and I have a map superimposed with an image. That whole area has changed immensely. The original (there were two) Eddie Martin Airport was on Newport and South Main. The head of the Santa Ana Drag strip was very close to the (extended) intersections of Acacia and South Main, which became MacArthur. The whole airport has slid Northwest, and MacArthur has been rerouted to loop around it. If you took a map and drew a pencil line connecting South main with MacArthur (crossing the airport at mid field) and then extended Acacia northward until the lines crossed, you'd have it. I may forward you a scan, as it is quite confusing. Check my contributions to a site called "Abandoned and little known airfields," which belongs to Paul Freeman. Check Eddie Martin Airport. VBW
Dan MacPherson
Dan: Send what you have to Jim Miller, Roger Rohrdanz and Harold Osmer. Jim is our resident researcher, Roger is our photographic editor and Harold Osmer collects data on old race tracks for his series of excellent books. A video is in the works and Harold may appreciate the research that you have done.
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Here are some scans of the research I did on Santa Ana Airport and the drag strip. On the PDF file Santa Ana, the original and the second locations of Eddie Martins airport are overlaid on a Thomas Bros map of modern Orange County Airport. The original Eddie Martin Airport is in green-it was at Newport (55 freeway) and South Main. The second location, the location of Santa Ana Airport and the drag strip, is shown in pink. I believe south main extended through and aligned with MacArthur Blvd. In the drag strip pictures, you can see that the drag strip was along runway 21, or 210� magnetic heading, south west. That runway no longer exists. But you can see a street in the drag strip photos which is South Main/MacArthur. It is near the intersection of Paularino and Acacia. The streets no longer cross there as the airport and streets have been moved. Much like LAX. Old maps hold the key to the location of the Drag Strip. Dan MacPherson
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I joined Petersen Publishing Company (PPC) in the Fall of 1959, joining the staffs at Car Craft and the now-defunct Custom Cars magazine. I knew Wally Parks and most of the other Editors NAME AS MANY AS YOU CAN on the various Petersen titles, because we all worked in the same building. As soon as he left PPC to work full-time for NHRA, Eric Rickman, of Hot Rod magazine, with the approval of Bob Greene, left for Bakersfield and covered the drag races up there, which was not an NHRA event, and published the races in Hot Rod Magazine. I believe they put Don Garlits on the cover of that issue. That was the first time HRM or any other PPC magazine covered other drag races. Bud Lang
Richard Parks responds: In the beginning, about 12 years before you came to work for the magazines, Pete Petersen worked as a consultant to Wally Parks, who was the general secretary and business manager of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). In that capacity, the ever resourceful and energetic Petersen made a good team with Wally Parks, who foresaw the possibility of expanding the SCTA across the country. Both Parks and Petersen had a shared interest and it meant expansion, which was thwarted and frustrated by those in the Association that wanted to keep things as they had always been. Parks and Petersen pushed the SCTA into holding the first Hot Rod Exhibition or car show. I saw photographs of the young kids with their World War II leather pilot's jackets standing by their cars. They didn't know at the time if the general public would accept their vision of the world. Parks and Petersen went to Salt Lake City together to arrange for the Chamber of Commerce to grant them a lease to use the Salt Flats to race their cars, contingent "on their good behavior." From the very first meeting the two men respected each other, but it was Petersen, at that time, who looked up to the much older Parks. Pete Petersen appreciated the organization that Wally Parks brought to the SCTA, and he also appreciated the membership list even more. That was the basis for Petersen's marketing introduction into the dry lakes groups. At first Hot Rod magazine was seen as a way to get more publicity for the racing and hot rod exhibitions that Petersen's Hollywood Associates PR firm was promoting. But Petersen had a talent for seeing trends and it wasn't long before he and his partner, Bob Lindsay, began to make Hot Rod magazine a success.
There is no denying that both men respected each other, because Robert "Pete" Petersen told me so. But there is also no denying that Parks and Petersen were too big for each other to live with on a permanent basis. To say that one or the other was the more important is to miss the picture entirely. Petersen would have made it on his own and so would Parks, but together for the first 13 years they managed to create two empires. At the same time that they shared their strengths, they also chafed at the closeness of their talents. Each needed space to grow and breathe and both of them stepped on each other's toes. For example, Petersen felt that his subsidization of the early NHRA at his offices gave him the right to "own" the group. The early staff of the NHRA worked for Petersen, including Wally Parks and his future wife, Barbara Livingston. Petersen paid the bills, salaries and expenses and by all accounts he was quite generous and in his mind, why shouldn't he "own" the NHRA as well, if only to expand his media empire.
While Parks and Petersen worked together, the NHRA was the only organization that the PPC would cover and that was because both men saw drag racing as being in their best interest. The other groups were simply that, "other" groups and it was NHRA that was going to direct the new sport's aims and goals. Supposedly NASCAR also showed an interest in combining with the NHRA in a super organization and that seemed to also stifle the creative initiative of Parks and Petersen, for the deal never went through. Bill France, Wally Parks and Robert Petersen always held a mutual respect for each other, but they couldn't work with each other for too long or too close. Petersen also disliked Parks' secretary, Barbara Livingston, partly because she was very protective of her future husband. Parks and Petersen also were different in their outlooks. Petersen held a lot of parties for his staff and there are pictures of the group in outdoor scenes, fishing or on boats and at the office. But Petersen liked his parties to mean something, as if it was an extension of an office meeting and he was always professional. Pete also went to agencies and hired beautiful models that could type and take dictation. He wanted to set a high standard for clients and customers when they entered the PPC offices. All the secretaries were gorgeous and they dressed in the finest attire. It was a classy place and the old photos are quite revealing, for PPC looked more like a modeling agency than a secretarial pool for a group of hot rodding magazines. But after Petersen left the building and his staid and carefully orchestrated parties, Parks and the others would reassemble the group and the celebrating would go on way into the early morning hours and only those who participated in them from that era could really tell you what it was like. I know that my mother didn't like it and she said so on many occasions.
So many people see Wally Parks as an extension of Pete Petersen. He and Pete shared a vision, but not necessarily the same lifestyle or character. Pete also had a Hollywood presence. He was a PR man in the studios during WWII, but he lost that position when the war ended and the soldiers returned to reclaim their jobs. He did his job well, handling the affairs of the studios and the new starlets and stars. They loved him with a loyalty that is amazing. At his funeral celebration I saw many of the stars of stage and screen, including Debbie Reynolds, Larry Hagman and Ruta Lee. But while Petersen could surround himself with Hollywood, he kept the night life at bay and was a devoted family man with his wife Margie and two sons. Probably the greatest tragedy in his life occurred when the plane carrying his two sons crashed and killed them both. Parks also had two sons and they lived to marry and have children of their own. I know Petersen did not begrudge his one-time partner, employee and sometimes rival the fact that he had children while his were gone. But they were competitive men and it hurt nonetheless when comparisons were made.
Petersen also knew of the wild and glamorous parties, but he didn't seem to let on. He talked to people, had others discuss it, and then just let it go. The breaking point came when Petersen told Parks to let his secretary go, for some reason, maybe a disagreement between the staff. Barbara Livingston could be extremely assertive and temperamental, though she was very competent. By that time it had become apparent that Parks could not run the NHRA on a part time basis. The break came in the early 1960's. That seemed to free the two men from each other's shadows and allow them to become closer friends, but the break-up had far reaching results for both. Petersen now felt like he could cover all drag racing, since Parks had taken the NHRA and left. He gave free rein to all sports now. But that also put more strain on smaller publications like Drag News, published and edited by Doris Herbert. Within a decade it would succumb to the pressure of both the Petersen Publishing magazines and the relatively new National Dragster.
There was also a lot of talk, rarely substantiated, that both men seemed to want to carve into the other's domain and both were jealous of their creations. But for all of that they both supported each other's goals. The same was true with the role that Don Garlits played in drag racing. Don was a two fisted hot rodder who was loyal to his friends and not about to be taken advantage of. Even fifty years later he is still the Don Garlits of his youth who does not suffer fools lightly. The fights and supposed feuds were many, people tell me, but beneath the competitive spirit of Parks, Petersen and Garlits was a respect that ran hot rod deep. I personally saw flashes between them, especially between my stepmother and Don. She was a real tiger when she thought her husband was being maligned. It's like this, "I can take a potshot at him because we're both hot rodders, but you had better leave him alone, because you aren't one of us." Since I'm a bit removed from their era I take that advice to heart and appreciate them all for their contributions to drag racing. Together they all helped to make drag racing what it is today and we owe a debt of gratitude to them all.
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As you're probably aware, I'm sort of in the dark right now. You mention publishing my stories under the Gone Racin' series, NOT as a bio under the title, "Stories by Bud Lang." Okay! All the Personal Facts will go in a bio about me, in the "Stories by Bud Lang." And, all the material about cars and car people will be in the ”Gone Racin" series." Correct? Let me know ASAP, and then I'll be able to send any more info if required. Bud Lang
Bud: It's actually in multiple places. Your biographical material goes into Bud Lang Bio and is stored in the Gone Racin' file. The Bud Lang Stories are also in the Gone Racin' file, but under Bud Lang Stories. Bios are like obits, while stories have parts that are factual and fictional and tell a story or narrative of an event. The bios tell us about the individual, while the stories tell us about interesting events. First, keep a record for yourself and your family. Secondly all the Gone Racin' bios, stories and articles, written by me, Roger Rohrdanz or our readers and members go to www.hotrodhotline.com where they are retrieved by the general public. In the past I also dealt with www.oilstick.com, but that website could no longer process the stories. On occasion the website owner or I will bring something out of www.hotrodhotline.com and put it on www.landspeedracing.com, because of its specific nature for straight-line racing. It always goes to HRHL first because that website is huge and more people will see it there. The websites charge us nothing for storage and for their labor to post it, but we also don't generate any revenue, so it’s a wash, but a happy one for us, for it used to cost us to do this type of reporting. There are other websites and sometimes we share with them. The important thing for us is that we have multiple sites to store and retrieve material, including your family. We want these histories and stories remembered and the hardest thing for us to find is a good website, which we feel that we have.
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Corrected copy of the Road Runners September minutes attached. Members of the SCTA (established 1937). See http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners. Jerry Cornelison
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We are preparing the ACK Attack for the upcoming Loctite Presents Mike Cook Motorsports Land Speed Shootout. The event will run September 20-26th at the Bonneville Utah Salt Flats. Brian Lecky who produced the Discovery program on the 2008 Shootout has been filming the preparations for a Discovery documentary of the Shootout and ACK Attack’s attempt to regain the FIM ultimate world land speed record for motorcycles. Brian has an agreement with Discovery International to broadcast it worldwide. http://www.leckey.tv/www.leckey.tv/Resume.html. Here is a link to some early dyno video for the documentary http://vimeo.com/14415126. Top1 Oil has commissioned a very detailed model of the Ack Attack. (Click For Attached file and PDF of the Crews Uniform) showing the CNC prototype of the model which we used to show the location of the graphics for the model makers. The final model will be finely detailed and produced in limited numbers. Mike Cook has a great line up of fast cars that will be running at the event in addition to the bikes. Thanks to all of you that have help us and supported us in our quest. I expect this to be our last attempt at the record and hopefully it will be a record that will stand for a long time. Mike Akatiff
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Jerry Cornelison received word from Faith Granger that her movie, The Deuce of Spades is finally finished after 44 months of hard work. We hope to hear more details soon.
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Evelyn Roth has a new website at www.shop52.com. She is also the owner/operator of www.oilstick.com.
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Just a quick reminder that the Legends of Ascot is back inside the hall again this year. That is good news and bad news. The hall hold less then the big tent that we have used for the past several years. Thus, we will sell out for sure. If you have already sent your entry in, please ignore this notice. If you have not, HURRY UP. I would not want you to miss it this year; It's going to be GREAT. Thanks, Don Weaver
Readers: The Legend of Ascot Reunion is a first class affair with the best oval track racers in the Southwest who come to this event. If you love oval track racing of all kinds you have got to be there. Email Don at [email protected], and find out where you can get your pit pass.
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I have some B/W pictures I took in 1969 of John Beaudoin's Hustler jet boat. It's a long story, but, up until recently the pics haven't been in my possession for almost 40 years. I'm still googling for more pics - I can't believe there's so little out there. I was wondering if there is a place on the internet that specializes in this that would be a good place for the pics. I'm also thinking of putting them in Wikimedia. Thanks for any info. Acme Fixer
Acme Fixer: It's been a long time since I held the Boat Racers Reunion and so all my contacts are old. Besides running the reunion I also edited the Boat Racers Reunion Newsletter and it came out weekly and had a wealth of information in it that the reunion members and boat racers shared. I don't have any of those old records, having passed it on to the new group that took over the reunion, but they did not want to keep the newsletter going and so those records are now most likely gone. The best that I can tell you is to keep searching for those who have written on Beaudoin, or at least given him a chapter in a book. Deist Safety Equipment owns one of the boats. I could be wrong, but there were three Rich Hallett hulls; two for jets and one for the Don Edwards turbine. The Turbine boat was destroyed by an overzealous volunteer up at the Hydroplane Museum in Seattle. Don Edwards is somewhere up in northern Santa Barbara county and you might be able to find him by internet surfing. I can post your photographs if they are digital on www.landspeedracing.com, or you can contact www.oilstick.com and see if they can refer you to Don Edwards. Don is your best source for finding a good home for the photos.
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 This idea of a new type of airplane has been forming in my head for a couple of years now as it would not leave me alone. It is for a new supersonic executive jet concept. So I worked on the idea (mostly I studied and applied other great ideas from some of the better forward thinkers in aerospace) when I wasn't building the rocket car. I put the idea on my website and the folks at the EAA thought it was a good idea and merited more research so they put it on their website. You have to scroll down to the Aeroinnovations page to see it or go to my concepts page at www.sonicwind.com. I hope someone builds something like it or at least uses it as a catalyst for something better as I believe the over-all concept is ground breaking. Anyway I have just started to do press for the Sonic Wind LSRV rocket car and have attached photos of the chassis at it's present state. Waldo Stakes
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A young Louie Senter took some laps in Swede Lindskog's midget at the old Southern Speedway aka Southern Ascot before WWII. American Hot Rod Foundation/Louie Senter Collection
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 Louie Senter is a hands on guy. He's seen playing with the Jim Hurtubise Mallard at OMS in September '71. American Hot Rod Foundation/Louie Senter Collection
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Land Speed Racing Websites:
www.hotrodhotline.com, www.landspeedracing.com
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Members:
Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Mike Bastian, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, Burly Burlile, George Callaway, Gary Carmichael, John Backus, John Chambard, Jerry Cornelison, G. Thatcher Darwin, Jack Dolan, Ugo Fadini, Bob Falcon, Rich Fox, Glenn Freudenberger, Don Garlits, Bruce Geisler, Stan Goldstein, Andy Granatelli, Walt James, Wendy Jeffries, Ken Kelley, Mike Kelly, Bret Kepner, Kay Kimes, Jim Lattin, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, Fred Lobello, Eric Loe, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, Landspeed Louise Ann Noeth, Frank Oddo, David Parks, Richard Parks, Wally Parks (in memoriam), Eric Rickman, Willard Ritchie, Roger Rohrdanz, Evelyn Roth, Ed Safarik, Frank Salzberg, Dave Seely, Charles Shaffer, Mike Stanton, David Steele, Doug Stokes, Bob Storck, Zach Suhr, Maggie Summers, Gary Svoboda, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone, Jim Travis, Randy Travis, Jack Underwood and Tina Van Curen, Richard Venza.
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