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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
President's Corner, Editorials, Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR season championship, I was doing some bench racing recently over the Internet with a long-time drag racer and announcer extraordinary Jim McCombe, I wanted to drop an email to tell you about our family hot rod the Ray Pyle roadster in the December issue of Hot Rod magazine, Tom Fritz has a website and emailed newsletter depicting his art work, Thank you for your report about the HUSTLER, Sam Auxier Show Monday November 29 2001 7-9PM EST, I was just reading the article you wrote about the Ascot Reunion held at the PAS a few years back, I am a big fan of www.Hotrodhotline.com and really enjoyed your article on the Long Beach Motorama, To you that are not car guys - In California with the carb ruling that passed in the state it will take a lot of the car show guys off the road and ruin the car show business, Please check out my new project, Just wanted to let you and your readers know that James "Skip" Fredrick passed away this last week at the age of 98, For many years I have been attempting to discover the exact location of the old Culver City Board Track, LOS ANGELES, October 14 2010 Vintage Air founder Jack Chisenhall will receive the 2011 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award, LOS ANGELES, October 28 2010 Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the opening of the exciting new exhibit, Below is an updated listing of all the 4 cylinder Porsche LSR racers speed history I have been able to discover, The Chrisman Legacy, by Tom Madigan is available from EJJ Enterprises, I wanted to be sure you knew about the Ardun heads being inducted into Hot Rod Magazine's Speed Parts Hall of Fame and George Kudasch finally getting full credit, The following was sent to us by Amanda Taylor of the Gear Grinders Club (SCTA), Sad news today I learned that Glen Ridlen died in Texas of liver failure, Long time Road Runners member Charlie Miller passed away on Tuesday October 12 2010, Following Photos Provided By Dave Wallace
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President's Corner:
When we see a picture of an old lakes racer that's really cool looking you automatically want it. If you're lucky enough to find one rusting away someplace, and you're whacky like the rest of us, you will make the owner an offer he can't refuse. If Lady Luck is on your side you just got a new toy to haul home. Once you get it there you have a major decision to make, are you going to hack it up and turn it into a daily driver, modify it into a racer again or are you going to restore it back to its original state. Turning an old car into a today ride requires going through a few thing like updating brakes so it can stop, swapping out the tired inline-6 for a more modern V8 so it can go and re-wiring the thing to make it start. And don't forget bringing it up to your state's DMV's standards, yuck! I call this the easy way out. Turning it into an 'I can race it again' car won't leave much of the original car and isn't an easy job.
If you choose the last path; then good luck. Most cars have gone through many changes over the years to keep it competitive; so first you have to figure out what version you want to end up with. The fun part once you figure out the version part is; what did it look like under the bodywork if it had any. If it was featured in a magazine chances are there are some detail shots, if not expect to go gray in about a week trying to hunt down old shots from previous owners and going broke buying those rare period correct parts. That's the segue into what we're trying to do in the department of gathering history. If you have a current car take some shots of it so that when you sell it the next guy will have a little history on it. A scrapbook would even be cooler with notes in it. If the next owner, and the next owner after that did the same thing, in about thirty years when the car is rediscovered it will save its new owner from getting gray hair.
The series of shots that follow are of Ron Main's car taken last year before SEMA when he was going through the car to clean it up for display. Ron and driver George Poteet have managed to capture fastest speed of the meet at B-ville the last two years to put the car into the 'in fifty years the car will be in a museum' category so these shot might someday be used by a restorer. Like every racer this one has gone through many changes. The car was originally a lakester with all four wheels hanging out in the air. It then grew rear fenders and hidden front wheels and even crashed. It was rebuilt with a new front end and about an 18" stretch. It went on to become the first flathead powered car to reach 300 mph. Later it got an Ecotec, a Dodge 4-banger and then its current GM derived V8. In the meantime the chassis was stretched again and a whole new body was made. Seems every year some major change was made and now the car is running in the 400's. Let’s look at the '09 version.
The first shot, JMC_1817, shows how narrow the car is. Up front is some lead to keep the nose planted. Behind are the in line front wheels followed by the driver's compartment, engine, rear-end etc.
JMC_1818 shows Rich Manchon's beautifully constructed front end. Note the swing arms ride in lubricated pillow blocks. Spindle assemblies bolt on and springing/shocks consist of 4" round rubber donuts above and below it that were tuned to the car's weight. It runs the high-dolor Goodyear 22.5" LSR tires. Behind the bulkhead you can see the driver's fresh air pump surrounded by two air-jacks used for those quick FIA record turn-arounds.
JMC_1819 shows driver George's home. Fire bottles surround some of the cars electronic brains. Round red knobs on two-way valves actuate the air-jacks through plastic lines. The levers inside the cockpit deploy the chutes when it's time to stop. The button on the steering wheel is for shifting the tranny. No matter how much room you start with, you end up with not enough.
JMC_1820 reinforces the where's the room. Behind the seat is an aluminum/carbon fiber firewall. Behind it is the tall skinny stainless steel fuel tank. Behind it is a giant tank that's filled with ice and water for the turbo inter-cooler. In case of a fire (they've had their share) the water is used as backup to the fire bottles and floods the whole area through sprinklers. Both sides of the chassis are used as hangers for more electronics etc. The little bottle with gages is the air used for the tranny shifter mechanism. The tall tank in front of the engine is for engine oil. Over the years they have had to change engines a lot so everything that makes the engine run is hooked to the motor plates and comes out with the engine. It's kinda like the Audi LeMans cars that do engine and tranny swaps during the race in three minutes. After the second engine bay stretch and new body were made adjustable top bars were added over the engine to eliminate chassis flex.
JMC_1821 shows the engine hidden underneath a mass of plumbing. The big tube routes air through a monster throttle body and into a big plenum. MSD coils were attached to the valve covers on each bank because of the room problem. Dual fuel rails on each bank feed the hungry motor. Inside the hi-dollar stainless heat shields are even higher dollar custom built headers to handle the heat generated.
JMC_1822 shows off the monster turbo that's been eating itself lately (the furnace brazed impeller on its drive shaft became un-brazed with the heat generated) and exits the exhaust pipe after about a run and a half over 400 mph. A giant intercooler makes a great billboard for the companies that help. That red tank is fire bottle and the red plastic Demon face from Halloween covers the intake.
JMC_1823 gives a peek at what it takes to make the air shifted tranny work. Behind the fire bottle are two monster pop-off valves for the turbo. These things have pressure sensors that are hooked to the car's black boxes so they can regulate the pressure in every gear and RPM to control the wheel spin of the 2500 HP Class D motor (under 305") used on their 404.562 mph record run.
JMC_1824 tells another story. It only takes one battery to crank the motor over so why the second? All the electronics on the car have their own power source so it doesn't screw up firing the plugs. Some guys use 16 volt batteries but if something happened to it you can't go to the local parts store (this is Wendover, remember) to get one, hence 2 12's.
Hope you enjoyed the tour of the car and are inspired to document yours.
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Editorial:
I received the following email from Thomas Malloy.
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November 18, 2010. “Dear Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park Supporters: I regret to inform you that, after more than eight years of hard work and high hopes, I have decided to discontinue efforts to create our vision for a beautiful new racetrack in the Antelope Valley. As you might imagine, it was an extremely difficult decision. Despite creating a project plan that more than satisfied demanding county requirements coupled with extensive efforts to address local community concerns, it became clear that for some, the very idea of any new racetrack outweighed the reality of environmentally sensitive design, responsible operation and numerous benefits to the area. Despite my disappointment, I remain committed to motorsports and am forever indebted to your efforts to support Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park, which sadly will remain only a vision. To everyone that has helped try to make Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park a reality, please accept my gratitude for all that you have done. I hope to see you at the races!” Respectfully, Thomas E. Malloy
Tom Malloy has worked very hard to create a racing venue in the Mojave Desert where racing enthusiasts could satisfy the need for speed without disturbing either their neighbors or the environment. For some time now Tom has planned the Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park with great detail and has endeavored to work with environmental, racing and local resident groups so that all issues could be resolved and problems minimized. He has incorporated complaints into the redesigns and attempted to placate the smallest complaint. Few people could equal him for patience and persistence, but in the end he found that to be successful in any enterprise all parties must be willing to work towards a solution. In this case, politics and rigid environmentalism refused to listen to any compromise and made the dream for another race course impossible.
There are people who constantly complain about racing in any form. It is too noisy. It is too smelly. It causes traffic congestion on the day of the races. It brings in an unsavory group into the community. I listen to the complaints and I will say that some of them are justified. Night racing can create light pollution as the flood lighting brightens the night sky. Some people love to watch the stars or take a moonlit walk with their lovers. Noise is distracting and I can empathize, for I’m a quiet person myself. Trying to drive in dense traffic due to the spectators that come to the races is another irritation. Not only do residents have to put up with traffic jams but young people tend to hot rod up and down the streets and pretend they are racing. Often there are car accidents and even fatalities. I can see how upset residents can get when a local person is hit, injured or killed by a spectator who came to see the races. Sometimes there are fights among the fans or alcohol and partying creates trouble. Where people congregate there tends to be additional crime and those who would prey upon others by theft or vandalism. There are many distractions and irritation caused by racing events and the community has a right to expect that the promoters take steps to lessen problems. But we have a right to expect a little patience from the community in return, for we don’t race every day and we can show our consideration for others in our actions. Since the racing facility was far out in the desert, very few of these concerns really applied to Fairmont Butte.
A bigger concern were the environmentalists who complained. The environmentalists in this case were concerned with wildlife and flowers. Yes, our racing was disruptive to flowers! The stance of the environmental groups that opposed racing in the area was unyielding. Their view was that no racing was the only acceptable course. Now in many areas environmentalists are willing to negotiate. My cousin ran a business where a developer would donate a certain amount of land in one area for a preserve in order to receive permission to build on other land. This worked out for both sides. The developer made a profit on one project and the wildlife was preserved on another project site. Certainly the environmentalists can tell us about abuses. At El Mirage we see dirt bikers raise havoc. If they can ride through a patch of greenery, they will do it. Or they will make figure 8’s with their tires and destroy the area that we race on. Dune buggies and ATV’s are also destructive to the landscape. Many organizations promote conscientious and wise use of the desert with their vehicles and clean up after themselves. But individual outlaws could care less and see the destruction of the land as a way to get back at the environmentalists who want to exclude them from the land. Such hooliganism makes it just that much more difficult for racers to deal with angry Green groups. Let’s admit that some of these bikers are simply hot headed, stupid and mean. They should be outlawed from the desert.
Another problem is the sad lack of support among racers. I don’t know how many times that my father, brother or I have heard this complaint, “Why are we always losing tracks, can’t something be done to save them?” Tracks don’t always have to die. Sometimes it is inevitable because population growth surrounded those rural tracks and there was just no way that the promoter could afford the increase in property taxes or the complaints of local residents. Or the land owner was seduced by the outrageous amount of money he was offered for the land. But many tracks were bulldozed over that never amounted to much and today are weedy looking fields. Many tracks could have been saved, but weren’t and the fault often goes to the racers who would rather move on than to spend any of their precious time in working to save a race track. It takes a lot of time, money, petitions, city hall meetings and more to save race tracks and racers for the most part want to race, they don’t want to go politicking. When racers in a local area do get together and vote as a bloc they find that they can achieve a great deal. They find that they can reason with others and plead their case and it often doesn’t have to end up in court or at the voting booth. But the unwillingness of local racers to support their tracks is often the major reason for the loss of racing sites.
Ignorance of the value of race tracks in our local communities by our elected officials is another huge problem. Mayors, county supervisors, police and fire officials are often elected or hired by groups within the community that have interests that are opposed to racing. Mayors have to listen to the needs of groups that have no interest in racing. Officials have to provide expensive services to groups that are demanded by the citizens or imposed by law. Cities and counties often have no revenue left to support race tracks or patience either. There was a time when Police and Fire officials recognized the value of having the youth of their cities congregating in one area where security and safety patrols could monitor the racing activities of their youth. These officials were glad to see abandoned air fields or roads used for racing rather than the main streets of town. Today there are no abandoned air fields or roads. Everywhere one looks there is habitation and crowds of people and it is far easier to simply say, “No racing is allowed in our jurisdiction. Go someplace else if you want to race, but not in my backyard.” It’s also easier to have a huge sweep and round up street racers and their cars, forcing the youth to go somewhere else to do their racing.
The deadly consequences of this shortsighted policy by environmentalists, racers, civic officials and others in the community is that it doesn’t solve the problem that we have always had; the need to go racing. Young people have always taken up risky behavior and this will never end, until they become parents themselves one day. Illegal street racing is addictive and even older people can’t help but drag race once the green light appears. Excessive speed is a major cause of car accidents and injuries and deaths. Young people look for a place to street race because there isn’t any place where they can do so legally and not be hassled. We do have Irwindale and Fontana. Pomona is no longer able to have a street legal track. But experience has taught us that racers will not travel very far to go racing; they do it in their own backyard. Draw a point on a map and for every few miles from that spot the percentage of drivers further from the race track drops dramatically. To have an optimum racing program that minimizes road accidents and deaths requires a series of race tracks no farther apart than 15 miles. Fairmont Butte was very isolated and the damage to the environment was negligible, but it was meant to be an all purpose race course and not simply just a street legal program. It would have added a safe, secure and important link in a chain of race tracks in the Southern California area. We need more, but it would have been a good start. Now that is gone and the next time some city official or environmentalist blows some smoke about street deaths and damage all of you should stare them down and tell them what…well you know what they are.
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Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR season championship. He barely beat out Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. We salute Jimmie, but I wondered how it would be if I used my own points system to see who the winner is. I assigned 3 points for a win, 2 points for a top ten and 1 point for a top 20 finish. Here's the results for the Parks Points Championship (PPC). Johnson receives 75 points, Hamlin gets 70 points and Harvick comes in third with 67 points. Playing around with the system, let’s award 10 points for a win, 5 points for a top 10 and 1 point for a top 20. Now the results are; Johnson 168 points, Hamlin 168 points and Harvick 136 points. Except for Hamlin winning more races throughout the year, Johnson was the better overall racer. So this column congratulates Jimmie Johnson on his 5th consecutive NASCAR Championship. He won it fair and square. The Editor
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I was doing some bench racing recently over the Internet with a long-time drag racer and announcer extraordinary Jim McCombe, he responded with an email back to me that I'm sure you will find interesting about not only Geno Gastelum, but several others who really got "busted knuckles" developing drag racing and land speed racing. Unfortunately, I'm meeting some of these fellows for the first time and at my age of 64, I feel like a kid just shaking hands and being in the same room with of some of the greats. But as with you, I try to do my part in preserving and documenting the history with photos and descriptions like Jim's below. Regards, Bob Choisser in Vacaville
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Hi Jim...sorry I couldn't make it for the last Wednesday night run. Sounds like you had a great turnout and everyone but Vickto had fun. Thought you might like to see this photo of Geno Gastelum taken at Bakersfield (http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/2010show/chrr2010roger/html/chrr2010roger_18.php). (That) tells me what kind of guy he really is. I didn't take the photo, but it is a special one nonetheless. I had not met him before the "Reunion" in Richmond and enjoyed all of the photo albums he brought; he is also one of the best "bench racers" I've heard in a long time. Craig (Peanut) could take some lessons. Anyway, take care and barring any rain, we'll see you on the 28th for the last bracket race at Infineon. Bad Vega is fixed and back running in the 12's. Bob Choisser
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Hi Bob, Geno and I go back a long ways and back to the late 1950's. It all started when we had the Nor Cal Drag Strip Association and Gene and myself along with Bob Gwertz and the late Bill Taggart were tech inspectors and part of the rules committee. Gene and Bob worked for Ron and Jodie Lawrence who owned the Fremont Drag Strip and Taggart and myself were during the tech lines at the now defunct Vaca Valley Raceway. Every so often, we would meet in Hayward at Hillary Govia's City Garage for some rule changes....keep in mind that this was before either track was part of the NHRA family. Hillary was also part of the Fremont tech team and was the owner of the Top Banana C/Fuel dragster that the late Hank Vincent would later die in after a tragic accident. Gene or Geno was always a thinking guy and sharp as a tack and in many ways was ahead of his time. Always fair and honest and soon after NHRA got involved with Fremont recognized his talents as well as those of Bob Gwertz and brought them in to work at the Divisional level. Gene stayed with NHRA for a number of years doing tech along with Half Moon Bay's Cloy Fitzgerald who you probably met at the Cal Neva reunion. In the late 1980's Gwertz was elevated to Division 7 Director and held that position for a number of years before being replaced. I won't go into the politics of NHRA and their practices but soon Geno was given the job and headed up the parking position at all major events. I think Geno really liked that job, less pressure and soon became part of the Infineon family and worked all of our major stuff including NASCAR etc. Geno is also a long time friend of Georgia who also got her start at Bayland’s doing little stuff before being elevated to the position of track manager. Probably more information here that you wanted but to sum it up in a nut shell...Gene is one hell of a guy that I am proud to have as a friend and just thankful to God our paths crossed. As you can see, he has a great fondness for the Golden era of drag racing and knew every big star on a personal basis that came into the sport. He is a walking encyclopedia with some great memories. Jim McCombe
Bob and Jim: Thank you for the history. Just a point here; you can never document enough information. What may seem long to you is but a small note to us. We really appreciate that you sent this to us. We can use all the bios and stories that you can provide from the Northern California area of drag racing in the 1950's. Normally we cut off our research into drag racing at 1959, since there are so many fine organizations that record drag racing history after that date, but if you start with someone in the 1950's, please finish his life's story. I hope you will continue and record all that you can find out about the earliest decade of drag racing and send it to us to publish.
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I'll stay with it and send you as much stuff as I come across. From listening to the stories, I have learned that most of the early straight line car racers did both 1/4 mile as well as all out top speed racing; Mickey Thompson, Tommy Ivo and others. In fact some that broke records on a drag strip and the next weekend were running for the top speed records on the desert floor and the salt. In the day, it was kind of like change the rear end gears and the rear tires and see what the same car could "really" do! I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. Ed Binggeli (Bing's Speed Shop) held the F Gas record with a flathead (set at the Cotati drag strip) in the early 1960's and it is still a record to this day. Ed goes to Bonneville as a crew member for Vern Tardel and others with flathead motors. Bob Choisser
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So nice to hear from you and thank you for your interest in the early years of drag racing here in Northern California. For a number of years, I have had several requests to write my memories and experiences but had little desire to take on such an endeavor. Recently on a Corvette Forum, I ran across a topic pertaining to Bayland's Raceway (Fremont) and decided to throw in a few accounts of my own. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/northern-california-126/. Perhaps the time has come for a joint collaboration with Geno, Cloy Fitzgerald and perhaps my old friend Roger Harrington who ran in Top Fuel here locally. I am sure we could feed off of one another and to the best of my knowledge all of them still have some pretty good memories. I haven't seen Roger in a few years but he lives here locally in El Sobrante and Cloy isn't too far away from me and living over in Richmond. It is something to think about and since most of us are now retired or semi-retired, we should be fairly flexible with our schedules for a get together? Best regards, Jim McCombe
Jim and Bob: Very few old time racers take the opportunity to write down their stories or caption their photographs. When Jim Miller and the other researchers find these photos it takes hours of intense study to create a caption, when it would have taken seconds if the owner of the photo had just thought to do it. As far as bench racing goes; that breaks down into biographies and stories. Bios are simply the What, Who, When, Where and Why of a person's life; dates and figures. Stories represent the feeling of the times. We tell our bios so that people will know who we are, but we tell our stories so that people will know WHAT we were. Stories tell a moral; a lesson for the next generation to learn from. People who do not leave their bios, stories and captioned photos behind are simply lost from history. When so many people today are intent about writing history to reflect their views about politics, the truth as you saw it becomes lost and is replaced with a sanitized version of history. Every bio and story that we get tells what our pioneers saw and experienced in the past and that teaches us all about what happened back then; not what some people would like us to believe. There is a story to tell and as time goes by, a bigger audience who want to listen to you tell it. The rule here at the SLSRH is that no bio is ever complete and there can never be a limit to the stories that you tell.
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I wanted to drop an email to tell you about our family hot rod the Ray Pyle roadster in the December issue of Hot Rod magazine. Part of the story in the magazine is the one I had shared with you at the 2010 Santa Ana Drags Reunion. This particular story involved your dad, my dad, Ray and the roadster. Excerpt from Hot Rod magazine; When Ray passed away in the mid-'80s, Kenny Eichert drove to Ray's home in Lancaster, California, (very close to El Mirage) to see if he could find anything left from his glory days of racing. He discovered the B-block with a hole in it where a rod had shot through. Other parts were sticking out of the shrubs and desert sand, and there were little mounds all over the yard. Kenny started poking in the sand with a stick to see if he'd hit anything, and he found the two-port Riley head, which he said had cracked back in the day when he and Wally Parks were driving the roadster out to the dry lakes without realizing the radiator had no water in it. When the head cracked, a Winfield-topped A-motor like the one the car had at first was put back into the roadster. See www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_1012_1929_ford_model_a_roadster. I was really excited to see the article in Hot Rod magazine, where it all started with my family, the magazine and especially because of your dad's influence in both. Chris Eichert
Chris: Great story. I remember those trips across the desert in the late 1940's. We hung canvas water bags all over the car and the water wasn't just for drinking. I don't remember the old buildings on the lakebed, but there were some cafe's and small general stores on the old highway that has since become the I-15 to Las Vegas. Once off the road below the US395/95 it was all ruts and impossible holes, but somehow we navigated our way to the El Mirage lakebed. As soon as we got on the lake bed Dad went as fast as he could go. We didn't waste any water, because we didn't want to be stranded in the desert. We used up a lot of water on that old El Cajon grade. Another legendary racer who buried or left things in the desert was Ak Miller. Lots of good stories left to tell.
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Tom Fritz has a website and emailed newsletter depicting his art work. You can reach Tom at [email protected]. Fritz is one of the best of the hot rod genre of artists. His work is equal to Kenny Youngblood and James Ibusuki. He calls his art work pure, because in the research that he does he tries to portray the times that he is painting. I joked with Tom at the Grand National Roadster Show and told him, “I can’t afford your paintings any more, you’re a serious and well-known artist now. I only buy paintings from artists still living out of garages.” Tom responded with, “Try me, give me a price and I’ll consider it.” He also said that he would accept payments. An original oil painting by Tom Fritz on your mantle over your fire place puts you in select company. Ibusuki and Youngblood specialize in early drag racing artwork, but will do land speed, dry lakes and Bonneville artwork. Fritz specializes in the dry lakes and shade tree hot rodding themes, but is versatile and will take commissions. He’s an exceptional hot rod artist.
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Thank you for your report about the HUSTLER. Thanks for the info about Mrs. Deist. I knew you would be a good source. Bob Senior
Bob: Greetings. My newsletter is at www.landspeedracing.com. I no longer have the Boat Racers Reunion Newsletter, but whenever there is a cross-over between boats and car racing I include it on the site. There just wasn't any outlet for me once I parted ways with the boat racers reunion. Boats are a small group anyway and it made no sense to try and put out a newsletter in a shrinking market. But the race boats will always be a part of what I do.
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Sam Auxier Show; Monday November 29, 2001 7-9PM EST. Presenting "264 MPH Mustang Bonneville" Record 2010 Danny Thompson, son of Mickey Thompson. Also East Coast Drag Times editor and photographer Dave Bishop; Drag Racers Notebook Jim Amos. See http://zeusradio.com/station/RacersReunionRadio/. Call In 1-877-500-9387 extension Sam 3. Archived Shows are at http://racersreunionradio.com.
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I was just reading the article you wrote about the Ascot Reunion held at the PAS a few years back. We raced TQ’s at El Toro and I was trying to locate Big John Estopelan who was the photographer at the time. A Google search took me to your article, so if you have any contact info for Big John, I would greatly appreciate it if you could forward it. Additionally, do you know if there is another Ascot Reunion in the works, and if so, when. This year marks 20 years since the Thunder and Lightning was silenced. Thanks in advance for any info you can send. John Clasen [email protected]
John: I forwarded your email to Don Weaver who is the promoter of the Legends of Ascot Reunion and I hope that he will have an answer for you. The next reunion, if Don decides to keep it going will be in October or November of 2011, for Don has to find out when the Perris Automotive Speedway has an open date for him to use. Also, don't forget to go to Irwindale Speedway tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Night for the Annual Turkey Night racing, a classic that has been going on since the 1930's. All the old-timers will be on hand and hopefully a few WRA midget racers who might know where Big John Estopelan might be. In case you miss the Turkey Night races at the IS in Irwindale, California, I'll include your request in the SLSRH Newsletter with your email address for our readers to contact you if they have Big John's contact information.
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I am a big fan of www.Hotrodhotline.com, and really enjoyed your article on the Long Beach Motorama. I wanted to let you and Mr. Rohrdanz know about a project I have been working on. I did trademark research & found the old "Trend Books" name from the 1950's available, so I registered it under my name & revived the "Custom Cars Annual" concept. About a year ago, I published a book entitled the "Trend Books Custom Cars 2009 Annual." It is done in black & white as a tribute to the custom car & hot rodding magazines of the 1950's & 1960's. It is also the exact same size and page number as the old versions, and I have also tried to design the articles and accompanying fonts, etc. to mimic the early magazines as well. I am working on the 2010 Annual and one of the last things I have to finish is an article on the Long Beach Motorama. I attended this show and took many pictures, but I was wondering if you could put me in touch with Mr. Rohrdanz, as he took some very good photos that I would like to ask his permission to use in my article. I could give him credit for the photos and also a complimentary copy of the Annual when it comes out. I'm expecting to have it printed by the beginning of the year. Enclosed please find a link to my website, where you can view some of the book's content: www.trendcustomcars.com. If you would like, I could also send you copies of the 2009 Annual for both of you to review. Any help would be appreciated! I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Justin Kudolla Publisher
Justin: I sent a copy of your email to Roger Rohrdanz and to Jim Miller. Roger is the Photographic Editor of the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians and Jim is our President. I'm the editor of the newsletter. I also called and spoke to Roger and he will be away for the holidays, but will respond to you as soon as he gets back. In talking to Jim Miller I discovered that there are many old publications that have gone out of print and the copyrights have expired. Copyright time limitations seem like they will last forever, but they do come up for renewal and by that time the original owners of the copyrights simply have left the field or find that these old magazines are not profitable. We are glad to see the magazines and print journals brought back to life and the only questions that we have is that no one objects and there are no fights over doing so. We want to see the old print publications being used again and we will give you all the publicity in our newsletter that you want. As we do not generate any revenue the only requirement is that the PR notice seem like a historical or even current news event and not like a PR item. Another publication that came back to life was HOP UP magazine, but I hear that it shut down again. However we can be of assistance in getting the word out to a wider audience and we will be glad to do so. You can notify us as often as you want on any subject. Send us small notices or updates on who you will be writing on or what your future goals are. Tell us about the history of the books that existed in the past and what you are doing in the present and future. The more that you write about what you are doing and what Trend Books was like, the more the news spreads among our readers and then from there out into the general public. Today, with more and more publications shutting down, it is imperative that publishers continue to advertise their operations. Jim Miller has a good working knowledge of Trend Books, but many of us, including myself, do not know much about the subject, so this is your chance to inform us and keep updating us. Tell us who were the original publishers and owners and some of the people who worked for the earlier company. Then tell us more about your present day operations. We are very interested in what you are doing.
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To you that are not car guys - In California with the carb ruling that passed in the state it will take a lot of the car show guys off the road and ruin the car show business. Liberals again raising their ugly head of control. Evelyn Roth
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Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 6:42 PM
To the Faithful;
There has been a lot going on since the Election. Jim Hosking and I have attended a meeting with Jeff Greene; C.O.S. for Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries in the Murrieta office, Eddie Barbosa was on Teleconference. The Assemblyman wanted to sponsor a new bill to protect our Collector Vehicles. In the mean time our friends in Sacramento, Butch Gardener and Dennis Vallentine of the "Thunderbolts" had the same idea and had some meetings. I'm just a simple guy, while Butch & Dennis think in a big way. These guys have taken the lead in "a big way" and I commend them for it. There will be a new bill to "Protect" our Hobby soon; (Thanks Oak). I just had another idea (amazing). Why don't you loyal Hobbyists start your own "Support Groups." You could contact other car clubs in your area and get together when needed to support the new bill, hopefully more than one. These meetings would be political in nature and you could discuss strategies to help get bills passed & exchange ideas. I know there are a lot of folks our there in CA-land that would like to do more to keep their Collector Vehicles on the Road. The past election was not good for our Hobby. The new Governor, Lt. Governor and the failure of Prop 23 will allow CARB to do just about anything they want and you know they want our vehicles in the smog program. Be sure to read below and the attachment. Keep the Faith & Spread the Word. "Dyno" Don B.
Subject: Legislative Action Group
Hi Guys,
We had a very successful meeting at Sacto Vintage FORD this past Saturday. There were over 40+ in attendance. Charlie M., Ed G., Andy N., Dennis V., & myself represnted the Bolts. Members from other clubs and individuals participated ie: Capital City Cruisers, Burgiemen, Over the Hill Gang --San Diego & Sacto., Studebaker Drivers Club, United British Sports Cars, Poor Boys, Road Lords, Bay Area Roadsters, Townsmen, Roamin Angels plus, a representative form Assemblymen Kevin Jefferies and Dan Logue's offices, several professional consultants, the COO of the Cal Correctional Peace Officers Assoc., the Legal Council for the Good Guys Rod & Custom Assoc and more. I have attached the meeting minutes of this event & the contact list of those who have actually been involved since our first meeting Sept. 25th as well as those who expressed interest as all the above have done. Please read and pass this info on. That's how so many have become involved in such a short period of time, thru Collector Vehicle people talking to their friends in the hobby plus the businesses that support us! You've all heard this before, but it's real. We need to stand united and try to propose some Pro-Collector Vehicle legislation & we will do the work; "But we need your support!!" You will notice that within the members of the steering committee the chairman is our own Dennis Valentine and the Vice-Chair is former Bolt, Art Quillen. This speaks well for the Bolts commitment to the future of not only our hobby but our club. Again, all we all ask is your support! Please read the attached "Minutes." This is important for our hobby--get involved--copy it--send it--get others to call me & we'll put them on the info loop so they are kept up to date. Our goal is to have a Pro-Collector Vehicle Bill ready for Assemblyman Jefferies by Mid-Jan. 2011. Then the real work starts by hopefully attaining co-sponsors from both sides of the legislature and monetary support from individuals and businesses that support our vehicles & that includes you & your friends! Krooze safe – Butch
Evelyn and Don: About ten years ago I wrote the article, "Politics in Racing," which you can read at www.hotrodhotline.com, Guest Columnist/Richard Parks. That article was in response to a perceived threat to racing and car shows that had existed as far back as the 1930's. Then it was my father and other members of the racing community that had worked to overturn legislation that would outlaw racing and street rodding. The bills called for not only outlawing hot rodding in general, but ANY customizing of a car made by a car manufacturer. Had that bill passed you wouldn't have heard of George Barris or any other car customizer, because it would have been illegal to customize a car and such cars would have been confiscated and destroyed. The opponents of the car culture have changed from citizens tired of illegal street racing to the environmentalist who rail against the pollution caused by the car culture. They want to END our culture forever and replace it with mass transit and hydrogen powered vehicles. They are Marxists and they do not believe in the Free Will of people to choose their lives as they see fit. The state must control our lives and lead us to the Utopian Workers Paradise. Ten years ago I asked all of you to fight back. Before that my father asked you 80 years ago to fight back. Sooner or later the lethargic car culture must rise up or face extinction. It is a difficult job, but a very easy plan of attack. But until the rank and file car culture makes that decision to fight back, nothing can be achieved and you will slowly lose your rights and your cars.
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Please check out my new project – developing sophisticated websites for the specialty car world; click on link: http://oldblackstudebaker.squarespace.com/ and view the website. After viewing please go to the “Guest Book” tab under “Navigation” and enter a comment about the website. Thanks for helping with my latest business venture! See DreamRodLocator.com. Taking copy writing & editorials to new levels of excellence! Don Burdge (619) 804-8033.
Don: I enjoyed you website on Junior Thompson. This will fill a gap for straight-line land speed and drag racers who want to get the word out to the public about their past, present and future goals in racing. Write back to me and tell us about the cost to create a website and whether you can train a hot rodder to keep the site updated or whether you also provide that service as well. Many hot rodders and racers have asked me how to do this and I have to tell them that I don't have those skills. I'm leaving your contact information in the SLSRH as it is part of your business and is public knowledge.
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Just wanted to let you and your readers know that James "Skip" Fredrick passed away this last week at the age of 98. He and Bob Sykes spent many years @ Bonneville and set numerous records with the 707 Fly Rod. James Williams
James: Please send me more information on Skip so that we can profile him. Where and when did he pass away?
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Jim Was also a member of the Gear Grinders club and a Bonneville 200mph club member. Glen Barrett
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http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/redbluffdailynews/obituary.aspx?n=james-walter-frederick&pid=146801313
James Walter Frederick, 98, passed away in his home in Red Bluff, CA on Friday, November 19, 2010. He was born on July 21, 1912 in Rock Falls, Illinois to Walter and Verna Scott Frederick. James, known as "Skip" throughout his career, worked for the U.S. Forest Service after college. He then joined the Merchant Marines as a young man, and then the US Navy serving aboard The Battleship U.S.S. Colorado. James "Skip" Frederick began a long and dedicated career with the U.S. Border Patrol in 1940. He worked 31 years with the Border Patrol, then 6 years with the INS. He retired as a Senior Patrol Agent in 1980. Jim was a muscle car enthusiast. He raced his beloved 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Super Bird at Bonneville Salt Flats setting speed records, after his retirement. His car "707" was his original badge number! Skip is survived by daughters Georgietta and husband Hector Lozano, Susi and husband David Espinosa, and son Lee Frederick, grandsons David Weis and wife Jo, Jim Weis and wife Sasha and granddaughter Jana and husband Carl Meeks, and numerous great grandchildren. Services are a graveside service Friday, November 26th at 2pm at Oak Hill Cemetery in Red Bluff, California. Published in Daily News, Tehama County, California, on November 24, 2010.
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For many years I have been attempting to discover the exact location of the old Culver City Board Track. I had heard several reports of the location as being adjacent to Jefferson Blvd, just east of Overland Avenue but never found any documentation. My sister had given me a copy of the Arcadia Publications booklet that covers the history of Culver City, but mostly about the three movie studios that headquartered there; MGM (by far the largest), RKO Pathe' (nee Ince Studios) and Hal Roach (noted for his early day comedy releases). But nothing specific about the location of the race track, which was used to attract potential property buyers to the city. The book did list the city's historian and contact information, so I called her and asked the question. She responded that my call was very timely as they had just installed a historic marker in a city park that rests on the grounds on the old track. The streets bounding the track are Braddock Drive, Le Bourget Avenue and Jackson Avenue with the southern boundary being Ballona Creek. Why should this news be of importance to you as readers of this newsletter. A pair of dry lakes stalwarts, Veda and Karl Orr lived in a house that was located on the western edge of the race track property across the street from the small city park that is now home to the speedway marker. And our family resided at a residence located on La Salle Avenue that marked the eastern edge of the track's property. I really know deep down that the Orr's and my dad (a 1920's dirt track racer) would be thrilled to hear this news. Bob Falcon
Bob and the Readers: If anyone has information to add to this, please send it in to me. If you visited the Culver City Board Track as a youngster, tell us you memories. Also, if you knew the Orrs’ or any other racing activity in this area, please send me what you know. Thanks to Bob Falcon for finding out more of our racing heritage.
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LOS ANGELES, October 14, 2010. Vintage Air founder Jack Chisenhall will receive the 2011 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award; it was announced on Wednesday by the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, in conjunction with the Petersen Automotive Museum. Chisenhall will accept his award at the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show’s Grand Opening Breakfast on Friday, March 18, 2011, in Indianapolis. He will then sit down with Car Crazy TV host Barry Meguiar for an interview and storytelling session. “The Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award is truly the highest honor in our industry,” Hotrod & Restoration Group Publisher Travis Weeks said. “The award honors someone that has changed and helped shape our market, as well as someone that has a lifelong passion and commitment to the hot rod industry. I can’t think of anyone who fits that description better, and is more deserving of this award, than Jack.” Chisenhall is credited with creating a whole new market sector and making year round hot rodding possible after he started Vintage Air in 1976. Chisenhall had found that there were very few specialty parts that could be used to air condition hot rods and, while working in partnership with his brother Gordon and friend Milton Jones, Chisenhall laid the plans to build some basic street rod air conditioning products. After being met with positive feedback from street rodders who needed these parts after he took them to the 1976 Street Rod Nationals, Chisenhall bought out his partners and expanded his business several times, including an expansion in 2001 in which Chisenhall moved his company to a 44,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
In 1995, Chisenhall raised eyebrows when he ran 219.585 mph at Bonneville in his street-driven 1953 Studebaker with the air conditioning on to demonstrate the reliability and performance of his company’s air conditioning systems. He was later recognized with the Pioneer Award from the Mobile Air Conditioning Society for his innovations in the automotive air conditioning industry. “Jack is knowledgeable, hands-on, humble, bright, passionate and devoted,” said Buddy Pepp, Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. “He is truly deserving of the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. Jack Chisenhall is a class act, just like the high-quality products his company manufactures.” Chisenhall was one of the founding members of the Street Rod Manufacturers Association (SRMA), which later became the HRIA SEMA council. He was instrumental in establishing the original SRMA winter trade conference, which later became the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show. “Both the man and his products are revered for being so cool and so dependable,” said Barry Meguiar, longtime host of the show’s Grand Opening Breakfast. The Robert E. Petersen Award has been presented annually since 2002 to recognize the true pioneers of hot rodding. Past recipients include Wally Parks, Alex Xydias, the Ford Family, and last year’s recipient, Jack Roush. For more information, go to www.hotrodshow.com.
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 323/930-CARS or visit the Museum’s Web site at: www.petersen.org. From Chris Brown
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LOS ANGELES, October 28, 2010. Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the opening of the exciting new exhibit, NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder by paying tribute to one of the sport’s most iconic figures – Don “The Snake” Prudhomme – during their annual Tribute Night on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder This exciting new exhibit will cover the history of the National Hot Rod Association, from its early creation as a way to get street racing off of the public highways and on to sanctioned drag strips, through six decades of nitro, tire smoke and thunder. Guests will have an experience rich with historic photography, exciting videos, interactive displays and of course, race cars with the combined power output of 50,000 horses! See how this sport literally grew from the first dragster (a 10-foot long car known as "Bug") up to Kenny Bernstein's record setting 300 MPH Top Fuel Dragster with an incredible length of 32-feet! Learn how Super Stock cars like the 1963 Plymouth called "Melrose Missile" helped shape the muscle car movement, and how altering a vehicle's wheelbase for weight transfer led to creation of the "Funny Car". Experience a 3D snapshot in time in a diorama featuring the famous Stone, Woods, and Cook 1941 Willys Gasser as it sits ready to leap when the light turns green. Dragsters, Funny Cars, Altereds, Gassers, Pro Stock, Super Stock, and drag bikes will all be on display. NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder was created with assistance by the National Hot Rod Association and the NHRA Museum. This exhibit opens at the Tribute Night and runs through May 29, 2011. Match Race Madness Panel Discussion.
The events on November 10 will begin with the 2 p.m. panel discussion, Match Race Madness, featuring drag racing’s greatest rivalry: Snake vs. Mongoose. Prudhomme will be joined by arch-rival Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen to tell the tales of their days of traveling the United States from race track to race track, their much-publicized grudge matches, the business partnership they formed called, “Wildlife Racing,” and their pioneering work in non-automotive sponsorship with Mattel’s Hot Wheels. An Evening with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme At 5:30 p.m., An Evening with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme will begin. A cocktail hour with Prudhomme, McEwen, and honored guests such as Roland Leong, Tommy Ivo, Carroll Shelby and many others will be followed by a fabulous dinner buffet. Special guest Dave McClelland, the Voice of the NHRA and longtime friend of Don Prudhomme, will be the Master of Ceremonies. The evening will continue with a short film featuring The Snake’s history and several other drag racing icons will share their stories of the legend. A live auction of amazing racing memorabilia will follow with proceeds going to the Petersen’s educational programs. Guests will also be able to preview the items that will be in the Bonham’s and Butterfield’s Motorcycles and Memorabilia auction on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Tickets for An Evening With Don “The Snake” Prudhomme are $125 each. Tickets for the Match Race Madness panel discussion are $50 each. A combined ticket for both events is $150, a $25 savings. Special pricing is available for certain levels of Petersen Automotive Museum Membership. For more information call (323) 964-6325, or to buy your tickets on-line, go to www.petersen.org. Event proceeds support the Petersen Automotive Museum’s educational and cultural mission.
Honoree: Don “The Snake” Prudhomme In the early days of his drag racing career, Don Prudhomme worked as a crew member for drag racing icon “T.V.” Tommy Ivo. In 1962, Prudhomme achieved his first Top Fuel win at the Smoker’s March Meet in Bakersfield, California. From 1962 through 1964, Don teamed up with Tom Greer and legendary engine builder Keith Black, and built the famous Greer, Black & Prudhomme Top Fueler (on display in NHRA: 60 Years of Thunder) which won nearly every west coast event. Prudhomme went on to drive Roland Leong's "Hawaiian" Top Fuel dragster, and won his first NHRA race, the 1965 Winternationals in Pomona, California. He then switched to Funny Cars in the 1970s and won four straight NHRA Funny Car World Championships between 1975 and 1978 and had seven NHRA U.S. Nationals wins. He was the first Funny Car driver to go 5 seconds in the quarter mile and the first to top 250 mph. Don Prudhomme’s quick reaction times earned him the nickname, “The Snake.” He teamed up with his friend and rival, Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen to form the team “Wildlife Racing,” and they were hired by track owners to race each other in grudge matches around the country. But the real money came when they were sponsored by Mattel's “Hot Wheels,” the first non-automotive sponsor in NHRA history. The Snake last raced on his “Final Strike Tour” in 1994, but stayed active in other areas of the sport. Until his retirement earlier this year, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme was a car owner running a Top Fuel Dragster Team and two Funny Car teams. Prudhomme has 49 career wins as a driver, and 59 career wins as an owner.
National Hot Rod Association Nestled in the quiet community of Glendora, Calif., just minutes east of downtown Los Angeles, is the world's largest and loudest auto racing organization, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Since it was founded by Wally Parks in 1951, NHRA has been dedicated to safety while providing millions of racing fans with The Extreme Motorsport: the fastest and most spectacular form of entertainment on wheels. With 80,000 members and more than 35,000 licensed competitors, NHRA is a thriving leader in the world of motorsports. Parks initially started NHRA as a means of getting hot rodders off the streets and on to legal drag strips. Since those early days, NHRA has evolved into the largest promoter of professional drag racing in the world. Today, with more than 300 dedicated employees, NHRA offers drag racing opportunities for hot rod enthusiasts of all levels, from kids ages 8-17 in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League all the way up to the top of the Professional ranks with the organization's NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. NHRA is moving just as fast in popularity with auto racing fans. Second to only NASCAR in terms of attendance, fan appeal, and sponsorship commitment, NHRA is moving quickly into mainstream America. NHRA is all about diversity. With more than 20 categories of competition, including Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle at the Professional level, to a multicultural array of high-octane personalities it calls world champions; NHRA thrives on unique competitors accomplishing unique achievements. For example, in 2008, Hispanic racer Cruz Pedregon won the NHRA Funny Car world championship, and Ashley Force Hood and Melanie Troxel became the first female winners in the Funny Car class. Participation on and off the track has made the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series one of the most popular forms of racing, reaching thousands of fans, members, and sponsors a quarter-mile at a time. Sent in by Chris Brown
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Below is an updated listing of all the 4 cylinder Porsche LSR racers speed history I have been able to discover. I am sure there are many errors and would welcome you posting this chronology with a request for any corrected information (or photos) that SLSRH readers might be able to offer. Have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow and stay warm. Here in northern Utah we are expecting an overnight low of -14 degrees. Burly Burlile
1954 33? Open Jack Cardwell ? 356 Speedster ? ? 91..?.. Bonneville, UT
1954 ? Closed David ? ? 356 Coupe ? ? 111..?.. Bonneville, UT
1955 ? ? Bill Scace Cicero, IL Carrera 91.9 DOHC 122.019 Bonneville, UT
1957 105 ? O.M.. Sports Car 550 Spyder RS ? ? 135.772 Bonneville, UT
1959 3 FGTS Wayne Stanford Los Angeles, CA ? 96.5 ? ? Bonneville, UT
1960 ? ESR W.G. Racer Brown ? ? ? ? 141.906 Bonneville, UT
note- 1958 Racer Brown Drag Race National Champ(Oklahoma City, OK) D SP with a 1957 Porsche ? at 80.93 mph
1960 128 GGT Charles Martin Palo Alto, CA 550 Spyder 96.5 ? Bonneville, UT
1960 ? FGT ? ? 58 Carrera ? ? 114.157 Bonneville, UT
1960 127 HGT David Dremminger ? ? ? ? ? Bonneville, UT
1961 ? FSPT Harry Umemoto Playa Del Rey, CA 1960? ? ? 105.01 El Mirage, CA
1961 46 EGT Harry Umemoto/Cadrobbi Werkstatt “ Super 90 96.5 ? 119.326 Bonneville, UT
1961 101 EGT Ralph H Chase Orange, NJ Super 90 96.5 ? 117.018 Bonneville, UT
1961 103 EGT Jack Carlson Fresno, CA Super 90 96.5 ? ? Bonneville, UT
1962 6 FGT H. Umemoto-Cadrobbi-Werkstatt Los Angeles, CA Carrera GT 91. ? 128.381 Bonneville, UT
1962 65 FLS Dick Beith Concord, CA Lakester 356 73.28 Bonneville, UT
note- Engine was borrowed, Supercharged by McCullogh (i.e. Paxton)-later found leaking valves!
1962 119 ? Ralph H Chase Orange, NJ ? 104. ? ? Bonneville, UT
1963 Above Class Records retired at Bonneville
1966 ? HGT Tom Bruch/Dickinson Special Cedar Rapids, IA Speedster 72.7 36hp VW 103.676 Bonneville, UT
1966 162 FGT Doug Gardner Sunnyvale, CA ? 121 ci Porsche ? Bonneville, UT
1967 152 FGT Al Nichols Los Angeles, CA ? 1587cc ? 129.87 Bonneville, UT
1967 149 HGT Tom Bruch Cedar Rapids, IA Speedster 72.7 36hp VW 109.572 Bonneville, UT
1969 132 G/SR Andeck Industries
1971 128 G/GT Charles L. Martin Palo Alto, CA __?__Spyder 1587cc ? 114.64 Bonneville, UT
1975 123 H/GC J D Doty Sylmar, CA Coupe 91 ci
1976 924 G/GT Hugh Heishman ? ? 121.06 ci n/t Bonneville, UT
1977 212 G/GL Spirit of Riverside ? Lakester/Sandrail 356 _____?____ Bonneville, UT
1988 393 FGT Silacci’s Porsche ? ? 1500cc Twin Cam NT Bonneville, UT
1997 903 IGT Tom Bruch/Fisher/Schlabaugh Cedar Rapids, IA 70 914 999cc 911(3 Cyl) 98.542 Bonneville, UT
1997 375 HGT Paul Swanson/ Greybeard Rac Plantation, FL 51 Coupe 1478cc Push Rod 138.48 Bonneville, UT
1998 903 IGT Tom Bruch/Fisher/Schlabaugh…Cedar Rapids,IA 70 914 999cc 911(3 Cyl) 104.686 Bonneville, UT
1998 903 IGT Tom Bruch/Schlabaugh Cedar Rapids IA 70 914 999cc 911(3 Cyl) 110.000 Maxton, NC
1998 375 HGT Paul Swanson/ Greybeard Rac “ 51 Coupe “ “ 143.480 Bonneville, UT
2000 375 HGT Paul Swanson/ Greybeard Rac “ 51 Coupe 1486cc “ 144.471 Bonneville, UT
2001 375 HGT Paul Swanson/ Greybeard Rac “ 51 Coupe “ “ 141.669 Bonneville, UT
2003 375 HGT Paul Swanson/ Greybeard Rac “ 51 Coupe 1496cc Push Rod 146.773 Bonneville, UT
Other Porsche Land Speed Racing History
1899 Mixt “Mixed Car” (1st Hybrid) Set new Austrian speed record of 37 mph at Excelberg with Ferdinand Porsche driving Gasoline powered generators with electric motors in each wheel 1900 Lohner-Porsche Chaise 1st Porsche age 23
1934 P-Wagen Designer LSR car raced at Avus, UK
? Mercedes Benz SS Designer
? Mercedes KG Type 80 LSR Race Car. Designer-Contracted for Body Design-CD of 0.18-Finished in 1939 with design speed of 465 mph WW2 prevented January 1940 attempt. Inverted Daimler Benz V-12 DB603 engine from Messerschmitt BF109 Fighter plane.3000hp mixed fuel, water injected. 2.7 tons, dual rear axles, 8 meters long. Called the Schwarz Vogel (Black Bird)-Currently resides in M-B Museum in Stuttgart, DK
1938 Type 64 Volkswagen Berlina-Roma Land Speed Racer Model 60-K-10
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The Chrisman Legacy, by Tom Madigan is available from EJJ Enterprises. This book on one of the pioneers of land speed and early drag racing is being published by Ed Justice Jr. It is a limited edition and if you want your copy, please contact Ed at Justice Brothers Car Care Products in Duarte, California or let me know and I will find you a contact number.
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I wanted to be sure you knew about the Ardun heads being inducted into Hot Rod Magazine's Speed Parts Hall of Fame, and George Kudasch finally getting full credit. Bill Hoddinott
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Mr. Boris Stebliemko, Trumbull, Connecticut
Dear Mr. Stebliemko: The last time we were in touch was after the passing of your kinsman and my friend Mr. George Kudasch when you asked for a copy of George's story which appeared in Bonneville Racing News and I sent same to you. I wanted to tell you that the Ardun heads which George co-designed in 1947 have just now been inducted into the Hot Rod Magazine Speed Parts Hall of Fame. This is announced in the January 2011 number of the magazine which is now on newsstands. I am enclosing a copy of the item for your family scrapbook and as you will see, George is credited as designer along with Zora Arkus-Duntov. For many, many years only Zora was known as designer. The deserved credit to George has finally come about because Ron San Giovanni located him and prompted me to write up his full story for Bonneville Racing News. Subsequently we sent a copy of the story to the editor of Hot Rod Magazine and I am certain this is how George came to be credited. Hot Rod Magazine essentially founded the world hot rod movement in 1948 and has ever since been the dominant, leading journal of record. It is read world-wide by millions of enthusiasts every month. With good wishes, Bill Hoddinott
Bill: I found this in my other email address box, so I apologize for the delay in responding. I will publish your letter to George Kudasch's family and if you would like to send me any more information on George, I will be glad to give it space in the SLSRH Newsletter. This is the kind of information that we like to print, since it honors those who never received the recognition that they were due.
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The following was sent to us by Amanda Taylor of the Gear Grinders Club (SCTA):
As you all know, Willie has cancer, once again. He had been in remission for a little over six years. The first cancer was in his throat on the right tonsil. They removed the tonsil and gave him chemo and radiation treatments, which almost killed him. He went from 205 down to 137 and the battle was hard. At that time we had no insurance, and we had depleted our savings on his heart surgery a few months before. He was then put on MIA and this got him through the cancer treatments. This time he has insurance, but some of the treatments will only be covered 80%. He has had a very slow year, due to economics and has great concern for how his bills will be paid. On top of medical bills, he will still have his monthly bills to pay and cannot work to pay them. This has brought an extreme factor of stress on him and that takes away some of the energy he needs to fight this time. He has sold just about everything he could and is now looking into selling his equipment. This is what we are dealing with. He is in stage 4. The cancer is in his esophagus and he had to have a feeding tube put in, due to his loss of weight. Since Bonneville this year, he has gone from 170 pounds to 124. We had been going to the doctors for about six months now, and they took several scans (not paid 100%) before they figured out that it is cancer. He then had problems getting oxygen, so back to the hospital we went. They kept him overnight and did some tests on him. They found the cancer in the right side of the voice box, so his throat was closing slowly. He was trying to breathe through his airway which was the size of a ball point pen hole due from swelling. He refused to go home until the doctor came to scope his throat again. So he came in and did just that. They decided that a tracheotomy was in need for his survival at this point. So now we have him eating and breathing and slowly regaining strength. We are now waiting on UCSF to contact us for a consult. He will need surgery to remove his voice box and possible chemo and radiation treatments afterwards. They also mentioned that he may also need skin grafts in order to reconstruct his neck after surgery. And he seriously needs this done stat. He already has bills starting to pile up and we are starting to feel the pressure of it all. Our racing club, The Gear Grinders, encouraged us to set up a donation account, to help us pay some of these bills. We are starting to see some donations coming in, and Willie has seemed to focus more on his strength for survival, instead of stressing on the bills that are continuing to pile up. I am now pleading with all of you to continue sending in any donation that you can so that he may continue to do so. He will have a much harder battle this time to deal with and he will need every ounce of energy he has to make it through this. I know that with the continued support he will have much better odds to keep him going. I thank all of you who have sent donations and well wishes. I have faith in his survival for the power of prayer and all the support that everyone has given to him at this time. God Bless you all. Follow this link and you’ll find a copy of the letter sent by the SCTA from our club http://www.scta-bni.org/health-welfare.html.
Love, Sheri Buchta
Please send donations to: Willie Buchta, 921 Chicago Ave. Modesto, California, 95351.
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Sad news today. I learned that Glen Ridlen died in Texas of liver failure. He was a member of the Chock Full of Nuts team and built a C engine that was used in the record hunt. He used to visit Las Vegas a lot and spent a lot of time in the shop. He was an all around good guy and will be missed. Glen Barrett
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Long time Road Runners member Charlie Miller passed away on Tuesday, October 12, 2010. Charlie had been an active member of the Road Runners and SCTA until recent years when health issues slowed his activities. Charlie owned and raced the Classic Gas Altered Camaro known as the Whale. Services for Charlie will be Thursday, Oct 21, 2010 at 10 AM at Preston & Simons Mortuary, 3358 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, California. Interment to follow at Riverside National Cemetery 11:30 AM. Jerry Cornelison Secretary, Road Runners
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Land Speed Racing Websites:
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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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