SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS NEWSLETTER 218 - September 2, 2011 Editor: Richard Parks [email protected] President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139) Photographic Editor of the Society: Roger Rohrdanz, [email protected] Northern California Reporter: Spencer Simon
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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter: President's Corner, Editorials, My Mother, Carol Ryssman, passed on the 19 August 2011; The following email came in from the family of the late Danny Oakes; Editor's notes: The California Racers Reunion is back and will be held on October 22, 2011 at the Riverside International Automotive Museum; Forecasts all agree that we're in for a soaking this Sunday; I am inquiring about a motorcycle racer who rode at Bonneville between 1955 and 1970 named Steve Macais; To John (Edmund): I went through the years 1955 to '70 and found this; I saw in the July 14th issue of the HOT ROD HOTLINE that Bob Falcon wrote; Thank you for posting info about our upcoming Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, Sunday, September 18, 2011; Please pass this on to the guy researching Preston Tucker; We will soon be doing an on-line pod cast series which will feature live interviews with famous and/or committed racers from the quarter mile or dry lakes; A list of auto museums was compiled by the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, California and released to us as a courtesy; Being a writer myself I do appreciate what you are saying; I finally got my cell phone operating again and found a message from you about the size of the Oakland Midget Track; Motorsports and Memories Car Show, presented by Meadowdale International Raceways Preservation Association (MIRPA), on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 10 AM until 3 PM; Master custom builder Gene Winfield's video; This month’s Aussie Invader 5R newsletter is now available to read online; I've been culling through hundreds of hours of footage and 1000's of photos, slowly making some progress; Justice Brothers Company Newsletter - August 2011 is now available; According to the title of the picture (at Legion Ascot Speedway) this was shot in the year I was born; The limited edition 1/43rd model of Donald Campbell's E-Type is available from Speed Record Models and Memorabilia; Craig Breedlove to be Honored at Simeone Museum.; I plan to leave on September 25th for Southern California and will certainly try to visit the Santa Ana Drag Strip bit; Bob Jaques called to tell us that Santa Ana Airport Drag Strip T-shirts can be purchased at Prestige Hobby; The salt gremlins got to us at Bonneville; Bonneville Speed Week 2011 Speed Demon's Record Run & Video
President's Corner: There were at least a million different happenings that took place at Speedweek this year that would make for a Giant novel of elation, defeat and everything in between. With over 500 entries every vehicle and crew had their own dramas. I'd like to relate three that I've chosen to call the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Let’s get started. The Good: George Poteet's Blowfish started life as a lowly old '69 Plymouth Barracuda and was turned into swan by Troy Trepanier. This year George's longtime friend Danny Burrow was tapped to do the driving of the Fish again in his quest to get that Blue Hat from the Bonneville 200 MPH Club showing he had two-wayed at over 300 mph. On Danny's first lap this year he cleared the lights on Saturday with a speed of 300.924 mph on the 294.868 mph record. The next morning he did a backup run and set a new record at 299.891 mph. He was now as you could say oh so close to getting the coveted 300 mph hat so back in line he went. Another quick lap had him qualifying at an amazing 315.913 mph with the little supercharged 392" Dodge V8 powered Fish. Later that day while in impound and doing a warm-up the tranny locked in gear so the boys reluctantly pulled the car out of impound to do a complete rebuild on the gearbox. Bummer. The next day with the fix done Danny again qualified with a speed of 314.557 mph. The next morning he did his backup run and when the numbers were crunched he had upped the record to an amazing 307.399 mph. Needless to say he was a happy camper and got his new 300 mph chapter of the B-ville 200 MPH Club blue hat. Our pix, (Click For Image JMC_3056), shows how serious the Blowfish team is when it comes to reading their car with a monster sign off sheet. The Bad: This year's Speedweek was not a fun one for Jeff Marmack out of Texas. He had built up this cool looking Chevy SSR (Click for Image JMC_3021) to have a go at the 205.287 mph class record. On day one of Inspection I had noticed the car waiting in line and thought it was cool looking but also noticed that it had a major no-no. He had modified the lower part of the front plastic bumper which isn't allowed by class rules. After gathering the Class Committee for confirmation on the rule deviation we had to tell Jeff that if he showed up in Impound we'd have to boot him. During the week he attempted seven runs and got the fine looking ride up to 191.456 mph. In the meantime Kix Henderson Racing took their little S-10 in the same class and bumped the record first to 216.290 mph and then to 219.396 mph. Looks like records never sleep at Bonneville and Jeff has a little extra tune-up work to do to find about 30 mph. The Ugly: One bad story of the week revolved around the Houseman-Floresi Class XF Modified pickup (Click for Image JMC_3070). On Monday they went out for their first run and cut a good lap at 116.260 mph on a 117.535 record. The next day after a tune-up they went out again and ran a great lap at 119.718 mph to qualify for a record. But there was a slight problem in that instead of coming straight to impound as the rules require they went to their pits first to pick up some tools etc. and then came to impound. They probably would have gotten away with it except the man in charge of Impound saw them drive by the entrance to Impound and then show up about five minutes later to pull in. Words were exchanged and the result was the car was booted from Impound and had to re-qualify for a record. Needless to say they were not happy campers. On the up-side a few hours later they showed up again to Impound after another run with a faster speed of 121.699 mph. The next morning they backed up their first run with a new record average of 121.572 mph.
Editorial: For the record; the editor is delighted to have Jim Miller back. He’s been to England and Bonneville and now he’s home resting up and we expect big articles out of him now. Please note that if you send in photographs to me that you need to also CC the photos to our photographic editor at the newsletter; Roger Rohrdanz at [email protected]. Otherwise I will have to forward the information to him and that takes more of my time. Please also look over what you send to check for spelling and grammatical errors. The better your email the easier it is for me and I also don’t have to apologize to the readership when they catch the error and bring it to my attention. We are linked to www.hotrodhotline.com, guest columnist/Richard Parks and Roger Rohrdanz. Not everything that we do regarding land speed, drag racing and hot rodding are listed here at www.landspeedracing.com. Check out the biographies and stories at Mary Ann and Jack Lawford’s other websites. Their son Jack Junior has a great website at www.BikerHotline.com. Any biking event covered by Bart Mitchell is a plus. Roger has a tremendous number of photographs on car shows that are on the Hot Rod hot line, so check those out as well. Leslie Long is organizing another Santa Ana Airport Drag Strip and Main Malt Shop Reunion on October 1, 2011 at the same place along Santiago Park Creek on the border of the City of Orange and Santa Ana, California. At the intersection of North Main Street and East Memory Lane you turn east and go down East Memory Lane for approximately 1000 feet until you reach the 2nd intersection (second light) and turn right down into the creek bed which is paved. The park is easily visible from the creek bed. Park and walk up the stairs to the picnic tables. The reunion honors the very first drag strip in the country that was professionally run, organized and on-going. There is no cost to come and no parking fees. Gene Mitchell, a local Orange County garage owner brings refreshments and helps to sponsor this group. The weather is nearly always perfect and the chance to talk to these early racers, many in their eighties, is a real treat. Bring your video camera, tape recorder, pen and paper to get autographs and to take notes. Long will bring his photo albums and update his extensive historical records of the old Santa Ana Airport Drag Strip, which was in operation from 1950 until 1959. This is an event not to be missed.
My Mother, Carol Ryssman, passed on the 19 August 2011. The services are tomorrow in Mohave, Arizona. I should have written to you sooner. I know my Mom and Dad have many friends in the racing community. If you could, please tell those that knew my parents of her passing. Thank You, Otto Ryssman Jr Otto: Please accept my condolences on behalf of all of us at the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians. I hope your father is doing well. There may be a Santa Ana Drags reunion in October and if there is I will try and get the word out to everyone. If there is a biography or obituary on your mother would you share it with us to post to the newsletter? -------------------------------- Carol Rae Ryssman, age 81, a 19-year resident of Fort Mohave, Arizona, passed away Friday, August 19, 2011, at her home in Arizona. Carol was born July 28, 1930 in Youngstown, Ohio to parents, William and Mildred Segner. Carol and husband, Otto Ryssman, retired to Fort Mohave in 1992 after living in Orange County, California. Carol enjoyed traveling with her husband, bowling, and doll collecting. Carol is survived by her husband of 61 years, Otto Ryssman, Sr, three children, Patti (Skip Mitchell) Ryssman Mitchell, Otto Ryssman Jr. (Suzanna), and Cindi (Doug Chroninger) Ryssman Chroninger. Carol left behind nine grandchildren, Brian Ryssman (Michelle), Thomas Ryssman, Steven Mitchell, Otto Ryssman III (Molly), Jennifer Ryssman, Stephanie (Larry Segovia) Segovia, Beth (Randy White) White, Jamie (Sean Stewart) Stewart, and Joe Chroninger. She also had seven great-grandchildren; Madison, Katlyn, Daniel, Tommy, Conner, Michael, and Sloane. Services were held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 27, 2011, at Desert Lawn Cemetery, 9250 S. Ranchero Lane, Mohave Valley, Arizona. Gravesite service immediately followed.
The following email came in from the family of the late Danny Oakes. Danny was a great midget racer and mechanic and earned an Indy 500 ring for his work as a top mechanic. His family is holding an auction of the memorabilia left to them and if you want to get in on the auction this is the perfect time to make a bid. "I am Danny's son-in-law and we are finally getting around to selling Danny's private collection of racing memorabilia. We decided to let David Hester (from the Storage Wars TV show) handle the auction at his facility in Orange, CA. I just wanted to let you know and ask if you wouldn't mind sending out a "blast" email to the followers on your mailing list. The auction is going to be held on August 30th (next Tuesday) at Dave Hester Auctions, 1141 W. Katella Ave., Orange, CA. The auction will start at 6:00 p.m. I am attaching a link to the preview gallery so that any interested parties can check out what will be sold at the auction." Auction Preview website http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/206400.aspx. Dave Hester Auctions. Phone: (714) 744-4743. http://www.davehesterauctions.com.Address of Sale: 1141 W Katella Ave Orange, CA 92867. Sale Dates and Times: 8/30/2011 6:00 PM (Tuesday) Jeffrey A. DesRosier Readers: I know that this will be published too late for any of you to attend the auction. This is just a reminder that if you have an important event coming up to please give me at least three weeks notice, otherwise it is a wasted effort for you to notify me. I did manage to alert a few hundred people personally before the time ran out.
Editor's notes: The California Racers Reunion is back and will be held on October 22, 2011 at the Riverside International Automotive Museum. You can't miss this reunion; it is worth making the effort to attend.
Forecasts all agree that we're in for a soaking this Sunday. New England Dragway and the Mass Street Rod Assoc have decided to be proactive and reschedule Drag'n in the 50's Nostalgia Event to Sunday October 9, 2011. Same format - 1969 and older hot rods, customs, race cars (plus a few other cars that need to finish off their 2011 points series). Please spread the word. Hope to see you in October. Gil Coraine
I am inquiring about a motorcycle racer who rode at Bonneville between 1955 and 1970 named Steve Macais. Steve road a Harley Davidson, both single engine, and dual engine named the "Green Monster." Thank you, John Edmund ([email protected]) John: Are you sure that his name wasn't Steve Macias? This website http://www.draglist.com/lists/jd.txt, mentioned a Steve Macias with the following info; 1997, 100, 0.000, 0.00, Steve Macias, Hot Stuff, J34, West, 84, H & S, JD, CA, Steve Macias. I will send this email to Jim Miller and ask him what he knows and also publish your request in the SLSRH Newsletter. I also came across a Manny, Jerry and Danny Macias at Bonneville, but no Steve Macias in the years that you mentioned. Give us all the background information that you have to help us find him.
To John (Edmund): I went through the years 1955 to '70 and found this. There was a bike entered as Wert-Montero-Macias in '65 out of Berkeley. The bike was an 86" Harley that ran in class A-A-3000 as number 9. In '67 there was a bike entered as Macias-Wert-Montero from San Leandro. The bike was a 1207 cc Harley that ran in Class A-A-3000 as number 9. In '68 there was a bike entered as Montero-Macias-West from Castro Valley. It had a 1204 cc Harley and ran in Class PS-A-1200 as number 27. No other entries from '55 to '70 had the name Macias in them. There were a lot of Harleys entered from '55 to '65. Some from the bay area like Donald Parker from Oakland or the Fearless Special from Frisco but all only had entrant names and not riders. The SCTA/BNI didn't publish results of the bikes because the AMA was a guest sanctioning body and handled all the record results. Before the AMA arrived around 1960 the bikes were limited to 14 entries. There was no bike named the Green Monster. There was one bike named the Monster out of Chalmers, Indiana run by Robert Schmidt that had two Harleys for power. That was in '55. It ran as bike number 29. He came back to Bonneville a couple of years back. Jim Miller
I saw in the July 14th issue of the HOT ROD HOTLINE that Bob Falcon wrote: "Back in the 1940's around SoCal there were many automobiles painted the same gray color with a logotype on the doors that read Technocracy. Each vehicle had a large PA Speaker mounted on the front bumper. Was this a political group or was it a religious group? What were they trying to achieve?" As a kid raised in a family of Technocrats, I know all about those cars and the organization. My parents and my Grandparents, on both sides were members of Technocracy. For specific information on the movement see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy. It was very popular in the Depression years but pretty much died out by the 1990's. But I'm certain that your readers would be more interested in the cars. All the cars were painted a color called Technocracy Gray with Vermillion Red wheels. Earl Scheib painted many of the cars and had the colors in stock. On the doors and trunk lid they had a 4" diameter logo called a Monad. It is very similar to the Yen and Yang Logo symbolizing balance in nature we see today. Below the Monad it would have the word TECHNOCRACY INC, and below that the number of the Section (Chapter) that the member belonged to. These decals on the cars were made of red Scotch 3M Reflective material, so they could be seen at night. At one time in the late Thirties, Forties and early Fifties there were perhaps 12 Chapters here in SoCal alone. The cars were all owned by individual members of the organization. To this day I am surprised how members would willingly take their brand new cars and get them painted gray! Out of their own pockets too! My Dad did that to our new Horizon Blue '53 Chevy 4-door Sedan and I recall one member doing it to his beautiful '57 Lincoln Premier 4-door Hardtop. The loudspeakers on the roof of the cars were only seen on a select few cars, usually the organizer's cars like my Grandfather was. I don't recall bumper mounted speakers, but perhaps they did that in some instances. Generally the cars had 3'x6' suction cup mounted rooftop banners that proclaimed the theories of Technocracy or an upcoming Public Speech. Most all the cars had CB radios and would go on caravans around Los Angeles streets to advertise their cause. It would be common to see 12 to 20 cars in one of the caravans. That is why I always tell my fellow Car Club members that I have had experience caravanning for over 60 years. Jerry Mull
Thank you for posting info about our upcoming Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, Sunday, September 18, 2011. As you know I'm the Class Manager of the HOT ROD LEGENDS Class. Show will be on the greens of the Trump National Golf Course, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The HOT ROD LEGENDS CLASS is made up of open wheeled Hot Rods with Ford or Chevrolet bodies originally manufactured from 1925-1932; that were constructed as "Hot Rods" during the years 1937 thru 1963. Featured here will be some of the most unique and famous Roadsters, Phaetons and Coupes of all times. These are cars that either raced on the Dry Lakes or were typical of the "Cool Hot Rods" seen here on the streets of Southern California during that time frame. Some of the cars in this Class are true survivors, unrestored, just as they were when they were running in that Golden Era of Hot Rodding. Others are faithful replicas of cars from that era. All of them express the free spirit of "California Design & Style" which is the main Theme of this year's Concours. At this point in time we have the following ten cars being Judged or on Display: Michael Brennan's Belond Roadster "SANDY'S MUFFLER," Ernie Nagamatsu's Spurgin-Giovanine Roadster, Buddy Pepp's '32 Roadster, Paul Gommi's Survivor Roadster and Phaeton, Tom Malloy's Mooneyes Coupe and Westergard Survivor Roadster, Vic Edelbrock Senior's Roadster, Mike Degles Hartwick Tribute car and my '29 Ford Roadster (Fresno's car from Deuce Of Spades). Website: www.pvconcours.org. We are hoping all of you can attend this event. Please drop by and say HI! Jerry Mull - Class Manager - Hot Rod Legends
Please pass this on to the guy researching Preston Tucker. A few years ago I contacted Tucker’s son who was living in Long Beach and had a very long phone conversation with him. I no longer have the number but he was very helpful in what I wanted to know whatever that was. By the way I attended Bud Meyer’s birthday party at Doug Clem’s Meyer family Museum a week ago in Sparks, Nevada. About 70 attended with most driving really great hot rods. Bud is 93 now and his mind is still as sharp as it was when I met him 61 years ago. He still keeps his hand in on various projects with Doug in his very nice shop. Vic Enyart Vic: I introduced Joan Denver Meyer to Bud Meyer at the last Gilmore Roars Reunion at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Joan and Bud are two of the nicest people in motorsports. We have Bud's bio on record at www.hotrodhotline.com and now we need to get your bio. Will you start writing yours today?
We will soon be doing an on-line pod cast series which will feature live interviews with famous and/or committed racers from the quarter mile or dry lakes. If you know of some that would like to participate please give me their names and contact info. Please be sure to check us out and subscribe to our newsletter at Lil Nitro. David Karp Sr, my partner is creating this special feature to preserve automotive history. We would love to interview you especially. Don Burdge Don: I will publish your request in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter at www.landspeedracing.com. My advice though is to not wait for straight-line racers to contact you, because they won't. Jim Miller, Roger Rohrdanz, Spencer Simon and I have to go out and contact the men and women of drag and land speed racing and get their story directly from them. Start with a phone conversation and after you have finished, ask that person for five referrals. I wish these men and women of racing would do their bios, caption their photographs, inventory their possessions for their family's use and write their stories, but they don't. They make lots of promises, but they rarely think of leaving their history behind for their family and friends.
Being a writer myself I do appreciate what you are saying. When we were first starting the book of Doug Thorley’s life story we found that to be the case over and over again. We will follow your advice. If you have any phone numbers you can entrust to me that would be great, otherwise I’ll follow the call one and get five procedures you suggested. We’ve got quite a few quarter mile guys we’ve been speaking to regarding Doug’s book, so we can start there. Thanks. Don Burdge Here is our editorial for your newsletter: Lil Nitro will soon be producing pod casts of live interviews of famous nostalgia racers from quarter mile and dry lakes. Please contact us if you’d like to participate. All we need is name and race history, plus some way to reach you. We’re excited about hearing from you. Send your info to email at: [email protected] or call (619) 944-2528. Be sure to subscribe for our pod cast at “Nitro Media” on our website at Kustom Kool Web Design or click on: Lil Nitro. Written by Don Burdge & David Karp, Sr, the guys Behind Kustom Kool. Don Burdge, Sales & Marketing & Editorials, Kustom Kool Web Design, 619.804.8033. [email protected], www.kustomkoolwebdesign.com.
I finally got my cell phone operating again and found a message from you about the size of the Oakland Midget Track. The Coliseum hosted indoor midget races for many years. The size on indoor tracks is usually under a quarter mile and some are as small as a tenth of a mile. The very high banked big car track at Oakland was (I believe) 5/8th mile and the bank was really high. Back in the 1940's we crewed on a CRA Track Roadster event up there. The track management felt that if the roadsters used the full track there would be serious wrecks, so they blocked-off one turn and put another turn through the infield. So you had these Track Roadsters screaming down off the bank that was as high as the Washington Monument, down the short straightaway then enter a very flat dirt turn. A lot of guys missed that turn! Bob Falcon Bob: People have been asking about you. Glad to see you are back at your computer. When you say the Coliseum, you are referring to the Oakland Coliseum and not the Los Angeles Coliseum, right? The Washington Monument is 555 feet tall, so the bank couldn't have been that steep, could it? --------------------- Correct assumption; The Oakland Coliseum. The LA Coliseum hosted URA Blue Circuit Midgets (same cars that raced at Gilmore Stadium) and that was a flat and paved quarter mile. Later they extended it the full distance of the track which was near a third of a mile and perhaps had a slight banking (for drainage). Later they erected a very high banked board track but the crowds fell off and that spelled the end of racing at The Coliseum. I didn't mean to infer that the Oakland big track bankings were as high as the Washington Monument but when you were standing in the infield they seemed to be that high! This Oakland track was asphalt paved and the banks were very tall and when they erected the crash walls in the turns they placed them straight up. Some of the braver drivers discovered that if they went through the turns with their right rear tire on the crash wall they went faster. Eventually the promoters rethought the problem and replaced the wall with one that was perpendicular to the banking. Thanks for your consideration and yes we are back in the groove with our cyber stuff. Bob Falcon
Motorsports and Memories Car Show, presented by Meadowdale International Raceways Preservation Association (MIRPA), on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 10 AM until 3 PM. This is a rain or shine event. Registration 8:30-10 AM $15.00 per car for those preregistered (8 a.m. entrance). The late fee is $20.00 per car if you register the day of the event. Featured are vintage cars, drivers, crews, vendors and food on the historic straightaway. Share the history, photos, stories, and memorabilia of Meadowdale International Raceways with us. Meadowdale International Raceways is located at Raceway Woods Route 31 just north of Huntley Road. Vendors, car clubs, or sponsors please contact us at [email protected] or (847-421-2891). Current information and registration forms for cars and clubs are available at www.mirpa.org. Dash plaques and goodie bags to the first 250 registered. The Purple People Eater Corvette of Nickey Chevrolet fame and driver Jim Jeffords, National B Production Champ, will be there. See my web site at: www.classicvintagemortorsporst.com, for the drivers and cars that made Meadowdale such a great track. Ronald Nelson [email protected]
I've been culling through hundreds of hours of footage and 1000's of photos; slowly making some progress. Any idea who any of these old time racers are? (Click for Image) Feel free to pass the picture along to others who might know. I am still hoping for a spring 2012 finish date for Where They Raced. I am basically done with shooting and getting deeper into the editing. Harry Pallenberg, www.wheretheyraced.com Harry: Just about everyone who ever raced at Legion Ascot in East Los Angeles is gone. John Lucero, who wrote the book Legion Ascot, may still be around and is your best source. Check with Bob Falcon and maybe he has some ideas as to who is in the photograph. The photo is one that I believe is in Lucero's book and also in the collection of Ralph Foster. I turned all the oval track photos that I had over to Jim Miller and maybe he could help identify the drivers in the group photograph. I'll send this to Roger Rohrdanz to place in our newsletter to see if any of our readers know these men. Legion Ascot was a very dangerous race track and lasted only 12 years before it was forced to close. Shortly after the track closed the wooden stands caught fire and burned to the ground. It was a fast track and all the great drivers raced on it.
Justice Brothers Company Newsletter - August 2011 is now available. If you would like to sign up for this emailed newsletter, write to Justice Brothers Car Care Products at [email protected].
According to the title of the picture (at Legion Ascot Speedway) this was shot in the year I was born! But I will print a copy and compare it with some of the head shots in Lucero's book of which I have a copy. There are an extensive number of pictures from 1928 to 1930, or ‘31. I will pass the info to both you and Harry Pallenberg. He should also contact Fred Chaparro at Autobookstops. Fred grew-up in El Sereno and spent a lot of time as a local kid at that racetrack....but he is a bit younger than me. But he knows who all the racers are. Fred will recognize your name but may not have a clue about Harry but let Harry know he can use my name as a reference. Bob Falcon
The limited edition 1/43rd model of Donald Campbell's E-Type is available from Speed Record Models and Memorabilia. For models, prints or postcards please contact: Geoff Holden at Speed Record Models and Memorabilia. Email: [email protected], telephone number: 07957 631 113.
Craig Breedlove to be Honored at Simeone Museum. By Sports Car Digest. Posted on August 25, 2011. Sent in by Dick Elliott. Craig Breedlove, “the first person to exceed 400, 500, and 600 miles per hour on land, “will receive the fourth annual Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum Spirit of Competition" Award at a dinner at the Museum on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011. Breedlove joins drivers Mario Andretti, Janet Guthrie and John Fitch as a Simeone Museum Award recipient. "Craig Breedlove represents what you can achieve if you have a clear vision and determination," commented Fred Simeone, executive director of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. "With only a handful of volunteers and a shoestring budget, he was able to accomplish what many others could not. His achievements captured the country's imagination and made him a household name." Beginning in the early 1960's, Breedlove was determined to bring the land speed record back to the United States, which was held by British drivers since the 1930's. On August 5th, 1963, he piloted his Spirit of America jet engine-powered car to a two-way average of over 407 mph on the salt flats of Bonneville in Utah. A year later, he broke through the 500 mph barrier, but destroyed his car in the process, and narrowly escaped serious injury. He returned in 1965 with a new car, the Sonic I, and went 600.601 mph making him the first person to exceed 400, 500 and 600 mph. Shortly before exceeding 600 mph in November, 1965, Breedlove set 23 international speed records including averaging 150 mph for 12 hours co-driving the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (CSX2287) that is one of the star displays at the Simeone Museum. Tickets for the event are $150 for individuals, $275 for a couple and may be purchased by calling (215) 365-7233 or by visiting SimeoneMuseum.org. The Awards dinner starts at 5:30 PM on October 19th. The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum differs from most other automotive collections in that the cars are used to tell a story: that competition and racing improves the breed. The central theme of the Simeone Foundation collection is "the spirit of competition." The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and encompasses many of the most significant racing sports cars ever built. For more information, visit www.SimeoneMuseum.org or call (215) 365-7233. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 for students. Children under 8 are admitted free.
I plan to leave on September 25th for Southern California and will certainly try to visit the Santa Ana Drag Strip bit. I hope I have the opportunity to meet you, and some of the other heroes. Bud Lang
Bob Jaques called to tell us that Santa Ana Airport Drag Strip T-shirts can be purchased at Prestige Hobby, 1238 Beach Blvd, Anaheim, California. Telephone number is 714-821-8320 and ask for Ed.
The salt gremlins got to us at Bonneville. Car wouldn't run right , Never got a full run, We tried 3 times & turned off 3 times. Not much else to say , here are some photos of Bonneville 2011
Bonneville Speed Week 2011 Speed Demon's Record Run & Video The Speed Demon also earned the prestigious Hot Rod Magazine trophy for the fastest measured mile, at an astonishing 426 MPH, as seen in the video.
TOP SPEED AT SPEED WEEK WINNER OF THE HOT ROD MAG. TROPHY
FASTEST MILE AT SPEED WEEK 416.539 M.P.H. AND A FINAL SPEED OF 426.910 M.P.H.
FASTEST RECORD SET AT SPEED WEEK. George Poteet drove the Speed at Bonneville Speedweek 2011. The Speed Demon set the new Blown Fuel Streamliner record at 390.709 mph, breaking the old record of 366.043 mph.
RON MAIN - THE HOT ROD TROPHY - GEORGE POTEET
WINNER’S OF THE HOT ROD MAGAZINE’S BONNEVILLE TROPHY THREE YEAR’S IN A ROW
The Speed Demon Crew Aron Cranford Kenny Duttweiler David Main Mark McCaw Jim Miller Greg Pyles Russell Russ AJ Smith Steve Watt Special Thanks to "Teen Angel" Vanessa!
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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