I never saw the Goldenrod run, but I did see the tear drop car with the tandem rear wheels and the crank driven blown hemi the first year they brought it to speedweek. 64,65? Bob couldn't get the front wheel drive to hook up, salt was pretty wet. They went into town and gathered a ton of old batteries from in back of the Wendover Garage. Busted them open and melted the lead into a huge slug, and bolted it over the front end. Next day went out and qualified around 300 mph I believe. The Goldenrod was an engineering masterpiece, but I think the little tear drop car was a work of art. Any idea where it is? You should be proud of your Dad and uncle. They are Bonneville heros![/quote] Dean that car was known as the "polywog" due to it's tear drop shape. It is currently owned by long time land speed racer Tim Rocklitzer (sp) of Santa Barbara and he has plans to run it after the rework he doing to it. Scott, you are so right about the engineering of your dads car. Way ahead of it's time............. Here's a shot just before it went to the Ford museum. You were at this event, glad I got to meet you. Here are a couple of shots during the restoration. Yep 409 mph.................... cool
Isn't Breedlove the cat that had the jet engine from a salvage yard that the USAF claimed didn't exist and he got busted when attempted to buy fuel for it??>>>>.
I thought that was Art Arfons, bought a fodded out J-79 when it was still classified (as scrap), tried to get a manual for it and was told that 'no you don't have one of those" by a quartermaster somewhere. Story goes, he just took the bum blades out, along with two more (per) spaced 120 degrees apart. Evidently ran good enough.
Could have been Arfons,that's why I was asking as it's been quite awhile since I watched the movie>>>>.
Not in any order: Bill Kenz Charlie Markely Bob Herda All gentlemen, superb engineers and liked to go fast.
Bruce Geisler is my personal pick. Bruce earned the distinction of setting the most records at Bonneville with a grand total of 99, of which 50 were produced with his famed '53 Studebaker. Bruce is a fellow SloPok club member, friend, and all around good guy. Bruce is extremely active in the "Save the Salt" campaign for Bonneville. I am proud to be his friend.
Ak Miller(RIP), Al Teague, Mickey Thompson(RIP), Craig Breedlove, Don Vesco (RIP), Nolan White (RIP), and finally Noel Black, died trying!
I agree, Bob Summers was a hero. I saw the rear-engined 27T modified roadster run Bonneville in '59. The noise from the blown Chrysler was incredible, caused the grille of my father's car to buzz as the car disappeared over the horizon. Later the car went around and over on Bob, didn't do much damage because it was so well-built. Later Bob drove it to over 240mph. Talk about guts!! Later SCTA banned the rear-engined modified roadster until Ron Benham (another hero) lobbied to get them back. Later, when I was I Wilcap, I saw the engine of the tear-drop streamliner, and was blown away by the engineering, even to the Gilmer belt-driven fuel pump. Both Bob and his Brother are real land speed heros!! Sorenson
Each and every person that has run at Bonneville is a hero. They had a vision. Built that vision and had the balls to take that vision and race it. Win or lose they are all heroes.
didn't see this thread before. my father, 'miler' mike stewart, is my hero. he is a member of both the bonneville and el mirage 200 mph club. he has been involved in land speed racing since 1967. he is currently the longest continuous active member of the scta milers. at an el mirage meet in 1978 he set the e/fr record at 193 mph with a 241 dodge red ram on copious amounts of nitro. think about that for a sec... 193 mph... in a model a roadster... with a 241 cid baby hemi. this record stood for 23 years. he is the builder and tuner of the world's fastest four banger flathead ford. he's been involved with the scta tech and rules committees almost as long as he's been racing. many of the current class and tech/safety rules are the result of his involvement. he has an uncanny ability to remember in great detail cars and people that have run at the lakes in the past 40 years. he is like a walking, talking history book. he has taught me how to do more with less and has been the biggest influence of my life. i wouldn't be where i am today doing the things i love to do without him.
interestingly enough al is actually claustrophobic. i've witnessed first hand where al will be about 90% strapped into the car and then he'll wave everyone off, jump out of the car, pull his helmet off, and have what looks like a very controlled panic attack. he sits up against the car and breathes for a couple of minutes until he's ready to get back in. when i first heard about this i didn't believe but then i saw it happen. later on i found out that al was more or less scared to death of that car and really had to psych himself up to drive it. absolutely amazing to have that kind of inner strength and be able to face your fears.
What a great thread....All of them are my hero's... To many to list so I'm just going to add a few I call friends...Jack Underwood, J.D. Tone, Ron Bell, Bob Webb, Bob and Judy Sykes, Neil Thompson, Bob Eaton, Bob Brissett. Jeff Shipley, Glen Barrett, Gene Barbee, Jim Dunn, Al Teague ( his cast iron Chrysler block is in my Studebaker), Steve Toller, Don Ferguson lll, Kieth Allen, Lee Kennedy, Kiwi Steve Davies, Jim Miller, Mike Van Dorn, Warren Bullis and the wild bunch Marge,Tom,Tim Price & the kids .........They are all my hero's....Every last one of them.....
Andy Green, for breaking the sound barrier, Al Teague for breaking the wheel-driven record that had stood for about 900 years[ or so it seemed] Mickey Thompson ,just because he was ready to try anything and always went fast ,the Summers brothers, for setting the record that held up for 900years[or so it seemed]Burt Munro,for being unstoppable in his determination to travel half way around the world to run at 'bonny', and setting records for motorcycles ;some of which stood until recently! And there are alot of guys like John Rains ,who haul ass and hold lots of records in classes that don't get all the media attention[ John has run over 300mph in a pontiac transam with a buick v-6 , record set at 296 or so]All who run there are heroes. Waldo.
Art Chrisman........ in that bad ass lil coupe, and he is a good friend and a cool dude. Summers Brothers in goldenrod and of coarse Mickey in the challenger and Art Arfons in the monster,Breedlove in the spirit,Jim Travis in pumkinseed and the list goes on. Damn this thread is getting me fired up for August!!!!!
Rick Coatman. he's actually holding a few records still on bikes. Worked for him for a couple of years and just a really nice guy Daryl Zip: Not in a record book yet, but I've got my money on him setting one soon. Another super cool guy I worked for for a while and also of the zipper deuce and zipper lakester fame.
Not sure if they are heroes but a couple of guys that I have huge amount of respect for...... Ayala brothers,the customizers from east L.A. They built stunning customs and they used to run them.The 40 merc with the caddy rear quarters that Gil owned..that was a heavy hitting custom and then he went to El Mirage and ran 127mph in that sled!!!!! Reminds me of Doug Rice when he drove the Bonneville bomber.
Phil Freudiger--one of the first to break 200mph in the 50's. Member of russetta 200mph club, Dirty two 200mph club, muroc 200mph club, and bonneville 200mph club. William Ray Freudiger--going faster; with a small block chevy, on fuel;in a roadster than anyone I know. Driver of the first rear engine modified in 50 years built by ron. Driver of John Wolfes so-cal modified. Holding records since the 70's Tom Cobbs--founder of the crank driven blown. Good friend of Phil Freudiger. Bob Bequette Pete Prentice Fred Dannenfelzer C. Emmons Earl wooden Al Ron Cohn C. Hoffman Team Vintage hammer A. Volk Markley Montie Wolfe Ron benham John Wolf Norm Benham Les Leggitt Don Carr
Ak Miller, the first(and maybe only dane) to set records on the salt. And Gray Baskerville for his stories and LSR in Hot Rod Magazine, when i bought it, in the eighties. Lars
Did any of you guys know, that we ha LSR in Denmark, in the early twenties. Heres some pictures from Palle(Emilia). http://test.hotrodgarbage.dk/#15.5 I cant get them to show, so you have to check them out yourself. Lars
Don Vesco He did it all;cars,motorcycles. He approached it with the casualness of a cross town (lake!) commute.He was extremely cool under pressure which saved his life during some episodes. RIP Don.
Mine has to be a friend of mine, Gary Hart. He built his Studebaker in his shop on a limited budget and damned if it isn't FAST. Best I remember 249 MPH. And he can drive this car on the street. Also, who else would build a 1950 Buick to run at Bonneville and set records with it? Record holder with both cars. Besides that, he is a HAMBer. COOL GUY> Later, Dick
By the way, there is a picture of Gary and his Study in the newest issue of Hot Rod magazine. Later, Dick
Land Speed Racing is a newer fascination of mine and I have to agree with Bobby Green. Anyone who has been involved in anyway getting a car to run a LSR event has made a noteworthy accomplishment. One of my personal heroes is H.A.M.B.er Rich Fox. 30 years on the salt and elsewhere. Congratulations to the Old Crow Speed Shop for their recent achievements.
Craig Breedlove and Gary Gabelich, just because they were who they were! Al Teague, because he knew how to run fast and run cheap...the ultimate garage-guy builder/racer And, everyone that has made an attempt on the salt! It takes a lot of commitment, time, and $$$ to even show up to run. I'm going in 2010 as a spectator, then 2011 for a shot down the salt myself. I've been wanting to do this since the age of eight, and I've resolved to do so.
The Jalopy Journal
