In June 1949 Gophers member Conrad Weidell showed up at the lakes with this "Special" powered by a 270" Merc with Evans speed parts that ran in the Streamliner Class as number 427. A speed of 113.92 mph was recorded, being the slowest of 10 entries. For July he was back with it again this time running as number 411 according to the program. The caption on this photo said this was car 411 so that means this is probably a July shot. A quick check of the results revealed that it actually ran as car number 511 and turned 141.06 mph for fifth in class. So much for accurate paperwork. The car would normally be found in its natural habitat going in circles and driven by Dick Vinyard at Carrell Speedway. Conrad also made some extra bucks with it when he rented it as a "prop" for use in the feature film “The Big Wheel”. Note the Chopped and slammed ’40 Chevy in the background. Cool.
Bill Brereton was in his early ’30’s when he was snapped at Huntington Beach Speedway by Ernie Lovingood receiving a trophy from a cutie astride a Solar kit-car designed by Elmer Ross and produced by Solar Aircraft right after WWII. Bill moved to So-Cal in late ’39 from Seattle and went on to win the 1940 U.M.A. Pacific Coast Championship before joining the Navy, being discharged in ’45, and going back to racing.
The Quinton & Richards Class A Gas Roadster from Santa Barbara, CA is undergoing a little maintenance in the pits at Bonneville in 1966. The '65 record stood at 198.488 mph and shoe Arley Langlo qualified at a quick 202.47 mph and then bumped the old record to 209.140 mph on the way to becoming a member of the B-Vile 200 mph Club. On the left is the Class F GT Porsche of Douglas Gardner from Sunnyvale, CA. He qualified at 148.51 mph on the 127.795 mph record but couldn’t back it up. Second place qualifier Bill Gurnee bumped the record to 137.31 mph.
Julian Doty laying down on the job at Bonneville changing rear end gears on the C&D Special in 1953. The McDowell headed Ford banger ran 128.20 mph for a 6th in Class B Lakester.
Don Garlits is seen at Bakersfield in 1966 with the Swamp Rat X. It was a remake of Swamp Rat 8 by Don and George DeLorean in Troy Michigan when they front-halved the 140' Rat VIII car and stretched it to 175”. They made a new nose and painted it black and silver and headed west for some match racing. Along the way Don had Tom Hanna build the new body shown and had George Cerny paint it red. The 426” Hemi wouldn’t run right until Don added 50 degrees of lead, so by the Springnationals it was decided a new ride was needed. The best showing in ’66 was winning the Mr. USA Fuel Championship at Cecil County with a run at 211.76 mph in 7.370 seconds. In ’67 the car with a new red and black paint job was retired with a dummy engine to Tuthill’s Museum of Speed in Daytona. It stayed there until Mr. Tuthill passed away and is now in Don’s Museum in Florida.
A classic photo of two Hollywood screen legends Barbara Stanwyck , and Clark Gable ,seated in their midgets from the movie To Please a lady
Elvis Presley and Mary Selph on June 30, 1972 riding his 1971 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra-Glide motorcycle in Memphis at the corner of South Parkway East and Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Legendary business tycoon, investor, aviator, aerospace engineer, inventor, filmmaker and philanthropist Howard Hughes' 1953 Buick Roadmaster Howard Hughes Billionaire, Recluse And Obsessed With Bacterial Germs And Owner Of Hughes Aircraft Had Modifications Made To This Buick Namely A Supplemental 24 Volt Electrical System For It's Air Conditioning Air Filtration System In Addition To The Cars Factory 12 Volt System. The Continental Wheel Was Designed And Manufactured By Hughes Aircraft And Was Necessary To Accommodate The Spare Tire Since The Air Conditioning Air Filtration System Took Up The Entire Trunk Carrier! Howard Hughes Chose The Buick Roadmaster Since It Blended In With The Other Cars On The Road As He Was Also Obsessed With His Anonymity!
The Jalopy Journal
