Bonneville Salt Flats: the Fastest Place on Earth is being updated and republished to mark the celebration of 100 years of racing on the salt in 2014. I have joined forces with the University of Utah Press to publish a book that will now include another decade plus of racing action. Much of the original book will stay the same, but I am picking up the action in 1998 and adding to the historical record concluding with the close of the 2012 racing season.

I am looking for not only interesting highlights from each year, but also top quality photographs and speedy personal tales from the racing community. The window of opportunity was very small, but I have gained an extension to include the 2012 racing action.  Unlike the first book, this edition will held to a higher standard and be suitable for scholarly academic use. The manuscript will be delivered to the University Press in December where it will undergo an exhaustive review, fact-check and edit. The full-color, hardback book will be printed on high-quality glossy paper and will contain more than 200 photos scattered throughout a manuscript, I’m guessing here, some 200,000 words, prose and captions.  I invite anyone who is interested, to respond to the questions listed below. Those that do will assist in making the history of the Bonneville Salt Flats that much richer a story for all the world to read.

PHOTOS AND ART

Original negatives, slides, glossy photographic prints & high-resolution digital files only.

I am not able to use any photos printed on home computers as these photos will not reproduce at an acceptable quality level. However, such images are welcome for my reference files. To be considered for inclusion to the book a digital image file must be a minimum of 7×10 inches with a 300dpi resolution and submitted via CD or DVD in PC format.  I have ftp capability for those who want to go that route and know how to transfer large files through Skype’s IM process. Original slides, negatives, glossy photos, and original artwork submissions are most welcome. I will scan the items and then return the originals together with a CD of the submitted materials as an expression of gratitude for contributing to the historical record.  All materials will be carefully handled during processing and returned to you promptly. Please send answers to the question to me via this website  contact page and if you have photos, send me your phone number so we can talk about what I still and want.

I have left the starting line. Let’s go through the lights together!

 1. When and why did you go to Bonneville?  If you went back, why? How long?

 2. Describe Salt Fever. Do you have it and if so, how did you become affected?

 3. With what speed machine(s) have you raced? Please indicate class and power train configuration.

 4.  Any records?  What are they?

 5. Bonneville 2 Club members:  describe the day you got your hat.

 6. Describe your most challenging/thrilling run at Bonneville, please include as many details about the actual driving experience as possible.

 7. What contributions, if any, have you made to the sport?  Please describe in detail. (volunteer service, technical advancement, sponsorship, et al)

 8. Who made the biggest impression on you at Bonneville and why?

 9. Define Speed. What does it mean to you?

 10. Anything else the world ought to know about you, the team, the car, sport?

Happily, mainstream media is starting to recognize the tremendous efforts of land speed racers — the fastest people in the world!

The  a  7-minute segment on Mike Cook’s Bonneville Shootout Saturday,  November 5th at noon (EST), part of the NASCAR nationwide pre-race show.

Can’t wait? No problem, watch the fast-paced, energy-laden mini-saga here:

espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7190038&categoryid=2378529

Rocky Robinson, the fastest rider on 2 wheels at 376MPH didn’t wait; he checked in with me saying, “Just watched the ESPN video of the Shootout. Awesome job. Wish I could have stayed around to be part of it. I sure hope you are coming back next year. If me and the team decide to come back, we’ll get her right, I promise.  Love your work.“ 

Well, I love you too Rocky! you, the team, the bike, and especially Tricia who gets scared crazy when you’re thundering across the salt but stands by you nonetheless! What a gal!

Look for the Poteet & Main’s Speed Demon, Charles Nearburg’s Spirit of Rett, Richard Assen from New Zealand, Rocky Robinson and Mike Akatiff’s Ack Attack, Leslie Porterfield, Mike and Terry Nish running for their glory story of speed.

I’m included as well, waxing with affection about the greatest motorsports venue on the planet, the place where more records have been set, lost and regained at higher speed than any place on earth — all done by amateurs, on shoe-strings budgets to test an idea, a hope, to make a dream come true. This where the age old question is put and answered, How fast will it go?” with every run across the salt.

George Poteet in the Speed Demon Streamliner

“Fuel for Thought”

Published in Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette

Gold to Louise Ann Noeth

The 20th International Automotive Media Competition concluded June 20, 2011, with the presentation of the 2010 International Automotive Media Awards (IAMAs). The event was held at the Automotive Hall of Fame, Dearborn, Michigan, in conjunction with the North American Concept Vehicles Awards. This was the fourth year of the combined awards program: IAMAs and NA Concept Vehicle Awards. The program and the venue received numerous compliments.

The International Automotive Media Competition, a function of the International Society for Vehicle Preservation, is a peer-judged awards program to recognize excellence in all forms of automotive media. Judging of entries for this year’s IAMA honors was conducted among works presented during calendar-year 2010. The competition recognizes work done in print, online, video, radio, and public relations or marketing campaigns. Gold, silver, and bronze “foundation” awards are the result of peer judging against an absolute 100-point standard. For example, Gold medal entries earned between 97-100 points in the competition. Each work is judged on its own merits against a scale. Entries must meet a minimum standard to qualify for an award. If no entry in a category meets the minimum standard, no award is given. The entries do not compete each other and are only judged by the quality of the work. Some categories have multiple winners of the same award while other categories might not have a winner even though entries were submitted. Simply entering work in a category does not guarantee an award or that the entry will even be recognized.The IAMA program is administered by the International Society for Vehicle Preservation, based in Tucson, Arizona.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT has provided readers with updates and feature articles on the sport of land speed racing through the Goodguys Gazette on a monthly basis for the past nine years.

May 28, 2011, Indianapolis Motor Speedway– The 2010 All American Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) Contest winners were announced at the annual breakfast held in the shadow of  the famed racetrack’s turn two. Now in its fourth decade, the annual competition attracts entries from across the nation as well as from around the world.

“LandSpeed” Louise Ann Noeth has earned two first place finishes: the first for Magazine Column Writing and the second for Magazine Technical Writing.  Both honors were awarded for her long-running, monthly Fuel For Thought column in the Goodguys Gazette.  “Attitude, Gratitude, and Talking Race Cars” which ran in December 2010 earned the Magazine Column Writing top slot in the nation. For the Magazine Technical category win it was the January 2010 column, “Brain-Bucket Beef,” that judges gave the nod.  

AARWBA President Ms. Dusty Brandel noted,  “I  loved to see the lady journalists finally getting proper recognition for all their hard work.” In the male dominated motorsports world it is significant to note that women swept all three slots in Online News Reporting, finished one-two in three other categories and earned a total of 17 “podium” finishes overall for 2010.

It was Ab’s dogged determination that put the Bonneville Salt Flats on the international racing map, not to mention the hundreds of speed marks he set there proving the salt’s worth.

Considering his limited resources, Jenkins racked up remarkable achievements. What distinguished him from his contemporaries was his precise use of local, “tribal” salt knowledge and unlimited guts. He was a deeply religious man who put his faith in God, and by God, he went far.

Jenkins was often oxymoronically called “The World’s Safest Speedster” because he set more world records than any other driver, past or present, yet he was prouder of his million-mile “no accident” street driving record than all his speed and endurance records combined. His watchwords were simple: Safety First.

Moreover, the vintage film footage shows first-hand what a relaxed champion he was — exiting his Bonneville Salt Flats racing machines after a grueling 24-hour endurance run as though he were climbing out of a limousine on Broadway.

It took several decades later to topple Jenkins exhausting, 48-hour endurance record. As for the marks that have fallen, it required the efforts of several drivers compared to Jenkins single-man driving shows. However, many still remain intact today.

One-time considered Utah’s “one-man public relations machine,” Jenkins racing fame got him elected Mayor of Salt Lake in 1940 without ever giving a speech, or spending a nickel on a campaign. He served until 1944.

Ab Jenkins was the certainly the first person catch “salt fever” and luckily he passed it on to succeeding generations with a need for speed. When Jenkins died at age 76, on August 9, 1956, the world was a little slower for him having done so.

If the film has one flaw, it failed to clearly document that it was Jenkins and his son Marv’s super human driving efforts on behalf of General Motors Pontiac Motor Division that caused the executives to name the new V8 Fuel Injected 1957 model “Bonneville” when the pair set dozens of speed marks out on the salt. It is the only car in the world that “earned” its name and not simply “given” its name.

If it was a matter of total run time at stake, the comments from Donald Davidson would never be missed giving viewers another sumptuous morsel of achievement from two ordinary men who did extraordinary things.

Land speed racing continues today on the flats, it is an iconic slice of what remains of American frontier life, great daring-do with all the ponies now under the hood.

When writing my book, Bonneville Salt Flats, I was privileged to be given unrestricted access by the Jenkins family to their personal files and photo collection. I spent several days in Noma and Marv’s in St. George, Utah home researching the the early days of the sport going through Ab’s entire career. It was a phenomenal collection of documentation, photos, letters and personal commentary of the era.

I came away thinking, “there ought to be a film made about these two” and now there is. Although the Jenkins name has faded away in motor sports, Director Curt Wallin has done a masterful job in resetting the consciousness level together with great editing and well-paced, informative writing that even a Hampton Socialite would be happy miss a nail appointment to see the film.

The film will be shown on the big screen in Wendover, Utah during the 2011 Speedweek and Pebble Beach in Carmel, CA,  the following week as well as during a variety of  film festivals, but will not be put into general distribution for too many reasons I won’t bore you with here. For more information about screenings near you, or how to buy the DVD, navigate to: http://www.boysofbonneville.com

In the spirit of transparency, you’ll see my mug, or hear my voice in the film a few times. My only regret is not taking time to “powder my nose” before Wallin and crew filmed my interview at the Indianapolis Speedway Museum. Consequently, I look like I have just been dragged through the hedge backwards after spending a day in Gasoline Alley running around with Paula Murphy and Andy Granatelli (the guy makes the Energizer bunny look like  slug).

Long have I supported the individual’s right to modify, build from scratch, and challenge existing “norms” in transportation and motorsports. From my friends at SEMA came news of celebrating the incredible grassroots genius displayed by so many in their rides.  Lots of high and mighty words, but it all boils down to a great excuse for a party!  — LSL

Annual Event Acknowledges Importance of Collection and Restoration of Classic Cars

Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2011) - The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and its Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) and Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Councils announced July 8, 2011 as “Collector Car Appreciation Day.”  The date marks the second commemoration in what will become an annual event to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.  SEMA and its councils are now working to secure a Congressional resolution to recognize the day’s significance.

“Last year, the United States Senate helped launch the first national Collector Car Appreciation Day by passing Senate Resolution 513 at our request,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald.  “As a result, thousands of Americans gathered at car cruises, parades and other events to celebrate our nation’s automotive heritage.  As we move forward, SEMA’s commitment to preserving and promoting the automotive restoration industry through its projects and programs is evident in this special day.”

S. Res. 513 was sponsored by Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus members Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC).  Senators Tester and Burr have been strong advocates for the automotive hobby in Washington, and the resolution reaffirmed their understanding of the cultural importance of collector cars.  The Caucus is an informal, non-partisan group that pays tribute to America’s ever growing love affair with the car and motorsports.  The Caucus recognizes the integral role collector cars have played in fostering our nation’s appreciation for the automobile’s unique historical place in our history.

“On July 8, 2011, collectors and enthusiasts will host hundreds of events across the country,” said Laura Bergan, Chairman of SEMA’s Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Council.  “We will proudly partner with individuals, car clubs and businesses as they organize car cruises, club gatherings and other educational events to celebrate the day.”

Rick Love, Chairman-elect of SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Council said, “The industry endeavors to preserve our nation’s automotive heritage while providing well-paying, high-skilled jobs nationwide.  Collector Car Appreciation Day is a singular tribute to this industry and the millions of hobbyists it supports.”

SEMA will maintain a list of scheduled events to commemorate America’s time-tested love affair with the automobile.  Individuals, car clubs and business owners interested in publicizing events should contact Mike Dingell, Director, SEMA Action Network (SAN) at 202/783-6007, etc. 38 or miked@sema.org.  If you are unable to celebrate on July 8th, SEMA encourages events to be scheduled throughout the month of July.

About SEMA
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $27.9 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,461 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for the specialty auto parts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765, tel: 909/396-0289, or visit  www.sema.org or www.enjoythedrive.com.

Ed Winfield, high performance pioneer

I am a member of the nominating and voting contingent that determines the annual inductees to the Motorsports Hall of Fame. I have long campaigned for land speed racers to be recognized and this year one of the stunning pioneers of high performance got the votes to get in — Ed Winfield. Don Vesco was got the nod a few years back and I am doggedly trying to get Al Teague and Bob Higbee some recognition.

Here’s the official press release:

DETROIT, MI – Racing legends Donnie Allison, Sid Collins, Roger McCluskey, Ed McCulloch, Augie Pabst, Bruce Penhall and Ed Winfield will be enshrined into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction celebration on August 23 and 24, 2011 in Detroit.

“This class is an extraordinary group of pacesetters,” says Ron Watson, president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame, “not only on the track, but in the engineering department and the broadcast booth, as well.”

Donnie Allison, a member of the famed “Alabama Gang,” compiled nearly 400 short track victories before joining the NASCAR Cup circuit in 1968. He won 10 Cup races and captured 17 pole positions. In 1970, he scored three wins and had 10 top five finishes. Allison, who earned the Rookie of the Year title in the 1970 Indy 500, will join his brother Bobby in the Hall of Fame.
Sid Collins was the original broadcast voice of the Indianapolis 500 and launched the IMS radio network in 1952 shepherding its growth from 26 to 1,200 radio stations. Listening to his dramatic, often poetic, race descriptions became an established tradition for families at holiday picnics and homesick members of the armed forces at remote locations around the globe.

Roger McCluskey won Sprint Car championships in 1963 and 1966, National Stock Car championships in 1969 and 1970, the Indy Car title in 1973 and competed in all but one Indy 500 between 1961 and 1979 when he retired from driving to become USAC’s vice president and director of competition.

For 30 years, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch split his time between drag racing’s two most powerful divisions, notching 18 Funny Car victories and four Top Fuel wins. He was named Driver of the Year in 1973 and 1988, was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2000 and continued in the sport as a tuner and crew chief between 2001 and 2010.

Augie Pabst was one of the brightest and most versatile stars of road racing in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. He won USAC and SCCA road racing titles in 1959 and 1960 behind the wheel of the Meister Brauser Scarab. During his career he won 13 major races including the Road America 500 three times and the GT category at Sebring in 1963.

Bruce Penhall was considered to be America’s greatest speedway motorcycle rider. After establishing himself in the U.S., he won several important European motorcycle racing titles and led the U.S. comeback in World Championship speedway racing in the early ‘80s, winning the World title in 1981 and 1982. In doing so, he was the first American to win that crown in 44 years.

Ed Winfield was regarded as one of the all-time great mechanical minds motorsports has ever known. He was an expert in engine design and carburation and played a major role in the development of the famed Novi engine with his brother, Bud. He is generally recognized as the “Father of the Racing Cam Business,” making his first performance camshaft in 1914 at age 13 and is credited with creative cylinder head designs and other engine advancements.

The new inductees will unveil their permanent Hall of Fame sculptures at the “Heroes of Horsepower” Reception to be held at the Detroit Science Center on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. The black-tie Twenty Third Annual Induction Ceremony will take place at the historic Fillmore Detroit Theater on Wednesday, August 24, 2011. Tickets for the both events can be purchased by calling 313-577-8400, ext. 482 or by visiting the Hall of Fame website www.mshf.com.

The Motorsports Museum & Hall of Fame is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation Inc. Currently housed in the Detroit Science Center in the Motor City’s Museum District, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America features the compelling stories of 188 Heroes of Horsepower along with the display of a wide variety of racing and high performance vehicles. The constantly changing collection features racers from the world of Indy cars, stock cars, Can Am, TransAm, sprint cars, powerboats, truck racing, drag racing, motorcycles, air racing and even snowmobiles.

When journalists finish a piece of work there is a sense of relief, to be done and to have accomplished something that will be of value to others. how many others is always a mystery. When the work is published there is a small bit of pride seeing the work placed into the public forum. When readers respond — with praise or criticism, it is bonus, a chance to take a measurement of value, worth and direction.

The big leap is entering the work into competition. Peer review can be as merciless and stinging as it is uplifting and rewarding. The point is, the journalist takes the chance, puts themselves out for critical inventory of where they stand in their craft. Oh sure, some competitions have silly judges who allow personal emotions to factor into their decisions thereby rendering the awards pointless.

Through the years, I have only entered those competitions where my writing, photography, design work and publicity efforts would be given fair, serious review. Where I place provides me with a litmus test of the work, of whether or not I might be slacking off and resting on some laurels. If so, I can kick my own butt to knuckle down and do better. It looks like 2009 was one of those years. I collected five awards, four for writing and one for photography, but not one merited a first place.  This isn’t ego crying out here. I understand that there were many submitted works that failed to place at all. In some categories the judges gave no award, ouch!

The idea is if I take up the readers time it damn well ought to be well worth it. If my peers don’t think so then I need to examine the reason why. Of course, no judge in a competition can tell how a particular work resonates with each reader, and I so often hear words of encouragement form readers that I understand that my work, especially chronicling the events and people in land speed racing, is appreciated and has value to many.  In the end, I want my work to be real, raw, current and above all — accurate. When I take on historical work, the accuracy is the driving force, the point of the entire exercise.

I thought it might be interesting to make all of you judges and see how comments compare to the professional reviews. Below are the links to each of the articles and the photo. Give a read and a look and then give my a piece of your mind. I’d dearly appreciate your feedback on these winners.

American Auto Racing Writers Broadcasters Association

2009 Third Place – Web Log Entry – “Jesse James Isn’t a Dead Man, Just a Brazen Liar”  – website

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/jesse-james-false-claims-of-world-recor.html

2009 Third Place – Magazine Column Writing – “The First of His Kind” – Goodguys Gazette

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/wp-content/uploads/FFT_July09.pdf

2009 Second Place – Photography – “Inspiration’s Record Run”, www.landspeedproductions.biz

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/worlds-fastest-kettle-gets-its-steam-on.html

19th Annual International Automotive Media Competition

Magazine column writing/series – Third Place – Fuel For Thought | June, July, November

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/wp-content/uploads/FFT_June09.pdf

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/wp-content/uploads/FFT_July09.pdf

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/wp-content/uploads/FFT_Nov09SteamCar.pdf

Internet Blog – Investigative -  Second place – “Jesse James Isn’t a Dead Man, Just a Brazen Liar” -www.landspeedproductions.biz

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/jesse-james-false-claims-of-world-recor.html

It takes awhile to immerse ones self in the local culture. A few months ago I read a news item on an exhibition by the St. Louis Camera Club and gave them a ring to see if I might be of service to the group. Not just another quaint bunch of hobbyist photographers, I was bowled over to discover this was the second oldest camera club in the United States,  only four years short 100 active years! Only the New York Camera Club is older. The group has more than 500 members and meets not once a month, but once a week attracting a full room every seven days. That means plenty of volunteer coordination and personal time by the five program chairs (color, nature, photo travel, photojournalism,prints)  to dream up topics and seek out speakers. Besides the executive board and directors, there are 18 fully staffed committees and a well-designed website: www.stlcameraclub.com.

It was to this august body of visual enthusiasts that I trotted out my presentation on land speed racing talking about what goes on at Bonneville, but focused on the 1997 Supersonic Showdown in the Black Rock Desert between the British and Americans. As usual, most of the audience didn’t have a clue about the sport so it was a delight to give ‘em peek at the world’s fastest fun and games.

In the second half of the evening, I judged several competitions — very difficult because the club has some damned talented shooters in the ranks.  Afterwards, about a dozen folks invited me out for desert and/or drinks at a nearby watering hole. A real friendly and gracious bunch. I have been already invited back to give another talk in January on Bonneville and class racing. When the unsolicited letter of thanks came I thought it would be interesting to share the experience with all of you.

Land speed racing has a long and storied heritage, much like the American wild west, but all the ponies are under hood these days. Mostly unknown outside automotive and motor sports circles, my presentations offer an intimate perspective into “go fast” Americana  where the “can do” spirit finds ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  Men and women, young and old,  the highly skilled next to the mighty lucky, put on a boisterously brilliant mechanical circus set on sparkling white salt laboratory where dreams come true on a certified time slip. With each run, the question is answered, time and time again:  How fast will it go?

If you have a school, club or business gathering that might get a kick out of learning a bit about the worlds’ fastest cars, trucks and motorcycles, get in touch with me through his website and we can discuss how to bring the stirring spirit of high-speed adventures to your group. I always have such an incredibly good time doing these shows. From a giant, packed room at Roush Racing, the overflowing main lecture hall at Ferris State University, colleges, high schools and primary schools to the keynote luncheon speaker for the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), numerous SAE chapters across the country as well as museums around the world, bringing the sport of land speed to the public is rewarding as it is enjoyable.