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SOCIETY OF LANDSPEED RACING HISTORIANS Newsletter #16.  Websites posting the newsletter are:
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President's Corner: By Jim Miller.  (No report received)
Editor's notes: This message was received in November 2006, but was on an email address I couldn't access.
1) My book on Ab and Marvin Jenkins and the Mormon Meteor land speed record cars, is just out.  Ab ran
  from the highways to the board tracks of the twenties to Indy and to Bonneville. $32.95 + $4.95 s&h,
  Gordon White, Box 129, Hardyville, VA 23070, gewhite@crosslink.net
Editor's notes: The following was received 20 March 2007, but I was unable to access it at the time.
2) Lowry AFB Air Force Base Dragstrip.  The attached is from www.coloradoracingmemories.com.  I will
  be sending another by separate e-mail. Both feature your father's Safety Safari.  Joe Stephan
Editor's notes: After I got a DSL line, I was able to find over 2400 emails that were sent to me on my old email
address and have been trying to respond to them as fast as I can.  Apologies to all.
3) Www.AHRF.com Newsletter - May 14, 2007.  If you've never been in the pits at Indy then this is the
  next best thing. The photos (from Bruce Hand) really capture the energy and excitement  of drivers and
  mechanics at the track in 1960. Photos include: Dempsey Wilson in his Novi, Troy Ruttman and A.J.
  Foyt, a rare Kurtis 500H driven by Don Freeland, H.H. Johnson's Helse Special that was on the cover
  of Hot Rod Magazine, rare photos of Art Sparks in 1931 with a Miller 220.  Altogether, there are over
  160 amazing new photos for you to enjoy...as always...for free at: WWW.AHRF.COMKeep an eye out
  for the upcoming Bob Wenz photo collection. Bob was a member of the Low Flyers and a successful
  competitor for many years. These photos are from right after the war and capture the essence of dry
  lake racing. The mud, dust, dedication and ingenuity of these young kids can be seen in nearly every
  shot.  We're putting up about 20 a day so keep checking in!
Editor's notes: This email is from April 2007.
4) Rat rodders and “cacklefesters” recently came together with nostalgia fuelers and Funny Cars for a
  fantasy weekend at Famoso Raceway.  A photo gallery accompanies Dave Wallace’s impressions of the
  best Bakersfield March Meet in years at http://www.hotrodnostalgia.com.  The personal 8mm movies of
  pioneer drag racers and lakes racers from the 1950s and ’60s have been merged into a fascinating new
  DVD, “The Way It Really Was:  The Rough Cut.”  Bert Munro, Mickey Thompson, Norm Thatcher and
  the Summers brothers are among the legends filmed by their fellow racers at Bonneville.  Just about
  every streamliner that ever raced is shown, in color.  Extensive dry-lakes footage includes a scary spin
  out recorded by a primitive onboard camera.  Action and pit film from legendary drag strips at Long
  Beach, Santa Ana, Riverside, Pomona, Fontana, Saugus, Fremont and Famoso illustrates the evolutions
  not only of slingshot dragsters, altereds, gassers and drag bikes, but also of “push cars” and female
  fashions.  Two hours long,  “The Way It Really Was” (PN 6930) can be purchased 24/7 from Hot Rod
  To charge to Visa or Mastercard, call (209) 293-2114 Monday through Friday, 9-5, PT.  To order by
  mail, send $24.95 plus $8.95 delivery to Hot Rod Nostalgia, PO Box 249, West Point, CA 95255-0249 
Editor's notes: This email is from April 2007.
5) I am inviting all of you to join me on Thursday May 3rd for a tribute luncheon at the Peterson in honor
  of my father.  Lunch will be provided followed by some remembrance speeches from friends and family.
  Details at: www.jackmcafee.com.  You are welcome to share this with your fellow sports car enthusiasts
  who may not be on this email list.  I look forward to seeing you there! Rex McAfee  Readers: Rex's father
  was Jack McAfee and he did some dry lakes racing before becoming a standout road course racer.  A cousin,
  although distant, was Ernie McAfee, well known in the late '30's and '40's as a great mechanic and dry lakes
  racer.  For a time, Ernie worked for Jack.
Editor's notes: This email is from April 2007.
6) Honoring Robert Petersen, Robert Petersen Interview Parts 2 & 3.  In continuing our tribute to the late
  and great Robert E. Petersen we have posted new film clips from our 2004 interview with him.  Robert
  Petersen's passing was a huge loss to the hot rod world as well as to the publishing world. In reading his
  obituaries, we are reminded that while his beginnings were in hot rodding, his influence and business
  success stretched into many other areas. It is also clear that his charitable giving was far greater than
  anyone realized. While we mourn his loss we are grateful that we can share this interview with you.  
  www.ahrf.com/video.php, Robert Petersen also appeared in Deuce, the documentary on the 32 Ford.  
  This is available at www.ahrf.com/store.php.
Editor's notes: The following email was received June 2006
7) Wendy...So sorry to hear that Doc (Jeffries) passed away. Our thoughts are with you during this time. I
  always enjoyed talking to him as he was loaded with a lot of history and racing facts.  Glen Barrett
Editor's notes: The following email was received June 2006.
8) I'm a little behind on things what with the documentary taking up most of my time. I am really excited
  about the regional officer concept. It's brilliant on so many levels.  They can collect photos; do interviews,
  help promote stuff we're doing etc. and make sure the AHRF is known throughout the country. I might
  put an ad up on our web site. Will you be at the roadster show? Perhaps we can talk then (Saturday). 
  Henry Astor     Readers: The regional officers concept had to do with making a coordinated attempt to do
  oral histories with our hot rodding and landspeed pioneers before they passed away.
Editor's notes: The following was received June 2006.
9) A colleague of mine, Alice Harper, Series Producer for Truth about Food at BBC Science in England has
  contacted me for help with a television show she is producing and I have agreed to be her "Pied Piper"
  here in the USA. Below are the casting call details and contact information. Alice and I worked together
  a on a number of documentaries about land speed racing and I have found her to be a trust worthy "TV"
  person. I believe you will be treated right.  Speedy Regards, LandSpeed Louise
     'The Truth About Food' will be transmitted in January 2007 and produced by BBC Science in London.
     This series will explore how different foods interact with the body, and will be illustrated using a combination
     of state of the art medical imaging and experimentation. It is being co-produced with Discovery.  We are
     looking to shoot a sequence with 3 classy 70's or 80's cars eg Mustang, Dodge challenger, Trans am (not
     hot rods or anything that looks too racey) on route 66 in the Amboy area. The filming would involve the 3
     cars with 3 drivers, each with a companion, for 2 consecutive days.  We would run a simple eating test at
     lunch time on both days. This would involve the participants eating a different meal and reporting back how
     long they feel full for. We are hoping to film this on the weekend of 8 and 9 July. Participants would also
     be given an evening meal, put up over night in a hotel or motel and receive reasonable expenses.  If you
     would like to know more please email Katie Lobban: katie.lobban@bbc.co.uk
Editor's notes: The following was received June 2006.
10) There are all kind of sanctioning bodys, holding different racing events with diferent classes to compete
  in, each organization make up there own ruels,some as they go.  It would be hard to build a car that would
  satisfy each organization. If someone had a car that is capable of setting a speed record that could stand
  the test of time, I would suggest to them to forget all the organization, sanctioning bodies, and club's.
  Have several credible radar units set up at a place of your choosing, and have the record runs certified
  by Genesis (sic) Book of Records.  If you succeed in breaking a record then it is yours till someone else
  goes faster in the same type of car with the same set up.  Regardless if it is a VW bug or a car with a J-79
  in it.  I have never been much of a conformist, and don't care much for an organization of any kind trying
  to tell me what I can or cannot do.  Arvil
Editor's notes: The following was received June 2006.
11) My experience with BNI/SCTA was not as bad as the jets in '62, but might  go to your point. I brought
  my 1948 Kurtis Offy midget in 1986 and immediately had rules problems. The late Mark L. Dees talked
  me into towing out from the East Coast to run in the Vintage class. I had read the rule book and had a
  USAC roll cage and other required alterations. First, though the USAC cage had been signed off by a
  certified USAC supplier (as the rulebook asked) BNI would not accept it and I had to get it modified, big-
  time. The following year I had built a cage identical with the lakester style cage, but BNI still required
  modifications. At that time the U.S. midget record set in 1952 by Rex Mays was 147 mph. I qualified at
  149, as I recall and went out the next morning to run for the record. The BNI officials said "oh no, the
  minimum is 150," and wouldn't let me run, even though I was three miles over the actual existing record.
  Later I ran with USFRA and turned 156.902 average both ways. I came back in 1989 to try to get a BNI
  record and they came up with all sorts of things such as I had to run on 4.00x12 front tires, though that
  size had not been made in 20 years except for implements.  I made a pass on 1942 4.00x12 tires, then
  said the hell with it and put on my dragster 2.5" inch fronts and ran the course with the FIA guys' timing
  me.  All-told, in four years, I ran a couple dozen passes under BNI timing but got only  one timing tag,
  for a 134 mph pass my first time out in 1986.  Got a few paper timing slips.  Never got a BNI record,
  though, I think at least one of my times got into a BNI book.  My times under FIA are still in their inter-
  national record book (not beaten yet).  There was a fair amount of "not invented here" about BNI/SCTA,
  though Dees and the late Bruce Johnston helped a fair amount.  Dees broke down later and said to me
  "White, the trouble with you is you're going too damn fast."  I found Bonneville quite a mixture of stub-
  bornness, helpfulness and cussedness.  Gordon White
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Members: Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Glen Barrett, Lee Blaisdell, Warren Bullis, Gary Carmichael,
G. Thatcher Darwin, Jack Dolan, Ugo Fadini, Robert Falcon, Rich Fox, Glenn Freudenberger, Don Garlits, Bruce
Geisler, Stan Goldstein, Andy Granatelli, Walt James, Wendy Jeffries, Mike Kelly, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford,
Fred Lobello, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don
Montgomery, Mark Morton, Louise Ann Noeth, David Parks, Richard Parks, Wally Parks (in memoriam), Eric
Rickman, Willard Ritchie, Roger Rohrdanz, Evelyn Roth, Ed Safarik, Frank Salzberg, Charles Shaffer, Mike
Stanton, David Steele, Doug Stokes, Bob Storck, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone and Jack Underwood.