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SOCIETY OF LANDSPEED RACING HISTORIANS Newsletter #25. Websites
posting the newsletter are:
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President's
Corner:
By Jim Miller.
I'm always busy gathering info on land speed racing.
Today I got an e-maid from my co-worker Henry Astor
at the American Hot Rod Foundation asking for some info on
Duke Hallock's pre WWII Model-A roadster.
The first thing I did was get out all my old programs and
research info and do a little digging. This is what I came
up with and sent him. Duke Hallock and his brother Jud
ran a Speed Shop. From what I gather they shared
everything so I can assume the roadster that Duke ran was
the same as his brother ran, since it and the modified
were never at the same meet together and both cars ran
Cragar heads. It's also probably safe to assume that
both cars ran the same motor. I have Duke running a
Roadster on May 16, 1937. It was number 16 and
powered by a Model-A/B with a Cragar head. I have no
speed. This was before the S.C.T.A was formed.
Jumping to May 15, 1938, the first SCTA. meet, his brother
Jud ran a Roadster as #22 to a speed of 99.7 mph.
On October 2 of that year Duke showed up with his Modified
#50 with a four-banger and Cragar head. I have
no speed. At the end of the year the brothers ran an ad
for their speed shop in the December 1st issue of the
S.C.T.A. Racing News. The shop's address was 323 North
Hiatt Street, La Habra, California. In Volume 1,
Number 9 of the S.C.T.A. Racing News, dated May 1, 1939 it
said Duke switched from the Derelicts Club to
become a Night Flyer. His brother was a Knight Rider. On
May 28, 1939 Duke showed up at the lakes with
his Modified and ran it as car #159. I have no speed. On
September 10, his brother Jud showed up with a
Roadster with a Cragar head and ran 98.25 mph. That's
what I have on the Hallock family racing history, for
the moment. Here are some things about Duke that you
might not know about. His modified was on the cover
of the S.C.T.Racing News dated April 1, 1939. Eldon Snapp
did the cover art. The drawing shows a strange
contraption on the left side of the engine with a tube
connected to it that arched over the cylinder head to the
intake, manifold on the right side of the motor. What was
it? At around this time Duke worked for an outfit in
West Los Angeles. The company was involved with making
radiators to cool air, not car radiators, but aircraft
radiators. Some of the new aircraft being built at the
time had forced induction systems and the air was reaching
temperatures that were way to high. The company solved
the air heating problems and changed its name to
AirResearch. So what was that strange contraption on
Duke's car in 1939, why it was one of the first Turbo
chargers ever seen on a car. And those radiators he
worked so hard on are now called intercoolers. He spent
the rest of his working life at this company and did a
little reverse engineering, first adapting the turbo to
trucks
and then to cars. We can all thank Mr. Garrett for hiring
Duke Hallock in the late '30's. On a more modern
note, this one's for Richard and David Parks. I've been
scanning a bunch of pictures from the mid '50's at
Bonneville and found one that you all should like. It
features the crew of the Chrisman Brothers-Duncan #177
Class C Roadster. They are getting a trophy at the '54
Bonneville Awards Ceremony for finishing first in class.
Jim Lindsley is wearing the 200 mph club shirt with the
stripes above the sleave and handed out the trophy.
Announcer Wally Parks in the dark shirt on the right looks
on. Photo by Ed Elliot of Speed Age Magazine
from a collection, lent to the AHRF by friend Joe
Henning. Last Friday I got a call from land speed legend,
Thatcher Darwin. We talked for some time and he relayed
to me a story on how he witnessed history being
made at El Mirage Dry Lake on July 17-18 1948. He was in
the timing stand with timer Otto Crocker and
recorded the first ever record set on the lakes by a hot
rod at over 150 mph. He saw Howard Wilson drive
Stu Hilborn's #11 Class B Streamliner fitted with his
experimental fuel injection unit to a speed of 150.50 mph.
WOW! Thanks for the story Thatcher.
Editor's notes: A story on Thatcher Darwin
will be available at our websites listed above. Thatcher
was a long
time secretary of the SCTA and other racing groups and was
instrumental in protecting the hot rodding culture
from prohibitive political actions that would have
restricted landspeed racing and hot rodding in California.
1) Irwindale Raceway 30-Year Last Race
Reunion, Saturday, November 17, 2007, 10 am-3 pm. Legends
of
Speed will host a 30th Anniversary Last Race
reunion for Irwindale Raceway. Honorees are Funny Car
racer/builder Lou Gasparrelli and former
driver/sponsor Mike Bartlett. Admission for the public is
$15
and includes Museum entry, BBQ lunch and soft
drinks. The proceeds will benefit Linda Vaughn’s Angels
Charity Program. Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum,
presented by the Auto Club of Southern
California, 1101 W. McKinley, Bldg. 3A at the L.A.
County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. Interviews with
drivers and dignitaries who raced and worked at
legendary Irwindale Raceway. Plus, cars that raced at
Irwindale, such as the Howard Cams Rattler, will be on
display. Media RSVP to: Michael F. Hollander,
PCGCampbell 310-224-4981,
mhollander@pcgcampbell.com, or Bill Groak,
PCGCampbell 310-224-
4940,
bgroak@pcgcampbell.com. Readers:
Most of you are already considered Media and the rest could
probably get permission from Mike Hollander.
2) Tried to go to El Mirage today, but
it was a wash...high winds and lots of dust. Heard that
Saturday was
a wash too as the emergency/ambulance crew never
showed up. How could that happen? Paula Murphy
Paula and the readers: Does
anyone have a report on El Mirage? I haven't heard about an
ambulence doing
that for 50 years, but in the early days of the SCTA there
were a lot of problems with ambulences and their cost
to the organization. If there was a major disaster, the
police or fire marshals could order all ambulence companies
to reroute to new destinations. Warren, do you know?
Does anyone want to file a report on the lakes after each
meet? We will post what you send to us on land speed
racing from anywhere in the world.
3) What could I do as a volunteer? Now
that I am retired, I need something to do other than read
and sleep.
Readers: This is an actual email, but I
left the name off as it is the message that is important.
The purpose of the
Society of Land Speed Racing Historians is to
rescue books, photographs, trophies, artifacts, memorabilia,
oral
histories and anything else related to land speed racing
and hot rodding as it developed from the very first days of
the automobile to the very present. Many of you are
already doing that and working with foundations and museums
to find a home for our past. The very FIRST thing that
EACH of you can do is write your own history. My dad
started, but never got very far and what a huge loss that
was. Start with your grandparents, where they were from
and what they did and then go on to your parents and then
yourself and finally your children. Write the story in
detail and leave nothing out. This is the raw material
from which other historians and researchers will mine for
valuable clues as to how the hot rod culture grew and
developed. Some of it will bear heavily on how land speed
racing developed and blossomed. Secondly, go through all
your photographs and do captions. They can be short
or long depending on the photograph. There is NO caption
that is TOO LONG. Write the caption on an acid free
piece of paper and glue or tape it with two way tape to
the edges, not the middle of the photograph. Do not write
on the photograph if you can help it. Then scan the
photographs and the captions and record them on discs. If
you
do not mind sharing the photographs, send them to Jim
Miller who will store the copies so that if something
happens
to your originals, Miller will have a duplicate set.
Enough praise cannot be given to men and women like Jim
Miller
who spends his money and time saving and sharing and
researching our past. Three, and one of the most important,
SHARE your memories with your friends and family,
especially children. If we die and leave no one behind who
cares, then all our work is for naught. Invite your
children, grandchildren and their friends to visit the many
museums
in your area that specialize in the car culture. Become
members of the museums so that you can enter and bring
guests at will. Make friends with the museum staffs so
that you can enter at will. Go to races with you family.
Show them where you raced, photographed, was a fan, wrote
articles or just enjoyed land speed racing/hot rodding
when you grew up. Take them to lunch afterwards. Make
the day a joyous one and a time to remember. Be a
proponent for the cause and convert your family to your
love of racing. Recapping;
1) Write your life's story, 2)
put captions on your photographs and scan them and get
copies to Jim Miller, 3) convert your family to the same
love that you have for the sport. Then, after that is
done, you can help us find museums and interview those whose
stories haven't been told yet. We always start with
ourselves and work outward.
4) 14 Mar 2007 Subject: Message
and tapes made by Ken Berg of Mission Viejo..These are
not for sale.
Oral History cassette tape recordings. Editor's notes: This information came from Ken Berg, who is married to a widow of
one of the Drakes, of Meyer/Drake engines. Here are
the tapes he has made if anyone wants to contract Ken
about putting the information into the AHRF or some
other group.
1993 … Lou Meyer, Dale Coyne, Chuck Sprague, Nick
Goozee, Dale Coyne, Ross Bentley, Emil Andres,
Johnny Pawl, Frank Burany, Jim Wright,
Ross Bentley 2,
1995 … Al Unser jr, Alan Mertens, George Bignotti 1,
Madsen, George Bignotti 2, Bill Kerchenfault, Don
Hayward, Doug Clem, EV tapes 1 thru'
5, Richard Freshman, Galmer team, Gary Gordon, Lou Meyer
1,
George Parker, Steele Therkleson 1 and
2, Fred Gerhardt, Harry Meyer 1 and 2, Jim Lattin, Don
Weber, John Drake, Stewart Van Dyne,
John Drake, Yvonne Meyer, Lou and Fran and Santee party,
Lou Meyer 2, Lou Meyer 3, Lou Meyer 4,
Lou Meyer 5 and 6, Sonny Meyer,
1996 … Jamie Wetmore, Paul Metzger,
1997 … Bud Melby,
1998 … Buck Boudeman, Dennis Wood, Herb Porter,
ICMS, Stuart Hilborn,
1999 … Bill Fisher, Dick Jones, Ed Bautz, Fred
Carrillo, Jimmie Leach, John Whitehill, Johnny Boyd,
Presentation to Franklin Club, Racer's
Edge 1, 2, 3, Steele Therkleson, The Racer's Edge,
Stewart Van Dyne,
2000 … Bignotti, Bob Wood, Butch Meyer, Dick
Amacher, Frank Williams,
2001 … Bignotti part1 and 2,
2002 … John Drake, Sonny Meyer,
2002 … John Drake, Stewart Van Dyne, 9 CDs Leo
Goossen, Gloria Madsen, Janicek, Szymansky,
Mini tapes, Lou, Freshman, Hamlin, Tex
Johnston, Bud Meyer, Tom Sneva, Ed Rannberg,
Latrobe, Alec Giaimo, Alan Mertens,
Jim Toensing, Steele Therkleson, Gordon Schroeder,
My comments on Goossen tapes, Sonny
and Lou Meyer, Steve Olvey, Dick Perry, Rob White,
Andrea Montermini, Missing … Stuart
Hilborn, Pat Patrick, Rick Galles, Tom Brawner, Jon
Beekhuis, Kay Bignotti-Meyer, Missing
Racer's Edge tapes of Danny Sullivan, Jim McGee,
AJ Watson
(The) next step involves getting together an
influential advisory board and funding a report on
motorsports to lead on to a stronger linkage
between motorsports and academia. (Ken Berg)
Ken: I've done tapes on-Lloyd
Stehling, Dave Julius, Vance Ziebarth, Howard Gardner,
Jerry Curry, Kong
Jackson, Johnny Klann, George Forteville, Mary Parks,
Ralph Foster, Jim Lindsley, Earl Mansell, Dick Kraft,
Johnny Ryan, Roland Mays, John Riley, Dante Gonella,
Fred Hadley, Bud Van Mannen, Gordon Schroeder,
Ak Miller (missing), and Marvin Jenkins. Maybe we can
find a library to help us catalog the past. Tapes
Not for Sale.
5) I know a guy who's legally
blind. He was injured working on a vehicle. His goal is
to set the world land
speed record on the salt flats for a blind guy. He
approached me in late 2005 about PR. Is this a story
that would interest you? He currently owns a team
of drag racers. Cindy Meitle
cindy@carprusa.com.
Readers: Would anyone like to help
Cindy do a story?
6) How does one sign up for the
Society Of Landspeed Racing Historians? By way of
provenance, I have
been going to Bonneville since 1961 and have
only missed three times when there was a meet. I
have
been (at Bonneville), a tech inspector,
assistant timer under Otto Crocker, assistant timer
under Gary
Cagle, assistant to Daryl Smith who provided
the timing equipment for several years, and a
driver. I
have attended and driven at El Mirage off and
on since the late 60's. During my trips to
Bonneville and
El Mirage, I have taken hundreds of
photographs, both film and digital. I have several
published articles
re El Mirage, Bonneville, Wendover AFB, etc.
I note that many of the current members are friends
of
mine. I was also on the SCTA-BNI board of
directors in the late 60's. Please let me know if
you need
any further qualifying information. Bob
McMillian, San Diego Bob:
Greetings. The back issues of the
newsletter explains how to join, but the simple
answer is that people just ask. There are no dues
or duties. We
are a working group, which means that our goal is
to preserve history. If you do that in any facet,
then we want
you as a member. Welcome to the group.
7) Back from El Mirage and
getting caught up on things....I have scanned
(.jpeg) images of the first pages
of the documents you are interested in and
attached them to this reply. If any of these
items look like it is
something you need and can use, I will
Xerox hard copies and get them to you. It was
interesting reading
the minutes of these meeting again,
especially the March 3, 1941 meeting. Your Dad
declined nomination
for the SCTA Presidency as did Bob Rufi.
Neat seeing a bunch of historic names mentioned
in these minutes.
Also interesting to see that some of the
same issues we have today they also dealt with
"back in the day."
Samples attached. Let me know what you
need. Jerry Cornelison Jerry:
My brother and I would love to
add what you have to the 130-some minutes that
we have put into Dad's books. These records just
keep popping
up and they delay publication, but we will
need to have some help editing anyway. I asked
Dad about why he
turned down the job of secretary pre-war and
he said it was due to the pressing needs of the
war. Those who
did not go directly into the military were
working long hours in the war plants. Dad test
drove tanks for GM at a
plant near South Gate. Then he volunteered to
go into the Army when they said that they needed
trained tank
mechanics. He wrote extensively of this
period and my brother and I hope to have it
published one day as well.
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Members: Jonathan Amo,
Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Glen Barrett, Lee
Blaisdell, Warren Bullis, Gary Carmichael,
Jerry Cornelison, 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, Ken Kelley, Mike Kelly,
Jim Lattin, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, Fred
Lobello, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom
McIntyre, Don McMeekin,
Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don
Montgomery, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy,
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, Zach Suhr, Pat
Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone and Jack
Underwood.
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