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| Landspeed Historians Sports Fans
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SOCIETY OF LANDSPEED RACING HISTORIANS Newsletter #26. Websites
posting the newsletter are:
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President's Corner: By Jim Miller.
Editor's notes: I print all emails sent
to me unless you print PERSONAL or CONFIDENTIAL in the
body of
the text or in the subject box. If it appears to be
confidential or have no historical references, then I
won't publish
your email. It is your responsibility to make sure
that any emails, phone calls or letters that you DON'T
want
made public, be made perfectly clear. I deal in
volume with 5 newsletters and the constant computer
crashes and
troubles only slow me down. I also reserve the right
to edit your letters and correct punctuation, grammar,
spelling
and obvious errors. Since my skills are rudimentary,
this may amuse some of the grammarians out there. The
editor loves split infinitives. His English teachers
developed gray hair in trying to break him of this
habit. He also
drops into first, second and third person as you would
shift gears racing down the El Mirage dry lakebed. I
want
to thank my brother for helping me iron out some
recent problems that my computer was giving me. Also,
thanks
go to Roger Rohrdanz for computer assistance. I am
patiently waiting for your autobiographies. Now that
you
are members and reading the newsletters, I expect that
each and every one of you will do at least a short 2 or
3
page story on your life and racing memories, except
for Kelley who is entitled to go 20 pages any time he
pleases.
1) First let me say how sorry I am
that your Dad has passed on...what a wonderful life he
had though. He
was simply put, A GIANT. I don't know if you've
heard yet, but I got a phone call from a very good
source
in California that Ray Brown has passed on. I
believe the date of his death was last Sunday, November
11,
2007. I have been searching for an obit in a variety of Southern CA newspapers but can't find one yet. I believe that he lived in the San Fernando Valley and was retired from the Superior Industries Company.
Can you verify this? Anyone you can call? I
believe this to be true as my source was very close to
Ray.
Bruce Aydelotte, New Jersey Bruce
and the Readers: Thank you for your kind
thoughts. My definition of a
GIANT is this: A person who needs at least 10 people
to match his/her work in life. My brother and I have
been
stretched to the limit trying to do only a few of the
things my dad did in his life. Yes, Bruce, he was a
GIANT.
Does anyone out there know about Ray Brown and did we
get his history recorded before it was too late?
2) I am doing some research on a
1928 roadster that I bought. What I'm trying to find is
information on
Duke Hallock's 28 roadster or any other 28/29
roadsters that may have had a Hallock windshield
previous
to WWII, mainly 28's. The car currently has a
standard windshield cross brace welded on and has
remnants
of a gas ration sticker on the glass but looking
underneath you can clearly see that the top of the cowl
posts were once cut off and there was a hole
through the side of the cowl post about centered on the
body
line which leads me to believe that the car once
had a Hallock or Hallock type windshield on it and
judging
by the ration sticker "A." I would guess that it
had one prior to WWII. The cowl top was also shaved and
the gas tank relocated to the trunk. I dont know
what avenues you may have that could help out or if you
wouldn't mind posting in a newsletter one week? I
would greatly appreciate anything that you may be able
to do to help. Anyone can contact me through my
e-mail
HotRodAV8@aol.com, Thank You very much,
Zach Suhr Zach: Sorry
that I couldn't get your letter into issue #25, where
Jim Miller gave a fine description
of the Hallock Brothers. My computer is just driving
me crazy and has slowed down my mail. Can anybody help
Zach with his question. As to whether the newsletter
will take inquiries or even ads the answer is this; if
it helps to
increase our knowledge of land speed racing and hot
rodding, then we will run what is sent in. Building and
restoring
a car is as important to us as recording the life
history of one of our original land speed
pioneers. Stories about a
unique method, innovation or invention is as much a
part of what we do as are stories about people and
places.
3) It's confirmed, Ray Brown's
Memorial Service will be at 3PM on Monday, November
19, 2007 at Forest
Lawn, North Hollywood, California. See
http://www.forestlawn.com/Visitors-Guide/Service-Locator-
Detail.asp?dec_id=114951&tid=27160709340127091179734.
I had always hoped to meet your father
on one of my LA Roadster Show trips. I visit
the museum every time I'm there and thought I might
get
lucky and bump into him, never did. I am
sorry to this day. But his was a great life, we
should all be so
talented and fortunate! Brucie Aydelotte http://home.comcast.net/~cuznbrucie/WHEELERS.htm
4) Thanks for calling me about
Doug Harrison. Mitzie and I took them to dinner and
had a wonderful visit.
I am looking forward to the event for your
father next year. Yes, I would like to join your
society. I asked
Louise about an age requirement and her
comment was that I am almost historical in my own
right. I
have read each and everyone of the
newsletters. Great work. If a get together happens
at Jim Travis'
then that is just less than a mile from me.
Regards, Kay Kimes Kay and the
Readers: It is a pleasure
to have you join us. Kay and many other original
1949 Bonneville Racers were honored at the 1999 50th
Anniversary Reunion hosted by Alex Xydias at the
Silver Smith Hotel and Casino, in Wendover, Nevada.
Actually it was the 51st Anniversary, but 50th or
51st, it is always a treat to meet the Bonneville
pioneers.
Editor: If you have any stories on
hot rodding or LSR to submit, send them to me at
RnParks1@Juno.com.
Editor's notes: Both obituaries on
Al Holbert come from Tom McIntyre. The editor runs
all obituaries whether
they relate to land speed and hot rodding or
simply car racing in general. The reason is
that there are crossover
topics that affect us all.
5) Bob Holbert, father of
legendary Porsche racer Al Holbert and a
renowned sports car racer in his own right as
well as a leading Porsche dealer, passed away
on Monday in Warrington, Pa, at the age of 84.
The Warrington
dealership that Holbert started in a garage in
1951 now has 93 employees, and is America's
oldest authorized
Porsche dealership. As a racer, Bob Holbert
won four SCCA National Championships and won the
United
States Road Racing Championship title. He won
six class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring -
where his son
Al would go on to win twice overall - before
he retired in 1964 after the death in
Indianapolis of his friend and
co-driver Dave McDonald. In 2004, both
Holberts were inducted into Sebring
International Raceway's Hall
of Fame, a group that also includes Mario
Andretti and Carroll Shelby. "Through his
dealership and racing
successes, Bob Holbert helped establish the
Porsche brand in America," said Peter
Schwarzenbauer, president
and chief executive officer of Porsche Cars
North America. "He was a true American Porsche
pioneer."
6) Robert Holbert, one of the United States' first Porsche dealers and a prominent Porsche race driver in the '50's
and '60's, died in his native Warrington,
Pennsylvania, on Nov. 12, 2007. Holbert was
born in Warrington in
1923, and he opened a garage in the late '40s.
The business moved to the more famous Holbert's
Garage building
across the street in 1951, when Holbert
started a repair and parts business specializing
in foreign and sports cars.
In 1954, Holbert's Garage became one of the
first authorized Porsche dealers in the country,
and it continues
today as one of the most well-known and oldest
Porsche dealerships in America. Holbert's love
and knowledge
of cars included a distinguished racing
career, with awards ranging from the New York
Times' "Best Sports Car
Driver" for three separate years to top
finishes in the 12 Hours of Sebring. He drove to
a record six class victories
at Sebring, including second overall in 1960.
Holbert started racing in 1953 in an MG, then
switched to Porsches
in 1957 after seeing driver Jack McAfee pass
seven drivers--all in cars with bigger
engines--in a Porsche 550
Spyder at Cumberland Raceway. His subsequent
racing activities in Porsche's RS-550 and RSK
led to four
SCCA national championships and a podium
finish at Le Mans with Masten Gregory. Holbert
also sold Roger
Penske his first race car in 1958. "Through
his dealership and racing successes, Bob Holbert
helped establish the
Porsche brand in America," said Peter
Schwarzenbauer, president and CEO of Porsche
Cars North America.
"He was a true American Porsche pioneer."
Holbert later became a Shelby Cobra team factory
driver, winning
the first United States Road Racing
Championship title in 1963. He and frequent
co-driver Dave McDonald
won the GT class at Sebring in 1964.
McDonald's death in a racing accident at
Indianapolis several months later
was a major factor in Holbert's decision to
retire from racing later that year. Holbert's
son Al helped run the
dealership and was the president of Porsche
Motorsport North America. He had a strong racing
career of his
own, winning Sebring twice (1976 and '81), the
24 Hours of Le Mans three times and multiple
IMSA titles
before his career was cut short by a 1988
plane crash. Holbert's other son, Larry, has
been the president and
general manager of the family-owned dealership
for the past 25 years.
Editor's notes: The
following came from Art Evans and is
directed to road course racers. If any of
you are
members and have not received notice,
contact Art asap. If you are not a member
of the Fab 50's you must be
invited by one of the members as a guest.
All road course racers and fans are welcome
to join the Fab 50's if
they are sponsored by a member.
7) "Fabulous Fifties
Banquet, Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Banquet
at the Petersen Museum honoring
John Fitch, who just turned 90. He
has had a sensational career as the first
SCCA National Champion,
Sebring winner, Stirling Moss
co-driver, WWII hero and POW, course
designer, car developer, safety
engineer and more. Speakers will
outline his accomplishments. December 1 is
cut-off date. The event
is at the Petersen Automotive Museum 6
pm, cost is $60 per person. You must make a
reservation. It
includes an all-you-can-eat feast."
8) Re: El Mirage.
Info in the newsletter is incorrect.
Saturday was great. Weather
beautiful, nominal
tailwinds all day (El Mirage
horsepower). Had a couple of spins and
a spectacular spinout-semi crash
where the car left the ground, did
a 360 during which it shucked the left
rear axle assembly and came
back down. Driver uninjured.
There were a lot of entries, but
everyone present got their one run and
several records were set. Meet
called at 2:30pm. Sunday morning, no
ambulance. Heard that the
ambulance driver quit in the
middle of the night and there was nobody
to drive. While we were waiting
around for a relief driver to
show, the wind came up and blew big
time. We waited around till about
11:00am and they finally called
the meet. Check the SCTA web site for
records and what I understand is
a terrific video of the spin/crash. Bob McMillian
9) I was at El
Mirage Sunday as was Jim Miller. He'll
agree, at one point you couldn't see
your hand in
front of your face the blowing
dust was so bad. In fact I drove by tech
before I realized I passed it. They
prayed for rain in Georgia and got
some. We need to do likewise because El
Mirage is as chewed up as
I've seen it in years from lack of
water. Dick Martin
Dick: The Rain God and the
Weather Chief have
already been thought of by past land
speed and drag racing pioneers. My
father had a "Keep the Rain Away"
tie that he always wore at Indy. I
saw the tie. It's well worn and a
priceless collectible that we will keep
and
protect. "Indian Chiefs" often did
anti-rain dances prior to the events.
The word RAIN was actually a forbidden
word when I was growing up. Dad tried
never to use it. He would say, "that
wet stuff," or "liquid problems," or
a variety of phrases, but he avoided
the R word. A lot of racing groups,
especially the oval track guys, had a
number of superstitions about the
weather and what they could do to
control or mitigate it. The SCTA would
be wise to designate a special
volunteer position called "Chief Blow
away the Wet Stuff." He would bring
back
the original spirit of our pioneers
who created dry lakes and Bonneville
racing.
10) 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:
I have the documents and I'm
sharing your letter with our members.
We are trying to find the correct dates
when these records were typed out
and include them with the documents
that my brother and I have. The results
will be published and made available
to whomever would like a copy and read
about the origins of the SCTA. My
brother and I have read and reread
the manuscript and asked my father
about what happened in the formation of
the SCTA and other land speed
time trial associations.
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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,
Kay Kimes, 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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