 #14
071026 |
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| Landspeed Historians Sports Fans
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SOCIETY OF LANDSPEED RACING HISTORIANS Newsletter #14. Websites posting
the newsletter are:
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President's Corner: By Jim Miller. (No
report received)
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from August)
Due to a backlog of related topics that I couldn't
access, there will be more than one issue of the
newsletter this
week.
1) Please put me on your list
to send the Land speed Historians newsletter.
Haven't seen you for awhile.
How are you holding up with all the work you
are putting out. I mostly stay around home now. I
am not
like Rickman, he gets better with age. I was
80 last January. Willard Ritchie (the General)
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from August)
2) Chuck Abbott was a fixture in the SoCal auto racing scene for many, many years...starting with Dry
Lakes racing then to Track Roadsters and Drag
Racing then on to Sprint Cars, Midgets and Indy
Cars.
He may have had some involvement with Sporty
Cars of the 1950's since he was a friend of some of
the
pioneer home builders like Duffy Livingston.
He was a member of the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame. I
have
an interesting tale of when our paths first
crossed in the early 1950's. Chuck's passing may be
of interest
to some in your circle. Bob Falcon
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from August)
3) Lymington, England – Frank Swanston Project Manager for the British Steam Car Team died unexpectedly
this morning from complications of lung cancer.
“He was taken so suddenly,” said Team Administrator
Lynne
Angel, “he will be sorely missed. Frank was a dear
friend as well as work colleague. When he arrived we
all
came together; he was the father figure of the
team. We relied on him so much.” Team owner/
driver Charles
Burnett III, still stunned by the news, remarked,
“Frank was such a font of wisdom; he seems to have
driven
every kind of race car under the sun. He was a
huge resource of experience and knowledge for our
land speed
records project. This is a heavy hit for all of
us.” Frank Swanston was a consulting engineer well
known in
motor racing circles; his four decade long
professional engineering background was firmly
rooted in race car
design, vehicle development and build programs
including prototype work. From rally to touring
cars, or
historics to formula one, he was also a crack test
driver and top-notch fabricator -- impeccable
credentials to
lead the final phases of the vehicle build,
testing, development of the steam car record
attempt. Hi past postings
include: Race Engineer at Hexagon, Technical
Director at Turbo Tork, Chief Engineer / Race
Engineer at
Janspeed Motorsport, Technical Engineer at
Janspeed Engineering and Consulting Engineer at
Powertrain
Developments. Further information can be located
at:
www.frankswanston.co.uk. Peter Candy,
engineering
consultant to the team, friend and colleague of
Frank’s since the late 80’s, reflected, “Anyone who
worked
with him benefited from the experience, I could
trust whatever he told me. When Frank was Director
of
Janspeed, they pioneered turbocharging conversions
long before the OEM’s woke up to power boost
potential for engines. He also prepared dozens of
MGF sports cars for a race series and helped develop
a
London taxicab prototype to run on propane that
passed all applicable emission tests in force at the
time. Frank
also campaigned such iconic racing machines as
Lister Jaguars and Birdcage Maseratis.” Team mate
Peter
Prove who also worked with him at Janspeed, shared
his observations, “Frank brought credibility to our
steam
project; he had earned such immense respect from
everyone who knew him and worked with him in the
motor
sports. People knew if Frank were involved, it was
a serious project. He was good engineer, good
person and
good friend. Frank created a comfortable working
environment, one where you could come to him with
problems
and not feel you were going to be in trouble.
Frank had an engineer’s analytical mind and could
sort out problems
properly without fuss or drama. You knew were the
lines were drawn yet he trusted you to do whatever
job he
assigned you. His management style was that of
mutual trust.” Frank Swanston spent so many years
leading so
many racing teams that he could sense when things
were off kilter with people. Prove concluded with
this insight:
“He had the ability to help you through rough
patches in your personal life and had wide shoulders
that you could
lean on if you wanted to.” Perhaps the words of
Pam Swanston, Frank’s wife, sum up how the team felt
when
the news slammed home earlier today, “Why do they
always take the most kind and generous of this
world?”
The team mourns his loss and extends the deepest
sympathies to his entire family. Services are
pending. From
Louise Ann Noeth at LandSpeed Productions,
louise@landspeedproductions.biz.
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from July)
4) Dear Land Speed Enthusiasts,
There is this Texan, Charles Burnett III who is
building a steam turbine-powered
streamliner in southern England to vaporize the
200MPH barrier. Along the way Burnett hopes to
eclipse Fred
Marriott’s Stanley Steamer record of 127.659MPH on
Daytona Beach and Bob Barber’s 145.607 MPH record
set on the salt in 1985. His team of very
dedicated Brits in England have launched an appeal
and he would like
for you to visit the web site
www.britishsteamcarappeal.co.uk where for just
a couple bucks your name or
company logo will be placed on a Union Jack which
will then be inscribed onto the car, enabling you to
become
"a part of history"! Before anyone starts beating
me up for promoting “the competition” let me gently
remind you
that we Yanks owe the Brits a debt of gratitude
for keeping the interest up in the sport of land
speed racing. It
really is a novel way to raise a few quid to keep
the project rolling along. I’ve visited the workshop
a couple times
and can tell you the only difference in that shop
and one in the USA is they drink a lot more tea,
talk funny and
don’t use inches very much. Otherwise, they are
just as determined to nail a land speed record as
the rest of us.
So, if you ever wanted you name on a race car, but
couldn’t afford a sponsorship, here’s you big
chance. I’m
trying to figure out which ones I want! If you
have any questions, please contact the Steam Car
manager, Lynne
Angel, at
lynne@ecoengine.co.uk. Speedy Regards,
"LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from June)
5) The annual SAH Literature
Faire will be held this Sunday. Site is in around
the perimeter of the huge
parking lot at the NHRA Museum. Visitor gates
open at 0800 and teardown will be at 1500.
Admission
and Parking is free. The museum is located on
McKinley Avenue adjacent to The Sheraton Hotel and
admission is through Fairplex Gate No. One,
which is attended. They will ask for your
destination and
offer directions. This will be the very first
public showing of our award winning Shoehorn Rapid
Extrication Tool invention. We will also have
our two national awards on display. See you there!
Bob
Falcon Bob:
Sorry to print this so late. Was the SAH Literature
Faire at the Museum or at Fontana?
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from June)
6) Just to let you know –
renowned boat racing champ, Marion Beaver passed
away on June 21, 2007, at
age 90. A sportsman, politician and family
man, he was incredible. He was the patriarch of
Parker Motor
Co., the second’s oldest Ford dealership in
the state of Arizona. He had eight world speed
records. Be-
sides being a national boat racing champion,
he was also a pilot. See
pioneer@havasunews.com to read
his life story. Joan Travis/Ward
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from June)
7) Friday morning was the starting time for SCTA's portion of the trash removal and other improvement projects.
Our area was the West end of the lakebed. Ed
Timmons and I teamed up with his Ford dually and
headed for
our area. The weather was pleasant at 8 AM. By 10
AM we had a full load including an abounded triple
recliner
couch that was a real test to load. It had become
a little breezy. We clocked the dust at 38 MPH while
returning
to the East end where the roll-off bin was
located. The participation from SCTA for the cleanup
was pretty light.
A couple of hours of picking up trash in the area
we use will not be life threatening to anyone.
Please keep this
in mind for the October cleanup. The wind blew
pretty hard all thru inspections and was still going
strong after
the evening course walk. Saturday morning comes
pretty early and we're in line with the truck
serviced and
warmed up before the 7:15 drivers meeting. Steve
Toller is driving and just missed bumping our record
by less
than 4/10 MPH. No problem - - it's a two day meet
with lots of time left. Second run is made by Rick
Head,
good friend and turbo system sponsor (Exile
Turbo). Well, the 44 pounds of boost on the first
run must have
taken a toll on the 7 year old and many times
patched intercooler and it blew a large panel out
well before the
lights with Rick coasting thru at 147 MPH. Trailer
time. We are also crewing for Bob Eaton's A/BFR. The
KB
quits running while warming up in the pits. This
just doesn't happen. Mag died and it's trailer time
for the roadster.
Sunday is a pretty laid back day for us since
everything is broken. Fast Freddie Dannenfelzer mad
a beautiful 290
MPH run for top time of the meet. There were 25
new records set on some great dirt. June
Meet. It had been
a busy month, new intercooler and related mounting
brackets and ducting plus a trip to the SALT for
course
layout and dragging. Saturday morning is a
gorgeous beginning for the weekend - - the weather
was one to get
real estate agents excited. Inspections go well
with a lot of new inspectors pitching in. Their help
is very much
appreciated. Sunday is easy for us since we are no
longer in the top 25. After the drivers meeting
Steve and I
prep the truck and wait for the second band to be
called. My turn to drive. Everything is going great
and the little
diesel is charging hard when it lets out a cloud
of white smoke and drops a cylinder at about 133 MPH
according
to the tach. I envision parts exiting the motor so
decide to turn out towards the tower. Speed, Dirt
and Turns are
not a good combination. All 200 inches of wheel
base did a 360. Only damage was to the rear tires
that were to
be retired after the July meet. Engine damage to
be determined. My apologies to my fellow racers for
holding up
the meet. There will be no further chassis
stability testing - - I have my pin. On a good note
congratulations go
to fellow LSR member Donny Cummins who put the 511
Street Roadster in the record book at 200 plus MPH
and got in the Dirty 2 Club. There were 20 other
records set also which is an indication of the
excellent course
conditions we are enjoying this year. Of course if
it weren't for the hundreds of volunteers involved
in all facets
of preparing for and conducting these meets our
sport would not be a reality. A special thanks goes
to Mike
Schuricht for help with the photography. By the
way, if you are one of the 500 plus entrants for
Speedweek the
salt looks real good. See you in July. Jim Dunn
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from June)
8) WOW, Jocko Johnson,
LIVES!!!! And YES, he is still alive too! I am
lucky enough to own an original
African Mahogany Chair! Jocko gave it to John
many years ago...and it sits proudly in our closet
and
we sit on it to put our socks and sneakers
on! Maybe I should move it out to the Living
Room. HA!
Karen Raffa
Editor's notes: This came to an old
Rnparks1 address, which I could not access until I
got DSL. (from June)
9) If you wish to be removed, please let me know and you'll be removed from our records. If I have your
email address bounce back as undeliverable,
I'll clean your record off my list. I hope you've
been enjoying
the new look of our web site and that you
visit us often to keep informed as to how we're
progressing. Jon
M. Higley C.I.O./E.A.D., Crew Lead/Webmaster,
North American Eagle, Inc.
http://www.landspeed.com
Editor's notes: Derek McLeish, a
Gear Grinder, sent in these thoughts which he shared
with many in the SCTA.
10) To quote the MC Board
vision, and these are quotes I've heard over the
last month.
...1. "We want competition between individuals not just against a number." ...2. "If I had my way we would not have the Production class." ...3. Ban all sidecars, "amen." ...4. "If you can't break the national speed limit you aren't racing." ...5. "The car guys want fewer classes for the motorcycles." ...6. "The minimums are all too low, wait till we raise them all." ...7. "Racing for points screws up El Mirage."
If we want more competition among people, not
against records and minimums, we should have one
class restrictor plate type racing. The SCTA
could be just like NASCAR, devoid of flathead and
roadster
classes. The SCTA is the last stronghold of
amateur hot rod racing. To me that means, we relish
innovation and participation of the
individual. Hot rods broke from the idea that the
"factory" had
the corner on innovation. That's why we race
against records or minimums for speed by class and
engine size. Does the FIA care who has the
fastest flathead, or vintage four? No Does the FIM
care
who has the fastest pushrod motorcycle? No
SCTA style racing gives us little guys a chance to
compete
and not just by buying the latest sport bike.
A vision of the future has to consider the past, and
rules
should only be changed when there is a real
reason to change them, not just an agenda which I
believe
is contrary to spirit of the SCTA. Derek
McLeish
Editor's notes: The editor
apologizes for just now receiving Garry's email sent
months ago.
11) Hi Richard, its Garry Baker
in Melbourne....just got some news that Rosie passed
away. We used to
dialogue quite a bit, quite recently too,
because John Hyam at the South London press is
currently doing
a story on him. There's a few links and bits
below which might be of use to you....all Rosie
related.
cheers, Garry Baker
England 1948 http://www.speedcarworld.com.au/default.asp?Page=Release&Id=8958
A local story
http://www.bakersfield.com/248/story/47406.html
Editor's notes: The following was
received May 2007, but I was unable to receive it at
the time.
12) Just a quick note to tell
you that I really would appreciate it very much if
you would attend or par-
ticipate, however big or small, in my Gala on
May 20th, per the enclosed invitation. Please let
me
know if you plan to attend or participate in
anyway. Andy Granatelli Andy:
I know that a number
of our Society of Landspeed Racing Historians
would have loved to have come to the opening of your
museum. We formed in September, long after the
Grand Opening was scheduled. But we are interested
in seeing your museum and spreading the word to
the racing community.
13) I would be very happy to
display any and all artifacts or if the owner's would
gift it to my museum, they
could take a tax deduction. I know that you
probably don't realize how much I had to do with the
history
and heritage of landspeed, dry lakes and hot
rodding. If you are interested, I could send you proof
of the
above. Have you read my autobiography, "They Call
Me Mr. 500"? Please advise. I am sending you info
of my museum by mail. Andy
Andy: I will post your comments to the new
Society of Landspeed Racing
Historians Newsletter and ask our President, Jim
Miller, if we can schedule a trip to visit your museum.
Then we
can put out a recommendation to land speed racers that
your museum accepts donations and collections. We are
looking forward to seeing your new museum. Also, we
would love to have any memories from your land speed
racing days to put into the newsletter.
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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.
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