Bonneville, the Salt Flats! Speed Week, Southern California Timing Association

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...and all that. It will be a first for me. I have wanted to go out to Bonneville for some time but just never took the time to go. This year I was lucky enough to get introduced to some fellows who will have their car there ready to run. They have been there before but blew an engine, so are looking for a real rematch with the salt.

You can check it Speed Week out at: http://www.scta-bni.org/index.html. I’m really looking forward to seeing some Iowa boys run their car. Maybe we can get some information up on their car when we get back.

My best friend and I raced a little on the dirt tracks in Northeast Nebraska back in the late 60’s. (This was right after my friend got home from Nam. I was in college having served and got out by then as well.) We had a car of our own first, then got involved with some other guys and worked jointly on a car. Here is the first car. It is a 1939 Ford Coupe and it was pretty much like this when we got it, except that it had a flathead Ford in it. We raced the flathead for a year and then broke it up pretty good. Actually caught the guard rail with the right rear tire and broke the engine water pumps mounts.

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We retired the flathead and put in a 300 cubic inch Ford six. We had the head milled a bit and used a Holley two barrel on an adapter (homemade) that fed the original manifold. The headers were the only other feature. Ran ok, but the tracks were all moving up and the very next year small block V-8s (read Chevy) were allowed. We ran against them for awhile but decided a new car with a small block was the answer.

We needed more bucks so worked with my friends brother and others, plus some sponsors to race a Model A coupe body with a small block Chevy. Here my son and his friend are checking out the car on Friday afternoon before heading to the races.