I 'l(f.Z1' ifit1.IIJtW • <:tt.L.;.LLI.: ~~ ~ t.:l;. l: - ~ .! ... • • ..... ~ - - - ~ - .. - T! - ·- ••. a ..,. .,••ft ••.,ft • .. - .. ··-• •r •••... •• f1l• ••••• • • '- i.1 AUJJt 111"' e« A complete package arrange­ ment for full coverage of your liability and accident insurance needs payable on a monthly basis . .•. PREMIUM CHARGED FOR ACTUAL Standard RACING Safety DAYS ONLY Regulations ~/~ Enforced, Based on Engineer's Inspection WAGER· G Underwritten by one of America's oldest insurance companies - Old Strips • • • New Strips • • • Big Strips • • . Little Strips . 259 N. Robertson Bl Beverly Hills, Ca ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Phone BRadshaw 2-8 ArrENTION RACING DEPAR saga of the salt 'Sg With long railroad rails they crossed the course time and time again, dragging the water back. They worked through the night and by Saturday morning the first five miles of the nine-mile-long course was clear; still wet, but with no water standing. Twenty-four hours later three more miles were clear. Sunday morning the gates at the en­ trance to the flats were opened and tow trucks, race cars on trailers and equip­ ment. vehicles crossed to the pit area. W ith the state work trucks still drag­ ging the far end of the course only the short two-mile approach, the quarter­ mile trap and tb.e first one-mile trap RECORD BREA KER- he famous Shadoff Specia l, powered by a 259 cubic were opened. The third and fourth miles inch Plymo +n e ng·re and drive n by Ro bert Bowen set a new ··c · Streamliner could not be opened because of the record of 25 1.7 40 IT' oh. Best run of the w eek was a 252.63 mph blast that water. Before the course was closed for shattered the Lormer 3onnevill e and In ternational records. The car is owned the night at 7: I 0 p.m., however, 44 cars by Ma l Hooper. made warm-up and test runs and the first day of the event, although it did By George Hill The ram poured down upon them and get a late start, was not a total loss. The ro ry of the 1959 Eleventh An­ as they passed that fa med entrlmce to The first car to make an official run nual Bonneville National Speed Trials is the Bonneville Salt Flats they saw a lake this year was the tiny Vesco-Dinkins' one encompassing mixed emotions of of water instead of gleaming ~ hite salt. class C streamliner and on their first joy, frustration, fatigue and the won­ The entire racing course was under trip through the clocks hit 148.51 mph. drous feeling of seeing speed records in water. · In Wendover they learned the Later they returned to the line for an­ most classes jump to almost unbeliev­ salt had been flooded for two days and other run jn which they reached 156.65 able heights. It is the story of more tqan the weather forecast called for even mph. 500 hot rodders making their annual more rain. Tt appeared that a full year M ickey Thompson, making his first journey to the Bonneville Salt Flats in of preparation wa:; being washed down run, reached 215 mph in the first trap quest of higher speeds and new records. the drain. If the . rain continued, hun­ and then coasted another mile before It is also a story of comparison between dreds of telegrams would have to be sent testing the brake chute. The chute oscil­ those who go racing for the sheer thrill to hot rodders across the nation with lated badly, causing the machine to skid of driving fast and those who work the the sad words . RAINED OUT, from side to side in the course and Mic­ year-round in preparation for achieve­ MEET CANCELLED. key retired to Wendover to make alter­ ment of self-made goals. It is the story During the night, however, the rain ations in the chute arrangement. of hot rodders . and their machines. stopped and the heavy clouds drifted Bob Summers, in the Summers Bros. It i also a story of the men who organ­ away. By morning only a thin, high class B modified roadster, hit 206.42 ize a nd conduct the event and as they cloud layer prevented the sun from burn­ mph in the quarter-mile trap during his are the first to arrive on the salt each ing through. By noon the su n carne out second run for the day. As Bob crossed yea- our story begins with them. and new hope was born. the end of the quarter-mile trap, the car Ca..,-ol Thompson, Chairman of the One of the natural phenominae of went into a long slide and then spun BonrreYille ationals Contest Board and the crystalline salt of this great desert is seven times before sliding to a halt. Bob, B. : Da\·is. Race Steward, left Los An­ its ability to absorb great quantities of in an attempt to straddle the center oiled =e:e-. California on Saturday, August water in relatively short periods. By line in the course, had allowed the ma­ : :-~ : their pi ckup trucks loaded with nightfall only a few inches of water chine to drift to one side and when the ;e~ and each towed a loaded trailer covered the racing course and by early right rear wheel hit the fresh oil the car · _;;. d. They drove to Salt Lake City Friday morning large areas of salt were spun sideways and he lost controL ·- "-e~e rhey made advance arrangements visible; like white islands in a dull gray MONDAY, AUGUST 24 : - ~.-e ;· releases and other matter per­ sea. Inspection of the salt early in the ··nen< to the event and then began the At noon, Friday, Roland Portwood, of morning showed the course to be quite ~e la i\·ely hort haul, 120 miles, to Wen­ the Utah State Highway Commission good out to the five-mile clocks so the do er. utah. where they were to estab­ took his crew of men and trucks onto short course was opene:l for recortl runs li h headquarters for the meet. the salt and began clearing the course. to cars that had made qualifying runs in PAGE 3 ~s ~s<••p Chev VB 55-58 to F-32-48, M-39-51 Cad 49-54 to- F-32-48, M-39-51.. Olds 49-58 to F-32-48, M:39-51. Cad 49-54 to F-49-58, M-52-58. .... ___ .. __. _. 22 .>0 Olds 49-58 to F-49-58, M-52-58 .. ........ _.. _.. _. Z2-51l Heavy duty special clutches, 10'12'', Chevy VB, 55- 58, includes new clutch cover and new disc .. ... 2&.16 DROPPED AXLES· A model to '36 F~rd (with 37-48 Ford (with core, 14c~~e, 18.00) ... • exc ~ ar,ge 8.00 !;\'II ~~ AFiso 49-57 Ford and Ch . ). · · · · · · · · · .excha::ge s oo ord forged pistons ~vy pockups! • _60 over with pin·s'!. 1_a _e __ mode ls, 8.8 bore ap to Hogh speed German Bosch coii .. ................. 28 .79 Dummy spotlights ........... s.- ·-- .. -- .... HOW 6.9, . ALMOST STOCK-Glenn Minder drove his Hart's Auto 294 cubic inch Corvette to a top speed of 154.63 mph in "C" Grand Touring class. Engine was bored ~:::~·~!'· out .060, fitted with six carb manifold and Potvin experimental cam. excess of existing records. m class B Coupe/ Sedan, sent sound on FORGED PISTONS Three new two-way records were es­ waves bouncing against surrounding Vic Hubbcrd' s tablished. Glenn Minder, in the Minder­ mount!tins whe n he blasted through the aluminum forged Elimina­ Hart's Auto '57 Corvette, running in traps at 208.3 I mph. This fantastic tor pistons are Grand Touring Class C, raised the old coupe has always been clase to the 200 rockina the morke"t! E\imi­ record of 144.322 mph up to 150.0005 mph mark and last year hit 210 mph r; otor pis~o ns during a record run with Gary Cagle are the ec:ucil mph. cf their more Ji m Lindsley, former Contest Board driving, hut the engine blew on the famous com­ petit:>rs-but member, pushed the the class B Gas return run. poiced 30~>b below. 1h· ,_, Roadster record to 167.1745 mph in his Fred La rsen, who fli pped his rear­ are genuine pistons, •rpowerforged" espe­ Chrysler-powered '32 Ford channeled engine modified roadster on the salt in cially for us by America' s \arqest manu­ roadster. 1957 made a test run in a new roadster f acturer of Hne autcmobi\e pistons. \Vith forg ed pistons you get *greeter strength Bill LaRoy. in a '59 Pl ymouth, upped with front- mounted Chrysler engine at *finer grain * no extra w~ight *faster heat dissipation. Available for Chevy V8s the class BX-Gas Coupe/Sedan record to 171 .42 mph in class A modifie d road­ in stock, 1/4, 1/2, and :lts inch s tn>k~ ~. 150.251. The old record was held by ter division. Fred. who had in the past Le,wis Ashby of Texas in a Buick at made 27 sep:1r _,_re anempts to qualify for 147.904 mph. me;nbership '" me 200 .\IPH Club, was Skigifjj'"" ~I i ckey Thompson. after shortening b:tck ag:l in ~o resume the struggle. GET ON VI C HUB the dragline on his deceleration chut George '!o.:-:-is and Clyde Sturdy, with ~AiliNG liST! Se~~R~~S " INS IDE DOPE. .:.:tth of specials (your c for catalog a nd to 25 feet ;nade a run a:: 2 66.