List,
There are two of the Budweiser rocket cars in existence. One is in a
privately owned museum in Florida ( is it the Garlits Museum?) and the other
is at the Smithsonian warehouse complex in Silver Hill, Maryland. There are
varying claims as to which was the actual car but the one in Maryland
apparently has the proper fuel tank that is lacking in the one in Florida.
The other car was an advertising dummy (much like the stock cars that tour
the country) that looked right but aren't completely accurate if you knew
what to look for. Gordon Eliot White, who is the racing collection curator,
seems comfortable that the Smithsonian has the proper one.
When you come to time claims, that's why I feel much more comfortable with
record times that are clocked at SCTA/BNI or USFRA meets. Not the chances
for fudging on times or claims of records set that were not actually
accomplished in the view of uninterested parties. Those private meet times
tend to get a bit elusive to back up when there are others around to watch.
I've wondered why people like Malcolm and the jet motorcycle or Dennis
Manning with his streamliner bike or even Nolan White chose to run on
private, restricted access, solo meets rather than piggyback on our events.
There are always people to stay and run a meet like that and the
infrastructure is already in place. The wire and eyes are there and the
clocks have been proven to work well. It certainly worked for the racers on
the salt in the 1930's.
Wes
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