Hi Jim - We have lost a little color with today's shiny reliable crew cab
dualies - Before Tom headed back to California he had the sedan delivery up
on the lift at the gas station in Wendover to see if every thing was ok -
Tom was showing the owner at the station who he was friendly with the up
graded brakes that had been added recently - He was saying the motor in the
'40 was a big stroker but the one in the lakester was a little 303 - Good
memories .
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Dincau" <jdincau@qnet.com>
To: "John Burk" <joyseydevil@comcast.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: Where is the camera
> My partner Ken Logan had an exciting ride like that himself. In 1963 we
were
> waiting on the starting line when Tom Beaty's wife asks "will one of you
> guys come with me to pick him up at the big end". Tom fires up the
lakester,
> a blown olds with a starter no less, and Ken jumps in the shotgun seat on
> the 40 ford panel. Now mind you the push truck also is equipped with a
blown
> Olds and Tom's wife is driving like she is going to follow him right
through
> the lights. In all the noise and confusion Ken suddenly notices a lack of
> floorboards on his side, It was 'real interesting' watching the salt go by
> my feet at one hundred plus says Ken. He didn't volunteer for that job
again
>
> > In 1960 following Speedweek Malcolm Campbell , Mickey Tompson and Art
> Arfons
> > were all there trying for the land speed record - Arfons was ready to
make
> a
> > run with his Allison powered streamliner - Tom Beatty who hadn't left
yet
> with
> > his drop tank lakester offered to push him up to speed with his blown
olds
> > powered '40 sedan delivery - Art's crewman , I think his name was Snyder
,
> was
> > in Toms passenger seat with a movie camera expecting to film the back of
> the
> > departing streamliner through the windshield - They got up to 60 and Art
> put
> > the throttle down , Tom pulled around to the left and accelerated up
along
> > side up to 125 with Snyder getting footage he hadn't expected - The
next
> day
> > Tom was having a good time telling how Snyder kept shouting "holy ----,
> holy
> > ----" while aiming the camera - They didn't catch the chute opening but
> this
> > wasn't staged .
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