The story is true and it was Jim Lindsley that had a twin engine modified
roadster allowed at that time. Only it was a Chrysler. Jim is a charter member
of the Gear grinders and SCTA. As I recall he got into the Then Grant 200mph
club because of it. This is the only story I know is true. However Tom Beatty
did use his push truck engine to set records and put back in the truck to tow
the broken racer home. And folks, that the way it was in the 50s
Glen (who was lucky enoughto be there.)
Keith Turk wrote:
> Mayf that for all the world sounds Like Tex Smith Stories... He owned a
> Healey over in Europe and did in fact Spank Donald Healey on a Track in
> Germany...
>
> I heard a Motor story like that but it was about a Hemi as I recall....
>
> K ( where is that Louise Girl when you need her?)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <DrMayf@aol.com>
> To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 6:15 PM
> Subject: Interesting Story...
>
> > As many of you know, I am in the process of relocating my family from
> > Madison, Alabama to Pahrump, Nevada. I have rented a house in Pahrump and
> > have moved all my "stuff" out of storage and into the garage. Well, the
> > "stuff" I brought on the first trip included zero furniture. So I went
> > searching for a cheap matress, springs, frame, kitchen table, etc.
> Stumbled
> > onto a salvage yard which takes stuf from hotels and motels and recycles
> > them. After loading the junk the old man who is running the front area,
> > started asking me about my truck. I was telling him that I bought it
> > primarily to tow my race car when I get it out here. We started talking
> about
> > Bonneville. He said that in 1959 he was heading west and stopped with his
> > chopped and sectioned '49 chevy with a 270 jimmy in it. They were running
> at
> > B'ville at the time so he and his wife pulled out onto the salt and parked
> > next to a wing tank lakester with a jimmy in it. He said the man had made
> his
> > qualifying run and was successful but had broke the motor in the process.
> He
> > askd this gentleman what kinda motor he had in in '49 chevy and it was the
> > right one. The old man offered the use of his motor. He said that crew
> pulled
> > the engine from his car, put it in the lakester, ran the second leg and
> > established a record. Then they put the motor back into the '49 chevy and
> he
> > went onhis way to So Cal. He said that he was in eEurope in the early 50's
> > and had the chance to drive an Austin Healy on some track in France where
> for
> > a few francs, you could make several laps. Apparently the track was
> banked.
> > He drove the Healy hard but wasa fem mph short of some kinda record. A
> > knowledgeable racer stopped by and told him to rejet the carbs. He even
> > loaned them the jets and then did the work. More francs were exchanged at
> the
> > track and he drove the car to a +20 mph over the record. He said the AH
> > people contacted him and wanted to know what he had done to make the car
> that
> > fast. Said he didn't tell them. Said he got a ride around the LeMans track
> > with Stirling Moss in a Aston MArtin. Said Moss scaired (sp) the crapout
> of
> > him. Hard charging, sliding the car into the corners and driving by the
> seat
> > of his pants.
> >
> > Neat old guy, didn;t actually get his name, but I will. He seemed to think
> > the old lakester was number 7, but he would look. Said somewhere he has a
> > letter from the owner/driver experessing his thanks. Who could that have
> been
> > in 1959?
> >
> > mayf
> >
|