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Re: unknown car Identified

To: Dale Krumheuer <dmirror3@yahoo.com>, land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: unknown car Identified
From: Skip Higginbotham <saltrat@pro-blend.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 10:02:09 -0500
Absolutely amazing, the knowledge found on this list....
Skip (Hot again in Pahrump and still working out details....fuel today)



At 06:31 AM 9/3/2003 -0700, Dale Krumheuer wrote:
>Identified, didn't look like a Lister, tail was too short, not quite a 
>birdcage, finally zoomed on the photo and saw the name Denny Larson, the 
>search began; Interesting story follows and a link to the web sight  
>
>Dale Krumheuer
>
>Cleveland OH
>
>A legend is born 
>
>In 1953, Midland, Texas, oilmen Guy Mabee and his son, Joe, wanted to build 
>a sports car that could reach 200 mph and double as a competitive road racer. 
>
>They hired engine ace Ray Brown and fabrication wizard Denny Larson to build 
>the street-legal automobile. 
>
>A 1952 fiberglass Victress kit-car served as the body. Brown modified one of 
>the first Chrysler Hemi engines. 
>
>Larson crafted the frame from 3-inch chrome moly tubing. To help the 
>1,800-pound car slow after reaching top speed, the the group modified 
>Lincoln drum brakes with ideas found in Chuck Manning's articles in "Road 
>and Track." 
>
>At the 1953 Bonneville Nationals, using a fuel mixture of alcohol and 
>nitrous oxide, Joe Mabee drove the car to a record 203.105 mph two-way 
>average. 
>
>Convinced of its speed, the Mabees painted the car red and white in 1954 and 
>began to improve its handling and stopping ability for road racing. Carroll 
>Shelby, a young but promising Texas driver, was brought in to race and 
>develop the car. 
>
>Shelby decided instead to race in Europe. Guy Mabee bought Shelby an Aston 
>Martin and agreed to help finance the endeavor. 
>
>Shelby set land-speed records at Bonneville in 1954 and would go on to win 
>the 24-hours of LeMans in 1959. 
>
>http://www.palitem.com/news/stories/20030817/localnews/80319.html


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