History Jim Lindsley, Dry Lakes pioneer, family photo collection

Thanks, Jimmy. I thought the 24 was new as the back looked different in the pictures. I couldn't figure out from the Hot Rod article I saw on Jot if they started fresh, as they talked about a new 27 body in the same paragraph. Really glad to have your help here!

 

Before moving forward, going back to 1948 for a minute. This marketing foldout promoting the first SCTA Automotive Equipment Display and Hot Rod Exposition from 1948 was with the photos and stuff. This is the Expo where they built and gave away a roadster that went on to race the dry lakes, promoted building a drag race track from proceeds (didn't happen), and had the clubs displaying many now iconic cars. Posted this a few months back, but thought I would show it again. Jim was certainly a part of this first Expo getting off the ground. I think it's a cool enough piece to show again.

When unfolded, this is what it looks like...about 20x20 inches


On the other side are these incredibly cool pages you can read when folded up.

 

Man this thread is an iconic spirit lifter... @39ChevyBob...thank you very much...

 

Tomorrow, some history and few pics about Burke LeSage and Jim Lindsley.....I'll be back. Stay safe and healthy, folks.

 

Great stuff, love seeing the old paper tags for the first time. I'm sure most of them got tossed over the years. Bob

 

Great read...thanks to all for the opportunity to view the history !

 

I hope there are photos of the 'Hot Rod Exposition', photos from this show are ultra rare.

 

Guess these photos are from the second show.

 

Sorry, Jimmy, there was nothing for the 48 Expo except the marketing flyer...

 

Burke LeSage was a 15 year old high school student, that happened to live around the block from Jim Lindsley. His interest in racing already perked, he stopped by Lindsley's to check out his car, and Jim invited him to join him on a run to El Mirage. The relationship grew, with Burke helping Jim and Wally Parks load cones and supplies for the first Bonneville meet, Burke driving the push truck to start Jim at El Mirage and learning the ins and outs of land speed racing. In 1951, when the new SCTA "Coupe" category was ins***uted, Jim took the flathead out of his streamliner, and he and Burke put it in a 34 coupe Burke's brother had. It ran with 2 97's on alcohol. Jim drove the coupe until the last meet of 1951, when Burke took the wheel just after getting his drivers license. As it was a new cl*** with no established records, they set records at most meets that summer, ending up with enough points to be number one in cl*** at the end of 51. The coupe ran as #305, then to #1 the next year due to being first in cl***. I believe he then gave the car to Jim at the end of the season.
Burke became President of the Gear Grinders while still in high school, and had a long driving career until the late eighties for other car owners, including Jim. He worked at Weber Cams, Grant Pistons and was the first official employee of SEMA in the mid sixties. I don't have many pics of this coupe in the early years. Anyone got something more, please share.

 

As long as we're talking 1951, here is the 1951 SCTA Compe***ion Rule Book scanned from the collection. I haven't seen this anywhere on my internet searches.

 

Back to 1949 for a bit. Jim took the #24 streamliner to the first Bonneville meet, clocking 137.82. He also had the last laugh as he was the only one of the three to complete two way record runs. With a lap at 121.62 mph and one at 114.21 mph Jim set ended up with the cl*** record at 117.915 mph, so I read per info from the AHRF.

What I think is cool is, when getting the course set up, an unofficial piece of history happened. Phyllis Lindsley, Jim's wife was Wally Park's secretary, record keeper at El Mirage and was to be time recorder and poster of results at Bonneville. At this time, no women were allowed to race for the fear of bad press if a female got hurt. I'm sure with the ***istance of electrician Jim, Phyllis and others, Chief Timer J. Otto Crocker was ready to test that everything was working. Phyllis jumped in Jim's #24 and ran a 117 thru the timing lights, making sure everything worked, while being the first woman to run the salt at Bonneville!

 

From the middle of the 1949 Bonneville Program, results filled in most likely by Phyllis.

 

These pictures show the old Burke LeSage coupe, along with a roadster Jim raced, in front of the family home. Not sure on the timeline here, and when he had the cars painted with the Sta-Lube colors. It's before the hemi went into the coupe sometime in 52 before Bonneville. Should have asked son Gary a little more on this, as I cleaned up and colorized one of the pictures for him. Any help from the historians here? @296ardun - David, you around?

 

Not detrimental at all. I considered Burke LeSage a good friend meeting him in the mid 70’s. I was with him when he drove an electric powered car on the Wendover Airport because the salt was wet.
Burke considered himself the worlds tallest midget. He had a great sense of humor and was opinionated. He campaigned for Phyllis to become a member of the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame.
Jim, Phyllis, and Burke were cl***ic people and the LSR fraternity was better because of them.

 

Yep, this was in the collection of do***ents I scanned...

 

Bonneville 1952, Jim Lindsley loses his dipstick in his #1 1934 Coupe, so heads into Wendover to buy one. He spots a 51 New Yorker with a Hemi at the gas station and approaches the Owner. A.J. Michele from Louisiana, the owner, agrees to use his dipstick if he can become a member of Jim's pit crew. On Jim's first p***, he loses oil pressure and blows the Hemi in the coupe. So A.J. offers up his motor, they go back to the motel parking lot and transplant the New Yorker into the coupe, also swapping the Chet Hebert cam and Hilborn injection from the blown motor.
The next day Jim sets a record at 138.57 mph. They returned to the motel later, swapped back the motor into the Chrysler and A.J. headed back to Louisiana. This was the beginning of the Cal-Loui story.

 

A few more pics of the hemi powered #1 coupe on the salt. Not sure of the years here or who is posing along side Jim.

 

This has to be one of the greatest Bonneville success stories ever, two guys, one a seasoned veteran and the other a first timer go home with a story to tell of setting a record.

 

Jim had a bunch of photos tacked to his wall in the garage which must have held special memories for him. The next posts will be these, starting with a couple I know, the rest I would love some help with identifying who we're looking at here.. The first is the another picture of Burke LeSage's #305 coupe the first year it ran the lakes.

 

Phyllis climbing the scoring tower...Bonneville?

 

#92 cl*** C Coupe...no idea who this is.

Edit per Speed Gems - Looks like the Moll Hale '34 Ford coupe

 

#275 lakester...

 

Unidentified coupe at El Mirage....

 

El Mirage roadster......

 

Best guess is Saugus Drags....

Edit per 296 Ardun - I'm thinking Pomona early, maybe around '52. I don't recall Saugus having powerlines next to it, but Pomona did, as they ran down the adjacent street (now Parker Avenue).

 

Twin belly tanks on the salt....

Edit per 296Ardun - Howard Johansen's experiment with twin tanks, driver in one, Desoto engine in the other...it didn't handle well so ultimately Howard abandoned it.

 

Something at speed, looks like El Mirage....

 

#26 B roadster..Tom Beatty from the Glendale Strokers?

 

32 Ford Blurry Roadster...

@39ChevyBob...Thanks again these are beyond awesome...remember to offer Our thanks for this kind Gesture...
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