Event Coverage 1966 Bonneville Speed Week photo's

Great pics! Thanks so much for sharing.
Jim

 

Hey Dean !! Many years back, Ray Brock told me a story about Ak flying into Salt Lake City and renting a car to drive to the Salt. Just happened to be a '53 Stude. Just for giggles, he ran it through the markers, with a wee load of nitro. Needless to say, it came apart. He called the rental agency and complained that the car quit running. Ray said that a guy in a white mechanics smock showed up with a wee tool box asking where the Stude was. They pointed it out and walked away. Now, I can't say this is true or not, but Ak did tell me at one point that he couldn't rent from Hertz, 'cause he was banned for life.

 

@jpierce thanks again for these snapshots from your life. As eluded your Mother had a real handle on when to push the ****on.

I actually thought this was a double post as the thread ***le was same or similar but I figured it out. Again, thank you, welcome to the Hamb and it's great to see your connections to many of the membership here.

 

It funny listening to all the stories about Ak. I have forgotten so much. Ak had one of those personalities that was bigger than life. Even as a kid I was awe struck hearing his stories, and like most kids feel about their dad, he was my hero. He had a never ending stream of people that would come to see him and he loved talking with them. I used to listen to him give lectures and interviews and I was always entertained by the crazy life he lived. Even when my mom and I came into his life, things would just happen to him that would make us shake our head and say, "that's Ak".
At home he was a fairly normal dad. Though he didn't talk much about himself. He never even once raised his voice in anger against me or my mom. As a father myself with my own son, I don't see how that was possible. He never called me Jeff. My proneness to get barking coughs from bronchial infections when I was young forever branded me with the name "Camelcough". He had a great sense of humor. Even though it was a little embarr***ing when he would call me Camelcough in front of large groups of people. The comments were usually "what did he say?"
He was deeply affected by the war. He probably could have easily been a mechanic in a much safer environment during the war, but he wanted to fight, and he got his wish. He was in the battle of bulge during WW2. Towards the end he had to endure bitter cold and he and came down with frostbite on his feet, something he suffered with for the rest of his life. He got the purple heart and some other awards and they sent him home. He was never bitter about it.
Considering how much he loved to talk, he refused to talk about the war in any detail, it was an emotional thing with him and Ak always kept his emotions in check.. Many years after the war he became fascinated with the German war machine, especially the Luftwaffe pilots. He would drag me along to listen to the surviving German ace's that used to give lectures in the US. He loved talking to them. I think it was healing.
When I look back on it all it was like living with a force of nature. At the time, it was just fun.

 

I remember Ak using that name. Always thought it was from the cartoon Quick Draw McGraw I used to watch. Quick Draw was a horse that said "El Kabong" when he would bang someone over the head with his guitar.

 

Thanx for sharing, Fantastic photos/history!! Cheer's...

 

Amazing stuff here! Thanks so much for sharing everyone!

 

Two cars really stand out to me. The first is the T roadster #64 being pushed off. Three years later my friend, Bill Taylor owned the car and it was powered by a 258 Ardun and set a record which stood for 32 years. The Ardun heads are long gone but Bill still owns he car and it is safely tucker away in his Minnesota garage. The second car is the red A/SR car being pushed by hand. It too is from San Diego and was owned by the late Nolan White. I was a kid in the '60's and would walk by Nolan's Flying A gas station each day and watch as Nolan would strip the car down and rebuild it each year for the next SCTA season. He made a deep and everlasting impression on a dumb 12 year old kid. I watched him and son Rick move their careers forward. Sadly we lost Nolan a few years ago at Bonneville. This year we pitted 2 pits down from Rick and his son Brad as they continued putting the White name in the record books. Salt Fever runs DEEP in the blood!

 

Rich, I attended in 1998 - arrived Friday afternoon around 5, and left around 5 the next Friday. I have often described my week at Bonneville as the most satisfying motorsports experience of my life. It was just enough racing for me. I urge everyone who is a gearhead to go... It's Mecca for a car guy, it's North American Zoomland. Go at least once, so you can say you've been there. You will NOT regret being on the salt.

 

Wow

 

This is a photo of Ak and Ray Brock taken in 1991 at the beginning of the Carrera Panamericana Rally in Southern Mexico. The race was full of surprises, from beginning to end. It was just one of the great experiences that my wife and I shared with Ak and Ray.

 

Wow, I haven't seen those. You mentioned you were there and I was curious how you knew AK. I also noticed the picture in your Avatar, I have the same picture enlarged to about 2'x3' that used to hang at Ak Millers Garage. I haven't seen that picture posted anywhere on the internet and am just wondering if you were the guy that took that picture?

 

Actually, this is a photo of the picture that hung in the garage. Jeff, I am the guy that Jim mentioned to you when you spoke with him about the 427 Devin. I met Ak in the 80's when I decided that the ElCaballo needed to be resurrected. We spoke for several years before Ak realized that I don't give up. He gave me what he had left of the critter, and the rest is history. It now resides in the NHRA Museum. That's a whole 'nuther story. For the next 20 years we spoke often, and got together lots. We went to races, and generally just hung together. Like you mentioned, the stories are endless. I could go on forever, just like he could. I have always believed that memories are never lost, as long as someone keeps repeating them........

 

@jpierce , @Dean Lowe , and @cabong thank you for sharing all of the great pictures and stories.

Jeff, do you know what type of film and camera your Mom used to take all of these great pictures?

 

@jpierce - Again, thanks for sharing your mother's (Kodachrome? or Ektachrome?) images from the 1963, 1964, 1965, & 1966 (this thread) Bonneville National Speed Trials! ... Much Appreciated!

 

These were all taken with Kodachrome. They sure did their homework back then. 50+ years and the color hasn't faded at all.

 

Recently saved a photo of El Caballo, but I remembered it as El Kabong! Go figure.

 

Dean
This is my second reading of your post, good stuff here, with Jeffs' photos and your stories; it's like experiencing B-ville first hand........without the sunburn.
Thanks for sharing your memories with us.