Hello, That smile and fast FED was very familiar. When I was a teenager, I was taking 16mm films during the 2nd Bakersfield Smokers March Meet. One of the favorites was a newly energized Don Garlits’ FED with Art Malone driving. Don Garlits was injured so, the transition was well taken care of with the inclusion of Art Malone. YRMV Jnaki We did not know that he was the substitute driver until he rolled up from the pits toward the starting line staging area. Happy as a lark… who wouldn’t be driving the powerful hemi in the black Don’s Speed Shop FED. Art Malone at Bakersfield at :54 sec
Even though I haven't had a T in quite a few years, still love 'em and had to google this racer/car. Info I found.... Jack Mattes Milwaukee automobile racer. was killed Tuesday afternoon and Patrolman William Tetzlaff was seriously injured when the big car driven by Mattes crashed through the fence during the races at State Fair park. Mattes was driving a Fronty Ford equipped with a super charger to increase the speed.He was coming out of the turn at the north end of the track on the last lap of a 10-mile race when the accident happened. Mattes was in third place. As he came out of the turn, the spectators saw the car leave the road in a cloud of dust and tear into the fence, knocking the policeman to the ground. Mattes who was driving a new car Tuesday, generally carried a pair of baby shoes on the front springs of his car as a luck charm. In Tuesday's race these shoes were not attached. Mattes was employed by an automobile sales company and had left home Tuesday morning declaring it was to be his "last race" that he would retire from the auto racing career that has made him a familiar figure to thousands of Wisconsin residents.
Still have my grandma's key fob from Paramount Chevrolet from when she bought her new '57 Chevy Bel Air. She was killed in '61 in a freak accident, she was pinned in between the driver's side fin and a big rig truck that was cutting through a neighborhood. Ironically I was thrown through the windshield of my uncle's '55 chevy the same day in a completely different accident. I was 5 and have no memory of that happening.
The Jalopy Journal
