Featured History My life and times with Don Waite and his roadsters

Here we go. One year at a time. 1948 Don is now 19 years old. He has put in the 4 banger in the rear of the 27 while sitting on the 1932 chassis after the end of the 1947 season. This is the first documented rear engine roadster to run at the lakes.

He ran it as number 524 and 524B. I have the 4 timing tags from that season. He ran in April, June, August, and September. Best speed was 117.85. I have only found 3 pictures of the rear engine while on the 32 chassis.

The family did not have any photos of it during this period. One photo is from Hot Rod magazine from the race results, one is from Ryan of this website (the best photo we have ever seen of it in this build), and a big thanks to Jimmy who spotted the car in Ryan's photo collection. The third photo is the picture of the car in 1950 on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine.

In Ryan's photo the large truck behind Don's roadster was the company truck from their egg ranch. It can be spotted in some earlier photos when the car was being worked on at the ranch and it is in the background.

 

Sorry for the double photo load.

 

twice the fun!

 

At the end of the 1948 season, Don started converting the roadster to the 29 Chevrolet chassis and flathead rear engine and Whitey Clayton nose. This photo from Hot Rod magazine showed some of the construction being completed on the car in the small garage at the ranch. Don told me he changed the frame out after seeing the thickness of the Chevrolet rails and how flat they were compared to the Ford.

 

Thank you for sharing those photos. Here is a photo of the tag to match your photo. I only have one or two photos from that event, well from El Mirage in 1950. The photos were taken by other people. Don did not take photos of his cars or any action photos.

I have each timing tag from the results you have posted above. If you would like to see photos of them let me know.

One tag is a mystery tag. It is the second tag from the El Mirage 6-11-50 event.
DMR Waite & Beeson 144.69. I have not found that entry for car #190. Any help out there?

 

Here is the Waite and Beeson tag from 6-11-50. Car number 190. DMR
I bet Jimmy knows!

 

The May 7-8, Russetta event 1949 is mentioned in Hot Rod magazine and said this about Don and the "New Roadster". They made a mistake and said he had 18" wheels in the rear. For all of the 1949 season and for the event at Bonneville #1 the roadster was in Black Primer. It did not have the cowl blister for the Jones Motrola tachometer and it did not have the full rear louvered deck panel as in the 1950 version. I will locate those pictures and post them very soon.
This is when he finally went over 150 mph and was very pleased with the car. In fact he told me that this was his favorite version of the car.

 

On July 19th 1949 he made the Temple City Times newspaper for his speed at the lake beds. He is only 19 years old at this time. Think about that.

 

Sorry for loss of your friend. Great story & photos. Tks much

 

The LA times ran a page on racing on November 20 1949, and Don was featured. These were all saved by Don and was in his stash of items long forgotten and tucked away. The family wanted me to keep things together for them and to preserve his story.

 

I can only write about small sections at a time. Sometimes I start going down rabbit holes. I have so much material and I just want to keep it clean and simple. If you would like more details please inquire. If you have information or photos to share please do so. I do not have everything, nor do I know everything about Don or his cars or his history. I love it that people have interest and have photos that I have never seen. I am happy to share what I do know. There is more to come, that is for certain. I would ask Don questions and he would sometimes say that he did not remember. A few days or a week later he would bring up the question and remember the answer in detail. He was amazing that way. Very humble man.

 

The Temple City Times ran another article about Don and that he is entered in the first International Timing Association meet held August 22-27 at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. This to be discussed next.

 

RIP

 

Hey SR this is the SCTA program from June 10-11 1950. It has the entry for Waite & Beeson #190 but no time. The times on the previous post were recorded by my Mother. Hope this helps, and thank you for sharing this awesome Hot Rod history.

 

Did your family attend the events and write things as they were posted? That is pretty cool. Did your family race? I have most of the programs and very few have writing in them Don did some entries, but not very often.

What I do not understand is the D/MR class. It is the only D car listed. Don ran the same weekend in C/MR. I have both tags. Did they run the same car or a different car. Beeson entry was # 190. Waite car was his # 3. He could have been a late entry and that is why they are not both posted in the program. Maybe last minute show up? Or he was giving Beeson a chance to make a pass?

Jimmy or anyone, have any ideas? Have you seen the name Beeson or seen photos of a modified roadster #190?

 

Hello JR; yes my Father was heavily involved in the early El Mirage “scene”. My Mother would go to the events and record the times. I’m out of town for a week or so and when I get back I’ll check some of my programs and see what I can find.? In the mean time check my thread LAKES PICTURES PRC that I posted several years back. It is filled with loads of early Hot Rod history. Many pictures and lots of input from a lot of very knowledgeable people from the era. It’s lengthy but very informative. Enjoy!!

 

I'll check it out. Thanks for the information.

 

Just an Awesome thread, Thank you so much.
Same goes for @woodiemike PRC thread where I found this just 3 pages in.

From post #84

 

hutkikz; Thanks for doing some “ leg work” for me! And thanks for the compliment.

 

Thanks you guys! I have not had a chance to go look at all of your photos. Yes thanks for the research. Try to find car 190#. Those photos above are early pre rear engine #332. I see that "D" class is 350ci and over. I wonder if Don and Beeson were running another car together?

 

OOOHHH SNAPPP! WoodieMike I just went and looked up your post! I had to stop on page 4. I have not seen this posting. I am in awe! I am reeling. I have been racing SCTA for many years. I wish I could go back in time when it was like your photos! It looks fun. Not work!

I always think about the drive from Pasadena over the hill to El Mirage or Muroc (or worse to Bonneville) and what it would be like to make that trip with a flathead powered truck, pulling a race car. I hope to get Don Waites daughter out to El Mirage to drive the roadster. However I want to pull it out on the trailer and a 1941 long bed pick up all the way from Temple City.

Different times and tougher group of people.

Again, thanks for the photos and research. I have more to go, and I get distracted easily and am a bit busy with projects. I am happy that there are others that appreciate this information.

 

Just for a bit of fun, check this road sign that Don/family gave me out of his garage! I posted two pictures to show the scale of the porcelain. This was mounted on a garage wall next to his 32 roadster before the roadster was restored and rebuilt.

I have a picture some place of the sign on the wall and the roadster still wearing the white shoe paint number on the door when he ran it last. I will find the exact date. I think it is 52.
He was on leave from the Army (Korea) and made a pass at El Mirage with Emory Bradshaw. Don ended up buying the roadster from him in 1957. I have photos of all this, I will be posting.

 

Woodie Mike, I was looking through your pictures. I only got to page 5. I found this picture and the stake bed truck is the Waite Egg Company truck that Don used as his push truck in 47. It was the new 1946 Chevy or GMC work truck. I have other photos of it at the working ranch in the background. It is the only stake bed truck I have seen on the lake bed.

 

Like I said, A-ton of information from a lot of very knowledgeable people that contributed to the thread. I remember my Dad telling me how they would drive from Pasadena to El Mirage. Drive several hours at night to get there, sleep in the car, on the ground, or on cots,then wake up early to start taking off the lights, windshield, etc to start racing. And then after the meet, put everything back on to drive home!! Crazy!!

 

Yes Don’s parents had an egg farm. Side note to all this is that Don and my Dad were friends.

 

I was wondering if they were friends. Your family roadster had the same style tommy lee (or somebody Lee) tops with the little 1/2 side curtains. I have probably the last label from the company. It was on a box Don gave me full of parts in 1996. We based the shirt design for his memorial from this label.