Prewar racing at Bonneville, Utah

[Guest stude8]

I just discovered the University of Utah photo archive that can be seen at http://content.lib.utah.edu/cgi-bin/pvie...&CISOCOLS=5

There are pages of early 1930's images to look at, be prepared to spend a lot of time. Stude8

[6219_Rules]

Very cool, Stude8! Thank you for sharing. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I wish my uncle were alive to see this one. He loved racing.

[1937hd45]

Thank you John! They are still racing 1953 Studebaker coupes at Bonneville at well over 200MPH, along with many other cars in the Vintage Classes. I always got a kick out of Gordon White who won an AACA National First in class 24A at Hershey, then took the car to Bonneville and set a speed record!

[Guest BillP]

These are great pics! Glad you found 'em. Reminds me of poring over the pages of Hot Rod magazine in the fifties & sixties. Some beautiful early (thirties) oval track cars, too. Too bad the zealous archivist had to put his watermark right over the cars.

[1937hd45]

Nice photos of Miller race cars. I hope the water marks are just on the website photos and not the originals.

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice photos of Miller race cars. I hope the water marks are just on the website photos and not the originals. </div></div>

I didn't see any Miller race cars in those pics, perhaps I'm missing something? Harry A. Miller Inc., and the subsequent Miller enterprise, Rellimah, were both gone by the era of these pics.

Miller 91's did do some straight line runs at Muroc Dry Lake (now known as Edwards Air Force Base) in California, the most notable driver having been Frank Lockhart in 1926.

Rather disappointing, however, to see no pictures of Ab Jenkins' 1935 Duesenberg Special (Today's restored Mormon Meteor Duesenberg Model J), or either of his follow-on cars: Mormon Meteor II (the Duesenberg Special with a Curtiss Conqueror V12 Aero engine), or his Mormon Meteor III, which was a "from the ground up" 24-hour endurance LSR car, based on Model J frame rails, with a Curtiss Conqueror V12, and special bodywork. This latter car is now in the posession of Marvin Jenkins, Ab's son, and has been fully restored, is runnable again.

Art Anderson [color:\\"red\\"]

[Guest c.johnson]

This Picture?

http://www.uen.org/cgi-bin/websql/ucme/m...dia_item_id=585

I saw this car in the basement of the Utah State Capital when I was about 7 years old. Probably still there.

I understand there is a Bonneville Museum in Wendover, UT.

cj

[1937hd45]

Art, Log onto the site again, scroll down to SUBJECT. then click on RACE CARS. The Millers are on the top row, #1 looks real sharp. These are track cars not Bonneville LSR cars.Miller did built the 183 "Convertible" for Tommy Milton to run on the Dry Lakes in 1924. It turned 151.26, 5MPH slower than his Land Speed record. The car is restored and running, in a Wisconsin collection today.

[1937hd45]

John, Thank you for posting the link to his site! I've been on it for TWO HOURS tonite! Ninety eight pages of Ab Jenkins,Cobb, Campbell, Eyston, Tompson, Arfons and Breedlove photos, the snow outside is starting to look like the Bonneville Salt Flats! Thanks again!

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This Picture?

http://www.uen.org/cgi-bin/websql/ucme/m...dia_item_id=585

I saw this car in the basement of the Utah State Capital when I was about 7 years old. Probably still there.

I understand there is a Bonneville Museum in Wendover, UT.

cj </div></div>

Mormon Meteor III was on display in the Utah State Capitol Building for almost 50 years, until Marvin Jenkins discovered that it had been removed (due to remodeling and renovation of the Capitol, stored outdoors, where it had been allowed to deteriorate and had been vandalized. Basically, Marvin Jenkins (Ab Jenkins' son, and his "chief mechanic", laid claim to the car, and went through some legal battles with the State of Utah over it. He subsequently restored the car completely, it is again in running condition, but not on display at the Statehouse. From all I've read, heard, and from a neat conversation with Marvin when he had the car on display at Auburn IN in 1997, it is not at all likely that this great machine will ever be entrusted to the State of Utah again.

Art Anderson

[Guest stude8]

Just a comment about Marvin Jenkins, he is a remarkable person to meet. He was a guest speaker at a Midwest Racefans gathering some years ago and told some great first hand stories of the great cars his father raced.

In particular I enjoyed the story about when in 1931 he was at Bonneville with his Dad who was allied with Studebaker at the time and was sent to Wendover town to get a supply of water for the team. He was sent in a new 1931 Studebaker President 8 roadster which he said ran like the wind. when he returned the Studebaker officials were a bit upset that he went alone and unsupervised in the new car, he was 11 years old!

Stude8