Ancient Matters | Daytona World Land Speed Records

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“America is a country that doesn’t know where it is going but is determined to set a speed record getting there.”

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–Laurence J. Peter

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Circa 1940, Daytona Beach, FL — Postcard showing the famous speed record autos (from top) the Jim White Triplex, Major Henry Segrave’s Mystery S (Sunbeam, also called “The Slug”) & Golden Arrow, and Donald Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird IV & Bluebird V.  — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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Circa 1927, Daytona Beach, FL — “THE MYSTERY S.” WORLD RECORD CAR. (207 MILES PER HOUR), DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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Circa 1927, Daytona Beach, FL — MAJOR SEGRAVE DRIVING WORLD RECORD CAR MAKES 207 MI. PER HOUR, DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. MAR. 29, 1927 — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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Circa 1929, Daytona Beach, FL — THE “GOLDEN ARROW,” WORLD’S FASTEST CAR (231 MI. PER HOUR), DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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Circa 1935, Daytona Beach, FL — D-139. BLUEBIRD DRIVEN TO A WORLD’S SPEED RECORD BY SIR MALCOLM CAMPBELL, DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. The great beach constitutes the most unique drive in the world. From above Ormond Beach to the Inlet it is a “tide packed pavement”, 500 feet wide and over 33 miles in length. It is unbelievably smooth and directly at sea level. Thousands visit Daytona Beach just for the breathtaking thrill of a spin down the length of this greatest of all speedways. The International Speed Trials are a great feature of the Winter seasons. — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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Need for Speed | Bonneville Salt Flats Vintage Lithographs

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Original caption, ca. 1951, Utah, USA — On the Measured 13 Mile Straight-a-way Course, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Roland R. Free, Making a New American Motor-Cycle Record. Roland R. Free, of Los Angeles, Calif., riding a British-Vincent Motor-Cycle in a prone position to cut down wind resistance approximately 2 miles, on Sept. 11, 1950, established a new American speed record for 1 mile @ 156.71 miles per hour. Mr. Free’s picture was taken from an automobile running parallel to the black line while traveling in excess of 100 M.P.H. just before the auto reached the measured 1 mile zone of the 13 mile straight-a-way course, Mr. Free caught up with the automobile and immediately after his picture was taken, he gave his Motor-Cycle the gun; the photographers say it seemed like they were still, the way he left them with his sudden burst of speed. — Image by © Lake County Museum

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Original caption, ca. 1951, Utah, USA — Mormon Meteor. The World’s Greatest Unlimited Speed Record Maker, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. The Days Run Completed. Holding All Speed Records from 10 Miles to 7,134 and from One Hour to 48 Hours. Mormon Meteor: David Abbott (Ab) Jenkins. Owner-Driver, and founder of the Salt Flats as a race course. Utah born and reared 1883. Religion, (Mormon). Holder of more world’s unlimited records than any man in history of sports. The only man who has ever driven an automobile continuously without relief for 24 hours, under supervision of contest board. Awarded champion of champions plaque and cup for the world’s safest driver. In 1950 at age 67, he made his fastest lap of 13 miles @ 199.19 M.P. H. Raced his last time in July, 1951. Now retired. He attributes his stamina to the fact, he never in his life, tasted liquor or tobacco. Average M.P.H, Distance: 199.19, 10 Miles — Image by © Lake County Museum

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Mad Max Bubeck & his Chout | Hell on Hybrid Wheels

Max Bubeck sitting on his 135.58mph hybrid Indian Chief/Scout that he rode at Rosamond Dry Lake on June 27th, 1948. The Pop Shunk-built "Chout" is as lean and mean as a straight razor except for two big-assed carburetors that look big enough to pluck poultry. Bubeck's "Chout" still holds the record for the world's fastest unfaired Indian motorcycle.

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“Mad Max” Bubeck made a name for himself dominating the enduro scene from the 1930s to the 1970s.  Bubeck was also a speed racer & builder who in June of 1948 rode his Indian “Chout” (an Indian Chief 80 c.i. engine jammed into the smaller & lighter Scout frame) to a record speed of 135.58 mph on the Rosamond Dry Lake north of Los Angeles. It’s a record that still stands for an unstreamlined, normally aspirated 80 cubic inch displacement Indian motorycle.  After retiring from competition in the late-1970s, Bubeck continued to be active in motorcycling, doing everything from restoring classic Indian motorcycles to sponsoring antique motorcycle meetings.

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Mad Max Bubeck on his famous & record setting Indian "Chout".

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One of Bubeck’s most popular wins came in 1950 aboard the new Indian Warrior. That year, he won the Cactus Derby, a long-distance desert race and mountain race originated in Riverside, California. The race was unique in that it started at midnight. That year, Bubeck’s bike lost its lighting barely an hour into the race. He managed to continue by riding with other riders and using their lights. A few times he lost touch with the other riders and rode in complete darkness. In that same event, a long, slow-moving freight train was blocking a crossing. Bubeck sped ahead of the train and crossed the tracks so as to not lose too much time. Despite the darkness, the trains and riding a supposedly uncompetitive bike, Bubeck still managed to win the event. It went down as one of the most memorable victories in his career.

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Live Fast, Ride Free | Roland “Rollie” Free’s 1948 World Speed Record

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Rollie Free made made history aboard a 1948 Vincent HRD V-Twin motorcycle, often referred to as the “Bathing Suit Bike” due to the scant attire of its rider, Roland “Rollie” Free.  John Edgar hired Free to make the attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats on Sept. 13, 1948. Free initially removed the bike seat and laid flat out on his stomach to minimize wind resistance, and when the stitching on his leathers failed and they began flapping in the breeze, he discarded them too, opting instead for a simple pair of tight bathing trunks, a swim cap, and a pair of tennis shoes. Tragedy could have been the result, but Free averaged a smoldering 150.313 mph, smashing the previous American speed record and establishing a new world record for unstreamlined and unsupercharged bikes.

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Roland Free breaking world's speed record on Bonneville Salt Flats while laying on his bike --September, 1948.

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Roland Free breaking world's speed record on Bonneville Salt Flats --September, 1948.

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Roland Free breaking world's speed record on Bonneville Salt Flats while photographers try to snap pictures --September, 1948.

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Roland Free chatting with photographer at Bonneville Salt Flat --September, 1948.

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