El Mirage Dry Lake Racing
Written by Keith Fudge

Not long ago, Dennis Gage and the gang from My Classic Car had the chance to head out to the Mojave Desert in California and see some real fast cats in action.  At that time of year, El Mirage Dry Lake is all about the need for speed as land speed racers from across the country gather in a place where there are no speed limits, just records to be made!  This venue has been the scene of land speed racing since the 1930s.  When we say that people here get down and dirty, we really mean it because they are racing on dirt!  After Dennis arrived, he met with Mike Cook, President of the Southern California Timing Association who told him a bit about this event.  Mike said that El Mirage was the home base for his organization and that they have six meets here each year!  He also said that there are two meets at the Bonneville Salt Flats that are also sponsored by the S.C.T.A.  Mike also added that contrary to popular belief, we’re “not all crazy.”  With a proud smile, he added that these entire events are volunteer run and that some local clubs such as the Sidewinders, Rod Riders, and Gear Grinders help to sponsor the festivities.  Well, hearing all that info from Mike made Dennis more anxious than ever to meet some of these dedicated “die-hards” and see some of their radical rides.  So, after saying adios to Mike, Dennis and the crew headed out to the race site.

First, Dennis met up with David McKinney and his 1968 Corvette.  Powered by a 360 cubic-inch engine equipped with twin turbochargers, this beast has made a top speed of 193 miles per hour here in the dirt!  Next, Gary Brauer and his son garnered Dennis’s attention with their 1929 Ford roadster.  A 496 big-block Chevy is what moves this bad boy down the track, and they are looking for a top speed of 220-225 miles per hour today!  In addition, this was their eighth year at this event.  Another walk through the area revealed Jim Dunn’s 1986 Toyota pickup.  It was a sight to behold!  This custom truck definitely got Dennis to say, “Wow!”  Stretched to a 200-inch wheelbase and powered by a 471 cubic-inch diesel, this custom rig is making 500 horsepower!  Jim told Dennis that he was looking to make a top speed of 155 miles per hour today!  One of the wildest rides that we saw that day was Daniel Hostetter’s customized 1932 Ford.  Beginning life as a 3-window coupe, this ten-year project has now become Daniel’s exercise in trying to better understand automotive stability.  With the cockpit housing from an F-16 fighter plane functioning as the roof of the vehicle, this car competes in the “Time only, Experimental category.”  Powered by a 260 cubic-inch engine Daniel has achieved a top speed of 163 miles per hour.  “It’s a lot of fun,” Daniel said with a grin.  It wasn’t long before Dennis ran into the Bakersfield Boys, Harry Garcia and J. Ronald Raines.  Running a ’34 Ford powered by a 468 cubic-inch, big-block Chevy, this blown and injected beast ran a top speed of 165 miles per hour here last year!  Harry said that some modifications had been made and that this year they were hoping for a top speed of 199 miles per hour!  That’s not bad for running on gasoline!  Finally, Dennis found Rick Yacoucci and Jack Costella and their Red Rocket.  This car is truly a land speed missile.  Rick is the driver of this wild ride and Jack is the designer.  Jack told Dennis that he started in this hobby by running mini-bikes at Bonneville.  Then in 1989 he started designing streamlined vehicles such as this one.  Powered by a turbocharged and inter-cooled Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engine, this “car” runs in Class G with engines from 1 ½ to 2 liters in displacement.  Today at El Mirage, the Red Rocket reached a top speed of 239 miles per hour.  However, both men reported that they had reached an insane top speed of 340+ at Bonneville!  Jack went on to tell Dennis that his philosophy toward rodding is simple:  “It is a statement of freedom and the reward is being able to do it.”  We couldn’t agree more.

If you would like to learn more about the Southern California Timing Association and their events at El Mirage Dry Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats, give them a visit on the web at http://scta-bni.org/.  Well, that’s it from the Mojave Desert in California.  So until our next trip, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”