Nolan White

[Dave Haller]

Looking through my older stuff and viewing the picture posts I have wondered what happened to Nolan's Streamliner after the accident. He is a legend to me and I was fortunate enough to pit next to him a couple of times. Saw that awesome piece up close more than once. I was there the day of the crash and watched him go by at extreme speed with no chutes. Does anyone know what Rick his son is doing now? Is the liner still around? Any plans for it?
I have an event t-shirt with the car on it and wear it proudly every once in a while.
Thanks for the info,
Dave Haller #93

[Glen]

Jack Dolan can best answer this. I timed Nolan on his last run and was also on the rescue. A very sad day in my life of LSR. Rick is still running Autopower and is involved with his sons racing.

[JackD]

Nolan worked for my dad as a finish carpenter in the 50s and lots of stuff after that.
Rick is active running an NE1 front motored TF car in vintage drags.
He was # 1 in the last of the Goodguys series.
Rick's son is in SDRC and runs a Modified Roadster.
The rest is sorta family.
Jack

[Freud]

Nolan's Memorial service was a history lesson in the evolution of hot rods.
Marlo and I flew down to attend and it was one of those happenings that
was a real eye opener. Nolan and Don Vesco were a lot alike. Rick was right
there with every step of the B'ville program and I am certain that his son has
gained a tremendous speed education.
FREUD

[BillsCars]

I am the current owner of Nolan White's Parts Pedler, Autopower trailer that he hauled his Streamliner in.  All those Nolan White fans will remember it on the salt.  I tried to Attach a picture but the jpg file was too big.  They say they can only send 500k. and the pic is 1.2mb.   I hope someone has some pix of it on the salt.  I have a couple pix showing the Spirit of Autopower partially in the trailer but would like more and any other stories or info you might have.  If you have any pix send them to my personal E-mail; bimblum@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Bill

[SPDRACR]

Bill, is that the trailer with the spread axles and roll up rear door ?
Rick and his son are doing well, Rick qualified #1 at the March meet in NTF.
They built a comp coupe for Bonneville and El Mirage , same #131.
The plan on running at Bonneville this Year.

[Bob Drury]

    I spoke with Rick at Speedweek 2017 and He told Me that the motor in the CC was out of the Streamliner.  Kind of fitting, I thought.
                              Here's one to Nolan and another to Rick!
                                                                        "One Run" Bob.............................

[velocity]

This was tribute I created for Rick and his family after the horrific crash. At his memorial, I distributed a recap of Nolan's grand salt adventures that included quotes form more than a dozen of his racing colleagues. He alway made time to speak to me, not matter when I showed up in his pit and I always made sure I never wasted his time. The entire White family are as serious, a dedicated team as one might ever wish to assemble. They were, and remain, people to emulate in land speed racing.

[BillsCars]

Yes, that is the trailer with the roll up door, spread axles and 2 ramps that slide in and out so he could adjust them to fit wide and narrow axles.  It says "The National PARTS PEDDLER and AUTOPOWER" on the sides at the rear.  I took a couple pix today that I hope will post because they are smaller files than yesterday.  I'll download 1.  Here goes;;;

[BillsCars]

Here are 3 pix of the trailer.  One is Nolan, Tom and Mike and a rear corner of the trailer and one is now in my yard and the saddest is his Streamliner after the accident in the back of the trailer.  Notice the home made ramp holder above the door.  The 2 ramps fold up and are held by it and you tighten it down with the large wing nut on the bolt.  No doubt made and installed by Nolan, and still there.  I am VERY proud to own a PIECE OF HISTORY. 

[TrickyDicky]

This was tribute I created for Rick and his family after the horrific crash. At his memorial, I distributed a recap of Nolan's grand salt adventures that included quotes form more than a dozen of his racing colleagues. He alway made time to speak to me, not matter when I showed up in his pit and I always made sure I never wasted his time. The entire White family are as serious, a dedicated team as one might ever wish to assemble. They were, and remain, people to emulate in land speed racing.

That's a cool tribute.

Not wanting to stir anything up, but can anyone put a bit more detail on the 442.496 mph run?  e.g. When was it, what event, is there a story as to why it is not more widely known and (presumably) was not converted into a record?

440+ mph was (and still is) a seriously fast speed for a wheel driven vehicle.  Depending on exactly when it was achieved, it could have been the fastest ever up to that point (even faster than Don Vesco/Turbinator).

[BillsCars]

Tom B. advised me I made a mistake about the pic of the streamliner in the trailer.  I was advised by the guy that gave me the pic that it was after the chutes didn't deploy at the accident so I assumed that was when Nolan was killed but apparently it was a different time that they didn't deploy, so I am sorry for the wrong info.  That's why I would like more pix showing the trailer and any info you might have about it.

I bought the trailer about 8 years ago from Nolan's Grandson who was very sad to sell it because Nolan had willed it to him but he said every time he was around it he was reminded of his grandfather and got sad so he decided it was best to sell it.

Sorry again for the misinformation about the pic.

Thanks,
Bill

[SPDRACR]

Bill, To My memory it was a world finals meet, but could have been one of Cooks meets, Maybe even private time. They were going to run on the FIA record, which only gave them a one hour turn around.
So Nolan picked to go down to the far end and make his first pass form floating Mtn. towards the freeway. The Bonneville meet that was earlier in the year Nolan and Rick had chute issues
which they thought were resolved with a new three chute system. Well the rest You can figure out that run towards the freeway, all of the new chutes tore apart, he turned his carbon fiber
brakes to powder, and started to try slow "s" curves to shave speed. Long, narrow, and got a rut, the car went into a pencil roll. Nolan was alive when they got to him, but sadly passed in
SLC a few days later. I still miss him greatly, but I do get to see Rick and Brad often.

[Dynoroom]

Bill, To My memory it was a world finals meet, but could have been one of Cooks meets, Maybe even private time. They were going to run on the FIA record, which only gave them a one hour turn around.
So Nolan picked to go down to the far end and make his first pass form floating Mtn. towards the freeway. The Bonneville meet that was earlier in the year Nolan and Rick had chute issues
which they thought were resolved with a new three chute system. Well the rest You can figure out that run towards the freeway, all of the new chutes tore apart, he turned his carbon fiber
brakes to powder, and started to try slow "s" curves to shave speed. Long, narrow, and got a rut, the car went into a pencil roll. Nolan was alive when they got to him, but sadly passed in
SLC a few days later. I still miss him greatly, but I do get to see Rick and Brad often.

Eric, that run was a 422 mph run. but didn't he make a 440+ pass before this event?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I think the crash was WF '02 or so - well before Mike Cook's Shootout.  Jon Amo was one of the first to Nolan, he said.  We weren't at the event.

At the Shootout, though, it's standard to start at the Floating Island end and run towards the freeway for the down run.  And Mike plants an emergency fence just off course so racers have an alternative stop available in that direction.