MY BONNEVILLE INTRODUCTION
Eight years ago, I couldn't have told you what a '32 Ford looked like. I wasn't a hot rod guy in any way. One trip to Speedweeks changed all of that. An old friend was flying his plane to Bonneville and asked me to go. I told him I wasn't interested. He persisted, as he didn't want to fly alone, so I finally agreed to go, if only for the plane ride. Upon arrival, we over flew the course and pits and the awesome spectacle below really blew me away. While the sights and sounds of Speedweek initially drew me in, it was the people I met that really sealed the deal for me. That first evening, I was invited to "happy hour" in one of the rooms of the Speedweek crew of Fjastad-Kinne Bothers. I felt a little uncomfortable walking into a small hotel room with a bunch of strangers, but I was made welcome. The team consisted of it's fearless leader Roy Fjastad, his daughter Kathy and husband Carl Olsen and their daughter, Carl Fjastad and his daughter, the two Kinne brothers Mike and Pat, Donny and Dennis McNeil, Jarmo Pulkkinen, and last but not least, the infamous Kenny Hoover. I liked Kenny immediately. He talked for quite a time about his feats of skill and daring as a land speed driver. I later found out, while Kenny is in fact a talented driver, his real talent is his singing voice. A little known fact I was secretly told some time back. Kenny was a backup singer for Elvis Presley in the early 60's.
After this Speedweek event, I still wasn't a hot rodder, but it sure got me think'in. Several years later, Roy told me you haven't done Bonneville until you do it with Fullbore Racing. I crewed for him that year and Mike Kinne drove his old front engine modified roadster to a new world record. I was by now hopelessly hooked!
Next entry - A newbie gets started.