Hello, my name is Tom and my son Luke & I made our first trek to Bonneville last year for the 65th. I grew up around street rods and show cars in the 70's and 80's and built a few different things along the way. My dad was the car guy in the neighborhood and also the go to guy when you needed almost anything fixed. Together he and I got to see several different brands of racing from F1, Cart, Indy Cars, Drags, and many local small dirt or paved tracks.
About 6 or 8 years ago some of his car club buddies decided to build a car for Bonneville. I had read about Speed Week, land speed record holders, and seen all kinds of pictures but we'd never been. Not living in the same state I wasn't able to get back to see the car before they hit the road. Talking to him it was clear the build really revived his spirits as his health was starting to slip and building any car was no longer a possibility. They trekked out and I recall being told that they had broke the motor so they'd packed it in pretty early. When My dad and I did talk about the trip the car and it's issues were a speed bump in the conversation, almost all he talked about was the variety of cars, amazing workmanship, and all the great people he'd met.
Street rods, for me, had really lost their luster several years ago when it became a Cubic Buck Rodder thing as my dad called it. People calling builders and "ordering" a car, opening a catalog and breaking out the checkbook. Now I don't have any issue with the people who do this, I just don't find the car as interesting as one built by, bled on, and sweated over by the guy driving it. I think deep down my dad felt the same way. I could tell when we'd talk about Bonneville that the innovative spark he had for as long as I can remember had been ignited again.
After several years of deteriorating health, illusive medical issues, and progressive dementia my dad became seriously ill in the summer of 2012. He passed away while his friends were at Speed Week and that year they were finally able to break 200 mph. Last year I made it my mission to get to the place that my dad raved about, with my son who was 10. I was in complete shock the entire time we were there trying to take everything in. It was somewhat emotional because everything about the place was 100% my dad, great people, amazing vehicles, and an unexpected surprise with Wendover AFB (my dad was an Air Force mechanic in the 50's).
Needless to say, my son and I will be back this year and we've already agreed to make it our yearly adventure. It was great to see the vehicles and details that made my son's wheels spin, some of which I didn't catch. He kept asking me what we were going to build to bring to Bonneville to run, and didn't let up all winter either, and there are some possibilities. But for now, I just want to get back there and do it all again, meet some more people, ask more questions, and hear some more stories.
OK, my book is done and I've got to go to work. We'll see you in a little under two weeks, safe travels everyone!