In about 1970 a co-worker at our local newspaper said an old Navy buddy of his was running a race car at nearby El Mirage. I'd done a little drag racing with the roadster I'd bought in 1961 and had updated it to decent street use, but not drag racing use, so I was interested in the El Mirage races. I met Phil Stevenson who just lived a few miles from me.
Phil had a 55 Chevy 4-Door (6-cyl.?) Wagon that his wife had worn out. He'd put a 390" Cadillac with the Jet-Away transmission in it and was running it at El Mirage. I began helping him run. He'd drive it up to El Mirage and we'd pull the mufflers off and he'd run it in the low 120s as I remember. Looked like fun to me.
A year or so later, in 1972, he said he wanted to drive it up to Bonneville with a goal of 150 MPH. He'd found a 6-pot Cad manifold at a swap meet that the guy wanted $75 for. He convinced the guy that it wasn't for a Chrysler that he thought it was, but for a Cadillac -- and Phil was possibly the only person that would ever buy it -- for $25. I had a bucket full of 97 carbs and gave him 4 of them. (I'd had 6 on my roadster before putting Enderles on it, plus 12 for my partner and mine's drag roadster -- 6 for gas, 6 for fuel.)
We started out to travel at night (an old BV tradition) and made it to the Pahranagat Lakes. I slept some on a picnic table and at dawn we headed for Wendover. We got a room at the Patio Motel -- to this day I don't know if the floor was dirt or just dirty carpeting.
We got up the next morning and went out to the course. Phil had brought along 2 18-inch Halibrand wheels. One, I believe had an Indy front tire, the other tire was a little wider and, perhaps a Bonneville tire -- just a little difference in circumference. Both were showing threads through the treads. But they by SCTA were stamped "Good for 175".
I was only there for a day or two, but Phil got the wagon up to 140s and was awarded a trophy for the fastest car driven there! Quite an honor. I had to Greyhound home early as my then wife said she was about to deliver our second son -- it did happen more than 2 months later.
And as for the yearly "Fastest Car Driven to Bonneville", that faded away -- but not until it had been bastardized by vehicles that drove there -- you know, like from Wendover. The 18s wound up in my garage when Phil moved to Texas. I've had them on my 28 Mercury Torpedo Salon for over 30 years now.
