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The fourth generation of American land-speed racers are in diapers now, so why not take a peek at how one of the first three generation families got started? Although this column will only focus on the Ferguson family, there are many oth- ers that share equally notable three generational statuses within the sport. All share a common bond; they are all hooked on horsepower, smitten with speed and are never satisfied with last year’s time slip. All of these families (not to mention the many dozens of two-generation families) are heavily involved and the entire family helps out, or directly participates in the racing program. The list below is what I have sorted out thus far, but I will no doubt miss someone, so please drop me a line so I might include those missing folks in future articles. Three Generation Land Speed Families: Feisty Fergusons Whenever I have wandered into the Ferguson’s pit area, the greeting has been the same: big smiles, tools down and stop to chat. Now that’s a welcome, let me tell you. This style of greeting is offered throughout the pits, it is an inextricable part of land speed racing. Here, family does not necessarily mean you are connected by blood, yet the bond is just as sturdy. Consider what Don Fergu- son the third, or “3” as I call him, did to get three guys into the 200MPH Club in four days. What III was attempting on the salt was bold, daring and eye- brow-raising outrageous. In order to earn member- ship in the Bonneville 200MH Club, he needed all three drivers to set specific records - not too fast or too slow - without any mistakes, in six runs down the long black line. Youthful enthusi- asm knows no bounds (remember how that felt?). Never mind that very tal- ented people take years before they gain entree to this presti- gious speed fraternity, earning the right to wear a simple red ball cap that proclaims their speediness to the world, this third generation velocity fruit of his father’s loins was after a triple crown in 96 hours! “Don’t go too fast,” DDII cautioned his son, “because the hardest person to catch is yourself.” Sage speed advice. Now some folks might be annoyed by such an accomplish- ment, but just like the fabled fox who called the grapes sour because he couldn’t jump high enough to get them, you’ve still got to admire the tenacity. From where I sat, it was quite a show of human spirit mixed with “Calvin and Hobbes” fantasy dreaming. Meeting up one morning with the normally jovial, bright-natured 24-year- old with a Samson physique, I noticed he appeared burdened with the weight of a small solar system. Here we were at the SCTA World Finals on the Bonneville Salt Flats and I knew the handsome lad had arrived with three wrench-wielding, speed-hungry buddies to play with the family’s 200 mile-per-hour streamliner. “Did you break the car,” I asked with curious astonishment, “Or have you knuckleheads been up all night betting, boozing and boasting to women?” “No,” replied the wearied-eye young man, “I didn’t get any sleep last night; I’ve been up worrying about how I’m going to get the guys in the 200MPH Club. My stomach is upset, I can’t eat, my dad isn’t here to help and I have to tune the car myself.” “What?! How come he’s not here?” I asked. “He couldn’t make it this year and I’ve never gone racing without him before,” III replied. Ah ha! This was the epiphany at the conclusion of a grease-laden molt. Born and raised in a family that for decades had chased high-speed dreams out on the dry lakes of southern California; III finally understood what his father and grandfa- ther endured to successfully campaign a speed machine. Simultaneously, III and crew were helping veteran racer Jim Travis get his son Randy into the 2-Club with a gas sucking Ardun. Down on speed, III and high performance laureate Don Francisco put their heads together and came up with a gear change that boosted the RPM and Randy turned in a 233 average to earn a red hat for his head. Another Randy, the youngest Fergu- son, also became the youngest to join the 200MPH Club and the El Mirage 200MPH Club at age 17 in 2001. Never a bunch to hoard the driving fun for themselves, the Fergusons offer seat time to many. Watching them can be as exhausting as it is entertaining. Senior, or “Ferg” as his friends called him, founded Paramount Forge in 1954. When he died in 1999, it passed onto Junior (DDII) who in turn is teaching III the fine points of hammer forging 2,200 degree metal, machining, cutting raw bil- let stock, fine grinding, and ring rolling. “I learned a lot from my grandfather and my dad,” explained DDIII, the current president of the Rod Riders Racing Team, a racing group founded by his grandfather in 1947, “I spent every summer with them. Something always needed to be taken apart, or put back together.” The family motto is “Fun”, and III believes it is a lot more fun to help other people go fast than doing it himself. II notes that if the racing isn’t fun, then it’s not worth doing. This ideology came from Ferg, who proffered “You can have more fun with people than you can with any- thing else”. To fund the family speed deeds they have developed a retro revenue stream borne out of yesterday’s memories and today’s desires: the largest private col- lection of American vintage engine patterns, castings and parts, ranging from Model A and B Fords, to flatheads, in-line 6’s, Chryslers, and Arduns. This collection, housed above the racecar workshop just down the street from the family business, Paramount Forge, is a jaw-dropping, motor- head wonderland of horsepower possibili- ties. “By the 80’s dad probably had the best collection of rare, one- off cylinder heads in the country,” said DDII, “he marveled at how folks approached speed. Testing every one of the heads on his flow bench, he found out what worked and what didn’t, docu- menting everything. It is how we found out that Ed Winfield’s head, the supposed best, wasn’t!” Starting out as Ferg’s boyhood obses- sion with vintage mills; he would be astonished today at what his son and grandkids have done with the family racing program that they would be going as fast as they are with the Arduns and GMC’s. “A lot of it is due to the technology and the upgrades that my dad has put into the Ardun conversions,” III chimed, “he raised the bar. We make our own rocker arms, pushrods, head gaskets, billet crank and camshafts, 4340 connecting rods, but we are still using grandpa’s injectors that are still far superior to what anyone else is making. With the GMC technology, we are running the Wayne cross flow head that my grandpa and dad worked on.” Migrating to in-line 6-cylinders (Arduns and Wayne head GMC’s compet- ed in the same class years ago) because the engines were much easier to work on, tol- erated heavier loads of nitro and took a lot more abuse before they fell apart. When they added nitrous oxide that put 375 HP at the fly- wheel records came easier and more often. Because no one would sell them flathead parts, Ferg designed what he wanted – only better. He put a venturi down inside the injec- tor to speed up the air, to this day, no one has made an injector like that. Did I mention he only had an 8th grade education? A plum Ardun can cost up to 50 large these days. For years DDII thought the fragile flathead required too much work for too little pay- back, “Flatheads were the last thing I ever wanted to build.” His dad had other ideas and over the years II absorbed practical mechanical smarts that he now imparts to his sons and other speed-seeking centu- rions. “My first taste of record-setting Generations Of Speed Barrett Brant Bryant Burke Campbell Cobb Cook Edelbrock Freudiger Kalbach Lindsley Miller Nish Rickman Sykes Tone Vesco Young White Sporting his dry lakes best head gear, Don Ferguson III, president of the Rod Riders Racing Club, takes a moment with members out on the El Mirage Dry Lake in southern California. The Club was first formed in the late 40’s by his grandfather, Don “Ferg” Ferguson. Dynasty’s have to start somewhere and when Don “Ferg” Ferguson took a han- kering to Model B’s the whole family got hooked. Today, 50 years later, the grandkids are still ripping through the timing lights with vintage mills of their own. Don Ferguson III stand by his Ardun powered roadster. Still under construction, the third gen- eration land speed racers is also the President of the Rod Riders Racing Club. Don Ferguson II, left and son Don III, have a laugh in the family race car shop. 14 March.2006

Generations Of Speed...The fourth generation of American land-speed racers are in diapers now, so why not take a peek at how one of the first three generation families got started?

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Page 1: Generations Of Speed...The fourth generation of American land-speed racers are in diapers now, so why not take a peek at how one of the first three generation families got started?

The fourth generation of Americanland-speed racers are in diapers now, sowhy not take a peek at how one of the firstthree generation families got started?Although this column will only focus onthe Ferguson family, there are many oth-ers that share equally notable threegenerational statuses within the sport. Allshare a common bond; they are all hookedon horsepower, smitten with speed and arenever satisfied with last year’s time slip. Allof these families (not to mention the manydozens of two-generation families) areheavily involved and the entire familyhelps out, or directly participates in theracing program. The list below is what Ihave sorted out thus far, but I will nodoubt miss someone, so please drop me aline so I might include those missing folksin future articles.

Three Generation Land Speed Families:

Feisty Fergusons

Whenever I have wandered into theFerguson’s pit area, the greeting has beenthe same: big smiles, tools down and stopto chat. Now that’s a welcome, let me tellyou. This style of greeting is offeredthroughout the pits, it is an inextricablepart of land speed racing. Here, familydoes not necessarily mean youare connected by blood, yet thebond is just as sturdy.

Consider what Don Fergu-son the third, or “3” as I call him,did to get three guys into the200MPH Club in four days.What III was attempting on thesalt was bold, daring and eye-brow-raising outrageous.

In order to earn member-ship in the Bonneville 200MHClub, he needed all three driversto set specific records - not toofast or too slow - without anymistakes, in six runs down thelong black line. Youthful enthusi-asm knows no bounds(remember how that felt?).

Never mind that very tal-ented people take years beforethey gain entree to this presti-gious speed fraternity, earningthe right to wear a simple redball cap that proclaims theirspeediness to the world, thisthird generation velocity fruit ofhis father’s loins was after a triplecrown in 96 hours! “Don’t go toofast,” DDII cautioned his son,“because the hardest person tocatch is yourself.” Sage speedadvice.

Now some folks might beannoyed by such an accomplish-ment, but just like the fabled fox

who called the grapes sour because hecouldn’t jump high enough to get them,you’ve still got to admire the tenacity.From where I sat, it was quite a show ofhuman spirit mixed with “Calvin andHobbes” fantasy dreaming.

Meeting up one morning with thenormally jovial, bright-natured 24-year-old with a Samson physique, I noticed heappeared burdened with the weight of asmall solar system. Here we were at theSCTA World Finals on the BonnevilleSalt Flats and I knew the handsome ladhad arrived with three wrench-wielding,speed-hungry buddies to play with thefamily’s 200 mile-per-hour streamliner.

“Did you break the car,” I asked withcurious astonishment, “Or have youknuckleheads been up all night betting,boozing and boasting to women?”

“No,” replied the wearied-eye youngman, “I didn’t get any sleep last night; I’vebeen up worrying about how I’m going toget the guys in the 200MPH Club. Mystomach is upset, I can’t eat, my dad isn’there to help and I have to tune the carmyself.”

“What?! How come he’s not here?” Iasked.

“He couldn’t make it this year andI’ve never gone racing without himbefore,” III replied.

Ah ha! This was the epiphany at theconclusion of a grease-laden molt. Bornand raised in a family that for decades hadchased high-speed dreams out on the drylakes of southern California; III finallyunderstood what his father and grandfa-ther endured to successfully campaign aspeed machine.

Simultaneously, III and crew werehelping veteran racer Jim Travis get hisson Randy into the 2-Club with a gas

sucking Ardun. Down on speed, III andhigh performance laureate Don Franciscoput their heads together and came up witha gear change that boosted the RPM andRandy turned in a 233 average to earn ared hat for his head. Another Randy, theyoungest Fergu-son, also becamethe youngest tojoin the 200MPHClub and the ElMirage 200MPHClub at age 17 in2001. Never abunch to hoardthe driving funfor themselves,the Fergusonsoffer seat time tomany. Watchingthem can be asexhausting as it isentertaining.

Senior, or“Ferg” as hisfriends calledhim, foundedParamount Forgein 1954. When hedied in 1999, itpassed ontoJunior (DDII)who in turn isteaching III thefine points of hammer forging 2,200degree metal, machining, cutting raw bil-let stock, fine grinding, and ring rolling.

“I learned a lot from my grandfatherand my dad,” explained DDIII, the currentpresident of the Rod Riders Racing Team,a racing group founded by his grandfatherin 1947, “I spent every summer with them.Something always needed to be takenapart, or put back together.”

The family motto is “Fun”, and IIIbelieves it is a lot more fun to help otherpeople go fast than doing it himself. IInotes that if the racing isn’t fun, then it’snot worth doing. This ideology came fromFerg, who proffered “You can have morefun with people than you can with any-thing else”. To fund the family speeddeeds they have developed a retro revenuestream borne out of yesterday’s memories

and today’s desires: the largest private col-lection of American vintage enginepatterns, castings and parts, ranging fromModel A and B Fords, to flatheads, in-line6’s, Chryslers, and Arduns.

This collection, housed above theracecar workshop justdown the street fromthe family business,Paramount Forge, is ajaw-dropping, motor-head wonderland ofhorsepower possibili-ties.

“By the 80’s dadprobably had the bestcollection of rare, one-off cylinder heads inthe country,” saidDDII, “he marveled athow folks approachedspeed. Testing everyone of the heads on hisflow bench, he foundout what worked andwhat didn’t, docu-menting everything. Itis how we found outthat Ed Winfield’shead, the supposedbest, wasn’t!”

Starting out asFerg’s boyhood obses-sion with vintage mills;

he would be astonished today at what hisson and grandkids have done with thefamily racing program that they would begoing as fast as they are with the Ardunsand GMC’s.

“A lot of it is due to the technologyand the upgrades that my dad has put intothe Ardun conversions,” III chimed, “heraised the bar. We make our own rockerarms, pushrods, head gaskets, billet crankand camshafts, 4340 connecting rods, butwe are still using grandpa’s injectors thatare still far superior to what anyone else ismaking. With the GMC technology, weare running the Wayne cross flow headthat my grandpa and dad worked on.”

Migrating to in-line 6-cylinders(Arduns and Wayne head GMC’s compet-ed in the same class years ago) because theengines were much easier to work on, tol-

erated heavier loads of nitro andtook a lot more abuse before theyfell apart. When they added nitrousoxide that put 375 HP at the fly-wheel records came easier and moreoften. Because no one would sellthem flathead parts, Ferg designedwhat he wanted – only better. Heput a venturi down inside the injec-tor to speed up the air, to this day,no one has made an injector likethat. Did I mention he only had an8th grade education?

A plum Ardun can cost up to 50large these days. For years DDIIthought the fragile flathead requiredtoo much work for too little pay-back, “Flatheads were the last thingI ever wanted to build.” His dad hadother ideas and over the years IIabsorbed practical mechanicalsmarts that he now imparts to hissons and other speed-seeking centu-rions.

“My first taste of record-setting

Generations Of Speed

BarrettBrantBryantBurkeCampbellCobbCookEdelbrockFreudigerKalbach

LindsleyMillerNishRickmanSykesToneVescoYoungWhite

Sporting his dry lakes best head gear, DonFerguson III, president of the Rod Riders RacingClub, takes a moment with members out on theEl Mirage Dry Lake in southern California. TheClub was first formed in the late 40’s by hisgrandfather, Don “Ferg” Ferguson.

Dynasty’s have to start somewhere andwhen Don “Ferg” Ferguson took a han-kering to Model B’s the whole familygot hooked. Today, 50 years later, thegrandkids are still ripping through thetiming lights with vintage mills of theirown.

Don Ferguson III stand by his Ardun poweredroadster. Still under construction, the third gen-eration land speed racers is also the Presidentof the Rod Riders Racing Club.

Don Ferguson II, left and son Don III, have alaugh in the family race car shop.

14 � March.2006

Page 2: Generations Of Speed...The fourth generation of American land-speed racers are in diapers now, so why not take a peek at how one of the first three generation families got started?

came at El Mirage in 1978 running inXX/Fuel Roadster class,” said DDII withan excitement in his voice as those he hadjust then climbed out of the cockpit afterrunning 165MPH right off the trailer run-ning on straight alcohol, “The differencebetween the flat head and the Ardun con-version was dramatic, like night and day. Itwas smooth as silk and felt so strong Icould have run laps with it.”

That record still stands to this dayand later that year he ran 165 at Bon-neville with the flathead, but needed 60%nitro to do it.

The female Fergusons also figureprominently in this generational speed

2., Smash Flatfire’s 302MPH recordto become the “World’s Fastest Flathead

3., Top 200MPH at El Mirage withthe roadster (with III driving).

Ferg’s spirit continues to be mademanifest through his grandson’s hands andhis son’s quick-witted, velocity hungrymind. In a hobby that often becomes alifestyle, land-speed racing continues tothe best little “amateur” motorsports gamein the world.

Asking III about his speed dreams, hereplies faster than you can dump a clutch,“Don Vesco’s 458MPH record is out thereand it is calling our name”.

And what about that 2-Club triplecrown? III, strategizing by phone withdad at home, together they worked tofine-tune the in-line 6-cylinder. In sevenruns down the course Chris Field, “JellyBean” Mike Cook, and Dave Kirsch madethe most of their opportunity for lifemembership in the oldest speed club onthe salt setting records at 221, 224 and227. It was a happy day in the sandbox.

And for the upcoming race season?Make note of their goals:

1., Exceed 300 MPH with the Waynehead GMC engine

tree. Pauline Ferguson, Ferg’s wife, II’smom and III’s gram, is a sharp, senior hot-tie, who lived for years surrounded by carsof all description including a VincentBlack Shadow motorcycle in a spare bed-room. This is a woman, who for Christmasone year, bought her husband dry lakespioneer Karl Orr’s racecar, sewed a dozenred satin Russetta official shirts and helpedbuy new time clocks for SCTA-BNI whoresponded at the 1986 SCTA annual ban-quet by presenting her with a specialtrophy inscribed - “A Special Thanks toPauline Ferguson, the initiator for thefund raising of the Bonneville Nationalclocks.”

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