The 313mph Backyard Hot Rod: The Awesome Story of Art Arfons' 2,500hp Anteater
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- Опубликовано: 12 мар 2024
- The history of land speed racing is marked by some of the most innovative, interesting, and oddball vehicles ever made. One of them belonged to Art Arfons and was known as The Anteater.
Using a turbocharged and supercharged 1,710ci Allison aircraft engine, it was Arfons' first dedicated Bonneville car. It ran more than 300mph and was actually used to try and set a speed record at Daytona International Speedway as well.
This is the story of a unique car that was full of cool ideas, went more than 300mph and mixed it up with the most advanced and high budget efforts of the day for a fraction of the cost. A true 313mph backyard hot rod. 
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In 1989 Art came back to the salt with Green Monster #27, it was a "two wheeler" with a central dorsal fin that was supposed to balance it when the landing gear skids were retracted. He found it didn't work so he removed it & decided to run with the landing gear down. We were safety crew at the 2 mile when he came past us at 300+, when it caught one skid & went vertical on full afterburner with a whole lot of daylight under it. We were the first on scene as Art was scrambling out of the wreckage in a growing lake of Jet-A fuel. He was a bit wobbly but ok. Next year he came back with a "three wheel" setup on the same car-ish machine but had trouble with the afterburner flaming out & never got it sorted. That was his last attempt at age 64 & that seemed old to me at the time but here I am now at 72 getting ready to try for 500 in a home built wheel driven bullet. You can't take the boy out of the man.🤓
Incredible. Have heard of those last two attempts, amazing you saw them in person!
Good luck youngster!!💙🌊😎
Good luck and God speed sir,As Toby Keith sang," Don't let the old man in"".
I’m 59 and remember some of this great history. My father worked for GM and loved Motorsports. Thanks for this great video. I know many of us truly appreciate it while strolling down
memory lane. And those days of great speeds!!!
Thanks Brian, that was interesting, subbed from Tokyo!
I'm 64 years old and I remember seeing the Green Monster at the drag strip when I was around 9 years old .
That next day I was building my version from everything I could scrounge up from wood to trash cans .
I made several runs down the sidewalk in front of our house .
The Green Monster to me was something from another planet .
Nothing but respect it's creators
Thank you for taking me back to those days 😎👍
So awesome!
@@brianlohnes3079so awesome is Right 👍
Amazing content my pops has been avoiding regular television for 😂
Thank you DaveJobe6282 for memories/ inspiration and Big Bad Brian Lohnes!❤ for memories/ inspiration 😊
How fast did yours go ?
It was a simple sidewalk coaster car .
I would practice all day and when my dad would get home from work he would have a cold beer on our front porch and chear me on .
I talked my mom out of a old bed sheet and rigged up a shoot for it .
When dad got home I was jumping up and down telling him he had to see my newest addition to the car .
I pushed the thing to the top of the road and set sail .....then just as I got to our yard I dropped the shoot and it opened up just like the Green Monster's.
My Dad give me a standing ovation for that one .
What great memories....from such simple things.
@davejobe6282 Sounds like it was pretty fast. lol Life is better when it's simple . I remember seeing pictures of one of the green monsters when I was a kid. Like you, it fascinated me.
Art lived down the road from us. You could hear fire up those jet engines to test them. Really cool to have a famous neighbor.
We lived down 619 towards East Liberty from Pickle Rd. Art would do test runs and scare the living crap out of everyone but the hot rodding fans.
“You’ll NEVER make that
jet engine run again!”
-anonymous
Air Force Colonel
“We’ll see about that!”
-The Legendary
Arthur Eugene Arfons
My father worked for arfons and drove the green monster jet car for a short time. Spent time at the shop as a kid and got to sit in the car.
My childhood best friend and I moved away from each other and never reconnected I remember he told me he lived next to or very near art. Did you know a tommy panzer by chance?
My childhood best friend lived near art when we were separated from each other due to families moving did you know Tommy panzner?
I saw an interview on the today show. They asked,"Why did you use Packard steering on the green monster?" He said, "Cause that's what I had sitting around the shop!"
When I was a kid I got to spend a week in the Summer with Art during his pulling days. He was such a kind and cool guy. Just me and him going down the road eating twinkies and drinking coke!
Amazing!
I saw Arfons at Lapeer Int. Dragway ,Michigan in about 1970 with one of his green monsters,,,jet powered,,,he blew the wooden fence down that was between the starting line and the road going by,,I was about fifteen at that time and it was nuts,,,also saw EJ Potter around the same era,,,always thought they both came out of the same mold,,,thanks for conjuring up the old memory bank !
So awesome!!
Thanks again Brian! The father of a former neighbor found out I was a gearhead and told me that he grew up with the Arfons. He said they always had something going on, but unfortunately my neighbor moved and I lost track of them.
Amazing. His shop is still on Pickle Rd in Akron! His son Tim works out of there now.
My grandfather knew Art , and was great friends with Arts painter Bud Groff. We lived 5 miles from Arts shop . Arfons was a pure genius .
You should be getting 100 times the views, every video is so professional.
Hey, I appreciate you watching!!
100K+ subs ain't too shabby tho.
Love this video! I am 50 years old and growing up in the 80's I remember the Arfons family from tractor pulling which the family were doing in the 80's. I remember their machines were always great looing and performed very well against the competition.
Right on!!
The Allison engine was popular with tractor pullers, I recall a tractor pull with Allison engine was so loud it became silent. You couldn't hear yourself scream. 😊
I watched art pull the sled completely around our dirt track with the Bush sponsored jet engine tractor
Followed his achievements through Hot Rod Magazine back in my 60’s high school days.
I'm 81and talked to Art at one of the local county fairs when he was running the turbine-powered tractor pulls, he was a very likable person that you could talk to about almost anything.
This is quality content sir.
I wish you millions of views
I was a big drag racer in the early 70 Ty’s I first met art at magnolia Ohio drag strip, he was in his green monster jet car I had a 62 wheel standing corvette we would meat several time next few years what a plesent person
Some 25year later I stoped at his shop in Akron
He was in the back just hanging out
His son was running to front with truck pulls
I had 3 of my children with me I wanted them to meet this incredible person
We talked for a bit
Then we stared talking airplane
He had a engine and prop set up in the shop
We decided to start it up
We both set there and just watched and lesstione
Was such a great day
I’m a Breedlove, I love learning and watching anything about Bonnieville!!!
My parents were good friends with Craig and Lee,mom worked with Lee and introduced her to Craig.
@@lancehowlett3910 that’s awesome, I’m part of the Indian Breedlove’s so Bonnieville is on my bucket list
Brian. I love the research that you do that goes into the well written and presented interest stories of automotive history! Keep up your great work!
Thanks for watching it!
Thanks for the wonderful video, and a huge thanks for not ruining it with crappy background music.
I don't know why some people feel compelled to add annoying background music throughout their videos.
Thank you for keeping the history of the Arfons alive!
I live in Akron and as a child I sat on top of my dad's car at Akron Municipal Airport and watch the drag races and the Green Monster always had everyone's attention. At an early age I worked in their old building on Pickle road in a machine shop on second shift and watched him work on his projects in their new building next door I learned a lot from him. Do you have enough info to do a story about the tunnel hull boat that had the wheels and tires. I saw it when they did some testing on Portage Lakes. I always wondered why he stopped on that project? He was always my hero. I am 73 years old now and still working making knives in the shop where I built most of my own equipment. He helped spark that in me!
I'm amazed at all these cars still using rubber on their wheels above 300mph in the 60's. Lockheed would never have seen it fit for placing a glowing hot fan spinning 417 times a second inches from any pilots head. As amazing a story as you tell of Art Arfons I feel he must have had a big fan club of angels watching over him.
Mickey Thompson was the man! Everyone else was fighting for second place. The only thing that stopped Mickey was his killer. My hat's off to you, Brian. Great video! Thank you.
Wow that's some amazing history! Love hearing these stories! Keep them coming!!!!
Will do!!!
I like the land speed content more than the 1320/660 content. Good video.
Thanks!!
That hand formed body is a masterpiece- wow - amazing work
Arfons.... EPIC personified.
Amen!
Art Arfons was the guy I followed in the sixties. He and the people around him were characters with genuine personalities.
Timken bearings...have been behind the sines for a long time ...they even built a steam powered locomotive.... a big one to to show how good there bearings where 👍👍👍👍👍👍 great video 👍👍👍👍just a great story teller an historian 👍👍👍
Thank you Josh!
Brian, thanks so much for putting this together as I've been an Art Arfons fan since the 60's, but never knew anything about the Anteater. When Art crashed the Green Monster at Bonneville I sent him a get well card and he sent me an autographed picture of him next to the GM, and one of the greatest sorrows of my life is I lost it. Thanks again👍
So am I. After all he is from the same community me and my family are from. Same with "Odie" Smith and Arlen Vanke. Arlen was my grandparents neighbor throughout my childhood. (Hazelwood Ext.) My first ever ride in any kind of muscle car or equivalent was Arlens 68 S/S Barracuda. It was only an idle around the block. BUT what it did for me that day, was the beginning of a lifetime of love for the sport and the machines that they use.
Wow! And Otie’s automotive = LEGEND!!!
Summers Bros beautiful streamliner, 'Goldenrod'!
***Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this! By the way you're an awesome narrator with an awesome voice and if you're not a VoiceOver guy you should be. Thank you thank you thank you!***
Thank you very much!!! Glad you enjoyed it!
😎 I remember the Green Monster tractor pulling days great video thanks
Thanks for watching it!
I've seen Art Arfons compete at the local Morgan County Fair Tractor Pull in Martinsville, IN when I was a kid. He always had the coolest machines.
As a 5 yr old, I witnessed Art Arfons run #11 at the NHRA Nationals in 1958. I became a fan due to that car. I was mesmerized with his Cyclops jet car a few years later.
Thank you for the video. I’m an 81 year old who grew up in Santa Monica Ca. I’m not real big gearhead but Art Arfons and The Green Monster, Mickey Thompson, The Campbells and the Land Speed Record, Wheel Driven especially , were a big part of my youth. Thanks again.
Growing up in the 80’s arfonz was definitely a big part of my childhood.. the green monster jet car, the green monster pulling tractors, and his monster trucks, he was at all the cool events I went to as a kid. I remember broadway Bob riding on the front of the green monster jet dragster as it did it’s afterburner thrusts at the World Series at Cordova.. arfonz was the man!!!
Great stuff!!!
@@brianlohnes3079 it’s awesome you’re telling the stories of these guys so they don’t get forgotten in the new car guy world of modern fuel injection motors and overdrive transmissions. Imagine the thrill of a car that doesn’t shift into second until 200mph but isn’t a modern funny car or dragster. Guys like Art are true heroes of the world of speed.
Art always put on a great show as did his son
I also saw Broadway ride in the Green Monster at Great Lakes Dragaway at his strip at Union Grove Wi. Which is the oldest continuously running drag strip. Oh the good ol days.
I also saw Broadway ride in the Green Monster at Great Lakes Dragaway at his strip at Union Grove Wi. Which is the oldest continuously running drag strip. Oh the good ol days.
This was a man who always answered the question “Why?” with “Why not?”, and it led to automotive powerhouses.
Great way to put it!
Art was an artist of speed. Your nod to Mickey Thompson is true as well. They were both heroes of mine and their pictures graced my bedroom walls ripped out of hot rod magazines....
Thanks for bring up good old memories.
There must be something in the water of Akron Ohio. Two of my favorite things from there are Art Arfons and Devo. 😂
Excellent video. God bless the RUclips average joes that make awesome videos but there's nothing like a professional.
I enjoyed the video. My father used to drag race with the Arfons at Akron Airport in the 50s and 60s and continued into a short time doing Sand Buggy drag racing with extended Jeep CJs. I remember as a little fella being in their garage at their house in the early mornings dad helped turn a wrench. Don't remember what they were working on. I know I was there because my mother used to think if she made my father take me, that my dad would come home at a decent hour 😂. Nope, that backfired. This led to me being with them in Randolph all night for tractor pulls😊. Later in my life I always drive past the Pickle Rd. Shop and see one or two of the Green Monsters sitting outside.
Art and Tommy Ivo made the coolest cars of my childhood 😎
I remember, watching t.v. seeing Art's crazy pulling tractors..
Mickey Thompson did indeed outrank everyone. Lord God King Bufuu of all aspects of hot rodding. A true renaissance man.
Yes he did!
Lifelong lover of all things 'hot rod', here.
Have they ever solved the M/T murder(s)?
"What could be Cooler than that!" NICE! Brian, thanks
Brian, thanks for putting together another fine piece of motorsports history. Anybody that turned a wrench in search of more speed knows the Arfons name. Cheers!
Great Story... Actually Almost Unbelievable... Instant Adult Gearhead... Ha ha! Paul Newman as I understand didn't even drive an automobile until he was Fifty Years Old... and Became a Famous Sports Car Driver. Thanks for Sharing
Thanks for watching it!!
Huge racing fan here, and a huge Newman fan here! I guess you've never seen the fantastic Paul Newman movie, 'Hud'? He seemed to be quite the wheelman driving an early 1960s Cadillac Convertible on the 'ranch'. It was a movie sorta similar to 'Rebel without a Cause'.....I recommend both movies.....
So glad to see this upload. Ill be back shortly when I can properly view and digest all the goodness.
My first thought was “oh, Lohnes brought the Arfons podcast episode to RUclips”. But then I looked at the duration of the video …. And I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve listened to the pod episode enough times to memorize the length of it…… so I knew this was new! I’m all in
Im gonna go listen to it.👍👍
Fantastic Video on the Golden Year's of Land speed Racing by these Men with Ball's of Steel.👍👍
Incredible story
Rekindled Gear head history by Brian... Awesome 👍🏼
My God, are you good at what you do.
Well shoot. Thank you.
YOU are the guy who sets the bar for honesty, unrelenting reality, and great wrenching stuff.
Art, Big Daddy and Uncle Tony are legendary. It’s going to be a boring time after we’re gone.
I was a participant in the 2008 Bonneville Speed Week. I remember seeing the Railton Special there. I don’t remember if it was just a display or if it actually ran, but that car was GORGEOUS!
$100 9sec car that was painted green because that’s what he had left in the shed…love it👍
I got to see the Green Monster tractor puller in 1981-1982, it was the first indoor tractor pull held in the Minneapolis Metrodome. There was a guest appearance by a silly blue truck with big tires from Missouri. Big Foot crushed a few cars, in my mind i see Minnesota's own Everett Jasmer USA-1 but im not positive.
Holy cow that is cool!
I was in the Army from 83 to 86, my buddy in there was from St Louis and was actually from right around the corner from where Bigfoot was built, he said when the guy was building it everyone in the neighborhood was laughing at the crazy guy up the road that was doing some kind of really bizarre things to a pickup truck, he said a year later when the name Bigfoot was known around the world and the guy was a millionaire no one was laughing anymore.
Thank you Mr. Lohnes, never underestimate the power of a room full of engineers. Oh don’t forget the first person to get an engineering degree got it from people who didn’t have an engineering degree…. 😊
The YT channel, 'Scarf and Goggles' is another great channel.
Great post, Brian!!
I was always wondered why this car's performance numbers looked underwhelming. Now I know, he only had low gear! Great story. I loved the podcast and hearing what Humpy Wheeler had say about Arfons.
A couple of other anecdotes: @ 30:50 the clipping you have shown has Bob Summers setting the C Streamliner record @ 262.231. This was the car they call "The Pollywog". From what I can find it was a blown small block and was front wheel drive. Also in the same clipping is the Pisano Bros. who bombed their record by 24 mph going 186.869 with the Studebaker. That was Joe Pisano of Venolia Pistons fame, his brother Carmen and Nick Arias Jr.
Love your stories. I didn't know about him somehow. I'm a big fan of landspeed racing. You are very talented at making and narrating videos. Some of the best stories I've seen on the web.
Appreciate you saying that! Thanks for watching
Brian, In addition to the many fascinating details, I had little idea of how far back the Arfons brothers went. Knowing they were two good ol' boys from Ohio made them even more personable.
I remember hearing about MT when I was in 6th grade, before I took a serious interest in anything automotive.
It was just a few years later, while in high school, that I had the opportunity of a lifetime when I went to work at Oswego Drag Raceway in Illinois. Three or four other friends also came at the same time and we had different jobs but taught each other the ropes. At first I worked the staging lanes, learning to stand my ground at the designated number of cars to move forward from each of 10 or 12 lanes. Soon, I was asked by the track steward if I wanted to come up and work the starting line... What kid would have turned that one down!
So, I learned all the safety checks before each pair of racers could go, after which I pressed the button to start the "Tree".
The local and regional hot rods running brackets, ET and straight classes made trial runs all morning, then the finals were run in the afternoon.
There were many featured races and drivers who highlighted advertisements that drew in spectators from at least 5 states; among those once, was Art Arfons!
Preparation of the starting booth had us batten down every potential moving object, then locking the plywood sides down, with only the box with the starting button outside. As Walt began spinning up that enormous jet engine, State Police stopped traffic on the road that ran behind the warm up area while I was given last minute instructions, which greatly resembled the "Duck & Cover Drills" of my Cold War school years.
With several bursts of fuel, the Green Monster lurched toward the starting line, shooting longer and longer streams of yellow flame toward the road. As soon as I finished my visual check of the track, I pushed the button, ducked down behind the booth, held my breath, plugged my ears and covered my face as best as I could.
As the deafening roar of the Green Monster grew more faint, the burned rubber laid down all morning became molten and stuck to every inch of exposed skin, which felt for the world like I was being stung by a swarm of very angry bees. When the heavy air, laden with burned Jet-A cleared, I finally took a breath and uselessly looked down the track; the Green Monster had disappeared behind a dense cloud of jet engine exhaust.
I heard a commotion behind me that made me look toward the road and saw what had been a perfectly green field of corn On Fire!. Upon starting, the jet flame had not only crossed the two lane state highway 34, but had started the field on fire. Stopped drivers became pedestrians and rushed into the field to quickly put out the fire, while everyone within sight, shouted out big cheers for the volunteers and the larger group of spectators cheered long and loud for Art Arfons Green Monster. That was a day that I will always remember with the same big smile on my face, as I had during this wonderful historic documentary.
Very good video. I like your use of quoting from newspaper clippings capturing the spirit and interest of the time..
On the MT Challenger one .
I had read an article that the published failure of the car was a drive shaft however the actual failure was an engine. The driveshaft story was generated so as not to cast a bad light on Pontiac which had provided the engines.
Bro, you are killing it with these mini-docs! I've been on a binge, love the history lessons, keep rockin' on 🤘
I liked the tractor pulls with his daughter.
When I was a kid the one I remember was the Green Mamba ...... 🐍 🐍 🐍 🐍 my big brother bought a brand new Metallic Emerald Green 66' Olds 442 family car/drag car and took me to many dragstrips from Kent Wa. to Woodburn Or..... Thx for the Mammaries
Art was the coolest I met him at a tractor pull. Was so young i didn't know who he was. But my dad sure did. Later I learned just who he was.
Great story!
I love landspeed history. The engineering these guys did, in their backyards, was insane.
Honestly Captain, you make the most interesting and informative drag and LSR content on the internet. An absolute joy to watch. Thank you so much!
Great video. I'm an Orlando native, I didn't know the Sentinel had been around that long.
The mid sixties Green Monster LSR car was on display at a local Treasure Island store at the height of the Breedlove/ Arfons battle. I was 7 or 8 at the time, and I was hooked. Such a futuristic car from such simple means...I was suddenly buying car mags with my allowance, and dreaming about all things racing.
I remember watching an interview with Craig Breedlove. He told a great story about him and Art Afrons back in the
'60s during speedweek. The were breaking records. First Art, then the next day Breedlove would set a new record. They kept doing it all week. It was in the papers, so everyone knew about it. They had rental cars and they were racing each other coming back from having a bite to eat in town. A highway patrolman pulled them both over.
He walked up to Breedlove's car and said, " You were driving pretty fast there!" "Who do you think you are, Art Arfons?" Breedlove said, "No Sir." "I'm Craig Breedlove." "Art Arfons is back there in that car."
Awesome, thanks for the great story. 😂
50 years of land speed racing under my belt you're knocking them dead super great videos thank you
Again so informative! Nice work Brian!
Thanks for giving it a look, Ted!
I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to your episode about the arfons at least 10 times usually on the way home from filming a tractor pull
Thank you!! Hahah
Great stuff Brian, thanks again
Most enjoyable thing I've watched in a while what a fantastic channel this is .
What an amazing human being he was I am now and forever will be a huge fan of Art Arfons ❤
.Back in the day, we called those few who were unique, honyaks. A honyak built his own pipe and show them their passion for quickness and speed. Art Arfons was the ultimate honyak.
What is not covered here is his tractor pulling. Do I have to tell you that he didn't know anything about bought, rebuilt and ran a gas turbine engine and get this...in a tractor puller. Needless to say, he dominated and his opponents said he was still sand-bagging could blow them away anytime.
they had compound boost in the 1930's on cars running 2 stage superchargers for example the 1937 autounion with a 2 stage supercharged V16 !
Amazing!
Both of my autoshop teachers were red hat owners. Monte Wolfe and Roger Gates. I spent many weekends every summer in the late 70s at El Mirage
Wow!! Talk about epic teachers.
Good stuff, thanks
I'll never forget the time in 1962 when asking my mother where my older (gearhead) brother was off to one day. We lived in Michigan. Art Arfons was doing an exhibition at the Edmore dragstrip about 60 miles west of us, mid-state. That was the what and where. My mother innocently clueless gave this comic reply, "he's off to Edinburgh to see a Green Dragon!"
Amazing story, great job telling it
Thanks!
My dad grew up with Craig Breedlove and helped him with his first hot rod. They were in the Culver City hot rod club named "The Igniters". Craig was the youngest member when my dad was in it. The Igniters started meeting once a year for a weekend at Craig's place and met at least until my dad died in 2013. I have a model of "The Spirit of America" that was signed by Craig. I also have the book "Speed Dual" about the rivalry between Art and Craig. That might be signed, too. I'll have to dig it up and look.
Thank you Brian for shining a light on Land Speed Racing. With absolutely zero money to be won, we risk all we have (in both time, dollars & our very lives) to achieve our dreams...
Well done sir!
I remember Art from my early childhood in the 60's. He was a pioneer. Long live the Green Monster.
ah art arfons, first heard of him when they mentioned on battle of the monstertrucks when his son tim ran starfire as a two wheel pulling car as part of the video and they mentioned it was turbine powered, and then a few years later saw a book fastest man on earth about his exploits as holding the land speed record in the hey day of experamental dragracing and speed records, and then found out he went into tractor pulling and saw him on video a few times with the green monster and wanted to see him pull but never got to the times we went to fort recovery me and my cousins that is, and he passed away me never getting to meet him and get autograph he was one of the deitys of american speed and racing, right up there with creag breedlove, he was an absolute legend, from a guy that mastered jet engine vehichles and seemingly all self taught and passed down to tim and dusty his kids.
I enjoyed this video sir, thanks
Thank you!
what a great story, thank you
Hi Brian, thank you for a great video! it's nice to revisit those times. I was around in those times but was only interested in drag racing although Hot Rod magazine did cover the Green Monster, I have never heard of Art, you left me wishing I had.
Rich
He was one of a kind for sure
Thanks from Norway!!! Love this kind of history!!
Once again, another amazing video with some insane history! Art Arfons was a freaking madman!
thanks brian art arfons is one of my favorite people
Regarding the Daytona run... When I was a kid in the late 1960s, there was a "CARtoons" comic (sort of like Mad Magazine for car nuts) about a top fuel dragster that entered the Daytona 500. It won (of course) by doing a wheel stand over the top of the two stock cars that were blocking him at the finish line!
Very interesting! Good job!
So cool that you mentioned EJ, I remember his pulling tractors ugly and double ugly, both Allison powered around 1976???? He came to Auto City Speedway in Flint, Michigan wich was dirt at the time, yes a tractor pull at a 1/2 mile speedway. The straight between turn 4 and turn 1 as a kid back then seeing ugly and double ugly the same day was awesome!!!
Good job Brian. That thing going around Daytona would be cool to see, someone must have video ? I got to meet Art around 1990 ( I think) at the tractor pull at BC Place in Vancouver.
Back in the late 1960s I had to do an oral book report and I chose "Art Arfons Fastest Man on Wheels". Needless to say, my report enjoyed the greatest interest from my classmates.
Absolutely fascinating ! Extremely well researched and presented.Many thanks Professor Lohnes.
Thank you!
Always interesting and well explained. 👌👌
I have an Afons gas welded aluminum intake on my hot rod.
Good episode!
Another great video. I really enjoy this channel. And have learned so much about the history of our sport..I gotta get out to the salt flats ,iam looking into it right now. Thanks for the content