John Edwin Mason: Racing Photography

Last Dance at the Maxton Mile

I fell in love at the Maxton Mile, and, when it's gone, a piece of my heart will go, too.

Ok, that's putting it much too strongly, but it was the Maxton Mile that sparked my deep infatuation with land speed racing.  Besides drawing me back to Maxton repeatedly, it has lured me all the way out to the Bonnevile Salt Flats for Speed Week.  (But that's another story, for another time.)

Sadly, however, the Maxton Mile is coming to an end.  The East Coast Timing Association [ECTA] has been staging land speed races at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, in North Carolina, for over a decade.  Last year, it learned that it wouldn't be allowed to use the airport and its nearly two-mile-long runways after the 2011 season.  That season ends this coming weekend -- October 29th and 30th -- and, with it, a brief, largely unsung chapter in motor sports history.

 

Tim Hunter's '70 Plymouth GTS (converted into a replica of a legendary Nascar Superbirds) on the starting line at the Maxton Mile, 23 June 2011.  [Click on the image to see a larger version.]

Land speed racing has become my favorite motor sport for several different reasons.  For one thing, it's the purest form of racing you can possible imagine.  It's all about going faster than the other guys and gals -- in a straight line, over a measured course.  (At Maxton, the track is a mile long, as the name implies.)

It's also pure in the sense that it's not about money.   Racers aren't in it to get rich or famous.  There's no prize money to be won, few, if any, sponsorships to be had, and record setters won't get their picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Oh, it costs plenty to build one of the very fastest cars or bikes, but a backyard mechanic who's both skilled and clever can create a machine that's competitive in its class without spending a lot of cash.

I also like land speed racing because of the people -- they tend to be smart, eccentric, and friendly -- and their machines -- which range from the sublime to the ridiculous, with every stop in between.  Needless to say, the people and their cars and bikes make land speed racing a lot of fun to shoot.

The ECTA has announced that it will hold its 2012 races at the Airpark, in Wilmington, Ohio.  It's a fine facility and the racing ought to be terrific.

This season, however, I'm saving the last dance for Maxton.

* * *

Find out more about the last running of the Maxton Mile by visiting the ECTA's website.

Slow Pictures, Fast Cars: The ECTA's Maxton Mile Land Speed Race, 23-24 June 2011

I've decided to spend this summer shooting less for pay and more for play.  This has meant that I can do at least two very cool things:  (1) travel to wild, wacky, and/or wonderful motorsports events that are off the radar screen of most racing magazine editors (let alone the general public) and (2) put my digital SLRs aside and shoot film with my favorite old cameras.  So far, it's been a heck of a lot of fun.  (For examples of true wackiness, check out Bug Out 69 and the 24 Hours of Lemons.)

I figured that the good times would continue at the East Coast Timing Association's Maxton Mile land speed race, and I was right.  Give me funky cameras, fast machines, and friendly people, and I'm happy.

 

 

Tim Hunter's '70 Plymouth GTS has been converted into a replica of one of the legendary Superbirds, which raced in Nascar 40 years ago.  Although the car was built to be a showpiece, the conversion was done to nearly Nascar standards.  Tim is now having fun running it on road courses and at land speed races.  He's still sorting out the car, so his top speed was a relatively gentle 140 mph.

I made the photos that you see here with a Mamiya C330 Twin Lens Reflex camera and a Mamiya 6.  Both are nice, heavy chunks of metal that are engineered to last forever.  The lenses are superb.  The film was Kodak Portra 160, a fine-grained film with tremendous exposure latitude.  It also scans well.  That's important because these days a project that starts out analog almost inevitably ends up digital, in some form or fashion.  [Click on any of the photos to see much larger versions.  All of the images are copyright John Edwin Mason, 2011.]

 

  

Charles Jay set a new record of 125.713 mph in the M/BG-500/4 class, riding this beautiful machine.

The Maxton races take place a one mile course at the Laurinburg/Maxton airport, in North Carolina.  Runs begin from a standing stop, and top speed is measured at the end of the mile.  (The cars and bikes go down the track one at a time.)  While it's a short course compared to the Bonneville Salt Flats, home of the most famous land speed races, the fastest car at the meet still managed to top 200 mph.  The best of the bikes was even quicker, going well over 220 mph.

The top speed ever achieved at Maxton is a staggering 272 mph.  Bill Warner did it on a motorcycle in 2010.  (You'll see him below.) 

 

 

Jarl Wathne has set many records at Maxton, over the years.  He did it again at this race, running at 119.666 mph on his 250cc Honda.

Sadly, 2011 is the last year that the ECTA will be able to host races at the airport.  It's looking for a new home, ideally in the same part of the country.  They need a long, straight, smooth runway or roadway -- about 12,000 feet long -- that can be closed off five or six weekends a year.

 

 

 Jessica Lee (on the bike) is young, but not as young as she looks.  In fact, she's an experienced racer and is a MotoCross champion in her home state of Florida.  This was her third land speed race, and she set a new record of 68.859 mph, in the P/P-100/2 class.  I know that 68 mph doesn't sound fast, but she did it on a motorcycle with a tiny 100cc engine.  Jessica says that she likes land speed racing at least as much as MotoCross and is hoping to go to Bonneville this year.

 

 

Robin Dripps is behind the wheel of this '32 Ford roadster.  She set a record in the E/STR class, with a pass of 182.041 mph.  Robin has also set records at Bonneville.  By the way, there's nothing on or in this car that was made by Ford in 1932.  The body is a reproduction and the motor is a Dart V8, built by Kenny Duttweiler, in California.  Under land speed racing rules, it's perfectly legal to use a reproduction body as long as it's an exact replica.  In fact, this car is much more like an original '32 Ford than the so-called Chevy Impalas, Ford Fusions, and Dodge Chargers that run in Nascar races.  Nascar bodies, engines, and chassis have nothing to do with the production cars that they're named after.  Robin is a professor of architecture at the University of Virginia, where I also teach.  Discovering that I'm not the only UVA professor with a passion for the slightly suspect world of motor sports was a real surprise.

 

 

Mark Weiler drove this amazing machine to a new record of 172.311 in the B/BFS class.  Like Robin Dripps, Mark has set records at Bonneville.  The car is an aluminum-bodied one-off special powered by a modern Ford V8.  Buford Motley, a former employee of Kurtis Kraft, which made race cars for the Indianapolis 500 (among many other events) in the mid-twentieth century, built it when he was in his 80s.

 

 

Yes, it was hot.  Very hot.  And the mosquitoes nearly ate me alive.  In any case, that's Mike Brakel on the bike, sheltering under the umbrella.  He set a record in the P/P-1350/4 class with a run of 203.525 mph.

 

 

Motorcycle racer Eric "Racer X" Roehrle waits at the line, while race starter Al Frietas looks things over.  Eric made several strong passes that put him within spitting distance of setting a new record.  [Remember, you can click on any of these photos to see much larger versions.]

 

 

It's unlikely that land speed racing will ever rival college football as a spectator sport.

 

 

Starter Al Frietas calls the cars and bikes to the starting line.

 

 

Bill Warner ran as fast as 172 mph, but didn't manage to set a record.

 

 

Robert Wells is driving this nifty little formula car.  He set a new record in the G/BLG class, with a pass at 135.289 mph.

 

 

Charles Hemenway's sprint car was originally built to go around in circles on dirt tracks.  Instead Charles drove it to a new record speed of  171.898 mph, in the D/FCT class.

 

Harry Pattillo's '38 Ford Standard Business Coupe was one of my favorite cars at the race.  This is no reproduction; the body is straight from Detroit.  It's powered by a Chevy small block.  Harry didn't set any records, but he consistently made passes in the high 130s.  Not bad at all for a factory-bodied, street legal machine. 

 

 

Ed Brace and his modified rear-engined roadster set a record of 130.590 in the AA/FRMR class.  When equipped with a blower (supercharger) this car is good for well over 160 mph in the standing mile.

 

 

A crew member and a race official push Tim Hunter's Superbird to the starting line.

 

 

Robert Hustler made a pass of over 210 mph in this Nascar-style Chevy Impala.  That speed was tantalizingly close to the existing class record.  On this weekend, however, the record stood.  North Carolina is Nascar country, so it's not surprising that you see a lot of stock cars at the meet.  They generally run around in circles, but it's clear that they'll go straight, as well.

 

 

Jim Diggs' '85 Buick Regal is another car that was originally made to go in circles.  Even though Jim and engine builder Don Hanes are still working out the bugs in this good looking vintage stock car, it still made a run of over 140 mph.

 

 

Al Frietas speaks to Mike Smith before a run.  Mike made a pass at 201.420 mph, setting a new record in the A/F-1350/4 class. 

 

 

Starter Al Frietas sends Bobby Lomax down the track.  He's another guy who got within shouting distance of a new class record, but couldn't quite take it home.

 

 

Last picture, and I'm cheating.  It not film, it's digital.  I shot it with a Nikon DSLR and cropped it into a square (which both Mamiyas make naturally.)  A little bit of cheating can't hurt, especially since it's the perfect image to end this essay.  By the way, I have no idea who's on that bike.  I took several photos of it, but none show me its number.  If anyone knows who the rider is, please let me know.  You can tell me by leaving a comment, or you can send me an email (see the link at the top of the page.)  Update:  Many thanks to David Anderson for identifying himself as the rider in this photo.  He and his Triumph Bonneville set new records in three separate classes at the meet.  His fastest top speed was the 130.885 mph that he ran to set the record in the M/PG-750/4 class.

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For the complete results of the meet, visit the ECTA' s website, here.

Fast Bikes @ the East Coast Timing Association's Maxton Mile, 10 & 11 April 2010

My story on the East Coast Timing Association's Maxton Mile land speed has finally appeared in MaxChevy magazine.  To celebrate, I'm showing a new set of photos -- fast bikes (motorcycles, that is) that set or established new records at the event.

Jarl Wathne, set three new records.  His fastest top speed (in the standing mile) was 115.16764 miles per hour, which he ran in the APS/BG-250/4 class.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2010.  Click directly on any of the images to see larger versions.)

That's J. Harold Seagle's beautiful vintage Indian.  It will show up again.

Carl Schaefer and Michael Goni shared the riding duties on this bike.  They came close, but couldn't quite set a new record.

 

Samantha Prins established a record speed of 67.15334 miles per hour, in the A/PF-125/4.  Not bad at all for such a bike with such a tiny motor.

 

 

J. Harold Seagle's beautiful old Indian, again.  This time Harold is setting a new record of 91.99435, in the M/VF-650/4 class.

 

Finally, a bike that's simply fast, not just fast for its class.  Jon Wennerberg, ran faster than existing class (A/G-1350/4) record on all three of his runs.  His quickest pass was at 185.82563 miles per hour.

* * *

You can read my earlier reports from the Maxton Mile (and see many photos of wild and wacky record-setting cars) here and here.

New Records @ the ECTA's Maxton Mile: Eric Yost, Gary Hebert, George Gallimore

No matter how hard you try and how much you want to, you can't be in two places at the same time.  Not exactly a news flash, I know.  But last weekend, I did want to be in two places at once -- the East Coast Timing Association's [ECTA] Maxton Mile land speed race and the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association's [MMPSA] drag race, at Rockingham Dragway.  The only real option was to spend Saturday, the 10th, at Maxton and then catch the MMPSA eliminations on Sunday, the 11th.

It was a reasonable compromise.  I managed to make a lot of photos and met some great people at Maxton (you can see the photos and read about the drivers, here) and to cover the newly formed MMPSA's terrific inaugural race forty miles down the road, at Rockingham (my photos are here and, in Drag Racing Online, here).

But...  I missed the spectacular record setting pass that Eric Yost made at Maxton, on Sunday.

Eric Yost's AA/BGSS Pontiac Firebird, making a pass on Saturday.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason.  Click directly on the images to see larger versions.)

One day after Mike Reichen had set a new ECTA absolute speed record (for any type of car) in his Mitsubishi Evo II (237.634 miles per hour), Yost reset the mark when he passed through the timing traps at a stunning 241.408 miles per hour.  I wish I'd been there to see it.

Visually, Yost's Firebird was far from the most impressive car at the meet.  But, obviously, it's a missile.  Talk about your classic sleeper....

By the way, Yost set two records at the race, running slightly slower in B/GSS.

Gary Hebert, on the the track duing Saturday's action.

It was a good weekend for Firebirds.  Gary Hebert also set records in two different classes.  His fastest pass was at 199.754 miles per hour, just a whisker away from the prestigious 200 miles per hour mark.

George Gallimore heads down the track on Saturday.

Here's another 200 miles per hour Firebird.  This one belongs to George Gallimore, who set a record speed of 212.493 miles per hour in AA/CGC.

You can see all of the new Maxton Mile records (there are a bunch) on the ECTA's website, here.

More photos of some of the coolest cars (and coolest people) you've ever seen are in my updated first post from the Maxton Mile.

The ECTA Maxton Mile, 10 April 2010 (Updated)

I spent the day at the Maxton Mile.  What's that, you ask.  It's the informal name for the land speed races that the East Coast Timing Association [ECTA] holds at the Laurinburg-Maxton airport, just outside Maxton, North Carolina.  I was there for Drag Racing Online.  It was the first time that I've covered a land speed race, but it won't be the last -- it was a hoot.

(All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2010.  Click directly on any of the images to see larger versions.)

There's a lot to like about the race at Maxton.  I don't whether to start with the cars or the people -- both of which are terrific -- so I'll start with the atmosphere -- friendly, relaxed (though with moments of 200 miles per hour intensity), and amateur in the best sense of the word.  "Amateur" comes from the Latin word for love.  And that's what these folks are all about.  There's no prize money to be won.  No trophies and little in the way of sponsorship.  They do because cars are a passion and because they're obsessed with speed.  Besides, it's fun.

Joel Norworthy, from Georgia, was the first person that I talked to.  Even though he's an experienced racer, he's never before been down the track at Maxton.  He was hoping that his '08 Kawasaki 250 Ninja would run 105 mph.

One of the cars that really got my attention was Johnny Johnson's '36 Chevy Modified.  Cars like this were common on short oval tracks from the '40s through the '60s.  It was great to see one that's both restored and being actively raced.

Johnson's Modified begins its run.  The racers drive a measured mile on the airport's runways.  The goal is to reach the highest possible top speed.

Update:  Johnson and his crew went home happy, having set a new class record of 143.643 mile per hour.

That's Talor Burns with her '74 VW Karmann Ghia.  She entered the race holding three ECTA records and hopes to collect a few more this weekend.

Update:  Sadly, Talor failed to set new records this weekend.

Racing this extensively modified Volkswagen is a family affair.  The Burns have raced for years.  Talor's father, Brian, and brother, Zach, are part of her team.

And speaking of records...  Mike Reichen, from Chicago, set a new top speed record for cars today, hitting a speed of 237.63 mph, in his turbocharged, 4 cylinder '94 Mitsubishi Evo II.  That's a staggering speed, especially for a car that has the aerodynamic qualities of a brick.  Reichen does a lot of the work on the car himself, with help from the good folks at Douglas Autoworks.  (And, by the way, the car is licensed and insured -- 100% street legal.)

Update:  Eric Yost reset the track record for cars on Sunday, running at 241.408.  Reichen retains the record for his class.  You can read about Yost's blazingly quick Pontiac Firebird and see photos of his car (and two other record-setting Firebirds), here.

This is a great story.  The owners of this vintage sprint car (the sort that raced on oval dirt tracks in the '30), Mark Radtke and Ron Miller, of Cincinnati, met the driver, Doug Adler, who's from southern California, at the Bonneville land speed races a couple years ago.  They clicked and have been racing together ever since.

It's beautiful car, by the way, with a Model A Ford engine.

Update:  The car set a new record in its class -- one designed for vintage oval track race cars.  It went through the traps at 103.702 mile per hour.

Gary and Pam Beineke's Mopar didn't look like this when it left the factory in '71.  Doesn't matter.  It's still bad to the bone.  And destined to run 200 mph, if everything goes according to plan.

This is an example of what I like most about land speed racing -- the wild and sometimes wacky cars.  How about a '73 Citroen SM, with an engine swap?  Think that it's running a Chevy small block instead of its original Maserati V6?  Think again.  Owner Martin McEntire has dropped a 2 liter Citroen D 4 cylinder motor into his pride and joy.

Instead of vitamins, McEntire feeds his Citroen nitrous oxide (it's a bit like laughing gas for cars).

Ed Brace has been racing since John F. Kennedy was president.  His current ride, this rear-engined blown roadster, was number one in his class, in the ECTA points race last season.

Update:  When I spoke with to him, Brace wasn't particularly happy with the way his roadster was performing, but he did manage to establish a new record in his class:  166.686 mile per hour.

If you're getting the idea that there's a class for everything, at Maxton, you're right.  Allen Patterson was running this ex-Nascar Cup car.

And Bruce Pascal and Tom Macklin, a couple of great guys from New Jersey, showed up with this '72 Cadillac Eldorado.  (Their excuse was that the real racer they're working on wasn't ready to go.)  It's bone stock, except for the roll cage.  Yes, it made it down the track.  No, it wasn't particularly quick.  But it was fun to watch.

I met Ben Herr and Geo Turner before I even made it out to the airport.  They were standing outside my motel, when I checked in, trading war stories with other racers.  Can't remember why they were racing an '86 Merc 560 SEL, but I'm sure they had their reasons.

There were several Bugeye Sprites at the race.

 

And one "bugeye" Crosley -- Gerald Davenport's '51 Super Sport. 

It's a wonderful little car.  Manufactured in Cincinnati (serious baseball fans will remember Crosley Stadium), it's still equipped with its original 44 cubic inch engine.

Update:  Davenport and his Crosley set a new record, in the J/GT class, of 100.946 mile per hour.  Pretty darned stout for 44 cubic inches!

I'll close with a brace of Studebakers.

This is Andrew Nelson's '54.  He races it with his wife, Paula, and son, Calvin.  Together, they're PAC Racing.  And together they had a great day, setting a new class record of 168.561 mph.

Peter Calaguiro drove his '53 to the race from his home -- in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.  Pulling a trailer!  Not bad for a car that runs in the low 160s.

The black '53 coupe in the middle belongs to Roddy Martino, of Richmond, Virginia.  It's a classic gearhead's car.  Fast, homemade, motivated by a '56 Chrysler Hemi block, with '54 heads.  It's best pass was a touch over 160.  (You can click on the photo to get a better look.)

The 2010 ECTA season has only just begun.  You can learn more, here.