Swamp Rat 33: I had always wanted to go to Bonneville and run on the Salt Flats, but never had the time to build a car. So when Rich Venza called me and asked if I would pay to build a car, he oversee the project, borrow an engine and maybe I could get into the "200 MPH Club". Rich said that there were several records right at 200 that were "soft", so to speak. Rich and friends built the car, Pat and I flew to Salt Lake City, rented a car and drove to Wendover, Utah, home of the Bonneville Salt Flats. I made a couple of warm up runs, got my Streamliner license and then broke the record in FX/GS class. The timed two way record was 217.947 and was set on August 18th 1988. I never had time to go back to the salt, even though I built a 300 CID Hemi to go 300 MPH in the car. Rich and the boys ran the car for several more years and then returned the car, less engine, to the Museum and we put it on display, sans the original blown flathead Ford engine that I set the record with in 1988. Then a few years later I secured the engine from its original owner and placed it in the booth with the "Saltliner". It is an awesome display and I had the time of my life making the runs!
