Memories of Meteors and Murders - Land Speed Productions · Michael Goodwin walked into a Pasadena,...
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Memories of Meteors and Murders 14 ❙ February.2007 www.good-guys.com ❙ 15 It takes just the right time and place to get started on a manuscript. The research part is great fun, but the actual writing can be a daunting step. Little did I realize that moment would arrive for me as I was sitting in the bomb shelter basement of Marv and Noma Jenkins. I was thrilled to make contact with the son of Ab Jenkins who proved invaluable during the early research stage of my book: “Bonneville: The Fastest Place on Earth”. Marv gave me complete access to moun- tains of historical material, photos and press clippings that inspired me to write - on the spot - nearly an entire chapter of the book. There was so much salt history that Jenkins had lived and yet so little space for all of it in my book that I was thrilled to discover land speed racer and author Gor- don Eliot White had set about organizing the material into his latest book: “Ab & Marvin Jenkins, The Studebaker Connec- tion and the Mormon Meteors.” White points out that Ab Jenkins did not start his motor racing career in earnest until he was 42 years of age – an age when many hot shoes are thinking about retir- ing. Jenkins chucked his construction business in favor of driving cars fast, for long distances, up hills and on the salt. A great number of his records were set after age 50 with many still intact today! He remained active and competitive until age 73, when he died of a massive heart attack in 1956, a few months after setting a pile of records in the Pontiac Series 860 that GM executive’s renamed “Bonneville” in honor of the many records set. Jenkins went on to set and break more American and international speed marks there than any man in history. Of Ab Jenk- ins, Captain George E.T. Eyston remarked, “He is the man who made com- petition at Bonneville possible.” Although the first timed event was held on the salt in 1914, it wasn’t until 1933 that Jenkins managed to convince the then all-powerful AA Contest Board to sanction record runs at Bonneville and when he convinced Malcolm Campbell to abandon Daytona…well the salt became center stage. White also includes Marvin Jenkins envious background. Not only did he grow up with his father’s zest for speed, but worked alongside Augie Duesenberg, Ed and Bud Windfield. He met Malcolm Campbell, John Cobb and Captain Eyston when he was only 15 and set world records driving the famed Novi Indianapolis race car out on the salt. Perhaps more astonishing is Marv’s painstaking restoration of his dad’s mighty Mormon Meteor III. Began in 1991 when he was 71, Jenkins completed not only a cosmetic restoration, but rebuilt the pow- ertrain that included many magnesium parts destroyed over time by disgracefully poor maintenance on the part of the state of Utah. Say what you like, but those Jenk- ins boys are rock solid stock. The Studebaker and Pierce-Arrow histories provide insight into how the nation’s auto industry worked to inveigle itself into American daily life and how Jenkins astonishing achievements helped them do it. White, who also serves as Auto Rac- ing Advisor at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History, has organized the mostly forgotten racing life of Bonneville’s greatest patron and by including actual newspaper clips, ads and record certificates of the respective eras, the reader is happily absorbed into yesteryear. White also authored the definitive book Offenhauser, the Legendary Ameri- can Racing Engine and the Men Who Built it in 1996. Best of all, he’s a Bon- neville record holder who first got the bug when his father took him to see a race in 1939. The 160 page soft-cover book is crammed full of black and white photos, cutaway drawings, ads and documents (ISBN: 1583881735) from the Jenkins rac- ing career. Available from most retail book sellers, the 8.50w x 11.00h may also be purchased direct from the author (ask for an autographed copy). Send $32.95 + $4.95 s&h to: Gordon White Box 129, Hardyville, VA 23070. I was very pleased that the pub- lishers used my photo on the cover even if my credit line was forgotten. The cover is from the same photo ses- sion in 1998 that yielded the photo on page 135 of my Bonneville history book. As a stop- gap, White is pasting stickers with the appropri- ate credit line into each copy he sells. Thanks Gordon. The black and white photos printed here are from the Jenkins Family Collec- tion, most of which you will find in White’s new book. The color shots are mine. Mickey Thompson Murder Trial Unlike medicine, or law enforcement where it is imperative to keep a “profes- sional distance”, motorsports is populated with alluring people who have a penchant for startling behavior and an abun- dance of great humor. You can’t spend as much time as I do covering the beat and not get attached to some of them. One expects to attend a funeral now and again, but never a murder trial. Nevertheless, that is precisely what I did on November 6, 2006. Michael Goodwin walked into a Pasadena, California courtroom accused of arranging the murders of land speed racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy 18 years prior. By the time you read this, it will be over, and hopefully, justice will be served once and for all. I was con- flicted about why I should attend, but in the end, I knew the media would swarm the courtroom and I figured I’d support Mickey’s son, Danny Thompson and Mickey’s sister, Collene, by having a friendly face among the crush of sensation seekers. I counted five network TV satel- lite trucks outside with their microwave poles extended way up in the air. For me, there was nothing sensational about the day, only relief. I had worked with Trudy at Petersen Publishing Com- pany (PPC), when she was at Hot Rod Magazine. I was lucky, I got to know the hot rodding kingpin early in my career and recall fondly the many professional kind- nesses he showed a fumbling green photojournalist when he was cranking up the off-road racing portion of his profes- sion. Mickey’s events held at the Los Ange- les Coliseum are things of legend today. Here mechanical grasshoppers on steroids jump 50 feet into the air and land with amazing grace before instantly throttling up to attack another dirt mogul. Here is where the sensationalism was, not in some dingy, crowded courtroom. Give me that magic, not the gruesome murder details any day. I didn’t get published much back then, but Mickey and Trudy always gave me the best press and photo credentials with a premium parking pass to every event. Trust like that inspires one to work harder. So it was particularly hard for me to sit in that front row as the handsome young prosecutor brimming with quiet confidence laid out the sordid tale with unnerving details of what the District Attorney’s office believed had led to that sad day of March 16, 1988. Danny, dressed in natty suit and designer eyewear, sat front row center. Impeccably dressed Collene and her hus- band Gary were in the next row back. Repeatedly my eyes closed and fists clenched listening to the DA and then my heart would ache as I looked over at those three. Sitting there had to be silent torture for them. Drag racing legend Bob Muravez, alias Floyd Lippencott Jr., also sat in the front row with his wife. Mickey had spent time at Muravez’s birthday party 48 hours before he and Trudy were gunned down. Muravez was compelled to be there. I understood completely, it was what needed doing. Oddly, just like a wedding, the folks who supported Goodwin sat on the left side, behind the defense table and the Thompson folks were in the center and on the right. Most of the witnesses sported gray hair, a testament to how long this case has taken to bring to trial. Both sides did a good job of present- ing their case. Judge Teri Schwartz’s no-baloney presiding demeanor gave me confidence that a fair trial was off and run- ning. Did I think Goodwin was guilty? If the prosecution could back up its opening statement with evidence, Goodwin would spend the rest of his life in the gray bar hotel. An entire generation has grown up in the time it took to get this case to trial. Danny and Collene lost the most at 6:05AM that fateful March morning. It was a day when your life radically changes forever and you have nothing to say about it. I studied the faces, expressions, and mannerisms of each of the 18 jurors (12 seated and 6 alternates) wondering what resonated within them as the two sides laid out their cases. I heard three witnesses give their accounts of Goodwin’s unvarnished hatred for Thompson, including repeated boastful death threats. That taste of reality made me think myself hijacked by some horrific made-for-television movie. Hollywood producer John Bilecky, who is making “Gearhead, the documen- tary” The legend of Mickey Thompson was also there and was visibly troubled by the proceedings. On one hand, the guy had a duty to his investors to craft a feature film that would make money. Some of them want him to minimize the racing and play up the murders. Thankfully, Bilecky is already under the Mickey Thompson speed spell; he knew the heart of the story had nothing to do with lawyers. Never mind he had never met M/T, Bilecky seemed ready to fight to bring Mickey’s marvelous racing legacy to life on the silver screen. Let us trust he finds the fortitude not to waver. “This is compelling stuff,” he said after mentioning I had thoughts of attend- ing daily, “My friends warned me about succumbing to ‘courtitis’ this can get to you.” I took heed and didn’t go back. Note: Photojournalist Louise Ann Noeth is the authoress of the award-winning book,“Bonneville: The Fastest Place on Earth,” a complete histori- cal review of the first 50 years of land speed racing now in its 6th printing. For more details and to order, go to: www.landspeedproductions.biz. Photos courtesy of the Jenkins Family Collection & Landspeed Louise
Transcript of Memories of Meteors and Murders - Land Speed Productions · Michael Goodwin walked into a Pasadena,...
Memories of Meteors and Murders
14 ❙ February.2007www.good-guys.com ❙ 15
It takes just the right time and placeto get started on a manuscript. Theresearch part is great fun, but the actualwriting can be a daunting step. Little did Irealize that moment would arrive for me asI was sitting in the bomb shelter basementof Marv and Noma Jenkins.
I was thrilled to make contact with theson of Ab Jenkins who proved invaluableduring the early research stage of my book:“Bonneville: The Fastest Place on Earth”.Marv gave me complete access to moun-tains of historical material, photos andpress clippings that inspired me to write -on the spot - nearly an entire chapter ofthe book.
There was so much salt history thatJenkins had lived and yet so little space forall of it in my book that I was thrilled todiscover land speed racer and author Gor-don Eliot White had set about organizingthe material into his latest book: “Ab &Marvin Jenkins, The Studebaker Connec-tion and the Mormon Meteors.”
White points out that Ab Jenkins didnot start his motor racing career in earnestuntil he was 42 years of age – an age whenmany hot shoes are thinking about retir-ing. Jenkins chucked his constructionbusiness in favor of driving cars fast, forlong distances, up hills and on the salt. Agreat number of his records were set afterage 50 with many still intact today!
He remained active and competitiveuntil age 73, when he died of a massiveheart attack in 1956, a few months aftersetting a pile of records in the PontiacSeries 860 that GM executive’s renamed“Bonneville” in honor of the manyrecords set.
Jenkins went on to set and break moreAmerican and international speed marksthere than any man in history. Of Ab Jenk-ins, Captain George E.T. Eyston
remarked, “He is the man who made com-petition at Bonneville possible.”
Although the first timed event washeld on the salt in 1914, it wasn’t until1933 that Jenkins managed to convince thethen all-powerful AA Contest Board tosanction record runs at Bonneville andwhen he convinced Malcolm Campbell toabandon Daytona…well the salt becamecenter stage.
White also includes Marvin Jenkinsenvious background. Not only did he growup with his father’s zest for speed, butworked alongside Augie Duesenberg, Ed
and Bud Windfield. He met MalcolmCampbell, John Cobb and Captain Eystonwhen he was only 15 and set world recordsdriving the famed Novi Indianapolis racecar out on the salt.
Perhaps more astonishing is Marv’spainstaking restoration of his dad’s mightyMormon Meteor III. Began in 1991 whenhe was 71, Jenkins completed not only acosmetic restoration, but rebuilt the pow-ertrain that included many magnesiumparts destroyed over time by disgracefullypoor maintenance on the part of the stateof Utah. Say what you like, but those Jenk-ins boys are rock solid stock.
The Studebaker and Pierce-Arrowhistories provide insight into how thenation’s auto industry worked to inveigleitself into American daily life and howJenkins astonishing achievements helpedthem do it.
White, who also serves as Auto Rac-ing Advisor at the Smithsonian Institute’sNational Museum of American History,has organized the mostly forgotten racinglife of Bonneville’s greatest patron and byincluding actual newspaper clips, ads andrecord certificates of the respective
eras, the reader is happily absorbedinto yesteryear.
White also authored the definitivebook Offenhauser, the Legendary Ameri-can Racing Engine and the Men WhoBuilt it in 1996. Best of all, he’s a Bon-neville record holder who first got the bugwhen his father took him to see a racein 1939.
The 160 page soft-cover book iscrammed full of black and white photos,cutaway drawings, ads and documents(ISBN: 1583881735) from the Jenkins rac-ing career. Available from most retail
book sellers, the8.50w x 11.00h mayalso be purchaseddirect from theauthor (ask for anautographed copy).Send $32.95 + $4.95s&h to: GordonWhite Box 129,Hardyville, VA23070.
I was verypleased that the pub-lishers used my photoon the cover even if
my credit line wasforgotten. Thecover is from thesame photo ses-sion in 1998 thatyielded the photoon page 135 of myBonneville historybook. As a stop-gap, White ispasting stickerswith the appropri-ate credit line intoeach copy he sells.Thanks Gordon.
The black and white photos printedhere are from the Jenkins Family Collec-tion, most of which you will find inWhite’s new book. The color shotsare mine.
Mickey Thompson Murder Trial
Unlike medicine, or law enforcementwhere it is imperative to keep a “profes-sional distance”, motorsports is populatedwith alluring people who have a penchant
for startling behavior and an abun-dance of great humor. You can’tspend as much time as I do coveringthe beat and not get attached to someof them.
One expects to attend a funeralnow and again, but never a murdertrial. Nevertheless, that is preciselywhat I did on November 6, 2006.Michael Goodwin walked into aPasadena, California courtroomaccused of arranging the murders ofland speed racing legend MickeyThompson and his wife Trudy 18years prior.
By the time you read this, it willbe over, and hopefully, justice will beserved once and for all. I was con-flicted about why I should attend, butin the end, I knew the media would
swarm the courtroom and I figured I’dsupport Mickey’s son, Danny Thompsonand Mickey’s sister, Collene, by having afriendly face among the crush of sensationseekers. I counted five network TV satel-lite trucks outside with their microwavepoles extended way up in the air.
For me, there was nothing sensationalabout the day, only relief. I had workedwith Trudy at Petersen Publishing Com-pany (PPC), when she was at Hot RodMagazine. I was lucky, I got to know thehot rodding kingpin early in my career andrecall fondly the many professional kind-nesses he showed a fumbling greenphotojournalist when he was cranking upthe off-road racing portion of his profes-sion.
Mickey’s events held at the Los Ange-les Coliseum are things of legend today.Here mechanical grasshoppers on steroidsjump 50 feet into the air and land withamazing grace before instantly throttlingup to attack another dirt mogul.
Here is where the sensationalism was,not in some dingy, crowded courtroom.Give me that magic, not the gruesomemurder details any day.
I didn’t get published much back
then, but Mickey and Trudy always gaveme the best press and photo credentialswith a premium parking pass to everyevent. Trust like that inspires one to workharder.
So it was particularly hard for me tosit in that front row as the handsomeyoung prosecutor brimming with quietconfidence laid out the sordid tale withunnerving details of what the DistrictAttorney’s office believed had led to thatsad day of March 16, 1988.
Danny, dressed in natty suit anddesigner eyewear, sat front row center.Impeccably dressed Collene and her hus-band Gary were in the next row back.Repeatedly my eyes closed and fistsclenched listening to the DA and then myheart would ache as I looked over at thosethree. Sitting there had to be silent torturefor them.
Drag racing legend Bob Muravez,alias Floyd Lippencott Jr., also sat in thefront row with his wife. Mickey had spenttime at Muravez’s birthday party 48 hoursbefore he and Trudy were gunned down.Muravez was compelled to be there. Iunderstood completely, it was what neededdoing.
Oddly, just like a wedding, the folkswho supported Goodwin sat on the leftside, behind the defense table and theThompson folks were in the center and on
the right. Most of the witnesses sportedgray hair, a testament to how long this casehas taken to bring to trial.
Both sides did a good job of present-ing their case. Judge Teri Schwartz’sno-baloney presiding demeanor gave meconfidence that a fair trial was off and run-ning. Did I think Goodwin was guilty? Ifthe prosecution could back up its openingstatement with evidence, Goodwin wouldspend the rest of his life in the graybar hotel.
An entire generation has grown up inthe time it took to get this case to trial.Danny and Collene lost the most at6:05AM that fateful March morning. Itwas a day when your life radically changesforever and you have nothing to sayabout it.
I studied the faces, expressions, andmannerisms of each of the 18 jurors (12seated and 6 alternates) wondering whatresonated within them as the two sides laidout their cases.
I heard three witnesses give theiraccounts of Goodwin’s unvarnished hatredfor Thompson, including repeated boastfuldeath threats. That taste of reality mademe think myself hijacked by some horrificmade-for-television movie.
Hollywood producer John Bilecky,who is making “Gearhead, the documen-tary” The legend of Mickey Thompsonwas also there and was visibly troubled bythe proceedings. On one hand, the guy hada duty to his investors to craft a featurefilm that would make money. Some of
them want him to minimize the racing andplay up the murders.
Thankfully, Bilecky is already underthe Mickey Thompson speed spell; heknew the heart of the story had nothing to
do with lawyers. Never mind he had nevermet M/T, Bilecky seemed ready to fight tobring Mickey’s marvelous racing legacy tolife on the silver screen. Let us trust hefinds the fortitude not to waver.
“This is compelling stuff,” he saidafter mentioning I had thoughts of attend-ing daily, “My friends warned me aboutsuccumbing to ‘courtitis’ this can get toyou.” I took heed and didn’t go back.
Note: Photojournalist Louise Ann Noeth is the authoress of the award-winning book, “Bonneville: The Fastest Place on Earth,” a complete histori-cal review of the first 50 years of land speed racing now in its 6th printing. For more details and to order, go to: www.landspeedproductions.biz.
Photos courtesy of the Jenkins Family Collection & Landspeed Louise
