Land Speed Legends: Recent Episodes
Allison Dean
THE LEGENDARY WILLIE FREUDIGER made his first trip to Bonneville with his dad when he was 11 years old. Now, one of the few 3rd generational racers the Freudiger name is a well established and respected land speed racing name. Willie is wild, loves nitro and is the go to guy if you need someone to drive your ride. But most of all, he is a man who wants to see others succeed in land speed racing. Willie and the other Freudigers are the epitomy of what a land speed racing is about!
THE LEGENDARY DAVE DAVIDSON is probably best known for being the first person to go 300 MPH in a roadster! Going 300 MPH in a highboy is as impressive as Dave is. Dave grew up wild and free on a ranch in California. He wanted a motorcycle when he was young but his mother would not allow it so instead he began small town drag racing (at a much too young age) and his need for speed never stopped from there! Dave upgraded from illegal drag racing to sanctioned events, he finally got to race that motorcycle and he made land speed history with his historic 300 MPH ride. Three words to describe THE LEGENDARY DAVE DAVIDSON: humble, genuine and a badass!
THE LEGENDARY FRANK SILVA'S first trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats was with his dad when he was seventeen years old. That year they came out as spectators but it didn't last long and within a few years they were wrenching and racing the Got Salt Lakester. Frank's dad, Frank Sr., took six years to get a record in that car but it only took the junior Frank one! Unfortunely, his dad had passed away by the time he gothis record that earned him entry into the 300 MPH Chapter of Bonneville 200 MPH Club . Frank describes that year as "Fairy tale year" as he set a record and spread his dad's ashes over the salt. Frank is one of the most enegetic, genuine and humble guys out on the salt and it makes for a great interview!
THE LEGENDARY SCOTT GUTHRIE first took his Harley motorcycle to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1973. He was hooked after setting a record and getting to experience the spirit of land speed racing through fellow racers. He came back the following year with great success. He switched to a Yamaha that he brought out in 1984
Thirty one episodes and one year later from the very first episode of Land Speed Legends my niece, Megan Volk, interviews me THE LEGENDARY ALLISON VOLK DEAN. That seems weird to write about myself but like I tell all my guests, in land speed racing, everyone is a legend in their own mind! In this episode of Land Speed Legends I talk about what it was like growing up in land speed racing out at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I also detail some of my racing experiences and getting into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. I was office manager of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club for over ten years and I discuss how that role influenced my decision to start this podcast. Also I talk about raising a family out there and some of our families future plans! I would like to thank Megan for helping me out and doing an amazing job!
The LEGENDARY CARLOS WHEELDON'S dad introduced him to land speed racing at a young age and as he got older they dreamed of making plans to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats. When his dad passed away Carlos realized there is no time like the present to go. From the moment he gets to the salt his encounters with people he meets confirms that he is meant to be there. After that first visit he ends up coming back every year, sacraficing life in England, to work events three months out of the year. Eventually he catches a ride on THE LEGENDARY CHAD ZUPAN's motorcycle, moves to the states and has big plans for a 200 MPH motorcycle record!
Like most of our guests, THE LEGENDARY DENNIS SULLIVAN was born with a love of cars and began other types of racing young. But eventually he found himself spectating at a race meet at the Bonneville Salt Flats and was hooked! After volunteering for the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) for several years he decided it was time to try the other side. He bought himself a street roadster and began setting land speed records not only at USRA meets but some East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) meets as well. He eventually became and still is president of the USFRA and chairman of the Utah Save The Salt Alliance. Dennis gives us some insider baseball on Save the Salt and the issues surrounding it.
I can't think of very many people that love land speed racing as much as THE LEGENDARY DONNY CUMMINS! His roots in racing run deep and he was destined for this sport before he was even born! Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and hardworking he has big plans for his future in land speed racing and I am confident he is going to accomplish them!
From Sprint Cars to Indy Cars to Bonneville Mike Nish was a racing machine! His racing career mirrored his life with thrilling ups and devastating downs. But like a legend he overcame! His influence on land speed racing is undeniable. He entered the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and 300 MPH Chapter in 1996 with a speed of 304.700 MPH. He had many records and runs that excelled that speed, including a top speed of 412 MPH! Today we celebrate THE LEGENDARY MIKE NISH!!!
THE LEGENDARY LLOYD PARRY is a hot rodder at heart and from a young age he was working on anything that had wheels. His involvement in land speed racing started whe he was introduced to Dave Skidmore. Him and Dave ran a '64 Dodge Dart. When the Dart engine blew up he began working the USFRA races. Starting as a course steward he is now currently the assistant race director and manages the short course for the USFRA meets.
THE LEGNDARY RON CHRISTENSEN was practically born with an obsession for cars and racing. Growing up in Wendover Utah gave him a unique advantage and access to witness the Golden Days of Bonneville and extensive knowledge of Bonneville and the history of the area around the salt flats. His attention eventually graduated to sports cars which eventually turned into a very successful career in all types of road racing. But the love of Bonneville eventually drove him back to his roots and him and his wife, Ellen, began racing out at Bonneville. In the mid 90’s Ron became the official announcer for Speedweek and has been doing that ever since. Hold on tight this is going to be as exhilarating as hearing "Next vehicle on the starting line is number..."
THE LEGENDARY CHAD ZUPAN first trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats was when he was seven years old. Although he didn't start land speed racing until later, he kept himself busy with kart, dirt bike and drag racing. In 2001, he started racing at Bonneville in his dad's street roadster and in 2018, Chad finally got his red hat in a G/FMR! Since then, he has been racing a 1963 Harley Sprint 250cc motorcycle. Hang on this is going to be as fun as tipping the nitro can!
THE LEGENDARY MIKE STRASBURG has been going to the Bonneville Salt Flats since 1969. He gained entry into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in 1991 driving his family’s BGL with a record of 277 MPH. He gained entry in the 300 MPH Chapter in 2017 setting a record of 344 MPH in AA/BFL class. That was not enough for Mike so he updated his record to 361 MPH the following year. Mike is also of member of the El Mirage 200 MPH Club and did all the driving in the family’s Top Alcohol and Top Fuel dragster! This is going be as satisfying as hitting the nitroce button on a 300 MPH run.
Here with me is the LEGENDARY LINDSAY STRASBUR. Lindays’s First year at Bonneville
was in 1957 when he went out as spectators with his dad and uncles. But when it
comes to racing the Strasburgs aren’t spectators. And in1962 they brought out a
‘62 Galaxy running in B/Prod. In 1967 Lindsay began racing and in 1972 he set a
record in a ’71 mustang C/Prod 176 MPH. In 1991 Lindsay got in the Bonneville
200 MPH in 1991 at 227 MPH. Lindsay was a part of the USFRS’s beginnings
prepping courses. They have done all sorts of racing in between including drag
and sand rails. Currently he is crew on their NHRA drag cars.
Al’s first trip to Bonneville was in 1967 as a crew member on the Mardon, Ohly and Bentley fuel roadster. From 1968 to 1975 he drove and wrenched on the Sadd, Teague and Bentley fuel roadster. In 1970 he qualified for the 200 MPH Club in both A/FR & C/FR. But 200 MPH wasn’t fast enough for Al, and in 1976 he built a B/FBL and in 1981 he set a record with that lakester at 308 MPH. The lakester was
converted into a streamliner and in 1982 and in 1991 he set a BNI/FIA record of 409.986 with a 425 mile average and a terminal speed of 432. At the time, it was the fastest wheel driven car ever! Al has received the Hot Rod Magazine trophy 11 times! The streamliner was retired 2002 after setting another FIA record at 405 MPH. Both the roadster and the streamliner are in the John Price Museum in Salt Lake City. Heads up this going to be as exciting as 400 MPH AL
TEAGUE RUN
THE LEGENDARY ANITA STRASBURG grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. She grew watching drag racing with her dad Don Pulliman. In the early 200/s She started drag racing and ’86 Chevy truck in the super pro class. She moved on altered’s and eventually moved on to top dragsters pushing speeds of 212 MPH. She made her first trip to Bonneville in 2012 and was hooked! She made her first runs in 2019 when she got here unlimited license. In 2021 she gained entry into the 300 MPH Chapter of 200 MPH Club at 361 MPH driving the family’s B/FL. She also compete in the NHRA circuit driving a top dragaster where she has won back to back championships in the Mid West Drag Racing series. Hang on this should be as incredible as watching someone peddle a 300 MPH car for 5 miles!
THE LEGENDARY JEFF STRASBURG grew up going to the Bonneville Salt
Flats and made his first trip out there at seven years old to watch his big
brother Lindsay race the family’s 1971 Mustang that ran in the C/PROD class.
Jeff set his first record, 185 MPH, at the age of 20 in 1985 driving a C/STR.
But Jeff was just getting warmed up! In 1990 he gained entry into the
Bonneville 200 MPH Club setting a record in a A/BFL at 255MPH and went on to
set a record at El Mirage to become an El Mirage 200 MPH Club member. Jeff
traded his red hat for a blue one when he entered the 300 MPH Chapter in 2014 driving the same lakester at 337 MPH and updated that record 2018 373
MPH! Oh yeah and when not land speed racing their family does a little drag
racing and runs B&J transmissions. Hold on tight this is going to be as good
as cooler full of Coors Light on the salt!
Today I have THE LEGENDARY CHAD HOWEY! Chad’s love for land speed racing begins with his Grandpa Roger Howey’s ventures racing various cars in the 50’s in California at the dry lakes & Bonneville. Grandpa Howey’s land speed career ended in the 70’s when he decided he was going drag racing. The drag racing circuit is where Chad developed a need for speed. In honor of Grandpa Howey, the Howey’s eventually returned back to Bonneville with his old belly tank for the 50th Anniversary of Speed Week. This is just the beginning for Chad as he moved on to building and racing a Ford Probe in quest of 200 MPH. He was deployed to the Middle East before he could obtain the record he was seeking. Chad took a break from land speed racing and began working on a couple of motorcycle projects with his sons. But land speed racing came calling again, literally, when he received a call from THE
LEGENDARY DALLAS VOLK asking if he would like to come help with a rebuild of a
modified roadster they were going to run. Currently Chad crews on the 590
modified roadster and is building a rear engine modified roadster with his
daughter Emily. Get ready this is going to be as gratifying as watching your
backyard engineering set a record!
Bo has been going to the Bonneville Salt Flats for almost 40 years! After spending years growing up on the salt, Bo was ready to race on the salt. He began racing in 2002 but his days in the driver’s seat of his family streamliner ended in 2004 when he crashed at 318 MPH. Bo rolled 8 times over a mile but amazingly walked away from it with only a concussion. After that, he did work for the USFRA setting up races and starting cars off the line. Currently he crews for several cars and motorcycles, including the Burkdoll Special. Hang on, this is going to be as fun as seeing your salt family for the first time in a year!
Here today is the Legendary Scott Horner! Scott is originally from New Jersey but was exposed to land speed racing through pictures and stories in books about the Spirt of America, the Blue Flame, the Green Monster and other land speed legends. This sparked a desire for land speed racing in Scott that would have to wait four decades before it was realized. In the meantime, his need for speed was satisfied by having a successful run at drag racing motorcycles. His service in the Air Force, brings him out West where in 1996 he opened up his own performance shop, Heads Up Performance. Through his shop, he gets connected to land speed racing community and his destiny with land speed racing begins. In 2007 Scott fulfilled a childhood dream and joined both the El Mirage and Bonneville 200 MPH Club. Scott eventually went on to join five other 200 MPH Club’s! Heads up this is going to be as thrilling as a high-speed tank slapper!
BJ has been going to the Bonneville Salt Flats for over 40 years. He got in the Bonneville 200 MPH in 1996 at the age of 18, at the time he was one the youngest people to get in the club. After, years of crewing on his family streamliner. He began volunteering for the USFRA and is now head of tech inspection for coemption cars and the 130 & 150 Club. BJ’s love for the salt so great even got married out there! Currently he is partners with Chad Zupan on his nitro push rod Harley. Hang on this will be as excellent as a sunset on your way off the salt!
Welcome to Land Speed Legends! Here today I have the Legendary John Levie! John is my first land speed motorcycle guest and my guest with the most records, over 100 of them! His first introduction into land speed racing would be as a spectator when his dad, Allen Levie, began taking him to the Bonneville Salt Flats at two years old. Him and his dad would continue to spectate as John adventured into other types of racing including motocross, desert, boat and dirt stock cars. In 2009 he started racing on the salt and set a record on a Honda 50 at 55+ MPH. In 2012 he got into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club on a side car at 218+ MPH and in 2018 he earned his blue 300 MPH Chapter hat in a streamlined side car at 310+Mph. Hang on this is going to be as thrilling as when you feel the turbo kicks in!
Speaking Intro Sitting across from me today is the Legendary Gary Spencer! He fell in love with land speed racing and the Bonneville Salt Flats at young age when his dad, Richard Spencer, started taking him out to the races over 60 years ago! He moved on to drag racing, where he drove funny cars and currently races motorcycles. But eventually shifted his focus to land speed racing and getting a red hat. It took ten years but he eventually gained entry into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in 2008 in his stock body ’71 Camaro with a record of 250MPH. He currently holds three records in this car and has a top speed of 260MPH. Gary is passionate about racing, the Bonneville Salt Flats and represents the best of the land speed racing community.
Welcome to Land Speed Legends sitting with me today is the man, the myth, the Legendary Shifting Shane Dean…the gear jammer! Shane’s first year at the salt was in 2008. He came out with his girlfriend now wife who happens to be me! It didn’t take long for him to catch the bug and in 2012 Shane & his dad, Ron Dean, bought a 1984 C4 Corvette. Shane set a record in 2018 and gained entrance into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. Since then, and with Shane’s hard work, that car has put 3 other people in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club! Hang on this is going to be as gratifying as finally getting that car through inspection!
BONUS EPISODE!!! This week we have another Burkdoll, the legendary Jim Burkdoll! Jim was first introduced to land speed racing in the 50’s. He was just a kid when his dad, Keith, would take him out to Speed Week for the day. They caught the racing bug and began building a streamliner when Jim was still in elementary school! The streamliner took longer than anticipated to build but by the 80’s they were racing the Blue Bird. They eventually retired that car but Jim was not finished and he built another streamliner, named Pink Thunder! Unfortunately, that car crashed in 2003 while is son Bo was driving it. Although Bo survived the crash it would be 19 years before they built another streamliner which is the one, they currently race. In between building streamliners Jim served as USFRA president for over 10 years. Hang on this is going to be as incredible as a thunder storm on the salt!
Today we have the Legendary Julie Burkdoll! Julie was first introduced into land speed racing when she was 17 years old and her now husband then boyfriend the Legendary Jim Burkdoll took her on a date during Speed Week. By the early 1980’s Julie, Jim and there 3 boys BJ, Timmy & Bo were racing on the salt. She wasn’t planning on racing, but with some encouragement from her husband she got in the driver’s seat and in 1990 she set a record at over 204 MPH earning her entrance into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club! Currently she plays a vital role in the USFRA meets as the head timer. Hold on this should be as fun as hearing the voice over the radio say take it to impound!
Welcome the Legendary Dallas Volk to Land Speed Legends! Dallas is the oldest of the Volk Brothers Racing team and happens to be my big brother. He has been involved in land speed racing for over 50 years. He is member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club which he gained entrance to in 2001. He is currently a crew member for the Volk Brothers and Nish modified roadster and high boy roadster racing team. Dallas is crazy knowledgeable about land speed racing so this episode should be as good as finally getting that red hat!
I am so excited to have the legendary Tom Burkland here! Tom has a love of land speed racing and has been involved in it since his family first made the trek to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1969. Soon he was building and racing cars. He became a member of the Bonneville 2 Club in 1985. But 200+ MPH was not enough. He had a desire to go fast & I mean really fast. Tom & his dad (The Legendry Gene Burkland) engineered & built a streamliner that would earn Tom the elusive black 400 MPH Chapter hat & the bragging rights of being the fastest piston driven car for 14 years. Tom is not only known for going fast, he plays a huge role in advising other teams. Tom’s guidance on aerodynamics, wing structure and other engineering stuff is coveted by others in their quest for speed. Heads up this interview is going to be as impressive as, well, witnessing a car go 400 MPH!
Betty is the embodiment of a land speed racer. Her first year at the salt was in 1969 when she went as a spectator with her husband...The Legendary Gene Burkland. Spectating didn’t last long because they soon built a car and were racing by 1971. Betty got her turn in the driver seat when she drove thier Datsun Comp Coup before she landed a seat in George Fields Comp Coup. In 2003, she set a record and got in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club a month before her 63rd birthday! Currently she is a crew member for two teams on the salt and you can always find her friendly face helping at the Bonneville 2 Club booth. Hang on tight this interview is going to be as wild as a good spinout!
Today is an exciting day because I have the legendary Betty Burkland! She was kind enough to squeeze in an interview during her vacation. Betty is the embodiment of a land speed racer. Her first year at the salt was in 1969 when she went as a spectator with her husband The Legendary Gene Burkland. Spectating didn’t last long because they soon built a car and were racing by 1971. Betty finally got her turn in the driver seat. She drove her Datsun Comp Coup first. Then she landed a seat in George Fields Comp Coup. In 2003 Betty set a record and got in the 2 club a month before her 63rd birthday! Currently she is a crew member for two teams on the salt and you can always find her friendly face helping at the Bonneville 2 Club booth. Hang on tight this interview is going to be as wild as a good spinout!
Today we have the legendary Jeff Nish! This is my first guest who isn’t my blood relative but I would definitely consider him family. This man has raced a lot! He started circle track racing before he moved on to setting records at Bonneville. He became a Bonneville 200 MPH Club member in 1986. He decided that wasn’t fast enough, so he went for a blue hat and was successful in gaining entrance into the 300 MPH Chapter of the 2 Club in 1997. He is a family man of epic proportions and is responsible for getting his wife, son and nephews involved in racing along with a few of their friends. This podcast is going to be almost as thrilling as a trip to impound!
Today we have the legendary Patrick Volk who I am lucky enough to call my big brother. He has been going to the salt for almost 50 years. He is the younger brother of Volk Brothers Racing team. He is the first of the Volk siblings to get into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club which he did in 1991. He is currently the crew chief of the #59 Volk Brothers Roadster. This episode is going to be as exciting as Jim Jenson telling you to put your face shield down.
Larry Volk's first racing experience on the Bonneville Salt Flats was in 1959 he then began racing out there in 1963. By 1975 he had gained entry into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in 1975. He has served as chairman of Save the Salt, President of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and founding member of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. His awards include: Bonneville 200 MPH Club man of the year, Utah Salt Flats Racing Association man of the year, the Bob Higbee Award, and an inductee of the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame.