The Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) never fails to leave a lasting memory with each year’s event creating its own memories for each spectator. This year’s GNRS hosted a display of Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Land Speed Racing (LSR) vehicles in one of the many buildings that make up the largest indoor car show.

This year’s Grand National Roadster Show featured the Southern California Timing Association’s “Quest for Speed” display in building 9 of the Pomona fairgrounds.

Land Speed Racing consists of very determined people who drive hot rods, roadsters, belly tankers, lakesters, motorcycles, streamliners, and even diesel trucks in a simple quest to have their name added to the list of many record holders.

The SCTA is charged with maintaining the rules and records for LSR events held at El Mirage Dry Lake, California and the mecca of all land speed events, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. The non-profit group is made up of all volunteers from eleven separate car clubs, and is the oldest operating racing organization in the United States – in existence since November 29, 1937.

Tim McMaster’s unique land speed racer in the production pickup class.

Tucked into the display, almost hidden among the legendary LSR cars and streamliners, was a very humble looking, early 1960s Ford F-100 pickup. Looking oddly out of place, we ventured closer to see if it was a tow vehicle for one of the LSR cars.  Surprisingly, the old truck was one of the LSR vehicles!

Running in the D/Production Pickup class, Tim McMaster’s 1962 Y-Block Ford F-100 hit a top speed of 142.214 mph at El Mirage, and 147.195 at Bonneville.

It all began with McMaster built an engine for one of the local LSR guys that ran in the production pickup class. His friend set a new speed record and let McMaster drive the truck as a reward. McMaster came within .5 mph of the record and caught what many of the racers call “salt fever.”

Setting out to create his own LSR pickup, McMaster’s friend Todd Jolliff round the unibody Ford in a tomato patch in Stockton, California. The team purchased the truck and began to modify the beast for Land Speed Racing.

The 301 cubic-inch Ford Y-Block was built by McMaster with parts from Hanford Auto Supply in Hanford, California. The suspension work was done by his friend Todd Jolliff, the same friend that discovered the truck in the tomato patch.

The Safety Roll Cage was finished by another friend, John Garner, and the slippery paint was applied by another friend, Lewis Milinich. The two-tone paint job can only be considered as “flying colors,” with added stripping by a popular local artist, Anthony Sweeny.

A little touch of pin stripe on the hood for a couple more miles-an-hour faster. That’s way better than chrome for speed!

Each year the organization hosts a spectacular week of racing that highlights the LSR season. Speed Week consists of six days of racing, from Saturday through  Friday, weather and conditions permitting. Entrants come from all over the world to participate in the week long event.

McMaster has plans to hit the salt again this year, after the previous two year’s speed weeks have been cancelled due to bad course conditions. Promising to have a few more tricks up his sleeve, McMaster will make another attempt to beat standing record at this year’s speed week, August 13-19. We’ll be keeping an eye out for McMaster this year, with our fingers crossed that he will finally lay claim to the land speed record.