TEST AND TUNE
December 10, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
FALKEN TIRE DRIFT SHOWOFF
THE FALKEN Tire Drift Showoff was a hit, to say the least. The event was held at Irwindale Motor Speedway on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. Thousands of people attended, which goes to show the outstanding marketing job that Falken Tire is doing to help make a difference in the tuner car movement. The company took it upon itself to give us a taste of what the Japanese market has been enjoying for so many years. Among the thousands of spectators, a healthy number of show cars showed up as well—and why wouldn’t they? This was an Import Showoff event, but this car show was a bit different from the norm. It was a JDM versus DTM show. In other words, Japanese against Euro. The cars that came out were very hot, with enough JDM and DTM on hand to kill you. All the heavy hitters and the big crews such as Team Hybrid, Flux, Tuningwerks Competition and Art-N-Motion came out to show their stuff. While this was a huge attraction, it was far from the main one.
Installation Tips For Those Tough Spots
Most every pre-’48 car came with fender/body welting, consisting of a simple combination of a narrow strip of vinyl (or similar material) folded over a small-diameter woven cord and glued shut. Its purpose was, and still is, to insulate one piece of body metal from another when bolted together—not an electrical or temperature insulation, but essentially to eliminate squeaks and rattles, and to prevent paint from chipping (or cracking) as the two pieces flexed and vibrated together under normal road use. Generally referred to as fender welting, this product can also be found throughout certain car models; used to mount grilles, running boards and bumper gravel shields.
Crossing JORDANS
We met Jeff Jordan at the 2004 Texas Street Machine Nationals, held at Lady Bird Johnson Park outside the city limits of picturesque Fredericksburg, Texas. Jeff and his Torch Red ’56 Chevrolet stepside pickup were attending the event, along with his brother, Rick, who owns a similarly hued Pro Street ’83 Chevrolet Silverado. We quite logically assumed that both Jeff and Rick were from Texas, but the reality was that brother Jeff had towed his ’56 all the way from Gilbert, Arizona, to attend the event and hang out with his brother, who lives in Harlingen, Texas. Not only would both Jeff and Rick’s Chevys win spots on the Texas Nationals Top 10 Truck list, but Jeff’s immaculate ’56 big-window also won the C&C Productions Long Distance award. Now let’s take a look at this beautiful half-ton hauler. “I built this truck with my son, Jeff Jr., as a father-and-son project, and it took 10 years to complete,” says Jeff Sr. Ten years?
Spotlighter
Honoring a Legend
ARP Pays Tribute to George Poteet at the 75th Grand National Roadster Show
The 75th Annual Grand National Roadster Show went down from January 31 to February 2, 2025, and for those who live and breathe speed, this one hit different. ARP Racing Products turned their booth into a full-blown tribute to land speed legend George Poteet, who passed away last year, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photography by Scott Killeen
The Grand National Roadster Show
The Grand National Roadster Show is the indoor car show. The one that’s been setting the bar for 75 years. Held at the Pomona Fairplex, it’s the place where hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and everything cool with wheels come together under one roof. This year, amidst the insane builds and rolling artwork, the tribute to Poteet stood out—not just as a remembrance, but as a reminder of what’s possible when you push the envelope.
Remembering George Poteet
If you know anything about speed, you know George Poteet wasn’t just another guy in the game—he was the guy. A true racer, a visionary, and a flat-out speed freak in the best possible way. The man behind the legendary Speed Demon 715, Poteet wasn’t about the talk—he was about setting records and making history. That car? Fastest piston-engine, wheel-driven land speed car in the world. That’s not just fast—that’s history in motion.
The Speed Demon 715
ARP brought out the big guns for this tribute, giving fans a close-up look at the Speed Demon 715. This isn’t just any car—it’s the pinnacle of land speed engineering. A machine that cracked the 400-mph barrier and shattered more records than any other in its class. Standing next to it, you could almost feel the salt beneath your feet and hear the roar of the turbo V8 screaming across Bonneville. It was a moment for every gearhead who ever dreamed of pushing the limits.
Why It Mattered
George Poteet wasn’t just a racer; he was an inspiration. His dedication, his drive, and his willingness to push beyond what was thought possible made him a legend. The folks at ARP knew it, and that’s why this tribute mattered. It wasn’t just about looking back—it was about celebrating the kind of relentless passion that moves the entire industry forward.
Keeping the Legacy Alive
For those who made it to the ARP booth, it wasn’t just about paying respects—it was about being part of something bigger. Poteet’s legacy isn’t just in the records he set, but in the spirit he embodied. And if this show proved anything, it’s that true speed demons never fade—they just keep inspiring the next wave of racers to go even faster.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Speed Demon
A webpage dedicated to Speed Demon 715, the fastest piston engine/wheel driven car in the world.
