Bonneville, Utah—August, 15, 2006: The land speed racing team of “Thacker and Shine” set a new Street Roadster record of 206.454 mph and earned Jimmy a coveted red hat and membership in the famed “200 MPH Club.”

“This is a dream come true,” said Tony Thacker, Executive Director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. “I got into hot rodding when I was a kid with a paper route in England in the early sixties, but I certainly never thought I’d be running a car at – let alone set a record.”

“Getting that $14 red hat is harder than you’d think,“ continued Thacker. “Records are established by a two-run average over the same relative or physical mile and, to get into the “2 club” you have to set a record at over 200 mph—it ain’t easy.” Indeed, as, according to the Southern California Timing Association, more people have gone into space than are members of the 200 MPH Club.

Initially, a blocked gas tank vent cost the team a piston during the first run of the event but after a day’s hard work on the salt the crew installed a spare and made a pass the next morning at 208.008 mph, qualifying them for a record. “The motor, a 302 courtesy of Bill and Billy Mitchell of World Products, Ronkonkoma, New York, put out an astounding 823 hp” said driver and mechanic Jimmy Shine. “And, it’s ‘old school,’ with an 8-71 Littlefield blower and Enderle mechanical injection—there’s no computer on the car.”

“We took the old road because we wanted to honor the way it used to be,” continued Shine. “In the past, we’ve driven the car the 700-plus miles from Los Angeles to Bonneville and gone 201.821 mph. This time, we had to concentrate on getting the record because we knew it was ‘soft’ and we new others were right behind us after the same record.”

The morning after the qualifying pass, the team returned to the salt well before sunrise to prepare for the return run. “Conditions were perfect except for a crosswind,” said Shine. “But everything went well and we made the second run at 204.901 giving us a record of 206.454--3 mph faster than the existing record.”

Land speed racing, like any form of racing, takes a team effort and the Thacker and Shine boys have a lot of people to thank, especially World Products, who have now supplied two bullet-proof motors that have run Bonneville. Others who have helped include: AutoMeter, John Beck Racing Engines, Nathan Bugg at BDS, B&M, Boss, Brauer & Sons Racing, BSM from Ohio, Callies, Chopper Dave’s Casting, Crane Cams, Crow Enterprises, G&J Aircraft & Competition, Fender Musical Instruments, Jesel, Ladner Trucking, Manley, Mooneyes USA, Moroso, MSD Ignition, Robin “Silky” Silk, SO-CAL Speed Shop, Specialized Powder Coating, Taylor Motorsports Products, and Total Seal Piston Rings. Also to thank are the Falschlehner and Thacker families, without whose support there would be no team at all.