By: Sue Figert Meyer Click on photo for a larger image

I attended the Florida Whitacre Meet on February 27, 1998. I didn't realize that a small portion of the history of the HET Club would pass that year, as it was to be the last Orange Blossom Chapter Winter Meet at Don Whitacre's home. I did know that I should visit the Don Garlits Racing Musuem, located in nearby Ocala, Florida.

You can imagine my surprise, being a Jet owner, to see a 1954 Hudson Racing Jet on display in the museum, in "memory" of the Dallas County Hudson Dealers. The Jet is a deep blue color and painted on the two doors is "308 HORNET/JET." I took pictures of the Jet and asked those who might know of its history and none could answer. I knew only what was on display on the plaque as follows:

DALLAS COUNTY HUDSON DEALERS

1954 HUDSON JET

Built in 1966 by Sloane McCauley & Fred Schenewerk in Dallas, Texas. The car was raced throughout the southwest from 1967 through 1980. Powered by a 1954 318 cu.in. Flathead Hudson six & a B&M Hydro-Stick Transmission. The engine uses Two Fish Carburetors, an Isky cam & Clifford Head. The car was driven by Sloane to AHRA [American Hot Rod Association] Middle Stock Eliminator wins at Bristol, Tenn. & Dallas, Tex. in 1968. AHRA Record Holder from 1967 to 1975.

TOP SPEED : 104.40
BEST E.T. : 13.05

DON GARLITS
MUSEUM OF DRAG RACING
Ocala, Florida

On May 1, 1999, I attended the 35^th Annual Souers Meet in Warren, Indiana. It was only the year before that Mary Souers had talked to me about copies of the White Triangle News stored in her attic from when she and her now deceased husband, Meredith Souers, were the Editors of the W T N. I begged her to give me a set of old White Triangle News, and she delivered as promised on May 1^st of this year. Before turning these "gems" over to the appropriate librarian as I promised Mary, I took the opportunity to review some history of the HET Club. I thought I might learn something about those early years of the HET Club, from 1965 through 1972. In the July 1968, White Triangle News, Volume 9, Issue 10, page 20, I found the Racing Jet. I quickly located my photographs from the trip to Florida and the Racing Jet displayed in the Don Garlits Museum. Sure enough, it was the same Jet. It says "American Motors' Finest" and "Flat Hotwater Hornet 6" on its finders. The Racing Jet with mag wheels has obviously been freshly restored. The article written in the White Triangle News in July of 1968 follows:

* * * 54 SUPER JET RACER * * *

Dear H-E-Ters,
I am one of the newest members of the H-E-T club. I thought you might be interested in seeing a picture of my Hudson and some information about it. It is a '54 Super Jet 2-door with a .060 overbore 318 cubic inch Hornet engine with the full 7X treatment. We use twin Fish carbs on the stock twin-H power intake, a special racing hydramatic transmission, tubular exhaust headers, and much other special equipment. The car holds the American Hot Rod Association ¼ mile national records in Formula 9, Super Stock Automatic Extra, and Formula 10, Super Stock Automatic Extra. Best elapsed time is 14.60 second and best speed is 93.97 miles per hour for the standing start ¼ mile. Many thanks to H-E-T speed advisor Jack Clifford who has provided much valuable technical information and parts needed to set up this car correctly. It is quite a shock to the fellows driving the 4-speed Chevies and other V-8 powered cars to be shut down by a Hudson. Most people don't even know what it is, and don't realize the performance potential of the flathead Hudson 6. With its large displacement, individual ports, large factory valve reliefs, twin carburetion, aluminum head, angled valves, and the fact that one of the best racing transmissions ever, the hydramatic, bolts up, the Hudson can become a formidable competitor. Any of you fellows who are racing Hudsons let me hear from you and maybe we can exchange some ideas or solve some problems.
Hudsonly, Sloane F. McCauley, 4014 Cedar Bayou Drive, Dallas, Tex. 75234

As I continued my review of the old editions of the W T N, I found in the October 1968 issue, Volume 1, Issue 1, further information about the Hudson Racing Jet as follows:

* * * MIDDLE STOCK ELIMINATOR WINNER * * *

This is what you might call a follow up letter to the article on my car on page 20 of the July, 1968 issue of the WTN. Since originally writing to you I have won Middle Stock Eliminator at the American Hot Rod Association's Spring Nationals at Bristol, Tenn., July 9, 1968. I had to square off against about 18 overhead valve V-8 class winners and under the delayed handicap start running off of national records. I triumphed over all of them with my '54 Jet. I was the oldest car in the bracket and the only one running a six cylinder engine. I received numerous cash awards from the manufacturers of whose products I was using such as Valvoline, STP, Champion, Pure, etc. I also received a cash award from the strip and some valuable merchandise. At the time I last wrote to you I did not have the car put back together with its new blueprinted engine, therefore, the best times listed were from last year's racing. I have now set new Formula 7, Super Stock Automatic Extra records of 14.13 seconds, 95.98 miles per hour at Bristol, and since then the car has gone 13.96, 97.55 as of this writing. I am looking forward to competing in other American Hot Rod Association meets this year and will keep you posted on any new developments.
Hudsonly, Sloane F. McCauley, 4014 Cedar Bayou Drive, Dallas, Tex. 75234

If you ever have the opportunity, please do stop at the DON GARLITS MUSEUM and visit their eloquent displays. The DON GARLITS MUSEUM is a very good example of a museum which is not lavishly constructed, but they have well done displays, preserving some fine history on racing. This discovery has renewed my own enthusiasm for offering support to Hudson vehicles displayed in any museum. For tax reasons, the Hudson Essex Terraplane Historical Society, Inc., is separately incorporated from the HET Club. Donations made to the HET Historical Society are tax deductible. The money goes to support educating the public about the Hudson Motor Car Company and Hudsons built from 1909 through 1957. The HET Historical Society has the "Legacy Video" filmed in June of 1998, available for museum displays. This is a 17 minute videotape highlighting some of the engineering achievements of the Hudson Motor Car Company. This videotape is available to museums, together with financial support (if necessary) for the purchase of VCR/TV to show the videotape.