Born: October 9, 1931

Died: September 3, 1955

Buried: Westminster Memorial Park, Westminster, California

Age: 23

Full Name: John Bruce Donaldson

Nickname:

Location: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Event: Bonneville National Speed Trials

Accident Date: September 3, 1955

Vehicle: lakester

Biographical: He had received first degree burns the previous day, but was treated at a Salt Lake hospital. He returned to Bonneville the following day to continue racing. He was killed when his vehicle overturned and sped upside down on the salt while going about 190 MPH. He was crushed inside the cockpit. He was from Long Beach, California.

Sources

"Long Beach hot rodder killed in speed test," Los Angeles Times, September 3, 1955

"Speed crash victim 'just couldn't wait'," Spokane Daily Chronicle, September 3, 1955

"Racing death first since '55," Deseret News, August 1, 1960

California Birth Index (John Bruce Donaldson, born October 9, 1931 in LA Co., mother's maiden name was Kennedy)

Utah Certificate of Death (John Bruce Donaldson, died September 2, 1955, at Bonneville Salt Flats, resided in Long Beach, Calif., son of Alexander and Doris Kennedy Donaldson, born October 9, 1931 in Long Beach, never married, crushed skull and mutilated face, buried in Westminster Memorial Park, Long Beach, piece maker for Ohio Rubber in Long Beach)

Photos

Born: April 13, 1924

Died: October 5, 1953

Buried: Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California

Age: 29

Full Name: Harvey William Haller

Nickname:

Location: El Mirage Dry Lake, California

Event:

Accident Date: Oct. 3, 1953

Vehicle: Desoto-powered 1929 Model A roadster

Biographical: His car was equipped with shoulder belts, but no roll bar. He was a member of the Road Runners car club in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He gained membership in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in 1953, running 209.480 MPH. After his death, the Road Runners sponsored a Harvey Haller Memorial trophy given periodically to worthy club members. His death caused the SCTA to consider suspending races at El Mirage because they thought the dry lake was possibly not safe for the high speeds being attained.

Sources

Breene & Haller Lakester (The H.A.M.B.)

Hot Rod Magazine, October 1950, 14.

Hot Rod Magazine, January 1948, 14.

Life Magazine, September 28, 1953

Dean Moon, "Last Lakes Meet," in Deete Crow, Rod & Custom in the 1950s, 42.

California Death Index

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Breene & Haller Lakester (The H.A.M.B.)

Born:

Died: September 27, 1957

Buried:

Age: 29

Full Name: James Johnson

Nickname:

Location: Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia

Event: C.O.R. Speed Record Trials

Accident Date: September 27, 1957

Vehicle: MG Special

Biographical: He left his hotel early in the morning to take his car for a test spin prior to taking it out on the course for the speed trials. He side-swiped a semi-trailer at high speed, crashed, and was instantly killed. He owned an auto garage in Leichhardt, a suburb of Sydney. He lived in Caringbah and was survived by his wife and one child.

Sources

"Race-car driver dies instantly," Sydney Morning Herald, Sep. 29, 1957

Motorsport Memorial

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Born: 1913

Died: April 17, 1951

Buried:

Age: 38

Full Name:

Nickname:

Location: Via Appia, near Terracina, Latina, Italy

Event: Chilometro Lanciato

Accident Date: April 17, 1951

Vehicle: MV Agusta 125 Carenata

Biographical: He was traveling at about 112 MPH on a long straightaway on a road closed to traffic during a speed record attempt. He lost control of his motorcycle, skidded off the road, and hit a tree upon being thrown from his bike. He was rushed to a hospital, but died shortly after being admitted. He lived in Como, Italy, and was survived by his wife and three children.

Sources

Motorsport Memorial

Photos

Born: September 27, 1925

Died: May 6, 1950

Buried: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California

Age: 24

Full Name: Robert Jarvis Robinson

Nickname:

Location: El Mirage Dry Lake, California

Event: SCTA meet

Accident Date: May 6, 1950

Vehicle: Ansen Automotive Class C Roadster

Biographical: At the end of his 151 MPH run, he was turning around in a wide sweep when he hit a sand dune. The car bounced 165 feet, hit the ground and then bounced end over end for another 720 feet before coming to a stop. He was thrown from the car on its last flip when the safety belt split. He was from North Hollywood, California, driving a car owned by Bob Morton and George Rubio. He was survived by his wife, Coleveta, who witnessed the fatal crash. It was the first SCTA event of 1950.

Sources

"'Hot rod' driver killed at finish of 151 MPH run," Long Beach Independent, May 8, 1950

"Hot-rod driver killed in crash," Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1950

"Hot-rod driver killed in race," Pasco Tri-City Herald, May 8, 1950 [UPI reports all mistakenly gave his surname as Johnson, instead of Robinson]

"Hot rod driver dies in spectacular smashup," San Bernardino County Sun, May 8, 1950

Bob Morton, e-mail to site administrator, June 13, 2010

American Hot Rod Foundation (https://www.ahrf.com/image_detail.php?type=search&position=5&keyword=robinson)

California Death Index (Robert Jarvis Robinson, born September 27, 1925 in Calif., died May 6, 1950 in San Bernardino Co., mother's maiden name was Jarvis)

California Birth Index (Robert Jarvis Robinson, born September 27, 1925 in LA Co., mother's maiden name was Jarvis)

Photos

See photo at: American Hot Rod Foundation (https://www.ahrf.com/image_detail.php?type=search&position=5&keyword=robinson) 

Born: October 3, 1935

Died: April 23, 1955

Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Jasper, Alabama

Age: 19

Full Name: Charles Edmon Sproul

Nickname:

Location: Lake Wichita, nine miles southwest of Wichita Falls, Texas

Event:

Accident Date: April 23, 1955

Vehicle: 1949 Ford sedan

Biographical: Sproul was speeding south at about 60 MPH on the "drag strip" on the dry lake with four fellow servicemen in his car. He turned sharply left which caused the car to overturn. Sproul was thrown from the overturning car, which bounced on top of him before landing upright. He suffered multiple head and chest injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the 375th Sheppard USAF Hospital. None of the other occupants were injured.

Sources

"Drag strip auto crash fatal to base airman," Sheppard Air Force Base Senator, Apr. 27, 1955

Texas Death Certificate

Photos

Born:

Died: June 7, 1954

Buried:

Age: 24

Full Name:

Nickname:

Location: Pendine Sands, Wales

Event: Welsh Motor Cycle Speed National Championship

Accident Date: June 7, 1954

Vehicle: BSA motorcycle

Biographical: He and another rider, Bernard Watkins, were racing their motorcycles on the course before the event started. Their motorcycles collided. Williams was killed and Watkins seriously, but not fatally, injured.

Sources

Motorsport Memorial

"Speed rider killed," London Guardian, June 8, 1954

Photos

Born: December 23, 1927

Died: May 13, 1951

Buried:  Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Long Beach, California

Age: 23

Full Name: Cornelius W. Wynja

Nickname:

Location: El Mirage Dry Lake, California

Event:

Accident Date: May 13, 1951

Vehicle:

Biographical: While speeding at an estimated 135 MPH, his car hit a small rut in the course. It skidded 206 feet, then rolled over, and bounced 236 feet more and exploded. The engine was found over 140 feet from the point of explosion and the rear end was 300 feet away. He had previously made two runs of around 136 MPH. He was a freight handler from Paramount, California.

Sources

"Hot-rod racer killed in crash," Los Angeles Times, May 15, 1951

"Hot rod driver killed in crash," San Bernardino County Sun, May 14, 1951

"Pilot Wynja killed in hot-rod trials," San Mateo Times, May 16, 1951

California Birth Index (Cornelius Wynja, born December 23, 1927, in LA Co., mother's maiden name was Pool)

1930 U.S. Census (Cornelius Wynja, age 2, in Downey, Cal., son of Henry and Zellie, his brother was Jan, age 1)

California Death Index (Cornellis W. Wynja, born December 23, 1927, in Calif., died May 13, 1951, in San Bernardino Co., mother's maiden name was Pool)

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