Ab Jenkins
Ab Jenkins was born in Spanish Fork, Utah, United States on January 25th, 1883 and is the Race Car Driver. At the age of 73, Ab Jenkins biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
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David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins (January 25, 1883 – August 9, 1956) was the 24th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1940 to 1944 and was a professional race car runner.
Jenkins' interest in motorsports began with racing motorcycles on dirt tracks and around the country.
At the Bonneville Salt Flats, he became interested in land speed records.
He was instrumental in the establishment of Bonneville as a staging for such activities, as well as the recruiting of international visitors such as George Eyston and Sir Malcolm Campbell to compete there. In 1935, he drove the Duesenberg "Mormon Meteor" to a 24-hour average land speed record of 135 mph (217 km/h).
Jenkins set a record of 161.180 mph (259.394 km/h) in 1940, which lasted for 50 years (until 1990). He died on a visit to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin.
Early Days and Records
Jenkins, a home building contractor in Utah who was born in 1883, got his first taste of racing a Studebaker on the Union Pacific train from Salt Lake City to Wendover in 1925, defeating the smoke-belcher by five minutes. He went from New York City to San Francisco in 86 hours, 20 minutes, just 14 minutes faster than the train. In Pierce-Arrows, a string of records were set, as well as a sixty-eight kilometre (109 km/h) run on the Salt Flats, which the octagon remarked on "like riding a frightened bison" before constructing a series of cars built specifically for the Salt Flats.
Jenkins was hired by Pierce-Arrow in 1925 to tune up their newly introduced V12 engine, which had a poor result. He managed to coax 175 miles per hour (282 km/h) out of the engine, heading for a Pierce-Arrow-style typhoon, which had a poor track record at the time. In a 24-hour ride along a 10-mile (16 km/h) route on a 10-mile (16 km/h) route, it was found that he was able to coax 175 miles per hour (282 km/h) out of the engine. A total distance of 2,710 miles (4,360 kilometers) was covered as a result of the run. He set out to smash the record by driving 25 hours and 30 minutes at 117 km/h (188 km/h) and a total of 3,000 kilometers (4,800 km) in the process last year.
The Bonneville Salt Flats became more popular in the 1930s as speed records were broken on a daily basis, so it was decided that the sands of Daytona Beach or the Monthlhéry track in France were preferable to the Bonneville Salt Flats' sands. Jenkins was gaining international attention during the summer of 1935, and in July of that year, Jenkins relinquished his position on the flats to him. Cobb was able to destroy Jenkins' records and start a new one during the course of the campaign.
Jenkins drove a new Duesenberg Model J in late 1935, allowing him to reclaim his title from John Cobb, but Malcolm Campbell, a British competitor, set a new two-way record of 301 mph (484 km/h) smashed the aircraft-engine-powered Blue Bird V to a new two-way average speed of 301 kilometers per hour (484 km/h).
Jenkins, who knew he needed even more fuel to stay on top, built his car with a Curtiss Conqueror aircraft engine. The Deseret News, a Salt Lake City newspaper, ran a competition to name the vehicle, which resulted in the name of the "Mormon Meteor" being dubbed. It became the Mormon Meteor II and Jenkins soon became the Mormon Meteor II and Jenkins broke land speed endurance records with it during 1936-37, thanks to extensive upgrades that were needed to accommodate the Curtiss engine.
He introduced the Mormon Meteor III in 1938, establishing even more records. Jenkins achieved 3,868 kilometers (6,225 km/h) in 24 hours, the most notable was in 1940, when Jenkins was fastest at 161 mph (259 km/h), a record that remained unchallenged until 2005.
During WWII, the US government ordered a halt to racing operations, and Jenkins decided to run for mayor of Salt Lake City, winning by a large amount of money, despite spending no time or money.
Jenkins also resumed racing after the war. His car went into a puddle of water and crashed into a row of course markers at a speed of almost 200 mph (320 km/h). Jenkins had to stop his overheating vehicle after the punctured radiator. He had stopped three minutes shy of setting a new one-hour record, and at the age of 68, he decided it was time to retire.
Jenkins achieved great success despite his limited funds, something on the order of Will Rogers with a motorized persona. He was a deeply religious man who put faith in God, and by God, he went far, especially in the form of his "Mormon Meteor" speed machines. Harvey Firestone was a huge fan. As mechanics at New York Metropolitan Opera Singer Richard Bonelli before Bonelli discovered he could sing, Jenkins became pals with him. Bonelli appeared at many of Jenkins' live performances, and even triggered a song festival with spectators accompanying the iconic baritone as Ab whizzed past. Jenkins' racing fame, as well as his congenial, outgoing personality, helped him win Mayor of Salt Lake in 1940 without ever speaking out or spending a single penny on a campaign. He was in office until 1944, setting 21 speed records. His one-man 24-hour record, which stood at 161 mph (259 km/h), stood for 50 years, but was defeated in 1990 by an eight-man crew. Jenkins's gruesome, 48-hour record is still on the books, as well as 15 other FIA records from 1940.
After a full day of running, he would have come out clean-shaven, having used a safety razor after the last gas stop while circling the track at over 125 mph (201 km/h) with no windshield.
Pontiac executives pleaded with Jenkins in 1956 to make a comeback. He said that his health was fine and that he was looking forward to it in one of his last interviews in June. Jenkins and his son Marvin will race their stock-model Series 860 Pontiac around the 10-mile (16 km) salt circle track. In the process, the pair set a new American unlimited and Class C stock-car racing record of 118.375 km/h (190.506 km/h) shattering all existing American unlimited and Class C stock-car racing records.
During his 30-second fueling pit stops, Abder nearly two-thirds of the 2,841 miles (4,572 km) himself gulped down milk and orange juice delivered to him by his wife or daughter. He did not smoke or drink alcohol. The father-and-son took the spotlight in the book, netting a total of 28 records.