1. David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins was the 24th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah between 1940 and 1944.
16 Facts About Ab Jenkins
1. 2.
Ab Jenkins then became interested in land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
3.
Ab Jenkins was instrumental in establishing Bonneville as a location for such events, and in attracting overseas drivers such as George Eyston and Sir Malcolm Campbell to compete there.
4.
Ab Jenkins drove the "Mormon Meteor", a customized Duesenberg car, to a 24-hour average land speed record of 135 miles per hour in 1935.
5.
Ab Jenkins, a home building contractor in Utah who was born in 1883, gained his first taste of racing a Studebaker on the Union Pacific train from Salt Lake City to Wendover in 1925, beating the smoke-belcher by five minutes.
6.
In 1925, Ab Jenkins was hired by Pierce-Arrow to soup up their newly introduced V12 engine which produced a disappointing level of performance at the time.
7.
Ab Jenkins managed to coax 175 miles per hour out of the engine, driving a Pierce-Arrow along the Utah salt flats at over 100 miles per hour in a 24-hour journey along a 10-mile course.
8.
Ab Jenkins was due to attempt the 1931 Indianapolis 500, but fell ill, and his car was driven by Tony Gulotta.
9.
In late 1935, Ab Jenkins drove a new supercharged Duesenberg Model J which allowed him to retake his title from John Cobb, but the land speed record in that race fell to another British competitor, Malcolm Campbell, who drove the aircraft-engine-powered Blue Bird V to a record two-way average speed of 301 miles per hour.
10.
The radiator was punctured by the accident and Ab Jenkins had to halt his overheating vehicle.
11.
Ab Jenkins had stopped three minutes short of breaking a new one-hour speed record and at the age of 68, he decided it was time to retire.
12.
Ab Jenkins became pals with New York Metropolitan Opera Singer Richard Bonelli when they were working as mechanics before Bonelli discovered he could sing.
13.
Ab Jenkins racing fame coupled with his congenial, outgoing nature got him elected Mayor of Salt Lake in 1940 without ever giving a speech, or spending a nickel on a campaign.
14.
Ab Jenkins served until 1944 setting 21 speed records while in office.
15.
In 1956, Pontiac executives petitioned Ab Jenkins to make a comeback.
16.
Ab Jenkins was returning from a baseball game with Pontiac executives George Bourke and Robert Emerick on August 9 when he noticed a billboard with a farm tractor on it and started telling the men about his wild ride in 1935 when he suddenly grabbed his chest and passed away from a heart attack.