c. 1965, this lakester, made from a surplus World War II belly tank, caught the eye of Alex Tremulis. At the time, most bellytanks remained true to their original form with only some modification to enable a driver to get in and out and usually some openings for exhausts. Not this one, however, with its squared-off top half and specially formed engine cover. It's unique shape surely was a topic of aerodynamic discussion which prompted Tremulis to take a full complement of photos from each angle. Not only looking fast standing still, this little racer evidently stood up to its critics with a top speed in the vicinity of 300 miles per hour, apparently urged on with the help of a supercharged Chrysler engine, and driven by Howard Johnson.
Fast forward 40 years or so and Mel Hoy's lakester shows up at a swap meet in Portland, Oregon, where it was photographed by land speed racer Mike Kelly. It looks to be in amazingly good condition with most of its unique bodywork appearing intact and unblemished.
These newest photos and the latest updates on Mel Hoy's creation can be found on the landracing.com website HERE. Let's hope that this little lakester with a speedy past gets the restoration it deserves and maybe someday it will make a public re-appearance for all to enjoy...
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