Hamilton Journal-News

His favorite picture shows him in 1931, at the age of one, with his father, holding a wrench and covered in grease, standing near a car. He has a collection of about 18 classic cars, many of which are award-winning. But his greatest moment came on Aug. 12, 2007, as he stood next to a 1991 Nissan 240 SX on the salt flats at Bonneville, Utah.

All alone in the eery quiet, 77-year-old Don Williams had just set a land speed record of more than 226 mph.

"I can't describe it. You have to feel it, no way to put it in words, but simply, it was one of the great moments of my life."

This journey began with that wrench as a toddler and progressed through high school while Williams' father was overseas. Williams then went to tinkering on the family cars, which led to a career as an engineer on gas turbine engines at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Along the way, the Centerville resident estimates he has owned "70 or 80 cars. I really don't know."

"My collection now is mostly orphan cars: Packard, Studebaker, Morris, MG, Nash, Willys, neat cars no longer being built," he said. "I show them all over, and right now I'm working on a 1947 MG TC."

Williams got the bug about sports car racing when he saw his first MG TC, and he volunteered on the pit crew of the Howmet Turbine, a revolutionary sports car in the late '60s that used a turbine engine. During that time he met Columbus racer Don McMeekin. A longtime drag racer, McMeekin grew interested in land-speed racing and had purchased a modified 1991 Nissan. Williams worked with him in 2002 at Bonneville on the crew, when the car was powered by a flathead Ford engine.

The men kicked around the idea of changing engines to move to a faster class, and they ended up in Danville, Ind., working with Chuck Cornelison, an expert who built Oldsmobile Aurora engines for the Indy Racing League.

The two convinced him to build an Aurora engine for the Nissan.

They hauled the racecar to Maxton, N.C., for testing in 2005, and again in 2006 before heading to Bonneville in August 2006. MeMeekin offered Williams the opportunity to drive in '06 at Bonneville. He only made two passes on the salt flats but came away with a record at 217.873 mph for two runs.

"It was wild. I'm a rookie going that fast. The car just dances across the salt, like it's on its tip toes. You're on and off the throttle to control the car, a very light touch on the steering wheel. Turn the wheel too much and you're out of control," Williams said. That run qualified him for membership in the exclusive Bonneville 200 MPH Club.

For 2007, the team decided to switch the engine over from methanol to gasoline, because they could run for speed records in two classes: E/Gas altered and E/Gas coupe.

"We got there on Friday and the course was still covered in water. Saturday morning, I made my first run. The water was gone, but the salt was still damp and slick. I squeezed a 218.873 run on the

6-1/2 mile course," Williams said.

To set a record, the car and driver must complete a second run within 24 hours, with the car being impounded the entire time.

"Sunday morning, we were at the salt at 6 a.m. I hadn't slept all night. The run on Saturday was terrifying, the car sliding all over. Sunday the salt was much drier. I just climbed in, focused and off I went. It felt totally different; solid, fast, under control. I didn't even use the parachute to slow down after I hit the final timing marker at the five-mile mark. I just braked and slowed, knowing it was a pretty good run," he added.

"I just stood there alone with the car, feeling great, and the crew arrived with the timing slip. My run was a 233.503 average for the mile, I topped out at over 235, and the record average for the two runs was 226.168 mph. It's pretty amazing. I hold a land speed record, and I've only made four passes down the salt flats! I don't know if I'm the oldest guy to do this, but I'm sure I'm close."

For more information about land speed racing at Bonneville, go online to www.scta-bin.org

To nominate your special vehicle for Wheels of the Week, contact us at: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409 or via e-mail at arollins@coxohio.com. Include your name, daytime telephone number and a photo of your vehicle. Read this story and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.