George Poteet Explained

George Poteet (February 22, 1948 – July 16, 2024[1]) was an American Memphis-based[2] [3] land speed racer and winner of the 1996 Ridler Award.

Poteet's 1937 Ford roadster (built by Don Pilkenton)[4] won the 1996 Ridler Award.[5] [6] [7] This car would go on to take "America's Most Beautiful Roadster", top prize at the Oakland Roadster Show.[8]

In 2011, Poteet drove Speed Demon (built by Ron Main) to 426mph at Bonneville,[9] and eventuallybreaking both the C/BFS and D/BFS (supercharged fuel streamliner) records.[10] After making "the fastest piston engine pass ever",[11] Speed Demon was displayed at the 2018 Detroit Autorama.[12]

Personal life and death

Poteet was born on February 22, 1948, in Mantachie, Mississippi. His father was a sharecropper and his mother worked at a garment factory. Growing up, he tinkered on his family's car. He worked at National Safety Associates (later Juice Plus) from 1970 to 2020.[1]

Poteet married Cathy in 1990, with whom he raised four children. He was married twice before.[1]

Poteet died on July 16, 2024, at the age of 75, of a pulmonary embolism.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mooallem . Jon . August 14, 2024 . George Poteet, the King of Amateur Landspeed Racing Who Said He Never Got a Speeding Ticket, Dies at 76 . live . August 15, 2024 . Wall Street Journal.
  2. Book: Larivee, Bob. Hot Rod Detroit. DP Publishing. 2015. 978-0-692-30899-8. Oxford, Michigan. 161.
  3. https://autorama.com/awards/ridler-award/1990s/ Autorama.com
  4. https://www.hotrod.com/articles/the-icon-of-automotive-awards-ridler-award/ Hot Rod Magazine online
  5. Book: Larivee, Bob. Hot Rod Detroit. DP Publishing. 2015. 978-0-692-30899-8. Oxford, Michigan. 161.
  6. https://autorama.com/awards/ridler-award/1990s/ Autorama.com
  7. https://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/2013/03/detroit_autorama_50_of_the_bes.html Mlive.com
  8. https://www.hotrod.com/articles/the-icon-of-automotive-awards-ridler-award/ Hot Rod Magazine online
  9. Squatriglia, Chuck. "This is what 426 mph looks like." Autopia. Wired. August 24, 2011.https://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/08/video-this-is-what-426-mph-looks-like/
  10. http://landspeedevents.com/blog/poteet-and-main-speed-demon-tech-sheet/
  11. http://landspeedevents.com/blog/poteet-and-main-speed-demon-tech-sheet/
  12. https://www.classicarnews.com/2018/03/28/george-poteets-speed-demon-at-2018-detroit-autorama/ Classicarnews.com
  13. Web site: Remembering George Poteet: Land Speed Racing Pioneer and Hot Rodding Legend . Mike . Galimi . July 16, 2024 . motortrend.com . July 17, 2024.

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