Thursday 9th August 1956

David Abbot “Ab” Jenkins Jr (73), Major of Salt Lake City, Utah 1939-43 and holder of many marathon driving records, died in Milwaukee, Wiscosin, US. Jenkins’ interest in motorsports began with racing motorcycles on dirt tracks and cross country. He then became interested in land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He 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.

He drove the Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor” to a 24-hour average land speed record of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) in 1935. In 1940 Jenkins set the 24-hour record of a 161.180 mph (259.394 km/h) average that lasted for 50 years (until 1990).