Inliners International Forums General Discussion Bench racing INLINER George Campbell gone....

Long time Inliner George Campbell (#768) died in a one car traffic accident near his residence in McLeod Montana earlier this week. George was the owner/driver of "Salt Circus" a Model A highboy roadster with a Howard head on a 320" GMC block. Although he drag raced the car on occaision it was built for Bonneville and El Mirage. He still holds the XXO/STR record at El Mirage of 159.631 mph that he set in November '92. George was also the best friend and sidekick to the legendary and late Hank Lawshe from Kalispell Momtana.

There will be a small, private memorial for him in McLeod on Saturday the 15th. He will be cremated. Pal and fellow INLINER Curt Weber will pack the ashes in his race car parachute for distribution on the Salt Flats in 2008.

I knew George for better than 20 years and he was a good guy. He always had a big grin and a story to tell. We missed him at Speedweek this year and we'll now miss him forever.

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I never met George in person, but it was he who got me back into the inline and hot rod game. Some time in early 1988, I got a phone call from someone in Montana wanting to know if I had a 12-port head for a 261 and if I wanted to sell it. I had bought such a head from Bob Toros in 1960, but never got it running well (mainly due to casting flaws) before I got a real job, family etc. I had no idea that anyone in 1988 still knew or cared about the classic stovebolt engines and the 12-port heads. George told be about the Inline International club, and I've been a member ever since. I now have my 12-port 261 running again (in a '32 Ford roadster). I never found out how George found out that that I still had the head, but I'm glad he did. I may have remained a sensible person if George had not called and turned the spark back on.