Curt Wallin, "Boys of Bonneville"

Documentary director Curt Wallin sat down via email with Christopher Lloyd of The Film Yap to talk about his first feature film, "Boys of Bonneville: Racing on a Ribbon of Salt." It's a thrilling look at Ab Jenkins, a racing pioneer whose name has largely been forgotten with the passage of years, his son Marvin and the Mormon Meteor III, his legendary car.

For info and showtimes, click here.

Christopher Lloyd: How did you learn about Ab Jenkins, and what made you want to center your story around him?

Curt Wallin: I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Mormon Meteor III car was kept in the State Capitol building. I used to see the car during field trips and I remember several teachers telling me about Ab Jenkins and his contributions to the State of Utah and the auto industry. My family used to talk about it every so often as well.

But it wasn't until four years ago that I jumped head-first into the world of Ab Jenkins. John Price, owner of the Price Museum of Speed, asked me to produce a short, looping 20-minute museum video about the Mormon Meteor III. The museum was in the process of purchasing the car from Ab Jenkins' son, Marv. I went to visit Marv in St. George, Utah, where he had kept the car in his basement after getting it from the State.

I spent an entire day with Marv going through his scrapbooks, parts and memorabilia. Stuffed in a box in the closet, Marv had kept approximately 10,000 feet of 16mm films that Ab had helped produce or starred in ... safety films, newsreels and general Bonneville Salt Flats footage.

You can only imagine how excited that made me feel. Documentary filmmakers dream of something like this. Marv allowed me to take the films to be restored and transferred in New York at DuArt. The people at DuArt did an amazing job saving the film. The HD transfers to video are just beautiful.

After we took a look at the films, John Price and I knew we had to make a feature-length documentary. There was no choice but to tell this incredible story of true American spirit and automobile history that many have either never heard about or knew just enough about to understand there was an amazing bunch of guys with fast, unique cars.

Obviously, Ab Jenkins was the center of this story because he is the man that brought the world to Bonneville through his undying passion for pushing the limits of himself, other racers and, of course, engineering. It was a team effort, but he orchestrated and performed not only the racing, but the PR and marketing. Ab was truly a genius.

Lloyd: Why do you think Ab's name isn't as well-known as some other racing pioneers? (Have you looked at his Wikipedia page? It's embarrassingly brief.)

Wallin: Ab's name isn't as well-known as some other racing pioneers, probably because time sometimes forgets especially when large events like WWII come along shifting the focus of history. Other than Ab's Studebaker years in the Twenties, his historically celebrated endurance racing years were from 1931 to 1940. Once he became Mayor of Salt Lake City in the opening years of the 1940s, WWII started and racing all but disappeared.

Also, endurance racing fell to the straight-line racers. Breaking the ultimate land-speed, measured-mile record was the ultimate prize from the 1950s to today. Unfortunately, Ab's cars either disappeared or were kept in small, private collections or in the basement of the Utah State Capitol (Meteor III). Other American heroes took his place in history. We can only hope that John Price's dedication to perpetuating racing history and, ultimately, the Ab Jenkins story will be spread across the world again, through our film and the Price Museum of Speed.

Lloyd: It's interesting that Ab did not become famous until later in life, not unlike Burt Munro, another Bonneville legend who was the subject of his own documentary and feature film.

Wallin: Ab was in his 40s and 50s when he made his biggest world-record endurance runs. He was a local, national and even world hero during this time. During his younger years (30s), Ab had to support his family. He worked as a building contractor, later driving for Studebaker to test their cars for endurance and safety on cross-country runs and hill climbs. The automobile was quickly evolving, but it was still a new technology.

I believe Ab would have been more famous at a younger age, but the automobile was still in its infancy. It took time to build up to the big endurance runs. The Bonneville Salt Flats became his canvas and really became the only place that could handle land-speed racing, both endurance and straight line — it was vast, it was a hard surface and it was safe.

So, eventually, Ab brought the British to the Salt and the world followed. The Brits were world famous and now, with the Brits racing alongside Ab, Ab became world-renowned, too. Ab was a very unique person. He had the passion and the desire to push the limits. Let's not forget that he had Augie Duesenberg, too. He also had the press that followed the Brits.

Burt Munro was a similar guy in that he was passionate beyond belief. Nobody was going to tell him he couldn't race his Indian to a world record. Nothing would stop him, not skeptics or even his age. Ab was the same way.

Lloyd: I saw that your film was originally titled "Meteor Men: Legacy of Speed." Why the change?

Wallin: The title of this film changed many times as the story evolved. We went through a lot of discussion as to what name would ultimately represent the final story. "Meteor Men: Legacy of Speed" was great, but there were some similar television and movie titles using the "Meteor" word.

Also, we felt the title sounded a bit industrial. It also seemed a bit too comic-book.

Each production team member offered many titles and finally one of our producers/writers, Jennifer Jordan, came up with "Boys of Bonneville." It told the story of our characters. Previous to that name, our consulting editor / writer, Michael Chandler (a brilliant editor), had titled the film "Racing on a Ribbon of Salt." Combining the two gave the full story of character and place.

Lloyd: What form of modern racing — drag, NASCAR, Formula, dirt, etc. — do you think best captures the spirit of Ab and his cohorts? Or is it still the guys out on the Salt Flats?

Wallin: Obviously, today the guys and gals on the Salt Flats capture the spirit of Ab and his cohorts. There is no place like Bonneville. After you watch this film and you have a better understanding of Ab and the other characters, go to Bonneville during the summer racing. Be part of the tens of thousands watching the straight-line racing during Speed Week in August.

Ab was the Father of racing on the Salt. Ab was also one of the greatest pioneers of endurance racing, whether cross-country, oval track, salt or hill climbing. All modern racers owe Ab and his team a bit of gratitude. He help build their industry in the form of engineering faster cars, safer cars and better tracks, and he even pioneered the use of sponsors to fund races. So, in my opinion, Ab's spirit encompasses all forms of racing.

Lloyd: I really admired that you shined a light on Marvin Jenkins and his contributions, and, in the end, the film is as much about him as his father. How did you make that choice?

Wallin: From that first day meeting with Marv in St. George more than four years ago, I knew Marv was a main character. This story cannot be told with him. He is truly the legacy of his father.

Marv spent nearly his entire life with the Mormon Meteor III. He embodied his father's passion for racing and gave everything to preserve his father's legacy. It's impossible to describe how amazing it was to watch Marv and his family help our mechanics restore the Curtiss Conqueror engine. The night we started the restored engine, Marv gave me a big hug and said, "Thank you for making this possible ... you, John Price and all the guys."

Lloyd: How did you get John Price to cooperate so much with regard to the reconstruction of the Mormon Meteor? And would you care to share how much it cost?

Wallin: I didn't get John Price to cooperate with the reconstruction of the Mormon Meteor III. He simply wanted it to happen. I was there to document this historic moment. It obviously cost some money to do this. I can only say that John Price has an intense passion, not unlike Marv and Ab, for perpetuating automobile history. I guess the Meteor III has a special way of never disappearing, and it attracts incredibly driven people.

Lloyd: What will you personally most remember and cherish about making this film?

Wallin: I will cherish most the time I spent with Marv. I really saw who this man was. Being the cinematographer and director allowed me to see details that most people don't have a chance to see. Marv was full of life, and I believe we gave him a chance to finish his ultimate life project. I wish he could see this film.

Boys of Bonneville Movie Trailer from Price Museum of Speed on Vimeo.