How fast did you go when you rode the Barn Job

I believe it was (I hate to say what year but it was right after the dinosaurs) 1957. Clem and I were a team then with my first HD race bike, the one in the stock frame. We were Johnson and Smith and we kicked butt at drag strips all over Southern California. We even had some Top Eliminator of the day Trophies, where the top bike race the top car for the winner of the day. We ran parts wash in those days (Gasoline) and my Harley held the track record in that class at 123.00 MPH, give or take, at just about all the tracks around. The team, Auger & Mart’s ran a Black Shadow Vincent that was our closest competitor back then. They pretty much lived at Lion’s Drag Strip. The guy that rode that bike “Auger” was an earlier version of TC. Anyway back to your question. Clem had been working on the Barn Job in my Garage for about six months and when that thing needed something; he made it on his trusty Mill and Lathe. I saw him make things that were sheer genius.

We were going to Lion’s Saturday night and he was taking the Barn Job. We got to the track and unloaded both bikes. The Barn Job at that time was just a Black Shadow Vincent but it had so many special made things on it that it looked different. There was a big crowd around Clem’s bike, every one around knew of the Barn Job. I didn’t know at the time that I was going to ride it that night or any other night. Both bikes were ready to run and Clem came over to me and said “get your helmet and let’s go make a run”, I got my helmet, jacket and gloves and he was pushing the Barn Job to the starting area. I ask what was going on and he said you’re the rider of this team, you ride. I had never been on a bike that you shifted with your foot. And the Vincent is a tall bike not short like my Harley. I held the track record at Lion’s, 123.35 MPH, and 11:02 ET. Clem tells me; just make an easy past to get use to shifting. We fired that bit__ up and I got it stage and got the flag to go and made it through the lights, sitting up pretty much like a ride on a street bike. Rode it back to the pits, we put it on the block and I was taking off my helmet telling him I didn’t do to good that first run. I ran 124.04 MPH, 10:98 ET, I couldn’t believe it, I made another easy pass and turned 125.65 MPH, 10:96 ET. The next run Clem says, OK let’s see what it will do this time. It had already gone faster that any bike it its class. The next pass I got off the line really good, got about where I would shift into the next gear and that thing got in the air and over my head so quick I had no way of stopping it. I didn’t get hurt bad but the Barn Job was wounded. That’s it. It was the last time I rode the Barn Job.
Clem and I ran my Harley on fuel at old Fontana Raceway in 1956; we ran 10 runs at over 138 MPH and a best ET of 10:85. This was the night we ran Gene’s Brake Shop flat head Dragster for Top Eliminator of the night. The shifter on my bike was a lever right off the Trans and leaning forward to keep the front end down my knee hit the lever and kicked it out of gear, it was the only time we had a chance to beat that car. I know the names don’t mean much to you guys reading this, but Gene’s Brake Shop was John Bradley. He was like the “Big Daddy” back then. When I keep saying in that class, that's like Top Fuel or Top Gas. The way the Barn Job is today and the years it took it to get it that way. There is only one person that could ride that machine, Lieneweber.