Local Man Shares w/Rotarians About His Recordbreaking Escapades at the Bonneville Salt Flats

Effingham resident Jim Lange has had quite a career as a record-setting driver at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The 82-year-old Lange shared memories of his escapades while serving as the guest speaker at the Effingham Noon Rotary Club meeting on March 19. 

Lange made the journey to Bonneville a number of times, taking time from his business, Lange Electric. His last journey to Bonneville was in 2016 when he was trying to extend his record in his 1963 Studebaker Avanti and his engine blew. Lange was up to 199MPH when the mishap occurred. His record is just over 223MPH. 

Bob Fergus served as Rotary weekly program host. 

The Rotary Weekly Student Guest was Ashlyn Davis, the daughter of Kurt and Jami Davis and a senior at Effingham High School. Ashlyn is a member of the EHS Volleyball Team and the Effingham Trap and Skeet Team, graduated from the FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program in Quantico, Virginia, works at Brown's Drug Store, and is headed for SIU-Edwardsville where she will major in Accounting and minor in Finance. She plans to return to the business community in Effingham.

(FROM LEFT, ROTARY WEEKLY PROGRAM CHAIRMAN BOB FERGUS, ROTARY WEEKLY GUEST SPEAKER JIM LANGE, AND ROTARY WEEKLY STUDENT GUEST ASHLYN DAVIS)

There was also recognition at the meeting for Rotarian Kerry Hirtzel, who was recognized as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. The award is presented to a Rotarian who contributes $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation.

(ROTARY NOON CLUB PRESIDENT ANDREW KOESTER AND PAUL HARRIS FELLOW KERRY HIRTZEL)