George Poteet of Memphis, Tennessee, is a man of passion about many things. For example, he is living his life to the fullest, enjoying his grandchildren and love of cars for their speed and beauty. If one were to watch this 73-year-old gentleman interacting with his grandkids, you’d observe his joy in seeing them smile while helping George with one of his race cars or just sharing a snack. Mr. Poteet is a simple man, both kind and generous.

He doesn’t dress fancy, wear the latest Rolex, or flash large bills; that’s not his technique. His thing is comfort and function. His style is also one of great passion for the love of automobiles and high speeds. Yet, in contrast, George has never had a speeding ticket. That’s astounding for a man with over two dozen land speed records to his credit.

George grew up poor and simple as a young man. He was born at home in a county in Mississippi in 1948, the likes of which you can’t pronounce the name correctly. After all, have you ever been to Itawamba County, Mississippi? It’s not a name you see every day. Unless, of course, you’re from that neck of the woods.

His younger sister, Betty is fond of pointing out, “We always say we are from Mantachie, Miss.; people tend to recognize that.” George once commented in an interview, “I didn’t live in a house that had a bathroom in it till 1966.” George knows a thing or two about living within one’s means and working hard for a living.

He played football and basketball in high school and loved all the sports. At age 16, he was driving a school bus. “I was paid twenty-five bucks a month to drive the bus twice a day, five days a week.” 

That George is an affluent man today is a testament to his hard work and paying attention to details. He has given much to his hometown. There is a history center named after him in Mantachie, Mississippi.

His days of driving the school bus and enjoying school paid dividends to George later in life. He is proud to be the first in his family to graduate not only school but also college. His lessons on doing research and gaining insightful knowledge into any subject became the cornerstones to unleash his inner passion: a love of all things automotive and speed-related.

George was a voracious reader of magazines in the 1960s like Hot Rod Magazine, Car Craft, and the like. Whenever George would come across publications with the latest on what Craig Breedlove was doing in smashing world Land Speed Records at the Bonneville Salt Flats or an article on what Mickey Thompson was building next – this was the fuel that burned like hot coals in firing up George’s imagination. He wondered to himself, “Could that be me one day?”

As George progressed in life, his hard work and studies lead him to become a very successful businessman. Eventually, he amassed a fortune that allowed him to buy and collect cars and race them occasionally. His early life interests led him eventually to the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats, and in the 2000 era, George set out to earn his 200 MPH hat while taking a crack at the record books.

Then “Salt Fever” caught up with George, and his interactions of racing out on the Great White Dyno led him to an alliance with Bonneville racer Ron Main. Soon they teamed up to begin breaking land speed records together around the year 2006. Together their legacy of speed would ultimately put these men’s names in the world Land Speed Record books again and again, for decades to come.

Their first joint effort car, the Speed Demon, has a signature look; very aerodynamic. It has carved their names deep in the record books, which began with a record of 262.449 MPH in the F/BGS class, on August 14th, 2006, during Speed Week. Since that time, George and Ron have collaborated to set world land speed records with the SCTA and the FIA sanctions dozens of times. 

George has been over 400 MPH 56 times: that’s greater than all other members of the 400 MPH club combined. But keep in mind, George has paid his dues, in more ways than one, to get to where he is today at the top of the LSR food chain.

On September 14th, 2014, George got loose at over 370 MPH, and the Speed Demon 1 car crashed violently. The machine was trashed, but George walked away, thanks to a tremendous safe build by Ron Main and all those who contributed to building a great race car. George met his speed demon, mano-a-mano, that day and came out on top.

As the original Speed Demon was fully restored, the next generation came to be as Speed Demon II came into existence with all learned from the original. The latest version, as of 2021, has achieved a top speed of 481.576 MPH. The most significant speed yet accomplished by a piston-powered, rear-wheel-driven race car. The Speed Demon cars have cornered the meet’s top speed, receiving the annual “Hot Rod Magazine” trophy a phenomenal ten times. Most racers would give most anything to have their name on that trophy once in a lifetime. For Poteet and Main, it’s been a decade of dominance.

The team’s great success can be found in what is part and parcel of every successful enterprise, especially in racing: it’s all about the combination to win in motorsports. No one man does it all alone.

George’s brain trust of Ron Main, tuner Steve Watt of Maxwell Industries, and engine builder Ken Duttweiler of Duttweiler Performance Inc. are at the core of George Poteet’s high-speed success. They are supported by close to a dozen helping talented volunteers who tend to the Speed Demon after every run. These men do this of their own accord.

Before the race car is towed back to the pit area, from a full-tilt boogie down the nine-mile racecourse, the pit crew is laying out tarps to receive the race car. In close to 100-degree searing heat, these mechanics have tools and service equipment laid out like a surgical team, well prepared to dig in.

For example, the Speed Demon had an engine bay fire on Sunday, 8 August 2021. Everything was fully engulfed in the compartmentalized conflagration. Body panels had paint seared off; the temperature was so great. Yet despite the devastation, the car was race-ready the following morning.

When the race car returned to its pit area, every crew member knew exactly what to do to replace every component. The 556 CID motor was removed working in concert, a new seven-speed Liberty transmission was rolled out, and all the melted components were replaced quickly. Then all systems were function-checked, and the car fired back up.

Within 24 hours, the car was back in the staging lanes, ready for its next high-speed run.

In August of 2021, the Speed Demon team came to Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats, hoping to exceed the 500 MPH mark. It was not to be. The demons of speed are real, not perceived. As tuner Ken Duttweiler commented, “we know where our demons are; we are ready for them.” And he’s right about that. But demons have a say in what happens and when too. That, my friends – is racing.

It’s not just determination or money that makes a racer successful: it takes passion. No one works in 100-degree heat, just for the fun of it. It’s a passion that drives men like George Poteet and his team to achieve the level of performance they have ascended to. A passion for speed and competition. Something this race team has in abundance.