Elmer Trett and the Gods of Thunder: Chapter 2 – The Origins of Mountain Magic
About This Series
This article is part of an ongoing monthly series on Dragbike.com featuring select chapters from Elmer Trett and the Gods of Thunder, the 2012 biography by Senior Editor Tom McCarthy. Released throughout 2026 to honor the 30th anniversary of Elmer Trett’s passing, this series chronicles the life, legacy, and impact of one of the most influential figures in motorcycle drag racing history. Each chapter explores Trett’s journey from humble beginnings to global Top Fuel dominance, while also preserving the deeper history of the sport and the pioneers who shaped it. New chapters are published monthly exclusively on Dragbike.com.
Before reading this article, read the previous article posts:
Chapter 2 – The Origins of Mountain Magic
During the years of WWII, when Elmer was born, there was a shortage of many things in America and a premium placed on some goods because of the war effort. Everyone contributed to the war, in one way or the other, to defeat Germany. While there was a shortage of copper, nickel and gold as well as other goods, there was a premium placed on the production of steel which was vital to the creation of war machines. From battle ships to tanks, armor was everything in fighting the Nazis and in 1943, a steel mill had to have tons of coal to convert raw iron ore to steel. Coal was the primary fuel for the furnaces of the steel mills that produced the steel to build the war machines.
As coal production and delivery went, so went the national war effort. America’s railroad system made timely bulk transportation of mass quantities of coal possible. This nation’s highway system was under coast to coast development for automobiles and trucks during the early 1940’s, the railway system was already well established and growing daily during WWII. As the big locomotives chugged across the railways, they were the best choice to go deep into the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania to fetch and deliver the massive quantities of coal that needed to be moved between these three key states. Creating tons of steel required many tons of coal.
As fate would have it, Kentucky was the hub of the wheel in this equation. The L&N railroad was the prime railway through Corbin and that is where Robert Lee made his living. Robert Lee knew a thing or two about war; he served during WW I. Having been born in 1899, in 1918 when WW I was raging, the nineteen year old Robert Lee joined the United States Navy. His ship was stationed near Liverpool, England, during his tour of duty. According to Trett Family lour, the vessel that Robert Lee was serving on was hit by gunfire during a skirmish and a concussion from a blast shattered his left eardrum. Robert Lee was discharged from the Navy and returned to the Appalachian Mountain Range where he was raised.
Sometime during 1919, the twenty year old landed in Corbin, Kentucky, where he met and courted twenty-one year old Allie Blankinship. In the late spring of 1919, they married and settled into life’s rhythm to raise a family. The L&N railroad would be their prime financial supporter for many years to come.
Robert Lee worked whatever hours needed to keep the railway viable. If a day called for an early start, or a late stay, he did what was needed. The six miles between work and home were daily traversed, sometimes on foot, sometimes on the back of a family mule. How he got to work didn’t matter much, as long as he got there; only time and effort would pay the bills. Hard work was what kept the coal flowing across country. It was a way of life for the working man during WW II. Robert Lee didn’t mind, he was born and raised in the presence of hard work and that was exactly how he intended to raise and provide for his family.
The Trett Family household was, as many American households are today, a work in progress. There was a constant evolution of the property as well as the inhabitants. This went for the family’s collection of farm animals as well. What began as a single dwelling on a plot of land started off as a just a house, then a home, then multiple enclosures for livestock and such. Work and evolution was a way of life for the Family Trett. Life’s most important and simple lessons were taught daily on the small family farm: if you tend the gardens, if you give yourself to life in the mountains, life gives back to you.
There was magic in the mountains. Robert Lee taught his family this.
Gardens were planted every season, soil had to be tended to, the critters had to be fed daily. Cows provided fresh milk; chickens laid eggs. Everyone and everything served to support someone or something else. The Trett Residence was a symbiotic relationship between life, love and the land. Every element supported another. The supporting roles of these relationships became the foundation of Elmer’s rules for life. He was brought up to know if you take care of that which supports you, life will find a way. More importantly, if you do what you love and if you love what you do, the work comes easily. Joyfully, after the work day is done, there is more time for play.
Fun and frolic for the children of Corbin, Kentucky, between 1946 and 1949, was vastly different from children of today, who have electronic entertainment. There were precious few televisions in operation in America when Elmer played as a toddler. This had a great influence on the young man, because he loved to laugh.
With no television, Elmer’s eight brothers and sisters played pranks on each other to fend off boredom. Who put what into whose shoes or, who left something where they knew someone would step in it, was a source of entertainment. Elmer was raised in a time when pranks were the cartoons of the day. Not a day went by when someone wasn’t pulling something on someone.
When Elmer was a toddler, there was no money in the family budget for entertainment, but it didn’t cost anything to go swimming. There was sufficient money for necessities that provided for the family. Hunting and fishing also provided for the family. Small game was everywhere; squirrels, rabbits and critters of many kinds inhabited the woods that surrounded the Trett Home. Between animals and chores, there was no shortage of things to do or see every day. New discoveries were always within reach, all the kids had to do was answer curiosities call. This was something Elmer excelled at.
Mr. “What’s that” had a mechanical calling from his earliest years. He just loved to take things apart to see how they worked. Any mechanical device, no matter how large or small became subject to young Elmer’s curiosity. Broken or not, Elmer wanted to know how it worked. Nothing escaped his gaze.
As with every farm, there are farm implements needed to tend the fields and move quantities of goods about the place. Some equipment was motorized, motors meant engines, and engines had carburetors. As a child, Elmer loved carburetors. They had lots of screws and as long as Elmer had a screwdriver, nothing was safe from inspection. Elmer’s father soon realized this about his son and warned him, on more than one occasion, “Son, if it needs fix’n, we’ll do that, but don’t take it apart unless I tell you to.” This was unacceptable to the curious mechanic who was always in search of things to tinker with. “What’s that? Can I take it apart?” were common if not frightening words from the pre-schooler. With a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, as far as Elmer was concerned, he could fix anything. Later in life, and with a few more tools, he made a good living for his family doing exactly that; working on the world’s fastest motorcycles. First, there were lessons to be learned both in school and outside the classroom and at age six, he started going to school.
On August 15, 1949, Elmer started school. The Keavy Elementary School was located about four miles from home. Walking with friends or family to school was the norm. Elmer liked school. His curious nature motivated him to be a student of life from the start. School was just one more place to learn new things and Elmer just loved to learn. As with all school students, there are lessons inside the classroom that come and go. Some will be remembered, most will not. There are also lessons outside the classroom each student encounters as well. These are life lessons never forgotten by children throughout a lifetime, like the school yard bully who made the mistake of picking on Elmer during recess one day.
With Elmer’s good nature, kind smile, and being as smart as Elmer was, people often went to him with questions, or to ask advice. One sunny day, during recess, Elmer was helping a young lady with a math question she had struggled with. Ever the gentleman, Elmer obliged and started showing her his thoughts on how to do the math assignment. He was rudely interrupted by one of his larger playmates who decided it was time for play, not math, during recess.
“Hey, quit that and let’s get this game going,” shouted the boy with the basketball in his hands to Elmer. “Come on! We need you now!” he commanded.
Elmer gave him a look and said, “Not now please. I’m busy.”
Mr. Impatient stepped to Elmer and pushed Elmer on the shoulder with a brisk shove and stated again, “We need you NOW.”
Talking loud and in a disrespectful manor to Elmer was his first mistake, but to lay a hand on Elmer, particularly in front of a young lady, was way over the line. This was serious and getting worse by the moment. Elmer’s sister Lillian was nearby as this scene unfolded, so was the schoolyard teacher on recess duty that day.
Elmer got up from the bench he was sitting on, stood up to the bully, and shoved him back. While glaring at his aggressor, he said, “Hey, I told you I was busy.” Mr. Impatient tossed the ball to a friend and then made the mistake of shoving Elmer to the ground. He then made a final mistake of still being there when Elmer got up.
As Elmer started to rise up, a lightening fast jab slammed into the bully’s belly. Mr. Impatient doubled over from the blow to the mid-section, his face contorted in pain. The bully then dropped to the ground crying out as the teacher in charge moved quickly to the scene.
Elmer’s sister shouted, “Elmer NO!” But it was too late. Schoolyard justice was in session. Now the teacher would preside over the proceedings.
“Elmer Trett, why did you hit him so? Look what you did to him! Why ever did you hit him like that in the belly?” Elmer still had his fists ready to go but Mr. Impatient never came back for seconds. He loosened his battle stance and looked at the teacher with confusion. He knew he was right, but he also knew he had done wrong. The teacher asked again, “Why did you hurt him so bad?”
Elmer replied, “He asked for it. He never should have shoved me down like that.”
Lillian spoke to Elmer, “It’s OK, Elmer, you didn’t start it, you just finished it. That’s what Daddy always taught us.”
The teacher didn’t take such a kind view of this lesson and spoke curtly to Elmer, “We don’t hit. Come with me,” and Elmer was escorted to the principle’s office. While he knew he was right in defending himself, he also knew that both Dad and Mom would have words with him tonight after school. This was OK as far as Elmer was concerned. Honor and dignity have a price a real man is never afraid to pay.
Since early childhood, Elmer was taught from the “Good Book”, which his parents read daily to him. He said his prayers at night before he went to bed. He knew to fear, but respect, both God and his elders. Authority by God’s law, or law by the local law establishment, was to be respected or hell was to be paid.
As young Elmer’s personality was formed, he knew by what he had been taught all his life: you did what you were told by your elders, you never talked back, you were respectful of others, and you minded your manners. To do so was honorable behavior; anything less was unacceptable in the eyes of his parents and in the eyes of the Lord. Being of sound behavior brought not only honor but dignity to the family and the man who carried himself like a man. Manhood was not just a concept in the Trett Household; it was a requirement of all the males in residence. Like his father before him, Elmer was a man of his word, a man of honor. Woe to anyone who would impugn the dignity of a Trett.
This was one of the key reasons alcohol was never allowed in the Trett Home.
By 1949, when Elmer turned six, his father, Robert Lee, had been working in downtown Corbin at the railroad for 30 years. At age fifty, his dad knew well the folly of drunkenness. Robert Lee had seen his share of men from “The Ape Yard” end up in jail, or worse, because they let alcohol ruin their lives. Therefore alcohol, and people who drank it, were not welcome in the Trett Household. Inebriation frequently leads to a lack of self-control, which also leads to less than honorable actions and indignation. Maintaining one’s dignity and honor was a requirement in the Trett House, but boys will be boys.
One late night, one of Elmer’s older brothers, came home a bit tipsy and fell to the couch. Lillian figured it out pretty quick. “He didn’t even take his shoes off. He just went right to the couch and fell down backward on it,” as she recalled. She smelled his breath while he lay there and she knew right away. “Oh my God, Albert! What have you done?” she exclaimed out loud.
Albert opened his bloodshot eyes and replied, “Sissy, you don’t tell Ma or Pa, don’t you say nuth’n!”
She made him promise, “Albert you tell me now and you promise me now you’ll never do this again. I will not lie to Mom or Daddy for you, but if they don’t ask me I won’t tell on you, providing you promise you will never, ever do this again.”
He begged his sister, “I swear, I swear I’ll never take another drink again.” With that, he passed out. Sissy took his shoes off, put them in the proper place and let him sleep it off. She knew this was trouble and she was right. Her brothers were always up to something so they had to be watched closely; including Elmer.
One summer, Lillian noticed Elmer and his nephew Orla had developed a fondness for grapes. They were a tasty snack, that’s for sure, but Elmer and Orla were buying them by the bag full. She also noticed around this time, that the sugar supply in the house was constantly low. “That’s odd,” she thought. Mom had not made any pecan or apple pies lately, yet there was almost no sugar in the house. This disturbed her. Elmer was acting mighty funny lately, too. He was much more helpful than usual.
There was a root cellar in the house that provided cool storage for goods. Suddenly, Elmer became the ‘go to’ guy anytime Ma needed anything from the cellar. “Mom if you need anything from the cellar, you just call me. I’ll get it for you,” Elmer would say. Something was not right about all this.
In time, the “Grape Juice – Jack,” a homemade alcoholic beverage consisting of primarily of grapes, sugar, and yeast, was discovered. With due haste, it had to be immediately removed from the house! Elmer and Orla were warned most emphatically by Elmer’s Mom that, “You can thank your lucky stars it was me and not your father who found this or you wouldn’t be able to walk for a week!” Elmer had a few more chores to do that month, and Orla got to help out, but for the boys it was worth it. Sure was fun for a while.
School for Elmer was a great time in his life. Between adventuring with his nephew, Orla, chores at home and playing in the fields, life was good. Elmer’s four brothers provided Elmer with a never ending source of either inspiration or perspiration. While Elmer loved and respected all four of his older brothers and sisters, it was his brother, Olen, he was closest to. It was no wonder when it came time to learn to ride a motorcycle, it was Olen who taught Elmer.
The road where the Trett Homestead was located, was actually the end of a winding dirt country road that was perfect for learning how to ride a motorbike. By the time Elmer was old enough to learn how to ride a motorcycle, he was already a Hot Shot on a bicycle. His standing on the seat, peddling with no hands, skidding sideways, his tricks were already well known by all. The progression to a motorcycle was a given.
Olen taught Elmer right from the start, “As long as you’re in control of the clutch, you’re in control of the motorcycle. Other than that, it’s just like riding a bike.” Elmer was all ears to this lesson. “Once you get the bike started, you give it a little gas from the throttle in your right hand, and then you ease out the clutch with your left hand till you feel the bike start moving forward. Then you give it more gas and more clutch till you get really moving and let the clutch out all the way. If you feel like you are moving too fast just squeeze in the clutch and ease on the brakes. Never lose control of the clutch!”
I can do this, Elmer told himself, “I got it,” he replied as he prepared for his first solo ride.
Elmer was focused and determined. This just had to be. Once he fired up the motorcycle, he settled into the seat and kicked up the kick stand with his left foot. Then, he reached for the stars. Not knowing how much was too much, he rolled the throttle about halfway open and just kind of released the lever in his left hand, forgetting what Olen told him about clutch control. The result was a shower of rocks spraying from the back tire of the bike, hitting a nearby dog who yelped.
Elmer rocketed from the driveway, headed for the dirt road that lead away from the property. Elmer brazenly reached for second gear as his brother screamed at the top of his lungs, “Hey come back with my bike, that’s MY BIKE!!! Elmer, get back here!!!” Elmer had a grin on his face that wouldn’t quit and a sudden hearing impediment. He’d reached escape velocity and life would never be the same for this country boy. There really was magic in the mountains of Kentucky.
Olen loved teaching his little brother new things and he always looked out for Elmer whenever he could. When Elmer was there for Olen, big brother made sure little brother got a moon pie or an RC Cola for being the good brother he always was.
As childhood gave way to teen years, not every lesson Elmer learned was a good one. He took up smoking cigarettes around age nine. As a child, the emphasis was always on “growing up” and learning to “be a man.” All grown men smoked, so why not Elmer? Once a cigarette made its way to Elmer’s lips, it was just another step to growing up as far as he was concerned. Cigarettes were also a form of currency in these times. No one had a lot of money, but for a good smoke, or a pack of smokes, there was fortune to be made. Especially if a friendly wager was involved.
One afternoon Olen bet Elmer a pack of smokes he could beat Elmer in three laps around the house. Olen driving a car he’d acquired in a trade and Elmer could ride Olen’s motorcycle. This was the kind of macho man bet real men live for. Elmer exclaimed “You’re On!”
The race was set: three times around the driveway that winded around the house and into the front access road by the corral where the dairy cows were grazing. Orla Lee would drop his hand and the boys would give’er the gun. They started their engines and warmed the machines up. They both nodded a ready to the starter. Orla jumped high in the air and came down with a chopping motion as the engines roared. The racers dumped the clutch levers with reckless abandon. Showers of rocks and great dirt dust clouds leaped skyward as the boys headed for turn one around the house.
The left handed turn one was wide and sloping down to the right as it rounded the back of the house. Olen was on the inside of the turn with Elmer right on his right front fender as they zoomed through the back yard.
Allie was just finishing laundry and had a basket of fresh, clean clothes in her hands. She made her way out the back door just in time to be greeted by the ruckus as two of her sons sped past her at a dangerous clip. She shouted at the top of her lungs, something the soft spoken woman hated to do. “You boys quit that right now!” In the heat of the race, all Elmer could see was a chance to scoot ahead of Olen at the next turn, and all Olen could hear was the roar of his engine.
As they finished lap one, they were wheel to wheel, much to Olen’s surprise. They entered the front yard driveway, looped out by the corral where the cows were, then hooked a hard left to head for the back yard again. The chickens, which had just been grazing by the cows, took flight and flew a short distance away from all the fuss. Orla Lee laughed a belly laugh and shouted to Albert who was watching, “I bet they don’t lay another egg for a week.”
As the racers headed for the back yard, Allie wisely retreated back to the porch with her clean laundry. She tried once again, in vain, shouting at the boys who looked like two moonshiners trying to out run one another. “You boys are gonna get the beating of your life when you father gets home! You hear me?” As the racers rounded the back yard, the dogs got into the act, barking like crazy and chasing the car and the bike around the house. It was starting to look like a P.T. Barnum production, but motorized.
As they rounded the front of the house and headed for the corral, Orla Lee held up his right hand with his index finger aloft and he shouted loud, “One lap racers, one lap to go!”
Olen was distracted for a moment. His car lost traction and started to swerve into Elmer, who was still riding just to the right front of the car. Elmer saw this as his chance and he shot in front of Olen taking the lead for the first time. He had him now! Elmer shot around the back of the house now with the front bumper of the car right behind him as they headed for the home stretch of this home grown heat. Elmer was sure he was gonna give his big brother a beat’n this time!
Emboldened by his lead, Elmer leaned the bike to the left with his foot out, ready to power slide in the final turn by the corral. Then it happened; the rear tire lost traction. The bike was leaned over too far and without warning, Elmer and the bike were on their left side skidding into the cow pasture under the corral fence. The bike was caught by the handle bars at the fence while Elmer slid under it to a rude, but spectacular, finish to the race.
As Elmer skidded on his back under the fence, he happened to slide right under a dairy cow that was unprepared for his sudden appearance. This frightened the bovine into going ballistic, and the cow leaped in the air as Elmer passed under its belly. Elmer not only lost the race on the last lap, he almost got his face stomped by a one cow stampede. Orla Lee exclaimed, “Great! No eggs and now no dairy for a few days. Way to go, Hot Shot!”
Olen skid the car to a halt by the driveway mailbox with a big grin on his face. He headed for his brother who was trying to gather himself up off his back from the pasture. “You might wanna go change your clothes before you get me my smokes, Hot Shot.” “Yeah,” Elmer replied, “I’m kind a muddy to be going to the corner store right now.” “That’s not mud, Hot Shot – you really did scare that cow, didn’t you?” proclaimed Olen as he laughed his biggest laugh he had in a long time. “Nice going, Hot Shot.” Elmer just shrugged it off, “Is the bike okay?”
Just at this moment, Allie rounded the house. Hearing the quiet, she knew the race was over. She stood at the front of the house with her arms folded in front of her. “You boys have had enough fun for one day around here, how about we get some work done now, alright?” Then she spoke directly to her youngest son, “Elmer, I do not like you racing motorcycles. You need to stop that or you’ll die on one.” Elmer nodded his head and went about his own way.
Elmer’s childhood years were a mixture of these ingredients: work around the house, play in the fields and pastures, swimming near Teach Rock, fishing, hunting small game, playing jokes on, or with, his brothers, going to school, learning life’s lessons daily. This lasted until his mid teen years when two things changed his life. One was a motorcycle, the other was life itself.
The Next Installment of Elmer Trett and the Gods of Thunder will be released on March 1, 2026, on Dragbike.com
| For those interested in owning a printed copy of the original book, please contact Tom McCarthy. Limited copies are available. |
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