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Pontiac's first official race was at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1956. Ab Jenkins, at 73, drove a stock 1956 two-door sedan Pontiac with a modified 285 hp high compression ratio engine and four-barrel carburetor on June 26, 1956. He posted a new 24-hour speed record, averaging 118.337 mph over 2,841 miles. Jenkins, whose formal name was David Abbott Jenkins, was a retired contractor and former mayor of Salt Lake City.

"Utahs' Son of Speed", "King of Speed" or known as David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins, and son Marvin, broke 28 records at the Bonneville Salt Flats driving a 1956 Pontiac 860 series (316 cid with 4 barrel @ 285 H.P., dual exhaust, 2 door sedan, factory) in 2 days, in June 1956, (1956 316 cid engine one of the smaller engines in the Pontiac engine family, later as big as 389 cid engine in 1959, and 455 cid in 1970) They broke the 126 MPH mark @ 10 and 100 mile durations. They made the 24 hour run at over 118 MPH, besides 25 other records before Aug 1956,( David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins was 73 years young in 1956). After the record runs the Pontiac only used one quart of oil during the 130 degree fahreinheit temperature, it used 8 miles to the gallon "less" gas than any other 8 cylinder engine at that time. In 1957 Pontiac named the new 1957 Pontiac Bonneville ( New 347 cid engine same as 389 cid family) after David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins, The "King of Speed".