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Guinness World Records holder David "The Bullet" Smith takes flight over the new Findlay Toyota during its grand opening on July 12
July 10, 2008
Everyone knows Findlay Toyota's John Barr would do anything to sell you a car. On Saturday, July 12 at 11 a.m., Barr, Findlay Toyota and David "The Bullet" Smith are pushing the envelope with Southern Nevada's first-ever human cannonball stunt at an automobile dealership.
David Smith, known as "The Bullet," holds the Guinness World Records title from 1996 for soaring 181 feet through the air as a human cannonball. Smith and his family travel the world - including the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, the Middle East, Holland, and most recently, South Africa - delighting audiences with amazing daredevil human cannonball stunts.
His flight at Findlay Toyota's new 145,000 square-foot dealership at 7733 Eastgate Road in Henderson, on the east side of U.S. 93 across from the Valley Automall, is his first ever in Southern Nevada.
Findlay Toyota invites the general public and media to participate in what will surely be an amazing acrobatic feat and witness the world-traveled, best-in-his-class human cannonball in action.
Smith's average flights range from 140 to 160 feet in distance and 75 feet above the ground. He has been known as "The Bullet," working professionally as a human cannonball, for more than 11 years and logged more than 5,000 human cannonball shots.
"The Bullet" has even successfully been shot over the Grand Canyon. His wife and business manager, Audrey, said, "We could be in touch with Guinness World Records every month, but that's not realistic. If there's a human cannonball record, in actuality, I'd bet David holds it."
Smith and his wife, and the couple's four young children, travel the world performing human cannonball stunts. They have a commercial rig - a double tractor and custom 53-foot Renegade trailer - that houses the 35-foot cannon and converts into the family's two-and-a-half story home, complete with kitchen, family room, office, king-sized bed, sleeping and play areas for the children.
The Smith family is now making Findlay Toyota their home in preparation for Saturday's human cannonball stunt in which it is expected David Smith will fly the distance of the new dealership.
Media interviews with "The Bullet" may be scheduled for July 11 or 12. All media are encouraged to be on hand with the crowd when Smith soars over the new Findlay Toyota dealership.
With the creation of the new 145,000 square-foot Findlay Toyota dealership, Cliff Findlay, a second generation Nevadan who was instrumental in founding the Valley Automall in 1993, has now pioneered another automobile business hub. The store is situated on 12.5 acres and marks the beginning of the Valley Automall expansion to the east. It includes 100 service bays - more than triple the capacity of the old dealership's 30 bays - to provide better customer care.
"This store has incredible potential," said Findlay Toyota General Manager Rich Abajian, a former UNLV assistant football coach who joined Findlay Oldsmobile in 1983. "Others will follow us here because we led the way."
Additionally, Abajian pointed out that Toyota's commitment to fuel-efficient vehicles is driving sales, especially as gas prices increase. In fact, Findlay Toyota struggles to keep hybrid models in stock. "Toyota has models that get 30 more miles per gallon than any other manufacturer," added Abajian, who was inducted earlier this year into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
The success of Toyota to this point, coupled with the Las Vegas Valley's growth and Findlay's new state-of-the-art dealership, has led Abajian to predict cars sales of 1,500 a month in the not-too-distant future. When the original Findlay Toyota opened in 1998, Toyota officials predicted only 200 sales a month.
About Findlay Automotive Group
Findlay Automotive Group was founded in 1961 by the late Pete Findlay, who journeyed south from Panaca to open Pete's Used Cars on Boulder Highway. Pete's son Cliff now spearheads Findlay's new and used automobile business which has expanded to include operations in Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho.
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