tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40592276217415705012024-03-23T03:13:31.772-07:00Kevin Triplett's Racing History Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-8443177762302143002021-01-05T14:00:00.002-08:002021-01-05T14:00:25.067-08:00The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis 500-mile race Part Three <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis
500-mile race</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Part three<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1931<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hPcOLxtJwtXVPYGXbfH5zMlggqksqnPG1GZVSLqHeJyrUIeMOovMHZhXTmNK5qV7f1zLZUdFG_TlB9CVmYWkTqC5OJwCiyulVdgVj_v_aIG9JnQbLYr1f2LdK8b-ExSNlrV0X8YU3YA/s337/1931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hPcOLxtJwtXVPYGXbfH5zMlggqksqnPG1GZVSLqHeJyrUIeMOovMHZhXTmNK5qV7f1zLZUdFG_TlB9CVmYWkTqC5OJwCiyulVdgVj_v_aIG9JnQbLYr1f2LdK8b-ExSNlrV0X8YU3YA/s320/1931.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Solicitation for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
International 500-mile race lap prize fund in 1931 must have been daunting,
given the deepening economic depression that gripped the United States. Bowman
Elder, son-in-law of multi-millionaire entrepreneur William Fortune took over
as committee chairman. The committee met on May 1 and announced that they
expected to close the books on the fund on May 20. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fund fell well short with a total of $11,150 collected.
The distribution as described in the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>, included payment
from lap one to 17 inclusive. Thereafter every odd numbered lap paid through
lap 81, then laps 82, 84 and 85 each paid $100, while lap 83 only paid $50. The
fund paid $100 for every odd numbered lap from 87 to lap 200. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rookie Paul Bost started from the outside of the front row
in the Empire State Special and led the first two laps and banked $200. Bill
Cummings took the point for four laps, then Richard “Billy” Arnold and his riding
mechanic William “Spider” Matlock took the point until they crashed out and
were injured on lap 162, and Arnold collected $8,550 in lap money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After Arnold’s crash, Indianapolis native Louis Schneider in
the hometown sponsored ‘Bowes Seal Fast Special’ inherited the lead, led the
rest of the way and won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
Schneider led 39 laps, because of the odd distribution of the fund, he only
added $2,000 in lap money to his $27,500 in prize and accessory winnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1932<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bowman Elder served as the lap prize fund committee chairman
for the second consecutive year, but due to the economic depression, the lap
prize fund again did not reach its goal despite Henry and Edsel Ford each
giving $2500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final fund
distribution was very confusing, with no lap prizes were earned until lap four then
the even-numbered laps paid out until the fund total was exhausted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is unclear who was behind the new provision
which stated that the prize money for laps run under the yellow flag had to be
reallocated to “competitive laps.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fund presented $10,700 to the drivers at the victory
dinner held at the Indianapolis Athletic Club which Elder chaired with
toastmaster Paul Richey. Six drivers shared in lap prizes. Winner Fred Frame in
the Harry Hartz-owned car won $3,800, while his teammates Arnold and Matlock
injured in a crash for the second consecutive year won $2,800 for leading 59
laps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hoosier rookie driver Bob Carey took home $1,800 in lap
money while fellow Legion Ascot Speedway star Ernie Triplett earned $700 for
leading 14 laps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ira Hall, the former
prizefighter from Terre Haute Indiana who claimed to have survived 43 accidents,
led six laps and received $200, while Wilbur Shaw collected $1400 after he led
27 laps, the first laps led in his august career at Indianapolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1933<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With the nation in a terrible economic depression with nearly
25% unemployment, there was no mention in the press about the make-up of the committee
or details of the solicitation for the lap prize fund. The race itself became a
very low-key event – instead of a dinner, prizes for the 21st annual
International 500-mile Sweepstakes were handed out the afternoon following the race
by “Pop” Myer on the sidewalk in front of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
office at 444 North Capitol Avenue. ‘500’ winner Louis Meyer collected just
$18,000 and the keys to a new Ford sedan for his second 500-mile race victory<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The lap prize fund totaled just $3,150, with Meyer the big
lap prize winner with $850 for leading 71 laps. “Babe” Stapp who led 60 laps
before his Boyle Special ran out of fuel on lap 156 earned $800, while Bill
Cummings got the same amount for leading 32 laps. Even more confusing is the
case of defending champion Fred Frame who received $700 for leading 37
laps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1934<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The economic situation of the nation continued to serious affected
automobile racing as the American Automobile Association (AAA) National
Championship included just four races in 1934 – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
the mile dirt track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the dirt
‘Moody Mile’ in Syracuse New York and the December road course race at Mines
Field in Los Angeles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 23<sup>rd</sup>, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
announced that all the lap prize money would be paid after the halfway point of
the race “as a means of preventing the drivers of fast cars from burning up
their mounts in the early stages.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
made some sense, since $100 in 1934 is equivalent to nearly $2000 today, but pushing
it past the half-way mark also meant the lap prize fund need not be as
well-funded. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1934 lap prize fund totaled $4,225, and only four
drivers led during the 1934 International 500-mile Sweepstakes – Cavino “Kelly”
Petillo, the pole position winner, led the first six laps which paid him
nothing. The race then settled into a three-way battle between Mauri Rose,
Frank Brisko in the Miller-built Four Wheel Drive Special and Bill Cummings in
the Boyle Miller. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The manner of the distribution of the 1934 fund remains
unknown, but Brisko, who led four laps after the halfway point, banked a
reported $1,300, while runner-up Rose who led 46 laps after the 250-mile mark
received a check for $1,300, while the race winner Cummings who led 50 laps
late in the race, including the final 26 laps, got a check for $1,625.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1935<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Automotive industry pioneer Joseph McDuffee, the President
of the Prest-O-Lite Storage Battery Company, served as the chairman of the 1935
“Appreciation Lap Prize Fund” committee. A report from an Indianapolis Real
Estate Board luncheon published in the May 24 1935 edition of the <u>Indianapolis
Star</u> shows how badly the Lap Prize Fund suffered during the great
Depression. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In his address to the realtors gathered at the Hotel
Washington, Indianapolis Motor Speedway General Manager Ted “Pop” Myers
reported that of the 40-1/2 laps funded, only 8-1/2 laps came from Indianapolis
contributors. Myers suggested that “a local live committee of representatives”
be formed to create city support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The eight local supporters include the Wheeler’s Lunch
restaurant chain (their donation in the form of 1,095 meals), the L. Strauss
and L. S. Ayres department store chains, Indiana Bell Telephone, the Prest-O-Lite
company, the Claypool Hotel, the Allen A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wilkinson Lumber Company, and the Vonnegut Hardware Company founded by
the great-grandfather of the author. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In his speech to the Realtors luncheon, the 1925 500-mile
race winner, Peter DePaolo, predicted that within two or three years “stock
cars” (meaning semi-stock entries) would dominate the race. DePaolo’s crystal
ball proved bit hazy, as the “Junk Formula” ear ended after the 1937 race<span style="color: red;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Donors included Bendix Aviation for three laps, while the
Ethyl Gasoline Corporation and the Champion Spark Plug Company paid for two
laps each. The Norge Appliance Company of Detroit posted $200 for the leader of
lap ten plus the race winner received a Norge Refrigerator. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this might seem like an odd sponsorship,
in 1915 as a young man, Norge’s President Howard Blood worked with Louis
Chevrolet on the ground-breaking Cornelian racing car that featured monocoque construction
and 4-wheel independent suspension <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1935 ‘500’ lap prizes were assigned randomly throughout
the race. In addition to Norge’s sponsorship of the tenth lap, the American Automobile
Association (AAA) sponsored lap 12, while the Ford Motor Company sponsored five
laps – laps 40, 60, 105, 100 and 180. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“Pop’s” advice to the Realtors went unheeded and the 1935
Appreciation lap prize fund topped out at $4,250 with the proceeds divided
among four drivers at the Indianapolis Citizen’s Committee Appreciation Dinner
held at the Indianapolis Athletic Club. In addition to the drivers, the dinner featured
among its honored guests, aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who served as the race
referee, movie stars Monroe Owsley and James Dunn, boat racer Gar Wood, and
Elmer Baumgarten, secretary of the American Bowling Congress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Race winner Kelly Petillo in his own ‘Gilmore Speedway
Special’ won $2,050 in lap prizes, while Rex Mays led 89 laps in the first half
of the race before a steering knuckle broke on the ‘Gilmore Special’ on lap
123, earned $2,000 in lap prizes. “Babe” Stapp raced the Marks-Miller entry out
front on lap 140 and collected $100 from the Plymouth Motor Company, while
Wilbur Shaw, runner-up race finisher for the second time in three years, led
lap 65 and collected the $100 posted by the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1936<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 12<sup>th</sup> 1936 the officials of the Chamber of
Commerce announced the new high-powered members of the Appreciation Lap Prize
Fund committee, led by A. L. Block of the L. Strauss Company, Fred Ayres represented
his family’s department store chain, along with P. R Mallory, of the eponymous
battery and switch company, Roy Adams of the J. D. Adams Road Grader manufacturing
company, and A. E Sinclair of the Kingan meat-packing company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Automotive industry members included McDuffee of
Prest-O-Lite repeating as the committee chairman, joined by Jesse Vincent of
Packard, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeffery DeWiitt of Champion Spark
Plug and Louis Schwitzer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">According the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>, expectations were
high for larger fund than previous years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Herman Deupree, a local public relations representative and secretary for
the committee, reported that the fund already contained $2,000, according to an
article published in the following day’s <u>Star </u>newspaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alas, the May 29<sup>th</sup> <u>Indianapolis
Star </u>carried the news that the fund topped out at $5,500. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The AAA sponsored lap five, the first paid lap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locally, the downtown seven-story Marott Shoe
store on Massachusetts Avenue donated $100 for lap 110, while the medical supply
firm, the Akron Surgical Supply House, sponsored lap 185. The automotive
industry strongly supported the appreciation fund as the Ford Motor Company paid
for five laps, while Chrysler, Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth each bought a single
lap sponsorship, as did Charles “Boss” Kettering. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fund distribution spread out over the race with $1400 paid
over the first hundred miles, followed by another $1400 in the second hundred
miles, while the laps during the third hundred mile segment paid $1200. The
leaders of laps during the fourth hundred miles collected prizes that totaled $800,
with $500 paid out over the last hundred miles. While there was no prize posted
for leading the race’s final lap, this race began the tradition of the race
winner being presented the Pace Car, in this case the 1936 Packard 120.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 500-mile race’s first three-time winner, Louis Meyer,
won $1,900 in lap prizes with Wilbur Shaw close behind with $1,800. “Babe”
Stapp collected $1,100 in lap money before his entry retired on lap 89, while
second place finisher Ted Horn banked $400 and Rex Mays whose car ran out of
fuel with less than ten laps to go, earned $300 in lap prizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In our next installment of the early lap prize story we will
examine the final years under the Speedway ownership of Eddie Rickenbacker. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-77184295102132141852020-12-29T12:25:00.003-08:002020-12-29T12:25:31.025-08:00The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis 500-mile race part two <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis
500-mile race</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part two</span> <span style="font-size: x-large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1925 </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On April 23 1925, former General Motors executive and
Nordyke & Marmon president George W. “Monty” Williams took control of the
Citizen’s Committee of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the group tasked with soliciting
funds for lap prizes for the 1925 International 500-mile Sweepstakes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Mr. Williams brought a different style and outlook than
previous chairmen – he set a goal of funding every one of the 200 laps, and
rather than a focus on raising money from Indianapolis businesses, he
immediately opened the campaign with an appeal to out-of-town automotive
related businesses. William’s approach seemed to work at least initially, as at
the end of the first day, 24 firms, none of them based in Indiana, sent wires
that pledged sponsorship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first contributor, the Smith Wheel Corporation of
Syracuse New York, which manufactured truck wheels, pledged $500, and the second
donor, the Lovejoy Shock Absorber Company from Boston (which held the US patent
for hydraulic shock absorbers), pledged $300. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Commenting on the fine start,
Williams told the <u>Indianapolis News</u> that “the first 100 are always the
easiest,” but added that he had “no doubt that we’ll find enough Indianapolis
boosters to get the total of 200 laps in short order.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Williams’ prediction about “the first 100” proved correct. On
May 2, 1925 the <u>Indianapolis News</u> reported the fund stood at $6,500, and
by May 13<sup>th</sup> the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> reported 104 laps were
subscribed with 118 laps by the 16<sup>th</sup> according to the <u>Indianapolis
News.</u> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday the 24<sup>th</sup>
the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> reported that the fund total stood at $14,400. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, ‘Monty’s’ other prediction of reaching the full fund amount
of $20,000 “in short order” proved wrong. When the Chamber of Commerce held the
draw luncheon at the Indianapolis Athletic Club on Tuesday May 26, there were
146 laps assigned. After the luncheon, three more contributors came on board so
on Memorial Day 1925 the leader of every lap received $100 through lap 149. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cartoon and caricature artist Homer McKee emceed the 1925
‘500’ victory banquet held at the Indianapolis Athletic Club roof garden to honor
race winner Peter DePaolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nephew of
the 1915 ‘500’ winner Ralph DePalma, DePaolo carried away $8,800 in lap money,
$2,200 of which his relief driver Norm Batten earned for driving the
supercharged Duesenberg from lap 106 to lap 127. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Second place finisher Dave Lewis earned $2,600 in lap
prizes, and third place finisher Phil Shafer took home $1300. Fourth place
finisher Harry Hartz led two laps while Earl Cooper led three laps before he crashed
out on lap 127.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Motorcycle racing
champion Ralph Hepburn, whose Miller retired before the hallway point with a
leaking gas tank, earned $1,300 for leading from lap 108 to lap 120.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1926</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Marmon president George W. “Monty” Williams retained his
chairmanship of the Citizen’s Lap Prize Committee for 1926, and directed that
telegrams be sent to out-of-town firms the first week of May. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 13, the <u>Indianapolis
Star </u>reported that twelve laps were subscribed to by ten donors, which
included the Packard Motor Company, the Hupp Motor Corporation and the
Stewart-Warner Speedometer Company for $100 each, while the C.G. Spring and
Company of Detroit and the Kissel Motor Company each subscribed for two
laps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The article also related that very
day, solicitations began in the city of Indianapolis. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The following day, May 14<sup>th</sup>, the <u>Indianapolis
Star</u> printed Williams’ announcement of thirteen more donated lap prizes,
all from out of town firms, which brought the total of subscribed laps to
twenty-five. The new donors included the American Automobile Association for
two laps, the Lovejoy Manufacturing Company (a bearing manufacturer) for three
laps, and the United States Gauge Company and the Strohm Ball Bearing Company
for a lap apiece. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Tuesday May 18 newspapers reported that 100 laps were
subscribed – The hometown Prest-O-Lite Company took two laps, as did Lycoming,
while the Dayton Steel Foundry Company and Studebaker each paid for three laps
while the Continental Motor Corporation pledged $500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The following day, the <u>Indianapolis News</u> reported
that according to Committee vie-chairman Dan V. Goodman of the Marmon Motor Car
Company, 137 lap sponsorships were pledged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The latest local sponsors included the D.A. Lubricant Company and the
Indiana Bell Telephone Company, while nationally the Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Company sponsored one lap, and race car builder Harry A. Miller two laps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWLD5-42bLrCvzCD6INCTzF76tQhe-K1a6ckbARfG8ZRdRxbpEb8-yunPjCfEqYOot6CsuQHnXGrMsZ_B_8gysm07yz-yRNiwI2QyEDxTdYVXReb3FC8VDeSOujJEkAKJqlMeSge5xUs/s514/1926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWLD5-42bLrCvzCD6INCTzF76tQhe-K1a6ckbARfG8ZRdRxbpEb8-yunPjCfEqYOot6CsuQHnXGrMsZ_B_8gysm07yz-yRNiwI2QyEDxTdYVXReb3FC8VDeSOujJEkAKJqlMeSge5xUs/s320/1926.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The luncheon for the annual drawing for the lap assignments occurred
on May 25 1926 with 177 of the 200 laps reportedly subscribed. Seth Klein and
William McCollough conducted the drawing as Klein drew lap numbers, McCollough
simultaneously drew the donor names. The article in the May 26<sup>th</sup> edition
of the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> revealed that 22 donors had come through on the
final day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and track founders James Allison and Arthur Newby
each bought a lap. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An editorial in the May 26<sup>th</sup> <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
stated that “the committee was within seventeen of the desired goal of 200 last
night,” but also noted that “62% of the prize money has come from contributors
outside of Indianapolis.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the May 27<sup>th</sup>
edition of the <u>Indianapolis News </u>(the city’s evening newspaper)
Committee chairman Williams reported the fund as “completed for just the second
time in the fund’s seven-year history.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The citizens’ lap prize fund paid out just 160 laps in the
1926 International 500-mile Sweepstakes, due to the early stoppage of the race
due to rain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rookie winner Frank
Lockhart at the wheel of “Pete” Kreis’ #15 Miller earned the lion’s share of
the lap money, $9,500. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Second place finisher Harry Hartz, scored two laps
behind the winner at the finish, claimed $600 as he had led laps 100 to 106.
Phil “Red” Shafer who led the early laps, banked $1,600 in lap prizes, and Dave
Lewis, who led from lap 16 until lap 59 when Lockhart took over the lead, won
$4,300. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At the Victory Banquet held at the Indianapolis Athletic
Club roof garden hosted by Ernest Smith, General Manager of the AAA (the American Automobile Association), Lockhart received
the $20,000 top prize from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On top of the
$29,500 in prize money, Lockhart received $6,100 in accessory prizes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Firestone Tire & Rubber Company presented Lockhart with
$4,000, the Ethyl Corporation $1,500, while Champion Spark Plug chipped in $500
and the Prest-O-Lite Company $100 “for talking over the radio.” The Perfect
Circle Piston Ring Company gifted Lockhart with a new gold watch, and he also
received the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy and the cast silver Prest-O-Lite “brick” trophy
for leading at 400 miles, and the L. Strauss & Company trophy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Speedway paid the first ten cars that finished behind
Lockhart; Phil Shafer in tenth place who finished 14 laps behind the winner won
$1,400. The remaining 18 cars, three of which were flagged off, divided up the
$10,000 “consolation prize fund.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony
Gullotta in eleventh place won $614.85 while 28th place finisher Albert Guyot
earned $500. The June 2 1926 edition of the <u>Indianapolis Star,</u> reported
that the “$4,000 remaining in the lap prize fund….would be prorated and
returned to donors. For each lap subscribed, $20 will be returned.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1927</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In its May 12 1927 edition, the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
reported on a meeting held on Tuesday May 10<sup>th</sup> at the Chamber of
Commerce office to start the annual fundraising campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Monty” Williams of Marmon served as the
Committee chairman for the third consecutive year, assisted by Marmon’s Dan
Goodman for the second year in a row as vice-chairman. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The committee consisted of seven other members chief among
them Henley Hottel of the Washington Bank and Trust Company, Paul Q. Richey and
Morris G. Young of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and Wallace O. Lee Vice-President of
the Indianapolis Power & Light Company.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In William Sturm’s “Speedway Appetizers” column in the next
day’s <u>Indianapolis News, </u>Williams stated <i>“I think the money collected
for the lap prize is something more than a sort of carrot to be hung on the tip
of a pole just ahead of the steel horses to make them move faster,” </i>and
revealed that 49 laps were already subscribed, mostly by out-of-town companies.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lovejoy Manufacturing, Hydraulic Brake, Champion Spark Plug
and Eclipse Machine all purchased two laps, while Continental Motors bought
three laps. Among local companies, the Perfect Circle Piston Ring Company and the
Stutz Motor Car Company each paid for two laps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Saturday May 28<sup>th</sup>, the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
reported that at the previous afternoon’s luncheon, Williams reported that the
$20,000 fund was actually oversubscribed. For the second year in a row and the
third time in its history, a $100 prize would be awarded for every scheduled
lap. The complete list of contributors appeared in the May 30 edition of the <u>Indianapolis
Star</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The largest 1927 lap prize donors were Carl Fisher and the
Ford Motor Company both of whom contributed $500, while four local firms – The
H. Lieber Company art supply store, Julius Walk & Son silversmiths, The
George J Mayer Company printers and the Diamond Chain Company – each donated
$50. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26UBTp5XkpwgM3gH9EK00f5YkbPCVmNLUg1p6xQpjmMm3lEWYeHr9kF_hcf3eoMCW__7om8SZr_6IxMQX236hR_WfG9cN6tEgZm5mxVIVij6XH17-_g9q768dgvQyLYxRNckc4esobzE/s508/1927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26UBTp5XkpwgM3gH9EK00f5YkbPCVmNLUg1p6xQpjmMm3lEWYeHr9kF_hcf3eoMCW__7om8SZr_6IxMQX236hR_WfG9cN6tEgZm5mxVIVij6XH17-_g9q768dgvQyLYxRNckc4esobzE/s320/1927.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">400 attendees saw four drivers split the $20,000 proceeds of
the fund awarded during the May 31 banquet held at Indianapolis Chamber of
Commerce headquarters. Frank Lockhart the 1926 winner, led 109 laps until a
connecting rod broke in his Miller engine on lap 119. Indianapolis native
Charles “Dutch” Baumann who took the took the lead during the first pit stops
exchange collected $1,000, while the winner of the 1927 500-mile race George
Souders collected $5,100 as he led the race’s final 51 laps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The #14 Cooper Engineering front-drive Miller copy claimed
the prize for leading 30 laps from lap 120 to lap 149.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob
McDonogh started the car in the race, but when it led, Peter DePaolo, the 1925
Indianapolis 500-mile race winner, was behind the wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Indianapolis Real Estate Board presented
a gold watch as its sportsmanship award to Norman Batten for heroically
steering his burning car out of traffic during the race, but Batten, like fellow
drivers Jules Ellingboe and Henry Kohlert, remained hospitalized and could not
attend the banquet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1928</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Once again, Monty Williams and Dan Goodman, now the
automotive editor at the <u>Indianapolis Star </u>spearheaded the lap prize
committee. The fundraising was largely uneventful, with 143 laps subscribed
reported on May 24<sup>th</sup> although in the end the fund fell short with a
total of $15,000. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The <u>Star’s </u>“Speedway Gossip” column on Sunday May 6<sup>th</sup>
1928 contained a short story that a group of Purdue University students met
with the 1927 500-mile race winner, former Purdue student George Souders, and
afterwards pooled their money to subscribe for one $100 lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Boilermakers attached a note to their
check which read <i>“Please make our lap number 200 and here’s hoping George
Souders wins it.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The prizes were awarded at the “Drivers’ Dinner” held the
night after the race at Chamber of Commerce headquarters with Dick Miller
President of the Chamber as the emcee and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eddie Rickenbacker the featured
speaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the third year is a row,
women were invited to attend the dinner which was capped at 300 attendees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With lap prizes only awarded through lap 150, race winner
Louis Meyer who took the lead for good on lap 182 received no lap money, Tony
Gullota led 35 laps but only received $200 as he led lap 149 and 150.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early race leader Leon Duray won $5,900, and
mid-race leader Jimmy Gleason won $5,600. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elbert ‘Babe’ Stapp, with the assistance of
relief driver Russell Snowberger, won $1,700 and defending champion George
Souders won $1,600, but to the disappointment of the Purdue students, George finished the
race in third place. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1929</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1929 International 500-mile Sweepstakes would be the
final race under the 91-1/2 cubic inch rules, as the rules package for the 1930
race with semi-stock cars and riding mechanics had already been published.
Twenty-nine of the cars in the 33-car starting field were powered by 91-1/2
cubic inch supercharged Miller engines or copies which would be obsolete for
the next ‘500.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1929 Chamber of Commerce Citizen’s Prize Fund committee
was co-chaired by local relator Emerson Chaille and Edgar S Gorrell, the new
president of the Stutz Motor Car Company. In a surprising change from previous
years, the Committee held no meetings and the two committee co-chairman never
met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Chaille changed the fund’s direction, returning to the
original concept of money being <i>“obtained entirely within Indianapolis”</i> with
“no prizes offered by foreign individuals or firms.” Chaille also changed the
name of the fund now known as the <i>“Appreciation Lap Prize Fund,</i>” because of <i>“the
appreciation of Indianapolis citizens for the efforts of Eddie Rickenbacker and
his associates in continuing the races here.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An article in the April 26 1929 edition of the <u>Indianapolis
News</u> (a similar story appeared in the same day’s <u>Indianapolis Star</u>)
related that <i>“plans for the campaign have not been completed, but the work will
be started within a comparatively short time. An effort will be made to
complete the campaign within two or three days.”</i> The article continued that
“<i>nearly fifty men representing every character of business in the city make up
the committee.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Despite the original rosy forecast, the front page of the
May 24<sup>th</sup> issue of the Indianapolis Star carried an advertisement
entitled “Come on Indianapolis!” that revealed the appreciation lap prize fund
was 27 laps short of the goal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 29, 1929 The <u>Indianapolis News</u> published a
list of the committee members and the list of contributors closely divided
among Indianapolis and “out of town” contributors that fully funded the lap
prizes. Clearly, Chaille’s vision to exclude “foreign individuals or firms”
failed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At the Chamber of Commerce dinner, emcee Paul Richey asked
for a moment of silence in honor of Bill Spence who perished in a crash on lap
14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eddie Rickenbacker told the
gathering that he “<i>had been assured that a number of manufacturers of passenger
automobiles would enter cars in the 1930 race,”</i> with the new rules package he
had pushed the American Automobile Association (AAA) to adopt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theodore Myer, the Speedway general manager
distributed the prizes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Race winner Ray Keech earned $4,600 in lap prizes to
supplement the $27,350 in prize and accessory money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second place finishers Louis Meyer banked
$6,500 in appreciation money and tenth place Fred Frame received a check for
$1100. Artha ‘Deacon” Litz led the non-finishers with $4,900 in lap prizes followed
by Lou Moore with $2,200 and Leon Duray, who led the race’s opening lap for the
second consecutive year, received $700.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1930</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">R. C. Rottger, vice-president of the Indiana Bell telephone
Company and the son of the company’s former president, served as the 1930
appreciation lap prize fund committee chairman. In an interview published in
the Star on April 28, Rottger declared that “<i>changing specifications for the
race May 30 the Speedway has again demonstrated its value to the industry and
to the progress of transportation.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rottger added that “<i>the Speedway means more than that to
Indianapolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is to the Speedway
management and to the brave drivers of the contest that Indianapolis wishes to
shows its mark of appreciation.”</i> Rotttger announced that the committee would
meet the following day to select more members to assist in soliciting for the
fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Committee members included A L Block of the department
store chain, former chairman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emerson
Chaille, Frank Manly, founder of the Indianapolis Life Insurance Company, and Harper
J. Ransburg of the eponymous pottery firm, with Fred Duesenberg in the
newly-created role of “chairman of the automotive division.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The <u>Indianapolis
News</u> reported on May 6 that Duesenberg was “<i>preparing to contact
representatives of the automotive industry throughout the country inviting them
to join Indianapolis in subscribing to the appreciation fund.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 8 the <u>Indianapolis News</u> reported 20 subscribers, all local firms, with ten more added the following day with a total of forty by May 11<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On May 15<sup>th</sup>, the Committee
received a telegram form the Ford Motor Company that advised ”<i>Edsel Ford has
authorized a contribution of $500,” </i>which brought the total<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to 70 laps funded. As of Monday May 26, 169
of the 200 laps were subscribed, and at race time 170 laps were funded. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rickenbacker’s bold statement at the 1929 banquet that <i>“a
number of manufacturers of passenger automobiles would enter cars in the 1930
race,” </i>proved incorrect as only two cars entered by manufacturers appeared - the
DuPont and the Maserati. Though both cars made the starting field with neither car a
factor in the race, and certainly didn't represent the leading manufacturers of automobiles in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Distribution of the lap prizes at the Victory banquet, held
in the Riley Room of the Claypool Hotel, proved straightforward. Louis Meyer
led the first two laps, for which he earned $200 before Richard “Billy” Arnold
took command and dominated the race. Arnold won by four laps over William
“Shorty” Cantlon and Billy and car owner Harry Hartz banked over $50,000, which
included $16,800 in lap prize money. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rickenbacker, in his speech, claimed that in his opinion <i>“the
results of the race vindicated the judgement used in the changes made including
the enlarging of the motors and providing for the riding mechanic.</i>” This came despite the fact that riding mechanic Paul Marshall died on lap 29 when his
brother, Cyrus, crashed their Duesenberg. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In our next installment of the early lap prize story we will
examine the rest of the “Junk Formula” years under the Speedway ownership of
Eddie Rickenbacker.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-65313504430013670542020-12-22T10:00:00.005-08:002020-12-22T10:00:57.640-08:00The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis 500-mile race Part One <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The early history of lap prizes for the Indianapolis
500-mile race</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Most television viewers of the 2020 Indianapolis 500-mile race were probably unaware that 2020 marked an important anniversary at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the 1920 race introduced the award of $100 per lap to the leader. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 2020 Indianapolis 500 Official Program included a brief article that touched on the history of the lap prize fund, but the author felt that racing historians might appreciate a more detailed history of the fund’s early struggles. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1920 - The beginning</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSHYP5hJ7me-KFU3hs-8FztV2OhxRn7WDvphzk_ipE_K94ewHBxZN-HqmnkekaYsxlRD3M9a5mbCd_nTFCj5-ES1Ot-2o-t1AdYbao2SwsK2zO5OvMJ4uo5wHs3TzFaYKCFfCtTY_k_0/s382/1920+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSHYP5hJ7me-KFU3hs-8FztV2OhxRn7WDvphzk_ipE_K94ewHBxZN-HqmnkekaYsxlRD3M9a5mbCd_nTFCj5-ES1Ot-2o-t1AdYbao2SwsK2zO5OvMJ4uo5wHs3TzFaYKCFfCtTY_k_0/s320/1920+cover.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 28-man Citizens of Indianapolis Lap Prize Committee, its
membership equally divided among active and honorary members, began the first fund-raising
effort in late March 1920. George M. Dickson, the President of the National
Motor Vehicle Company, chaired the Citizen’s Lap Prize Committee, created by “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Indianapolis Businessmen and Manufacturers
to express appreciation of the value to Indianapolis of the annual
International Sweepstakes, the world’s greatest race.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dickson started with National as its sales manager in 1907,
rose to become the General Manager then became the company's President 1917. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George’s history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and racing in general dated back to 1910, when as a member of the Manufacturers
Contest Association, he wrote an article entitled “<i>Speedways Develop
Automobiles”</i> which was published in newspapers across the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dickson later helped author the brochure that celebrated the
victory by the National driven by Joe Dawson and Don Herr in the 1912
Indianapolis 500-mile race. In 1916, Dickson served as the starter of the
International 300-mile Sweepstakes, the last race before the two-year Indianapolis
race suspension due to America’s involvement in World War One. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first fund-raising effort was not without controversy. In
early April 1920, committee member and local automobile dealer R. V. Law
suggested in a meeting that in addition to the $100 lap prizes, certificates be
awarded. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQxQ4UBRiA1QPLpfbu4Tv1GwnEzen1IvX1NOHQLhkHfRppdWttYX38CFn3vGHGbYRU1kGSyR-BVj2yELDAA8P76I44tZpw2o9WDvpIBmdBaEdlHCYzLH3nLQuEXwNnqrhCVIKMMeg8gc/s398/1920+lap+prize+fund+comittee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQxQ4UBRiA1QPLpfbu4Tv1GwnEzen1IvX1NOHQLhkHfRppdWttYX38CFn3vGHGbYRU1kGSyR-BVj2yELDAA8P76I44tZpw2o9WDvpIBmdBaEdlHCYzLH3nLQuEXwNnqrhCVIKMMeg8gc/s320/1920+lap+prize+fund+comittee.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A debate broke out over how the committee could pay for the certificates until Theodore
Myers, the General Manager of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, volunteered the
Speedway to furnish the certificates, so that all the money collected by the fund
could be awarded to the competitors. The Speedway also provided the score card insert
for the race day program which listed the names of the Citizen’s Lap Prize Committee
members and the fund donors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Initially, Dickson envisioned that donors would be assigned
individual laps in the order that their donations were received, but eventually,
the committee agreed that a drawing should be held to more fairly determine the
order. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On April 24 1920 A. H. Adams, the field manager for the committee, reported that with $7,000 already collected, the Indianapolis Merchants’
Association had officially endorsed the lap prize fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Drivers Louis Chevrolet and Ralph DePalma both contributed to
the lap prize fund before it closed on May 17, 1920, with the final donation, which meant the fund reached it's $20,000 goal, came from Indianapolis Motor Speedway co-founder James Allison’s Allison
Experimental Company. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the custodian of
the fund, held the drawing for the sponsorship lap order at a luncheon on May
19 1920. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The eighth annual International 500-mile Sweepstakes victory
banquet, held on the evening of June 1 1920 in the Riley Ballroom at the plush
Claypool Hotel, located at the corner of Illinois and Washington Streets in
downtown Indianapolis. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Barney Oldfield “the
Master Driver,” served as the emcee, with five-time ‘500’ competitor with World
War One flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker as the keynote speaker, but most
attendees were there to collect their part of the total $93,550 race purse. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">John Reynolds, secretary of the Indianapolis Chamber of
Commerce, awarded the lap prizes to Joe Boyer, who received $9,300, while Ralph
DePalma collected $7,900.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race winner,
Gaston Chevrolet, picked up $1,400, Frenchman Rene Thomas received a $1,200 check, while
Jean Chassagne and Art Klein each won $100. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The positive publicity created by the lap prize fund at
Indianapolis led to a similar effort later in the year in Los Angeles, led by A. M. Young, for
the 200-lap Thanksgiving Day race held at the high-speed 1-1/4 mile Los Angeles
Motor Speedway board track in Beverley Hills. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donors to the $5,000 Los Angles fund included
the Beverley Hills Hotel, actors Wallace Reid and Tom Mix, retired racer Barney
Oldfield, race car builder Harry A. Miller and the Gilmore Oil Company. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jimmy Murphy got a check for $250 as he led the first lap of
the Beverly Hills race, while Roscoe Sarles collected the balance of the fund
as he led each of the race’s remaining 199 laps. Unfortunately, the
Thanksgiving 1920 Beverly Hills race is remembered more because of the triple
fatality. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The #6 Frontenac, driven by the reigning Indianapolis
500-mile race champion Gaston Chevrolet, tangled with the #9 Duesenberg driven
by Eddie O'Donnell as they passed the slower car of Joe Thomas. Gaston, just 28 years old, perished
instantly in the accident, while 33-year old O’Donnell and his riding mechanic Lyall B. Jolls (given surname Headen) passed away the following day. The only survivor, John
Bresnahan, Chevrolet’s mechanic, thrown from the car, slid down the banking to
safety. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1921 - the ninth running</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For 1921, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce pared the Citizen’s
Committee down to ten members, and the donors from 1920 put on a “roll of honor”
which gave them the opportunity to renew for 1921 before any new donors were
approached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A. H. Adams served as the committee chairman with members that
included Dickson and representatives of Indianapolis Power & Light, the Firestone
Tire & Rubber Company and the Willard Storage Battery Company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 3, 1921, Adams reported that subscriptions to the lap
prize fund passed the half-way mark, but with the United States economy in a
recession, progress on fund-raising apparently stalled after Adams’ announcement.
To remedy that situation, the Committee and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway scheduled the first “Drivers’ Day” on Saturday May 21 with all the money collected earmarked to complete the
lap prize fund. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIc0DtqEazih9JLaO3j8mRiTMvcffzzF2AN509KRONoXjt5bq0mSrq04cv8fme_En4IzVcfWXtpa9qdftQuvccNbm3vik_f1IqgvQmvm0tsE9b4K3ESQdhF4sPWbxfTSRYiZxY1Dsojo/s2048/Drivers+day+1921+lap+prize+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIc0DtqEazih9JLaO3j8mRiTMvcffzzF2AN509KRONoXjt5bq0mSrq04cv8fme_En4IzVcfWXtpa9qdftQuvccNbm3vik_f1IqgvQmvm0tsE9b4K3ESQdhF4sPWbxfTSRYiZxY1Dsojo/s320/Drivers+day+1921+lap+prize+.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 21<sup>st</sup>, race fans that paid 50 cents
admission each watched as Seth Cline (Klein) the Speedway’s “official
announcer” introduce <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the drivers entered for the ‘500.’ Klein, who ran
a radiator service shop at 820 North Meridian Street, later became the 500-mile
race assistant starter in 1923 and the chief starter from 1935 through 1954. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">5,294 fans saw Ralph DePalma and Tommy Milton stage a short “dash,”
followed by Howdy Wilcox, Jean Chassagne, and Bennett Hill in a three-way
“brush.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The program also included
appearances by Arthur Chevrolet, 1911 ‘500’ winner Ray Harroun, Barney
Oldfield, and “the fastest car in world,” the twin-engine sixteen-cylinder
Duesenberg that Tommy Milton drove in April 1920 to the 156.046 mile per hour (MPH)
land speed record on the Daytona Beach sands. The <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
reported that a crew towed the record-setting Duesenberg past the grandstands
but the car did not make a lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, after expenses “Driver’s Day” only collected $2,382 which brought
the lap prize fund total to $16,700. When the fund-raising closed five days
later on Thursday May 26<sup>th</sup>, the fund’s account contained only $17,150. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Because of the shortfall, the fund paid the leader of each lap $100 up to lap
150, after which the fund paid $100 to the leader of alternating laps over the
final 50 laps or 125 miles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ralph DePalma led 108 laps in the '500' before his French Ballot broke a
connecting rod, which handed the lead and the victory to Tommy Milton in a
Frontenac, designed by his friend Cornelius "CW" Van Ranst and built by the
Chevrolet brothers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At the Victory banquet, DePalma received $10,650 in lap
prizes, while Milton won $6,300 and Joe Boyer, the leader at lap 2, and Roscoe
Sarles, the leader at lap 6, each won $100. The firms and individuals that
donated $100 each and the one $50 donor, the WB Burford Printing Company, were all
identified in an article in the May 31 1921 edition of the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
newspaper.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1922 </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After the 1921 lap prize fund shortfall, the Indianapolis
Chamber of Commerce reduced the total lap prize fund to $10,000, to pay the
leader $50 per lap during the 1922 International 500-mile Sweepstakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1922 Committee members included Wallace O. Lee, the Vice-President
of the Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Spanish-American War veteran
Captain Harry M. Franklin and Carl H. Wallerich, an Indianapolis Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge
dealer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Born in Iowa in 1883, Carl came to Indianapolis in 1900 and
in 1903 joined the new Overland Automobile Company (which later became
Willys-Overland). Wallerich served as a “Clerk of the Course” and managed
various aspects of track operations during the 1912 International 500-mile
Sweepstakes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Several companies reportedly donated the same $100 amount as
in previous years and claimed two laps. Committee chairman A.H. Adams announced
on April 7 1922 that the fund already contained <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“about $3,000.”</i> The Committee held its first meeting on Saturday
May 13 and in his report Adams described the fund as “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">about half subscribed.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Citizen’s Committee staged another “Drivers’ Day” on
Saturday May 20 1922 but it appears that in the recession economy, the lap
prize fund again fell short of the goal with a total of $8,375 collected. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The race
winner, Jimmy Murphy, led 153 laps from the pole position and received a payment
of $6,300. Harry Hartz led 42 laps and received $1,825 and a $100 radio set,
while Peter DePaolo led three laps and got $100, and Leon Duray led two laps
and got $50, according to the report in the <u>Indianapolis Star.</u> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>1923</b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For 1923 the prize was back to a $100 a lap and on May 17 the
Citizen’s Committee new chairman, Harold Hampton, kicked off the $20,000 lap prize
fund subscription period with the “Drivers’ Day” at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway scheduled for Friday May 25<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In his <u>Indianapolis Star </u>column <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Speedway Appetizers” </i>on Thursday May 24<sup>th</sup> William Sturm
claimed that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“businessmen have
contributed $10,000</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The newspaper
advertisement for the 1923 “Drivers’ Day” promised thrills with “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exhibition races,”</i> and suggested attendance
as a civic duty to support the fund. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppqOvs0mTJHAYjjfM-2rjKFvjkkGSl3dF9V8x4_QtKrtdJHC8-u7MmLA2SiNMxgzzJwNrj9MChRxlwUQNeWolCv7APeJOraqcCmdI9_fUcPvBSRQ3TB-fnH5fFt9rRUpzrqqu1j6XJGg/s2048/1923+driver+day+lap+prize+ad+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppqOvs0mTJHAYjjfM-2rjKFvjkkGSl3dF9V8x4_QtKrtdJHC8-u7MmLA2SiNMxgzzJwNrj9MChRxlwUQNeWolCv7APeJOraqcCmdI9_fUcPvBSRQ3TB-fnH5fFt9rRUpzrqqu1j6XJGg/s320/1923+driver+day+lap+prize+ad+.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Once again, the 1923 lap prize fundraising fell short of the
goal of $20,000, so the prizes were only awarded for the first 125 laps. The fund
distributed $12,100 among five drivers, per the United Press International
report. The race’s first two-time winner, Tommy Milton, led 128 laps and banked
$8,500 in lap prizes, a small amount as many of his leading laps came late in
the race including the final 50 laps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Milton’s HCS Motor Company teammate, Howdy Wilcox, led 51
laps and received $2,000. Third place finisher Jimmy Murphy, the 1922 race
winner, led eleven laps early in the race and got $1,100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Russell “Cliff” Durant, earned $400 for four
laps led, although Cliff scarcely needed the money since he was a
multi-millionaire and owned eight of the cars entered in the 1923 race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry Hartz, the second place finisher in a Durant
entry, led twice for a total of six laps, but only got paid $100 for leading
one of those laps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1924</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The May 14 1924 edition of the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> reported
that the committee members were selected at a noontime Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Harold Hampton, the Chamber of Commerce athletic committee chairman, announced
that for 1924, the prize would be $50 a lap and the article stated that Hampton
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“expressed belief that contributions this
year would make this easily possible.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Solicitations began immediately and after a follow-up
meeting two days later, the Committee chairman, insurance agent Austin J.
Edwards, told the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that the AAA and the local Yellow Cab Company
each stepped up to sponsor two laps, while the Indiana Bell Telephone Company,
the accounting firm Ernst & Ernst, and the Indianapolis Indians baseball
club each sponsored one lap. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Monday May 19, the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> printed an
appeal from A. L. Block, the President of the prestigious L. Strauss &
Company department store, which read in part “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Indianapolis people cannot do too much toward helping the daring
drivers whose feats have made the city internationally known.”</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Block’s statement closed by saying that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“my greatest hope is that each lap will have
its award that the drivers may not think us ungrateful for their efforts.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u>Indianapolis Star</u> sports editor W. Blaine Patton
reported in his “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Observed from the
Speedway Pits” </i>column in the May 21<sup>st</sup> edition of the that the
Standard Oil Company of Indiana, Polk Sanitary Milk Company, the L. S. Ayres
& Company department store chain, Nordyke & Marmon and the Indianapolis
Star newspaper all donated $100 to the fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Speedway held the annual “Drivers’ Day” on Tuesday
afternoon May 27 1924 with 3,500 reported attendees which added $1,600 to the
fund after expenses. The<u> Indianapolis News </u>reported that race car
builder Harry A. Miller wrote a check for $200, which brought the fund total up
to $5,900. Apparently, the 1924 fund topped out at $6,250 which paid the leader
of each the race’s first 125 laps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCfpbb8dUbFQKVPHnCfXxGn160etFlIKDR89Zy2g0oInX0j8xPoNAiHU0FExzBap_ss0B8kg84-nFoUr7qPKqGdLrZxmycJzQbaevt0tczMcZM1MPqtgCBGz4_H1Y0QPzz2ivp8vhrpM/s784/1924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="784" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCfpbb8dUbFQKVPHnCfXxGn160etFlIKDR89Zy2g0oInX0j8xPoNAiHU0FExzBap_ss0B8kg84-nFoUr7qPKqGdLrZxmycJzQbaevt0tczMcZM1MPqtgCBGz4_H1Y0QPzz2ivp8vhrpM/s320/1924.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Austin J. Edwards the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce’s representative,
distributed the lap prizes at the 1924 ‘500’ victory banquet, which was held in
the Rainbow ballroom at the Casino Gardens clubhouse. Formerly known as the
Indianapolis Canoe Club, the building still stands two miles east of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the west bank of the White River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Earl Cooper, the second place finisher, received $3,400, and
third place finisher Jimmy Murphy received $2,800, while co-winner Joe Boyer (with
L.L. Corum) got $50 as he led the first lap from his fourth place starting
position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We will examine the fundraising and distribution for years 1925 and beyond in future installments. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">For fans interested in viewing the individual 500-mile race programs covers, the National Indy 500 Collector Club has an excellent website at </span>https://www.ni500cc.com</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-90542893511968896592020-12-14T08:29:00.000-08:002020-12-14T08:29:26.485-08:00The history of auto racing in Haskell Texas<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The history of auto racing in Haskell Texas </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyteD2MaNdqosA6bsZGiGtPP3F145WXzAHb8L9aAVomgTFfHIfcYbN0MLS1UbB6m8HonoRPtcOTptHYLlI1dnuQ2sBP67mfu9aoc-f5fNzQerq3zR4pxoWpZ4mFDvI08A8vzbfBZcX2U/s451/Haskell-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyteD2MaNdqosA6bsZGiGtPP3F145WXzAHb8L9aAVomgTFfHIfcYbN0MLS1UbB6m8HonoRPtcOTptHYLlI1dnuQ2sBP67mfu9aoc-f5fNzQerq3zR4pxoWpZ4mFDvI08A8vzbfBZcX2U/s320/Haskell-page-001.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">In the nineteen twenties, cotton farming was the major
industry in the central Texas county of Haskell, named in honor of the Texas
Revolution hero Charles Ready Haskell who died at the Alamo. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Haskell County held fairs intermittently at various locations
within the county, but that all changed in 1924. On May 22 1924, the <u>Fort
Worth Star-Telegram</u> published news from the city of Haskell, the county
seat, that on that very morning, 25 men began construction of permanent buildings and a
race track with a 4000-seat grandstand on 68 acres near the city’s business
district recently purchased by the Haskell County Fair Association. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The finished 5/8-mile oval dirt race track featured 6-to-1
sloped turns (9.5% banking) “to hold the swiftly moving cars safe on their
course,” according to an August 1924 article in the <u>Fort Worth
Record-Telegram. </u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Haskell County Fair opened its three-day run at the new location
on Thursday October 2 1924, with American Automobile Association (AAA) sanctioned
automobile races set for Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
the scheduled event at Haskell, the AAA racers appeared in Abilene Texas on
September 26<sup>th</sup>, Amarillo on September 27<sup>th</sup> and Wichita
Falls on September 29<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <u>Fort
Worth Record-Telegram</u> newspaper listed drivers Phil “Red” Schafer
“well-known auto ace,” and Dick Calhoun from Cleveland Oklahoma as entries for
the Texas swing promoted by oil transport magnate D. H. Jeffries, the AAA area
representative. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Three accidents marred the September 26<sup>th</sup> West
Texas Fair race at Abilene, one of which killed a spectator. During the day’s
fourth race, a wheel came off Lee Bammel’s machine, “hopped over the fence,” as
described in the <u>Fort Worth Record-Telegram</u> report and struck farmer T.
W. “Tom” Carlisle who stood on the running board of his father-in-law’s car watching
the races. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carlisle, 28 years old and
married with three children, died later at the West Texas Baptist Sanitarium in
Abilene from a fractured skull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“Red” Shafer, the July Abilene race winner, won the first 10-mile
race in his Duesenberg after early leader Dick Calhoun’s ‘Cresswell Special’ broke
a connecting rod and retired for the day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shafer, a native of Des Moines who lived in
Fort Worth, won the day’s featured event, the fifteen-mile handicap race over
Harry Milburn. Shafer took the lead during the eleventh mile after he overcame the
one-minute starting handicap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Before the races on October 3, officials treated the new
Haskell track surface with a reported 360 barrels of crude oil (over 15,000
gallons) to prevent dust. The afternoon program, attended by 5,000 fans,
boasted seven races and a total purse of $1,100 but a sparse field of cars <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notably absent was the highly advertised “Red”
Shafer and his Duesenberg racer as he raced that day in the inaugural AAA “Raisin
Day Classic“ National Championship race on the 1-mile board track in Fresno
California. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Calhoun’s troubles continued at Haskell, as his car caught fire
during a practice run before time trials, but with the fire extinguished and
repairs effected, the ‘Cresswell Special’ set quick time as Calhoun completed
two laps in 77 seconds (58 miles per hour) and won the silver loving cup. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">J. E. Larrick of Wichita Falls won the first five-mile race
for the eight fastest qualifiers, then Calhoun won the ten-mile race. During
the non-qualifiers race, the right rear wheel of H.V. Link’s machine collapsed
and he “came perilously near to ending in a junk heap,” according to the <u>Fort
Worth Record-Telegram</u> report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
day’s featured fifteen-mile handicap race, Calhoun edged Jimmie Reeder’s
Chrysler Special and German emigre Johnny Mais in his “16-valve” Dodge. For his
day’s work at Haskell, Calhoun won $375. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1925<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nearly a year passed before the AAA racers returned to
Haskell County. On September 25, 1925 <a name="_Hlk56609521">D. H. Jeffries </a>announced
that “Red” Shafer, Ralph DePalma, Frank Lockhart and Dick Calhoun were among
the twenty-five drivers entered the October 2nd races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shafer and Calhoun were well-known to Texas
race fans, as well as DePalma, the 1915 Indianapolis 500-mile race winner, while
young Frank Lockhart, a relative unknown, had experienced some success behind the
wheel of Harry Miller’s 183-cubic inch dirt car. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Haskell County Fair opened its three-day run on Thursday
October 1, with the races held on Friday afternoon. Among the honored guests at
the races were R.Q, Lee of the West Texas Chamber of Commerce accompanied by his
wife and Hardy Grissom the president of the Haskell County Fair Association. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In time trials, five drivers broke Calhoun’s year-old track
record of 77 seconds, led by John Gerber (misidentified as “Goerber” and
“Garber” by some sources). Gerber completed his two qualifying laps in 72
seconds with an average speed of 62 miles per hour (MPH) while Calhoun could
not defend his record as his car experienced engine trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Gerber, the original ‘outlaw’ racer from Meriden Kansas, won
the day’s first 10-mile race for the eight fastest qualifiers in his Chevrolet-powered
“bobtail” over Shafer, then George Souders won the second race and Harry
Milburn won the day’s third race, each of which were 5 miles in length. W. R
Hayes won the day’s third five-mile race, then he captured the day’s featured
15-mile event and its $250 purse. J.E. Larrick finished second and George
Souders (misidentified as “Souder” in some reports) originally from Lafayette
Indiana but then living Abilene finished in third place and won $75. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1926 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As in 1925, the Haskell County Fair races were part of a
series of Texas fair races along with races in Abilene and Amarillo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter DePaolo the 1925 Indianapolis 500-mile
race winner, received top billing and was joined by Elbert “Babe” Stapp, Dick
Calhoun, George Souders, Fred Fame, Roy Meacham and Chester “Chet” Gardner. Frank
Lockhart originally signed to appear, but after his brilliant Indianapolis 500-mile
race victory, he chose to concentrate on the AAA National Championship trail, much
to D. H. Jeffries’ annoyance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The September 22nd West Texas Fair races in Abilene were
marred by the death of Freeman Minyett, a welder by trade, who suffered a
fractured skull when his Frontenac-powered racer overturned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
other racers, including Chet Gardner, the feature race winner, donated their
portion of the purse to Minyett’s widowed mother. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The three-day Haskell County Fair opened on September 30<sup>th</sup>,
with the races scheduled for October 1 and 2<sup>nd</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the opening day of races, Fred Frame, in a
Miller Special, won the first 7-1/2-mile race while Souders, who would win the
1927 Indianapolis 500-mile race, in a similar machine in third. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Roy Meacham won
the second 7-1/2-mile preliminary race, then finished second in five-mile dash
behind Roy Gardner of Denver. Fred Frame won the 15-mile finale to claim $250, as
Meacham in second place won $140, while Souders finished third and won
$90.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We do not have the results from the second day of races in
Haskell, but during the day’s third race, Meacham of Pawhuska Oklahoma died
instantly from a broken neck after his Chevrolet racer veered out of control
and plunged over the embankment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meacham, a World War one veteran, had been a motorcycle officer in Tulsa
and Pawhuska before he started racing motorcycles then graduated to racing cars
in the three months before his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1927 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1927 saw the introduction of motorcycle racing on the
Haskell 5/8-mile track on July fourth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fourth annual Haskell County Fair held from October 6 through 8, 1927 featured
two days of automobile racing on the 7<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup>. Again,
results of the races are nonexistent but during the second day’s featured
fifty-lap race, H.S. Fortner’s car crashed into the disabled machine of Joe
Miller and overturned several times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
ambulance rushed Fortner to the Stamford Hospital, 15 miles south of
Haskell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fortner who hailed from Okmulgee in east central Oklahoma
reportedly passed away the following day, with the news of his death distributed
widely on the Associated Press wire service. On October 12, many Texas
newspapers, including the <u>Austin American</u>, reported that Fortner had not
only not died, but was in fact “rapidly recovering.” After his recovery, Fortner
relocated to the Houston area and raced briefly during the 1928 season before
he started a sewing machine sales firm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1928 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Motorcycles returned for the July 4<sup>th</sup> races, and
attracted a large field of riders and 5,000 spectators. Perrett Austin “E. A.”
Kathcart from Waco established a new track record as he rode two laps on his
Harley-Davidson in 77 1/5 seconds then went on to win the day’s five-mile and
eight-mile events. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The AAA Contest Board granted sanction #2085 to Henry
Alexander (of the Fair Board) for two days of automobile racing on October 4<sup>th</sup>
and 6<sup>th</sup> 1928. In qualifying on the 6<sup>th</sup>, Vic Felt, a
standout driver from Colorado in his Marathon Special, lowered the track record
for two laps to 68 3/5 seconds. Felt won the first event, a 7-1/2-mile (12-lap)
dash over Tulsa’s John Bolling, but Bolling swept the other two races on the
program, the 2-1/2 and 5-mile races in a program marred by numerous accidents
but thankfully no injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After 1928, horse races on the 5/8-mile track replaced automobile
races during the Haskell County Fair but auto racing would return to the
fairgrounds track eight years later. In the intervening years, large oil
deposits were discovered in Haskell County which transformed the local economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1936 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The four-day Central West Texas Fair in Haskell hosted
automobile racing on the first two days of the fair October 21 and 22, promoted
by Eugene Tonn (the local Farm Bureau agent) and sanctioned by the Southwestern
Automobile Racing Association and part of the six-race series to determine the
1936 Southwestern dirt track champion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Haskell race on the 21<sup>st</sup> counted towards the
title, along with races at Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Meridian Mississippi.
Morris Musick, one of the five racing Musick brothers from Dallas, won the
feature in a 17-car program that also featured entries from Joie Chitwood,
Leonard Musick, and Augustus “Cotton” Grable, the “Blond Blizzard from Texas.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1937<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Haskell hosted a two-day meet on July 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup>
1937 again promoted by Tonn, as each program featured time trials and five races
- three eight-lap heat races, one five-lap handicap and the 20-lap feature.
“Wild” Bill Morris of Lincoln Nebraska had great success on July 3<sup>rd</sup>,
but could not race on the 4<sup>th</sup> as his “DO Hal” racer had reportedly
“thrown a connecting rod.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On July the fourth, 2,000 fans watched Herschel Buchanan set
quick time with a 33.4 second lap. Red Hodges won the first heat race over Buchanan,
but Herschel came back to win the day’s feature race over “Tex” West of
Junction City Kansas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Automobiles raced again at Haskell on October 23 1937 on the
last day of the Central West Texas Fair with a scheduled field of fourteen cars.
“Wild” Bill Morris led qualifying with a 38-second lap and won his heat race,
then captured the feature event over Leon Fondoble and Buddy Rusch. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1938<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In 1938, the 5/8-mile dirt oval in Haskell then known either
as “Fair Park Speedway” or “Haskell Speedway” hosted a two-day racing program
held over the Fourth of July holiday, promoted by Oklahoma-based Joe Ziobro
with the sanction provided by the Southwestern Auto Racing Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Sunday July third, Joe Termin of Dallas Texas dominated
in his blue double overhead camshaft “DO Hal” powered machine, which used a
conversion cylinder head built by Harold “Hal” Hosterman for the four-cylinder
Ford model B engine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Termin set quick
time and new lap record of 33.3 seconds in qualifying, won his preliminary six-lap
heat race and the twelve-lap feature as he finished ahead of Johnny Holland and
Gene Fredrick. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">William “Red” Hodges of Dallas won the second “slow” heat
race despite that his car limped around the last two laps of the race on a flat
tire. Lex Newbill of McKinney Texas won the day’s four-lap consolation
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Promoter Joe Ziobro promised the 1,200 fans a better show for
Monday the fourth of July, with three new cars scheduled to arrive from
Oklahoma City that included Waldo Parnett and Posey Reeves together with a
possible visit by Texas Governor James Allred. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1,000 fans turned out on July fourth and saw Termin qualify
second fastest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Termin entered the
first turn on the third lap of the preliminary heat race, the right rear tire
on his “DO Hal” racer failed, and the out-of-control machine went through the
wooden fence and disappeared over the embankment. Termin, a 35-year old auto
mechanic married less than a year, suffered fatal injuries when the car rolled
over him. According to fellow racing historian Bob Lawrence, Termin’s death was
the first fatality in Ziobro’s twelve years of racing promotions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Herschel <a name="_Hlk56614242">Buchanan, the 31-year old
driver </a>from Shreveport Louisiana, won the six-lap heat race which was
completed under the caution flag after Termin’s crash. Oscar Coleman won the
second heat race which was marred by a crash by rookie driver Arthur Rhodes in
the same place as Termin’s earlier fatality, but Rhodes escaped unhurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Red” Hodges captured the third heat race,
then Buchanan, who years later became a two-time champion in International
Motor Contest Association (IMCA) late model stock cars, won the Haskell 12-lap
feature event ahead of Hodges in a time of six minutes and nine seconds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There were no races presented as part of the two-day 1938 West
Central Texas Fair, and reportedly there were “stock car” races held in Haskell
on the 5/8-mile track in August, September and October 1939 but the author has
been unable to uncover any details. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There was a second Haskell Speedway which began operation in
1966 located approximately 4 miles west of the town of Haskell on farm land
owned by T C Redwine and promoted by Redwine and CW McKelvain. The first two
seasons the track hosted stock car races on Sunday afternoons, but for 1968 and
1969 presented races on Saturday nights. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The track apparently closed after the 1969
season. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The author has been unable to find information about the
exact locations of the either the Fairgrounds 5/8-mile or the later “Haskell Speedway,”
and welcomes any leads from our readers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-65144046651255170232020-12-07T08:52:00.001-08:002020-12-07T08:53:26.796-08:00The Pete Kreis story Part five 1932 to his death and beyond<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Pete Kreis story<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part five </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1932 to his death and beyond</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSkQb8815RkngFWigoeGfKoFni2U8BVpWoLn5fNmVFhIvyGjjK1v-l0onPyp6OXt-mrF60s9n2C0PCbgR-iUHcvqCRmlebd6oW6Wbfxss8mcqrwH4ZWqPOWssK0Z1OjcSRNGwphsXzNE/s359/kreis+and+ford+1932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSkQb8815RkngFWigoeGfKoFni2U8BVpWoLn5fNmVFhIvyGjjK1v-l0onPyp6OXt-mrF60s9n2C0PCbgR-iUHcvqCRmlebd6oW6Wbfxss8mcqrwH4ZWqPOWssK0Z1OjcSRNGwphsXzNE/s0/kreis+and+ford+1932.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The photo from the IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection shows Pete Kreis, left shaking hands with Henry Ford in 1932</span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Following the 1931 Indianapolis 500-mile race, at Cliff
Durant’s direction, Tommy Milton sold the ‘Detroit Special’ (last raced by
Kreis in 1929) to Harry Hartz, who had metalsmith Phil Summers build a two-man
body. Hartz installed a 182- cubic inch straight-8 Miller engine in the chassis
and entered ‘Miller-Hartz 2’ in the 1932 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker’s dream
of automaker involvement under the “junk formula” came true in 1932 with the
Studebaker factory’s five entries. A year earlier, prolific Indianapolis race
car builder Herman Rigling built one car for Ab Jenkins and Studebaker chief
engineer George Hunt that used a Studebaker Commander straight-eight engine,
transmission and axles. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Although it crashed out on lap 167, the car performed
well enough in the 1931 ‘500,’ that the Studebaker Corporation hired Rigling to
build four copies for the 1932 ‘500.’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The factory supplied the 336 cubic-inch, L-head, 8-cylinder
Studebaker President engines, 3-speed manual transmissions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>front and rear axles, brakes and steering
components. Rigling built the chassis and Pop Dreyer built the two-man bodies. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hunt designed an intake manifold fitted with four Studebaker single-throat
carburetors, supplemented with an aftermarket exhaust manifold and magneto which
boosted engine output from 110 to 175 horsepower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The driver lineup for the Studebaker team included Tony
Gulotta, the 1931 driver, Luther Johnson, Zeke Myer, Cliff Bergere and Albert
Jacob “Pete” Kreis. The cars were each painted in a different Studebaker
President passenger car color – silver, black, blue, red and green. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Even before the big track
opened for practice, on Sunday May 1 the team ran a test led by manager and
Chief Engineer George Hunt. Gulotta and Johnson drove a combined 660 miles in
one of the team cars reportedly at an average speed of 102.6 MPH “exclusive of
the pit stops” per the <u>Indianapolis News.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekJuGks0-LhjQFr1GgsTil8LMvcyembbnqS1UJXlyIAW31B48lBMCcQ-dggjOZJv8AkBJWh_CdpknK90PicZ-7EPUKOgq7ZfAzHyirow6Mlt9i1EW1WHqUVfxImibbueJUR3rCjwwZuA/s800/studebaker+1932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekJuGks0-LhjQFr1GgsTil8LMvcyembbnqS1UJXlyIAW31B48lBMCcQ-dggjOZJv8AkBJWh_CdpknK90PicZ-7EPUKOgq7ZfAzHyirow6Mlt9i1EW1WHqUVfxImibbueJUR3rCjwwZuA/s640/studebaker+1932.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>Peter Kreis is his Studebaker for the 1932 '500' at the right of this photo of the team courtesy of the </span><span>IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection</span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Four of the Studebaker team cars qualified on the first day
of time trials, Saturday May 21 and Bergere led the team in qualifying as the
#22 averaged 111.503 MPH to start tenth. Cliff just edged his teammate Luther
Johnson’s four-lap run of 111.218 MPH which placed the #46 Studebaker
eleventh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kreis in the #18 wound up
seventeenth fastest at 110.270 MPH while Gulotta posted a 108.896 MPH average and
would start twentieth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Zeke Meyer in the final Studebaker Corporation entry,
qualified on the eighth and final day of times trials, on Saturday May 28th and
ran ten laps at an average speed of 110.745 MPH to start 38th in the 40-car
starting field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On Decoration Day Monday May 30 1932, it initially appeared
that it would be another runaway by Billy Arnold and Matlock in ‘Miller-Hartz 1’
as they took the lead of lap 2 and proceeded to lap the field. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>However, in an
eerie repeat of the previous year, Arnold and Matlock crashed in turn three on
their 59th lap after the car slid in oil while they lapped Pete Kreis’ car and hit the wall injuring both driver and mechanic for the second year in a row. This time Matlock
suffered a broken pelvis while Arnold broke his collar bone, but Arnold never
raced again, reportedly at the urging of his wife. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After a mid-race
36-lap duel with Wilbur Shaw, Fred Frame in ‘Miller-Hartz 2’ took command on
the 153rd lap and led the rest of the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Frame, with riding mechanic Jerry Houck<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>won the 1932 ‘500’ by a lap over Howdy Wilcox II with a new record average
speed of 104.144 MPH despite the necessity for six pit stops to add water to
the radiator for the overheated Miller engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Three of the Studebaker entries finished the 1932 ‘500’.
Bergere and his riding mechanic Vern Lake led the Studebaker team with a third
place finish in the red #22 only four minutes behind winner Frame. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Meyer (unrelated to fellow driver Louis) and
Walter Mitchell finished sixth in their green #37 with an average speed of 98.476
MPH, and Gulotta and his mechanic Carl Riscigno scored a 13th place finish in
the silver #25 flagged with 184 laps completed; they were positioned for a good
finish but lost considerable time when a tire blew in turn one late in the
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The two Studebaker entries that failed to finish were both
the victims of crashes. On lap 164, Luther Johnson’s black #46 Studebaker with
Billy Mallar alongside lost a wheel on the main straightaway. Kreis lost
control of the blue Studebaker #18 on the main straightaway on lap 178 and
crashed in turn one in front of the ‘E’ grandstand. Pete and his riding
mechanic Aaron B. Vance, an Indianapolis resident, finished 15th, one spot better
than Johnson. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Four nights later, all the Studebaker team members,
including the pit crew, were honored in a testimonial dinner held in the
Studebaker Corporation Administration Building in South Bend Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prize monies were awarded and top Studebaker
officials took turns praising the team. The <u>South Bend Tribune </u>reported the
comments of Paul Hoffman vice president of sales “<i>the biggest tribute I can pay
them is to say that they performed even more credibly than expected.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On June 22<sup>nd</sup>, Kreis and Vance were back at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway “making an experimental run,” (Firestone tire
tests) when a tire blew out and the car reportedly “went over the retaining
wall” in the third turn. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details were
sketchy, just that Kreis’ injuries “are not serious,” as reported by the <u>Knoxville
News</u>-Sentinel while the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> reported both men suffered
broken ribs, cuts and bruises. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Later in the summer of 1932, Pete took part in the
Studebaker traveling auto show that stopped at Studebaker dealerships across the
state of Pennsylvania. Pete appeared with one of the Studebaker Indianapolis
cars and gave a brief talk about his racing experiences. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In one appearance in
Altoona, newspaper advertisements claimed Pete would drive the race car through
noon day traffic while he wore a blindfold and black hood. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">One night after Christmas 1932, Pete had another close call
when his Chrysler coupe plunged off Topside Road near Knoxville, caught fire
and burned to the ground but Pete received no injuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For the 1933 race, the AAA Contest Board instituted a new
rule that limited fuel tanks to 15 gallons and a limit of six gallons of oil
used during the race. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Following his success in the 1932 ‘500,’ winning driver Fred Frame went on a spending spree. Frame
bought the “Miller-Hartz 1” (crashed by Arnold in 1931 and 1932) and
rechristened it as the “Frame-Miller.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Frame also bought a four-cylinder Miller 220-cubic inch
powered Duesenberg 122 chassis built in 1930 and entered in the 1933 Indianapolis
‘500,’ while he continued to drive “Miller-Hartz 2” for Harry Hartz in 1933. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hartz nominated 1932 AAA Pacific Southwest Big Car
championship runner-up mustachioed rookie driver Lester “Les” Spangler for his second
entry, a rear-drive four-cylinder Miller 255 cubic inch-powered Miller chassis.
Hartz purchased this car, the 303-cubic inch DOHC Miller V-16 powered machine
from Bill White, shortened the chassis and in place of the V-16 installed one
of the first Miller 255 cubic inch engines. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When the official Indianapolis entry list closed on May 1, 1933
Frame had nominated Pete Kreis as the driver of the front-drive Frame-Miller,
while Paul Bost would pilot the Duesenberg. On May 3 the <u>Knoxville New-Sentinel</u>
reported that Pete Kreis left Knoxville for Indianapolis. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As he departed Knoxville
Kreis told the reporter<i> “I believe I will have my best chance to win this
time.” </i>Upon arrival in Indianapolis Kreis found that his car had not arrived,
and Pete, a scratch golfer wiled away his time with Bill Heinlein on the
Speedway golf course according to the <u>Indianapolis News</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On Saturday May 20 1933, Pete Kreis, on his second attempt,
qualified the gray and blue trimmed #2 machine at an average speed 114.370 MPH
for his 10-lap 25-mile time trial run which slotted him eleventh in the 42-car
starting field on Decoration Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pete
had aborted his first attempt earlier in the day after nine laps were completed
due to a tire problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A driver protest delayed the start of the 1933 International
500-mile Sweepstakes. Speedway physician DR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>H R Allen disqualified sixth-fastest qualifier Howdy Wilcox II due his
diabetic condition (reported as epilepsy). The other 41 drivers protested and refused
to start the race and presented a petition signed by all 41 drivers that
demanded that Wilcox be allowed to race. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dr. Allen refused to allow Wilcox to compete, and the
drivers remained unmoved even after AAA steward Eddie Edenburn’s impassioned
speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, after more than an
hour’s delay, Speedway officials pushed Wilcox’s ‘Gilmore Special’ off the grid
and Edenburn ordered Mauri Rose to start the car from the tail of the field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">With the first thirty laps completed, Kreis with mechanic Charles
Marant rode in seventh place in ‘Miller Hartz 1’, one lap behind leader Bill
Cummings, but Pete retired on lap 63 with a broken universal joint in the left
front wheel. 22 laps later, his car owner Frame joined Pete on the sidelines as
his Miller-Hartz broke a timing gear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On lap 132, the Hartz second car, the cream and red #14
tangled with Malcom Fox’s semi-stock Studebaker and rolled onto the wall in
turn two. Several hours later both driver Spangler and riding mechanic Glenn "Monk"
Jordan died of their injuries, the fifth and sixth victims of crashes at the
Speedway in May 1933. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louis Meyer led 71
laps to win his second Indianapolis 500-mile race. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Eighteen days later, on June 17<sup>th</sup> 1933, Kreis and
his friend and instructor Charles “Sonny” Rising took off from Island Airport
near downtown Knoxville, but the engine in Kreis’ Waco biplane quit on takeoff.
The plane stalled from a height of 300 feet, grazed a tree and crashed into the
Tennessee River upside down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Kreis, despite his injured right eye, arm and shoulder and the
loss of the tip of the middle finger on his right hand, pulled the unconscious
Rising from the wreckage and saved “Sonny” from drowning. After their rescue, both
men were admitted to Howard-Henderson Hospital, with Pete released a week after
the accident to convalesce at home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After five deaths at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in
1933, for the 1934 International 500-mile Sweepstakes, the AAA instituted a
limit of 45 gallons of fuel and six gallons of oil per car for the 500 miles to
slow the cars down. The teams were allotted three gallons of gasoline to
qualify, estimated at 12 laps for a time trial run; one lap to get up to speed,
the ten timed laps and one cool-off lap.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Just before he left for Indianapolis, Pete took delivery of
his new car, a 1934 Ford Model 40 (V8-powered) 3-window coupe from the Vester
Motor Company located on Main Street in Knoxville. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hartz entered his car number 14 without a driver named and when
Harry and the front drive Miller- Hartz 2 (the 1932 ‘500’ winner) arrived at
the Speedway on Sunday May 13 <u>Indianapolis Star</u> reporter W F Sturm
quizzed Hartz as to possible drivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hartz
mentioned rumors of Billy Arnold, and Sturm reported that when asked about
Pete’s desire to drive the car, Hartz stated that Kreis had not a said anything
to him about it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Three days later, Hartz had still not named a driver but on
Wednesday May 23 Sturm reported that Kreis will “probably drive the Hartz car.”
On Thursday May 24<sup>th</sup> Hartz announced that Kreis would take his first
laps on the morning Friday May 25 and qualify later that day. Lengthy practice
would not be needed as the reader will recall that Pete a veteran at the
Speedway, drove the ‘Miller-Hartz 2’ chassis in 1926 powered by a supercharged
91-cubic inch Miller-powered engine and in 1929 as the two-stage supercharged “Detroit
Special.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was later reported that at 7:40 AM on Friday May 25, Kreis
and fellow driver Cliff Bergere stopped at the corner of Michigan Street and
White River Parkway while they were enroute to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and
lent aid in a fatal passenger car accident until the ambulance arrived. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Just after 9 AM, the 34-year veteran Tennessee racer headed
onto the track to take his first practice laps for 1934. Reportedly, Kreis and
his riding mechanic Bob Hahn turned several slow warm-up laps, then ran several
laps at approximately 90 MPH before Pete picked up the throttle for a flat-out
lap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Garage Area, car owner Hartz
supervised a photography session with Frame and no one in the pit area seemed
to pay much attention until the #14 car did not appear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Patrolman J R McCormick of the Indiana State Police, on duty
on 16<sup>th</sup> Street, later provided the only eyewitness report. McCormick
stated that he heard the car hit the wall at the exit of turn one then he watched
it slide along the wall for approximately 80 feet before the car climbed the
3-foot high wall and slid along the top of the short chute wall for
approximately 75 feet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2vhX4T7TsQU7jbF7-YqdP8mFuvk5HhY9wmdRspBGGoH79vOJowtn3ax33ybRSyGsEhY-NwfFn04hV5wkofmwuu5nFmFHdNrrlXlr8nT-6cOZe_NwfhomNBBBGiz2AfeqF1gLAu-8pvI/s1823/The_Indianapolis_Star_Sat__May_26__1934_+kreis+car+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1528" data-original-width="1823" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2vhX4T7TsQU7jbF7-YqdP8mFuvk5HhY9wmdRspBGGoH79vOJowtn3ax33ybRSyGsEhY-NwfFn04hV5wkofmwuu5nFmFHdNrrlXlr8nT-6cOZe_NwfhomNBBBGiz2AfeqF1gLAu-8pvI/s640/The_Indianapolis_Star_Sat__May_26__1934_+kreis+car+.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This <u>Indianapolis Star</u> photo shows the damage to the Miller-Hartz 2 in Pete's fatal crash as the car is in the garage area the following day. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The ‘Miller-Hartz 2’ fell off the south wall and tumbled
down the 16-foot banking and hit a tree. After the car hit the tree it broke in
half. The front of the car from the cowl forward including the engine and front
drive traveled another 40 feet while the crushed tail of the car rested against
the tree. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Officer McCormick rushed to the scene and removed Hahn from
the wreckage of the car but he died before the ambulance arrived. McCormick
reported Kreis’ body landed 20 feet from the wreckage and that Pete had been
killed instantly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Doctor John Slab, the Marion County deputy coroner who
investigated reported that Kreis suffered a fractured skull, crushed chest and partial
amputation trauma to both his legs. Hahn, the riding mechanic, suffered a
fractured skull, broken leg and arm and crushed chest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The #14 Miller-Hartz reportedly struck the same tree George
W. “Benny” Benefiel hit in the crash of the Jones & Maley Special in
qualifying two years earlier that killed riding mechanic Harry Cox. Officials
never determined the cause of the Kreis fatal accident but speculation focused
on mechanical or tire failure. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A later unidentified witness described as a track guard by
the <u>Indidapolis News</u> claimed that he saw the #14 car’s wheels shimmying
before it hit the wall. Based on that observation, experts surmised that either
a steering knuckle or tie rod connection broke. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The afternoon of the Kreis/Hahn fatality, Indianapolis Motor
Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker gave what in retrospect seems to be a rather callous statement to the <u>Indianapolis
News </u><i>“a serious accident happened at the race track this forenoon and I
deeply regret it. However, it is a thing that happens in every walk of life.
Men are willing to take a chance in pioneering for progress and glory.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">21-year-old riding mechanic Williams Robert “Bob” or “Howdy”
Hahn, raised on a turkey ranch in Chino (often erroneously reported as Chico) California
had raced on the West Coast in some CARA (California Auto Racing Association)
dirt track events in 1932. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hahn raced “back east” in 1933 at tracks in Lewistown Pennsylvania,
Woodbridge and Flemington New Jersey and the Harford County fairground in Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1934 he returned to California, lived in
Manhattan Beach and worked as a mechanic for Harry Hartz. Bob, divorced with a
son William Hahn Junior was buried May 29 1934 in Forest Park Cemetery in
Glendale California. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">With Pete’s mother at home convalescing after an appendectomy,
Kreis family friend Dr. Herbert Craig and Pete’s brother-in-law Herbert Clark left
Knoxville on Friday for Indianapolis to retrieve and return Pete’s remains to Knoxville, with
his funeral held on Sunday afternoon May 27. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Several hundred people attended the ceremony at Mann’s
Chapel with more than a hundred floral offerings that included a 12-foot diameter floral steering wheel. The funeral procession to Asbury Cemetery in Knox County included
more than 100 cars where Pete Kreis, a bachelor survived by grandparents,
parents, 2 brothers and 3 married sisters was interred. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">One brother, John, died in a car accident two years later and
the other, Roy, with whom Pete worked with at the construction firm, died of a
heart attack in 1937. His mother died in 1938 at age 65 and his father fell to
his death in a barn on his turkey farm at age 72 in 1945.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After being torn in half in the crash Louis “Curly” Wetteroth
rebuilt the ‘Miller Hartz 2’ for Harry Hartz who entered the car at Indianapolis
in 1936.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sophomore driver Eylard Theodore ‘Ted’ Horn started
eleventh, led 16 laps and finished in second place at Indianapolis in 1936. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Horn returned in the same car the following year, fitted with
a supercharger, and finished in third place in the 1937 Indianapolis 500-mile
race. In 1938, after the end of the “junk formula” rules package, fitted with a
new body and rear suspension, Horn qualified sixth and finished fourth in the
‘Miller-Hartz 2’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After Ted Horn left Hartz for the Boyle Valve racing team for
1939, veteran Herb Ardinger drove the Miller-Hartz in 1939 followed by midget
racer Mel Hansen in 1940. Hartz did not enter the car for the 1941 running of the 500-mile race. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After the war, new car owner Robert J McManus entered it for
rookie Tony Bettenhausen in 1946 and Tony made his first '500' start in the machine and finished 20th. In 1947, motorcycle racer Roland Free returned after a 17-year absence and finsihed 17th after he spun out on lap 87. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Acquired by Indianapolis Motor Speedway
owner Anton “Tony” Hulman after its racing days, today the ‘Miller-Hartz 2’ is
part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum collection restored and
displayed as the 1932 ‘500’ winner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVADlzRuHiGJYzxUxZTx41UDxJCN5DKEQNVGkvez0UicBii55ckvpj-236aWeYPlyNNEXUeTAKVG4i8be7Ni5eurzHXQujsGlGGlDYWhdaji5kuX4Ju559OuvO47ryqkntEgiLBJiyp8/s2048/L1130492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVADlzRuHiGJYzxUxZTx41UDxJCN5DKEQNVGkvez0UicBii55ckvpj-236aWeYPlyNNEXUeTAKVG4i8be7Ni5eurzHXQujsGlGGlDYWhdaji5kuX4Ju559OuvO47ryqkntEgiLBJiyp8/s320/L1130492.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZgKwWCxPEyOQpXZukI7TRCO9Yy_jjtbdQn9rVfI3OY9fpAXII7d1Glj6508BKbgUnzv4k_YrNZII3gcevqirIuXX5BP83LJpRs6qBkB8cuxUjhDm3oxPfhjRLQGqJJltdCUeoU4L6JY/s2048/L1130490.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZgKwWCxPEyOQpXZukI7TRCO9Yy_jjtbdQn9rVfI3OY9fpAXII7d1Glj6508BKbgUnzv4k_YrNZII3gcevqirIuXX5BP83LJpRs6qBkB8cuxUjhDm3oxPfhjRLQGqJJltdCUeoU4L6JY/s320/L1130490.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Author's photos of the restored Miller-Hartz 2 at the</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5_8Ycj1O0RHZVPTALBUCweHlJSGHcv5BY17Jfe5HQ-pcHTHHU-F2-Sipx3mhZtY21B1HIY98Kjgt4Ra7nFgviIR_7__A2IpK9ua3AQEYBK56ORD2xhZxJ3WKKqEMl_TEaZQ7I0k1tAU/s576/Kreis+monument.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5_8Ycj1O0RHZVPTALBUCweHlJSGHcv5BY17Jfe5HQ-pcHTHHU-F2-Sipx3mhZtY21B1HIY98Kjgt4Ra7nFgviIR_7__A2IpK9ua3AQEYBK56ORD2xhZxJ3WKKqEMl_TEaZQ7I0k1tAU/s0/Kreis+monument.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">author's photo</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Albert Jacob “Pete” Kreis’ cemetery monument, erected in
September 1935, measures 11 feet wide and 5 feet high and weighs an estimated
eight tons including the concrete foundation. On the face of the monument is a
replica of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race track, complete with a detailed
marble replica of the #14 Miller-Hartz car jumping the wall at the location of Pete’s
fatal crash. The inscription on the monument reads “The Last Lap.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJne1yPykbHft9TEFS5djgTADnN4Ur9zxdFd9FGQmtQW_oDZZYtoPS_ab4VgNIJA93SSPofpAa0kUBRQSQkfkXAEsb6EDqZkFk0iudx5V-Ko3ZsfVY0PVn6rXnhSgPXiKaV-W1tUCu0/s484/Kreis+gravestone+detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJne1yPykbHft9TEFS5djgTADnN4Ur9zxdFd9FGQmtQW_oDZZYtoPS_ab4VgNIJA93SSPofpAa0kUBRQSQkfkXAEsb6EDqZkFk0iudx5V-Ko3ZsfVY0PVn6rXnhSgPXiKaV-W1tUCu0/s0/Kreis+gravestone+detail.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">author's photo</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The center of the marble monument is a detailed relief portrait
of Pete in his racing helmet while the left side of the monument shows the
outline of a race starter that strongly resembles AAA steward Eddie Edenburn as he
displays the checkered flag. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The huge block of grey Tennessee marble came from the Kreis
family’s Appalachian Marble Quarry Company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sculptor of the monument, Italian emigre Albert Milani of the Day
Marble & Granite Company, worked non-stop for nine weeks to complete the
monument placed in the Asbury cemetery located two miles from Pete’s childhood
home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Readers of <u>The New York Times
Magazine </u>recognized Milani’s work on the Pete Kreis monument as the most outstanding
of 1935. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFsniusvZNkQ6xqdzru3C-Bp3BilScWyf3W6cdOifbicCIDEWGOQ7oOUPtEjGdYTnfXSxoI3SAXU9zOC72aSYRx_S6QmoKsDzogNjwaTaB77j9nkODHLlYUuPn8thGQgHoluw0GKQoIs/s2826/pete+kreis+memorial+race+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="1112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFsniusvZNkQ6xqdzru3C-Bp3BilScWyf3W6cdOifbicCIDEWGOQ7oOUPtEjGdYTnfXSxoI3SAXU9zOC72aSYRx_S6QmoKsDzogNjwaTaB77j9nkODHLlYUuPn8thGQgHoluw0GKQoIs/s640/pete+kreis+memorial+race+.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In July 1948, the new Broadway Speedway in Fountain City,
north of Knoxville presented “The Pete Kreis Memorial” midget racing program on
its ¼-mile dirt oval sanctioned by the short-lived Indiana-based Consolidated
Midget Auto Racing Association. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The CMARA racers mainly drove V8-60 Ford powered midgets,
but boasted two stars in Offenhauser-powered midgets – Woody Campbell and Gene
Force, but Walter “Leadfoot” Geis won the race and received the trophy from
Hazen Kreis, Pete’s first cousin. Although the track existed through the 1958 season
it never repeated the “Pete Kreis Memorial Race.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A sportsman that competed purely for the love of sport, Pete
Kreis never won any AAA races but his driving skills were highly regarded by
fellow competitors (and later car owners) Harry Hartz, Earl Cooper, and Tommy
Milton. Kreis competed in a very dangerous era of automobile racing with
cloth helmets wound up giving his life for the sport, and his sacrifice is
honored with a magnificent monument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-9500473120063360622020-11-30T08:29:00.002-08:002020-11-30T08:32:10.714-08:00The Pete Kreis story Part four - 1929 through 1931<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Pete Kreis story<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part four - 1929 through 1931 </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In February 1929, 29-year-old Albert Jacob ‘Pete’ Kreis was
named in a lawsuit by a dancer named Irma Sedivic for injuries she suffered in
a brawl in the Avalon nightclub in St Louis on December 22 1928. Ms. Sedivic
alleged in her suit that Kreis threw a glass goblet during a club melee that
injured her eye and asked for $25,000 in actual damages and $25,000 in punitive
damages. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In response, Pete told Knoxville reporters that it was a case of
mistaken identity, saying “I had nothing to do with throwing that goblet.” The
author has been unable to find any information about the final outcome of the case. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">When entries closed for the 17<sup>th</sup> running of the
International 500-mile Sweepstakes on May 30 1929 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, no team nominated Pete Kreis as a driver. Kreis nonetheless made his
annual trip from Knoxville Tennessee to Indianapolis in May to watch practice
and visit his friends in the racing community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">All the racers knew that this would be the last time that
they would race under the 91-1/2 cubic inch rules package. On January 17 1929,
the American Automobile Association (AAA) Contest Board published the new rules
package for the 1930 Indianapolis 500- mile race pushed through by Indianapolis
Motor Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">As the AAA stated, "At the request of the Speedway, engineers
drew up a set of regulations designed to return a type of car less expensive,
less specialized and calculated to furnish experimental departments with more
constant and tangible lessons of value in every-day motor car designing and
building." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Throughout the month of May 1929, Tommy Milton and the ‘Detroit
Special’ team tested the car which Milton and Van Ranst refined over the long
winter. Van Ranst and Milton developed new designs for the engine block, timing
gears, and valve springs to deal with the engine’s high boost pressure. Chief
among the new innovations were the enlarged “pop-off valves” in the
supercharger piping system which now sported a large external intercooler. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">These valves redesigned by Cornelius Van Ranst with larger
surface areas were located in the supercharger piping and designed to open when
the supercharger or engine backfired to relieve pressure rather than wreck the
manifolds on the straight-eight Miller engine. Van Ranst also designed a new
rubber coupling for the supercharger drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">As he waited for mechanic Harry “Cotton” Henning to reassemble
the Miller front drive entered for him by Santa Ana California oil company
executive M R. “Dick” Dodd, Milton’s protégé Bob McDonogh turned many laps of
practice over the 2-1/2 mile brick oval in the ‘Detroit Special’ as the Milton
team waited for the car owner - multi-millionaire sportsman, financier and driver - Russell “Cliff”
Durant to appear. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPjx4JM_2fckUwVpXBn3MKvdprbBypNMFkwCwNfCw7TNk8c4cFwsRFOVfAHXSp7ICMUKc7u8lZWtnfRLpT_sjuU2mLF6uhcKMwbo_hBZKvEXkRERftTob6mTQeHkF5s3Cqo-RtsEvcz4/s395/durant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPjx4JM_2fckUwVpXBn3MKvdprbBypNMFkwCwNfCw7TNk8c4cFwsRFOVfAHXSp7ICMUKc7u8lZWtnfRLpT_sjuU2mLF6uhcKMwbo_hBZKvEXkRERftTob6mTQeHkF5s3Cqo-RtsEvcz4/s0/durant.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cliff Durant photo courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Center for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On the evening of May 22<sup>nd</sup>, just two days before
time trials began, the hard-living Durant announced the end of his 14-year race
car driving career at age 38 and named Pete Kreis as his replacement. “Time has
taken its toll” said Durant in an <u>Indianapolis Star</u> interview, “I could
not give the car which Milton has prepared the ride it deserves.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">With little time to test, Pete Kreis drove the ‘Detroit
Special’ to the second fastest qualifying time on the second day of time of
Sunday May 26<sup>th</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny
Seymour in a Cooper Engineering Company front-drive (Marmon did not renew the
1928 sponsorship) qualified with a 114 MPH average followed by Kreis in the ‘Detroit
Special’ at 112.528 MPH. The pair started the 1929 Indianapolis 500-mile race
side by side in the seventh row. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The 1929 Indianapolis 500-mile race starting field included
two cars with female owners. Maude Yagle of Philadelphia owned the #2 Simplex
Piston Ring Special formerly owned by Frank Lockhart and driven by Ray Keech,
while Marion Batten the widow of Norm Batten lost at sea in the sinking of the
SS Vestris in November 1928 owned the #49 Miller driven by Wes Crawford.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZN15xsNrZothoAumtBpQBWQ-2VvkgJvJLs6ytqWiNp5ewTcTLKVTMmjD8vp61Vhk9y4Jebakw9adRKYXazVvpy5tqeWr-wlVa_WDadsYpuVnrCrKd6JcWz7LxQXiHj0SNxOcnJi1oNg/s593/peter+kreis+1929+detroit+special.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZN15xsNrZothoAumtBpQBWQ-2VvkgJvJLs6ytqWiNp5ewTcTLKVTMmjD8vp61Vhk9y4Jebakw9adRKYXazVvpy5tqeWr-wlVa_WDadsYpuVnrCrKd6JcWz7LxQXiHj0SNxOcnJi1oNg/s0/peter+kreis+1929+detroit+special.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pete Kreis and the Detroit Special in the garage area in 1929 </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Contemporary new reports suggest that Kreis and the ‘Detroit
Special’ ran well, in the top five as they neared the 200-mile mark, but the
engine seized on course on its 91<sup>st</sup> lap. Pete returned to the pit
area and relieved Cliff Bergere behind the wheel of the ‘Armacost Special ‘Miller
front-drive for 54 laps. Pete turned the car back over to Cliff on lap 146 and
Bergere drove the rest of the way to finish in ninth place and earn $1,500. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pete Kreis left Indianapolis with the knowledge that if he
drove at the Speedway again in 1930, the cars would be fair different than the
small jewel-like Miller machines with which he became familiar. In general, the
new rules package for the 1930 Indianapolis 500-mile race were in the AAA’s
words <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“designed to produce either (a) a
car susceptible of adaption from production car chassis or (b) development cars
that embody new engineering principles or adaptions as contrasted against what
may be termed ‘normal’ cars.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rickenbacker
and the AAA officials believed that passenger car manufacturers would become
involved in racing in a big way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Beginning with the 1930 ‘500,’ engine size was limited to 366
cubic inches with a maximum of two valves per cylinder no supercharging allowed
and a maximum of two carburetors. Each race car weighed a minimum of 7-1/2
pounds per cubic inch of engine displacement and not less than 1750 pounds in
any case. By comparison a 1929 Miller 91 typically weighed 1450 pounds. Finally,
each car would carry both a driver and a riding mechanic. Today, historians
derisively refer to this rules package as the “Junk Formula.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Harry Hartz recovered from burns and back in racing as a car
builder and owner bought the Miller front-drive chassis #2703 built for Peter
DePaolo in 1927 that had been driven by Bob McDonogh in 1929 for car owner Dick
Dodd. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of metalsmith Phil
Sommers Hartz converted the car into the required two-man configuration. For
power, Hartz built a 152-cubic inch Miller engine with his stash of leftover
Miller 122-cubic inch parts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Early in the month of May 1930 Hartz, Ralph Hepburn, and
Billy Arnold all took practice laps in the car (Miller-Hartz 1) which led to
speculation who would drive the car in the race. On the first day of time
trials, Hartz took the car out, made a single timed lap at 110 MPH and returned
to the pit area. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Later in the day, Arnold took the car out for a qualifying
attempt with William “Spider” Matlock as his riding mechanic. The pair won the
coveted pole position with a speed of 113. 268 MPH, the fastest car by over two
miles an hour. Peter Kreis spent the month of May 1930 in Indianapolis but
never landed a ride. After the race, Pete returned to his construction project
in Kansas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On Race Day 1930, second fastest qualifier Louis Meyer the
1928 500-mile race winner took the early lead, but Arnold passed him on lap
three and never looked back. Arnold led a record 198 laps and won by seven
minutes (estimated as four laps) over William “Shorty” Cantlon in a 183-cubic
inch Miller powered machine owned by Bill “Hollywood” White. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Lou Moore and Floyd Sparks built two front-drive machines
for the 1930 Indianapolis ‘500’ the Coleman Motors Company that built
four-wheel drive trucks. Coleman intended for Joe Unser (uncle to Al Senior and
Bobby) to drive one car and Moore the other but Unser died in an accident and
was replaced by Phil “Red” Shafer. Both Coleman cars, which reportedly used parts
from Coleman production vehicles, qualified for the 1930 ‘500.’ The #14 Coleman
driven by Moore and mechanic Sparks wound up perched on top of the third turn
wall after a six-car tangle on lap 23 while and Shafer finished in seventh
after he started eighth with mechanic Terry Curley who started his riding
career in 1922.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">For 1931, Coleman Motors entered a single car fitted with
both the Miller 183 cubic inch engines to drive the front wheels. Driver Lou
Moore found the beast uncontrollable and withdrew to join the Boyle Valve team.
Late in the month, Pete Kreis agreed to give the car a shot. While it was
undoubtedly powerful as with two engines it pushed the 366 cubic inch maximum
engine size requirement, the Coleman had to be a handful to drive. On May 27,
Pete qualified the Coleman Special at 102.860 MPH but subsequent clutch
troubles led the team to withdraw the machine before the race.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Harry Hartz still dabbled as a driver and took test laps in
Arnold’s machine during practice for the 1931 Indianapolis 500-mile race.
Arnold did not qualify well, but on Race Day Arnold in the Miller-Hartz 1
passed seventeen cars and took the lead on lap 7. Arnold and riding mechanic
Spider Matlock led the next 155 laps through intermittent rain showers that
slowed the field twice. On lap 162, with a five-lap lead, Arnold spun in oil on
the track in turn three and collided with Luther Johnson’s Studebaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Miller-Hartz hit the north short chute wall rolled over
and both Arnold and Matlock were injured as Arnold suffered a broken pelvis and
Matlock a broken collar bone. A wheel off the car flew over the wall bounced,
rolled and struck young Wilbur Brink playing in the front yard of his family
home on Georgetown Road. The 11-year old boy later died from his injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">After crews cleared the accident, Indianapolis police officer Louis
Schenider took the lead in the Bowes Seal Fast-sponsored Miller-powered machine and
won in the 1930 International 500-mile Sweepstakes by 43 seconds over Fred
Frame in Hartz’ second entry, a 142-cubic inch Duesenberg powered machine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">During the 1931 500-mile race, records credit Pete Kreis with
53 laps driven in relief of Ralph
Hepburn in Harry Miller’s entry. On lap 144, Hepburn returned to the seat and
finished the race in third place. The local Knoxville newspapers suggested that
without Kreis’ assistance, Hepburn would not have finished in third place.
Depending on which paper you read, Kreis drove either 250 or 300 miles. The <u>Knoxville
News-Sentinel</u> claimed that Pete’s performance “marks him as one of the
outstanding drivers in the game.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Less than a month after the 1931 ‘500,’ Kreis announced that
he had accepted the role of manager at the Morristown Speedway in Morristown
Tennessee and that his first race promotion would be on July 4<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Alternately known as Inskip Speedway, the ¾-mile dirt oval built
in 1928 by a group of six men led by Fred Wallace. The track near the community of
Inskip planned to stage its first race on Labor Day 1928, but rain ruined the
opening. The track known as the Knoxville Motor Speedway set its opening for
September 8 1928 but continued rains postponed the opening to Sunday September
16 1928. The selection of this date immediately caused controversy as ten local
pastors protested races held on Sunday but manager Frank Easley ignored the outcry
and staged the races anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The opening day’s races boasted 8000 fans who saw Homer
Linebaugh win the 50-lap feature in his Essex after early leader Al Romans’
Frontenac Ford overheated while he held a lap and a half lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gordon Willis won the 14-lap and 25-lap races
in the second event held on Sunday October 14, and it appears that the season
finale set for Armistice Day November 11 1928 rained out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">During the winter of 1928-1929 Easley proposed a slate of
four races for 1929 on Decoration Day, Jul 4<sup>th</sup>, Labor Day and
Armistice Day but in early March the original ownership was replaced by a new
group led by Joe B “JB” Cate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“JB” came
to Knoxville in 1923 as a traveling demonstrator of the Rickenbacker automobile
then stayed in town and worked as a real estate salesman and later finance
company official. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The new group which boasted $50,000 in capitalization
planned eight races for 1929, with the planned construction of a 30,000-seat grandstand and
the track was rebuilt with 90-foot radius turns with 8 feet of banking and
70-foot wide straightaways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">After successful 1929 and 1930 racing seasons which drew
big-name drivers to Knoxville that included Al Theisen in the Witte “Dayton
Special” and Mauri Rose in the John Vance Special from Dayton the future
appeared bright. But in late October 1930 Cate was charged with theft and in
March 1931 the Knox County Grand Jury indicted Cate for the alleged
embezzlement of $500 from the Knoxville Motor Speedway involving a stock sale. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cate’s involvement with the Inskip Speedway ended with his
indictment, and Pete Kreis temporarily took over as track manager for several
months. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cate pled not guilty and a jury
acquitted him in October 1931. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Knoxville
track continued to operate under a succession of different managers through the
1935 season. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Our final installment will review Pete Kreis’ life after
1931. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-85068492236607843982020-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:002020-11-23T10:18:30.554-08:00The Pete Kreis story Part three 1927 & 1928 The Cooper years<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Pete Kreis story<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Part three 1927 & 1928 </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Cooper years </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Earl Cooper, the three-time American Automobile Association
(AAA) national champion in 1913, 1915, and 1917, had a remarkable driving
career both before and after World War One. Before the war, as a member of the
powerful Stutz Racing Team, Cooper notched sixteen victories mostly on dirt
tracks and early road courses before he retired in 1919. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cooper, a close friend of Barney Oldfield since their early
years, raced just once in the 1921 and 1922 season before he returned to
full-time driving in 1923 at age 37. Earl proved to be an adept board track
racer during the Miller 122-cubic inch era with a string of top five finishes
and Cooper finished second in the AAA drivers’ standings in 1924 and fifth in
1925.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">During the 1926 AAA season, Cooper drove the Miller
supercharged 91-cubic inch front wheel drive chassis number #2605 and eventually
bought the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the winter of
1926-7, funded by Buick Motor Company, Earl Cooper built three cars which were
essentially Miller copies, with the full approval and assistance of Harry A.
Miller. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The new Cooper cars were each equipped by supercharged 91
cubic-inch eight-cylinder Miller copies which reversed the intake and exhaust
manifold locations and breathed through four Miller “Dual Throat Updraft’
carburetors that produced 167 horsepower and powered the front wheels.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The front drive assembly marked the major difference between
a Miller and Cooper. Instead of the Miller jewel-like front drive, designed and
engineered by Leo Gosssen, Cooper’s cars used patented Ruckstell planetary
gearsets with two-speed Ruckstell axles to achieve four forward speeds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGQrrMUmiWylJVSrMVaLA6z8Pg2TlLCCC8-kMp0XzxbaS8NvGndnqfo_wJpmPiRaCfUYrGDK3TC639fakcEyka_SZ9GYD2oJXFLeYvWgzTqHugJKkQahe2maJvsM4LOX6J-ys8gWs1c8/s353/Eddie+Pullen+Joe+Thomas+ruckstell+1914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGQrrMUmiWylJVSrMVaLA6z8Pg2TlLCCC8-kMp0XzxbaS8NvGndnqfo_wJpmPiRaCfUYrGDK3TC639fakcEyka_SZ9GYD2oJXFLeYvWgzTqHugJKkQahe2maJvsM4LOX6J-ys8gWs1c8/s0/Eddie+Pullen+Joe+Thomas+ruckstell+1914.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Left to Right</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Eddie Pullen</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Joe Thomas </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Glover Ruckstell</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">circa 1914</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Photo courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Center for Digital Studies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ruckstell components were designed and manufactured by
retired pioneer racer Glover Ruckstell, born in San Francisco in 1891 and
raised across the Bay in Oakland. After just two years of high school,
Ruckstell dropped out of school and by age 20 became a partner in an automobile
repair garage in Maricopa California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ruckstell began automobile racing around Bakersfield in 1913
and by the following year became a member of the successful Mercer racing team
and recorded two top finishes at Tacoma in July 1914. In 1915, after strong
early finishes in races San Diego and Venice, the mighty Mercer team entered Glover
for the Indianapolis 500-mile race along with drivers Eddie Pullen and Joe
Nikrent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The new Mercer cars arrived in Indianapolis late and only
Ruckstell qualified his #20 Mercer for the 1915 Indianapolis ‘500’ starting
field. The team withdrew the car after qualifications, as Mercer Chief Engineer
Eric H. Deiling cited the lack of time to prepare for the race.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Later in July 1915, Ruckstell won the 250-mile Montamarathon
Trophy Race on the two-mile board track in Tacoma Washington with his Mercer
teammate Pullen third. Glover then finished fourth behind winner Pullen the
following day in the 200-mile Golden Potlach Trophy Race on the same track. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After a fourth-place finish in the 1916 150-mile Championship
Award Sweepstakes at the original one-mile Ascot Speedway in Los Angeles,
Glover Ruckstell retired from race driving. In addition to his work with the
Ruckstell Sales & Manufacturing Company, Glover became heavily involved in the
aviation engine industry before during and after World War One.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As Cooper built his three new front-drive machines, he
appeared in advertising for Buick passenger cars as one of the “nine
internationally famous AAA speedway racing stars that demonstrated their
approval of the new Buick,” along with Peter DePaolo, Fred Comer, Bennett Hill,
Frank Lockhart, Frank Elliott, Dave Lewis, Cliff Woodbury and Bob McDonogh.
According to the advertising copy, these drivers “singled it out above all
other cars for their personal use and for their families.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cooper built homely-looking grilles for his entries that
mimicked the 1927 Buick passenger cars, but at the last minute, Buick withdrew
its support of Earl Cooper’s program, so the official International 500-mile at
Indianapolis entry list released on May 4 1927 contained three new front-drive cars
entered by the Cooper Engineering Company. Cooper listed the three drivers as
himself, Albert Jacob “Pete” Kreis, and Bob McDonogh, with the Miller entered
by Earl Cooper personally with the driver to be named later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cooper’s entries represented four of the eleven front-drive
machines entered at Indianapolis in 1927, which included the former Peter Kreis
front-drive Miller known as the ‘Detroit Special’ equipped with the two-stage
supercharged straight-eight Miller engine for driver Cliff Durant. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">McDonogh had the privilege of taking the first lap in one of
the new Copper front-drive creations on Tuesday May 17, followed later that day
by Peter Kreis and newly-named Cooper teammate Bennett Hill who replaced
Cooper. Earl later named Memphis Tennessee’s Julian “Jules” Ellingboe to drive
the fourth Cooper entry, the #18 Miller front drive. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Twenty-one cars qualified for the 1927 Indianapolis 500
starting field on Thursday May 26, with the existing track record broken four
times, with defending winner Frank Lockhart with the pole position and new track
record at over 120.1 miles per hour (MPH) for his ten-mile run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREhSPWFl7KBvFnSY_U8ckcb0gjIc1RDjEUfRhI8md6cZ9AjT3i_qpVcjIo7c1iIvfjjTg4m9DYcJWBxDqLJjsAMgmO3F5wH8ewYFznhNQXxoWNIMdy2mwG7v1Vek9NmrvgU-t69xVnsc/s512/Copper+1927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREhSPWFl7KBvFnSY_U8ckcb0gjIc1RDjEUfRhI8md6cZ9AjT3i_qpVcjIo7c1iIvfjjTg4m9DYcJWBxDqLJjsAMgmO3F5wH8ewYFznhNQXxoWNIMdy2mwG7v1Vek9NmrvgU-t69xVnsc/s0/Copper+1927.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The three new Cooper Specials in 1927</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Peter Kreis at the right</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Photo courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Center for Digital Studies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection </span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pete Kreis found that the Copper handled better than his
previous Miller front-drive but the cars were not particularly fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All four of Cooper’s cars qualified for the
1927 ‘500,’ led by McDonogh in the #14 Cooper at 113.175 MPH for the seventh
position, the inside of the third row. Bennett Hill anchored the outside of the
third row in the #4 Cooper front drive with his 112.013 MPH average for four
laps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter Kreis qualified the third
new Cooper machine at 109.90 MPH, fast enough for the outside of the fourth
row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After rain postponed time trials on Friday May 27 Ellingboe
qualified the yellow and black Miller chassis on Saturday morning May 28 at
113.239 MPH. Originally slotted into 22<sup>nd</sup> position, Jules move up to
the outside of the seventh row after first day qualifier 1924 ‘500’ co-winner
L.L. Corum withdrew his Duesenberg which qualified at just 94 MPH.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race Day 1927 at
Indianapolis proved to be a disappointment for Earl Cooper and his Cooper
Engineering team, as of his four entries, only McDonogh finished the race in
sixth place, 24 minutes behind rookie winner George Souders. Ellingboe crashed
the yellow and black Miller chassis into the north short chute wall on his 26<sup>th</sup>
laps. After it hit the wall, the car rolled over and Jules suffered a crushed
chest and internal injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ellingboe, confined to Methodist Hospital until mid-July,
retired from racing and died from pneumonia in Oregon in 1948. Cooper sold the
badly wrecked Miller front-drive machine to Phil “Red” Shafer who rebuilt it
and entered it in the 1928 ‘500’ for Elbert “Babe” Stapp and finished in fifth
place. In 1929, Shafer sold the car to the French auto manufacturer Derby and
as the “Derby-Miller” it subsequently set many closed course land speed records
driven by Gwenda Stewart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Almost simultaneous with Ellingboe’s accident on the 1927
race’s 26<sup>th</sup> lap, Bennett Hill brought his #4 Cooper to the pits with
a broken rear spring shackle mount and retired credited with a 28<sup>th</sup>
place finish. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter Kreis made it to lap
101 before he pitted and Harry Hartz took over. Peter later received treatment
at the Speedway infield hospital from Dr. Horace “Frank” Allen for burns on his
leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hartz drove the #9 Cooper entry for
22 laps until it retired with a broken front axle, placed 17<sup>th</sup> and
earned $470 in prize money. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The original nominated driver (and funder of the program) Cliff
Durant, did not drive Kreis’ former car, the ‘Detroit Special’ in 1927, as he
took ill, and rather than pick a new driver, Milton unretired and drove the car
himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 1921 National Champion and
1921 and 1923 “500’ champion’s previous race appearance came in February 1926
at the Fulford board track. In his first qualifying attempt for the 1927 ‘500’
on May 26<sup>th</sup>, the “Detroit Special” burnt a piston and failed to
complete the ten-mile dash. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Milton qualified on May 28<sup>th</sup> at 108.78 MPH to
start 25<sup>th</sup>, his worse starting position since his rookie year in
1919. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Milton’s final ‘500’ driver
appearance proved unremarkable as the ‘Detroit Special’ began to lose power
around the 200-mile mark and Milton pitted and handed the car over to his partner
Cornelius Van Ranst. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In his third ‘500’ appearance and second as a relief driver,
Van Ranst completed 24 laps, and diagnosed the problem as a fuel system leak at
speed. Van Ranst pitted and after five minutes of hurried repairs, turned the
car over to Ralph Hepburn. The former motorcycle champion drove the “Detroit
Special” over the final 93 laps but pitted several items to repair more fuel
system leaks and finished eighth, crossing the finish line 45 minutes after
winner George Souders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ten days after the 1927 ‘500,’ Kreis and the #9 Cooper front
drive appeared in Tyrone, Pennsylvania on the Altoona Speedway 1-1/4 mile board
track along with his teammates Bob McDonogh and Bennett Hill. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entry list at Altoona included 45 cars -
22 championship cars and 23 semi-stock cars that were set for the preliminary
50-mile race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">McDonogh’s entry burned a piston in practice and did not
start the 160-lap 200-mile race. Leon Duray won the pole position with a lap of
136.3 MPH, while Kreis qualified ninth and Hill fourteenth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter completed just 22 laps before the
Miller engine in his machine burnt a piston. On the race’s 47<sup>th</sup> lap,
the machines of Frank Elliott and Ralph Hepburn tangled as they lapped Earl
Devore and all three cars were eliminated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hill pitted on lap 84 and McDonogh took over the #4 Cooper
front drive. On lap 105, Dave Lewis destroyed his car after he drifted high hit
the upper guardrail and the Miller somersaulted down the banking. On lap 123,
Bob coasted into the pit and retired with a burned piston. Peter DePaolo
dominated in his Miller front-drive and won the race by two full laps over
Harry Hartz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kreis joined the AAA competitors in Salem New Hampshire at
the Rockingham Park Raceway for the July 4<sup>th</sup> Independence Day
300-mile race. While DePaolo romped to another victory and averaged 124 MPH,
the Cooper Engineering team had another forgettable day. Earl Cooper dropped
out on lap 4 and Kreis on lap 22, both with broken valves in their engines, and
McDonogh retired on lap 75 with a broken exhaust manifold. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pete Kreis, Earl Cooper and two of the Cooper Engineering
Company machines traveled to Monza Italy to take part in the 1927 Gran Premio
d'Italia (Italian Grand Prix), the last race on the Continent for which the
91-1/2 cubic inch (1-1/2 liter) engines would be legal in the Automobile World
Championship. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kreis drew the pole position but a rod broke in the engine
and exited the crankcase on the first lap of the 50-lap race held on September
4 in a downpour. Kreis returned to the pits and took over for Earl Cooper and
battled back to finish third albeit more than half an hour behind winner Robert
Benoist’s Delage. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kreis and the Cooper team returned to the United States and
Rockingham Park Speedway for a scheduled 200-mile race on Columbus Day
Wednesday October 12. Throughout the early part of the event, leader Frank
Lockhart, who qualified at 144 MPH, battled wheel to wheel with Harry Hartz
until lap 51 when Hartz’ car crashed and caught fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry broke his right leg and received
critical burns. Officials stopped the race with 52 laps completed and Kreis in
tenth place, four laps behind the leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">AAA referee A.T. Hart ruled the race complete at 65 miles, with
a second race of 60 laps (75 miles) set to start after crews cleared the Hartz
crash and serviced the remaining cars. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earl Cooper chose to not start the second race
(he never raced again), and Kreis’ Cooper front drive fell out of the second
race with a broken valve on lap 15. Lockhart won the second race by a quarter
lap over Babe Stapp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Harry Hartz remained hospitalized in a Lawrence
Massachusetts hospital for months and in February 1928 he announced his
retirement from his hospital bed. Hartz’ doctors allowed him a temporary
reprieve to attend the 1928 Indianapolis 500-mile race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Following the 1927 season, as board track racing began to
decline, and under pressure from his family Pete Kreis cut back on racing. Pete
became a licensed pilot and devoted himself eleven months of the year to his
career with his family’s contracting firm, the John A. Kreis Construction Company.
Despite his family’s wishes, Pete he still took off the month of May to race on
the big Indianapolis 2-1/2-mile brick oval. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When the Speedway opened in early May 1928, racers were
still coming to grips with the death of Frank Lockhart the 1926 Indianapolis
‘500’ winner and 1927 ‘500’ pole-sitter who led 110 laps in 1927 before a
connecting rod broke. Lockhart, known as the “the Boy Wonder” died on April 28
1928 in Daytona Beach Florida in the crash of his Stutz Blackhawk land speed
record machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For the 1928 ‘500,’ car owner Earl Cooper had landed
hometown Nordyke & Marmon Company <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sponsorship for two of his three cars driven
by Pete Kreis in #32 (the same number carried by 1911 ‘500’ winning Marmon Wasp)
and rookie Johnny Seymour in #33. Marmon’s sponsorship highlighted the
manufacturer’s new Model 68, a smaller model powered by a 202-cubic inch
straight eight engine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of the
original grille, the new grilles on the Cooper Engineering entries mimicked the
Marmon 68 grille design. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Just as the Indianapolis entry list closed for 1928 Cooper
Engineering Company entered the unsponsored third car which carried #34, with rookie
Russell Snowberger the nominated driver. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrioyZ8BagnL4iN4HU8YwekLA0oHoXrZg0E9bwwy1nz1le-4Gqfun8eq1uCkC3bQSFkTSDoXEKQXzXqDNyqsEHJVZH2eEKaZVgtrFTSMJE7Ni2fSJ_HvKxrDv2bL71JXnN6lgSsraA3Yw/s482/kreis+1928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrioyZ8BagnL4iN4HU8YwekLA0oHoXrZg0E9bwwy1nz1le-4Gqfun8eq1uCkC3bQSFkTSDoXEKQXzXqDNyqsEHJVZH2eEKaZVgtrFTSMJE7Ni2fSJ_HvKxrDv2bL71JXnN6lgSsraA3Yw/s0/kreis+1928.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Peter Kreis in his 1928 Marmon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Photo courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Center for Digital Studies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">All three Cooper-owned cars qualified for the 29-car starting
field, with former motorcycle racer Seymour in eleventh at 111.671 MPH, Kreis, the
fastest second day qualifier at 112.906 MPH, started nineteenth and rookie
Russell Snowberger in 22<sup>nd</sup> starting position at 111.618 MPH. Cliff
Durant finally got to drive his Detroit Special and qualified 18<sup>th</sup>
the slowest first day qualifier at 99.99 MPH. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">None of the Cooper Front Drives finished the 1928 ‘500-mile race.
Snowberger’s car headed to the sidelines on lap four with supercharger failure,
then on lap 73 Pete Kreis’ car retired with a failed rod bearing, leaving just
Seymour who retired on lap 171 also with supercharger failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Durant’s ‘Detroit Special’ with relief driver Bob McDonogh
(Milton’s protégé) at the wheel dropped out four laps later when its two-stage
supercharger failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louis Meyer led the
final 19 laps and became the third rookie driver in a row to win the
Indianapolis ‘500’ in a Miller purchased by Alden Sampson from Phil Shafer just
days before time trials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With his retirement from the 1928 ‘500,’ Pete Kreis returned
to the family business where he worked on a Missouri Pacific railroad tunnel
project near Gray Summit Missouri and waited for 1929. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-74708391639001337362020-11-13T09:25:00.000-08:002020-11-13T09:25:03.469-08:00The Pete Kreis story Part two - 1926 season<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Pete Kreis story<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part two - 1926 season</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For the 1926 racing season, the AAA (American Automobile
Association) Championship cars would lower the displacement limit from 122
cubic inches (two liters) to 91-1/2 cubic inches (1/12 liters) beginning in May
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Albert Jacob “Pete” Kreis sold his
supercharged Duesenberg to Ben “the Mississippi Kid” Jones and obtained a 122-cubic
inch supercharged rear-drive race car from Harry A Miller from </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tommy Milton. The car that Kreis bought had its damaged fuel tank, hood, and cowling </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">repaired</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"> from Ray Carrien's fatal crash in November 1925 at the Culver City Speedway and re-numbered #15 for the 1926 season. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fulford-Miami Auto Speedway in North Miami Beach Florida was
the site of the 1926 American Automobile Association (AAA) season opener. Construction
of the 1-1/4 mile wooden speedway partially funded by Miami Beach developer Carl
Fisher, one of the four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, began in
the fall of 1925. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fisher had a partner in the Miami track, Merle Tebbetts, a
finance company president and the developer of the Fulford-by-the Sea
subdivision in the area known since 1931 as North Miami Beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The track built on pilings featured a
boardwalk promenade and a mounded infield with 50 degree banked turns. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later, the track’s exact location is
undetermined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tebbetts and Fisher hired the 1911 International 500-mile
race co-winner Ray Harroun to oversee the track construction by the Prince
Construction Company then manage and promote the facility after its targeted completion
of January 1 1926. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Fulford-Miami Speedway initially advertised the
inaugural race date as January 30 1926, but there were material delays during
construction and the race date switched with the previous Culver City
California date. When the AAA Contest Board published the 1926 schedule, the inaugural
race at Miami, for the ‘Carl G. Fisher Cup’ date would be held on Washington’s
Birthday February 22<sup>nd</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Time trials were scheduled for Wednesday February 17 to be followed
by a gala dance and reception at the Fulford Casino that evening to <i>“give
Miamians an opportunity to meet these men who have become famous because of
their daring exploits on the pine boards across the country.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ralph Hepburn in the Boyle Valve Miller won the pole
position with a lap speed of 141.199 miles per hour (MPH), the only car to
break the 140 MPH barrier. Leon Duray qualified second fastest at 138.9 MPH
with Dave Lewis in the former Jimmy Murphy front-drive Miller third fastest and
National Champion Peter DePaolo seventh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Only the fastest twelve cars in practice qualified on
Wednesday afternoon so Pete Kreis qualified on Thursday afternoon and started
the race from fourteenth in the 18-car starting field in his white #15 Miller. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Local radio station WGBU broadcast live updates on the race scheduled
for 240 laps or 300 miles with a $30,000 purse. Gates opened at 8:30 AM on that
Monday morning for a program that featured bands and daylight fireworks.
Infield General Admission tickets sold for $3.00, while grandstands seats were
$6 or $8 with box seats priced from $10 to $15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A crowd of 25,000 fans watched as Hepburn led the first
three circuits before he had a tire problem and Dave Lewis took the point until
lap 24. Duray led the next 125 laps while Kreis’ car retired on lap 90 and
placed eleventh. Earl Devore in the shiny #17 ‘Nickel Plate’ Miller took the
lead from Duray on lap 150, and Leon remained in close pursuit until the
magneto on his car failed on lap 180.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On lap 200, Devore pitted to add fuel, which opened the door
for DePaolo in his Duesenberg to take control and Peter led the final 40
circuits. The next four finishers – Harry Hartz, Bob McDonogh, Frank Elliott
and Bennett Hill – all drove supercharged 122-cubic inch Millers, as did Devore
who recovered from his late pit stop to finish fifth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DePaolo ran a conservative pace to save his
Duesenberg but still set a new record of 129.29 MPH as he covered the unusual
race distance of 300 miles in two hours and nineteen seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The AAA racers never visited Fulford-Miami Auto Speedway’s
50-degree banked turns again due to two incidents. The first came in late
August when United States authorities arrested track owner Merle Tebbetts on
mail fraud charges associated with stock sales in the Fulford-by-the Sea
finance company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then on September 18, the “Great Miami Hurricane” struck
south Florida and the winds over a caused widespread damage and the new wooden Miami
Speedway was destroyed. Tebbetts never consider rebuilding the track as he
battled the fraud charges in court until in 1930, when he pled guilty and
received a fine of $1,000 and two-year suspended prison sentence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In California during practice on the re-surfaced Culver City
Speedway, Leon Duray posted a lap of 138 MPH then on March 18 1926 in time
trials, Pete Kreis surprised observers as he qualified second fastest behind Bob
McDonogh’s blindingly fast 143.3 MPH lap, which broke Earl Cooper’s previous record
of 141 MPH. Many “experts” predicted that this record would stand for years,
given the upcoming AAA engine size reduction to 91-1/2 cubic inches. Dave Lewis
in the front-drive Miller qualified third as Bennett Hill and Duray rounded out
the top five starters. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 40,000 fans on hand for the Culver City race on March 21<sup>st</sup>
saw a torrid battle among the fastest five cars, and Pete Kreis led his first
laps in AAA championship competition as he headed the field for two laps before
Hill passed Pete and led the final 102 laps to win in a record time of one hour
and 51 minutes at an average speed of 130.59 MPH for the 250 miles. Hill led
DePaolo by 28 seconds at the finish with Hartz in third. Pete Kreis finished 11<sup>th</sup>,
five laps behind Hill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 122-cubic-inch race cars christened the new one-and-a-half
mile long wooden Atlantic City Speedway track on May 1 1926. Alternately known
as Amotal Raceway, due to its location on the site of the World War I
ammunition plant, the track site was roughly equidistant from Atlantic City and
Philadelphia, south of the New Jersey town of Hammonton. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Designed by Art Pillsbury and built by Jack
Prince, with the construction largely financed by Charles M. Schwab, the
chairman of Bethlehem Steel and a major investor in Stutz and a member of the
board of directors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Prince Construction Company completed construction of
the track on April 17 which featured 1780-foot long straightaways and a
dedicated Pennsylvania Railroad station adjacent to the main grandstand.
Advance reserve grandstand tickets sold for $4.40, $5.50 and $7.70, while box
seat prices ranged from $7.70 to $15.40. General admission to the infield cost
$2.20 with those ducats only available on race day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A breathless newspaper article in the <u>Philadelphia
Inquirer </u>days before practice opened predicted 100,000 fans and Gordon
Mackay wrote that “they would not be surprised if 300,000 spectators jammed
their way into the wooden amphitheater.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Atlantic City set the total purse at $30,000 with $12,000 to
the winner with second prize $6,000, and the remaining $12,000 divided and paid
down to the tenth place finisher. Interesting entries came from Ralph DePalma,
the 44-year winner of the 1915 Indianapolis ‘500,’ and two imported Bugatti
race cars entered by Philadelphia’s Charles M. Ward for Russian driver Baron Vladimir
de Rachewsky and French driver Count Jean Richard André de Marguenat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With 21 cars entered the track opened for practice on April
20, with qualifications set for Wednesday April 28, when cars demonstrated that
they could run the minimum lap speed of 130 MPH. It rained that morning and
Fred Wagner postponed time trials to Thursday April 29<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Later in the day however skies cleared, the track dried and
AAA officials opened the track for practice with the official timing clocks set
up. Bennett Hill blazed around the Atlantic City oval at 143.6 MPH which was
recognized as having officially eclipsed Bob McDonogh’s Culver City record-setting
lap. The <u>Philadelphia Inquirer</u> article reported that after his record
run, Hill remarked to it observers that “with no wind and the weather
conditions right, we could shoot them along at 150 MPH on this track.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The following day, April 29<sup>th</sup>, the top four
qualifiers – Hill, McDonogh, Pete Kreis, and Harry Hartz all reportedly ran
142.9 MPH, with McDonogh awarded the pole position followed by Hartz, Hill, and
Kreis. Cliff Woodbury rounded out the top twelve cars in speed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Thursday non-qualifiers included Jerry Wonderlich, who decided
to retire, while Dave Evans, DePalma, Frank Farmer and the pair of mysterious
Bugatti cars were too slow and had to return to run again on Friday to attempt
to set their place in the starting field. The Miller engine in Zeke Meyers’ car
broke a wrist pin and was unlikely to be repaired in time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Before the race on Saturday, the Stutz passenger car that
carried Charles Schwab, Stutz President Fred Moskowics and four other men on an
official inspection of the track broke through a “defective plank” in the track
and suddenly lurched to a stop. All of the occupants of the Stutz suffered cuts
and bruises, but no serious injuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The field of 16 cars that included Ben Jones’ Duesenberg
(formerly owned by Kreis), the Millers of Evans and Norm Batten, and Count de
Rachewsky in Ward’s Bugatti answered Wagner’s flag at 2 PM Saturday for 200
laps or 300 miles. The reported 80,000 fans saw McDonogh dominate the race as
he led the first 165 laps until he experienced tire troubles and had to pit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bob’s misfortune handed the lead to DePaolo who led for 28
laps in the Duesenberg until a problem forced DePaolo to momentarily slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry Hartz took the lead on lap 194 and led
the final seven circuits to win the $12,000 purse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hartz, who never made a pit stop, finished one second ahead
of DePaolo in two hours and fourteen minutes to establish a new standard for
300 miles of 134.091 MPH, which eclipsed DePaolo’s earlier Miami record by over
four miles per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McDonogh finished
third, a lap behind the leaders, 35 seconds ahead of Kreis in fourth. Ralph
Hepburn came home in fifth place, eight minutes behind Kreis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For the final tune-up before Indianapolis, Kreis drove the
first Miller front drive built, originally commissioned by the late Jimmy
Murphy, in the May 10<sup>th</sup> Confederate Memorial Day race on the 1-1/4
mile wooden oval in Charlotte North Carolina. Kreis started and finished in
seventh place, 17 laps behind the winner Earl Devore in the ‘Nickel Plate’
Miller as the top eight finishers all drove cars powered by 122-cubic inch
Miller engines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Kreis' </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Miller '122' was sold to Illinois garage owner Henry Kohlert who</span><span style="background-color: white;"> entered the former Milton Miller 122 at the “Elgin Piston Pin Special” for Legion Ascot Speedway veteran Fred Lecklider at Indianapolis in 1927, and then crashed the car during the race himself while driving in relief. The following year, Kohlert entered the “Elgin Piston Pin Special” for a young rookie, future 1935 ‘500’ winner Kelly Petillo who crashed the car in practice.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Despite the reported crowd of 40,000 fans, Charlotte officials
announced that this would be the final long-distance race at the track – future
events were to be a series of “sprint” events of 25, 50 or 100 miles each held
on the same day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Reporting on the race, Kreis’ hometown newspaper, the <u>Knoxville
News-Sentinel</u>, noted that Pete’s finish was “not bad considering that the
16 of the best drivers in the United States started the race.” The article
noted that “Pete has been running close in all the big races,” and opined that “he’ll
come out a winner one of these days.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Early press reports at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway erroneously
listed Kreis as the driver of a new Miller 91-1/2 cubic inch Miller front-drive
machine, as he had taken delivery of his new white #15 91-1/2 cubic inch
supercharged Miller rear-drive at the brick oval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pete got in few, if any, practice laps before
he was hospitalized with influenza which set in motion one of the most
astonishing “rookie driver” stories in Speedway history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Young racer Frank Lockhart had experienced good success as
he drove a Miller 183 to several important dirt track victories, but he had an
embarrassing start to his AAA championship career with his appearance at the
Culver City Speedway board track on the afternoon of February 19 1925. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lockhart made four warm-up laps on the Culver track’s
concrete apron at approximately 60 MPH, then he tried to move the car (which
Jimmy Murphy drove to his death) up the banking, but lost control spun and hit
the inside railing nose first. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">AAA starter Fred Wagner determined that the 21-year old “Boy
Wonder” lacked experience but to save him embarrassment in the press, officials
allowed Lockhart to withdraw. Frank Elliott replaced Lockhart as the driver.
Ironically, the race on February 22<sup>nd</sup> had to be red-flagged with 25
laps completed after Elliott crashed with Stuart Wilkinson and William Shattuc.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lockhart returned to terrorize the dirt tracks in a Miller
183-cubic inch powered car until he arrived at Indianapolis in 1926, tabbed as
a relief driver for the Miller factory-supported entries. Mid-way through the
month, Lockhart took a “test hop” in Bennett Hill’s new #16 Miller and amazed
bystanders when he posted lap speeds two MPH faster than Hill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As the critical time trials approached, Pete Kreis
contracted influenza and had to be hospitalized which left the seat in his brand-new
white #15 Miller open. After consultation with his friend Tommy Milton, Kreis
turned the new Miller over to Frank Lockhart for the race. In time trials on
Thursday May 27<sup>th</sup> Lockhart was a sensation and broke Peter DePaolo’s
one-lap record with his first lap of 114.752 MPH, then bettered that with his
second lap speed of 115.488 MPH. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, Frank could not complete the four-lap
ten-mile run as a tire failed on the third lap. After repairs, Frank made
another attempt later on Thursday, but a valve broke in the Miller engine and
cut that run short. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Released from Methodist Hospital on Friday, Kreis went to
the Speedway the following day to watch his car qualify. Lockhart, on his third
and final qualifying attempt on Saturday May 29<sup>th</sup>, posted a safe
four-lap average of 95.78 MPH, good enough to start the 1926 ‘500’ from 20<sup>th</sup>
starting position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2sZyaLWPLf4xRT8BTqrQYuepRWLP2PRSyhpJaCZ6K1NxvrGZLavcERAo5G-Ax-Itfs-I5XLY-NYI08BfEHv39zwD4B3d3mb9T8AH5uM4SqHQkv0oMHJWHe1kqjuEF6EKsfNb9YtUHKg/s512/lockhart+1926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2sZyaLWPLf4xRT8BTqrQYuepRWLP2PRSyhpJaCZ6K1NxvrGZLavcERAo5G-Ax-Itfs-I5XLY-NYI08BfEHv39zwD4B3d3mb9T8AH5uM4SqHQkv0oMHJWHe1kqjuEF6EKsfNb9YtUHKg/s0/lockhart+1926.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The official 1926 Indianapolis Motor Speedway</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">qualifying photo of Frank Lockhart in Pete Kreis' Miller</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Photo courtesy of the IUPUI University library</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Center for Digital Studies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway collection </span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On race day, May 30, 1926 it took “the Boy Wonder” just 60
laps to work his way through the field and take over the lead from Dave Lewis.
Lockhart led when the race stopped for the first time due to rain with 70 laps
completed. The race, halted for an hour, resumed as AAA officials used the results
on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>timing tape to restart the race
with the cars released from a standing start in intervals to have the same relative
positions as when the rains came. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As the race neared the halfway point, dark clouds gathered again
and Harry Hartz pushed past Lockhart into the lead but after just five laps in
the lead, Hartz pitted on lap 98. Lockhart resumed the lead and built up a
two-lap advantage over Hartz when the rains returned with the race stopped for
good with 160 laps completed. A high attrition rate perhaps due to the newness
of the 91-1/2 cubic inch cars, meant only 13 cars finished the 400 miles with
the final finisher driven by Thane Houser, flagged 58 laps behind the rookie
winner. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An interesting side story about the 1926 ‘500’ for racing
historians is that of the Duesenberg that Kreis drove in 1925 and sold to Ben
Jones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fred Duesenberg fitted the
chassis with an experimental supercharged two-cycle engine but with no time for
development and testing, the ground-breaking two-cycle engine arrived at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway untried. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Old-timers recalled that the two-cycle Duesenberg engine had
the loudest exhaust on the track, which the <u>Indianapolis News</u> described
as a “pleasing crack”. The team had considerable trouble starting the car each
day, and it was not fast. Jones, a 23-year old rookie, posted a best lap speed of
around 80 MPH before Peter DePaolo took some practice laps in the Duesenberg
two-cycle and edged the speed up to 94 MPH. After veteran Ralph Mulford squeezed
out a 95 MPH lap, Ben Jones qualified on May 28<sup>th</sup> with a four-lap
average speed of 92.142 MPH to start from the 18<sup>th</sup> starting
position. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">During the race, Jones’ car suddenly swerved and brushed the
wall on lap 54. Subsequent investigation found one axle broken and the engine
locked with one cylinder full of water. The Duesenberg factory in the midst of
designing and developing the Model “J” abandoned further development of the
two-cycle engine <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After the bittersweet 500-mile race, as he watched another
driver win the prestigious ‘500’ in his new car, Kreis traveled to Baltimore,
picked up his ill mother from John Hopkins Hospital and returned her home in
Knoxville. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">By winning the 1926 International 500-mile Sweepstakes, the
23-year old Lockhart became a famous and wealthy man, as the winner’s share of
the purse with lap prizes totaled $40,000 (equivalent to over half a million
dollars in 2020).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lockhart, Miller and Kreis
worked out a deal for Frank to purchase the ‘500’ winning car for Lockhart to race in the next AAA championship race on the boards, the
‘Flag Day Classic’ at Altoona Pennsylvania on June 12. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Unfortunately the engine in Lockhart’s Indianapolis-winning
machine suffered catastrophic failure in Altoona practice and Frank did not
race. Pete Kreis appeared at the Altoona race with no intention to drive and
the <u>Altoona Tribune</u> reporter described that Kreis appeared “a little
pale despite his six feet in stature.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Frank Lockhart entered the July 5<sup>th</sup> ‘Independence
Day Classic’ at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire but controversy erupted when D
H Jefferies the promoter of the AAA dirt track race at the West Texas Fair Speedway in Abilene Texas scheduled the same day stepped forward. Prior to the
Indianapolis ‘500,’ Harry Miller entered Lockhart for the Abilene race in a new
Miller 183 dirt car. “Lockhart’s first taste of fame,” the promoter claimed
“made him forget the dirt track contests.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lockhart claimed that he sent a 30-day notice letter of
cancellation to the Abilene promoter, and after considerable back and forth, on
June 27<sup>th</sup> the AAA Contest Board threatened to suspend Lockhart from
AAA events if he failed to meet his Abilene obligation. Besides Lockhart the
other “foremost racing stars” entered at Abilene included George Souders, Fred
Lecklider, and Texans Elbert ‘Babe’ Stapp and Harry Milburn. Lockhart complied
and a huge crowd of 10,000 fans saw Lockhart in the new Miller easily win both
the Abilene races he entered, the 20- and 30-mile dashes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kreis sat out much of the summer of 1926 as Harry Miller
completed Kreis’ new 91-1/2 cubic inch front-drive machine, and thus Kreis missed
the AAA races at Rockingham, Atlantic City and Charlotte. During this time,
Pete regained his strength and took a more active role in his family’s
engineering and construction company. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kreis’ new cream and red car, the fifth front-drive Miller
built, designated by the Miller factory as ‘2615-Y’ debuted in September at the
Altoona Pennsylvania board track. Pete started 15<sup>th</sup> in the 18-car
starting field while Lockhart started fifth and moved into the lead at the
50-mile mark of the 250-mile grind and beat Kreis to the finish line by a
minute and 21 seconds for his fourth win of the season, while Pete scored his
best-ever AAA finish. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After middle of the pack finishes in the pair of short
25-mile preliminary “sprint” races on October 12 at the 1-1/4 mile Rockingham
Speedway in New Hampshire, Kreis and his front-drive Miller #15 finished two
laps behind winner Harry Hartz in the 160-lap (200 mile) feature, as he edged
Leon Duray in a similar machine by 3/100 of a second at the finish line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hartz dominated the first 100 miles, then inherited the lead
after the leader Frank Lockhart’s Miller engine broke a connecting rod on lap
142. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his win, Hartz clinched the
1926 AAA driver’s championship. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1926 AAA season closed on November 11 at Charlotte which
used the preliminary and feature racing format. Kreis finished a distant fourth
place in his 25-mile “heat race,” then in the “semi” Kreis’ day ended early
with a broken supercharger after he started tenth in the 12-car field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At the end of the 1926 season, after he drove it in just
three races, Kreis sold his front-drive Miller to Tommy Milton, who dissembled
the machine and with the assistance of his friend and engineering partner,
Cornelius Van Ranst, rebuilt it as the ‘Detroit Special’ for the 1927
Indianapolis 500-mile race in a program funded by General Motor heir and race
driver Russell “Cliff” Durant. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Van
Ranst, an engine engineering genius had designed winning race cars for the
Frontenac and Duesenberg. The ‘Detroit Special’ built over the winter in a
basement laboratory of the 1-million square foot General Motors Building in
Detroit which gave the car its name. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The ‘Detroit Special’ featured the world’s first two-stage
supercharger invented by Dr. Sanford Moss of General Electric. Gases from the first
stage of the front-mounted supercharger made a long loop, then after the second
stage entered a long pipe that crossed over the hood to cool the charge air
before it entered the intake manifold. The Detroit power plant with 6-to-1
compression and a massive 42 foot pounds of supercharged boost boasted over 300
horsepower.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The car’s other innovation, courtesy of Van Ranst, was the
two-speed inline planetary transmission which transmitted power more smoothly
than the Miller front-drives, and Van Ranst’s design allowed easy changes of
the ring and pinion gears for gearing adjustments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Automaker E L Cord was so impressed by Van
Ranst and Milton’s work on the ‘Detroit Special’ transmission that he hired
them as consultants on the Cord passenger car front-drive system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Similar to the later ‘NOVI’ race cars, the ‘Detroit Special’
achieved blinding straightaway speed, but despite 60% of the weight on the
front axle experienced high tire wear, and as we shall see, the ‘Detroit
Special’ was star-crossed like the ‘NOVI.’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In a 1926 season shortened by illness and the delays waiting
for the delivery of his new Miller front drive car, Pete Kreis still managed to
finish ninth in the AAA championship with four top five finishes in ten race
appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we shall see in future
installments after 1926, Pete Kreis concentrated on the family business and
began to curtail his number of racing appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-64941158352592476482020-11-06T10:15:00.000-08:002020-11-06T10:15:35.960-08:00The Pete Kreis story Part one - background and his rookie year- 1925 <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Pete Kreis story<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part one </span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Background and his rookie year- 1925 </span></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TPcw0DDGq3HC873bluYfLan9t0l8xGuO6W5ppTKoCXw9AYkOtqxiiXh16s_bIrcR3blK6bWJQJyFGd841iRP_EEM0Px1N7fezluAEY3H5jf9A_Bl9MyDvh0dklgbJ9WKFUBBcTAlSqY/s770/pete+Kreis+1925+Duesenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TPcw0DDGq3HC873bluYfLan9t0l8xGuO6W5ppTKoCXw9AYkOtqxiiXh16s_bIrcR3blK6bWJQJyFGd841iRP_EEM0Px1N7fezluAEY3H5jf9A_Bl9MyDvh0dklgbJ9WKFUBBcTAlSqY/s640/pete+Kreis+1925+Duesenberg.jpg" /></a></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Young Pete Kreis posed in his Duesenberg</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Photo courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Center for Digital Studies</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection </i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Albert Jacob “Pete” Kreis is an intriguing figure to
automobile racing historians; described as a “Southern gentleman sportsman” at
the time, he competed purely for the love of sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After three seasons of board track racing,
for the last six years of his career, Pete only drove in one race a year – the
Indianapolis 500-mile race. Although he never won a race, Kreis’ career
intersected with many of the great names of racing from the mid-nineteen twenties
until his death in 1934 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Born into a generationally wealthy and prominent Knoxville
Tennessee family on January 19 1900, Kreis grew up as a child of privilege. His
grandfather, Harman Kreis, emigrated from Switzerland and fought in the American
Civil War as a Union cavalryman since East Tennessee tended to be pro-union. After
the war, Harmon worked as a timekeeper at the Knoxville Marble Company before
he went into the quarry business for himself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Harmon Kreis developed several quarries, and with a partner
founded the Appalachian Marble Quarry Company which innovated by floating huge
blocks of marble from their quarries on rafts down the Tennessee River to the
mills in Knoxville known then as “Marble City.” Harmon later served two years
as the reformist Sherriff of Knox County and died in 1937 at age 91.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pete’s father, entrepreneur John Alva Kreis, owned one of
the area's biggest dairy farms, the Riverside Dairy and Hatchery grew to become
a farm with 215 registered Holsteins, 35 employees and 12 delivery trucks. The
Riverside Hatchery housed 600,000 chicks and had an egg capacity of 300,000 per
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young man Pete helped out on
the farm; first he drove a horse-drawn delivery wagon, and later the farms’
first delivery truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">John Kreis also owned the eponymous national engineering and
contracting company which specialized in large railroad, levee and bridge jobs,
with customers that included the Southern, L&N and Missouri Pacific
railroads. Pete would later work with his father and older brother in
construction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pete, who adopted his nickname as young man, attended
Central High School in Knoxville and followed in the footsteps of grandfather
and father to become a champion skeet shooter and won many tournaments around
Knoxville. Some historians suggest that Kreis began racing on dirt tracks at
local county fairs but nearly a hundred years later the author found no records
of Kreis’ early automobile racing career, but he liked to drive fast. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On February 22 1924, Pete had an accident while on a test
drive which killed his passenger, 23-year old car salesman Carroll McCall. The
roadster Kreis drove, reportedly “at a lively clip” according to witnesses, missed
a curve and struck a bridge abutment, rolled over and pinned Kreis and McCall
in the wreckage. Rescuers found McCall dead and the steering wheel had to be
removed to free Kreis who went to the hospital with cuts and a shoulder injury.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Kreis and his father attended the inaugural race at the new
wooden Charlotte Speedway oval in October 1924 won by Tommy Milton. Pete’s
American Automobile Association (AAA) championship racing debut came at the new
Culver City 1-1/4 mile high-banked (50 degrees) board track, a few weeks before
Christmas in 1924 as a paying member of the four-car Duesenberg racing team. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In practice runs Bennett Hill and Harry Hartz ran
laps at the astonishing speed of 134 miles per hour (MPH) in their supercharged
Miller racers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">While his three Duesenberg teammates – Wade Morton, Peter
DePaolo, and Phil Shafer – all started the race, rookie Kreis is listed in AAA
records as one of two drivers who did not qualify for the 16-car starting
field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than 70,000 spectators saw Hill
win the 250-mile race over Hartz in just one hour and 58 minutes with the
phenomenal average speed of nearly 127 MPH.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Kreis returned to Culver City two months later, again as
part of the Duesenberg team, behind the wheel of the #35 supercharged
Duesenberg 122-cubic inch eight-cylinder machine. Kreis started at the rear of
the twenty-car field and finished in fifth place behind winner Tommy Milton,
who shaved 5-1/2 seconds off Hill’s December winning time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">This bizarre event started on February 22 but officials stopped
the race after 25 laps due to treacherous oily track conditions created by the
three-car crash of Frank Elliott, Dr. William Shattuc and Stuart Wilkinson. Stuart
received severe back injuries which caused the end of his short automobile
racing career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">When the AAA officials completely restarted the race on
Sunday March 1, drivers Elliott and Shattuc were in the field with their
repaired cars, along with Kreis, whose car carried a new crankshaft but Wilkinson
still hospitalized did not restart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kreis
ran as high as fourth place in the race until he stopped on lap 120 for a tire
change but Pete recovered to place fifth among the nine finishers due to the
high attrition rate,. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Kreis did not appear on the entry list for the April 19
Culver City 25- and 50-mile sprint races which included ten veteran drivers as Harry
Hartz established a new speed record for 50 miles of over 135 MPH. Pete skipped
the next race on the 1-mile Fresno Speedway board track, and raced next on
Monday May 11 on another 1-1/4-mile board track, the Charlotte Speedway in
Pineville North Carolina, about ten miles south of the City of Charlotte North
Carolina. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Charlotte Speedway featured 40-degree baked turns built
with an estimated 4 million board feet of lumber by the Prince Construction
Company of Oakland California. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remarkably,
the Charlotte Speedway which cost an estimated $450,000, received its charter
from the State in May 1924 and hosted its first race AAA championship race in
October, less than six months later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The promoters of the 1925 Confederate Memorial Day $25,000
250-mile race arranged with the Southern Railroad system to offer promotional
Pullman fare packages from Raleigh, Durham and Goldsboro in North Carolina as
well as from Selma Alabama and Chattanooga Tennessee. Reserved seats in the two
grandstands sold for $3.50 or $5.00 each, while 8-seat boxes sold for $8
each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The racers in the Fresno race all arrived via special
freight train, which included Bennett Hill, Earl Cooper, Frank Elliott, Harry
Hartz, Leon Duray, Peter <a name="_Hlk46679873">DePaolo, </a>and last year’s
Charlotte winner, Tommy Milton. Those stars were joined by eight others drivers
that included Wade Morton, Earl Devore, Phil Shafer and Kreis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">An estimated crowd of 50,000 fans saw Tommy Milton jump into
the lead in his Miller and hold on to the lead for the first 100 miles ahead of
Cooper and Duray. Over the next 60 miles, the machines of challengers Hill,
Elliott and Duray all retired and Harry Hartz moved into third place while
Milton led the pack with an average speed of 122.7 MPH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">As the leaders neared the 200-mile mark, Milton’s Miller
engine developed a miss, and Cooper surged into the lead on the 156<sup>th</sup>
lap. On lap 174, the ignition on Kreis’ Duesenberg failed and he retired to be
placed tenth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooper held on to win over
Hartz, Milton and Comer, with the highest placed Duesenberg driven by DePaolo
in fifth. Cooper banked $10,000 for the win, while Hartz received a check for
$5000 and Milton, $2750. The teams packed up to ship their cars by rail to
Indianapolis, with the cars expected to arrive in the Hoosier capital by May 15<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Duesenberg brothers entered three cars and drivers for
the 1925 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Pete Kreis drove the #35 with the other cars assigned to Peter DePaolo and LL
Corum – the fourth Duesenberg entry did not have a driver assigned initially,
but on May 12, Fred Duesenberg named Frenchman Antoine Mourre, who finished
ninth in his rookie ‘500’ appearance in 1924 behind the wheel of his own
Miller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On May 26<sup>th</sup>, 1925 Kreis qualified his #35
supercharged Duesenberg ninth fastest with an average speed of 106.338 MPH for
his four-lap ten-mile run, while the team leader DePaolo briefly held the track
record at 113.083 MPH Leon Duray’s run of 113.196 MPH edged DePaolo off the
pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mourre qualified for the middle of
the sixth row, but as Decoration Day neared pronounced himself displeased with
the handling of the #23 machine, withdrew, replaced by Wade Morton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">With only a 22-car starting field in 1925, there were a
number of driver substitutions before race day, as in addition to Mourre, there
were six other drivers that chose to withdraw their original mounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bennett Hill started the confusion when he withdrew
his Miller front drive (one of two built for the late Jimmy Murphy) in favor of
a conventional rear drive Miller originally qualified by Ray Cariens. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Dave Lewis replaced Cliff Durant, the son of General Motors
founder William Crapo Durant as the driver of the second Miller front drive
machine while Milton Jones replaced H.J. Skelly after he withdrew from the
Frontenac-Ford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ira Vail replaced Reginald
Johnson in a Miller and L.L. Corum, the 1924 ‘500’ co-winner stepped out the
Duesenberg he qualified in favor of Phil “Red” Shafer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">DePaolo dominated the early and late stages of the 1925
500-race, as he led 115 laps that included the final 27 circuits while Kreis is
credited with an eighth place in the third-highest placed Duesenberg. The common
denominator between DePaolo and Kreis was the essential driver of the day -
Norm Batten. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Augie and Fred Duesenberg tabbed Norm who had debuted the
previous season with the Duesenberg team at 31 years old at Syracuse, as the
team’s designated relief driver at Indianapolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Batten relieved eventual race winner DePaolo
for 22 laps mid-race, then jumped into the #35 machine in relief of Kreis on
lap 136 and drove to the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The AAA championship cars and stars traveled next to Altoona
Pennsylvania to compete in the 250-mile ‘Spring Classic’ at the fast
high-banked board track which had already claimed the lives of two prominent
racers – Howdy Wilcox I in the inaugural race in the fall of 1923, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe Boyer the 1924 Indianapolis co-winner the
previous fall. Kreis started 12<sup>th</sup> in the 18-car field and finished
sixth behind winner Peter DePaolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Kreis’ next appearance came on July 11 1925 at the 1-1/8
mile 48 degree banked original ‘Baltimore-Washington Speedway’ board track in
Laurel Maryland in the #35 Duesenberg. Another quickly built facility, the track’s
parent corporation was formed in February 1925. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">During the inaugural July 1925 race at Laurel, Kreis’ car
spun on the wooden banking without incident and Pete continued on until something
failed in the Duesenberg engine on lap 50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With his own car eliminated, Kreis relieved Duesenberg teammate Phil
Shafer until the #9 machine also experienced engine trouble and retired. 25-year
old Bob McDonogh took the checkered flag, 3.68 seconds ahead of DePaolo, but
Peter protested the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">A check of the scoring records overnight found that the
scorers missed one of DePaolo’s laps and the AAA officials declared Peter
DePaolo as the race winner, for his fourth straight win, as he had won a July 4<sup>th</sup>
non-points race held on the 1-1/4 mile dirt Rockingham Park Speedway in Salem,
New Hampshire. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The $600,000 facility, built on 360 acres, only hosted two
races before the corporation went bankrupt. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">A subsequent track operator staged occasional “outlaw”
(non-AAA) races sanctioned by the National Motor Racing Association at the
facility through 1926 until filing for bankruptcy the following year. After
another failed resuscitation attempt crews dissembled the board track facility
in 1928. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">A ½-mile paved track built in 1965 in nearby Beltsville
Maryland operated for the first year as the ‘Baltimore-Washington Speedway’ and
hosted a National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Grand National
late model stock car race won by Ned Jarrett. The following year the operators
changed than track name to Beltsville Speedway, and it operated under various
sanctions until 1978.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">23-year old Boston investment heir Harold L “Vic” Spooner,
who drove several practice laps at the Laurel oval, appeared as the only
representative of the Duesenberg team at the 250-mile “Autumn Classic” held
September 7th at Altoona Speedway in Tyrone Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Bob McDonogh won the Altoona race in Tommy Milton’s Miller which
ran non-stop without a caution. After the race, Bob became the godfather of a
nine-and-half pound baby boy born in the infield hospital prior to the race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spooner drove the car that his family
purchased from Wade Morton to an eight place finish 17 laps behind the winner. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Meanwhile the regular Duesenberg AAA team drivers – Peter DePaolo,
Tommy Milton and Kreis - were in Monza Italy for the 1925 Italian Grand Prix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Milton and Kreis were teammates in 122 cubic
inch Duesenbergs while DePaolo drove an Alfa Romeo P2. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In Italy, the officials set the starting field by car
numbers, and all three of the American drivers started in the middle of the 25-car
starting field that included 1913 Indianapolis 500-mile race winner Jules Goux.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Kreis recorded the race’s fastest lap of 3 minutes 38
seconds on the opening 6.2–mile long lap but crashed on the second lap and
placed last. Milton finished fourth in the marathon five and a half-hour long 496-mile
race, and edged out DePaolo by a minute and a half at the finish. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The 1925 AAA championship cars and stars returned to action
at the newly-built Rockingham Park Speedway board track in Salem New Hampshire
in early October. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During practice runs
on the 1-1/4 mile bowl on October 12, held in conjunction with the track’s
grand opening, Peter DePaolo ran a lap at 128 MPH, a speed which other drivers
including Spooner then took to the track to beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to the informal nature of the practice
session, a group of race car mechanics gathered close to the track surface in a
“dugout” to observe the action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">As Spooner’s car ran on the high side of the banking, above
the machine of William “Doc” Shattuc, a steering knuckle pin broke on the
Duesenberg’s front axle. The car wobbled then shot down the track as Dan Shaw,
the car’s mechanic, inexplicably ran from the “dugout” towards the track.
Spooner’s out of control Duesenberg pounded the inside rail and flipped high
into the air. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Duesenberg catapulted through the air with Spooner
thrown out, and the careening car struck Shaw before it came to rest in flames
which spread to the track surface. Officials pronounced the 24-year old Shaw
dead at the scene while Spooner suffered a fractured skull. The young Bostonian
survived but never raced again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In Rockingham practice on October 14<sup>th</sup>, Harry
Hartz ran a lap timed at 135 MPH, then in qualifying on October 15<sup>th</sup>
DePaolo smashed all previous speed records as he circled the 1-1/4 board track
in 32 3/5 seconds, for an astonishing lap speed of 138 MPH. Remarkable since it
would be 26 years before a car reached such a lap speed at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Milton, in his Duesenberg, timed in seventh fastest while Kreis
qualified in thirteenth place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Rain initially postponed the inaugural Rockingham board
track race scheduled for Saturday October 17<sup>th</sup> until Monday the 19<sup>th</sup>,
but on Monday rain won again and organizers set the make-up date for October 31<sup>st</sup>,
as the AAA had a race already scheduled in Laurel Maryland on October 26<sup>th</sup>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In the second race held during the 1925 season at the Baltimore-Washington
Speedway, Kreis’ Duesenberg fell out with unspecified mechanical troubles after
just 31 of the 222 laps as McDonogh won his second straight race, this time
behind the wheel of Tommy Milton’s second Miller numbered 14 but not without
trouble. Bob held a two-lap lead with twenty-five laps to go when the engine
began to sour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Miller engine
sputtered and backfired through the final laps as DePaolo closed but Bob held
on and won the race by 24 seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Back in Salem New Hampshire on October 31st, pole-sitter
DePaolo raced into lead and led for the first ten laps until fellow front-row
starter Bennett Hill surged into the lead which he held for the next 87 laps, until
the clutch in his Miller failed. Hill’s retirement handed the lead to Earl
Cooper. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cooper’s Miller ‘Junior 8’ held the point for twenty laps,
before DePaolo recaptured the lead and Peter led the remaining 83 laps and won
by a lap over Ralph Hepburn, the pilot of the Miller owned by Cooper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earl Cooper finished a lap behind his own car
in third place, and Pete Kreis’ Duesenberg in 11<sup>th</sup>, the last car
running, flagged with 160 laps completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On November 11, Tommy Milton won the AAA championship
circuit’s second visit to the Charlotte board track as engine failure
eliminated front-runners DePaolo and Hill. Kreis closed out his 1925 season as
he qualified twelfth and finished tenth, with 160 of the 200 laps completed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">With eight race appearances and a single top five finish scored
in his first race at Culver City, Pete Kreis finished 14<sup>th</sup> in the
1925 AAA driver standings, behind fellow rookies Ralph Hepburn in ninth and
Norm Batten who finished eleventh overall in AAA points with just three 1925 race
appearances. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">In our next chapter, we will look at Pete Kreis’ 1926 AAA
racing season. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-10057524739020758232020-10-29T12:18:00.004-07:002020-10-29T12:38:19.418-07:00First Maserati entries at the Indy '500'<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">First Maserati entries at the Indy '500'</span></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgssqkrqLLv8U_EKLKPsw9bgyMudHwBl9jIJHO527dh-Xe1T_SgGmqBlcwIned2qikrDMbzzCSShohIxd4iAgueQlktYdttEb0J5PMsxX1ZGGwr2eQEK_1Zfwu87NblTXIzklIP6B9FF8/s1920/Maserati-symbol-1920x1080.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgssqkrqLLv8U_EKLKPsw9bgyMudHwBl9jIJHO527dh-Xe1T_SgGmqBlcwIned2qikrDMbzzCSShohIxd4iAgueQlktYdttEb0J5PMsxX1ZGGwr2eQEK_1Zfwu87NblTXIzklIP6B9FF8/s320/Maserati-symbol-1920x1080.png" width="320" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Most racing fans are familiar with the maroon Boyle Racing Maserati 8CTF
driven by Wilbur Shaw that won the International 500-mile Sweepstakes back-to-back
in 1939 and 1940. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Shaw led 107 laps </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in the 1941 '500'</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> in his trusty </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Boyle Maserati</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> i</span><span style="font-family: arial;">n a bid to win three ‘500-mile races in a row, but a wire wheel collapsed and Wilbur and the Maserati crashed out on lap 152.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fewer know the story of the first Maserati entries at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway which came to the US in 1930. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After the purchase of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by a group
of investors who installed Eddie Rickenbacker as its President, Rickenbacker
pressed the American Automobile Association (AAA) to revise its rules for
championship racing, effective with the 1930 Indianapolis 500-mile race. These
new rules required two-seat bodies, riding mechanics, and non-supercharged
engines limited to a maximum displacement of 366 cubic inches (six liters) fitted
with a maximum of two carburetors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In 1929, the Maserati factory in an effort to maintain
competiveness, built the "Sedici Cilindri" (sixteen cylinder) Maserati
Tipo (type) V4 (V configuration engine 4 liters). The power plant was two 122
cubic inch (2 liter) inline 8-cylinder double overhead camshaft Maserati Tipo
26B blocks set on a common crankcase. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptCIThHjZxP7Dhr1xro5Puw5S44YJlI-8E7kh0jjXP7OnO3apD_pGayTrlWxjXOy_q5zJYN790qZ-XF2ra-kZl9bWjcvlyrkTlxrUMUWMOrImFuORlvyV_vkHq6JgOI9LpvHJKjd_HKs/s300/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptCIThHjZxP7Dhr1xro5Puw5S44YJlI-8E7kh0jjXP7OnO3apD_pGayTrlWxjXOy_q5zJYN790qZ-XF2ra-kZl9bWjcvlyrkTlxrUMUWMOrImFuORlvyV_vkHq6JgOI9LpvHJKjd_HKs/s0/unnamed.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Each engine was independent, with its own crank-driven
supercharger, magneto, 16 valves, a single Weber carburetor, twin oil pumps, water
pump, and the two individual crankshafts rotated clockwise and transmitted the estimated
280 horsepower through a central power take-off gear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Baconi Borzacchini (Baconino Francesco Domenico Borzacchini)
drove the Maserati Tipo V4 most frequently. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his service in the Italian army during
World War I, he first raced motorcycles before he moved to automobile hill
climb competitions in 1926.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Tipo V4 made its racing debut on March 24 1929 at the Tagiura
circuit in Libya in the 16-lap Tripoli Grand Prix. Baconi led for a time and
ran the race’s fastest lap of 11 minutes and 10.2 seconds but finished 54
seconds behind winner Gaston Peri’s Talbot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On April 21 1929 as a member of Maserati factory team,
Baconi drove a Tipo 26B and finished second in the non-championship race held
on the temporary Alessandria Circuit in the Piedmont region of Italy behind
Achille Varzi’s Alfa Romeo P2. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At Monza on September 15 1929 Alfieri Maserati, one of the
four Maserati car-building brothers, drove the Tipo V4 and placed well in the
preliminary heat race but did not finish the feature race. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Less than two weeks later, on September 28 1929, on a course
outside Cremona Italy, Baconi Borzacchini in the Maserati Tipo V4 set a new
flying 10-kilometer world land speed record of 152.9 MPH (miles per hour) for FIA
(Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Class C cars with 3-liter to 5-liter engine
displacement. The following day, in the Cremona Grand Prix, Borzacchini and the
V4 suffered a tire failure during the first 39-mile lap and did not finish the
race. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Baconi and the Maserati Tipo V4 returned to North Africa for
the 1929 season-ending Tunisian Grand Prix on the Bardo road course held on
November 17 1929. The V4 qualified second fastest behind René Lamy’s Bugatti,
jumped into the lead at the start and led the first six laps until it retired
with magneto failure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">To comply with the new Indianapolis rules, workers at the
Maserati factory removed the 4V engine’s superchargers, reworked the cylinder
heads to raise the compression ratio to 8.5:1 and installed a three-speed
gearbox with a reverse gear to meet the 1930 Indianapolis rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In March 1930, an Associated Press wire report mentioned
that the Maserati factory planned to enter a 16-cylinder race car in the annual Memorial Day classic to be driven by World Record holder Baconin Borzacchini with
Ernesto Maserati named as the co-driver. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway General Manager Theodore “Pop”
Myers announced receipt of the Maserati entry via overseas cable on March 19, 1930. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to W F Bradley, the American
Automobile Association (AAA) representative in Paris, the two nominated
drivers were in training for each to drive 250 miles “at sprint speed.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Before the 1930 Indianapolis '500' entries closed, a second Maserati entry arrived –
this one a straight-eight powered Maserati 26B serial number 15 driven and
owned by Letterio Cucinotta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Letterio’s father
died when he was young and his mother remarried Antonio Piccolo a wealthy textile
manufacturer. Cucinotta’s three stepbrothers - Mario, Carmelo and Giuseppe
Piccolo - also drove racing cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cucinotta arrived in Indianapolis first, on May 12 and began
to familiarize himself with the giant 2-1/2-mile brick surfaced oval while Borzacchini
arrived with the Tipo V4 on May 20. With the first day of time trials set to begin May 24, the Associated Press article noted that Baconi “has a period of
intensive work ahead of him if he is to get his big car in shape in time” to
make the planned 40-car starting field <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A tidbit in the <u>Indianapolis Star’s</u> “Speedway Gossip” column
written by Blaine Patton revealed that Cucinotta, who wore a red helmet and was
known as “the red bull” in his homeland, had been nicknamed “Piccolo Pete” by
his fellow drivers. Patton reported that Letterio “accepted the nickname with a
smile and nod and attempted to learn to pronounce his nickname in English.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Neither of the Maserati entries made a time trial attempt during the opening weekend. Baconin brought the 16-cylinder car out for three practice
laps just before the track closed on Saturday. He returned to the track on
Sunday and the Indianapolis Star reported that Baconin “had a brush” with
Russell Snowberger’s Russell Eight Special which had qualified the day before. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Blaine Patton wrote of the Maserati Tipo 4V in the <u>Indianapolis Star</u>
that the “foreign car had plenty of speed on the straightaways but its driver (Baconi) was cutting off on the turns to learn the track.” The article closed by stating
“he probably could have qualified but decided to wait until later.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqbQ-ZjbXXWegSNNgT2JX_M7zRM_NLzOhJ0v2IW3bzUktlIiEimHEpfWtl1mUJydRtrlk4bfiGYIjXAZ3jyRnaXVOiLkJilOIhQwJY_QJgTx9ZND_y_r-ClZC75f9_ltjsLnAkJsESzc/s640/Baconi+1930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqbQ-ZjbXXWegSNNgT2JX_M7zRM_NLzOhJ0v2IW3bzUktlIiEimHEpfWtl1mUJydRtrlk4bfiGYIjXAZ3jyRnaXVOiLkJilOIhQwJY_QJgTx9ZND_y_r-ClZC75f9_ltjsLnAkJsESzc/s320/Baconi+1930.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Borzacchini and Rossi </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway </span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Both Borzacchini and Cucinotta qualified on Tuesday afternoon,
May 27<sup>th</sup>, along with four other drivers. Wilbur Shaw led the day’s
qualifiers with a four-lap average of 106.172 MPH and would start from the
twenty-fifth position, while Baconin, with his riding mechanic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James “Jimmy” Rossi, ran the timed ten miles at
an average speed of 95.213 MPH for the 28<sup>th</sup> starting position on the inside
of the tenth row. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ud2nESCGZvvbDRo8mBdS1nbBJgFR6JJ42_hfFt12atzV12UvI2dW8Wju2AEdKolxZb6OCIOS4lHAKEHkedTC9GeYr6M4rwxsHQMorIyFOH7xHZT99DOVKfXBN1h70FqcPbwnymjN4OE/s545/letterio+1930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ud2nESCGZvvbDRo8mBdS1nbBJgFR6JJ42_hfFt12atzV12UvI2dW8Wju2AEdKolxZb6OCIOS4lHAKEHkedTC9GeYr6M4rwxsHQMorIyFOH7xHZT99DOVKfXBN1h70FqcPbwnymjN4OE/s320/letterio+1930.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;">Letterio and Petillo</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway</span></div><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Letterio slotted into the 30th starting position (outside of
the tenth row) with his 4-lap run of 91.584 MPH, accompanied by his riding
mechanic, a 26-year old Californian of Italian descent named Cavino Michelle “Kelly”
Petillo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Petillo had attempted to qualify for the 1928 Indianapolis
500-mile race, but crashed in practice, and since then established his
reputation as an AAA “big car” racer at Legion Ascot Speedway. Petillo, of
course, would win the 1935 Indianapolis 500-mile race in his own Offenhauser
powered car. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Before the 1930 race, the radio announcers of the local Indianapolis
radio station WFBM AM 1230 tasked to broadcast updates from the race met with reporters from the <u>Indianapolis Star</u> to learn the pronunciation
of “Baconin Borzacchini” and “Letterio Cucinotta.” Despite the preparation, the
following day <u>the Indianapolis Star</u> humorously reported that “the announcers had more than a
little difficulty making ‘Borzacchini’ and ‘Cucinotta’ sound like anything but static
on the air.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Memorial Day, the flat red #26 16-cylinder Maserati
encountered problems early and pitted on the fourth lap with ignition problems.
Borzacchini turned the car over to his mechanic Rossi to try and diagnose the
problem, but the 4V retired from the race permanently on lap seven with magneto
problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Maserati factory entry
placed 36<sup>th</sup> in the 38-car field and won $285. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cucinotta, on the other hand doggedly hung in with his Tipo
26B Maserati, which was at times the slowest car on the track. An hour after
winner Billy Arnold took the checkered flag in the Miller-Hartz, officials
flagged the red #47 Maserati off the track with 185 laps completed, and awarded </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Letterio</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> twelfth place with $510 in consolation money. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The two Italian race car drivers and their Maserati race cars returned to
Italy. Later in 1930, the Maserati 4V was sold and later fitted with a sports car body. Today the car reportedly still retains that body as well as the original chassis and engine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaRpNY8YpS1XtWuitpj4l5zVQFHZU1FdIa5BLQ-iLoxW46laTde7CaA-UDQKkdqLsP0JLOk8XvfHuHJIj1Cpxxyw_r7I8qcu3ewPmFB5BywZljU0okWAtoYT-THEjYolTNDCG-qXH_Gg/s1508/1929_Maserati_TipoV416Cilindri-0-1536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="1508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaRpNY8YpS1XtWuitpj4l5zVQFHZU1FdIa5BLQ-iLoxW46laTde7CaA-UDQKkdqLsP0JLOk8XvfHuHJIj1Cpxxyw_r7I8qcu3ewPmFB5BywZljU0okWAtoYT-THEjYolTNDCG-qXH_Gg/s320/1929_Maserati_TipoV416Cilindri-0-1536.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Neither Baconin nor Letterio returned to Indianapolis, and it
would be seven years before the Maserati name returned to the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway when Henry “Bob” Topping entered his 1936 Maserati supercharged V8-powered
V8Ri chassis number 4503 for veteran Elbert “Babe” Stapp which finished 31<sup>st</sup>
after clutch failure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-65136617162504986152020-10-20T09:41:00.001-07:002020-10-20T09:41:16.193-07:00The 1931 Pismo Beach World Record Trials<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><font face="arial"><b><font color="#0b5394" size="6">1931 Pismo Beach </font></b></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><font face="arial"><b><font color="#0b5394" size="6">World Record Trials</font></b><font size="5"><o:p></o:p></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial"><b><font size="6"><br /></font></b></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial"><b></b></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="arial"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92zmred83X4OarA77rojjZr9vKtVlXbTLdlsNh-JaBKA_l6BDq6u7RtI081K4evopAPLZ3ei_V710Qx3CDTDa9PLfroIgL5DYkHqi1IE41ROWZOu7PdfCSbIBQSD_PxX8hYOrT-g5RNA/s1200/1931_8_30_PISMO-BEACH_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="883" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92zmred83X4OarA77rojjZr9vKtVlXbTLdlsNh-JaBKA_l6BDq6u7RtI081K4evopAPLZ3ei_V710Qx3CDTDa9PLfroIgL5DYkHqi1IE41ROWZOu7PdfCSbIBQSD_PxX8hYOrT-g5RNA/s320/1931_8_30_PISMO-BEACH_1.jpg" /></a></b></font></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial"><b><font size="6"><br /></font></b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In 1769 the Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola led an
expedition to explore the Central California coast. The explorers encountered Chumash
Indians who found the Indians used tar, which the natives called 'pismu' to seal
the joints in their tomols (wooden plank canoes). In the latter part of the
nineteenth century, John M. Price’s Pismo Beach Company subdivided the area and
created the town of Pismo Beach. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Tourism became the basis of the economy of the area with Pismo
Beach advertised as “the Clam Capital of the World” or “Clam City” due to the
large-sized ocean clams native in the area. The town fathers were on constantly
on the lookout for promotional opportunities to increase tourism. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In the
monthly meeting of the San Luis Obispo County Unity Committee meeting in June
1931, Fred Swartz secretary of the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce presented a
report of progress for the proposed “auto speed classic” be held on the beach <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Swartz revealed that in an important step forward developer
Harold Guiton agreed to dismantle the abandoned Oceano pier south of Pismo
Beach, so at low tide there would be a 300-foot wide seven-mile long stretch of
beach available for racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In the summary his report, Swartz listed three items to still
be resolved in order to hold the races. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">First the required formation of the
Pismo Beach Oceanside Speedway and Racing Corporation (the Corporation). </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Second,
the County District Attorney needed to draft a resolution for the Board of
Supervisors to approve to grant the Corporation the right to use Pismo Beach
for racing. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Third, the organizers needed to obtain “a list of instructions for
the races” from Arthur C Pillsbury the West Coast Regional Director for the
American Automobile Association (AAA) Contest Board. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Pillsbury, an independently wealthy Southern California
racing official, ruled the West Coast for the AAA Contest Board with an iron
fist. Pillsbury, a New England native and graduate structural engineer, migrated
to California and wound up the Engineer for the City of Beverly Hills and laid
out the City’s original plat plan. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In 1910 Pillsbury, in partnership with Jack
Prince, also designed and built the 1-mile circular Los Angeles Motordrome
board track in Playa del Rey, and later the nineteen twenties’ Beverly Hills
and Culver City board tracks as well as the design and construction of most of
the country’s board tracks used for auto racing. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The <u>Pismo Times</u> newspaper reported that on June 15,
the County Board of Supervisors “found it to be of interest to the County that
the project be furthered,” and authorized the Corporation to use the tide lands
of Pismo Beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the plan
submitted to the Supervisors, “the entire beach will be policed and an area
defined beyond which the public is not permitted.” <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The Board of Supervisors heard that on the day of the event,
officials of the AAA “will handle the supervision, starting, technical
inspection, timing and scoring will certify the results to send to Washington.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Corporation planned to hold beach races
semi-annually – in August and January – with the exact dates determined of
course by the tides.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">On June 19, the <u>Pismo Times</u> reported on the
organization of the Corporation, with eight directors nominated that included attorney
Richard Cummings of Los Angeles, local dairyman John Shannon (elected
President), Santa Barbara hotelier Frank Miratti, Schwartz of the Chamber of
Commerce, Vaughn Scott developer from Atascadero, and WT Massengill of the
Pacific Railroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Other directors named
were Edward Grey of Pacific Properties, Charles Kelly of the local power
company, the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation, and R C Itjen a Pismo Beach
resident. The last two directors, John Plessas and DA Terradell, were added
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In the July 10<sup>th</sup> edition of the <u>Pismo Times</u>
published a letter dated June 29<sup>th</sup> from Pillsbury addressed to the
Corporation that stated that Richard Cummins advised him that beach conditions
would be best on August 29<sup>th</sup> and 30<sup>th</sup>, but added “it is
impossible for me to schedule until I know the amount of money you will post
for the two days of speed trials.” <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Pillsbury added that “any number of speed trials could be
held if sufficient funds are available. Naturally the larger the purse the more
attractive program could be arranged. If your prize money is sufficiently large
to justify eastern drivers making the trip here,” Pillsbury offered to send out
“special notices of inducement.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Pillsbury’s letter also outlined that a minimum of five
miles of beach will be required to be divided as “two miles to speed up, the
measured mile, and two miles to stop.” Pillsbury closed his letter with a quote
of $250 a day for the AAA sanctioning fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pillsbury attached an AAA sanction application to his letter, and noted
that when “signed and returned with a check for $500, publicity can then start
and the event scheduled on our racing calendar.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, the Corporation posted a total of
$2000 in cash prizes with an added bonus of $500 to any car that broke an
existing record. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The Corporation held its first board meeting on July 7<sup>th</sup>
1931 during which the Board assigned roles, and passed a resolution to offer
2500 shares of capital stock at $20 a share. The Board also adopted the revised
Articles of Incorporation to create a corporation with limited liability. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Under
California limited liability law, this meant that no individual shareholder
could be found personally liable for the debts of the corporation. The board pushed
the decision to set the event dates to their next meeting but authorized the hiring
of Leland C, Lewis of the <u>Los Angeles Evening Herald</u> to handle publicity
for the event. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">On July 21, H Kirby Shellaby, the assistant Regional Director
for the AAA Contest Board, visited Pismo Beach to inspect the beach conditions
and its suitability of racing. His letter to the Chamber of Commerce stated his
opinion that the beach “lends itself splendidly to the staging of speed trials”
due to “the concrete-like smoothness of Pismo Beach, together with its extreme
length and width.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">That same day, Pillsbury wrote a letter that directed the
Chamber of Commerce to hire engineers “to survey the course using precise
measurements and establish permanent points at the two ends of the measured
mile,” and furnish Pillsbury a small sketch and an affidavit. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The Corporation board met again and formally set the date
for the one-day “Pismo Beach World Record Trials” for Sunday August 31 1931.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the California Division of Corporations
issued permit 52450LA to allow the Corporation to sell and issue securities,
the entire offering of 2500 shares quickly sold out. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">On July 24<sup>th</sup> the Corporation board voted to hire
Shellaby as the manager, or “Director General” of the Pismo Beach races.
Shellaby first came to public notice as the manager of aviation daredevil and
stunt pilot Ormer Locklear. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">After Locklear’s death while he performed a stunt
for the film <u>The Skywayman</u>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shellaby
worked with Pillsbury in management of the Beverly Hills and Culver City board
tracks before he moved east in 1925 to manage the wooden Rockingham Speedway in
New Hampshire. With that track’s demise in 1928, Kirby returned to the West
Coast to work for the AAA Contest Board as Pillsbury’s assistant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">A month before the trials, Shellaby arrived in Pismo Beach, set
up his office in the Chamber of Commerce and mailed out entry blanks to drivers
that included Dave Evans and Francis Quinn Forms were also sent to car owners,
most notably Harry Hartz, whose car won the 1930 Indianapolis 500-mile race and
“Hollywood” Bill White. Shellaby supervised the work of the surveyors as they
laid out the course that started south of the “Ward Pier,” today known as the
Pismo Beach Pier, and ran south to Oceano. <o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr3der53FyP8Dvrdla3kC5jnJY4_n0HtgkApkhhPjdzJqiTZKcp-ZgxPAIM90H5zsGeM_7L0IxzuDpT4kkUlC2tEWlDXYnWXubpY_8yPF7jLeqBTkR8LSm_TjklJ1_S8sLUFR3wYTTZE/s5411/The_Santa_Maria_Daily_Times_Sat__Aug_29__1931_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5123" data-original-width="5411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr3der53FyP8Dvrdla3kC5jnJY4_n0HtgkApkhhPjdzJqiTZKcp-ZgxPAIM90H5zsGeM_7L0IxzuDpT4kkUlC2tEWlDXYnWXubpY_8yPF7jLeqBTkR8LSm_TjklJ1_S8sLUFR3wYTTZE/s320/The_Santa_Maria_Daily_Times_Sat__Aug_29__1931_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial" size="5"><br /></font><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Less than two weeks before the event, the <u>Pismo Times </u>reported
that crews were scheduled soon to remove the pilings of the disused Oceano pier
and erect the grandstands at the south (Oceano) end of the course. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Another article noted the start of advance ticket
sales by mail, with choice reserved seats (located behind Fred Wagner’s starter
stand) priced at $1.50 and unreserved seats $1.00 apiece. Famed AAA drivers
Hartwell “Stubby” Stubblefield and Francis Quinn stopped in Pismo Beach on
their way to race August 16 in San Jose and met the race committee members and reviewed
the course. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Meanwhile Leland C, Lewis churned out a series of flowery
press releases. As an example, the article in the August 22<sup>nd</sup>
edition of the <u>Oakland Tribune</u> stated that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on Sunday, August 30, Pismo Beach extends itself to the goddess of
speed in its invitation for open record competition on the straightaway strand
of San Luis Obispo County. Pismo Beach presents its natural five-mile course as
a maelstrom in the midst to a turbulent group to race car builders who have
grasped this opportunity as the long awaited chance to definitely ascertain the
maximum velocity which motors can propel.” <o:p></o:p></i></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The article noted that with “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prizes of both gold and glory as bait to America's racing fraternity,
the Clam City Chamber of Commerce is preparing to welcome the most colorful and
complete entry list ever to signify intentions of attacking straightaway speed
records.” </i><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Hyperbole aside, the ‘World Speed Trials,’ issued AAA
sanction number 2540, boasted an impressive line-up of AAA Pacific Southwest
drivers that included Francis Quinn, the defending AAA Pacific Southwest
champion, Stubby Stubblefield, and Ernie Triplett, the current leader (and
eventual champion) of the 1931 AAA Pacific Southwest title chase. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Avrol Brunmier (whose given name and surname were frequently
misspelled) led the list of Legion Ascot Speedway stars entered along with Mel
Kenealy, Les Spangler, Al Gordon, Chet Gardner, and Kelly Petillo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notables rounding out the 26-car entry list
were Chris Vest, Byron “Speed” Hinkley , Danny DePaolo, the younger brother of
1925 Indianapolis ‘500’ winner Peter DePaolo in the “Gilmore Lion,” George
“Swede” Smith, and young Nick Martino in the Hooker Special.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Most of the cars and drivers aimed to break the American
Class C record for cars with unsupercharged engines that displaced between
183-305 cubic inches. The late Jimmy Murphy established the record of 122.615
miles per hour (MPH) for the “flying mile” and 122.77 MPH for the “flying
kilometer” set at Daytona Beach Florida in the Meteor-Duesenberg on April 27
1920.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The cars entered to challenge the Class C record at Pismo
Beach included Art Sparks’ ‘Sparks Special,’ driven by Brunmier, Quinn’s own 200-cubic
inch Miller Marine “151’ engine powered car, the new ‘Cragar Special’ built by
Harlan Fengler for Stubblefield, and the ‘Tucker Tappet Special’ a Miller
chassis powered by a bored-out four-cylinder Ford block topped with a double
overhead camshaft Cragar cylinder head. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">James Wade of Chicago owned the ‘Tucker Tappet Special’ maintained
by Clay Ballinger and entered for Triplett. Quinn drove the car with a two-man body
in the 1931 Indianapolis 500-mile race, then Triplett drove it in a single-seat
configuration later in 1931 in AAA championship races at Detroit, Roby Indiana
and Syracuse. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Bill White owned Chet Gardner’s entry, a narrow 91-cubic
inch Miller chassis equipped with an unsupercharged 183-cubic inch Miller
Marine engine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The previous year,
Stubblefield set new American Class D record in the same chassis, equipped with
a supercharger for the mile and kilometer at Muroc Dry Lake.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Petillo entered the ‘Tri-Flex Special’ a car powered by a
176 cubic inch four-cylinder Ford engine with a 16-valve (four valves per cylinder)
Frontenac cylinder head to lead the class of cars that displaced less than 183
cubic inches that also included entries from Johnny Kreiger, George Weber and Earl
Woodford. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Parker Abbott, the Southern California sales manager for
Reo, entered the ‘Reo Special’ a semi-stock entry powered by a straight-eight
358-cubic inch power plant. The Reo was only car entered at Pismo Beach that aimed
to break the existing class record for cars with engines that displaced above
305 cubic inches. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">After the Wednesday night August 27<sup>th</sup> race at
Legion Ascot, won by Brunmier, practice on the Pismo Beach course began on
August 28.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Timed by hand held stop watches,
“Speed” Hinkley in the Miller powered ‘Kingsley Special’ reportedly eclipsed
the existing record with Triplett and Gardner not far behind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, Hinkley’s car soon encountered
mechanical troubles and was withdrawn before the event.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="arial" size="5"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcw71mg0YUj3MQWEiWbt9uFVUQ2ygr8ugdbHmjjLNDyOPvW1b0L7NiXaXliT8RzINKsL170NzrwwLDJUvQzKB-MgODNRTRJ05Vus4AqTWP4_e81xq-SlHFHbtPqo1v9AtrIL9OzVRAlA/s6219/Tulare_Daily_Times_Sun__Aug_30__1931_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6219" data-original-width="3733" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcw71mg0YUj3MQWEiWbt9uFVUQ2ygr8ugdbHmjjLNDyOPvW1b0L7NiXaXliT8RzINKsL170NzrwwLDJUvQzKB-MgODNRTRJ05Vus4AqTWP4_e81xq-SlHFHbtPqo1v9AtrIL9OzVRAlA/s320/Tulare_Daily_Times_Sun__Aug_30__1931_.jpg" /></a></font></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Sunday August 30 dawned with the full AAA event staff in
place. Barney Oldfield made his appearance as the honorary timer, with Fred
Betz as the chief timer assisted by electrician Harold Harper, who installed
the electric timing lights and the public address system. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">George Stephenson head of the technical committee had made
initial inspections of the race cars. If a car set a new record, it would be
subjected to a more thorough inspection to tear down and confirm the engine
displacement. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Asa Porter, a member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of
Supervisors from Arroyo Grande served as the race’s honorary referee, while
Clarence Beesemyer, vice-president of the Gilmore Oil Company acted as the
Chief Steward and Referee, and Frank Hood the chief scorer assisted by Charles
Morris. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The schedule of events for August 30 called for seven racing
events on the Pismo Beach. Each car would make runs through the measured mile course
from a flying start in each direction, with the fastest twelve cars advanced to
the following events which were termed “match races.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">In five of the “match races,” a heat of four cars would
accelerate north up speed through a mile, race through the measured mile, slow
down, turn around a barrel, and race back south through the measured mile to
the finish. The sixth featured race of the day, the “barrel race” called for
the racers to complete three laps around the measured mile with the course
marked with barrels at either end to create a two-mile course. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Nearly ninety years later, it is hard to imagine that the
AAA Contest board sanctioned and the racers agreed to the “barrel races,” given
the challenges of turning a speeding “big car” around 180 degrees on the 300-foot
width of the flat hard-packed beach. Perhaps the inclusion of the “match races”
explains why eight of the originally entered cars did not appear, notably the
machines of Al Gordon, Francis Quinn, Les Spangler and the Hooker Special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Only four cars appeared for the class for cars that
displaced less than 183 cubic inches – Charles Gelston, Kreiger, Petillo, and the
‘Rasor Special’ driven by “Swede” Smith did not start<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To compound the car shortage, the 183 – 305
cubic inch machines driven by Mel Kenealy, Frank Whitty, and George Conners did
not start either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">With the event scheduled to start at 1 PM, the first car did
not make a run down the beach until nearly 3 PM after the tide retreated
sufficiently. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only fifteen eligible cars
in the three classes made at least one timed run, and Chet Gardner’s 183-cubic
inch Miller #47 broke a ring gear and did not complete its return run. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cars continued to make runs through the
afternoon, while the organizers urged the AAA officials to start the “match
races.” The first “match race” did not start until after 6 PM, after the
departure of many of the estimated eight thousand fans, chilled by the late
afternoon wind blowing in off the Pacific Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">At the end of the day’s timed runs, four new unofficial
American records were set. Ernie Triplett unofficially reset the American Class
C flying mile record at 130.647 MPH (with Stubblefield second at 125.35 MPH
that also exceeded Murphy’s old record. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stubblefield unofficially reset the American
Class C flying kilometer record at 131.12 MPH that edged out Triplett’s best of
129.23 MPH over the flying kilometer. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Kreiger unofficially reset the flying mile record at 123 MPH
for the 122 to 183 cubic inch class in the ‘Western Super Special,’ and Parker
Abbott unofficially reset the flying mile record at 104 MPH for the 305 – 488 cubic
inch semi-stock class record in the 358 cubic inch ‘Reo Special.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The first one-lap “match race” featured the day’s four
fastest qualifiers with cars driven by Brunmier. Kreiger, Stubblefield, and
Triplett. Considering the fact that the racers covered the flying mile in less
than thirty seconds, the pace of the one-lap race was slow, as Brunmier won
over Triplett in a time of one minute - 25 4/5 seconds. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Kelly Petillo in the ‘Tri-Flex Special’ won the second 2-lap
“match race” for cars that qualified fifth through eighth in the time of one
minute-42-2/5 seconds. Bill Page won the fourth event, a one-lap two-mile
affair for the four slowest qualifiers as he drove the “Golden State Special.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brunmier beat Triplett in the second two-mile
heat race for the fastest four cars. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The featured “barrel race,” open to the fifth through
twelfth qualifiers, only featured seven starters lined up across the beach at
the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris Vest won in the #12 ‘Moore
Special’ owned by Lloyd Moore of San Dimas over early leader Petillo, the only
other driver to finish. As darkness fell, the organizers set bonfires along the
beach for the day’s final race, the third one-lap heat race for the four
fastest qualifiers. Stubblefield won this last race on the “Golden Strand” over
Triplett over and Brunmier. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Articles in the hometown <u>Pismo Times</u> were effusive in
their praise of the event, but the rival weekly <u>Arroyo Grande Valley Herald-Recorder</u>
published a harshly critical report. Under the headline “Public Gypped on
Races,” the article opened with the statement that the speed trials “may have
been a great success from the point of view of AAA officials but as far as the
spectators were concerned it was a decided flop.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">According to the <u>Herald-Recorder</u> writer, “no
consideration was given to the people who had paid their money….to see car
compete against car.” The article closed with the statement “when such events
are staged, the public should get a square deal – and the decidedly DID NOT
Sunday.” <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Despite the Corporation‘s original plans for semi-annual
events, racing never occurred again on Pismo Beach though the local Veterans of
Foreign Wars post built a ¼-mile dirt track close to the Beach in 1956 that briefly
hosted jalopy races. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Wilbur Shaw eclipsed Triplett’s flying mile record at Muroc
Dry Lake in March 1932 with Shaw’s record subsequently beaten by Harry Hartz in
March 1933. The story of the Muroc record runs can be found in the July 2017
archive of this blog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-86773412837925861572020-10-13T12:00:00.002-07:002020-10-13T12:00:18.958-07:00Hal Minyard 1948 Southern California Midget Racing Association champion <h1 style="text-align: center;"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font color="#b51200" face="arial" size="6"><b>Hal Minyard </b></font></span></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="6"><b>1948 Southern
California Midget Racing Association Champion</b></font></span></h2><div><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font size="6"><b><br /></b></font></span></div><div><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font size="6"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGf-OrjtY4Q6ta-I7_dL9LMl3NI2Ynqxq5BqfOrYGwmJsAeWKM0Wse1QEn7kUY__eKMzQTXmgDPGoowDrRAp67R0al7_tyth2Da__fwivMDn6e0SfEjzDDa-x4ehqPr0nKyl4peEO_m4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGf-OrjtY4Q6ta-I7_dL9LMl3NI2Ynqxq5BqfOrYGwmJsAeWKM0Wse1QEn7kUY__eKMzQTXmgDPGoowDrRAp67R0al7_tyth2Da__fwivMDn6e0SfEjzDDa-x4ehqPr0nKyl4peEO_m4/" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></font></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Southern
California Midget Racing Association (SCMRA) formed early 1948 with 'Speed' Boardman
as the club president while racer Jerry Curry served as the business manager. <span> </span>Jim Rae, Offenhauser Engineering employee Al Long,
driver Hal Minyard and car owner Willie Childers were board members. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This club appealed
to racers whose equipment, typically powered by Ford V8-60 engines, was not
quite fast enough to challenge the United Racing Association or American
Automobile Association regulars, might best be characterized as the Southern
California midget “minor league.”<span> </span>The
club scheduled races at 5-H Speedway and considered bookings at the Firestone
Boulevard Motordrome (aka Don-Mar Speedway) and DeAnza Speedway in Riverside,
but races at those two venues apparently never came to fruition. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Boardman, from
Burbank, was active in 1945 and 1946 with the United Midget Association, and won
a midget race at the small Lincoln Park Stadium track in 1946. In September
1947 while racing at Balboa Stadium in San Diego with the URA “Red Circuit” for
non-Offenhauser powered midgets, Boardman flipped in successive weeks and both
times wound up in the same hospital room. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Harold E ‘Hal’ Minyard
born in 1925 in South Gate California, started his racing career in soap box
derby cars, then before the war worked on and tested “junior midget cars”
powered by modified washing machine engines. Hal enlisted in the United States
Army in 1943 and after his military service, he raced during 1946 and 1947 with
the United Racing Association (URA) in select “Red Circuit” races in a Ford
V8-60 powered midget owned by Vern Boone.<span>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The SCMA (the group
frequently dropped the “R”) scheduled their first race at the 5-H Ranch
Speedway in Roscoe (today known as Sun Valley) at the corner of Sunland
Boulevard and San Fernando Road north of North Hollywood. After World War 2
ended, real estate investor Paul Holland purchased the property and with his
wife and three children developed it into a full-service equine facility.<span> </span>The 5-H Ranch started by offering horse
boarding and training then Holland added a lighted rodeo arena with bleacher
seating for 7000 that also hosted open-air community dances.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In late 1946
Holland added a restaurant and cocktail lounge to the 5-H Ranch complex then in
early 1947 opened the “Pony Express Saddle Shop” that sold tack and western
clothing.<span> </span>During the winter of 1947-1948
the 5-H Ranch added a banked 1/5-mile dirt track with a 4000 seat grandstands.
The track known variously as the “5-H Ranch Speedway” or simply the “5-H
Speedway” opened in January 1948 with a 25-lap hot rod roadster race presented
by American Sports Cars Inc. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The inaugural
5-H Ranch automobile race featured entries from the 1947 American Sports Cars
Inc. <span> </span>series champion Chuck Burness and runner-up
George Seeger, <span> </span>“Hook” Klein (the pride
of Pacoima), Bob Bayer and local Roscoe racer Bill LaRoy who drove a
“four-barrel Plymouth.” <span> </span>Burness won the
feature as he edged Bill Stevens and Grant Lambert in a time of 8 minutes 29.38
seconds for the 25 laps before a reported crowd of 4000 fans. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3_OAorGak1o8OjSX7A1khc8fXdcrE1MPW2hg-Lbpp_FxInovaoWzNSareRjp15zxTjSZ-yqKlC6eV6YOtYqF6xB4HapkzJohGqTDYbN9rMm2hXuQTRlnkGFfetb3OvuAdGEzPn8Hrdc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="7258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3_OAorGak1o8OjSX7A1khc8fXdcrE1MPW2hg-Lbpp_FxInovaoWzNSareRjp15zxTjSZ-yqKlC6eV6YOtYqF6xB4HapkzJohGqTDYbN9rMm2hXuQTRlnkGFfetb3OvuAdGEzPn8Hrdc/s320/The_Valley_Times_Sat__Mar_13__1948_+5+H+speedway+opened+SCMRA+.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="arial, sans-serif">The inaugural SCMA
midget auto race scheduled for March 14 1948 rained out and rescheduled for the
following Sunday afternoon March 21</span><sup>st</sup><span face="arial, sans-serif">. </span><span face="arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="arial, sans-serif">Speed Boardman won the three-lap trophy dash
over Carl Brown, then Seeger won the 15-lap semi-main event over Jack Jordan. Chuck
Burness became a 5-H Ranch Speedway won the 25-lap main event over Joe Dehart
and ‘Inky’ Ingram in a time of 7 minutes and 35.64 seconds.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The following
Sunday in the second SCMA midget race at 5-H, Carl Brown won the trophy dash
and the feature while ‘Speed’ Boardman won the semi-main race.<span> </span>In the April 11 program Jerry Curry set a new
three-lap record of 53.55 seconds to edge out Hal Minyard in the trophy dash
but the results of the feature were missed in the newspaper reports. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">5-H Speedway
official Bob Machado announced that beginning on May 4 the SCMA midgets would
race on Friday nights. Before the next midget racing event on April 25, the
track brought in an 8-inch layer of clay and placed it over the previous gravel
base.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The 1948 SCMA
season formally opened on Friday night April 30 at 5-H with a 25-lap main event
which Minyard won over Jackie Jordan and Jerry Curry. During the feature, Fred
Hanson ran over the back of Chuck Burness’ car, his midget flipped and landed upside
down on top of Kent Emmerling’s car. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Taken to
Glendale Community Hospital in serious condition with a “brain injury,” Hanson
survived but apparently never raced with the SCMA midgets again, while Emmerling
miraculously escaped injury. <span> </span>Jerry Curry
won the May 7th trophy dash and the feature. In an unusual promotion, the
drivers switched cars for the Australian Pursuit race, and Joe DeHart won that
race in Curry’s midget. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On May 14<sup>th</sup>
at 5-H, Tommy Beverlin set a new track record in the trophy dash as he
completed the three laps in 51.84 seconds. Joe DeHart captured the win in the
20-lap in six minutes and 45.52 seconds. <span> </span>In late May on back-to-back Friday nights at
5-H Speedway, both the semi-main winners went on to score the feature victory
-<span> </span>Warren Sorenson on May 21<sup>st</sup>
and Hal Minyard on the 28<sup>th</sup>.<span> </span>As
June 1948 opened, Curry, Minyard, and DeHart were the top three in the SCMA
points. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Before 2700
fans DeHart won the shortened feature on June 18<sup>th</sup> suspended after
Beverlin hit the wall on the 16<sup>th</sup> lap with Minyard scored in third
place. The following week, Minyard won the trophy dash and the feature and just
missed a clean sweep as he finished second to Jackie Jordan in the
semi-main.<span> </span>On July 3<sup>rd</sup> at
5-H, Minyard finished second to Speed Boardman in the trophy dash then won the
25-lap main event ahead of Boardman.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The weekend of
July 17 and 18 1948 proved to be a very successful one for Hal Minyard. On
Friday night, Minyard topped Jordan and Boardman to win the 25-lap feature at
5-H Speedway. On Saturday night, the SCMA racers christened the new El Monte
Speedway, a ¼-mile dirt oval on South Durfee Road which opened the week before
with California Roadster Association (CRA) hot rod roadster racing. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A reported
crowd of 3011 fans watched Boardman beat Minyard to the line in the three-lap
trophy dash, then Hal turned the tables on Boardman and won the 30-lap feature
after he started in the eighth position for his fifth consecutive SCMA feature victory.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Friday night
July 24<sup>th</sup> Jackie Jordan broke Minyard’s win streak as he just edged
out Hal in the 25-lap race that finished in 8 minutes and 8 seconds, but
Minyard returned to victory lane the following day at El Monte again after he
started eighth. On Monday night August 2, the SCMA racers visited another new
venue - Talbert Stadium in Huntington Beach at which the promoter broke with
the URA.<span> </span>Few of the 2200 fans were
surprised when Minyard took the win in the 30-lapper after he started the
feature in sixth position. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Beverlin took
the SCMA feature win at El Monte Speedway on August 8, as Minyard won the
trophy dash. Five days later on Friday night August 13, Minyard cruised to
victory in 50 laps over the decomposed granite at Huntington Beach in fourteen
minutes to add to his commanding points lead. Minyard capped his successful
1948 SCMA championship campaign with a victory at El Monte on Sunday November
21, 1948. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In 1949, Hal
returned to run with the URA “Red Circuit” and he finished third in the 1958
URA season standings in the Bob Bogan-owned midget and he won the Kearney Bowl
midget championship in 1960. During the nineteen sixties, Hal occasionally
raced midgets but focused on sprint cars and won the California Racing
Association title with ten feature wins in 1964 with Leonard Surdam and 1965 he
scored four feature wins with three different car owners. In defending his
title in 1966, Hal scored one win and finished seventh in overall CRA driver
points. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAS3GCflJVThhYrQ1DEZiwM3SjDRJwDFKVVd4yBiZ5xM2Q5iic_gPizS_QqLTsU9J05OGV0n-GswQtzYNHJgPbWh4GG8erWRj2D5DkFQBaxAqafVaT-mGgQlfGcCi-PYvq0KMbDYlloJA/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAS3GCflJVThhYrQ1DEZiwM3SjDRJwDFKVVd4yBiZ5xM2Q5iic_gPizS_QqLTsU9J05OGV0n-GswQtzYNHJgPbWh4GG8erWRj2D5DkFQBaxAqafVaT-mGgQlfGcCi-PYvq0KMbDYlloJA/s320/mchal+logo.jpg" /></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hal Minyard had
a great racing career as a driver but his greatest racing accomplishment was
his partnership in creating the “McHal” racing helmet in the early nineteen
fifties which used state-of-the-art materials and a design lower across the
front the sides and the back of the helmet which provided more protection for
the driver. Due to the materials used, Minyard and his partner John McMurray
could heat up the helmet in an oven and tailor it to fit the driver’s head for
the best protection. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz886Falq6hyphenhyphenYgA3Kw-moaagJx2utNt-HXnuMSV1_gK6dj3Q2uoDTcGySFm5Y7dHiMZ1EeUsqvGXB1SBMM2tXGJSNQbMXu-Ku1noZpnh4BExSe1o2m40JmDLYEXxFhpKyA4lzkPPiCFGU/s320/mchal+helmet+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hal got his
only shot as a driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1966 at age 39 in the rear-engine
252-cubic inch Offenhauser powered 1964 Troutman-Barnes chassis owned by Louis
Senter with sponsorship from Senter’s Ansen Automotive Engineering. JC
Agajanian commissioned this one-of-one car for Parnelli Jones but Jones rejected it favor of the “old Calhoun” Watson chassis for the 1964 Indianapolis
500-mile race then crashed the Troutman-Barnes car at Trenton in July 1964. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Senter-led team
struggled with engine issues all month and the white #49 car was in line to
make a qualifying run on the final day of time trials when the clock ran
out.<span> </span>The following week at the Milwaukee
Mile, Hal drove the rear-engine 252-cubic inch Offenhauser powered 1963
Vollstedt chassis #6 owned by Richard Compton of Portland Oregon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hal got the Milwaukee ride because the car owner had a dispute with his previous driver Art Pollard. Pollard and the red
and white #49 car were bumped from the 33-car Indianapolis starting field by Ronnie
Duman’s Eisert-Ford. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Days later, car owner Compton swore out a theft complaint against Pollard. Art was convicted in Marion County court in August, after he told the court that he had taken the
equipment as “security” for the $4,450 owed him by Compton. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hal missed the Milwaukee starting field on time, then crashed into the turn four inside guardrail during
the consolation race. Though he was uninjured, the crash ended Minyard’s USAC championship
driving career as Bruce Jacobi replaced him the following week in the race at
Langhorne Pennsylvania.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In May 1967 at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, many drivers wore McHal helmets, but the final 33-car starting field contained only one driver with a McHal helmet – AJ Foyt,
who led 27 laps and dodged a last lap crash on the front straightaway to win his
third Indianapolis ‘500’ title. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hal's last racing appearance came during the 1978 season and Minyard retired in
1999 after 25 years of service as an employee of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2007, and passed away in Speedway Indiana on March 4, 2010 at age 85. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-85799661917034558342020-10-06T13:12:00.003-07:002020-10-07T09:06:40.507-07:00 Herbrand Tools "The official tool supplier to the Indianapolis 500-mile race" <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font color="#b51200"> <font face="verdana" size="6">Herbrand Tools</font></font></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><font color="#b51200" face="verdana" size="6"><b><i>"The official tool supplier to the</i></b></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><font color="#b51200"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana" size="6">Indianapolis</font></span><font face="verdana" size="6"> 500-mile race" </font></font></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><font face="verdana"><font size="6"><b></b></font></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana"><font size="6"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrqtDwfYd6R3dpi3EmT7hjBJ0YmOTg8AOWm33mS_GbCeeGBjpcBIs7fhLNQ4Y9OuoDrhxfBqTCS7yq2I1xCFddNd-Vug11xFxy0fhn0nCLRS6wF3cEDco1vZ4XytJ18Y1CUradeVpWmA/s1002/1961+herbrand+knock+off+tool+detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrqtDwfYd6R3dpi3EmT7hjBJ0YmOTg8AOWm33mS_GbCeeGBjpcBIs7fhLNQ4Y9OuoDrhxfBqTCS7yq2I1xCFddNd-Vug11xFxy0fhn0nCLRS6wF3cEDco1vZ4XytJ18Y1CUradeVpWmA/s320/1961+herbrand+knock+off+tool+detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></font></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana"><font size="6"><br /></font></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana"><font size="6"><b></b></font></font><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt277JdmL5q_ud6tkqVklrtS4SY2rjxYQdCCZQ3o5JZ38SymA33U22rOl7hj86_kpItqC-cjFOh0SqiyPKThn2xSU6v66tu-utwIdpEyFpuz4bNb938TYKP-oX1dQS6T3l3h1Xii9tikI/s1103/logo.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="1103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt277JdmL5q_ud6tkqVklrtS4SY2rjxYQdCCZQ3o5JZ38SymA33U22rOl7hj86_kpItqC-cjFOh0SqiyPKThn2xSU6v66tu-utwIdpEyFpuz4bNb938TYKP-oX1dQS6T3l3h1Xii9tikI/s320/logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><font face="verdana"><font size="6"><b></b></font></font></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Tool sponsorship of the Indianapolis 500-mile race is not
well-documented, even by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself. The tool
sponsorship by the Herbrand Company appears a few years after Anton ‘Tony’
Hulman purchased the track in 1946. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">According to the reference book T<u>wentieth Century History
of Sandusky County, Ohio and Representative Citizens<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,</i></u> inventor Jacob Herbrand and local businessmen Charles
Thompson and JB Van Doren founded the Herbrand Company in 1881 in the north
central Ohio town of Fremont to manufacture and sell carriage parts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf3UF_H4yYf5xdsNKgi6kExcFiaBkWUaWS9jym2nMlqWZgceIO_56Xjp0YIFAdKH3P1mm_3OUxMvx_QCR1BzEPIU8GEeBvKNwBk5a4htkeS4fRjg7t6Jkmn5h8iqYUbqKjFYvbYY1ewc/s2837/herbrand+drop+perch.png" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="2029" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf3UF_H4yYf5xdsNKgi6kExcFiaBkWUaWS9jym2nMlqWZgceIO_56Xjp0YIFAdKH3P1mm_3OUxMvx_QCR1BzEPIU8GEeBvKNwBk5a4htkeS4fRjg7t6Jkmn5h8iqYUbqKjFYvbYY1ewc/s320/herbrand+drop+perch.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Herbrand patent</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Jacob Herbrand held several patents for drop forged parts
for carriages; which included a drop perch, and running gear, with his final
patent for improvements in vehicle springs, issued after Jacob’s death in
1884.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 1909, the company’s line of
products included a variety of carriage forgings, bicycle wrenches and a safety
razor manufactured under the Henry Leach patent. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">By 1911, Herbrand added pliers to their tool lineup and the 1914
<u>Automobile Trade Directory</u> listed Herbrand as a manufacturer of
screwdrivers. Herbrand further expanded their tool offerings and began
production of drop-forged tools for automobile tool kits. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1915 Herbrand
expanded their factory and adopted a three-shift work schedule to keep up with the demand for tool kits for the Ford Motor Company. Herbrand, which advertised as “the Aristocrat
of Tools,” eventually occupied a huge block-long multi-structure factory site
at the corner of Napoleon and Stone Streets in Fremont Ohio.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1919 Herbrand began to use the "Van-Chrome"
trademarked brand name for their line of alloy steel tools. Over the next
twenty years Herbrand continued to expand their line of tools and supplier to
high-volume retailers such as Western Auto Supply and Montgomery Ward with brand
names "Van-Chrome" and "Multi-hex." In 1935, the<u>
American Machinist </u>magazine reported that the Herbrand Company entered
receivership, but after several months it emerged as the Herbrand
Corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The Corporation moved away from high-volume contract
manufacturing for the consumer market and focused on the high-end professional
tool market and expanded their tool line to include a full range of automotive
service tools, including sockets and drive tools, a wide variety of wrenches,
pliers, gear pullers, and a large number of specialty tools. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Meanwhile in November 1945, Terre Haute Indiana grocery
supply heir Tony Hulman bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Eddie
Rickenbacker for $750,000 and set to work with the Hulman & Company team to
refurbish the facility for the first postwar 500-mile on May 30 1946.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The July 2, 1947 edition of <u>The Sandusky Register</u> newspaper
reported the formal merger of Herbrand Corporation and the Bingham Stamping Company
of Toledo, Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just over a month later,
on August 21, 1947, the company stockholders voted to formally change the
company name to the Bingham-Herbrand Corporation with the Fremont plant known
as the Herbrand Forging Division. <o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><br /></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi_TiXvEdKwnSYXcz9fkE0DYMsumk3HYJuad2yFB-Sae_Gm7On1yfsXo5UxX3vEn-NzpHuirR65PDByFC9pw6iMk05wdFlAX5YiC7aOdahL2NfzeTJ36r_5XuUv7iUP9J4uSlgK9BZ-o/s512/Stephens+and+parsons+toolbox.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi_TiXvEdKwnSYXcz9fkE0DYMsumk3HYJuad2yFB-Sae_Gm7On1yfsXo5UxX3vEn-NzpHuirR65PDByFC9pw6iMk05wdFlAX5YiC7aOdahL2NfzeTJ36r_5XuUv7iUP9J4uSlgK9BZ-o/s320/Stephens+and+parsons+toolbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font face="verdana">This photo from the IUPUI University Library Center <br />for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway collection, <br />shows Johnnie Parsons (left) and his chief mechanic Harry Stephens<br /> posed with a Herbrand tool box studying a tool </font><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Herbrand tools first appeared as a sponsor at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway in 1950. As the result of his victory in the rain-shortened
500-mile race, Johnnie Parsons driver of the winning Kurtis-Kraft ‘Wynn’s
Friction Proofing Special’ won a set of Herbrand Tools, $57,458.63 in prize money, the Mercury Pace Car, free meals for a year at the
Wheeler Catering Company a registered cocker spaniel puppy and year’s
supply of Ideal Dog Food the latter two items supplied by Wilson & Company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx3QzCI4YRTmBhPWYr6U5Qx-_DoVVjNM4NDx7nPO3BfXSoHiVXBZt1vtp9iz8MyU-ATdmfQrsPvbq-4dpOKpz8uHdSnf1027F8NTefO775JhPg_tKM8g8y33Oheg-f17FO2pGIkuc6Kk/s474/Stephens+parsons+mechanic+herbrand+1950.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx3QzCI4YRTmBhPWYr6U5Qx-_DoVVjNM4NDx7nPO3BfXSoHiVXBZt1vtp9iz8MyU-ATdmfQrsPvbq-4dpOKpz8uHdSnf1027F8NTefO775JhPg_tKM8g8y33Oheg-f17FO2pGIkuc6Kk/s320/Stephens+parsons+mechanic+herbrand+1950.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This poor quality photo from the IUPUI University Library Center for Digital</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Studies Indianapolis</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Motor Speedway collection, </span><br style="font-family: verdana;" /><span style="font-family: verdana;">shows Harry Stephens, left, posed with a Herbrand tool box </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Harry Stephens, the car’s chief mechanic who according to
legend, discovered a crack in the car’s Offenhauser engine block on race
morning, also won a set of Herbrand tools and the Sergeant Edward Stomper
Memorial Trophy. Mrs. Evelyn Stomper of Chicago donated the 33-inch tall gold trophy
in 1946 in memory of her husband, one of 3,504 servicemen who lost their lives
in action during the World War Two invasion of the Philippine Island of Leyte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1951, stock in the Bingham-Herbrand Corporation sold
for $1.76 a share as sales were up 47% and the company’s net income increased
35% over 1950. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1951 Bingham-Herbrand expanded even more through a teaming
arrangement with the Studebaker Corporation to manufacture aircraft jet engine
parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Execution of the full contract
would have meant that Bingham-Herbrand needed to add five hundred more
employees but the end of hostilities in Korea in July 1953 meant the new
facility, specifically built never opened, and resulted in a major loss for the company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuAtVM-IhvBsw-6s1PuUXQKiq6OmImyGLN0wZEmY3xUHsyUJ6Jz_2JG3hwk716GhWMMUvNYaWxnXgL9lHLlljFzmuuPU3c4KHhvUJtBU5OKWoC5TO5_zaUeSyGlM5ncwbpXNYAyTfgd0/s448/1951+offical+tool+indy+500.JPG" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuAtVM-IhvBsw-6s1PuUXQKiq6OmImyGLN0wZEmY3xUHsyUJ6Jz_2JG3hwk716GhWMMUvNYaWxnXgL9lHLlljFzmuuPU3c4KHhvUJtBU5OKWoC5TO5_zaUeSyGlM5ncwbpXNYAyTfgd0/s320/1951+offical+tool+indy+500.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font face="verdana">Popular Mechanics ad </font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The July 1951 issue of <u>Popular Mechanics</u> magazine advertised
with a quote from Speedway President Wilbur Shaw that Herbrand Tools was the
“Official Tool Supplier of the Indianapolis 500-mile race.” At the Victory
Banquet held in the Riley Room of the Claypool Hotel on May 31, George Salih,
the chief mechanic of the 1951 ‘500’ winning car, the #99 241-cubic inch
Offenhauser-powered Kurtis-Kraft chassis owned by Murrell Belanger, took home a chest
full of Herbrand Tools and the Stomper Trophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The 1951 Indianapolis 500-mile race winner Lee Wallard, the
“Cinderella Man” received a matching set of Herbrand tools and tool chest along
with the John W Hobbs trophy (as the leader at 250 miles), the Borg-Warner
trophy, and a check for $63,612.12. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Sadly,
just three days later, Wallard received severe burns when a borrowed ‘big car’
caught fire in a race at Reading Pennsylvania. Wallard underwent 37 skin grafts
while hospitalized for 121 days and his injuries ended his racing career.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">For the 1952 Indianapolis ‘500’ the Bingham-Herbrand
Corporation subscribed to the Indianapolis Citizens Speedway Committee’s leader
lap prize fund, as the sponsored five laps at $100 apiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the publicity, representatives
of the company received practice day Garage Area passes for the month of May and
Race Day access to the Pagoda. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR8Rxteld511PUC7OXF7WENJg12KI-W1jHQ7gKztAaaz1TGl4qgCaWhA0ft2DX4dH3WHQMqkjBKtbU5p1ntTducpe5a02Eb5qkHmDg4OXWbknKSD3ydTlVFhgDLdZJK3MsIhv6FMVjqY/s448/herbrand+1952+ruttman.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR8Rxteld511PUC7OXF7WENJg12KI-W1jHQ7gKztAaaz1TGl4qgCaWhA0ft2DX4dH3WHQMqkjBKtbU5p1ntTducpe5a02Eb5qkHmDg4OXWbknKSD3ydTlVFhgDLdZJK3MsIhv6FMVjqY/s320/herbrand+1952+ruttman.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font face="verdana">This poor quality photo from the IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway collection, <br />shows JC Agajanian (left) and Troy Ruttman (right) posed with a Herbrand tool box. That may be Clay Smith in the middle. <br /></font></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The author was unable to find any press references to
Herbrand tools as the official tool supplier or that tools were awarded to the 1952
race winner, but the author did find proof. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
archive contains a grainy 1952 photograph that shows the winning car owner JC
Agajanian and 1952 Indianapolis ‘500’ champion Troy Ruttman posed with a
Herbrand Tool box. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The Herbrand Division staged a contest in conjunction with
the 1952 500-mile race, in which entrants filled out a form to guess the
winning speed of the race. The winner received a $500 Royal Deluxe Herbrand
Rollway and Deluxe Magic Chest filled with the master mechanic tool set. Second
place received a $200 fully stocked Herbrand Master Rollway while third, fourth,
and fifth finishers in the contest each received a complete master mechanic
tool set in a MC-3 Magic Tool Chest, said to be worth $100. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll leave to the reader’s imaginations what
similar prizes would be worth today. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">For the 1952 Holiday season, Herbrand advertisements
suggested readers “be practical this year and give a Herbrand Tool gift
certificate. They are available in any denomination you chose and the man who
gets one of these wonderful gifts can use the certificate in payment for
Herbrand Tools of his own selection.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">For the 1953 Indianapolis ‘500,’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Herbrand again paid for five laps of
sponsorship at the new amount of $150 each while the Ford Motor Company led all
lap prize sponsors with seven laps subscribed. As in previous years, Herbrand awarded
two sets of tools valued at $275 per set for the race winning driver and mechanic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyusNFmwxQREnHGho1NxV-Fc3Y6sHtS6tPNLNqeptfz1HFUMH-xZTKc1KB384RyQLM2NgTonTXDoZ2yAcTPMKtEdtJ-TnFpIQYM6pIgPdjE79zM3a4A-LjvZQEZ-fwvdPM9Bsv3UbZq0/s472/herbrand+tools+vukovich+1953.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyusNFmwxQREnHGho1NxV-Fc3Y6sHtS6tPNLNqeptfz1HFUMH-xZTKc1KB384RyQLM2NgTonTXDoZ2yAcTPMKtEdtJ-TnFpIQYM6pIgPdjE79zM3a4A-LjvZQEZ-fwvdPM9Bsv3UbZq0/s320/herbrand+tools+vukovich+1953.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> photo from the IUPUI University Library </span>Center for Digital<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Studies Indianapolis</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Motor Speedway collection</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">shows Bill Vukovich (center) and his wife Esther and their crew posed with a Herbrand tool box </span><br style="font-family: verdana;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">After he appeared earlier in the day and drove the pace car
at the AAA ‘big car’ event at the Winchester Speedway, 1953 Indianapolis ‘500’
winner Bill Vukovich received the Herbrand tools, the keys to the Ford Sunliner
convertible Pace Car, and a check for $89,496.98, $29,500 of which were lap
prizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Vukovich won his second set of tools in 1954, and was on his
way to a third victory in 1955 when he crashed Lindsay Hopkins’ Kurtis 500 C
and perished on his 56<sup>th</sup> lap. Bob Sweikert won the ‘500’ and the
Herbrand Tool chests for himself and his young mechanic AJ Watson. The tool
chests came in handy for storing another of their prizes, a set of Kramer
Cam-Lok roller ratchet wrenches for use of tube fittings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">After Wilbur Shaw’s death in a plane crash in October 1954, in
January 1956, the Novi Equipment Company in Indianapolis advertised the sale of
Shaw’s tool collection that included “Herbrand tool sets, chests and assorted
Herbrand tools” offered at “low prices.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In its pre-race coverage on May 29, 1956, the <u>Indianapolis
News</u> published an article that highlighted recent Herbrand innovations at
the Speedway. In an interview with representative Ralph Little and engineering
supervisor Howard Greer in the Herbrand tool crib, located under the parquet
stands behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pit lane, the pair revealed four innovative
tools from the $15,000 inventory. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5"></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="verdana" size="5"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadeROrTJgTAbd5qEsVGEpM33xRXZoyHb8pXxDgpJARicR0AJirDyoYKGWxWRMJAADTUIAfiAGjXAK7kLr4D0ag4V1W08vhTfkj7G7IvsgYTpqqbe7A0AT86LHgxNGm93U0oEIoPE_14g/s7533/The_Indianapolis_News_Tue__May_29__1956_race+engine+doctor+photo+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7533" data-original-width="4050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadeROrTJgTAbd5qEsVGEpM33xRXZoyHb8pXxDgpJARicR0AJirDyoYKGWxWRMJAADTUIAfiAGjXAK7kLr4D0ag4V1W08vhTfkj7G7IvsgYTpqqbe7A0AT86LHgxNGm93U0oEIoPE_14g/s320/The_Indianapolis_News_Tue__May_29__1956_race+engine+doctor+photo+.jpg" /></a></font></div><font face="verdana" size="5"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></font><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The first known as the “multiscope” used like a doctor’s
stethoscope to diagnosis problems inside engines without disassembly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next up - the hand-operated Herbrand valve
seating tool, designed for use with the four-cylinder Offenhauser engine, used
a carbide cutter to cut and groove the valves seat that replaced the electric
operated abrasive grinders previously used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The pair then showed the reporter the “dzus tool” a short-handled
screwdriver used to remove the self-ejecting ¼-turn dzus buttons used to attach
the car’s outer skin which came to favor in auto racing following World War
Two. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcuU_-QXq8YrSb8sOoo-Z5RA1d9Rd5uhepJTfBhIj5uhcqcEKos5JyzbhWgCsP9n9HfEJ0YehEMj4ifkFUpo12o8486GkdFsaDBDlpXkFNAu52juGY0kXILJYZbtMJiQbmhM7VKazZqU/s1027/1961+herbrand+knock+off+tool.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcuU_-QXq8YrSb8sOoo-Z5RA1d9Rd5uhepJTfBhIj5uhcqcEKos5JyzbhWgCsP9n9HfEJ0YehEMj4ifkFUpo12o8486GkdFsaDBDlpXkFNAu52juGY0kXILJYZbtMJiQbmhM7VKazZqU/s320/1961+herbrand+knock+off+tool.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Herbrand wheel hammer </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Finally, the Herbrand
representatives showed the reporter the company’s ‘500’ special wheel hammer with
a brass head and aluminum handle used to tighten or loosen the wheel spinner. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Late in 1956, Van Norman Industries purchased the Bingham-Herbrand
Corporation and Herbrand with 800 employees continued operations in Fremont
Ohio and introduced an economy line of tools known as "Vi-Chrome”<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Before the 1957 Indianapolis race at the annual Mechanic’s
dinner held at the Murat Temple, Ray Nichols chief mechanic for the Sumar
Racing team won a fully-stocked Herbrand Rollway cabinet. Herbrand tools posted
the prize money for two laps of the 1957 Indianapolis ‘500’ - lap 103 and lap 196.
<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">The ‘500’ winner Sam Hanks made it a clean sweep as he led
both of those laps then collected the master mechanics tool set in rolling
cabinet as part of his record-setting $103,844 prize money with George Salih
claiming his second set of Herbrand tools for winning the ‘500.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1958, the Herbrand division of the Bingham-Herbrand
Corporation posted $300 to sponsor two laps of the ‘500,’ lap 120 and lap
199.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny Boyd in the ‘Bowes Seal Fast
Special’ led the race at lap 120, and winner Jimmy Bryan claimed the prize for
lap 199. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1959, in honor of being the official tool of the
Indianapolis 500-mile race for the tenth straight year, Herbrand produced a
special limited edition run of their new “Hex-fit” thin-body combination
wrenches with a set of seven <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wrenches
finished in 20 karat gold in special ‘500’ packaging. Years later, these sets
are considered highly collectible. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">On Saturday May 2 1959, the first day of practice at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jerry Unser turned several relatively slow warmup
laps at 133 mph before the bluish silver ‘Helse Special’ spun backwards in the
fourth turn, slid 580 feet and hit the inside wall. That contact punctured the
fuel tank and fuel splashed over Unser. As the car slid across the track and
hit the outside retaining wall broadside it exploded into flame.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Still conscious Jerry was trapped in the crumpled Kuzma by
the bent steering wheel as rescuers fought to extinguish the flames and extract
Unser from the car. Jerry reportedly told rescuers “My legs are on fire. Call
my wife.” Jerry was transported to Methodist Hospital and admitted in critical
condition with third degree burns on his legs, left arm and right hand over approximately
35 to 40% of his body. Jerry fell into a coma before he passed away from “blood
poisoning” (uremia infection from his burns) at 10:15 Sunday morning May 17.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In the aftermath of Unser’s crash, Herbrand’s Ralph Little
distributed dzus tools free of charge to all the members of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Safety Patrol. Little told <u>Indianapolis News </u>reporter
Wayne Fuson that the thin, lightweight tool could easily be carried in a pants
pocket. Most mechanics carried the tool to remove the half-turn fasteners, but
Unser’s accident revealed the need for rescuers to have them as well. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Herbrand Tools sponsored two laps in the 1959 Indianapolis
‘500’ – lap 65 and lap 165. Johnny Thomson took the $150 check for leading lap
65 in the pink Racing Associates Lesovosky lay-down roadster, then Rodger Ward took
over on lap 85 in the “3-W” entry and led the rest of the way as chief mechanic
AJ Watson won his second set of Herbrand tools. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">In 1960, Dick Rathmann won the Herbrand tool chest as the
winning driver, but there remains controversy years later as to whom the chief
mechanic award truly belonged. Up until his death in 2001, Henry “Smokey”
Yunick staunchly maintained that he was the chief mechanic for the ‘Ken-Paul
Special’ in 1960, but official USAC records list former riding mechanic Takeo
"Chickie" Hirashima as the team’s chief mechanic, so “Chickie”
collected the tool chest, the diamond pin from Wynn Oil and the Stomper Trophy
at the 1960 Victory Banquet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Nearly sixty years later, it is unclear whether Herbrand
returned in 1961 for a twelfth year as the official tool supplier at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, as the parent company, Van Norman Industries, was in financial
difficulty. In July 1961 all of the Bingham-Herbrand Corporation Fremont plant
equipment was sold to the American Brake Shoe Company of Chicago which announced
that it would move all the equipment to Chicago. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Simultaneously, Van Norman Industries sold its hand tool
division (the designs and names) to the Tool Division of the Kelsey-Hayes
Corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On January 1962, the Herbrand
Fremont plant officially closed with Herbrand manufacturing operations
relocated to a new facility built in Orangeburg South Carolina. Today on a few
buildings remain on the old Herbrand site in Fremont. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana" size="5">Beginning with the 1962 Indianapolis 500-mile race, Proto
Tools became the Official Tool Supplier with a tool room located under the
Tower Terrace grandstand near the entrance to Gasoline Alley, and during the
nineteen seventies, SK Tools became the official Indianapolis 500-mile tool
supplier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="verdana"><font size="5">In 1964 Kelsey-Hayes bought the Bonney Forge and Tool
Company and folded it into the Utica Tools Division, then in 1967 the Triangle
Corporation bought the Utica Tools Division from Kelsey-Hayes. Initially all
three tool brands remained in production at least until Triangle was bought out
by Cooper Industries, but at some point, the Herbrand line of tools disappeared
from the marketplace forever. </font><font size="5"> </font> <o:p></o:p></font></p><br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-55996333264031980732020-09-26T11:41:00.004-07:002020-09-26T11:41:51.485-07:00The post-World War 2 race track dreams of Victor J Nelson<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="6"><b>The race track
dreams of Victor J. Nelson </b></font><font size="5"><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Following World
War Two, Victor J. Nelson, a successful Southern California building contractor tried
several times to build a new midget auto racing track in the Los Angeles area. <span> </span>Before and during the war, his eponymous engineering and construction
company built a number of cadet training academy facilities for the Defense
Plant Corporation on a fixed-fee cost-plus basis in Texas and California. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Victor faced a
few challenges - during 1940 he became embroiled in a bitter dispute with the
local building trade unions while building the Polaris Academy in Lancaster,
California. In 1943 Nelson and his attorney, Robert Young, pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to defraud the government during the construction of Avenger Field
and the Wright Glider School in Texas. Nelson and Young provided documents and
testified for the government but their eight co-defendants were acquitted. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Calabasas <o:p></o:p></font></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">At the end of
November 1945, reportedly with financial backing from Mickey Rooney, Frank
Sinatra, and Harry James, Nelson proposed to build “Pickwick Playland”, a $2.5
million dollar project in the Burbank Rancho neighborhood.<span> </span>The plans called for a 1500-seat theater, a
65,000 square foot “roll top” ballroom with two bars, a swimming pool and an
ice skating rink on a 21-acre site. The project died after the Burbank City
Council refused to amend the City’s existing liquor laws. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On January 10 1946,
acting as the president of The Hollywood Speedway Association, Nelson petitioned
the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission for approval to construct a
$250,000 midget auto racing track. Nelson claimed the track, planned for 23600
Ventura Boulevard east of the town of Calabasas would be “the first ever track designed
for the undersized racers.”<span> </span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The
Hollywood Speedway Association listed Burbank race car builder, owner and parts
supplier Gordon Schroeder as its vice-president. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The Association’s plan called for two race tracks - a 1/3-mile track encircled by a one-mile track on the 132-acre site located in a natural valley.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5"><span>At the time, before the era of reality television and McMansions, Calabasas was a sleepy farming area with a town that had less than a thousand residents, but a powerful political force was in play in the area - a movie studio. </span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The 2800-acre
Warner Ranch, just a few thousand feet from the proposed site, was used for shooting outdoor scenes of adventure and western films. At public hearings, the Warner Studio
representative, attorney H R Kelley, maintained that the noise from the race cars
would interfere with making sound films at the ranch. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Nelson stated
that the 40,000-seat steel and reinforced concrete grandstand would block the
sound from reaching the Warner site. He also emphasized there be no gambling or
liquor sold on the site and racing would be held only on Sundays and holidays. Band
leader Harry James, a partner in the earlier Pickwick project proposal, owned
property on Ventura Boulevard that adjoined the site also opposed the project.<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span face="arial, sans-serif">The County Planning
Commission rejected the Hollywood Speedway Association’s application</span> a<span face="arial, sans-serif"> week later, on January 17. The
five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors then denied the Hollywood group’s
appeal on March 12<sup>th</sup>.<span> </span><span> </span>A bitter Nelson claimed in an interview with
Claude Newman of the <u>Valley News </u>that he “had not gotten a fair deal.” Nelson
said he was undecided whether or not to sue Los Angeles County but that there
were two alternate sites in the San Fernando Valley under consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="arial, sans-serif"><o:p><font face="arial" size="5"> </font></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Burbank <o:p></o:p></font></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On April 18,
1946 the <u>Valley News</u> announced that Nelson and Schroeder, partners in
the San Fernando Valley Sports Association, received a building permit to build
a new multi-use facility in Burbank, known as the San Fernando Valley Sports
Center with financial backing from band leader Spike Jones and actor Donald
O’Connor.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The site would
host football, baseball, swim meets, track meets and rodeos on 27 acres at 3200
Vanowen Street near the corner of Ontario Street and Vanowen Street. The site
plan featured a prefabricated 10,000 seat steel grandstand used war surplus
lighting. The next day’s report in the <u>Valley News</u> about the project indicated
that future plans called for an ice and roller skating rink with no mention of midget
auto racing. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The following
day, Claude Newman the <u>Valley Times</u> Sports editor, penned an opinion
piece in support of the San Fernando Valley Sports Center. Mr. Newman stated
“it is very much to be desired that the general public …..realize the need
there is for such a center,” and “that we can think of no good reason why and individual
or organization should oppose.” <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Mr. Newman
proclaimed his support because “this sports center, at least judging by the
first announcement, will be one open to all sorts of organizations, Boy Scouts,
Girl Scouts and perhaps some professional promotions featuring Valley talent.”<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span face="arial, sans-serif">The citizens of
Burbank soon learned the meaning of the phrase “professional promotions
featuring Valley talent” at the proposed</span> <span face="arial, sans-serif">San
Fernando Valley Sports Center – it meant midget auto racing. <span> </span>This information quickly spread and triggered
a groundswell of public opposition, as 750 property owners in the vicinity of
the project banded together formed the Burbank Property Owners Protective
Association (BPOPA) and hired an attorney. Leonard Hamner, a former deputy
district attorney, wrote and circulated a petition which 1,389 Burbank residents
signed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">In advance of
the April 30 Burbank City Council meeting, Mr. Hamner told the <u>Valley News </u>that
the members of the BPOPA “demand that the City Council immediately pass
legislation forbidding midget auto racing.” The petition charged that “midget
racers are noisy and smell of castor oil,” and that when the council approved
the rights for the sports arena, no one mentioned a midget race concession.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Mayor Paul Brown
admitted to the <u>Valley News</u> that he knew about the midget auto racers
and found no objection to them. ‘The midget autos won’t be making as much noise
as some of the planes and won’t be half as bothersome,” a reference to the
Lockheed’s use of Union Field. Councilman Horace Thompson told the Valley News
he thought “the site was ideal,” and that “midget auto racing is all right by
me.”<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The April 30 council
hearing lasted two hours. The community supported the concept of the sports
center, but they were opposed to the weekly midget auto racing, which the
project’s proponents said were required to fund the other parts of the project.
The opponents claimed that the increased traffic and noise would hurt their
property values, and Reverend Phillip Gibson claimed that “if the race track
goes in, accidents and arrests of young men will mount immediately.” <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Victor J Nelson
had by this point down-played his role in the project, and he presented himself
merely as the architect that drew the plans and allowed the Association attorney
Gordon Stater took the lead. Stater claimed the signers of the petition were
“confused.” The attorney said the center would be properly policed and racing
will only be conducted 40 days a year,” and denied that the midget cars burned
castor oil. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Stater said
that the cars “will be equipped with mufflers” and “that only six cars would be
permitted to race at a time.” He stated that the group picked the site next to
the Lockheed field and Southern Pacific Railroad tracks “where there is a lot
more noise 24 hours a day than the track would make in three hours every
Tuesday nights 35 nights a year.” <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The Commander
of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post and the field secretary of the
California Temperance Association for Los Angeles both expressed support for
midget auto racing while members of the Burbank PTA and numerous long-time
Burbank residents voiced opposition.<span>
</span>Mayor Brown tabled the discussion and stated that the issue would be
taken under advisement until the following Tuesday night. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The sports
editor of the <u>Valley News</u>, Claude Newman, waded back into the fight on
Monday May 6, with an opinion piece written after he said he visited the race
track site already under construction. <span> </span>“We
found it ideally suited for such an arena. There are only houses on one side
the closest 500 feet from the grandstand location.” <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Newman added
that “on another side is an airplane plant and on a third the city pumping
station and golf driving range.<span> </span>The
fourth side is industrially zoned.” Newman opined that “at the outside not more
than 200 or 300 residents will hear the little noise of the midgets at all.
Don’t forget either that the midgets only run approximately three hours a week
and 40 weeks a year. 120 hours!”<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">That same day,
the <u>Valley News</u> ran a front-page article entitled “Nelson champions new
midget track,” in which Victor Nelson claimed to own twenty residential lots in
the vicinity,” and “I would be the first to object if I thought that the
property value would decrease.” <span> </span>Nelson stated
that property values near the famed Gilmore Stadium had increased 30 times over
the last 25 years. Fact check: Gilmore Stadium was built in 1934, so it had
only existed for 12 years. <span> </span>The article
stated that many petitioners changed their minds after they learned that the
racing would occur only one night a week and be over by 10:30 PM.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Over the next
week, Claude Newman tipped to <u>Valley News</u> readers that Victor Nelson
talked to the Cincinnati Reds about the use of the San Fernando Valley Sports
Center for spring training and that the Seattle Rainiers, Pacific Coast minor
league baseball club and the Hollywood Stars women’s softball team considered
relocation to the new facility. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On May 14, the <u>Valley
News</u> reported that Donald Spaulding, manager of the Burbank site for
Victory J Nelson Engineering and Construction reported a vandalism incident to
police. According to Spaulding three trucks, a tractor and a cement mixer had
been “decommissioned by unidentified persons.”<span>
</span>“Wiring was cut and parts smashed by persons,” which according to Victor
Nelson “were not amateurs,” as “the job was done too efficiently to be the work
of kids.”<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On Tuesday
night, May 14 the Burbank City Council voted 3-2 to revoke the building permit
for the San Fernando Valley Sports Center. The Council also heard the first
reading of a new ordinance for the regulation of automobile and motorcycle
racing. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The new
ordinance required any new license application among other requirements to
spell out the kind of racing, whether passenger auto parking would be provided,
indicate the number of races to be held and the type of fuel used.<span> </span>The officers of the project would be required
to post $25,000 with the City Clerk and provide $50,000 in injury insurance and
$5,000 in property insurance. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">All work
stopped on the site on May 16 when Burbank City Manager Howard Stites delivered
the revocation letter. Asked for his response, Nelson told the <u>Valley News</u>
“we’ve got three attorneys to handle our case,” and “he would let the case run
its natural course.” Nelson said while work stopped, equipment remained on the
site under guard to prevent more “deviltry.”<span>
</span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On Tuesday
night May 21, Association attorney Stater appeared before the Burbank City Council
and requested they rescind their action. The Council summarily rejected Stater’s
rehearing request, then passed the auto racing ordinance set to go into effect
on June 20 on its second reading. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">In defiance of the
City’s action, construction at the site continued as Nelson pushed his crew to
complete the track quickly. In the June 6 edition, the <u>Valley News</u>
reported the race track complete, as well as the parking lot, offices, and the baseball
diamond with turf placed on the football field. Nelson announced the site’s first
activity, a rodeo, would be held on July 4<sup>th</sup>.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On June 24<sup>th</sup>,
Nelson filed for the required license to operate a midget auto racing facility
in the City of Burbank. The hearing to “determine if midget auto racing will be
a menace to the public health, peace, safety and morals” scheduled before City
Council on Thursday July 25th.<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Nelson’s
license application proposed midget auto racing 45 nights a year on Saturday
nights from 7:15 to 10:15 PM, weather permitting. The Association’s application
stated that cars “will be muffled so they can only be heard across the width of
the 45-foot track,” and “complete police protection to prohibit betting or
drinking in the 10,000-seat steel grandstand.” Nelson stated that the
decomposed granite track will be treated with calcium chloride to prevent dust
and that the landscaping “will be as beautiful as any city park by next
spring.” <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">After a
tumultuous five-and-a-half-hour meeting that lasted until 1 AM on July 26<sup>th</sup>,
the Burbank City Council rejected the Nelson license application by a vote of
3-2.<span> </span>First, the council heard a one-hour
presentation from each of the attorneys that represented each side, then heard
from the public. After midnight, Councilman Horace Thompson announced “I’ll be
the bad guy,” and made the motion to approve the application, which was not
seconded.<span> </span>Mayor Paul Brown then made a
motion to reject, which after it was seconded, passed on a roll call vote. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Nelson told the
<u>Valley News</u> immediately after the vote that “a criminal would have
gotten better treatment than we did.” His attorney Stater had no immediate
comment but later on Friday told the <u>Valley News</u> that “if ordered by my
clients, I can apply for a writ of mandate from superior based on the decision
that the evidence submitted to the Council was not sufficient and ask for the
issuance of the permit.” <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On July 31 Victor
J Nelson announced the group’s intention to sue the City for half a million
dollars and added that they were interviewing attorneys to assist Stater. <span> </span>In November, Nelson and his group attempted a
legal end run and sublet the Sports Center property to the United Veteran’s
Council of Burbank, but the Burbank City Council summarily rejected the
veteran’s group license application on November 21 1946. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The veteran’s
group, that included the Burbank posts of the VFW, American Legion and Daughters
of America’s Veterans, attempted to collect enough signatures on a petition to
put the issue on the ballot in April 1947, but eventually abandoned the plan.
As the end of 1946 neared, Nelson revealed to the press that the group would
pursue a two-pronged approach.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Nelson said the
limited partnership’s first planned action was to file civil suit against the
city, while the second action was to file a petition for a Writ of
Administrative Mandamus wherein the court orders a government official or
agency to properly fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of
discretion in this case issue the permit.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">Nelson and his
partners, Gordon Schroeder and Emanuel Mancuso, filed suit in Superior Court on
February 14 1947. The suit claimed that the Burbank City Council deprived the
group of their property without due process in violation of amendment 14 of the
United States Constitution.<span> </span><span> </span>The group claimed they spent $30,000 to lease
the property, $20,000 to build the fence, track and grandstand and obligated
themselves to spend another $200,000. The first hearing was set for Wednesday
March 19 in Department 43 of the Superior Court.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The case hinged
on two key questions argued by opposing counsel before Superior Court Judge Frank
G Swain. The first question - would the proposed racing be held in a zone
authorized by the City zoning ordinance? Judge Swain held that the track was
located in a zone proper for that type of business. The second question -
whether the proposed racing would endanger the public peace, health, welfare
safety or morals – would be answered in several weeks when the judge handed
down his decision.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font size="5"><span><br /></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font size="5"></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font size="5"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWV0MIxCpZsiyXECjm6knJiBklVyIB4YwiNoaKFzSq6pBBI8-01Gh6HBtsHszZ8sI8MJ0INChOHm8ij6YNacW-lKvT-qfp-vgrqO2lWSvRA-CNHo82043WdbXumUCTOQAx5tFoKuWbPw/s7007/The_Valley_Times_Tue__Apr_22__1947_+headline+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="7007" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWV0MIxCpZsiyXECjm6knJiBklVyIB4YwiNoaKFzSq6pBBI8-01Gh6HBtsHszZ8sI8MJ0INChOHm8ij6YNacW-lKvT-qfp-vgrqO2lWSvRA-CNHo82043WdbXumUCTOQAx5tFoKuWbPw/s320/The_Valley_Times_Tue__Apr_22__1947_+headline+.jpg" width="320" /></a></font></div><font size="5"><span><br /></span></font><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">On April 22
1947 Judge Swain handed down his decision that denied the Sport Center group’s Writ
of Administrative Mandamus as he upheld the City’s police power. The Judge
stated that “the reporter’s transcript of the City Council hearing revealed
there was evidence that public peace would be menaced by noise, the public
welfare would be menaced by declined property values, and public safety
endangered by the heavy traffic in a concentrated area.”<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">The Judge noted
in his opinion that the plaintiffs had not been treated properly by the City,
but that their only remedy was political not legal. “We agree that the plaintiffs
have a grievance of considerable magnitude in the City of Burbank which allowed
them to spend $80,000 before it exercised its police power, but plaintiff’s
remedy is political not legal.” <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">This legal
defeat was not the end of the San Fernando Valley Sports Center, as two months
later on June 16<sup>th</sup>, Victor J Nelson sent a letter to Mayor Brown
that requested a permit be issued for construction of a 600-foot long by
200-foot wide swimming pool, tennis courts, miniature golf and outdoor bowling
lanes. Plans also called for a new concrete reinforced stadium with seating for
11,000 persons for rodeos, baseball, football, horse shows and dog shows, and
conventions. Future plans called for a small auditorium and a roller skating
rink. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial" size="5">In late
September 1947, the race track site hosted the first annual San Fernando Valley
Roundup with six events that included bareback riding, calf and bull roping and
team roping.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;"><font size="5">Months passed
as the group reorganized and announced on November 1 1947 its emergence as a
corporation known as San Fernando Valley Stadium Inc. with $500,000 in
capitalization. Nelson as president of the corporation made the announcement
that construction of the 20,000 seat circular stadium would begin within 30
days on a 15-acre tract adjoining the original site at 1901 Ontario Street.
With the announcement, Victor J Nelson dropped his plans to host midget races
at the site, and the Association never completed their ambitious plans. <span> </span><span> </span></font><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-39029883185462097972020-09-18T13:17:00.007-07:002020-09-18T13:17:54.297-07:00The short life of the Oxnard Speedway<br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><i><b>The short life of the Oxnard Speedway</b></i></span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The history
of the Oxnard Speedway is closely associated with the story of the Carpinteria
Thunderbowl, and its story to presented as an addendum to the Thunderbowl
story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl advertised that its 1957 season-opener on Monday May 6th would
feature “new talent,” because the races there were no longer sanctioned by the
Tri-County Racing Association (TCRA) as the members of the TCRA were in the
midst of planning and building their own race track, the Oxnard Speedway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The TCRA
received county approval to begin construction of the quarter-mile track in
mid-March located by the Santa Clara River at the north end of Ventura Road
three miles north of Oxnard near the intersection with Wagon Wheel Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After the
issuance of a building permit, construction of the race track, a 3500-seat
grandstand built into the hillside, snack bar, and rest rooms began in early
May. Quoted for an article in the May 7th issue of the <u>Ventura County
Star-Free Press</u>, Dave Revard, the TCRA spokesman, predicted the first
Sunday afternoon racing program at Oxnard would run “about the first of
June.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revard’s prediction proved to be
overly optimistic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The new Oxnard
Speedway, managed by Paul Lang, hosted its first race on Thursday afternoon
July 4, 1957 and opened a new chapter of racing in Ventura County. The crowd,
reported as either 1200 or 2000 fans, saw a dusty program, with the 30-lap
feature won by Dave Revard in his 1934 Ford coupe. In addition to the TCRA
jalopies, “<i>several big sprint cars and a midget”</i> made exhibitions laps.
After the race, Lang promised that the track “<i>should be in much better shape
for the Sunday races,” </i>scheduled for July 7th.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Frank Kephart
took the lead on the seventh lap at Oxnard on Sunday afternoon the 7th and led
the remaining 23 laps to win by half a car length over Bob Young before a crowd
of 500 fans. Dick Jump won the following Sunday, and Lee Andrews won at Oxnard
on the 21st before 600 fans. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bKgChbWxqo0sUuaNHE2e6_P_ukPoxtJN5qoXvTeh0XEyB-mBG7xsftyNkoKZwbqRuAO73sbnnFXf7dowHNGZVt6hJO_lxenrAzX1YYg02naMwkrGBtkqwuT7__rvfqa8r-_oXIx_FgM/s1600/sprint+cars+oxnard++1+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="949" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bKgChbWxqo0sUuaNHE2e6_P_ukPoxtJN5qoXvTeh0XEyB-mBG7xsftyNkoKZwbqRuAO73sbnnFXf7dowHNGZVt6hJO_lxenrAzX1YYg02naMwkrGBtkqwuT7__rvfqa8r-_oXIx_FgM/s320/sprint+cars+oxnard++1+.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the
afternoon of July 28th, Oxnard Speedway hosted “<i>Indianapolis-type sprint car
racing”</i> with the cars and stars of the California Racing Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roy Prosser, “the little man with the big
right foot,” set quick time in qualifying in the Cecil Shaw Chevrolet powered
sprint car but lost to Howard Gardner in the trophy dash. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Prosser
rebounded to win the “fast” 6-lap heat race; other heat race winners included
Lloyd Woolever, Phoenix’s Fred Coombs and North Tonawanda, New York driver Jim
Hurtubise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colby Scroggin won the 15-lap
semi-main, then Prosser easily won the 30-lap feature over one-armed Allen
Heath before 2000 excited fans. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Attendance at
Oxnard continued to be a problem, and in mid-August, the Oxnard Speedway hired
a new managing director, William “Bill” Loadvine, previously the owner and
promoter of the Culver City Speedway. Among Loadvine’s first acts at Oxnard was
to slash the admission fee from $1.50 to 90 cents for a weekly program and
$1.00 for a special program. </span></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Paul Lang returned to race driving and immediately
won in his first race back on August 18th.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Sunday
October 13<i>, “full-size midgets and big-time drivers”</i> were scheduled at
Oxnard Speedway but that date rained out and the program was run on October 20.
The United Racing Association (URA) sanctioned the event, which featured headliners
Lowell Sachs, Bill Cantrell, and the defending URA champion and points leader
Don Cameron. Parnelli Jones, in one of his earliest midget rides, won the first
heat race along with other heat race winners Buddy Lee and Willie Swift. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bob Burbridge
won the URA midget 15-lap semi-main which was marred by Johnny McFadden’s
spectacular series of flips that sent him to Oxnard’s St John’s Hospital in
serious condition. Johnny Wood, a former motorcycle racer who lived in North
Hollywood, started fourth in the 30-lap feature, then worked his way to the
front and won his third consecutive URA feature ahead of Clay Robbins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Days later,
McFadden, still hospitalized with a broken wrist, abrasions and several broken
ribs, called Oxnard Speedway track president John Gallagher whom he asked to
retrieve the wrist watch that he lost in the crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gallagher walked the track and amazingly
found McFadden’s watch, which was still running. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The TCRA
instituted a rules change in late October that allowed “<i>souped up engines”</i>
over the original stock engine requirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rules allowed <i>“any modifications not visible from the outside” </i>and
meant faster lap speeds.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The “Grand
Prix” on November 24th highlighted late season racing at Oxnard with a $500
purse, a two-for-one admission ticket newspaper coupon and fifty turkeys given
away. The 30-lap “Grand Prix” settled the 1957 TCRA championship among the top
point earners - Buford Lane, Lee Andrews and Dave Revard. Reportedly more than
3000 fans turned out to watch Andrews capture the TCRA title for the second
time in Bob Ellsworth’s Chevrolet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Don Younce of
Ventura waited until the final race of the season at Oxnard on December 8 to
win his first feature followed by Ted Parrish. Lee Andrews received the
champion’s accolades at the Tri-Counties Racing Association banquet held
December 28 at the Knights of Columbus hall in Ventura. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In 1958, Oxnard
Speedway, with Randy Clowes as the track new manager, struggled all season with
low attendance, despite a wider, improved track surface and the shift to
Saturday night racing. Dave Revard and Buford Lane consistently finished up
front in the weekly “pre-war modified racing” programs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On Saturday
night August 9th, Oxnard Speedway scheduled the National Association of Stock
Car Racing (NASCAR) Pacific Coast Convertible Division for a 100-lap race.
Entrants included current point leader Johnny Potter of Inglewood, Bruce
Worrell of Lakewood, Johnny Jones and Arley Scranton of Compton. The author has
so far been unable to locate results from this event – historian Ken Clapp
believes that the Oxnard race was only an exhibition, as the NASCAR
convertibles ran a televised race in Gardena the following day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In mid-August
the TCRA Board of Directors took control of Oxnard Speedway and Dick Jump
replaced Clowes as the manager assisted by Lee Hammock and George Pilfe. As the
season continued Revard and Lane doggedly battled for the championship. Revard
won at Oxnard on September 20th which cut Lane’s lead to just 35 points before
the finale. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Buford Lane won the September 27th feature and emerged as the 1958
TCRA champion. Racing continued weekly at Oxnard through October with the
points earned counting towards the 1959 TCRA championship. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The close of
the 1958 season marked the end of racing the Oxnard Speedway, as the track became
a victim of community progress. Early in 1959, Ventura County officials
announced the Army Corps of Engineers’ plans to build a five-mile levee along
the south side of the Santa Clara River. The condemnation of the land spelled
the end of racing at the Oxnard Speedway. The last event was a horse show held
on site in April 1959 and levee construction began on June 1 1959.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span>The
Tri-Counties Racing Association sanctioned “hot rod jalopies” at Saugus
Speedway later in 1959 then the group disbanded. Buford Lane kept his jalopy
behind his Mobil service station in Ventura for several more years, but with the end of racing in
Ventura County, he began to race the #614 Corvette owned by Santa Barbara
Chevrolet dealer Shelton Washburn.</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span><br /></span></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span>Buford raced on road courses at Santa Barbara, Pomona,
Laguna Seca, and Del Mar, and Lane was a
consistent top-three finisher in SCCA B-Production racing on the West Coast
through early 1961 when Bob Bondurant replaced him as the driver of the
Washburn Corvette. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-34189821911676059552020-09-09T12:44:00.007-07:002020-09-18T08:46:32.371-07:00Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part 12 – 1958 – the end <br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Carpinteria
Thunderbowl <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Part 12 – 1958
– the end </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i> </i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Author’s
note – This is the final installment of our series of articles that highlights
the 12-year history of one of Southern California’s least-documented auto
racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">For the 1958
season, the Carpinteria Thunderbowl boasted of a new racing surface with
greater banking in the turns, and in unofficial practice sessions in late
April, the track record was reportedly “shattered.” Despite the changes, the
fastest jalopies averaged around 17.65 seconds per lap in time trials while the
Carpinteria track record set by Chuck Gibson July 2, 1956 still stood at 17
seconds flat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Track owner and
manager Jim Slaybaugh instituted new scoring procedures which he promised would
reduce the length of the racing program “by as much as 45 minutes,” according
to the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> newspaper article. In addition to
the jalopy races, the 24-week schedule promised added attractions of demolition
derbies, powder puff derbies for female racers, and quarter-midget races. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Chuck Gibson the
1957 Carpinteria track champion, grabbed the 1958 opening night win on May 5
1958. Gibson started the 40-lap feature in last place and raced his way to
victory over a pair of Franks – Kephart, then living in Venice finished second
and “Captain” Kidd from Lakewood finished in third place.<span> </span>Gibson won again on May 12 as he beat Kidd
and Jack Rowland to the finish line. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On May 19<sup>th</sup>,
Jim Slaybaugh celebrated his 69<sup>th</sup> birthday by racing his number 13
jalopy and after the races he shared a giant birthday cake with the fans. Heat
race wins went to Kephart, Bill Cherry and Don Donnmeyer, as Jack Rowland won
both the trophy dash and the 10-lap helmet dash. Kephart claimed the 40-lap
feature trophy over Leroy Dalton and Ed Vanes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pete Gallagher,
Bill Cherry, Chuck Gibson and Ray Bunch won the preliminary heat races in the
annual “Poor Man’s Indianapolis” program” on May 26, then Gibson won a special
8-lap runoff between the heat race winners. Gibson started the 50-lap feature
from the tail and worked his way forward to challenge leader Frank Kidd until
his battery failed. Donnmeyer took up the chase after Kidd but fell short at
the checkered flag. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">After his
“Clean Sweep” of the June 2<sup>nd</sup> program, Gibson was out to capture his
fourth feature win in six races for the special Father’s Day program on June 9<sup>th</sup>.
In addition to the regular 40-lap feature won by Frank Kephart, the program
included a ladies egg-throwing contest and “jalopy jumps.” On June 16<sup>th</sup>,
Kephart’s wife Irene easily won the 6-lap Powder Puff race while Frank Kidd won
the 40-lap jalopy feature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Through June
and July weekly attendance averaged between 500 and 700 fans<span> </span>Kidd won the June 30th feature over Chuck
Gibson, then the track held a holiday special 50-lap feature on Saturday July 5<sup>th</sup>
with the added feature of a go-kart race. On July 7<sup>th</sup> Gibson scored his
fourth feature win of the season in a program marred by Bill Potter’s scary
end-over-end flip in time trials after a collision with Frank Kidd. Potter
suffered cuts and bruises and after he spent some time in the track ambulance
he decided not to race any further that evening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On July 28<sup>th</sup>
it was Kidd’s turn to take a wild ride, as he lost control and his car barrel-rolled
four times, cleared the crash wall and landed on all four wheels but Frank
escaped uninjured. Jack Rowland of Ventura won that night’s 40-lap feature over
heat race winners Chuck Gibson and Donnmeyer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">On August 4<sup>th</sup>, Gibson,
a police officer in Ventura, notched his fifth feature win of the season, then
two weeks later, he won his sixth feature race of the season “far ahead of
second-place finisher Bud Kelch,” who earlier won the trophy dash. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">As the month of
August continued, the car count dwindled, with an average of 20 cars each race
night. Gibson scored his seventh feature win of the season at Carpinteria on
August 18 as he nearly swept the program – in addition to the feature win, he
posted fast time, won his heat race, and won the special 8-lap race for the six
point leaders.<span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl 1958 season ended on Monday night September 8. Mid-way through the
main event, Rebel McGinnis, a racer from Santa Barbara, lost control of his
jalopy and ran head-on into crash wall. McGinnis staggered away from his destroyed
machine and collapsed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The track
ambulance rushed Rebel to a Santa Barbara hospital where he was admitted in
fair condition. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Despite dropping out of the feature won by Frank Kidd, Chuck
Gibson was crowned the 1958 Carpinteria track champion with eight feature wins
in 23 attempts for his second consecutive track championship with car owner Joe
Savatier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The close of
the 1958 season marked the end of racing at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl the track became the victim of progress. The
California Department of Transportation widened the Rincon Parkway (Highway 101
through Carpinteria) and needed an area to stockpile materials and apparently
made owner Jim Slaybaugh a good offer. The track was reported as being torn
down in March 1959 with the track’s water tank, lighting and lumber sold for
scrap. </span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Around that same time, the adjacent Southern Pacific Railroad line was abandoned. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The
Tri-Counties Racing Association sanctioned “hot rod jalopies” at Saugus
Speedway later in 1959 then the group disbanded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Today there is
no visual evidence that the Carpinteria Thunderbowl ever existed, as the site
is now known as the Carpinteria Bluffs, a wildlands area southeast of an office complex known as ‘The Enclave at Carpinteria’
which houses the offices of the Procore Software Company and Continental Tire
USA. No doubt thousands of drivers pass the Highway 150 exit on Highway 101 daily
without knowing that they are passing the site of forgotten Southern California
racing history. </span><span face="arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-91474283940002968952020-08-30T16:58:00.002-07:002020-08-30T16:58:52.349-07:00Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part 11 - 1957 – a competing race track<br />
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Carpinteria
Thunderbowl <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Part 11 – 1957 </i></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>A competing race track</i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Author’s note – This 12-part article
highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern California’s
least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To open this
installment, we will profile three interesting characters that competed at the Carpinteria
Thunderbowl during the 1957 racing season. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Buford Lane,
the 1956 Tri-Counties Racing Association (TCRA) champion and Paul Lang, the 1956
TCRA runner-up were fierce competitors on track but close friends off the track.
Buford lived in Ventura and ran a Mobil service station, while Paul, married to
Lane’s sister, Marie, ran a plastering business in the adjacent town of Oxnard.
The pair partnered on Lane’s first racing jalopy in 1949 then Lang built his
own jalopy the following year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Buford born in
Knoxville Tennessee in 1924, served in the United States Navy in Ventura County
as a mechanic in World War Two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
the war, Lane stayed in the area and worked as a mechanic at various auto repair
shops in Oxnard before he opened his own service station in Ventura in 1956. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Married with a three-year son, Buford raced as
a hobby, having built six jalopies in eight years of racing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Lane revealed
in a <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> interview that he preferred to race
in the outside groove “<i>because you don’t have to turn as much out there as you
do on the pole,”</i> and summed up his racing philosophy as <i>“I try to drive ahead
of myself and anticipate what’s going to happen.”</i> Buford told the interviewer
that he preferred to build his engines with 1935 and 1936 Ford V-8 blocks
because of the lighter (60-pound) crankshaft, and he liked night-time races due
to better track conditions and cooler air. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">During the
summer of 1957, Joe Savatier, a Ventura automobile mechanic and owner of two
jalopies that raced at the Thunderbowl, built a sports car to be powered by a
“vapor engine” designed by Ventura police detective Doug Paxton in partnership with
local boilermaker Harry Weaver and retired automotive engineer Clyde Aldrich.
The trio planned to race their revolutionary sports car at Sebring in 1958, and
believed their engine would eventually revolutionize the automotive industry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Designer Paxton
claimed that his “vapor engine” would be half the size and weigh a quarter of a
contemporary V-8 engine but develop twice the horsepower with astronomical
amounts of torque. The designer, no relation to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert Paxton McCulloch, who developed and built the Payton Phoenix
steam car shown on the cover of the June 1957 issue of Road & Track
magazine, received a United States patent for a stationary version of his
“vapor engine” in 1970.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: large;">Joe Savatier, born
in 1897, told George Kelton of the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> in
August 1957 that he ran his first race on July 4, 1914 in Visalia which father won
and he, Joe, finished third. Joe related that he later raced on the great board
track at Bev</span></span><span face="" style="font-size: large;">erly Hills and at the original Ascot Speedway.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Savatier moved
to Ventura in 1942 after he worked for Preston Tucker whom he described as <i>“one
of the greatest guys that ever lived”</i> (Tucker passed away in December 1956). In
1954, Savatier bought a Hudson Hornet stock car from Jack McGrath after the AAA
stock car season and entered it in three West Coast NASCAR (National Association
of Stock Car Racing) events for Tony Nelson. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1960’s Savatier built the ‘Domar
Special’ driven in CRA (California Racing Association) sprint car races by Ned
Spath and Stan McElrath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl advertised that the 1957 season-opener season on Monday May 6<sup>th</sup>
would feature “new talent,” because the races were no longer sanctioned by the
Tri-County Racing Association (TCRA) as the members of the TCRA were in the
midst of planning to build their own race track, the Oxnard Speedway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">During the 1957
season, local newspaper coverage of racing at the Thunderbowl became spotty. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The annual “Poor Man’s Indianapolis” racing
program at Carpinteria, run on May 27,1957, featured a 16-car field racing for
50 laps and, as promised, many of the drivers’ names were unfamiliar to the 900
fans in attendance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Don Barlow won
the trophy dash, while heat race wins went to Don Myer, Jack Rowland, Roy
Alstat, and Cecil Moss, then Joe Kidd captured the semi-main win. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the feature, however, familiar names from
previous seasons rose to the top as Frank Kephart won the race, trailed by
Buford Lane and Chuck Gibson.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">On June 3,
Barlow repeated his trophy dash win while Paul Dickerson, J R Weber, Alstat and
Lane scored heat race wins. Joe Dominguez led the first fourteen laps of the
semi-main, but spun out on the last lap and handed the win to Alstat. Irene
Kephart won the special Powder Puff Derby race, then the crowd of 500 fans
watched as Lane won the 30-lap feature over Gibson as Pete Gallagher, the
night’s fastest qualifier, finished in third place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">On June 10<sup>th</sup>
Buford Lane beat Lee Andrews and Bob Garrett in the 30-lap feature held before
just 500 fans. Frank Kephart flipped during the semi-main - he emerged
uninjured but his car was finished for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A week later, Lane repeated his winning ways
as he topped Paul Dickson and Andrews with “some 1,500 fans on hand.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span face="">At the June 24<sup>th</sup>
race, Chuck Gibson set fast time at 17.76 seconds but Buford Lane won the
trophy dash. All the drivers that won heat races that night – Bob Garrett,
Chuck Woods</span> <span face="">Joe Dominguez and
Pete Gallagher – called nearby Ventura home. Jack Rowland of Santa Barbara won
the semi-main event, and Dick Trealor of Ventura won the feature by a fender
over Kephart with Buford Lane third. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">For the July 1<sup>st</sup>
program, the Thunderbowl advertised fireworks and gave away free bubble gum and
pony rides to the children in attendance for the 50-lap feature that had a
guaranteed $250 purse. Before reportedly “the biggest crowd of the season,”
2000 fans watched as Chuck Gibson set fast time at 18.16 seconds and won the
trophy dash. Bill Cherry won the helmet dash, as Dave Revard, Don Donmeyer,
Frank Kephart and Lee Andrews won their heat races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Kephart also
won the semi-main race, then after lap 20 in the feature, Andrews, Bob Young
and Buford Lane broke away from the rest of the field. After the three diced
for the lead over the last 30 laps, at the checkered flag, Young nipped Andrews
for the win with Lane in third place. The fireworks show had to be canceled because
the fire department refused to issue the track a permit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The TCRA’s new
Oxnard Speedway, managed by Paul Lang, hosted its first race on Thursday
afternoon July 4, 1957 and opened a new chapter of racing in Ventura County. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
crowd reported as either 1200 or 2000 fans, saw a dusty program, with the
30-lap feature won by Dave Revard in his 1934 Ford coupe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">On the night of
August 26<sup>th</sup>, Chuck Gibson won the Carpinteria jalopy feature over
Lee Andrews, and Frank “Captain” Kidd won the September 9<sup>th</sup> feature.
In the Thunderbowl season finale on September 23<sup>rd</sup>, Gibson capped
off his season championship with his victory in the 50-lap feature. Buford Lane
was the 1957 season runner-up followed by Lee Andrews and Pete Gallagher with Dick
Trealor rounding out the top five in points.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrUkxw4Ipub_viax9DKyln0Ay-1RIuNfTSWlazIpsxOltlxwMlLYfjxQhZ2V3KNhbZlkTQfqPz7qvsKhexBRyMgkFlr8WdPEhNWf3zmYgxnb21wIKLj2y7emIakwPSdpRpNCoi86MpXE/s1600/Veterans+Hall+Carp+part+12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="392" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrUkxw4Ipub_viax9DKyln0Ay-1RIuNfTSWlazIpsxOltlxwMlLYfjxQhZ2V3KNhbZlkTQfqPz7qvsKhexBRyMgkFlr8WdPEhNWf3zmYgxnb21wIKLj2y7emIakwPSdpRpNCoi86MpXE/s320/Veterans+Hall+Carp+part+12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="" style="font-size: large;">The Carpintera Veterans Hall today </span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">After 22 weeks
of racing, the Thunderbowl closed out its 1957 season with a barbeque hosted by
track owner and promoter Jim Slaybaugh for 150 members of the Thunderbowl
racing community on September 30 at the Carpinteria Veterans Memorial Building.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Check out
the next installment of the Carpinteria Thunderbowl story as for 1958 the track
would feature a new racing surface and the TCRA would return to sanction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span face=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-80484945620004597202020-08-19T09:22:00.000-07:002020-08-19T09:22:05.818-07:00Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part Ten the 1956 season <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Carpinteria
Thunderbowl <o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Part Ten </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>the
1956 season </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author’s note – This 12-part article highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern California’s least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.</span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rufus “Parnelli”
Jones, the runner-up in the 1955 Tri-Counties Racing Association (TCRA)
championship, won the first event of the 1956 jalopy racing season at
Carpinteria Thunderbowl on opening night Monday May 7, albeit the three-lap
helmet dash. Lee Andrews, Dick Jump, Paul Lang and Frank Kephart won the
preliminary heat races that followed, and defending TCRA champion Buford Lane
won the semi-main event. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Marvin Porter,
a 32-year old friend of Parnelli Jones’ became the star of the night, as he won
the trophy dash, his heat race and the 30-lap feature race in his #14 Chrysler
jalopy, an unusual entry against a field comprised mainly of Fords. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Porter, an Army
Air Force veteran, would later graduate to the NASCAR (National Association of
Stock Car Racing) Pacific Coast Late Model series and won the 1959 NASCAR
National Short Track championship in the last season for the series which used
points earned in races held on tracks a half-mile or shorter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Porter would later win the 1960 NASCAR
Pacific Coast Late Model title with three wins, and became a partner in
Parnelli Jones Enterprises. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Paul Lang won
the 30-lap features on May 14 and May 21, and then scored again on May 28 for
three straight wins, in a special 50-lap holiday feature, trailed by Dave
Revard, Sonny Mars, and Buford Lane. On the evening of June 11, Lang beat Jones
and Pete Gallagher to the checkered flag in the 30-lap feature to win his
fourth race in six 1956 starts at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee Hammock of Santa Barbara won the trophy
dash over fast qualifier Lee Andrews, as well as his heat race and the June 11<sup>th</sup>
semi-main event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On June 25,
Andrews won his first Thunderbowl feature event of the season ahead of Lang
after Pete Gallagher crashed out of the lead on the 18th lap of the 30-lap
feature and flipped. On July 2, Ventura motorcycle policeman Chuck Gibson set a
new track record for jalopies at Carpinteria in time trials with an incredible
17-second flat lap, which eclipsed the old record held by Lee Hammock at 17.28
seconds. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Competitors and fans alike were curious as Gibson’s previous best qualifying
time was 17.29 seconds set on June 25<sup>th</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gibson was not the only Ventura Police officer
who appeared at Carpinteria weekly, as Sergeant Robert Krupp moonlighted as the
track’s starter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 30-year old
Gibson previously had raced his own cars at Carpinteria, but for 1956 he drove the
#5 cream-and-red 1934 Ford owned by Joe Savatier who ran British Motor Car
Service in Ventura. Savatier, a long-time automobile mechanic and race car
owner and builder in the Ventura area, fielded a stock car at several 1954
NASCAR West Coast races for Tony Nelson. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Savatier’s jalopy
was a regular front runner at Carpinteria with previous drivers Nelson, Bob
Stanclift, Joe James and most recently Jim Jennings, but the new record raised
eyebrows. Other competitors complained to the Tri-Counties Racing Association
officials, and claimed an allegedly illegal intake manifold, so Gibson’s new record
held in abeyance pending an inspection. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The driver
Gibson and car owner Savatier both denied knowledge of any illegality, and the subsequent
inspection of Savatier’s car set off a flurry of protests and counter-protests,
and on Saturday July 7<sup>th</sup>, Thunderbowl officials cancelled jalopy
racing “until further notice,” with advertisements in both the <u>Oxnard Press
Courier</u> and the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> newspapers. The officiating
controversy led to track owner Jim Slaybaugh to take over as the track operator
from Cliff Allen of Oxnard. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a
turbulent week of reorganization, racing resumed on July 16<sup>th</sup> and on
July 23<sup>rd</sup> Lee Andrews set the quick time in time trials of 17.47
seconds, with heat race wins to Jump, Don Barlow, Gallagher and Bud Kelch. Jump
won the semi-main and Mary Jo Erickson, wife of multiple Carpinteria feature
winner Rip, won the special powder puff race and Bob Garrett won the night’s
30-lap feature event.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The following
week, Chuck Gibson set fast time at 18.02 seconds, and Larry Albertson, Ray
Foss, Buford Lane and Don Barlow scored heat race victories. Bob McFarland won
the special mechanic’s race, while Mickey McDonald won the semi-main and
Gallagher was first under the checkered flag in the feature race. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Paul Lang, in an
interview with Hal Totten of the <u>Oxnard Press-Courier</u> revealed that
contrary to the public belief that the jalopies were junk, he spent an average
of 16 hours a week to maintain his yellow-and-black #10 1934 Ford coupe. Lang
stated that in addition to engine tuning, he swapped in a new axles every four
races and a rebuilt transmission nearly every other week, though he raced at
the Thunderbowl locked in second gear with a top speed of 60 miles per hour on
the short Carpinteria straightaways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even with multiple feature wins, sponsorship and free parts, Paul noted
he was only $50 ahead so far in the 1956 season, as a main event win at the
Thunderbowl paid just over $45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On August 7<sup>th</sup>
the<u> Oxnard Press Courier</u> newspaper published an unintentionally humorous
article about the previous night’s Carpinteria race. The newspaper reported
that Buford Lane won the feature in “slightly over eight minutes,” and Vern
Scanlon won the semi-main in “about four minutes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The short article stated that “the exact
times and amount knocked off the old records were not available today.” The
same day’s <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press </u>report did not mention any new
records, but noted that Irene Kephart (wife of Frank) won the powder puff race.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The following
week on August 13<sup>th</sup>, Lee Andrews set quick time at 17.65 seconds and
won the trophy dash. Bob Waldren, Bob Garrett Chuck Wood and Paul Lang scored
heat race victories and Pete Gallagher won the semi-main. Don Dunmyer won the
special race held that week - a “backwards race,” in which the cars ran around
the track clockwise and the race started with the checkered flag and finished with
the green flag. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Friday
August 17<sup>th</sup>, the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> reported that
Thunderbowl owner and promoter Jim Slaybaugh closed on his purchase of Lane
Speedway, a ¼-mile dirt oval described as “located in Los Angeles County
between Palmdale and Lancaster.” The article related that Slaybaugh planned to
race jalopies at the Speedway, built in 1955 with seating for 1800 fans, on
Sunday afternoons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The author has been
unable to locate any records of Lane Speedway – do any of our readers have any
information?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">September 24
marked the final race of the 1956 Carpinteria Thunderbowl season, highlighted
by the return of Parnelli Jones, who timed in fastest with a best lap of 17.75
seconds and then won the trophy dash. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the 1956 season, Jones graduated to
NASCAR Pacific Coast stock cars as he drove for Torrance Ford dealer and future
racing team partner Vel Miletich. Jones finished second in the NASCAR Grand
National race held in August at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, and three weeks
earlier raced in the ‘Southern 500’ held at Darlington South Carolina where he
crashed and finished 50<sup>th</sup> in a 70-car field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Carpinteria
season finale, Bill Cherry, Cecil Moss, Pete Gallagher and Lee Andrews scored
heat race wins and Ray Chapin won the semi-main event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
16<sup>th</sup> lap of the feature, Ventura’s Dave Revard, winner of his first
feature race just three weeks earlier, escaped uninjured in a grinding crash. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Revard’s car
collided with the out-of-control machine of Buford Lane which had blown a rear
tire. Paul Lang then struck Revard’s car, which launched it over the crash wall,
where it landed upside down and burst into flames. Once the race restarted, Lee
Andrews scored the season’s final win. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaSEnh9mXMo4GA1Q-VrBCjUebhFO0JfrjGZ4CXsywGZDrVUw_2ftYtdeh8N0wSqVLOLU4LkQvpSnafFdru8UaCJ4HGG4pvHegHbExHkNBQD9SoH28qTRtDe9Xt5yIRTXOXbZOt3fTWi8/s1600/Lane+and+Lang+1956-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1347" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaSEnh9mXMo4GA1Q-VrBCjUebhFO0JfrjGZ4CXsywGZDrVUw_2ftYtdeh8N0wSqVLOLU4LkQvpSnafFdru8UaCJ4HGG4pvHegHbExHkNBQD9SoH28qTRtDe9Xt5yIRTXOXbZOt3fTWi8/s320/Lane+and+Lang+1956-page-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Photo from the <u>Oxnard
Press-Courier</u> of the top two drivers in TCRA 1956 points. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The final 1956
Tri-Counties Racing Association (TCRA) points tally awarded the season championship
for the second year in a row to Buford Lane with 1995 points to runner-up Paul
Lang with 1880 points. Lee Andrews took third place with 1785 points, Revard
wound up fourth with 1650 markers and Chuck Gibson rounded out the top points
with 1340 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Less than a
week after the racing finale, on September 30, a Los Angeles pilot who took off
from the nearby Parsons Airpark reported to the Ventura County Sherriff that
his plane had been shot at as he flew near the Carpinteria Thunderbowl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Vincent Purden
reported that the bullet struck his plane’s generator, but he landed safely at
the Santa Barbara airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avocado
rancher Louis Parsons built and operated his Airpark with a 2000-foot dirt
runaway with five small hangars through the mid-nineteen sixties</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-494145067013632732020-08-11T09:12:00.001-07:002020-08-11T09:12:25.557-07:00The Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part nine – 1952-1955 The Tri-Counties Racing Association & Parnelli Jones <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part nine – 1952-1955 </span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Tri-Counties Racing Association </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">& </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Parnelli Jones </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtlSVjo0KDSQWa_pzCV5BEqLG8OCwKOfv2gqcIILG8yZilFBtVj3Y89cDhWQEDpMhvnip0Bx1_kW65t9fTwKSnK1j8DZEHSxgudbFpPUM9OKmVXi-v8nsVhVFSap6J-d9i2jhBAZ636k/s467/PJ+1963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtlSVjo0KDSQWa_pzCV5BEqLG8OCwKOfv2gqcIILG8yZilFBtVj3Y89cDhWQEDpMhvnip0Bx1_kW65t9fTwKSnK1j8DZEHSxgudbFpPUM9OKmVXi-v8nsVhVFSap6J-d9i2jhBAZ636k/s0/PJ+1963.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Parnelli Jones in 1963</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">photo appears courtesy of the IUPUI University Library</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Center for Digital Studies </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection </div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author’s note – This
12-part article highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern
California’s least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria
Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria Thunderbowl opened for the 1952 season with
the California Jalopy Association (CJA) on Monday night April 14 with an
eight-race program with thirty cars and drivers, many of whom spent the winter
months racing at the Culver City Stadium clay track. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Rip” Erickson came into Carpinteria as the points leader
with several feature wins to his credit, along with defending two-time champion
Fred Russell and Danny Letner. Those top
CJA racers were supplemented by Ventura County drivers that included Tony
Nelson, Bob Ellsworth, Al Goelz, Lee Andrews and Eddie Deal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It appears that the feature race length became 100 laps for several
of the Monday night races; Paul Norman the current CJA points leader, won the
June 2 event by a full lap over Ellsworth and Ken Ebert from Lompoc. Eighteen
cars started the feature but only five cars finished, the result of four
separate accidents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two weeks later, it was announced that the CJA and the promoters
of the Thunderbowl, Tony Coldeway and Bud Hines Junior, parted ways, with
future races co-sanctioned by the Tri-Counties Racing Association (TCRA) and
the Pacific Racing Association (PRA).
That decision meant that Paul Norman, the CJA points leader and winner
of six of the nine 1952 Carpinteria features, would not return. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The absence of the CJA regulars opened the way to victory
lane for the local drivers, as Tony Nelson of Oxnard won the June 23<sup>rd</sup>
feature trailed by Ellsworth and Buford Lane. The big holiday weekend 100-lap
race with fireworks scheduled for July 5 had to be postponed to July 7th due to
foggy conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Local driver and Navy veteran Sonny Mars won the July 14<sup>th</sup>
feature, and Rip Erickson crashed on Sunday July 20<sup>th</sup> at Culver City
and broke his leg which put the Carpinteria favorite on the sidelines for the
rest of the season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With “Rip” out of action, Tony Nelson out-dueled Mars on
July 21 to win the 30-lap “Navy Night” feature. A week later, Mars won his heat
race then followed it up with a main event win over Nelson. During the their
heat race, drivers Bill Cherry and Paul Lang got into a wheel-banging feud that
ended with Lang’s car upside down and Cherry’s car in the wall and neither able
to continue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In early August the Thunderbowl went to the birds in a
matter of speaking, as in back-to-back weeks the track hosted avian
competitions along with the jalopies. On August 11, “Hercules” a four-year old
golden eagle was paired against “Major” a four-year old pelican in a scheduled
ten-minute race. </span><br />
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The event turned out to be a flop, as the eagle slipped his
leash and left the pelican waiting at the starting gate. In the jalopy race,
Nelson won over Bob Heffington. This unusual
promotion was followed the next week by scheduled race between a pair of ostriches, “Whirlaway”
and “Man O’ War” ridden by a pair of brave jalopy drivers selected by fan
voting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ventura resident Bob Ellsworth won the Labor Day 100-lap
feature although he ran out of gas on the last lap. With a substantial lead he
inherited after Lee Andrews and Buford Lane suffered blown tires, Ellsworth
coasted across the finish line ahead of rookie driver Bill Torgeson. </span><br />
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the
final three weeks of the season, Nelson and Ellsworth battled for the TCRA
title as they traded feature victories. At the conclusion of the Thunderbowl’s
final 1952 race on October 13, Tony Nelson prevailed in the special 60-lap
feature and won the title by nine points over Bob Ellsworth. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the winter of 1952-1953, track owner James Slaybaugh
took over promotional duties and requested that the Tri-Counties Racing
Association assume the sole sanctioning duties at the Thunderbowl. In a truly
unusual twist, Slaybaugh was not just the track owner and promoter, he also
raced a jalopy in the weekly Carpinteria programs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In its annual meeting held on March 9 1952, the TCRA Board accepted
Slaybaugh’s proposal and the organization elected retired driver Pat Deardorf
as the club president. Deardorf named John Shaw as the starter, Don Larson the
pit manager and Jack Moore to be in charge of timing and scoring at the
Carpeinteria Thunderbowl. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The TCRA set the opening day as April 20 with an open test
date on April 12, but the opening night was rained out as was the scheduled
make-up date of April 27<sup>th</sup>.
The May 5<sup>th</sup> opening brought “near perfect weather” and a
“full house” according to the next day’s <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u>
account. Rip Erickson recovered from last year’s broken leg nearly scored a clean sweep, as he won the
trophy dash and the feature but narrowly lost his heat race by a fender to Paul
Lang. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Erickson repeated with a feature victory the following week
in a racing program that included a trophy dash, three heat races, the
semi-main event and the thirty-lap feature, all completed in an hour and 35
minutes. Over the following weeks, Erickson, the Santa Barbara speedster
stretched his victory skein to five races before he split with his car owner.
The split did not seem to effect Erickson who won 9 of 11 races by July 21 and
successfully passed a post-race technical inspection by TCRA officials. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rip’s streak of success ended August 4 after he sold his
Ford to fellow competitor Bob Heffington and he ran into delays building his
new Chevrolet entry. Erickson led Paul
Lang by only 12 points when he returned to action on August 31 as he drove one
of only three Chevrolets in the program.
On September 7<sup>th</sup>, Rip returned to victory lane at Carpinteria,
as he inherited the win when the leaders tangled on lap 45 of the 50-lap
feature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the 1953 season entered its final weeks, Lang closed the
gap on Erickson with a win on September 14 but Erickson salvaged a second place
finish to cling to a 14 point lead. In the final points-paying race, Buford
Lane won the feature while neither Erickson nor Lang scored any points, so Rip
was the 1953 Tri-County Racing Association champion with 85 tallies to Lang’s
71 while Lane was third with 59 points. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For 1954, Jim Slaybaugh and the Tri-Counties Racing
Association (TCRA) moved the racing schedule at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl to
Friday nights. Rip Erickson continued he winning ways on opening night May 14.
Two weeks later Bill Heffington of Santa Barbara drove Erickson’s former
machine and won the ‘Poor Man’s Indianapolis” 50-lap feature. At age 65,
Slaybaugh continued to race his jalopy and in early June, he took part in a
special “old timers” match race against the fathers of Lee Andrews and Rip
Erickson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The July 16th program saw a drivers’ revolt after Jim
Slaybaugh announced that he was shifting the program to Monday nights. The
drivers immediately protested and refused to race. Jim Shepherd led the drivers who claimed that
their contract with the Thunderbowl specified Friday night race dates and that
the drivers were not consulted before the announcement. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After peace was restored, Lee Andrews won
the feature but then a protest was filed, but after his car was torn down it
was found to be legal. During August, Slaybaugh introduced motorcycle races on alternate
Saturday nights, and as the jalopy season ended on September 10, Andrews from
Ventura won the TCRA 1954 championship by 20 points over Buford Lane.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1955, another future Indianapolis ‘500’ winner Parnelli Jones arrived the Carpinteria Thunderbowl. </span></b></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b>For the 1955 season at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl, track
owner and promoter Jim Slaybaugh continued the track’s sanction with the
Tri-Counties Racing Association and the jalopy racing schedule shifted back to
Monday nights set to open on May 2.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The season opened in a predictable way as Rip Erickson won
his heat race, the Australian Pursuit race and the 30-lap feature then he
followed it up with another feature win on May 9th, as the Thunderbowl pits
were jammed with 35 cars. Erickson made
it three in row on May 16<sup>th</sup> as he passed leader Bob Ellsworth on lap
28 of the 30-lap feature. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The runner-up in the May 16<sup>th</sup> trophy dash was a
21-year old racer from Torrance named “Parnellie” Jones, who first raced a
jalopy as a 17-year old in 1950 at Carrell Speedway in Gardena. Little would
fans present that night at Carpinteria know that Parnelli Jones (he would soon
drop the “e”) would became the 1960 United States Auto Club (USAC) Midwest
sprint car champion, then share Rookie of The Year honors in the Indianapolis
‘500’ with Bobby Marshman and repeat as the USAC sprint car titlist in 1961. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In
1955, no one could predict that in 1962 Parnelli would be the first man break
the magical 150 miles per hour (MPH) barrier at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and win the 1963 Indianapolis ‘500.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On May 16, 1956 Parnelli followed up his solid finish in the
trophy dash with a solid second-place feature finish behind four-time winner
Erickson after the original runner-up Fred Tomlinson was disqualified when his
car owner refused to allow the car to be inspected. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">56 jalopies were on hand for the annual 50-lap “Poor Man’s
Indianapolis” on May 30 although after time trials and the preliminary races,
only 18 cars started the feature on the 1/5-mile oval. Rip Erickson won his fifth Carpinteria
feature in a row and the lion’s share of the $500 guaranteed purse from the
Santa Barbara Merchants Association. It wasn’t easy however as Rip started dead
last but he took the lead on the 30<sup>th</sup> lap and led the rest of the
way as Heffington finished second and Jones third. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Surprisingly, after that win, Rip announced that he would
not race at Carpinteria any more in 1955, as “the prize money didn’t pay his
way” from his home in Culver City. Erickson’s absence on June 6<sup>th</sup> opened
the door for Chuck Gibson of Ventura to win the feature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The following week June 13, Parnelli Jones won the trophy
dash as he beat fast qualifier Frank Kephart with a new track record of 17.28
seconds. In what the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> described as “one of
the wildest seen at the bowl this year,” early leader Glen Wallen lost a wheel
and hit the wall then second place “R. Spencer” (a nom de guerre for a local
schoolteacher, Spencer Blickenstaff) ran into Wallen’s stalled machine. New race leader Sonny Mars flipped twice on
lap 13, then Ellsworth held the lead until his tire blew on lap 25. Buford Lane led the final five laps and took
the checkered flag ahead of Parnelli and Kephart. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On August 1 Parnelli took part in a match race against famous
local lady race Hila Paulson. Before the event, Jones told reporters “No girl
is going to walk off and leave me too far behind if I can help it.” However, as
reported in the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u>, Hila used some<i> “very
unladylike tactics”</i> to beat Parnelli as she “<i>shoved Jones’ car into the wall
coming around the final turn and came out in front.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At some point Rip Erickson returned to Carpinteria and on
August 15 he was leading the feature when he tangled with the lap car of
Ventura’s Jim Jennings and dropped to fourth place. At the end of the evening,
Buford Lane led the TCRA points with 69, Parnelli jones was second with 47,
while Erickson was fourth with 31 markers.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the season’s penultimate race on September 29, after he
won his heat race Parnelli breezed to an easy win in the 30-lap feature over
Pete Gallagher of Ventura. Parnelli wound up second with 61 points as Buford
Lane, the club president and 1955 champion scored 89 points and received his
trophy at the Tri-Counties Racing Association banquet on October 22 at the
American Legion Hall in Ventura. </span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parnelli closed out his successful 1955 season as he debuted
at Gardena Stadium on Christmas Day before 960 fans. He nearly swept the
program – he won the trophy dash, his heat race, the handicap dash and finished
second in the feature behind Oscar Tolstein after he started dead last. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-8120745047741004452020-08-03T08:38:00.002-07:002020-08-03T08:38:53.644-07:00The Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part eight – 1950 & 1951 Jalopies take over<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Part eight – 1950
& 1951</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jalopies take over </span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author’s note – This series of 12 articles highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern
California’s least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As 1950 opened, Granite Construction crews created
excitement in the Carpinteria area as they worked to build a divided highway for
a section of Highway 101 located near the Thunderbowl. The Thunderbowl ran a wintertime
series of jalopy races with the pre-war cars on Sunday afternoons through the
months of January, February and March.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before the 1950 racing season at the Thunderbowl, sanctioned
by the California Jalopy Association (CJA) officially opened on April 17, the
touring Joie Chitwood Thrill Show paid a visit to Carpinteria on Saturday night
April 8. The two-hour program featured 22 stuntmen and two clowns, Graham Jobe
and Larry Ladd, with 27 stunts performed by a “$150,000 fleet of 1950 Ford
convertibles and sedans.”<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria Thunderbowl featured three major facility
improvements for the 1950 season. An 8-foot high wooden fence now surrounded the
entire facility while the track itself had a new wooden crash wall, while spectators
appreciated the new parking lot access road. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The season opener at Carpinteria on April 17 featured
entries from both the 1949 CJA champion Bob Stanclift (sometimes misspelled
Stancliff) from Long Beach and the CJA 1949 runner-up, Paul Norman of El Monte,
but neither driver figured in the outcome of the inaugural 1950 30-lap
feature.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eight cars collided and tore down 15 feet of the new crash
wall during the main event, and “Tiger” Nick Valenta passed Warren “Chubby”
Sorenson in the final turn on the last lap to take the win, then Bojack Johnson
also squeezed past Sorenson to grab a second place finish.<span> </span><span> </span>The
author of the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press </u>article race report
published the following day noted that the track “<i>was in exceptionally good
shape at the start of the program.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span>It appears track
promoter C. N. “Charlie” Cake and the United Racing Association (URA) President
Roy Morrison temporarily patched up their legal differences, as the URA “Red
Circuit” (non-Offenhauser) midgets were scheduled for Friday night April 21<sup>st</sup>.
As a promotion for the midget races, during intermission on April 17<sup>th</sup>
Charlie Cake staged a match race between midgets driven by Jack Tate and Clay
Robbins, which Tate won by a ¼ lap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first URA scheduled event April 21<sup>st</sup> with
featured entries from Tate, Robbins and Jackie Jordan rained out after 100 fans
had passed through the turnstiles. It is unclear whether the URA sanctioned the
rescheduled date, held on April 28<sup>th</sup>, as this race does not appear
in URA records. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> reported that Jack
Tate, George Smart and Floyd Perry captured heat race wins, although Perry
crashed in the first turn after he took the checkered flag when his steering
jammed, possibly damage left over from the earlier tangle between he and Marty
Cline in the trophy dash.<span> </span>Rather than a
30-lap feature, 1950’s first midget racing program featured twin 20-lap
features won by Jack Tate and George Smart respectively. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During intermission, Charlie Cake told the crowd of 1,200
spectators that the midget races were cancelled for the next three weeks but
that the jalopies would continue to run weekly on Monday nights.<span> </span>The cancellation suggested more problems for the
URA, as the popularity of midget racing in general and the URA further eroded
in 1950, as the West Coast’s top midget racers defected to the American
Automobile Association (AAA). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By contrast to midget racing’s fading popularity, the
public’s interest in jalopy racing skyrocketed throughout the Los Angeles basin
and at Carpinteria in the early nineteen fifties. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On May 29, 1950 perhaps the largest crowd ever
at the Thunderbowl watched the track’s “Poor Man’s Indianapolis” program a
promotional idea that Cake copied from famed West Coast promoter Bill “Hollywood”
White. Bob Stanclift won the 50-lap feature over Fred Russell and Paul Norman. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">White’s “Poor Man’s Indianapolis” race on May 30 at Carrell
Speedway in Gardena Speedway featured a starting field of 66 jalopies,
scheduled to race 500 laps on the half-mile dirt track, in contrast to the
weekly Carrell jalopy races which were typically held on the shorter infield “Figure
8” track.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fred Steinbronner won the Carrell title as he took the lead from the
pole-sitter Howard Shirley on the 462<sup>nd</sup> lap and held on to win. With
a reported paid attendance of 14,780 fans, the grind took four hours and
eighteen minutes to complete and only 29 of the original 66 starters finished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jalopy races continued at Carpinteria through the month of
June – future United States Auto Club midget owner and driver Don Weaver won
the feature on June 5<sup>th</sup>, then Al Moran from Los Angeles won the
feature on June 12 in a photo finish over Stanclift. Bojack Johnson won on June
19 before 3000 screaming fans reportedly the largest weekly crowd seen at the
Thunderbowl all season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Saturday June 24, The Joie Chitwood Thrill Show returned
with its newest star, Dick Cobb, who performed the featured “Dive Bomber Crash”
advertised as “one of the most dangerous stunts ever devised for man and
motor.” For the stunt, Cobb drove a 1950 Ford Sedan up an elevated ramp, then
launched 70 feet through the air and crashed head-on into two parked cars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Chubby” Sorenson won the June 26<sup>th</sup> jalopy feature,
a program marred by two crashes in the 15-lap semi-main event that eliminated seven
of the thirteen starters. Mark Smoot won the special 50-lap race held on July 3,
1950, advertised as a celebration of the Carpinteria Thunderbowl’s third
anniversary, even though the track’s first event ran on August 3, 1947.<span> </span>Don Iddings won the feature on the evening of
July 17<sup>th</sup> on a track that was dark at both ends, after three light
standards were knocked down during accidents in the preliminary races. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On August 5<sup>th</sup>, 1950, the Carpinteria 1/5-mile
once again hosted the ‘hot rod roadsters’ for a 30-lap feature before 1,750
fans. Walt James won in a photo-finish over Johnny Miller and George Seeger.
The jalopies returned on August 7 as Iddings scored a repeat win then “Rip”
Erickson scored his first win on the 15<sup>th</sup>. Don Iddings led most of
the feature on August 21<sup>st</sup>, but his motor lost power late in the
race and sometime midget racer Jack Tate grabbed the win. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ventura’s Pat Deardorf broke through for his first win on August
28th.<span> </span>Newspaper advertisements indicate
that racing at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl continued through September and
October, but the author has been unable to locate race records for the latter
part of the 1950 season or for much of the 1951 season. The California Jalopy
Association crowned Fred Russell as the 1950 season champion with 18 main event
wins, with his final 1950 win scored on December 31 at the Culver City
Stadium.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 1951 jalopy racing season opened at Carpinteria on
Monday April 23 and continued weekly through October with Russell and “Rip”
Erickson of Santa Barbara joined by a new slate of drivers that included local
drivers Bob Ellsworth of Ventura and Tony Nelson of Oxnard joined by “Dapper”
Danny Letner, <span> </span>Buford Lane, Paul Lang and
Lloyd Woolever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the May 21<sup>st</sup> program, one of the jalopies
ran down flagman Mike Gallio, the owner of the Big L Garage in Ventura. Thrown
20 feet by the impact, Gallio was treated and released from Ventura’s Foster
Memorial Hospital with only cuts and bruises. <span> </span>At the end of the 1951 season, Russell
repeated as the California Jalopy Association champion although Letner scored
the most feature wins throughout the 1951 season in his 1934 Ford. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Open wheel cars returned to the Carpinteria 1/5-mile track
on July 4, 1951 for a doubleheader program with fireworks sanctioned by the Three-Quarter
Midget Racing Association (TQMRA).<span> </span>The
group, led by Jerry Wright of Norwalk, promised thirty cars and drivers that
included 1950 TQMRA champion Paul Sankey, ‘Speed’ Boardman, and Harvey
Fleuerhem.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Wednesday, August 1 the Thunderbowl hosted a “Moto Polo”
match between the San Francisco “Pirates” and the Hollywood “Wolves”. This entertainment
program combined “daredevil drivers in rollover cars with a 6-foot rubber ball
for a blend of football, hockey and polo.” </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Devised by the Goodman family of
Bakersfield, the “rollover” cars were 1935 and 1936 stripped Ford chassis fitted
with skeletal roll cages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With the first “Moto Polo” match played at the Kern County
Fairgrounds in April 1950; the new sport was featured as a cover story in the
March 1951 issue of <u>Mechanix Illustrated</u> magazine. The goal for each three-man
teams as they drove the “rollover cars” on a regulation football field was to
drive the 200-pound ball into the goal during the games which were played in
four 15-minute quarters monitored by a referee in a jeep.<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In addition to the teams in Hollywood and San Francisco
(that called Belmont Speedway home) the league included teams from Kern County
(“The Red Devils”), Los Angeles (the “Shamrocks” based at Culver City Stadium),
Sacramento (the “Speedbusters” that played at Capitol Speedway), “Thunderbirds”
based at Oakland Stadium and the Stockton “Skyrockets” from the Stockton 99
Stadium. Early “Moto Polo” matches were televised in Los Angeles on KLAC for
sixteen consecutive weeks. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Touring “Moto Polo” matches were held at race tracks in Santa
Rosa, Salinas, Santa Maria, Marysville, Lancaster and Modesto among other
cities. After a surge of interest in 1951, the “Moto Polo” league steadily
shrank and appeared to close in 1955.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 500 CC motorcycle powered TQMRA midgets returned to
Carpinteria on Sunday November 10 for a special Armistice Day “road race” that
utilized part of the oval and the infield with both right and left-hand turns <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Sunday afternoon November 18<sup>th</sup> the Thunderbowl
hosted a different kind of horsepower - a high-point horse show and gymkhana.
The program featured ten events that included horsemanship competitions for
multiple classes in both Western and English riding style, a cloverleaf race
and a rescue race.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The final 1951 event at the Thunderbowl provided a glimpse
into the future as the Pacific Racing Association (PRA) presented late model hardtop
races on Sunday afternoon November 25.<span> </span>The
PRA founded in 1948, had co-sanctioned the previous week’s ‘State Championship
Hardtop Races’ at the Bakersfield Stadium. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Join us again for our next installment as we continue to trace the
Carpinteria Thunderbowl’s history through the early years of the 1950’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-63056861427526979482020-07-24T12:11:00.001-07:002020-07-29T12:03:25.214-07:00The history of Alamo Downs the short-lived Texas pre-war midget racing venue<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><font face="arial"><font size="6">The history of Alamo Downs </font></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><font face="arial"><font size="6">the short-lived Texas pre-war</font></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><font face="arial"><font size="6">midget auto racing venue</font></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><font face="arial"><font size="6"><br /></font></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><font face="arial"></font></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyXbA2pmL2rURWuUVlA7sGfgERP_ymlJxofSjAqYkpTcq_jTvKVVwL86Llpyafxc6pMZu4P5y4JE3nY7YSvH4M1cQKeFu1ITIc95zxpGAzBWggg0fS967eRBHfrZlVBFILorw2G5SEyQ/s316/2+Wes+Saegesser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyXbA2pmL2rURWuUVlA7sGfgERP_ymlJxofSjAqYkpTcq_jTvKVVwL86Llpyafxc6pMZu4P5y4JE3nY7YSvH4M1cQKeFu1ITIc95zxpGAzBWggg0fS967eRBHfrZlVBFILorw2G5SEyQ/s0/2+Wes+Saegesser.jpg" /></a></font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font face="arial">Wes Saegesser </font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></b></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">On September 1 1933, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">the State of Texas</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> legalized pari-mutuel wagering on thoroughbred
racing. Shortly thereafter, businessman Raymond Russell
built the Alamo Downs one-mile horse racing facility on Culebra Road northwest of downtown San Antonio.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Alamo Downs opened its first racing meet on April 23 1934 with 14,000 fans in attendance which included
Texas Governor Miriam A. Ferguson.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Horse racing at Alamo Downs ended on September 24 1937 after
the Texas legislature again outlawed pari-mutuel thoroughbred wagering after
several scandals. There were still horses boarded and trained on the Alamo
Downs property but the facility sat largely unused until late 1940.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Famed automobile racing promoters O.D Lavely and his son Ray,
through their company, Lavely Racing Promotions Enterprises, signed a five-year lease in August 1940
to present midget racing at Alamo Downs. Lavely Promotions built the 1/5-mile
banked oiled clay dirt track which
measured 40 feet wide through the corners and 30 feet wide on the
straightaways </font><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">in front of the existing grandstands</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The track construction
included an innovative 36-inch high outer crash wall and an inner “hub rail.”
Rather than locate the pit area in the infield, officials located the work area for the race
cars underneath the grandstands in the paddock area.<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The Texas Oklahoma Racing Association (TORA) which sanctioned the Alamo Downs races, also presented races at the 1/5-mile Fair
Park Speedway on the grounds of the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas, the Lavely’s 1/5-mile
Houston Speedbowl and the ¼-mile Gold Mine Race Bowl in Dallas. TORA race tracks included Jefferson-Davis
Speedway in Fort Worth, the original dirt Pan-American Speedway in San Antonio
and the Panhandle-South Plains Speedway in Lubbock. TORA also raced in Texas at
the Reaser Park track in Victoria as well as the Lions Field Speedway, a track which
the author has been unable to locate.<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Admission to the first midget race at Alamo Downs on Sunday
afternoon October 6 cost race fans 40 cents plus tax with free parking. Due to
the late season opening, many midget drivers from the Midwest came to San
Antonio to race against that local drivers that included Al Slaughter, Dick Word and the one-armed wonder, Wes Saegesser. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Other Texas entries came from Doster ‘Doc’ Cossey (AJ Foyt’s
first racing hero), the 1939 Texas midget racing champion Mel Wainwright and Elmer
“Rabbit” Musick, the youngest of five racing brothers from the Dallas area - his brothers were named Ben, Morris, Lyn and Leland. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span> </span>Al Slaughter won the very
first Alamo Downs race, the 2-lap helmet dash over Abilene’s Cleo Glaze who set
quick time in time trials at 17.31 seconds. Dale Burt, Word and Wainwright each
won one of the eight-lap heat races, and Cossey won the second 10-lap semi-main
event from eighth starting position. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">During that second semi-main race, Denver driver Warren
Hamilton took what the <u>San Antonio Light</u> article described as “a
spectacular spill” on the first lap after he tangled with the car of JD Parks
and Hamilton's car rolled over into the infield.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Slaughter took the race lead into the first
turn of the 25-lap feature pursued by ‘Doc’ Cossey. ‘Doc’ pressed Slaughter hard
until his car fell out on the ninth lap with electrical trouble, and Slaughter easily
won by a half a lap over Glaze.<span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The following Sunday, October the 13<sup>th</sup>, the 1/5-mile track was much faster. Jim Ward set
quick time at 16.75 seconds, for a new lap record, while ‘Doc’ Cossey won the
two-lap Helmet Dash in <span> </span>34.88 seconds,
then Al Slaughter won his eight-lap heat race with a new record time of 2
minutes, 19.26 seconds. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Cossey captured the 25-lap feature win over Ward in a record
time of seven minutes, 37.76 seconds to score his second feature win in four nights,
to go along with his Thursday night win at the Houston Speedbowl. </font><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Cossey’s Alamo Downs win on the 13</span><sup style="font-family: arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> marked his tenth midget feature win of the 1940 season.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Late in feature on
the 13<sup>th</sup>, three of the top cars driven by Dick Word, Lou
Turberville and Earl Simmons tangled in front of the grandstands after Word’s
car blew its water hose, and Word and Turberville both suffered facial cuts
in the accident.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5"><span><br /></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Cossey became the first Alamo Downs repeat winner as he won
on October 20<sup>th</sup> in a program that extended the heat races to ten
laps in length, and stretched the feature to 30 laps.<span> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The field on October 27</span><sup style="font-family: arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> featured new entries from Charlie Miller, the 1940 American Automobile Association (AAA) eastern midget series champion and the AAA Eastern midget runner-up George Fonder.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Al Slaughter scored his second Alamo win in the
14-car “Fall Championship” 30-lap race on October 27th, as he again went
wire-to-wire to beat the $3000 'Jackson Special,' an Offenhauser powered car
driven by Dallas’ “King of the Midgets” William Ben ‘Red’ Hodges.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">On November 3<sup>rd</sup>, Slaughter won his heat race then
powered to his third Alamo feature win over the helmet dash winner Miller. Car counts at Alamo
Downs continued to increase such that on the 3<sup>rd</sup>, the 10-lap Class
‘B’ feature featured an eighteen-car starting field. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">On November 17th, Kansas City’s Vito Calia captured his
8-lap heat race in a new record time of 2 minutes 16.84 seconds, then finished close second place behind Jim Ward in the first semi-main. Slaughter took the point
for the first three laps of the 25-lap feature until Calia took over the lead
and went on to set a new track record as he won with a time of seven minutes
and 7.43 seconds. <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Rain cancelled the races scheduled for November 25<sup>th</sup>
and before the next race on December 1, ‘Doc’ Cossey bought a new Elto
outboard-powered midget and installed Mel Wainwright as the driver.<span> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">Many of the Alamo Downs racers took part in
the Thanksgiving night 100-lap “Southern Grand Prix” race in Houston won by
‘Red’ Hodges, and as a result only 20 cars signed in at Alamo Downs on December
1. To compound the low car count, only about 1400 fans showed up to watch the
program won by ‘Red’ Hodges in the Jackson Offenhauser powered midget.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The afternoon of December 8<sup>th</sup> marked the final
scheduled race at Alamo Downs for the 1940 season as the Lavely clan planned to
head to the Pacific Coast to sign up more drivers for the 1941 Alamo Downs season
set to open in February.<span> </span>The 50-lap Class A championship race topped the December 8th program supplemented by the </font><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">15-lap Class B championship race</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="5">The midget track on the other side of </font><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">San Antonio</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> on
Seguin Highway also scheduled a race on that Sunday afternoon which diluted the
field of entries at Alamo Downs to just 25 cars. ‘Red’ Hodges captured the
50-lap Class A feature but fell short of winning the 1940 track championship by
six points, as Slaughter passed “Rabbit” Musik on the last lap to claim second
place and secure enough points to win the championship.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="5"><font face="arial">The Lavely’s ambitious plans for the 1941 Alamo Downs midget
racing season never materialized and there is no evidence of another race held there. In January 1942 a fire swept through a stable
on the Alamo Downs grounds and killed five race horses, then in September 1947 another fire
partially destroyed the wood, concrete and steel paddock and grandstand. The
area once occupied by the Alamo Downs track is now part of the Alamo Downs
Business Park. </font><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="5"> </font></o:p></p><br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-91802221613955450302020-07-17T09:03:00.000-07:002020-07-17T09:03:00.648-07:00Hot Rods and Jalopies take over the Carpinteria Thunderbowl in 1949 Part seven <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span><b><i><font size="6">The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl </font></i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Part seven – late 1949 </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><font face="" size="5"><b>Hot Rods and Jalopies take over! </b></font></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Author’s note – This 12-part article highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern
California’s least-documented midget auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With the
cancellation of motorcycle racing and suspension of his midget racing franchise
by the United Racing Association board of directors, Charlie Cake turned to a
form of racing that had proven a failure in the track’s inaugural season – “hot
rod” roadsters. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jim Rigsby, a
commercial fisherman from Lennox California was dominant in the first roadster
race at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl held on Monday night August 22 which
featured <i>“one of the largest crowds at the speedway this year,”</i> according to
the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u>.<span>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although it is
unclear whether this August 22nd race was a California Roadster Association
(CRA) sanctioned event, Rigby arrived in Carpinteria on a hot streak, as in
recent weeks he won the two previous CRA events held at Carell Speedway in
Gardena. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rigsby lost the
trophy dash to Bob Scott, who like Rigsby, would later find fame in American
Automobile Association (AAA) ‘big cars.’ Rigby rebounded and won his heat race,
as did Bob Chaplain, Don Nicholson, and George Seeger. Seeger’s car broke an
axle on final corner of the last lap of the heat race, but he had enough
momentum and coasted across the finish line. George installed a new axle borrowed
from a competitor in time to start the main event. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Future CRA
president Walt James finished in the show position in the 15-lap semi-main,
behind easy winner Rigsby and Ken Stansberry. Rigsby led the feature race at
will, at times with a quarter-lap advantage over Stansberry and Scott, who
tangled after their cars crossed the finish line, but neither driver received
injuries.<span> </span>Charlie Cake announced that
future Carpinteria roadster races would start at 1 PM on Sunday afternoons.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rigsby repeated
his winning ways in the first Sunday afternoon CRA-sanctioned show on August
28, although the star of the show was Negro driver LeRoy Nooks. Leroy, the
day’s fastest qualifier, won the trophy dash and his heat race. During time
trials, Tom Francis’ car lost a wheel, hit the wall and Tom suffered a broken
hand. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ken Stansberry
won the semi-main event ahead of Don Nicholson and North Dakota native C L
“Puffy” Puffer. Rigsby finished the 30-lap feature in a respectable time of
seven minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Stansberry and Nicholson. The CRA roadster
regulars made their final 1949 Carpinteria appearance and headed east for a
five-race series held in conjunction with the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City.
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To fill the
void left by the roadsters, Charlie Cake introduced jalopy racing to the
Thunderbowl on Thursday evening September 1. Advertisements promised that it
was <i>“the greatest show of its kind in the world,</i>” and promised <b><i>“Wrecks! Speed!
Dangerous Action!” </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The field of
cars “which reportedly are not supposed to be worth more than $100,” was led by
former midget pilot Mickey McCormick of Riverside, Paul Norman of El Monte, the
current California Jalopy Association (CJA) points leader, and Bob Stanclift,
the 1948 CJA champion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Clagg won
the first Carpinteria jalopy program which the <u>Ventura County Star- Free
Press</u> described as “one of the best and most interesting presented at the
track in recent weeks.”<span> </span>In addition to
the Thunderbowl, the CJA also raced at the 1/5-mile Huntington Beach Stadium,
the 1/3-mile Lakeland Stadium and the quarter-mile Culver City Stadium. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Prior to the
following week’s races, CJA officials provided the Ventura County paper with
additional information on the racers - “standard stock cars of the 1930-35
vintage with no gadgets added to boost their speed.” Track officials added that
the only modification to the vintage cars allowed by the CJA was the use of a
single downdraft carburetor on the Ford Model ‘A’ entries.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In their second
program at the track, on September 5, the jalopies entertained a
“newly-acquired abundance of fans,” and produced four new track records. Paul Norman
set the new one-lap standard at 18.98 seconds in qualifying, while Jackie Tate
set a record for three laps as he won the four-car trophy dash. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leo Breithaupt set
a new 6-lap record of one minutes and 15 seconds in the fourth heat race, while
the semi-main race, plagued by accidents, did not set a new record. Bo Jack
Johnson won the 30-lap feature in nine minutes and 52 seconds, as he finished
ahead of Norman and “Tiger” Nick Valenta. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Paul Norman
lowered the one-lap qualifying record to 18.54 seconds and won the 30-lap
feature on Monday September 12, 1949 as he started in last place after he broke
an axle in the trophy dash. Paul took the lead on the 16<sup>th</sup> lap
“before a good-sized crowd.” Norman repeated his win on September 20 in a photo-finish
over Bob Stanclift. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>As the Carpinteria racing season progressed,
it became clear that the jalopies were a hit with both fans and racers, as the
Ventura paper reported average crowds nearing 2,000 with nearly 30 cars entered
for the weekly program. <span> </span>The large fields
led promoter Cake to increase the feature starting field to 16 cars and lengthen
the feature to 35 laps. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In early
November, the Joe Chitwood World Champion Auto Daredevils touring show visited
Carpinteria. A stop on the 1949 “Hell on Wheels” tour, it featured <i>“27 thrilling stunts performed by 30
supermen.” </i>Fans watched as <i>“$100,000
worth of 1949 Fords performed stunts, raced and jumped,</i>” highlighted by a brand-new
stock 1949 Ford sedan that jumped from ramp-to-ramp as another brand new 1949
Ford raced underneath.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jalopy racing
continued weekly until December 12, and Stanclift became a two-time winner while
Norman scored two more victories to increase his 1949 Carpinteria win total to
four, while 24-year old future two-time Indianapolis 500-mile race starter Joe
James scored a memorable win. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We will
continue to trace the Thunderbowl’s history as jalopy racing takes hold in
1950. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-35862172686598674592020-07-10T10:02:00.001-07:002020-07-10T10:02:55.996-07:00 The Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part six – another fatality and midget racing is suspended <div style="text-align: center;"><font face="" size="5"><b> </b></font></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Carpinteria
Thunderbowl </i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Part six – another fatality <span> </span></i></b></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Author’s note – This
12-part article highlights the brief 12-year history of one of Southern
California’s least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On July 21,
1949 promoter Charlie Cake presented motorcycle racing for third time at the
Thunderbowl. The program featured both ‘flat track’ racing on the 1/5-mile oval
and ‘tourist trophy’ (TT) racing with both right- and left-hand turns as well
as steeplechase-style jumps. Oscar Sherman won the flat track feature and ‘H
Kimbel’ won the TT feature. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cake, from
Ventura, negotiated a deal with the new United Racing Association (URA)
president Roy Morrison to bring the URA Red “B” Circuit (for rocker arm powered
midgets) to Carpinteria, historically a “Blue circuit” (for overhead camshaft
powered midgets) track. The URA earlier ran both the “Blue” and “Red” circuits,
but Morrison created the “Red B” circuit, for slower flathead and motorcycle powered
cars, as a lower-cost racing program for promoters designed to combat the
inroads made by the “hot rod” roadsters. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Johnny McFadden
won the three-lap trophy dash for the two fastest qualifiers from time trials
over Bill Martin to open the July 25<sup>th </sup>racing program. <span> </span>On lap 4 of the first 6-lap heat race, Don
Keefe and Bob Saunders collided, which knocked both of their cars out of the
race. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the
restart, on the final lap of the race, as Chris Christopher took the checkered
flag, rookie Norman “Norm” Howton<span> </span>who started
from the tail of the field, attempted to pass Al Bridges, but misjudged and the
right rear wheel of Howton’s machine hooked the left front wheel of Bridges’
car. Howton’s midget flipped and it landed upside down on top of the crash wall.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Howton, a 22-year
old native of Santa Monica living in Venice, had joined the URA organization
the previous Thursday and Carpinteria was his first race, Norm suffered a
broken jaw and a fractured skull, with suspected
brain injuries. An ambulance transported him to Cottage Hospital in Santa
Barbara. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The racing
program continued after officials cleared away Howton’s damaged machine. <span> </span>Bill LeRoy, Chuck Burness and Jackie Jordan
won the remaining three heat races.<span>
</span>LeRoy won the fifteen-lap semi-main followed by future 3-time URA
champion Lowell Sachs and Clay Robbins. <span> </span>Jordan
won the 30-lap feature race over Martin and McFadden with Johnny Coughlin in
fourth place. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Norm Howton
passed away at 6:30 AM the following day, and thus became the second driver to
lose his life at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl in as many years. Norm, a veteran
of the United States Navy, served in World War 2 as a seaman on board the
destroyer escort USS Raymon W. Herndon in the assault on Okinawa. Survived by
his father Glen, mother Irene, and older sister Lorraine, Norm is buried at the
Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. <span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Johnny McFadden
from San Diego, led time trials for the next URA Red “B” program on Monday
August 1<sup>st</sup> with a best lap of 15.62 seconds, then he captured the
trophy dash and his heat race. Other heat race winners included Bill LeRoy,
Dwight Gunn and Bill Martin, who also won the semi-main 15-lap race. In the
30-lap feature, McFadden fell two positions short of a “clean sweep” as Bill Martin
led Jackie Jordan to the finish line. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The following
week, on August 8<sup>th</sup> promoter Cake added a special appearance by the Southern
California race track favorite ‘Charlie the Clown.’ Leo ‘Pop’ Faulkner, who
starting racing in 1934 won the added Australian Pursuit race.<span> </span><span> </span>Bill
LeRoy won the trophy dash while Johnny McFadden, Bob Allen, Clay Robbins and ‘big
car’ racer Ken Crispin scored heat race victories.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Norm Hall took
the checkered flag for the 15-lap semi-main event. On the second lap of the
feature, Robbins ran over the wheels of a stalled car and his midget flipped over
the wall but he escaped injury. McFadden won the feature while on the penultimate
lap Bill Martin and Jackie Jordan tangled as they battled for second place and both
spun into the infield. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>‘Charlie the Clown’ returned to Carpinteria on
August 15<sup>th</sup> but Jackie Jordan did not, as the URA suspended him for
seven days for rough driving following the Carpinteria incident with Martin. Faulkner
repeated his victory in the Australian Pursuit and Martin won the trophy dash
and his heat race, as Crispin, LeRoy and Car Brown also scored 6-lap race wins.
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the opening
lap of the semi-main, Johnny McFadden got squeezed into the outer wall and his
midget took a series of side-over-side flips. When the car finally came to
rest, Johnny climbed out of the wreckage with only a cut over his eye and badly
skinned knuckles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bill LeRoy
grabbed the early lead in the 30-lap feature then Charlie Miller challenged for
the lead until Miller’s engine blew up, and Charlie suffered burns on his arms
and legs as the car rolled into the infield. Bill Martin took up the chase
after LeRoy, and as the laps wound down, Martin found the fast way around the
top of the 1/5-mile oval. With just a few laps to go, Martin sped past LeRoy to
take the victory with George Annis in third place. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On August 18<sup>th</sup>,
the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> revealed that promoter Charlie Cake
cancelled all Thursday night motorcycle races until track repairs could be
made, but that the scheduled Monday night midget races would continue.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The following
day, the Ventura newspaper reported the cancellation of the remainder of the
1949 URA midget racing schedule at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl. According to
promoter Charlie Cake, “hot rod” racing would replace the midgets on Monday
nights, following the same program line-up as the midgets featuring a trophy
dash, four heat races, a 15-lap semi-main and a 30-lap feature. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Saturday
August 20, the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> carried an article about
the Thunderbowl for the third day in a row.<span>
</span>The newspaper reported that in a telephone interview, Roy Morrison, the
URA president revealed that on Friday, the URA board cancelled Charlie Cake’s
franchise for URA midget racing at the Thunderbowl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Morrison cited
“<i>non-payment of purses and officials
fees,”</i> as the reason for the cancellation, and noted that Cake had an
outstanding debt of $781. Morrison added that URA’s Los Angeles attorney, J.
Frank Armstrong would draw up papers and file suit in Santa Barbara <i>“in the next ten days.”</i> <span> </span>In the meantime, Morrison said that the URA board
would <i>“strongly consider” </i>a bid to
hold races on the Ventura track. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Morrison
claimed during his interview that Cake <i>“held
up the purse three times and gave the association nothing but trouble since he
took over management of the track.</i>” <span> </span>Roy recalled that dealings with Bradley McLure
the original 1949 franchisee were “<i>very
satisfactory</i>.” Because of Cake’s actions Morrison claimed<i> “the URA is operating at a loss at the
Carpinteria Thunderbowl.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cake, contacted
by the <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press</u>, admitted that he held up purses <i>“hoping to get more cars the following week</i>,”
and would continue to hold purse monies pending the outcome of a $5,000 breach
of contract suit to be drawn up by his Ventura attorney Bernard J “Barney” Loughman<i>. “The URA did not send the number of racers
called for in the contract,”</i> according to Cake. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the next
installment, we will trace the rest of the 1949 season as new types of racing took
over at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The author is looking for
any private vintage photographs of the Carpinteria Thunderbowl that readers may
have. Please reach out to </span></i></b><a href="mailto:kevracerhistory@aol.com"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">kevracerhistory@aol.com</span></i></b></a></span><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> .<span>
</span>We can’t pay for use, we’re just looking to share images for those who
never saw the track.<span> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<br />
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<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-61797523588824713842020-07-04T14:53:00.000-07:002020-07-04T14:53:52.964-07:00The Carpinteria Thunderbowl Part five - the first half of the 1949 season<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Carpinteria Thunderbowl </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Part five - the first half of the 1949 season</i></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author’s note – This 12-part article highlights the brief 12-year
history of one of Southern California’s least-documented auto racing venues –
the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Carpinteria Thunderbowl began its third season of
operation on Friday evening May 6th, 1949 as it hosted the ‘Ken Baker Circus of
Thrills’ auto thrill show. The show starred the ‘Streamline Death-Defying Hell
Drivers’ with precision driving by Dave Arnold and Earl McComb, the “ice crash”
in which Bob “Jumpin’ Jack” Niles crashed a sedan into<span> </span>20-ton wall of ice, rollover crashes by
“Reckless” Dick Getty, a head-on crash by Getty and McComb, and closed with a
fireworks finale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carpinteria was the inaugural show for Ken and Dottie
Baker’s troupe, based in North Hollywood that used the advertising phrase
“Smoke and Flame - we earn the name.” Later Baker tour stops included Lakeland
Park Ranch & Stadium (also known as El Monte Speedway) in El Monte, Balboa
Stadium in San Diego, San Fernando’s Valley Fiesta and Contra Costa Stadium in
Walnut Creek. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Saturday May 14<sup>th</sup> edition of the <u>Ventura
County Star Free Press </u>featured an article that revealed that the
Carpinteria Thunderbowl 1949 midget auto racing season would start on Monday
evening May 16th.<span> </span>The article revealed
that “the track will be under the management of Bradley and Wanda McLure,” a
couple that lived at 155 East Vince Street in Ventura.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The article stated that Mr. McClure, who had 20 years’
experience as a superintendent at the Saticoy Rock Company in Ventura County, would
“handle the track arrangements, while Mrs. McClure will attend to the
concession stand.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Monday May 16 the <u>Ventura County Star Free Press</u>
featured a Carpinteria Thunderbowl advertisement on page eight but on page nine,
an article headlined “Rain Threat cancels Carpinteria Races,” noted that the
Thunderbowl had scheduled a program “which featured an All-star card of
top-notch drivers was lined up” until “Mrs. Bradley McLure cancelled due a
threat of rain this m</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">orning and deferred until a week from tonight.”</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On May 20 the Ventura County newspaper carried a follow-up
article in which Bradley McLure announced the cancellation of the races
scheduled for May 23 and May 30 due to unfavorable weather conditions with the
1949 grand opening of the Thunderbowl postponed to June 6.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span>The United Racing
Association (URA) “Blue Circuit” drivers scheduled to headline the opening
Carpinteria racing program included Danny Oakes, Johnny Garrett, Walt Faulkner,
Dominic “Pee Wee” Distarce, “King Karl” Young and Rodger Ward. For the 1949
season, two drivers who jumped from the URA to the American Automobile
Association (AAA) during the late summer of 1948, Norm Holtkamp and Cal Niday, returned
to the URA fold along with their respective car owners, Roscoe Hogan and Arnold
Krause. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On June 6<sup>th</sup>, Faulkner defeated Ward in the Trophy
Dash, with heat races wins to Garrett, Eddie Anderson, Jimmy Bryan and Bob
Kelsey. Bryan beat Distarce to the checkered flag in the 15-lap semi-main which
featured a crash that involved Bob Shimp and Al Sherman that required a red
flag stoppage. Heath won the feature over Billy Cantrell in a comparatively
slow time of 8 minutes and 18 seconds for the thirty laps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The following week, June 13<sup>th</sup>, Doug Groves set
quick time in time trials at 11.95 seconds, but was edged out in the Trophy
Dash by Billy Cantrell. ‘Skee’ Redican, Rodger Ward, Cliff Epp, and Bill
Homeier recorded victories in their 6-lap heat races. Ward won the 15-lap semi-main
event, then Bob Barker won the feature after both Jimmy Bryan and Cantrell spun
themselves out of contention. <span> </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Allen Heath won the June 20 URA “Blue Circuit” feature in
the Lyle Greenman owned Offenhauser and Frank “Satan” Brewer won on June 27 in
his own Ford V8-60 powered midget. In the meantime, the McLure family was
negotiating to get out of their lease. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On July 1, a new promoter, Charlie Cake, signed the
Carpinteria track lease with owner Jim Slaybaugh. In an appearance days later at
the Ventura Police Boys’ Club, Cake announced his intention to also promote
weekly motorcycle races at Carpinteria, which would begin with an exhibition
during the scheduled July 4 URA “Blue Circuit” event. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The July 5<sup>th</sup> race report in the <u>Ventura County
Star-Free Press </u>noted that the 1/5-mile clay oval <i>“appeared in better shape last night than since midget auto racing
began two years ago.”</i> The program started off with a bang when Walt
Faulkner set a new track record in qualifying with a lap of 14.66 seconds.
Faulkner whipped URA point leader Billy Cantrell in the trophy dash, then
easily won his heat race.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howard Gardner, who flipped during the semi-main race on June
27<sup>th</sup>, reversed his fortunes and snagged the semi-main win.<span> </span>Faulkner, with chance for a “clean sweep”
started the feature from seventh place, passed his teammate Len Faas for the
lead on lap five, and romped to victory ahead of Faas, Chet Fink, Danny Oakes
and Doug Groves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A preview written before the first Thunderbowl weekly motorcycle
race promised “at least 30 top-notch drivers from Ventura and Santa Barbara
counties” that included Cal Cline, the operator of a local motorcycle shop, who
took part in the July 4 exhibition. The scheduled motorcycle program included a
four-lap trophy dash, eight lap heat races, a 15-lap semi and a 30-lap feature race.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On July 7th brothers Glenn and Bob Mullaney of Santa Barbara
<i>“threaded their two-wheeled broncos
through the pack to win first and second place</i>” according to the July 8<sup>th</sup><u>
Ventura County Star-Free Press</u> report, which noted that many in the
average-sized crowd went away disappointed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The article explained that <i>“most of the blame…can be passed off to the track which was little more
than a soft lumpy dirt road by the time three heat races were turned, and even
worse when it came time for the consolation race and the main event</i>.” Cal
Cline, the local hero, flipped in the mushy dirt midway through the feature,
but reportedly received "<i>only friction burns on his hands and arms."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the next URA midget program on Monday night July 11, Doug
Groves of Van Nuys set quick time at 14.99 seconds then beat Bill Zaring in the
Trophy Dash. <span> </span>The evening’s heat race victories
went to Bill LeRoy, Jim Bryan, Hal Minyard and Rodger Ward. The semi-main race
win went to Bryan who set a new 15-lap record of 4 minutes and 64/100 seconds
ahead of Kenny Morrison. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just after Bill Cantrell took the checkered flag for the
feature win, chaos erupted behind him. Hal Minyard hit the front stretch wall
and his midget spun to stop, facing the approaching field. Doug Groves in third
place, with nowhere to go, hit the Minyard car and his car flipped. Groves’ car
came to rest upside down, with Doug who was unconscious, pinned inside for many
minutes until he could be freed.<span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Minyard miraculously escaped unhurt, but once Doug was removed from his midget, an ambulance rushed him to the Lying-In
Osteopathic Hospital in Oxnard where the 33-year old driver was admitted with
broken left leg and severe bruises on his chest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The following week’s URA program on July 18<sup>th</sup> was
a benefit for Groves, with Doug brought to the track from the Oxnard hospital
by Jay Ryan’s Ventura County ambulance service. Faulkner edged Garrett in the
trophy dash, while Ward, Minyard, Cantrell and Bob Shimp scored heat races
wins. Shimp led the semi-main until the Lea-Francis engine in his midget failed.
which handed the win to Frank Brewer in his own Ford V8-60 powered car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 91-cubic inch Lea-Francis engine, purpose built in England
for midget auto racing, featured dry-sump oiling, gear-driven double camshafts,
four SU carburetors, with <span> </span>a high compression
ratio to run on alcohol. <span> </span>Record-setting British
driver Dudley Froy, Lea-Francis designer Ken Rose and chief engineer Albert
Ludgate made trips to the United States in 1948 and 1949 to show and sell
examples of the engine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Besides Shimp, several US midget racers (including Woody
Brown in Northern California) used the four-cylinder “LeaF” engine but it never
became popular (less than a dozen were built), given that its 120 horsepower
could not match the power of the Offenhauser four-cylinder engine and it
sometimes put connecting rods through the side of the aluminum block.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The <u>Ventura County Star-Free Press </u>newspaper report called
the July 18<sup>th</sup> midget feature race “one of the most spectacular races
ever at the Thunderbowl” as Cantrell, in the Casale Offenhauser, finished in
seven minutes and 45.02 seconds, ahead of Bob Barker, who hounded Cantrell for
all thirty laps, with Johnny Garrett the third place finisher. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The author is looking for any private vintage photographs of the
Carpinteria Thunderbowl that readers may have. Please reach out to </i></b><a href="mailto:kevracerhistory@aol.com"><b><i>kevracerhistory@aol.com</i></b></a></span><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i> .<span> </span>We can’t pay for use, we’re just looking to
share images for those who never saw the track</i>.<span> </span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ntstWgwtxCELyzOk03MGsc4rMj8k-6eszCMvcOYyyxuBChBNj7RulNyHdCKZ-1jFioUGNIGGJ3qPA81Qo0hg2lHonEogy8_g9LOmgiFbo3NmFBH8O6ZHVY6jU1Jy0mihRQEozuqqBc8/s1600/1+SEMA+image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ntstWgwtxCELyzOk03MGsc4rMj8k-6eszCMvcOYyyxuBChBNj7RulNyHdCKZ-1jFioUGNIGGJ3qPA81Qo0hg2lHonEogy8_g9LOmgiFbo3NmFBH8O6ZHVY6jU1Jy0mihRQEozuqqBc8/s1600/1+SEMA+image.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059227621741570501.post-55449369100715805712020-06-26T13:36:00.002-07:002020-06-26T13:36:39.209-07:00The last half of the 1948 season at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl - chapter four <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Carpinteria Thunderbowl</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Part four - second half of the 1948 season</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Author’s note – This fourth installment of our 12-part article reviews the 12-year history of one of Southern California’s least-documented auto racing venues – the Carpinteria Thunderbowl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi1FpDMQr8UTzPwNOnNX5OywrL4CEXUdBHUgEX8Dk52NjvVaWFhkIxfeiSiyEKtsuaiHckq27JjNA58p7qiDhnPAvgJD7fyINUUAHOs-huCJIaqCXd8__LplgsMlWXjeW41lNMnzV5U4/s1600/1948+CARP++PROGRAM+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi1FpDMQr8UTzPwNOnNX5OywrL4CEXUdBHUgEX8Dk52NjvVaWFhkIxfeiSiyEKtsuaiHckq27JjNA58p7qiDhnPAvgJD7fyINUUAHOs-huCJIaqCXd8__LplgsMlWXjeW41lNMnzV5U4/s320/1948+CARP++PROGRAM+2.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Fourth of July fell on a Sunday in 1948 and for the holiday, a 50-lap feature event capped the Carpinteria Thunderbowl URA “Blue Circuit” midget racing program. The evening featured “lots of spills and thrills” as Bob Shimp lost control and hit the north wall during his heat race, while the machines of Johnny McFadden, Carl Brown, and Monty Kline all suffered broken axles and lost wheels during the night’s races. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">In winning the feature race over Johnny Garrett, Rod Simms, who earlier won the trophy dash, established a new track record for 10 miles as he took the checkered flag in 10 minutes and 18.1 seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gordon Reid won the July 11 feature, but the track’s first fatality overshadowed this result. During a reported three-car “exhibition race,” James Joseph “Jimmy” McMahon died in an incident in the north turn. McMahon’s self-owned #161 midget suddenly swerved out of control, hit the wall, flipped and came to rest atop the crash wall upside down on the tail tank.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The track physician, Dr. Joseph E Whitlow of Ventura, pronounced McMahon dead at the accident scene and stated later to reporters that Jimmy died “almost instantly.” Track co-promoter Pete Truhitte, noted in a later newspaper interview with the <u>Oxnard Press-Courier</u> sportswriter Hal Totten that McMahon’s accident marked the first time that the track ambulance had been out of the infield that season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">McMahon’s death brought a close to a sad chapter of Australian midget auto racing. A child movie star is his home country, as a young adult Jimmy McMahon raced motorcycles before he used his engineering skills and built his own pre-war midgets (called a speedcar in Australia) and engines. In May 1947, Jimmy and his friend Dinny Patterson, the 1939 Australian speedcar champion, left Australia to race in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">They traveled to the States with one-legged American racer Cal Niday, who spent the summer racing “down under.” Tragically, days after the pair’s arrival on United States soil, Patterson, 36 died after a time trial accident in his first race in the United States, the season opening race on the ¼ mile dirt track inside Balboa Stadium held May 30, 1947. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The out-of-control midget Dinny drove crashed through the wooden outer fence and slammed into a concrete pillar. Newspapers reported that Dinny, admitted in fair condition to the nearby Quintard Hospital, suffered a broken collarbone, nose, and ribs but Patterson died on Tuesday, June 3rd. Following instructions in a cable received from his wife Anita in Australia, officials cremated Dinny’s body and returned his ashes home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">An eight-cylinder engine of McMahon’s own creation powered the Kurtis-Kraft chassis that Jimmy drove that fateful July night in 1948 at Carpinteria. The engine used four Triumph 3T motorcycle vertical twin-cylinder barrels with the pushrods connected to a Ford V8-60 crankshaft located inside a fabricated sheet metal engine block. The innovative engine used three chain-operated camshafts – the inner chain controlled the intake valves and the two outer chains operated the exhaust valves<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The oil pump and magneto drive mounted to the front of the chain case of the block, topped by a hand fabricated Intake manifold outfitted with a pair of Stromberg Model 97 carburetors. Beyond these basics there are no details of the internal operation and the displacement of the one-of-a-kind McMahon midget engine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jimmy’s wife, Betty, in the stands at Carpinteria that night, reportedly planned to take his body home to Sydney Australia, but on July 20 he was interred in the Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After Jimmy’s fatal crash, his one of a kind engine disappeared for many years. Found in a scrap yard, eventually it made its way into the hands of historian “Speedy Bill” Smith who restored it for display in the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln Nebraska, a tribute to a fallen racer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As part of the July 18<sup>th</sup> Carpinteria racing program, two restored Ford Model T racers made exhibition runs while Johnny Garrett won the 30-lap feature in the Charlie Shaw owned Offenhauser. Days after the July 18 program, Pete Truhitte a barber who lived in Carpinteria, and ran a motel, told the <u>Oxnard Press-Courier </u>newspaper that he and co-promoter Harwood changed the midget racing program to Saturday nights effective immediately through the planned season conclusion on October 2, 1948.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvn4jXKQGInT07GZI6e2JlqD0ivSm6N06dkfVjYTLbgFrnKj3llHTyDsjc8Z5VvdIv3z9koFUi3DDBXsiA4u-MsHG1TdN6Umpk1Ot743E4BK_7Y65A5eqPZiD9X6gqm7-zXhCkNx-bi8/s1600/aD+oxnard-press-courier-jul-24-1948-p-2+new+carp+saturday+night+schedule-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1131" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvn4jXKQGInT07GZI6e2JlqD0ivSm6N06dkfVjYTLbgFrnKj3llHTyDsjc8Z5VvdIv3z9koFUi3DDBXsiA4u-MsHG1TdN6Umpk1Ot743E4BK_7Y65A5eqPZiD9X6gqm7-zXhCkNx-bi8/s320/aD+oxnard-press-courier-jul-24-1948-p-2+new+carp+saturday+night+schedule-page-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Saturday July 24 heat races victories went to Johnny Garrett, Joe DeHart, Jackie Jordan, and Don Cameron, and “King” Karl Young won the trophy dash. During the 15-lap semi-main the cars of Jordan, DeHart, Bob Thomas and Johnny McFadden tangled and blocked the track, which brought out the red flag to stop the race.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once action resumed, Jordan, Bob Garrett, and Carl Brown finished in a virtual dead heat with Jordan awarded the semi-main win by inches. In the feature, Bill Taylor grabbed the lead, fought off repeated challenges from Johnny Garrett and Bob Barker and held on for the win trailed by Barker and Garrett with “King” Karl fourth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We do not have any details on the July 31<sup>st</sup> racing program at Carpinteria beyond that Allen Heath won the feature in the AJ Walker owned #111<b>. </b> Heath, with his first name often misspelled “Allan“ and described in the press as “the colorful playboy from the Northwest,” battled Troy Ruttman for supremacy at the beachfront Culver City Speedway. After Allen’s August 3<sup>rd</sup> victory at Culver City, he and Ruttman were tied with three victories apiece.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In early August, Bob Harwood the Carpinteria co-promoter with Pete Truhitte, gave up the promotion of the Bakersfield Thunderbowl in Oildale that he ran with partners Dick Springston and Bob Murphy. The change occurred within days following the death of local midget racer Jesse Romero at the Oildale oval. Murphy, the third promoter at Bakersfield in three seasons, continued to promote Murphy’s Thunderbowl near Tulare.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Romero a 45-year-old father of three, died in an accident which began on the second lap of the July 30 consolation race. Jesse’s midget struck something in the infield, and out of control, bounced off Ed Spellman’s car then overturned. Marty Mazeman, unable to avoid Jesse’s overturned car, struck it and it caught fire. Romero suffered a fractured skull and passed away on the way to the hospital. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The new Bakersfield track promoters, brothers Bob and Howard Hawk, local contractors and racers, immediately re-named the track Bakersfield Speedway and presented a benefit race for Romero’s family as their first event. The night’s proceeds aided Jesse’s family - his wife, two sons and a daughter as he reportedly died without insurance <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Harwood and Truhitte apparently were struggling financially at Carpinteria. In late summer 1948, the midget racing scene in Southern California featured two sanctioning bodies, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and United Racing Association (URA), with three different promoters at the largest seating capacity, and thus highest purse, race tracks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The URA held the exclusive sanctioning rights with promoter Gene Doyle at the popular Gilmore Stadium, which averaged 10,000 fans for its weekly midget racing program. At the massive Los Angeles Coliseum, promoter Bill White held an exclusive sanction agreement with the AAA, as did Alex Thompson and Bert Freidlob, the co-promoters of the Rose Bowl board track, which averaged 8,000 fans on race nights.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Southern California midget race drivers were in a tough spot, as they were forced to choose, and remain loyal to, one sanctioning body. To help offset the penalty for the URA drivers shut out of races at the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl, some URA track promoters offered added bonuses - $100 to the feature winner and $50 to the semi-main winner, which was a lot of money for drivers that averaged $400 a week in prize earnings which of course were spilt with their car owner.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carpinteria, as a small venue, only paid URA $1,000 for a program or 40% if the gates receipts exceeded $2,500 (over 2000 fans) from which the racers were paid. On a typical night with 4500 fans which meant $2,250 in sanctioning fees for the URA. This was a far cry from the average $4500 purse paid Gilmore Stadium.<b> </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bill Taylor won the August 7<sup>th</sup> Carpinteria feature in the blue-and-white Ernie Casale Offenhauser midget, and on August 14 the winner was Danny Oakes who also scored four 1949 Gilmore Stadium midget features. The 1948 Carpinteria Thunderbowl season suddenly ended after the September 4<sup>th</sup> 50-lap feature which Rodger Ward won at the wheel of the Lyle Greenman Offenhauser #35 midget. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1949 at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl would see many changes in track operations as the season progressed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The author is looking for any private vintage photographs of the Carpinteria Thunderbowl that readers may have. Please reach out to </span></i></b><a href="mailto:kevracerhistory@aol.com"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">kevracerhistory@aol.com</span></i></b></a></span><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">. We can’t pay for use, we’re just looking to share images for those who never saw the track.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>Kevin Tripletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805648021037225066noreply@blogger.com2