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Period RACE CAR Images to Relieve some of the Stress

Steve Moskowitz
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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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The ad is from illustrated Speedway News September 8, 1939. The car ran the same number in 1940 & 1940. First chassis to run the famous NOVI, as it is today with the later nose and Novi engin. The car started life as one of the MILLER-FORD 1935 INDY cars, a sister car to #35 in the color photo that is restored to its 1935 appearance. Bob 

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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Bob,

Thanks for the reply on the George Conner Hunter Spl. car. I got to meet George before he passed away also. Attached is a photo of the letter he sent me telling me the history of my car when he drove the car. Hope you will be able to read it. By the way would you happen to be the Bob I new back in the Bill LaRorsa’s Hot Line days known as Bob the Kid Swanson? 🙂

 

John

 

Yes, Same guy, just thumbed through some old issues of Hot Line, you and I had parts wanted and for sale ads in the same issue 48 years ago. That is a long time to know someone without meeting them. With all this stay at home time rereading Hot Line is going to bring back a lot of good memories, too bad the parts and prices aren't the same, sure miss the guys that have moved on. Bob 

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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10 hours ago, Walt G said:

When I worked for Austin Clark back in the early 1970s he told me of a junk yard in the middle of Hicksville, NY just north of the current railroad station that was owned by a guy named Tony  ...... ( last name escapes me for the moment - this was almost 50 years ago) that Austin had gone to because the guy had Bugatti engines that he would indeed cut in half to use in midget dirt track races here on long island . Austin had a type 35 Bugatti that he had bought at the Wallace Bird estate auction and went to that yard seeking some possible spare parts.

No that junk yard is not still there as that is what Austin and I checked out in the early 1970s to see if it still was.

Steve thanks for starting this thread, I don't have to much in the way of  early pre war race car photos but will check today to see what I may have and then post here. The ones know I do have I just used in a story for an article that will be published in several months so can't use them here now .

Walt

 

 

Walt, Could that have been Mike Caruso's yard? He was famous for being the first guy to use a Bugatti Brescia engine in a Midget Race Car. this famous photo was taken in his yard in the 1930's. That Type 43 Bugatti was saved and raced in ARCA road races. I have the left rear wheel, or the remains of it are in my basement, the car has been under restoration for over 45 years now. Car #6 is the mike Caruso built Bugatti Brescia powered midget, the first to use Bugatti power. Bob 

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Walt G 25,000+ Points

Walt G

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Bob

YES indeed ,  it was Mike Caruso's junk yard! thanks for reminding me of the name!  Austin had all kinds of stories about dealing with Caruso and the cars he had in his yard.

And we did go to the area as Austin had to show me where it was located because although no longer there Austin had such fond memories of the place. Thanks

Walt

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JACK M 25,000+ Points

JACK M

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Christie front drive googles up as some music thing.

So as I am challenged in so many ways, Is this some kind of steam power?

Or is it some kind of huge V4 thing?

I did notice the double tires so assumed its built to turn left  ?

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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Just now, JACK M said:

Christie front drive googles up as some music thing.

So as I am challenged in so many ways, Is this some kind of steam power?

Or is it some kind of huge V4 thing?

I did notice the double tires so assumed its built to turn left  ?

I just took the following Christie photos off my Google search. They were gas powered, front wheels were cast bronze!

 This is the 1905 Vanderbilt cup racer. 

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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One of the fun and important parts of collecting is having a good memory. The Spencer Wishart Mercedes was a factory team car built in 1908 and driven by Christian Lautenschlager. I was on Google looking for something else and the link to this movie turned up, there is the Mercedes as a new race car overshooting a curve (@ 19:45). After having the above photo for 45+ years and sitting in the car before it went back to Germany this is the first time I ever saw it racing. There are other movies in the series I plan to watch at a later time. Happy Easter! Bob 

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=History+of+Auto+racing+&&view=detail&mid=E929C6C468CF62090D3DE929C6C468CF62090D3D&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DHistory%2Bof%2BAuto%2Bracing%2B%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

 

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Guest Mark McAlpine

Guest Mark McAlpine

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Thanks to everyone who has posted photos.  These are great to look at and are reflections of important automotive history.

 

The photos below aren't photos of race  cars in action, but they're still neat (at least to me).  These are some of the race cars in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum's "Winnings Cars of the Indianapolis 500" permanent exhibit.  If you've never visited the museum, you need to.  Make a detour on your way to or from next year's AACA Central Fall Nationals in Auburn, IN.  (Indianapolis is about 2.5-hrs away.)

 

- The first photo is a shot of the entire exhibit (sorry, didn't have a wide angle lens). 

- The second photo (yellow #32 car) is a Marmon Wasp, the winner of the 1911 Indy 500.

- The third photo (black #8 car) is a National, the winner of the 1912 race.

- The fourth photo (blue & silver car) is a 1913 Delage, the winner of the 1914 race.

- The fifth photo (white #12 car) is a Duesenberg, the winner of the 1922 race.

- The sixth photo (gold #14 car) is a Miller, the winner of the 1928 race.

 

Let's hope the coronavirus is beaten into submission in time for this year's Indianapolis 500 race to be held.  It's been held every year since 1911 except for 1917-1918 during WW I and 1942-1945 during WWII.  It would be a shame to interrupt what should be the 75-year streak this year (and AACA President Jim Elliott's streak of attending the race for 50+ years).

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Gunsmoke 10,000+ Points

Gunsmoke

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I doubt there is a man alive today who would be willing to jump into the seat of any of these pre 1930 entries and race around the oval at the speeds they did in the era, especially with 20-30 other competitiors nipping at their heels and not giving an inch. Don't know what kind of stuff they were made of, but it must have been very special. But then again, there are a few dare-devils on this forum, so who knows!!

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

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2 minutes ago, Gunsmoke said:

I doubt there is a man alive today who would be willing to jump into the seat of any of these pre 1930 entries and race around the oval at the speeds they did in the era, especially with 20-30 other competitiors nipping at their heels and not giving an inch. Don't know what kind of stuff they were made of, but it must have been very special. But then again, there are a few dare-devils on this forum, so who knows!!

 

Were do I sign the release papers? INDY is a lot smoother today, would have ZERO desire to drive a 2020 version. Bob 

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wayne sheldon 25,000+ Points

wayne sheldon

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On 4/12/2020 at 7:06 PM, Gunsmoke said:

I doubt there is a man alive today who would be willing to jump into the seat of any of these pre 1930 entries and race around the oval at the speeds they did in the era, especially with 20-30 other competitiors nipping at their heels and not giving an inch. Don't know what kind of stuff they were made of, but it must have been very special. But then again, there are a few dare-devils on this forum, so who knows!!

 

On 4/12/2020 at 7:21 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Were do I sign the release papers? INDY is a lot smoother today, would have ZERO desire to drive a 2020 version. Bob 

 

 

ME TOO!!!!!

A bit over 45 years ago I had the opportunity to drive my first model T speedster on a "half mile" dirt track at speed one weekend a year for four years! Wood wheels and all! It was the most fun I ever had in my LIFE! One of my long-time best friends that did that also still drives in the Monterey Historic Races during Pebble Beach week. One of my biggest regrets is that life has not allowed me to continue doing that. 

I was just a kid then, and my car was one of the slowest during the performances. I have always wanted to have a much faster car on real racing conditions. A few of the cars were running the "half mile" only about eight seconds short of the modern sprint car record for that dirt oval! About a year after they discontinued the annual event, an old friend that had raced semi-professionally back in the '30s restored a one-man Fronty Ford. He did an exhibition run during the halftime of sprint car races. He ran the oval in 29 seconds. The big engine sprint car record on the track at that time was 26 seconds. His Fronty Ford was running at  speeds that nearly half the sprint car pack were running. I "quoted" the "half mile" because the actual distance, I don't know. Several people involved with modern racing said the track was somewhat over an actual "half" mile.

About a third of the fast Ts ran on wooden spoke wheels on that track. The others on steel discs or wire wheels. The funny thing is, that the wooden spoke wheels had less wheel and axle failures than the disc and wire wheels had all four years. To this day, I trust my wooden spoke wheels. And I routinely check them closely for any signs of aging.

One of the race cars I did have later about ten years ago I drove at about 80 mph once. But that was on the open highway, and I didn't really want to invite an expensive ticket (55 mph zone, and it was still gaining speed!). Unfortunately, I had to sell it about a year after that.

 

A fast early racing car? On a smooth banked long oval? Let me at it! Full throttle!

The "long-time best friend" that runs at Monterey? He has had a few opportunities to drive his car on the Indianapolis Speedway. On two separate occasions, he was clocked at 95 mph!

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Terry Bond 25,000+ Points

Terry Bond

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Speaking of Cobe trophy races - this is a piece of sheet music from my collection.

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Terry Bond 25,000+ Points

Terry Bond

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And another interesting piece of sheet music for the Indy 500.  Note how photos of winning drivers are inserted.  The 1915 race had not been run yet so that one is blank.

Harry take Mary to the old speedway.jpg

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