History Mines field 1934 road race = l.a. Airport

Will there be a fourth person to answer this?

 

I have seen some information on these races in various old Ford magazines and in Hot Rod circa 1949...the racers were on the cover!
On cheating...hthe cars were supposed to be stock, and were torn down for inspection. How sophisticated and detailed the inspections were is probably anyone's guess, but at least everything resembled stock.
Details in coverage of one race on the half road/half oval track said that the winning '33 Ford averaged somewhere around 80 and was hitting 100 on the long straight.
Ford was what killed the series, according to one source...all races were won by Fords, and in some all the Fords that finished were ahead of all cars of other makes. Totally uneven car capabilities made stock car racing useless for the manufacturers.
I think I did read of a spectator car in the parking lot having a spindle disappear, coincidentally right about when a spindle broke on a racer.

 

Too bad Walter Chrysler didn't see fit to release a twin-carb option on the Plymouth to even things up; followed by Sloan authorizing a supercharger for the Stovebolt Chevy; followed by Willys...

 

Could be, but I doubt that it is the same car. I attached a close-up of the Ford in the background, in case you'd like a closer look at it (I have that photo).

Here's an excerpt from the Mines Field article that appeared in the April, 1951, HOT ROD mag...

"One amusing incident, which shows that roadster races were not so different than those of today, was experienced by the track physician who had parked his car in the pit area. The car, a 1934 Ford roadster, was quite handy to the various car crews who were having troubles with wheels, tires, tie rods, and other pieces of equipment. The doctor, ready to leave for home, found his car perched on four Coca-Cola cases- sans many parts."

The same happened to many of the cars that went out early in the race. I've have an article here mentioning that Cliff Bergere's No. 9 Ford was nearly completely stripped, "as if a bunch of auto thieves had been getting in some good licks."

 

Here's pics of the action going on inside of the garage/hanger...

 

I'd sure like to know more about that Willys. I was previously informed roadsters were not available here. So I assume that's a decapitated coupe.

-Dave

 

You can see some shots of it in the HRM article...pretty sure it's a cutdown, and of course it was running like half the displacement of some others.

 

Great thread, incredible the guys that raced these things. Am i right that the mechanics are hanging out of the bodies while in the turns...see post 14. the 5th picture. I can't believe that! I wonder if that is why they are in the cars, it ain't like they felt like going for a ride.

 

Received an email asking if I had the results of these stock car races. So here you go...

Elgin, IL - 8/26/1933

1) Fred Frame
2) Lou Moore
3) Jack Petticord
4) Gene Haustein
5) Frank Brisko

Gilmore Gold Cup
Mines Field - Los Angeles, CA - 2/18/1934

1) Stubby Stubblefield
2) Al Gordon
3) Pete De Paolo
4) Louis Meyer
5) Rex Mays

Targo Florio
Legion Ascot Speedway - Los Angeles, CA - 4/22/1934

1) Louis Meyer
2) Ted Horn
3) Al Gordon
4) Cliff Berger
5) Danny De Paolo

Oakland Speedway - Oakland, CA - 5/6/1934

1) Louis Meyer
2) Sam Palmer
3) Danny De Paolo
4) Ted Horn
5) Mel Kenealy

Silvergate Speedway - San Diego, CA - 9/23/1934
(All were 'B Class' drivers driving the cars that were used in the above races)

1) Rajo Jack (same car Kelly Petillo drove at Mines Field)
2) Curly Mills (Stubby Stubblefield's car)
3) Earl Mansell (relieved Wally Pankratz)
4) Bob Boles

 

Here's some pics I have from the Mines Field stock car race (last pic is of Kenny Wellens' car- he had a fatal accident during practice, a few days before race)...

 

More pics...

 

Some more pics...

 

Here's a few from the National Championship race at Mines Field...

 

... and a few more...

 

A few from the Oakland stock car race...

 

Fantastic stuff. Thank you CW's40TPU and nostalgia59 for your excellent contributions.

Have either of you ever attended the Miller Meet at the Milwaukee Mile in July? If not, you should really give attending some thought. You would be in heaven for a couple of days.

trakrodstr

 

trakrodstr.......not yet, I'd love to go someday! It's on my "bucket list".
I have The MILLER DYNASTY book by the late Mark L. Dees, that might be as close as I get to a real Miller Race Car?

 

trakrodstr....
Here's a few pics of a teather/rail car my Dad Fred Wise & Roy Richter built back in '39 -'40, Dad designed this FWD car after the Miller-Ford cars that ran at the Speedway in 1935. Dad hammered the cowl and hood from a piece aluminum off a Legion Ascot race car (a Miller) that had crashed. Roy made the mold for the tail, nose and belly pan, they were cast in half's then Roy welded together, Dad never finished it so it never made a timed run.

 

CW,

Sorry, for the late reply. I have been traveling. I hear you about the Dees book, I have it enshrined in my library, along with Borgeson's The Golden Age of the American Racing Car.

While neither of us will ever own a Miller, it is a sublime experience to stand in the pits at the Milwaukee Mile, by a real unrestored Miller Indy car and “feel” the history.

My hat is off to your Dad. What a wonderful legacy for you to have. If you are able to attend the Miller Meet you MUST, REPEAT MUST!!!, take your Dad’s magical sculptures to Milwaukee for others to see.

Thanks again for the fantastic photos and insights.

The nose on my personal roadster is a salute to Wilber Shaw’s 39 and 40 Indy winning Maserati. I didn’t have the balls to try to do a “Miller” front end on a “hot rod”; and in my opinion...those who have tried (recently)... have failed.

If your are interested, my project thread on the HAMB is at:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=356019

 

OOOPS,

Sorry I forgot to mention that if you view my HAMB thread make sure you check out the front brake drums and compare them to the teather car your Dad built.

cheers,

trakrodstr
aka charlie

 

Gilmore Gold Cup:

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/6...rd-V-8-car_Stubby-Stubblefield_officials-pose

 

sramoa....THANKS YOU for posting that awesome video on the Gold Cup Race. It really shows how rough and dusty that track was.
cw.

 

How do I get in touch with CW's40TPU

 

Click his icon/picture of 1940 Ford truck ... START A CONVERSATION will show ... click that, and start typing.

On another note ... THIS THREAD RULES !!! Good reason to shut the book for the day, and go looking for a happy 4th of July. Stuff like these posts ... is one of those "not every day, but hoping" kinds of feelings. Those roadsters are IT.

 

Do any of these racers still exist?

 

I discovered these pictures about a year ago while researching this race because I am replicating Al Gordon's #15. Great collection and thanks very much for sharing them and the narrative of the race. Invaluable information. I am a retired local sprint car racer and

 

Would love to build a clone of one of these some day. Great pics!!!

 

Notice all the safety equipment built into theses cars............

 

Aerial view Mines Field 1934. From Aerospace Legacy Foundation web site.

 

Bringing new life to an old thread. Ive always been fascinated with the early “stock cars” and the Elgin and Gilmore races. The 1933 Elgin National Road Races track is about 6 miles from my house. I have my numbers matching ‘33 restored chassis and I’m starting to restore the ‘33 roadster body I just acquired. I will be finishing it off in the Elgin stock car style. I’ll be starting a thread soon to document the progress.