Folks Of Interest Bob Osiecki and Mad Dog IV

Great thread, thanks Frank. Very inspiring.

 

My meeting today with two old friends was very productive. I have known Deland McClure and Jerry Hall for over 50 years. Both worked for Osiecki in the late '50s up until he got out of drag racing. Deland, Jerry, myself and J.Ed Horton took a trip to the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1966 in Deland's new GTO but that is another story.
Both had dozens of stories which will give me plenty of interesting posts. I had heard that Bob was a crew chief on a B17 during WWII but did not know his wife Mary Ann was a pilot. She was in the Civil Air Patrol and it is understanding how these two were drawn to each other.
One of the many stories was Deland's recollection of the drag races Osiecki promoted at the old Charlotte Fairgrounds Racetrack. He ran drags on the dirt straightaway. Deland had a '58 Impala convertible and remembers Lee and a young Richard Petty being there one night. It was not unusual to see them there competing in the round track races but this may have been the first time at the drags. Osiecki invited both to get a closer look and ask Richard if he would like to try it. When he said he would he offered Deland's Impala to make a pass in. Deland was not very happy about that but believes it may be the first time Richard tried drag racing.

 

Hey, Shamus;
Would you mind taking & posting a pic of the CC side of the head. Outside looks nice, but the interesting stuff - to me - is the working side. .
TIA.
Marcus...

 

Frank I cant add any info to this post but I was there that day.I was 11 years old and was at the speedway with my uncle the day the record was set.Today is my 66th birthday and I still remember that day quite clearly.IIRC Bill Tuthill had the car for a while at his "museum of speed" down on US-1 in south Daytona.

 

I'm at the GNRS in Pomona & will post when I get home.

 

Happy birthday Steinauge. That was quite an experience for an 11 year old boy. And Shamus......wish I was at GNRS too!

 

Thank you Frank for posting Mr. Osiecki's most interesting story. I knew I'd seen something before about him and found it again in the first issue of Popular Hot Rodding, 1962. Hope you don't mind my posting their article.

 

It was motorsport's story of the year. How could a relatively unknown car owner team up with one of drag racing's biggest stars and set, of all things, the WORLD CLOSED COURSE record at a new NASCAR track. Just about every car magazine worldwide had a feature story on it. Thanks for posting the PHR coverage. And to add a little more history it happened the week before the NHRA U.S. Nationals being held at Indy for the first time. I bet Malone was swamped with interviews there.

 

An interesting newspaper article I ran across while looking through the Osiecki family's memorabilia was in the June 22nd 1962 edition of the Charlotte News. In an interview with sports writer Max Muhlman, Osiecki said he had been contacted by a group of rocket building manufacturers who were interested in teaming up with him on a Land Speed Record attempt using Mad Dog IV. The world record at the time was held by England's John Cobb at 392 mph. Mickey Thompson had run 406 one way but could not back it up on the return run. At that time rocket engines were used almost exclusively for military purposes and the manufacturers were looking for more avenues for sales. The publicity garnered from such a project and hopefully a new record was just what they needed. They no doubt knew of Osiecki's "never give up" attitude with MDIV which resulted in the first race car using inverted wings for down force.
In early meetings, the rocket experts believed 600 mph was achievable, in fact they believed the sound barrier could be broken with the right aerodynamically designed car and MDIV was a good starting point. 410 mph with it was no problem. Art Malone was on board as were the Georgia Tech/Douglas Aircraft engineers. Here are quotes from Osiecki in the article:
"It will probably be a delta-shaped machine with a tail fin which would be used for steering. I am trying to arrange a meeting with the Rocket Society of America to determine exactly what kind of rocket we should begin with. It will probably be a solid fuel rocket. We are planning on taking Mad Dog IV equipped with a small rocket to Bonneville later this summer to attempt some 300 to 400 mph "familiarization" runs before we go for a new record. 600 MPH is the ultimate goal but Australia will be the site for those speeds. I 'm not sure there is enough stopping area for those speeds at Bonneville".
There was no more mention in the archives about this endeavor. But his comments in 1962 would come true for other teams a few years later

 

Thanks to Frank and everyone contributing to the recollection of Bob Osiecki. This info has been invaluable to me as I've researched his life and racing experiences for a story I'm writing for Georgia Tech. Osiecki worked with an aerospace engineering professor named Dr. John Harper to design a wing for the record-setting Mad Dog IV roadster. I was able to speak with his son Tom a few weeks ago. Hoping to share his story with a wider audience who may be unfamiliar with Bob's role as a stock car and drag racing pioneer.

If anyone has further info about Osiecki, please post or send a message here or on Twitter @Doug4theWin.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

 

Haven't been on the HAMB in a few days Doug. I really appreciate you helping recognize the racing accomplishments of Osiecki. He truly was one of the unknown giants in motorsports. I look forward to reading your story and hope it stirs up some more memories from those who knew him.

 

Doug I sent you some contact info in a PM. I think this guy has a few good photos and a maybe little to add to Franks great responses.

 

Hi, all. After some follow-up conversations with Frank and Tom Osiecki, Bob's son in Charlotte, I'm compiling what should be the most clear timeline of Bob's life and career, as we can chain together via public records and works of journalism. Please feel free to fact check and cite credible sources and I'll edit as we can tighten up the timeline.

Robert Suydam (Bob) Osiecki
Born 2 Nov 1920 - (?)Long Island, NY
Died 9 August 1964 - Florence, SC

• pioneer stock car owner, builder, engineer; drag strip owner and promoter
• among 35 men who helped organize NASCAR in 1947, charter member, named to 1948 Board of Governors
• founded the International Timing Association, sanctioning body for drag races in Charlotte and an early, southeast-based competitor to the NHRA
• Osiecki himself raced in mid-1940s. June 1947 Atlanta Constitution story cites him finishing P7 at Lakewood Speedway; Red Byron won.
• Featured in Popular Science magazine for engine balancing expertise, February 1952.
• In 1960, Bill France offered $10,000 prize to the first driver who could clock a 180mph, World Record lap at his new Daytona International Speedway. In the weeks before Daytona opened, retired stock car driver Marshall Teague was killed during a testing attempt for the record.
  • In 1961, Osiecki bought "Mad Dog IV," a 1958 Kurtis-Kraft Indy roadster. Several drivers attempted to make the run, but could not achieve the speed record.
  • Osiecki shipped the machine to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where aeronautics engineering professor Prof. John J. Harper and Tech students designed and developed 3-foot, square wings for the car, tested in the wind tunnel now named for Dr. Harper.
  • Equipped with the Harper-designed wings, driver Art Malone broke the world record at Daytona with an average 181.561mph speed (226mph top speed on straightaways) and Osiecki collected the $10k prize.
  • Osiecki spent $35,000 for the $10,000 return, of which Malone received 25 percent plus endorsements. France did not up the challenge to 190 mph the day the record fell. "I'm afraid that if I did that today, then Osiecki would go out and break it tomorrow," France said.
• 1962 - fielded six different drivers in NASCAR events for Dodge, including Marvin Panch, Ralph Earnhardt
• Honored posthumously with the Pioneer Award by the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame
• "Mr. Drag Racing of the Two Carolinas" - Greensboro Daily News

TIMELINE:

1920-11-02 - Bob Osiecki born in (?)Long Island, New York

1930 - census records show Bob and family lived in Adamsville, on Fairburn Rd. in Atlanta, near modern intersection of I-285 and I-20.

1939-08 - brother Thomas A. Osiecki marries Emelyn Collier Guffin at St. Anthony's church in Atlanta, per Southern Cross

(~1941~1945) Bob Osiecki serves in 496th Air Service Squadron, Air Army Forces (AAF) - achieved rank of Master Sergeant

1941-09-27 - PFC Robert Osiecki listed among members of Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta serving in Army, Navy per Southern Cross

1942-07-13 - Bob Osiecki, Mary Ann Henderson marry at St. Anthony's church in Atlanta, per Atlanta Constitution; Bob stationed at Craig Field in Selma, AL

1944-02-22 - brother Thomas A. Osiecki killed accidentally while serving with Navy in Pacific; Bob cited by Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine as overseas serving with Army.

1946 - setup and sponsored national championship-winning modified cars for driver Ed Samples, including first stock car race promoted by France outside Daytona, at Greenville-Pickens

1947 - setup cars driven by Fonty Flock, nine NASCAR wins

1947-06-08 - Bob Osiecki finishes P7 at Lakewood Speedway, Red Byron winner, per 6/9/47 report by Atlanta Constitution

1947-11-16 - Osiecki calls one of Red Vogt's cars an "also ran" in National Speed Sport News

1947-12-14 - Osiecki joins Bill France Sr. and 33 other pioneers at Streamline Motor Motel in Daytona Beach, FL to organize rules and sanctioning body that would become NASCAR.

1948-02-21 - Osiecki present at formal organization of NASCAR organization. Named to 1948 NASCAR Board of Governors as one of two Owner representatives (with Fred Dagavar). Named to NASCAR Technical Committee. 1948 NASCAR Rules & Specifications book cites Osiecki of Atlanta, Georgia.

1948 - setup cars for Gober Sosebee out of E&S Racing Shop - owned by Bob Richards, Ed "Jug"/"Jughead" Williams, bootleg king.

aka
E&S Racing Equipment
E&S Speed Shop
200 Walton St. NW (near The Tabernacle in downtown, not far from Hester's Cherokee Garage)​

1951 - supplied equipment for owner Wally Marks, driver Wally Campbell - won NASCAR national modified championship.

1952-02-08 - Osiecki set National Stock Car Racing Association (NSCRA) speed record at Daytona, 116.66 mph, in a stock 1951 Ford two-door sedan, equipped with Hi-Power Supercharger

1952 - sponsored Frankie Schneider - won NASCAR national modified championship

1952 - assisted Joe Weatherly to national modified championship

1952-02 - Osiecki featured in Popular Science for engine balancing expertise, shop cited as being in Lyndhurst, NJ

1953 - Osiecki-Delaney Promotions formed by Osiecki, Jim Delaney in Lyndhurst, NJ
Denton Journal - Denton, MD newspaper - https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/8768018/

1953-09 - Osiecki cited in 1953 Red Bank Regatta, 266-cubic-inch hydroplane, Miss Perfect Balance, Bob Osiecki, Lyndhurst, N. J., disqualified. Time—4:53.0. Speed—61.433

1953 - State of Delaware repealed charter for Osiecki-Delaney Productions, Inc. for failure to pay taxes for 2 years http://delcode.delaware.gov/sessionlaws/ga119/chp384.shtml

1954 - Osiecki-built engines powered Fords for Jack Choquette - won NASCAR national modified championship and Tommie Elliott, runner-up (cars 97a and 97b).

1955 - Osiecki pilots Osiecki Special to 127.38mph record at Daytona, per Charleston News & Courier

1955-03-19 - Osiecki Racing Equipment, Inc. incorporated in Florida

1955 - setup cars for Marvin Panch - NASCAR Grand Nationals

1956 - Osiecki cited as head mechanic for Tom Harbison, Inc. racing operation in Morrisville, PA; NASCAR late model convertible division; Osiecki cited as "of Daytona Beach, FL."

1956 - cited as "switched his base to Charlotte and worked on Plymouths for a number of owners"

1957 - Chrysler hires Osiecki as part of team for Plymouth in NASCAR

1957 - Osiecki promotes first International Drag Races, largest drag show on east coast

1958 - heavily promotes drag racing in area south of Charlotte, second Internationals

1958 - publicly fights efforts to ban drag racing in Chester, SC

1959-01 - Bill France Sr. took Osiecki on ride at new DIS in his own car at 125mph, per Greensboro Daily News

"I'll tell you something - that track's going to be everything you've read about it. Bill France took me for a ride and we just cruised around it at 125 miles an hour…and in his own car, too. It's amazing the way a car can handle on the curves. You can go up or down on the turns and criss-cross just like you could on a highway. And it's not going to be a one-groove track, either. Four or five cars can run beside each other, even on the curves. Yes, sir, after about two laps around, I was ready to call it quits. That's going to fast and Bill wanted to make sure I saw all the safety points of the track. Why, he demonstrated things you could do on this track that you would never do on another one." - Bob Osiecki​

1959 - ITA sanctions drag races in Myrtle Beach, SC

1959 - ITA works with NASCAR to sponsor drag races during 1960 Speed Weeks at Daytona.

1959-08 - news reports cite Osiecki plans to spend $100,000 to convert the Chester County airport into the Chester International Raceway.

1960 - Osiecki, ITA promote car shows across southeast (Augusta Chronicle, Atlanta Constitution, The Technique)

1960-12 - news coverage cites Curtis Turner attempt at $10k record in Mad Dog III, 1957 Plymouth; Osiecki cited as "of Charlotte"

1961 - news reports that driver Larry Frank of Greenville escaped unhurt after the Mad Dog IV clocked at 166mph and spun out of control on the Daytona backstretch.

1961 - wind tunnel tests at Georgia Tech with Dr. John Harper cited in news reports.

1961-07-06 - Buck Baker tested Mad Dog IV, "not ready to try for 180mph"

1961-07-25 - national wire story, 'Driver Ready for Record in Special Racer' with photos, published nationwide.

1961-07-28 - 'Dragster Malone Fails 180 Try,' 7 mph short.

1961-08-28 - Malone makes record-setting run at Daytona in Osiecki's Mad Dog IV

1961 - Humpy Wheeler recalled in Growing Up NASCAR that he and Osiecki had agreed to partner in purchase of Robinwood Speedway in Gastonia, NC. Osiecki backed out of deal the week of first race.

1962 - defending Daytona 500 winner Marvin Panch contracted to drive Osiecki 1962 Dodge in Daytona 500; documented media consternation over whether Panch would switch back to Pontiac; news reports cite Osiecki would hold Panch to his contract.

1962 - six different drivers pilot Osiecki Dodge during 1962 Grand National season: Marvin Panch, Darel Dieringer, Ralph Earnhardt, Gary Sain, Jimmy Thompson, Herb Tillman

2 entries for Dieringer, Tillman at Charlotte (World 600)​

1962-04-21 - Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Dieringer drove same 1962 Dodge at Myrtle Beach 100-mile event

1962-06 - Osiecki approached by Buick for possible NASCAR entry, per The State

1964-06-20 - Osiecki cited by Herald-Journal as general manager of Spartanburg Dragway; offered bonus to any Darlington Quarter Drag Strip winners who could win any of the eliminator honors.

"We'd like to see how our local favorites stack up against outsiders. Frankly, I feel we have the best drivers around and that's why I issued this challenge." - Bob Osiecki​

1964 - Florence Morning News cites opening of Osiecki Dodge, Inc., located at 219 W. Lucas Street, Florence, SC. Opens Osiecki Automotive Mechanic School.

1964-05-26 - 'Full Class Of Sixty,' Florence Morning News

Photo Caption: Pamela Mansfield and Bob Osiecki look on as Roger McDonald gives instructions to Tommy Baker, who with Pamela and fifty-eight others are regular students each Monday and Wednesday evening at the Osiecki Automotive Mechanic School.

Drop by Osiecki Dodge, Inc. on any Monday or Wednesday evening, 7:30 to 10:00 and you will see a program unique in the operation of automobile dealerships. R. S. "Bob" Osiecki and his highly skilled staff are spending these evenings transmitting their skills and knowledge to sixty eager future mechanics. It is a part of Osiecki's personal philosophy and his way of contributing to the community he lives in. As a racing engineer, Osiecki feels that he can help fill the need for top-notch mechanics that exists in Florence and the Pee Dee area. This automotive school is his answer. There is no charge to any .student for the instruction. A full class of sixty students is now enrolled in this first program. The last enrollees were Eugene W. Dennis, his wife, Arcola, and their sons Eugene W., Jr. and Michael. ​

1964-08-09 - Bob Osiecki dies of heart attack


Sources

Associated Press
Atlanta Constitution
DragRaceResults.com
State Library & Archives of Florida
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
GenealogyBank.com
Georgia Racing Hall of Fame
GeorgiaRacingHistory.com
Tom Osiecki
Eddie Samples

Frank Bigger, "A Tech Professor Designs Wings For The Racer of Tomorrow," Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Vol. 40, No. 07, 1962, p. 8-9. https://issuu.com/gtalumni/docs/1962_40_7
The Early Laps of Stock Car Racing: A History of the Sport and Business, 2014, Betty Boles Ellison
Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France, 2010, by Daniel S. Pierce.
Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing, 2013, Lew Freedman.
Bob Gates, "The Mad Dog’s Daytona Speed Test," Speed Sport - September 18, 2014. https://speedsport.com/racing-history/the-mad-dogs-daytona-speed-test/
Bobby Kimbrough, "Bob Osiecki's Mad Dog IV, Chrysler Powered Speed Winner," Street Muscle Magazine - Sep 30, 2014. http://www.streetmusclemag.com/feat...kis-mad-dog-iv-chrysler-powered-speed-winner/
Matthew Litwin, "2.5 Miles--flat out," Hemmings Muscle Machines - June 2007.
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/mus/2007/06/2-5-Miles--flat-out/1466601.htm
Ben A. Shackleford, “Going National while Staying Southern: Stock Car Racing in America, 1949 – 1979," Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004-08-14.
Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR, 2007, Neal Thompson

 

Nice work.

 

Thx for researching and posting this, very comprehensive and informative.

 

One of the interesting things I learned from Doug's research is how Osiecki acquired the help from John Harper at Georgia Tech for the aerodynamic wings for Mad Dog IV. Bob's brother Tom was a graduate of the school that was surrounded with garages specializing in moonshine runners as well as Modified dirt cars. It was just natural for some of the students to hang out at those garages and bring their interest back to school. Thank you very much Doug for your interest in Osiecki and please keep digging up more stuff about him.

 

Courtesy of Ed Samples's son Eddie, here is more fantastic info on Bob Osiecki. According to Eddie, his grandparents (Mr. Issoe Samples) lived on Sells Avenue and both the Samples and Osiecki families operated nearby service stations, where Ed Samples and Bob would have likely connected post-WWII.

Samples won the first stock car race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway July 4, 1946 in a Osiecki-built and sponsored 1937 Ford. Big Bill, Ed, and Bob are pictured below in Victory Lane. Samples was later named 1946 national champion.


Osiecki's residence in 1947 was listed at 1180 Sells Ave SW, Atlanta and according to this ad, he was building out engines and cars from 1181 Sells Ave for Roamer Racing Equipment Co. under the moniker O-C-Key Products Co.

Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductee Jack Etheridge drove an Osiecki-sponsored car that season (also pictured in the ad above). He won more events that year than any other driver, including wins at Lakewood in Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Augusta.


Bob was documented building out cars for E&S Speed Shop at 200 Walton St, which was owned by Ed Schenck of Los Angeles; Gober Sosebee and Fonty Flock drove the Schenck-sponsored cars. Per the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, that's bootlegger Ed "Jughead" Williams and his son Butch Williams in the photograph below.

 

Something else Doug uncovered that I was not aware of is Osiecki had just become general manager of Spartanburg Drag Strip in South Carolina at almost the same time he opened his Dodge dealership in Florence. Bob had a full plate with second helpings his entire adult life. It is no wonder he died of a heart attack at just 43.

 

Was Bob Osiecki the engineer for Chrysler in 1957 who was part of the volunteer race team and came up with the dome piston that was used in a select few of the Plymouth 318 Fury NASCAR's?

 

I'm not sure but it's likely. Osiecki did have Chrysler sponsorship in 1957 to race Plymouths in NASCAR. I believe he was given 2 cars. One of those '57 Plymouths was used to build Mad Dog III in 1960, the year Bill France first offered the $10,000.00 to set a new World Closed Course record at Daytona. The same supercharged Chrysler 413 engine that was used to set the record with driver Art Malone in 1961 in Mad Dog IV was first used in MDIII a year earlier but the radical aerodynamics incorporated in that car were not enough to let driver Curtis Turner set the record. He turned 166 mph in it but probably didn't have time to be fully involved with the project since Turner was also busy opening Charlotte Motor Speedway that summer of 1960.

 

Did some digging around on Bob's activity in 1957. Turns out Racing Reference has a totally missing cross-reference that omitted a large portion of activity that season. It's clear from several sources that Osiecki was operating from Charlotte by this point.


First up, Bob fielded two '57 Plymouth entries for the Daytona beach & road course race, for Don Oldenberg (#90) and motorcycle racer Everett Brashear (#25A). Above is the only picture I can find of either Grand National car.

Bob is also listed as owner of 12 entries in the short-lived NASCAR Convertible Division for Don Oldenberg in a Plymouth, starting with the same Speedweeks. Oldenberg snagged 7 top 10 finishes in those 12 starts - impressive by any era's standard.
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/oldendo01/1957/V

Several articles cite him in fall promoting the forthcoming ITA International Drag Races, which took place November 27-30, 1957 per Frank's prior research.


A May 1958 issue of Rodding and Re-styling magazine covered the event months later, including a photo of Bob issuing the $1,000 bond reward. The caption states that Bob steadily announced the competition all three days.

 

The scuttlebutt has it that in 1957 Chrysler had a black ops Plymouth racing division that spent development time on the 318 but with the bulk of it on the 392 hemi. I suspect it was this volunteer group of Chrysler engineers that formed an organization (which I have not yet found the name of) was not to receive any corporate funds (but I suspect they did) and thus the lack of info and pictures. The pointers I received were from Henry Yunick, Johnny Allen, and Rick Ehrenberg.

 

We at Georgia Tech are getting ready to go live next week with our story featuring Bob Osiecki. Can't wait to share it with y'all. In the meantime, here are a couple of great images you may not have seen before:

Here's a cool image of Art Malone on track at Daytona in 1961, from the Georgia Tech Alumnus Magazine, May 1962.


And here is a photo of Dr. John J. Harper, the Tech aeronautics professor who designed the inverted airfoils and tail fin that stabilized the Mad Dog IV. The wind tunnel on campus in which he and Osiecki tested the car now bears Harper's name. Harper is pictured here at the Osiecki Auto Show in spring 1962 - the Mad Dog IV was on display there for the public.


Here's a cool ad from the Atlanta Constitution advertising the 1963 show, a testament to Bob's growing brand.

 

Thanks Doug, had not seen the '63 Auto Show ad. I have seen everything the Osiecki family has and don't remember seeing it in their arcives. One of my goals is to compile a list of all the promotions he was involved with but the list will be staggering. The first and probably easiest will be the list of car shows he promoted. I believe his first was the Charlotte Custom Car Show in 1957 and his last could have been the November 1963 Atlanta show you posted unless he had one in December or early 1964.

 

Hi, all. I’m proud to finally share with you Georgia Tech's Racing Roots, Part 2 - the work of Bob Osiecki and Dr. John Harper to break the world speed record at Daytona in 1961 is the lead feature, followed by several other interesting racing vignettes.
http://www.news.gatech.edu/features/need-speed-georgia-techs-racing-roots-part-2


You'll find a deserved "thank you" credit to the H.A.M.B. in the story footer - thanks to Frank and everyone here for sharing information about Bob's career, which I was able to infuse into the story.

Love to hear what you guys think.

 

Thanks again Doug for your contributions.

 

Hi, all. I found another rare image of Bob Osiecki and Art Malone from their 1961 pursuit of the Daytona speedway record. The original was an Associated Press wire photo taken from a high angle, showing the Mad Dog IV from a different perspective than other images.

 

Doug thank you for the hard work and info. Have you presented your work to Mrs Parks to view as of yet? I am sure she will be happy and keep her program going. On a side note I live where a lot of rocket work goes on. I asked several people that were on Dr Von Brauns programs and the spoke very well about Dr Harper.

 

Great thread!!! Great photo! Gary

 

BTTT. New members may learn about one of the greatest pioneer hot rodders you never heard of and hopefully new information will surface about Bob Osiecki.