History Auto racing 1894-1942

ZigZag Z simply SUPERB, tks

 

I think you're right- I know that is a Rapid-I have that same pix with a similar caption in a book around here somewhere...

 

T-Head: Any chance you know who or what team is in the Packard from your great post on the NY to Paris race? Thanks for sharing too-great stuff!!

 

Bugatti 35c #4928

 

Let me know which photo as Packards took place in the event.

 

We have up coverage of the 2013 Montlhéry Vintage Revival and many fine photos by Bruno Vandevelde which can be seen on The Old Motor.

 

AAA Contest Board Action

I am looking for the Contest Board bulletin or press release or some other official indication from the AAA Contest Board that it OFFICIALLY accepted the Arthur Means & Russ Catlin revisions to its national championships. Although there seems to be an assumption on the part of just about everyone that this action took place in either 1951 or, perhaps, 1952, I have yet to see any proof of this in the form of documentation on the part of the Contest Board.

Does anyone have this type of documentation to confirm that this actually happened and the date of that action?

 

"OFFICALLY"! who knew. "BRILLIANT". Keep up the great work. "REDACT" your way to the new truth!

you should change your sigline to read "MiniTruth".

 

And, other than making it clear that you are an internet buffoon, any point to your posting?

 

Don

It's not nice to start fights here and adds nothing to the thread's content. If you think name calling has any worth your just wrong.

 

Please direct your comment to the "Professor Fate" character rather than me.

I am simply trying to find documentation regarding a topic I am researching. Although, in all honesty, I do not expect anyone here to be able to provide that material, stranger things have happened.

 

This is a great thread. Too many times "historians" don't want to share. This thread is a wealth of info! Keep it up guys!

 

Well, who started the "fight"?? What exactly did Professor Fate add to the thread's content???

 

Thanks, Hyfire, for those nice pictures! Do you know who's with Roberts in the second one?

 

The back of the photo doesn't say. I assumed it was Frank Wearne or Lou Moore, but those are just guesses. It was taken in Van Nuys, CA. In Robert's back yard... where he had a personal shop.

 

Anyone know anything about Floyd Roberts??? Or this car?

 

Hyfire those are some interesting pictures. Very impressive.

Below is his 1918 World War 1 draft card. His listed occupation was "Auto Repairer".

 

Is this the same car that sat outside "Cars of The Stars" in California back in the 1970's? I think it was in "To Please a Lady" driven by Clark Gable.

 

The #14 is the Burd Piston Spl. A Wetteroth rail frame from the 1930s. The car Gable "drove" in the movie was a tube frame Kurtis from the late 1940s.

 

And fwiw here's a photo of that Kurtis (restored to the original Don Lee Spl config) now owned by Tom Malloy and doing laps at MIS during the 2011 Concours of America.
Mac Miller and Indyrjc ran my car (following Tom) at the event for me.

 

Guffey- two months to Milwaukee
better get on it.

 

Is this article before the 1939 Indy. I think it's the same car as my postcard.

 

If #14 and #23 are the same car I think the #23 version has a modified tail and headrest, I really like the look with the side fairings. I think this was a rule change, body width deal, some gret looking cars ran INDY 1938-41. Bob..................Just got out my Fox INDY 500 book, Burd ran a two car team, the both look a lot alike.

 

According to the New York times archives, the car is the same car he won the Indy 500 with the year before. So I think you are right about the modification. I know it was "built" in Norm Thatcher's shop. I assume that means mechanically. The body mods must have been done in Robert's garage, behind his house.

The car was tested in Indy with the new mods. Then shown in Thatcher's dealership back in Van Nuys for publicity. It is the car Floyd died in, and hit a tree going 100mph, so I gotta assume it's a goner? Wouldn't imagine anything could be saved.

Floyd is buried in Chatsworth.... So is Norm. Norm was pretty depressed by the whole thing and quit racing for about a decade (he had raced dirt, Muroc, Pikes Peak between 1912-1939).... Before switching over to Daytona Beach, drag racing and of course Bonneville during 1954-1964).

 

This is the 1939 entry Lou Moore owned car that Floyd won with in the 1938 Indy 500.
I believe Burd Piston Ring sponsored 4 cars in the 1939 Race.

After Floyd's fatal Indy 500 crash the car was repaired and purchased by Cliff Bergere who placed 27th in it in the 1940 Indy 500 and sat on the pole with it in 1946. A few months later George Robson was killed in the car at Atlanta (Lakewood) and the car was scrapped.

 

Amazing...

Too bad it hasn't survived. Ever seen a photo of it after it was rebuilt? Did it look much like it did here?

 

Thanks for this Zig-Zag. I understand the Morton and Brett shop was close by. Lots of cutting edge stuff going on.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes! Address was 811-813-815 E. 23rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.