History Auto racing 1894-1942

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Thanks Bob S. !

 

A couple from the Prescott Speed Hillclimb...

 

A few items I stumbled across on the RR Auction web-site.

 

Thanks Zig-Zag...I've never before seen this pix of Tommy Milton in the HCS Special from this angle...seen the more common photo from this scene many times, but this is new to my eyes.

 

That was my thought also, but wasn't sure if this was a re-post. I'm glad you liked it.

 

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1932 Cragar Special @ The Owls Head Transportation Museum

 

Welcome to the HAMB 35b, nice photos. Bob

 

Thanks and welcome.
Don't remember this museum last time I was in Rockland.
http://www.ohtm.org/
Not sure what is flying over the 1928 Cragar.

Best Regards
Carl Schulz
Indio, CA

 

A Stearman of some sort? Perhaps from the pre-Boeing era?

 

If so, maybe modified for agric use -removal of front cockpit?

A guess from one who knows nothing of aircraft.

And this is a close as I dare to share space with a Stearman - on the ground with both powerplants in the off position.

 

Bugatti Helle Nice?

 

Neither slim enough nor tall enough for Hellé-Nice, Bob! It's actually Elizabeth Junek at the 1928 Targa Florio - talking to Count Florio himself. Two further (very small) pictures:

http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/history/bugatti-stories/elisabeth-junek.html

Same picture (low-res) http://www.flickr.com/photos/38870827@N03/3858865848/in/photostream/ Click to the previous one in the album for another.

 

Thank you,danke,merci,paldies!

 

The Cragar is made from Ford Parts, T frame, model A front rear ends, Model B wheels, and engine with all the performance goodies including a Cragar over head.

The Aircraft in the picture is a Pitcairn Sport Mailwing.

 

Thanks;
Here's a short article on the donation of the plane.
http://freepressonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=52&SubSectionID=78&ArticleID=22702

 

The Pitcairn Mailwing was a terrific aircraft, and they have been prized by collectors for years. If I am not mistaken Steve McQueen owned one back in the 1970's.

The Pitcairn company had an interesting history, and their subsidiary Eastern Transport eventually evolved into Eastern Airlines (with Eddie Rickenbacker as their CEO & President). Pitcairn was equally famous for the development of the autogiro.

In late 1930 Louie Chevrolet collaborated with Pitcairn, and furnished a inverted 4-cylinder engine for the a new 2 place sports model called the PAA 2.

 

References to "Rotor Blades".

 

Wow - its a trike and a 'tail dragger' all in one!

 

I hope someone can help me identify this driver from the 1907 period. He was seen twice in photos in a Christie. He looks like a fairly big guy. I don't believe he is Barney Oldfield, Lewis Strang, Jerry Wonderlich or Louis Disbrow all of whom drove Christie's at one time or another. The small photo below shows Walter Christie giving this mystery guy some tips on driving a Christie front wheel drive. Any ideas?

 

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Anyone know the type of race cars in this photo, 1920 Uniontown Pa. board track. Augie Duesenberg and Jimmie Murphy are in the picture.

Ago

 

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Thanks T-Head, hope someone can return the ID favor and supply some info on the Cummingham DO Fronty. Bob

 

*Update* The mystery was solved on T.O.M. It turns out Ralph DePalma helped with the car and the local hot shoes drove it. Now all we need to find out is who are they?

 

T-Head,

Where were those local hot shoes from ?

 

At the time it appears he lived near Southport, CT. on Long Island Sound so the drivers were possibly from that area

 

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The Cunningham/Fronty was built by R. T. Jackson of Dayton/OH (later of Maryland, I think), see the article in Speedway Magazine, March 1933. It was driven by Ed Coffey of Connecticut while owned by Cunningham, and perhaps others. Cunningham sold the car to Gil Pirrung of Missouri the following year, who had Doc MacKenzie, Billy Devore and Babe Stapp drive the car.

Pirrung sold his complete team (two Indycars and two Sprints) to Joe Thorne of New York in 1936, who also bought at least two more at the same time to add to the three he already had. As a consequence, it is almost impossible to say who drove which car exactly during this time. Thorne team drivers were Wilbur Shaw, Russ Snowberger, Floyd Davis, Frank McGurk, Emil Andres, Jimmy Snyder and Thorne himself in '36. In 1937, Floyd Roberts, Rex Mays, Al Miller, Mauri Rose, Zeke Meyer, Lee Oldfield, McGurk, Davis, Snyder, Shaw, Snowberger and Thorne drove, and in '38 Ronney Householder, Billy Winn, Devore, Snyder and Thorne. This list is not exhaustive!

Fred Peters of New Jersey bought the car in late 1938, and had Buster Warke and Tony Willman drive, then in 1939 Ken Fowler and Warke, 1940 Bob Sall, Vic Nauman, Joie Chitwood, Mark Light and Bill Holland, 1941 Nauman and Chitwood, who continued to drive in 1942, '45 and '46 when Peters sold the car to Ted Nyquist of Pennsylvania.

Nyquist had Johnny Shackleford, Sall, Chitwood, Hank Rogers, Andres and Lee Wallard in the car in '46, then Warke, Chitwood, Walt Ader, Rogers, Tommy Hinnershitz, Tommy Mattson and Shackleford ('47), Chitwood, Rogers, Hinnershitz and Warke in '48, then sold the car to Mark Light of Pennsylvania, who mostly drove himself ('48 & '49), but also Chitwood and Hinnershitz ('48).

Next owner was Harold Rotbauer of Pennsylvania for Lucky Lux (1950) and others, info now thins out. Carl Becker of Pennsylvania had the car in the late fifties (ca. '57), and I think still in the early-to-mid sixties, running it for himself and others in URC.


P.S. I don't have any history on the dog!!!!