History Auto racing 1894-1942

Haven`t had time to find anything new,but I will be back with more when things slow down a little for me.

You guys are finding some nice stuff.

Did you run the Duesy at NH?

 

No, it's here along with me.....too busy but I did go on tuesday to help with an Offy powered car. It rained yesterday but they are running again today.

 

Boy,I got my wires crossed.I thought they ran them last week-LOL.

 

Something extraordinary happened at last week's Monaco Grand Prix. At the end of Saturday's qaulifying, three Renault powered cars topped the time sheets and then in Sunday's race all three would finish 1-2-3 in a dominant display.

As is tradition, Friday is a rest day with no racing but what caught my attention, and i'm not superstitious, was the fact that 138 years to the day, Marcel Renault was born. I wonder if the great man had anything to do with the circumstances.

Next Wednesday marks the date 107 years ago Mr. Renault left this world aged 31 years.

 

1902 Paris-Vienna winner. Marcel Renault.

 

Simplex Speedcar Car in the 1908 Motor Parkway Race held in conjunction with the Vanderbilt Cup Race. Looks like the kids loved it!!

 

Anthony J. Yanik in his Maxwell Motor and the Making of Chrysler Corporation says it was built for the 1906 Vanderbilt using two 40hp fours. The 180hp twelve followed but wasn't completed in time for testing and the eight suffered a catastrophic failure when the riding mechanic dropped a wrench into the exposed cam gears breaking the crankcase which couldn't be repaired in time. The book also says they set up a workshop on a five acre plot on long island about a quarter of a mile from the Vanderbilt start-finish to expedite building and testing of the cars.
The Twelve was run at Vetnor beach near Atlantic city in October 1908 and achieved a 31 1/5 second mile.
Thanks for the IDs Bob!

 

Thanks Ehdubya-good pic of the twelve. There was an article in The Automobile (2/6/08-p.196) titled "Twelve Cylinder Maxwell after Freaks" wherein they wanted to setup match races with cars at Ormond, specifically the Stanley, but the car will "be held in readiness to take on all comers."

I have not researched if they did take an any comers though-Jim

 

We were having this conversation over at the ACD forum and some of you might find it interesting.

AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG CLUB :: View topic - Much Modified Stutz Two Passenger Torpedo

Here is a picture of the Stutz Jones Special which ran at Indy in 1930 finishing 10th. It is currently for sale here.

It was owned by Tommy Wolfe of Maywood Calif in 1959. It looks like he also owned a Dv32 Bearcat at about the same time. Does anyone know anything else about Tommy or the Jones special?

 

Got to admire those days:

"Let's take the fenders off and go race Indy"
or
"Let's put some fenders on the Indy car and run it on the road."

either way I love it.

 

The Maxwell-Briscoe Company of Tarrytown, New York took up the 1906 Vanderbilt challenge in a big way. Two cars were built, one with 8 cylinders, and in case that wasn’t enough, the other had 12. They leased 5 acres of land a quarter mile from the start/finish line. A portable garage was erected containing a machine shop, storage for the racer and sleeping and dining rooms for the employees. For the management and guests, a nearby house was also leased.
The cars themselves were of unique design, the 12cylinder being a boxer layout with radiators extending vertically above.
No water pump was used, instead the radiators were attached to the cylinder head just above the exhaust valves. The cars had no flywheel, driving through a multiple disk clutch , propeller shaft to bevel gear on the rear axle. No differential was used. The transmission was integral with the aluminum crankcase and used 2 speeds plus reverse. Wire wheels 34” dia wheelbase 115”. Horsepower claimed 80.
Wally Owen was the driver. The car never showed up for the start of the Elimination race. At the weigh-in prior to the Elimination race Maxwell brought a stock 4cyl touring car as the 8 cyl racer had been in an accident early that morning. The wrench incident, presumably. The 4 cylinder car never started the Elimination Race.
Must have been greatly embarassing for the company and guests.

 

The White Flyer supposedly ended up in Portland, Oregon. I think someone told me that Rolla Volstedt saw it here before the war. Long gone, I suppose.

 

Lee..... I can't remember exacty who and which car but I have read that parts of the White racing car are on a collectors White touring car.

 

This unidentified steamer from post #2707 appears to be a White as Lee suggested earlier, it looks like the same car and possibly venue...

 

This looks like a White too...

 

ehdubya.....Great job with the wonderful photos. The last one looks to me like it maybe a Christe?...... I am sure Lee can tell us if it is and if so which car. Best, T-H

 

Legendary mechanic Cotton Henning is shown in this great photo. The back of the press photo is dated May, 22 1930 but is not Indy as captioned as can be seen by the board track behind him. He may have been signaling Depaolo as they were a team about this time.

Good link below which tells a great fuel thank story about them.

http://www.mshf.com/hof/depaolo_peter.htm

 

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Early actor Victor Moore with an unknown racing car which I think maybe a Thomas. I have one here and have also worked on another and based on the front axle and the cylinder design I think is one.

 

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A good side view of the Maxwell.

 

Headed for the Indy Speedway Saturday to see time trials. Here's a few more from the HG archive.
HG

 

Nice find, I wonder if that's Johnathon Maxwell behind the wheel. Looking at these NY Times articles it appears the Ormond match races never transpired...

Ormond Auto Challenge February 2, 1908
Ventnor Beach July 9, 1908
Ventnor Beach October 4, 1908

 

This is the double engine Christie probably at Morris Park, July 4 1905. Lazarnick photo from the George Eastman House collection. The Detriot Public Library NAHC is digitally cataloging thousands of Lazarnick photos right now, should be fascinating stuff.

[/QUOTE]

 

A great photo of an early two cylinder Knox racing car.

 

This is widely believed to be Carl Fisher at Harlem Illinois 1905 where driving a Pope-Toledo he lost the interclub Thomas trophy race to Walter Christie

 

Most of you already know about this site. Howard Kroplick does a great job with this. Here is the latest update from him.

http://tiny.cc/sy6is

HG

 

1919 Indy 500 - Arthur Thurman driver died on the 44th lap in an accident in this Duesenberg. His mechanic Nicholas Molinero was injured

 

HG,

new one for me, thanks for the link. some great stuff.

Keith

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ehdubya, this car looks nothing like a Pope-Toledo to me. However, the car in the background does or is that an Apperson.
I posted this photo on the first page of this thread but at the time i thought nothing of it thinking it was captioned correctly but i always thought it was the Ray Harroun driven 'Harroun Custom'.

Just an observation.