Bob, At a glance i thought the first photo was of an an early road race in Buttzville, Pennsylvania but upon further investigation the cars seem to be from Britain. Initially i thought it could be from Twatt, Scotland but i came up short. I then checked the race results from the handicap race at Muff, Ireland of that same year but, again, nothing. I finally stumbled upon an article from Wetwang, England where this particular race was held. It didn't mention the name of the race{make up your own}but it did have the names of the drivers and mechanicians. Cars from left to right: Bill Board & B. Sting. {mech.} Dill Doe & Harry Crack. {mech.} Hugh de Mann & Pat McGroin. {mech.} Tommy Gun & Richard {Dick} Head. {mech.} Mike Rotchtickles & Joe King. {mech.} *NOTE* All of the cars have wheels and steering from the same manufacturer. They even look to be the forerunner to the dragster frontrunners. I coudn't identify any others.
Bob, I think even the most hardened Front Engine Fuel Dragster driver would have second thoughts about piloting that Darracq and many others just like it from that very special era of motoring. There's an excellent story about the history and restoration of the Darracq here...www.darracq-v8.co.uk and the first fire up after 97 years here... www.video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3028548803958300134
Check out these two old paintings I posted on my blog... http://boardtracksandvanderbiltracecars.blogspot.com/2009/09/couple-great-paintings.html
1910. Atlanta. From the top- Left to Right. Hughie Hughes #14 Falcar and the similar #23 Falcar driven by Clemens. 100Mile Coca Cola Trophy. Class B {201 -450 cubic in.} Louis Hienemann #11 Marmon, Joe Dawson #28 Marmon and the Pope-Hartford of Charles Basle. Louis Disbrow #22 Pope-Hartford. Matson #44 Simplex. Joe Dawson #28 Marmon. Bob Burman #40 Marquette-Buick. Joe Horan #5 Lozier Six.
banjeaux bob, Thanks for the link. Those are some wonderful pics. I haven't seen many of the European Miller. I think there is a few pics of the restored example on the Miller-Offy site. I get the feeling you might be a Targa Florio or Mille Miglia fan. Go here www.ddavid.com/formula1/nuvo-bio.htm for some great info and short video on one of the greatest to participate in those races.
In any discussion of the world's greatest driver, the name Tazio Nuvolari must at least be mentioned.
I feel exactly the same way after reading anything interesting. I think if humans had the ability to travel back in time my first stop would be the 1903 Paris to Madrid. Not because i'm an sadist wanting to witness so many deaths but just to see many many cars all in one race. Back then i bet that was an eye opener. BTW, you may have misprinted your last two pics.
Kurtis,I was testing you! If I was mistaken,I still don't know what they are! Bob[/QUOTE] Bob, go back to post #202 for some info of the Voisin.
YES! The event was the Vanberbilt Cup Race in 1937, and Swanson was running wheel to wheel with a 91CI stretched Midget against the Nuvolari GP Alfa.
Very interesting! I had not heard that. Thanks for the tidbit on Nuvolari. This has GOT to be the most VALUABLE thread on HAMB! A coffee table book with the same pictures and information would sell for $$hundred$. JG
<!--end meta-->** Violette Morris took to dressing like a man, smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day and regularly cursed a blue streak. * Violette Morris has a story that you couldnt make up if you tried. Simply stated, its just unbelievable. Born the niece of French General Gouraud, Violette Morris was a naturally gifted and strong athlete who excelled at sports. She was an accomplished boxer who regularly competed against and beat men. Morris also went on to become a cycling champion, later graduating to riding motorcyles and racing cars. She was so committed to auto racing that she actually had an elective double mastectomy (yes, she had her breasts removed!) so shed be more comfortable behind the wheeled of the tight-fitting cyclecars she raced back in the 1920s. Wow. During WWII when France was occupied by the Nazis in the 40s, Morris joined the Parisian Gestapo and worked with the notoriously brutal rue Lauriston interrogation squad. In 1944, while she was traveling with military colleagues by car from Normandy back to Paris, the French Resistance bombed Morris vehicle, killing her along with everyone else. Yup, she definitely lived life to the full and died with her boots on.
Thanks for the info Truckedup. Mr. Morris, i mean Ms. Morris sure was a lost soul. Whatever sport was played by men you could count on her to participate. Rumour has it when her driving party was machine gunned the bullets that killed her was fired by another famous French driver, Phillipe Maillard-Brune. www.historicracing.com/index.cfm?fullText=7956 If i was to pick a female driver with talent then it would have to be Mme. Helle Nice who not only shared the same bed of Mr. Bugatti {and many others} but also drove his car to some success. Many racing car drivers of that era have some wonderful life stories but Helle Nices' life is something special. Unfortunately it was her male companions and later a rival on the track that changed her life from happiness to pure misery. I feel sorry for her each time i find new info on 'The fastest woman on Earth' www.historicracing.com/index.cfm?fullText=2783 Helle Nice died today 25 years ago.
Some pre-war BMW Mille Miglia cars 1 & 2 Three 1938/39 cars built for the Mille Miglia built by Touring. Three copies built by BMW for other races. This shape was the inspiration for the Jaguar XK-120. 3. The one-off coupe that won over-all the 1940 Mille Miglia. Also by Touring, averaged over 100 mph for the race on 122 c.i., while beating all the larger Alfas, Maseratis, etc. 4. The Rennspyder built for the 1941 MM, but WW2 prevented the race from taking place.
Kurtis, The 2004 biography of Helle Nice, "Bugatti Queen" by Miranda Seymour is quite a good read. A pretty talented driver but her life was pretty racy on and off the track, of course until the accusation made by the popular driver Louis Chiron that she was a Gestapo agent. The accusation was never substantiated but it destroyed her life-quite sad to say the least-Jim
Jim, i really have to get that book. Seymour should be thoroughly commended for her research. There were many shady characters from the motor racing fraternity during WW2 but it boggles the mind what some really got up to in that time. We all know the stories of 'Williams', Benoist and Wimille but i don't know what Chiron would have gained from his accusations. Helle Nice was 'friendly' with at least a couple German drivers, Hans Stuck being one but it's interesting to note that Chiron never denounced the German drivers, which probably explains why he got the drive at Mercedes.
KAY PETRE Kay Petre started her racing career when her husband bought her a Wolseley Hornet Special. Later she drove Austins, Invicta, Bugatti and the ex. John Cobb 10.5 Liter Delage. In 1937 she lapped the Brooklands circuit at 134MPH giving her the honor of being the 'Queen of Brooklands'.
DOROTHY LEVITT Dorothy Levitt is officially recognised as the first female to compete in an official motor race. 1903: Levitt was the riding passenger of Selwyn Edge. : Won the innaugural "British International Hamsworth Trophy" for speedboats. She recorded a speed of 19.3MPH in a Napier powered boat owned by S.Edge. 1904: Officially entered a French Mors in a 1000 Mile trial. 1905: Established a new record for women when she drove a DeDion Bouton from London to Liverpool and back in two days. : Drove a Napier at the first 'Brighton Speed Trials, winning her class. : She was denied a 'works drive' in a Mors at the innaugural TT race on the Isle of Man by Selwyn Edge to protect the reputation of his Napier marque. 1906: Held the womens World Record at 90.88 MPH over the flying kilometer in a Napier at the Blackpool Speed Trials. She also recorded the fastest lap for ladies at the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb in a 50HP Napier. {12 seconds faster than the male winner} Eventually a works driver and publicist for Napier Cars owned by Selwyn Edge and his mistress.
Some of these woman drivers were pretty good looking ladies. What they lacked in brute strength they made up for in finesse I suppose. Some of those old racers were a bit scary at speed-gutsy gals-Jim
Shelsley Walsh is a 1000 yard hill climb - you can't 'do a lap' she recorded 92.4 seconds for her climb in 1906 the record stood until 1913 Keith
Model A Keith may be technically correct but I have heard guys refer to running the quarter mile as a lap. I heard it years ago and wondered but now you hear some of the NHRA and IHRA commentators use the expression as well. I just googled it for fun and came up with several recent examples. If you go to draglist.com and check out Bruce Litton (IHRA top fuel) on 9/25/2009 "The track is really good. I don't know what it was, some of the cars weren't going down and others were having really good laps and we made a nice pass..." Kurtis may get pass on this himself and he can continue to claim his own perfection-Jim
well hasn't anyone heard of the 1895 thanksgiving day race from chicago to evanston il? $5000.00 to the inventor who could construct a practicable self-propelleding carriage.the winner, j. frank duryea did the 54 mile race in 8 hrs. and only used 3.5 gals. of gas
I have. I read about it a few months ago. The Chicago Times-Herald was the sponsor. If it's the same race i'm thinking of only a handfull of competitors showed up but eighty or so entries were received. The article i saw classified the racers as 'motorcycles'. Even the President called in the Army to oversee the event.
The Jalopy Journal
