History Auto racing 1894-1942

Pope Hartford! probably a 50hp as it does not have a double drop frame.

 

That was my initial thought also but it has a few foreign like features on it. Is there anything on the chassis that you can positively ID as a Pope?

 

Oh c'mon Dave. Can't you see the nickel plating?

 

liberty bell radiator, dont think anyone else did it quite like pope.

 

Quote: fur buscuit; liberty bell radiator, dont think anyone else did it quite like pope.

I agree that the top of the radiator does in fact look like a Pope. My initial take on it was that the top curve of the radiator was a little to sharp to be a Pope and the overflow tube had that European or English look. We also cannot see the bottom side of it as the mans leg is in the way so that we could ID it by that. The hood has that factory made look yet it does not have any louvers like the photos of the Popes I have looked at.

That is why I asked if there were any axle, frame, of other chassis details that would confirm it is a Pope. I could very well be one, but because of what I have mentioned I am not certain it is one.

 

Here's some photos I have of Driesbach in the #57 Howard Special, at San Jose in 1933. The last one actually has the photographer, Bill Bondi, sitting in the car. The Gilmore decal is unusual in that it is the decal that would be on placed on gas pumps, not cars. Never seen another car with it on. This may have been a one-time/race sponsorship as I have seen other photos of the car with #57 and no Gilmore signage. Maybe they didn't have time to paint the logo on and that decal is all they had available...??? Anyways, enjoy...

 

TH tells me some B&W photos of this Napier have been posted here, but perhaps none in color. Here goes... The event was the VMCCA Anglo-American Rally at the Larz Anderson Museum in Brookline, MA. Date: April 27, 1957. Photos were taken by an event attendee by the last name of Delorey, whose son we can thank for posting this photo and many others from the event, online some time ago.

From the VSSC Bulletin:

"The outstanding cars attending the meeting are two racing Napiers from the George Waterman collection -- the 1904 100 H.P. and the 1903 Gordon Bennet car, whose exportation to America was quite a cause celebre at the time. I still insist that our prime British historic racing car ought never to have been allowed to leave England, but that is no criticism of anyone abroad who might buy it: and if its British owner was unpatriotic enough to sell it away from England, one can only say that it has passed into the best hands that could possibly have been found for it. Moreover it had been allowed to lapse into a disgusting state of dereliction at home. The same applies to the 100HP car, both restorations having been carried out by that most charming of men, Frank Johnson, who was Ed Roy's co-driver on the Rally."

Comments from Fred Roe:

"1904 Napier racing car owned by George Waterman, shown apparently before restoration completed by Frank E. H. Johnson. Charlie Fisher and I trespassed on an estate in Swampscott to peek in windows of coach house at night to see this car and a BIG 6 cyl. Napier Touring. Both still exist and the racing car went via Rockefeller and Harrah and now back to England."

 

That is a good looking Special.

 

From what little I know about him... Driesbach, known as the Berkeley Butcher, was a class "B" racer that raced a few class "A" races on the west coast, in the Howard Special. He was an accomplished Pacific Coast motorcycle racer, winning the PC championship in 1932, then started racing big cars before getting into midgets. I believe he faired better in the midgets than the big cars.

 

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A nice treat for this young man.............












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The double leaf spring looks familiar- is it BMW?

 

Ratamahata, outstanding pictures. Thank you.

 

The Mosquito of Ernesto Bossola (Also named Silver Arrow)





Ernesto Bossola: born in Turin (Italy) the 11 from November from 1893, it came very young to remain in Argentina. It was of those types experimenters, untiring, intuitive, without much school, that never are in agreement and so they do, return to try and to remake, sometimes beginning everything again, of which things imagine about which they only can think and sometimes until they can take them to the practice against all the prognoses… Although in our race it won with a car concerned like a Bugatti constructed in small series, it dedicated its efforts to the construction and development of cars of own designs thinking about outpost, incorporating solutions that employed the most outstanding European constructors, despite the local limitations, that as many others had to replace with I devise and dedication. Later always defying the means shortage speedster that the media called (Silver arrow), arisen totally from its creativity, constructed one and tenacity, in 1929, to which it equipped with an aluminum body, called “Mosquito”. It gave aerodynamic form in wedge formation him, it experimented horizontally changing to the distribution of weights and the location of the placed radiator, to give one more a more penetrating form him with smaller frontal area… It had small Willys motor. Ricardo Lorenzo " Boroco-tó" shining cronista of(el Gráfico)of those times located to Ernesto Bossola between the types that " called; it: brushing head" (The expresion Its Like a compression head) because it says that mentally they were accelerated, according to its words, always they walked steps forward of the rest. As example of its work and creativity is worth to mention the case of a Hupmobile to which they reformed with another Italian, Francisco Caputti, installing to him a crank on ball bearings. How? If, for my it is a mystery, unless they have made the crank again collapsible, and perhaps thus they did. That car in our circuit (Esperanza) was run by Jose Desideri, who in one of his interminable straight lines of but of 7 km, excited, forgot to change to the third and when rising accelerator to double, after! , it broke the motor. Bossola, call " rengo" he was a frequent winner of the pranced ones of those heroic times, where it appears obtaining important classifications with Chevrolet, Bugatti, Willys, by those dusty ways where our motoring was born. First winner in pilot, construction, mechanical, innovating and creative Hope, was died in 1932 in Jose C. Paz trying a car with Farmann motor (of airplane) of six liters of cubical capacity that modified by him gave 180HP, to that had baptized " The Criolla" , it went accompanied of Miguel Serra who had more luck, saved his life miraculously.

This car was first in the world in taking mote of “Silver arrow”, long before that Mercedes Benz and Auto Union in Europe. since history is thus: Although for many mote of “Silver arrow” accompanies from always to Mercedes Benz (and in correlation to Car Union) from decade by '30 (more indeed when they dominated the G.P's between 1934 and '39 widely), all that is a simple invention. The single-seaters Mercedes Benz and Auto Union of that time received different motes from sport commentators like for example in 1934 when they called “Silver Wolves” (“silver-plated Wolves&#8221 or in 1936 when they called “Silver Fish” (“silverplated Fish&#8221. The first time that mentions form documented with something similar to “You shoot with an arrow of Silver” “Silberpfeile” in German or “Silver Arrows” in English) went in occasion of the victory of Lang in Tripoli in 1937, when in the number corresponding to this competition of the German publication “Kolnische Zeitung”, mote of “Silbergauenpfeile” prevails (something as well as: “ silver arrow gray plating&#8221. , The question really is that the first time that mentions documented form of mote “Silberpfeile” (“Silver arrow&#8221 was through a chronicle of the competition of the G.P of Belgrade in September of 1939 (or begun II the World war)… so when reads or they hear speak of “Silver arrow of German Silver”, they remember and they remember that the “Mosquito” of Bóssola was the first car of the world in being denominated as “Silver arrow”.

 

Kurtis in the first race of the oval circuit of my town, Ernanno Blanchiardi races the chandler with the curtiss engine!!

First race in oval circuit of Esperanza (1926)

The characteristics of that circuit allowed the development of speeds that did not occur in other circuits in America. In spite of his famous floor Indianapolis brick in those years, with better cars they did not secure those averages. How is everything? Here to the south of Manucho…. For November of 1926 the first date paid attention and they appeared to classify in that opportunity: Emilio Karstulovick (Renault), Raul Riganti (the Hudson), Fernando Bini (Buick), Esteban Balestretti (SPA castano), Ernanno Blanchiardi (Chandler), Jorge Perín (Chrysler) Ernesto Bossosla (Bugatti) Domingo Bucci, Caesar Scaraffia (the Hudson) Eleuterio Donzino, Héctor Aguado, among others less known.

1926 - 14 of November Race inauguration Result 1º) Ernesto Bossola - Bugatti 2º) Raul Riganti - the Hudson 3º) Domingo Bucci - the Hudson Average of the winner: 144.100 km/h

One of the machines with but predicament that appeared in that opportunity was " The Chandler" a car that with a chassis of that mark, of North American origin, had been armed in the country with a motor of Curtiss airplane and manned Ernanno Blanchiardi. Ermano usually is read, but it is Ernanno, that in Italian means Hernán. In that then one leaved per time, as later they made the races of TC in route. The SPA-castano automobile that had realised the best time in the previous classification, marking 161 km per hour lead by Esteban Balestretti, broke the gear box when trying to start off, reason why it had among others to do pushed it by the same constructor Cesar Castano, soon was injured in the straight line opposed to boxes, when by breakage of the right end of front axis the wheel left, the car it nailed of end, it sent the occupants, it turned around 14 posts of fencing. Lamentably accompanying Mr. Fagole passed away. This same automobile had had a good participation in the 500 Argentine Miles (Rafaela) in the first edition that ran that same year, also lead by Balestretti, until it had to be interrupted in rain, being secondly when becoming the parenthesis, not returning to appear in the second part. The rest of this car, realised by Cesar Castano (later pioneering of the Automotive Industry Argentina) in Buenos Aires and with motor SPA, of six cylinders about 12,000 cc, aeronautical extraction, were bought by Arístides Robert modified who it adding skates to him to the front train, so that in case of leaving a wheel he supported in them and he slid. Anyway it continued being an indomitable monster, thus reformed it participated in a single opportunity, a later race, and was sold but ahead.
In the neighbourhood than was the circuit has two anecdotes referred to this episode. One tells that a neighbor supported in a post watched the race when, as is to imagine the cars happened quite separated, when remaining without tobacco for his pipe he inwards went to his located house meters and when returning he found that the post wasnt here, the Spa-Castano had hit the post and had taken their place, it. Perhaps it is the unique case in that " could not be demonstrated that; the tobacco is detrimental for health". Also it circulates referred to this lamentable accident, the version of which years later, walked by the place a luxurious automobile unknown in the zone, when the conductor, a gentleman elegant dressed, interrogates to a village one on if that way he passed the old circuit, the answer would have been explicit: - Surely! … if and that way same it were injured, Balestreti, flower of crazy person… - Balestreti? I am Balestreti, would have said the stranger.

 

Yes Argentina but I know nothing more, Riganti's Reo on the left I think...

 

That Morris had a 3 stud wheel often referred to as an "artillery" wheel by Dunlop/Dunlop Sankey/Sankey.

Austins, Humbers and Italia, just to name a few, also used metal spoked "artillery" wheels, most likely the Dunlop/Sankey, but, I believe, Good Year may have also manufactured the same, or very similar, wheels.

Possibly manufactured by various companies under licence??

Wheel diameter and rim widths and stud patterns varied.

 

There is more on the "Anzac" car on this link:

http://hotrod.gregwapling.com/land-speed-racing-australia/land-speed-racing-australia-anzac.html

The use of the name "Anzac" was refused.

 

Latters requesting approval to name the car Anzac:

http://www.naa.gov.au/whats-on/online/find-of-the-month/past-years/2006/april.aspx

 

Maroubra Speedway:





"In 1923 a syndicate of businessmen was formed to build the Olympia Motor Speedway at Maroubra. A lease on 33 hectares of sandhills and marshland situated on the corner of Anzac Pde and Fitzgerald Ave was secured from the NSW Government. Construction began in 1925 on a huge concrete bowl at an eventual cost of 70,000 pounds. The Speedway opened on the 5 December 1925 with a crowd of 75,000 people in attendance.
The Speedway track was 1.3 kilometers/0.8 miles long, it had one large bend and two small ones, and at one point the banking was at angle of 37 degrees. The fastest cars did lap times of around 33 seconds, with an average speed of 100 mph. The Speedway was surrounded by sandhills which allowed spectators a good view of the action without having to pay the gate fee.
By January 1926 the Speedway had claimed its first victims when Leo Salmon and Albert Vaughan were killed when they sped up the bank and overshot the top. In April 1926 the Speedway went up for auction, and was sold to James S Taylor for the equivalent of 21,700 dollars (James S Taylor owned and operated the Broadway Store, on The Broadway at Junee). During the period of ownership by Taylor the speedway was managed by Herbert J Madden. It reopened with night racing in November 1926 and drew crowds of 18,000 - 20,000 every second Saturday night. Attendance began to fall when the Sydney Speedway reopened, as this venue was more accessible using public transport.
Norman "Wizard" Smith took a Chrysler to Maroubra Speedway on December 22 1926 to take on the existing 24 hour record. Smith averaged speeds of up to 70 mph. All through the night local residents complained of the noise of Smith racing around the track. Although frequently having to change tyres because of the abrasive concrete surface, he still broke the existing 24 hour record with more than 1 hour to spare. Wizard Smith averaged 65 mph for the first 14 hours, then 61.1 mph for the whole 24 hours. The car covered 1000 miles in just under 16 hours, and 1468 miles over the 24 hours. Mechanic C. Trollope, assistant driver Otto James, and mechanic E. Pode assisted Smith.
Maroubra became known as the <Q>"killer track,"</Q> a reputation it never managed to shake despite other tracks having worse records. In 1926 Sydney Dutton was killed during practice, Phil Garlick was killed in January 1927 during a night meeting, and less than a month later Fred Barlow was killed. All three died at the same spot, overshooting the top of the track.
The Speedway was closed in 1928 and the lighting facilities sold off. In 1929 a group of motorcyclists reopened the track for motorcycle racing only. Lionel van Praag, a local resident, was active as an organiser and competitor.
The Depression, and the number of unpaying spectators on Scotsman's Hill forced the track to close, and the gates were locked in 1934."












Phil Garlick driving an ALVIS - the 1926 Winner:

 

Peter White at Maroubra in a Frontenac Ford and his pit crew: