History Auto racing 1894-1942

Parry Thomas..............

 

Pietro Bordino...................

 

Brooklands...........

 

Unknown......anyone....??...??

 

That picture is Sheepshead Bay in the summer of 1919. I have this picture as well and I believe it may be the July race wherein the #4 car (DePalma in the 299) won the race. It appears to be a pace lap or slow lap as DePalma has his hand out the side for whatever reason. They look a little nonchallant to be at speed.

DePalma only ran there with this bodywork three times at Sheepshead and the third time was the final time this car raced in this livery in the U.S. This bodywork and I believe another engine (engine #2)was shipped to Europe and it raced against the likes of Enzo Ferrari. Probably the most famous driver in Europe was the Baroness Maria D'Avanzo. There have been two articles that I have been associated with that credit this car with Enzo's inspiration for his V-12.-Jim

 

Thanks Gents !! I thoroughly appreciate the kind generosity exhibited by so many folks here on the HAMB-Gorgeous car!!

Thanks also for the contemporary shot and for tagging your vintage pix-I wish more people would tag their images for posterity.

Thanks again-Mark

 

Photo in Post 7567 is Bennett Hill in a Delage at Beverly Hills in 1920 IIRC.

 

Is that a rebodied 1914 car?

 

Yep. And most importantly, it's also re-engined - it has a Duesy straight 8 in it.

 

wow. great note!! guess that answers where that Delage chassis ended up...

 

The Sheepshead picture shows #48 Ray Howard in a Peugeot (reputedly the 1916 Indy winner), #7 Louis Chevrolet in a Frontenac, #4 Ralph de Palma in a Packard, #21 Denny Hickey in a Duesenberg/Hudson "Stickle Special", #3 Joe Thomas in a Mercer, and #1 Dario Resta in the "Resta Special", a rebuilt Peugeot.

 

Jim, that credit seems to be drawing a very long bow when his first design was a SOHC straight 8 and he'd campaigned Jano's Alfa V12 years before that.

 

I co wrote an article with Simon Moore on the topic for Cavallino, although Simon did most of the writing to be honest (issue 149-2005). Simon Moore's credentials are pretty good especially with Alfas and he is pretty strong on V-12s. If you know anything about Alfas you should know about Simon Moore.

I also helped with the translation of on article by Valerio Moretti from Italian to English, although I don't really know any Italian. They wanted to make sure we got the facts correct.

Enzo raced an Alfa against the Packard and got his backside handed to him in 1920, but he may have liked the melody of the Packard Twelve. The Packard may have also passed through the hands of Ascari and Simon feels Enzo may have even had a chance to drive the car.

In an interview with Griffith Borgeson Enzo gave credit to the inspiration for his 12 to the Packard 12 that ran at Indy in 1914. Memory at old age is a funny thing but the only Packard 12 that ran at Indy was this car but the year was 1919. The Packard 299 engine is a 60 degree SOHC V12.

I have had my engine (engine #1-the one I believe is in the picture above) running a number of times and it is not only really a loud engine (all Liberties were) but it sounds more like a racing engine than you could imagine. Peter DePaolo said that one time at Sheepshead before he became the riding mechanic for his uncle Ralph DePalma, he went inside the stands but could always tell when Uncle Ralph came around because it was always the loudest car on the track. The melody of the 12 mixed with the noise of a Liberty may have gotten Enzo's attention-who knows-Jim

 

I picked up this photo a year ago, taken here in Connecticut. The #33 MILLER Special may be an ex Yagle car, I seam to remember a photo of Frank Farmer in a car with the same number. The reversed block exhaust on the left should help ID the car. Sorry the photo isn't as sharp as it could be.

 

Jim, thanks for that info. Simon is considered the prewar Alfa authority and would have carefully considered such a credit as would Griff. I'd love to hear your Liberty if you ever manage to capture it as I'm sure many others would.
The Sheepshead DePalma -Chevrolet duel I mentioned earlier where Ralph blew both front tyres was the 1917 Harkness...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstra...p=1&sq=chevrolet+speeds+to+new+auto+mark&st=p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSYcrlTcLK8

On rereading some articles I have no idea where I got the idea of the "almost 30 mph" average speed increase and was talking through my hat -Andy

 

Andy I have a number of people that have asked to be there when I start it the next time. One professional photographer wants to video tape it so maybe we will get it on video. I have not had it running in years so I want to make sure none of the rings are stuck etc and I want to fabricate some headers first.

I am really busy with work(trying to get it back on track to be truthful) that I can only seem to steal a few minutes here and there lately. I am in the middle of one project which I need to finish and then it is back on the Packard. Truth be told my plan is to have it running next winter. I better put pressure on myself or I will never get it done. I had fabbed the chassis but I am only happy with part of it and then some idiot neighbors stole my frame table to sell it for scrap apparently. Maybe next summer or fall I will have to make another frame table before finishing up the chassis and then I have to set the engine in and figure out God only knows what-You know the drill.

Simon is really a great guy and very knowledgeable and has written some pretty impressive stuff on Alfas, athough my knowledge on that marque you could put in a thimble.

Thanks for the links-I had that you tube but somehow it is MIA in my computer I guess. Thanks-Jim

 

Nice work by John Crosse at Southern California Architectural History Site.

Los Angeles Motordrome 1910-1913
http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/first-board-track-opened-at-los-angeles.html

 

Good work by John Crosse at So Cal Architectural History Site.

Los Angeles Motordrome (Playa del Rey) 1910 - 1913
http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/first-board-track-opened-at-los-angeles.html

 

Coincidence is also a funny thing.

This discussion came up just as a local minor t.v. channel here in Australia is showing the second run of a wonderful series titled 'Great Grand Prix Racing Heroes' www.brunswickfilms.com/news/view.php?Id=119
Today's film was all about Scuderia Ferrari and a rare interview with Enzo where he is asked what was behind his philosophy concerning his engine of choice. His answer was the Packard V12 he saw at Indianapolis in 1919.
"An engine i married and never divorced" he said.

 

While the subject is Packard and racing, it is a good time to let you all know that we are posting the entire Roderic Blood Packard Collection on The Old Motor courtesy of The Lars Anderson Auto Museum.

We will with start with the Packard racing photos fairly soon, which begin with the Packard Gray Wolf, then moves into speed tests at Indy, Sheepshead Bay, the Visalia Road Race, many DePalma photos, drivers, misc. racing photos and speed tests on the Chicago board track.

We are going to work the racing photos into the timeline of the company that we have already started to cover, so stop by and view some incredible photos and if possible support the Lars Anderson Museum and stop by for a visit, you will enjoy it.

 

Mr. C at Belmont Park - Fall 1918




#16 Frontenac in exhibition race with Scout Plane




Short film clip of 1918 exhibition race at Belmont. The last 30 seconds show Louie doing his thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxeY_g-IdFA

 

Photo from the EMMR at Latimore Valley,PA






Same photo cropped and sepia tone removed.

 

Fritz Erle...........Benz

 

1913 Talbot.......

 

Baldoni.............Alfa............1919 Berceto Hillclimb

 

1920 Alfa............Giuseppe Campari

 

Alfa..............Enzo + Varazi