While this thread should not be limited to the twenties & thirties, that is the timeframe from which my ramblings and questions stem.

It is not too difficult to see why Europeans often made it to the USofA, mostly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: money, dough, cash, penunze, $$$$$$$ and usually lots of it, even though the appetite most often proved bigger than the catch. On the other hand, professional racing drivers from "over there" competing in the "old world" needed to make an investment of no uncertain terms, and couldn't expect much in the way of compensation. So, how did they manage?

1921 - a team of four new Duesenberg racing cars, along with drivers Jimmy Murphy and Joe Boyer. Duesenberg was hardly a big manufacturer, certainly not in 1921! Boyer certainly was wealthy enough to pay for his own expenses, but could he have financed the whole trip? He was hardly likely to, anyway! One of the original French drivers, Louis Inghibert, was said to have been "moneyed", and Albert Champion is also said to have contributed, but I'd still like to see the balance sheet!

1923 - three almost new Miller racing cars, along with driver Jimmy Murphy. In reality, this doesn't count, because the cars were not owned by Americans, but a European and a South American, and Murphy was driving "on contract". Still, he was giving away the chance to earn good money in the states, but it is to be expected that he was paid well enough.

1925 - two (or three?) modified Duesenberg racing cars, and drivers Pete de Paolo, Tommy Milton and Peter Kreis. Again, Kreis was wealthy enough to pay for his own expenses, and de Paolo is likely to have been on Alfa Romeo's bill, but how on earth did Milton and, especially, the Duesenbergs manage?

1927 - two new Cooper racing cars, and drivers Earl Cooper and Peter Kreis. Kreis as before, but Cooper??? He must have been deep in the red from building the cars, let alone repairing racing tear and wear, and since the cars never won anything it seems almost impossible for him to even consider such a trip!

1929 - three used Miller racing cars, and driver Leon Duray. A private entry, and obviously Duray was intent on unloading a batch of obsolescent hardware. A gamble that, apparently, paid off - Ettore gratias!

1930 - a new semi-stock Duesenberg, and driver Babe Stapp. Another mystery - okay so, the car didn't miss out on much during the time, but Stapp? Also, what did they expect to achieve???

1931 - a new Shafer/Buick, and driver Red Shafer. Ditto, same as above! At least he had the guts to tackle the Nürburgring!

1932 - a rebuilt Miller, and drivers Leon Duray and Wilbur Shaw. Duray, apparently, came on a vague promise of starting money from 1929, but this trip is positively dripping with obscurity! While Duray was trying to convince himself that he was still a racing driver, Shaw was in the midst of a fight for the Pacific Coast Championship! Just before leaving for Italy, he had been protested out of a win at Legion Ascot, countered with a protest of his own, and then left it all behind in a huff, apparently! He wasn't even driving for Duray until after that trip! And why would Duray rebuilt the car with a brand new engine for short track use, and then go on a wild goose chase to Italy - to sell the car??? And what was Shaw's role in all of this?????

Wow, down to page six within a couple of weeks! :\

I'm rather surprised to find that this thread doesn't tickle anybody's fancy. No stories to share? No theories to divulge in? How about Ted Wentz and/or John Bicht recalling their own experiences/expenses?

Just reading "King Of The Boards", according to Gary Doyle, the entry fee was 83,000 francs and was paid 50% by General Motors and 50% by Inghibert and Guyot. The costs of running and transport wee $60,000 and were paid by Champion and the American Automobile Association.

The 1923 trip seems to have been unsanctioned, the AAA going so far as to strip Murphy of his championship points, so maybe he was just paid loads by Zborowski. This obviously did not apply in 1925 as de Paolo was national champion. In "Wall Smacker" de Paolo says "I accepted a proposition which would take me to Europe..." He said HE decided not to take his Duesenberg, not wanting to modify it for the GP regs, which perhaps suggests that the AAA wanted to be represented? Or maybe even the Italians made an offer he could not refuse, trying to one-up the French?

As for Wilbur Shaw's 1932 trip...he goes into some detail in "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!" Shaw says Leon Duray asked him, after the Indy 500, to drive his Ascot dirt track car for the remainder of 1932, but then Duray decided to drive himself for a while so Shaw went back to his own car and the Gilmore. At Ascot the Gilmore broke in practice and Duray stepped aside to let Shaw drive and crashed after a puncture. Duray seems to have decided to drive his car in the race almost on a whim, at least for the start, on the basis he would be less likely to crash than Shaw...apparently they had been promised $4,000 appearance money by Florio, although it does not seem to have been paid. The Pacific points seem to have been a bit of an afterthought, with Shaw saying he hoped to catch up the gap but that it was impossible.

Fines:

Cubic dollars: see Briggs Swift Cunningham or Lance Reventlow. . .

Frank