116 replies to this topic

[atlanticboat]

Hello,
my name is Davide Marchi, I'm an Italian journalist, I'm looking for infos on some US drivers that, even marginally, were involved in F.1 during that period (1950-1960).

- Joe Giba
Did not qualify at 1958 Indianapolis 500
- I need his date of death (I only now is October 1986 but I don't know on which day)

- Bill Doster
I only know he tried to qualify for Indy 1953 on a Volker-Offenhauser by Olszeswki. I also know he tried twice to race at Detroit in 1951 and 1953.
I need his date of birth and birthplace and (eventually) the one of death and the place.

- Jim Mayes
DId not qualify a Kurtis-Offy by Dr. Morris at the 1953 Indianapolis 500
I need his date of birth and birthplace and (eventually) the one of death and the place.

- Dick Page
Did not qualify a car that probably was a Kurtis-Offy by Bardahl/Page (probably is own team in part) at the 1951 Indisnapolis 500. I say "probably" because on the same year he drove that car at a race at San Jose.
I need his date of birth and birthplace and (eventually) the one of death and the place.
I also need confermation of the car he drove at Indy

- Roscoe Rann
Did not qualify at 1951 Indianapolis 500.
I don't know on what chassis-engine and team

- Albert Scully
Did not arrive, but was entered, at 1952 Indianapolis 500 on a car entered by Ellen Automic team. I need to know the chassis and the engine.
I also know he was from Chicago but I don't know his birthdate and (eventually) his deathdate and place

- Roy Sherman, born Roy Scheuermann
Did not qualify at the 1951 Indianapolis 500.
I don't know on what chassis-engine and team even if that year he drove at Langhorne and Darlington on a Silnes/Sherman-Offy by Leitenberge, so probably he was driving the same car at Indy too

and finally

- Ben Zukor
Was entered but then declined due to phisical problems at 1950 Indianapolis 500.
I don't know on what chassis-engine and team
I also need his date of birth and birthplace and (eventually) the one of death and the place.

__________________
"You don't have to be a World Champion to do that. I could have done that!"
Paco Godia on J.M. Fangio returning to the pits on a badly damaged Maserati 300S Sportcar

Jim Mayes was my grandfather, sent you a message on this but thought I'd post here as well, I have a lot of pictures of him at different races and different cars from about 1946 to 1955. I would like more information on his career. My pictures are posted on facebook under Maines Ancestry, His legal name was James Buford Maines, racing name Jim Mayes
born Rockport-Princeton, Indiana 3/5/1920, died in Tarpon Springs, Florida May 1970
link on facebook is: http://www.facebook....100000502058153

[Richard Jenkins]

Name spelled, Jim Mayes, legal name James Maines, born Princeton, Indiana 3/5/1920- died in Tarpon Springs FL (near tampa) May 1970. several pictures I have posted on facebook and would like to know more about him myself. He had 9 children all are living and live in Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Holiday and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
http://www.facebook....100000502058153

This is what I love about TNF - sometimes you can answers straight in your lap.

Brilliant to hear from you and thanks for the answers.

All I can add is that he raced in midgets and sprints in both Florida and the midwest, had a couple of NASCAR starts and failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 (he wasn't definitely there - contempary newspaper reports confirm it).

I'm very sorry to hear he died so young. Anything you would like to share with us about your grandfather - any pictures or stories will always be welcome.

[sramoa]

I found any info for Albert Scully:

Real name was Albert M. Scully of Chicago(possible he was born in 1910 and died in 1969???)
"Andiamo" Scully-Italian nickname:let's go-is a civil engineer who owns and drives racing cars as a hobby.He raced in 1951 Mexican Road race with No.38. Mercury 1950 car.

and possible little info for Dick Page:

Dick Page raced in 40s years Californian Cactus Derby motorcycle events.In 1949 was a big accident and there described for him:35 years old from Van Nuys,CA-I hope same person...

[sramoa]

As Sramoa writes there's Joe Adas that entered Indy 500 1950 on an unknown car (obviously also his personal datas are unknown), but ther's more

I saw you already know Foster Campbell and Eddie Jackson (what car Bob Jones's #62 was?) but what about Leon Clum? I have his bios but I don't know what car was supposed to drive before being ousted due to lack of experience.

Then I have C.L. "Puffy" Puffer that entered Indy 500 in 1952 but DNQ. Don't know bios neither the car he wasn't able to qualify...

Answer your question aboout Leon Clum.He entred in 1960 Indy 500 with a No 95 Safety Auto Gas Kurtiss Offy,but entry declined,not enough experience.

[sramoa]

A photo about Jay Abney(from Arizona) who raced motocycle at 40s years and CRA roadsters to 50s years.

http://cdnmedia.ende...=20120426141502

[sramoa]

As Sramoa writes there's Joe Adas that entered Indy 500 1950 on an unknown car (obviously also his personal datas are unknown), but there's more

I think Joe Adas never existed.
After you read through the article several times, compared to other articles turned out to be a typo, and the gentleman was none other than Joe James.

[Lemnpiper]

A photo about Jay Abney(from Arizona) who raced motocycle at 40s years and CRA roadsters to 50s years.

http://cdnmedia.ende...=20120426141502

Doesnt look like a speedway racer. I wonder if he was a member of the American Motorcyclist Association and was assigned the plate number for his bike one year.

This could offer a place to look for more info on him.



Paul

[sramoa]

At the end of the 40s, called Mr. Jay Abney was a motorcycle racer in Arizona, and when his name is removed from bikes in places, then on CRA events listed.
It is likely that the same person.

[Richard Jenkins]

There is no mystery for this photo. I'm not sure where sramoa has found this but the photo is copyright of Musselman Honda in Tucson , Arizona. It was taken in 1949 in Tucson and the lady in the middle is Helen Musselman who is 95 and still alive (I believe, she was last autumn). Abney was a motorcyclist predomiantly. All this is on the WATN website including the photo which I asked permission for. And yes, I've already asked Musselman about Abney but Helen's memory is not great, sadly.

Edited by Richard Jenkins, 07 April 2013 - 22:36.

[Graham Clayton]

Clayton "Puffy" Puffer was born in Williston, North Dakota on December 22, 1921. He was an early member of CRA - California Roadster Association, and primarily raced hot rods/track roadsters. He died July 12, 1979. About the only other item I can add is Puffer was small of stature. Far from a tall man.

Puffer survived a nasty crash during the 1950 Bonneville Salt Flats meeting:

http://www.onedirt.c...is-day-in-1921/

[sramoa]

About Jay Abney By Kevin Triplett's site:

USAC rejected some drivers who never got another chance, such as NASCAR big car veteran Wally Campbell: told to get more experience during May1954, he died less than 2 months later at Salem Speedway during a private test session. John “Jay” Abney from Mesa Arizona is a good example of how arbitrary USAC officialdom could be as it dealt with a rookie driver. Abney started racing motorcycles in 1949 at the Gilpin Sports Stadium in Tucson Arizona, and by the end of the 1950 season, earned the title of ‘Arizona State Cycle Champion.’ In 1951, Abney switched to four wheels, and raced a modified stock car (jalopy) weekly at Phoenix’s South Mountain Speedway against Art Bisch and Bill Cheesbourg. As he had with motorcycles, Abney started winning in just his second season of four-wheeled racing in 1952, with a couple of victories in 40-lap features to his credit, while he also occasionally drove a hot rod roadster. In his first roadster race at Culver City California on Memorial Day 1952, Jay led 33 laps before the steering drag link broke, but he still managed to finish 10th after repairs. Two weeks later in Lars Dahlgren’s “Little Jewel” roadster that featured a 200 horsepower Mercury engine, Abney ran in second place at Carrell Speedway until the front axle broke. By the end of the 1952 season, newspaper advertisements for South Mountain Speedway’s weekly races featured Jay Abney as “the Mesa Flash.”
During 1953, Jay continued his roadster career; over Memorial Day weekend, the AARA (Arizona Auto Racing Association) hot rods visited the Aztec Motor Speedway in New Mexico and Jay won the first night feature, but tangled with the second night. On July 19, 1953, Jay won his first CRA feature in Dahlgren’s “Little Jewel” in a CRA/AARA event at Tucson’s Rodeo Field oval that featured a $2500 purse. Jay closed out his 1954 CRA campaign strong with a pair of victories he won in September at the paved speedway in Albuquerque New Mexico in Cecil McDonald’s roadster. On Halloween Day, Jay drove Cecil McDonald’s 6-cylinder Ford powered sprint car (likely a re-bodied roadster) to victory at a crude dirt track carved out of a subdivision development in Agoura Park California. Jay Abney raced the CRA circuit for McDonald in1955, and his “big break” came in 1956. After Jack’s McGrath’s deadly accident at the Arizona State Fairgrounds on November 6 1955, car owner Jack Hinkle sold all his racing equipment and gave the proceeds of the sale to McGrath’s widow. Abney’s car owner, Cecil McDonald, who owned Southside Sand & Rock in Abney’s hometown of Mesa, sold Abney the hot rod roadster and purchased the battered Kurtis 4000D and dispatched it to ‘Lujie’ Lesovsky’s Culver City shop for repairs. McDonald hired Al Kitts of Tempe and Bob Parnell of Phoenix as mechanics, and by March, concerned about progress, dispatched the pair to “help hurry Lujie along” as he told Arizona Republic reporter Ray Silvius. After driving in a couple of early season South Mountain hot rod races, Abney landed Atwood & Woodbury Construction of Mesa as a sponsor and installed Roger McCluskey as driver. Abney also quit his job as a car salesperson to work for Southside Sand & Gravel, and reported to Silvius in April that he was in the best shape of his life at 195 pounds. On April 25, Abney, Kitts (a protégé of Clint Brawner) and Parnell left Phoenix with the red and white #85 Kurtis in tow for the long drive to Indianapolis. The team arrived at the Speedway by May 6, only to find that the promised letter of recommendation from former driver, car builder and USAC Western Zone Supervisor Myron Stevens had not arrived. Without the letter, officials would not allow Abney to begin the 4-stage rookie test. The team and USAC officials waited for the letter until time ran out, and on May 25 1956, USAC rejected Jay Abney for a lack of experience. In an interview that appeared in the June 10 1956 edition of the Arizona Republic, Abney reported that he was “sadder but wiser” and noted that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was “tough to crack.” Abney reported that fellow Arizonan Jimmy Bryan recommended to Abney that he “spend one year on dirt.” Instead, Abney never raced again as he worked in auto sales in the San Francisco Bay Area and Scottsdale Arizona.
Part three of this series, coming soon, will examine the trials and tribulations of the rookie test itself.

[Richard Jenkins]

About Jay Abney By Kevin Triplett's site:
John “Jay” Abney from Mesa Arizona

That little nugget is enough to finally, after years of searching and getting nowhere, solve Abney's details.

Born in Bearden, Oklahoma, 27th July 1927.

Died in Tulare, California, 10 Apr 1991.


How do I know it's the one? Well, he's the only John Abney listed in the 1940 census. The age fits both racing and the fact the in the 1949 Musselman photo, he looks early 20's. The fact that he is then listed as a salesman in Scottsdale, Arizona. The fact he died in California, where he was also based. It all pieces together.

Thank you sramoa for your endless search for this and thank you to Kevin. NOW I can retire.

[sramoa]

It was worth the years of research.I guess we can not stop.
Scope of the original question was only a couple of names:

Dick Page
Dick Page raced in 40s years Californian Cactus Derby motorcycle events.In 1949 was a big accident and there described for him:35 years old from Van Nuys,CA-I hope same person...

Billy Doster
I think he was Paul William...I show an article he raced by motocycles too in 40s years in Detroit area.

Albert Scully
Real name was Albert M. Scully of Chicago(possible he was born in 1910 and died in 1969???)
"Andiamo" Scully-Italian nickname:let's go-is a civil engineer who owns and drives racing cars as a hobby.He raced in 1951 Mexican Road race with No.38. Mercury 1950 car.

[Dan Axelsson]

Regarding George Armstrong. Some info from old US newspapers.

 

April 17, 1952: 69 cars entered in 500-mile auto classic. George Armstrong of Dallas will drive for R. E. Moore of Dallas.

 

April 20, 1952: 70 cars in '500' field.

George Armstrong, Dallas, Tex. R. E. Moore, Dallas, Tex. Mercury Special. 8 cyl. 274 piston displ.

 

May 3, 1952: McKinney fans will have their first opportunity to view stock car racing right here at home. Featuring the opening day program will be George Armstrong, noted big car driver and an entry in the 1952 Memorial Day classic at Indianapolis.

 

July 9, 1952: Daredevil - George Armstrong, Wichita Falls, will put on a death defying daredevil act tonight at the stock car races at the Vernon Speedway.

 

March 13, 1954: Channelview stock races offer thrills. Heading the list of Channelview drivers is George Armstrong, a stout-hearted dare-devil that has raced with the best of them, in both the midget and stock classes, all over the nation. George now makes his home in the Baytown area.

 

March 27, 1954: Stock racers will risk their necks at the Channelview Speedway. George Armstrong, famed daredevil from the Lucky Teters Thrill Show, will attempt a ramp jump and roll over.

 

April 3, 1954: George Armstrong's dare-devil tactics will be the feature attraction at the Channelview Speedway Sunday. Armstrong, famous driver who was once with Art Swanson,s nationally known thrill show and was a crash jumper for Joie Chitwood's thrill show.

 

So who is he? Midget and stock car racer. Famous daredevil and crash jumper in thrill shows.

 

Lived in Texas in the early 1950-ies it seems. Born where and when? Could he still be with us? There are some poor portraits of him in helmet in the 1952 and 1954 newspapers, hard to tell but he looks rather young, maybe around 25-30 yrs.

 

All help and info is much appreciated here.

[Michael Ferner]

Neither George Armstrong nor R. E. Moore were entered at Indy in 1952 - don't believe everything the newspapers write. I have no entries at all for him in Big car or Midget competition.

[sramoa]

- Albert Scully

... was the entrant of the "Ellen Atomic Special", there was no driver named, nor do I think the car ever appeared at the track, perhaps it never existed outside of the imagination of Mr. Scully. The engine was listed as a 270 ci 4-cylinder with the dimensions 4 5/16 * 4 7/16 (which, incidentally, works out to 259 ci) - which may have been a short-stroke version of the Offenhauser 270 (4 5/16 * 4 5/8), or maybe not. Albert Scully may have been the same as the 1930s car owner Al Scully, or he may have been a relative of the 1930s Big Car driver Vincent Scully from Philadelphia, or maybe not - or maybe both!

 

Any relations?

 

From Leif Snellman's great webpage from 1934 Grand Prix season: "Two Americans, Peter DePaolo and Lou Moore, had been invited by Italo Balbo, the Governor of Libya. The two drivers made arrangements with Frank and Al Scully, wealthy Chicago sportsmen, to drive their Miller cars at Tripoli. DePaolo drove the 308 4WD Miller with a V-8 engine of 5200 cc producing 300 hp at 5500 RPM and reaching a top speed of 260 km/h."

[Rupertlt1]

Can anybody say who this is?

 

https://library.revs...-sebring/464540

 

RGDS RLT