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Race car drivers from Detroit


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#1 Flat Black 84

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Posted 25 January 2011 - 03:00

Today I was looking at an incredibly sad photographic essay in der Spiegel magazine about urban desolation in Detroit, and it occurred to me--perhaps erroneously--that along with everything else that has gone terribly wrong with that city, it no longer produces driving talent like it once did. In the past it seemed as though the Motor City produced many fine drivers, but no more. I thought it might be a poignant exercise to list the great racers who were born in Detroit. Feel free to commence if you like.

Edited by Flat Black 84, 25 January 2011 - 03:00.


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#2 Michael Ferner

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Posted 25 January 2011 - 21:30

Nice idea!

I don't know if all (or, in fact, any!) of these pre-WW2 drivers were born in Detroit, but they all were frequently listed with Mo-town as hometown:

Barney Anderson (successful "coloured" driver of the twenties & thirties)
George Bailey (5-time Indy 500 starter)
Henry Banks (1950 US Champion from Royal Oak, suburb of Detroit)
Pappy Booker (3rd in 1941 Midwestern Championship)
Joe Boyer (1924 Indy winner)
Ray Campbell (2-time Indy 500 starter)
Shorty Cantlon (runner-up in 1930 National Championship)
Howard Dauphin (sprint car regular of the twenties & thirties)
Fred Harder (2-time Indy 500 starter/relief driver)
Gene Haustein (4-time Indy 500 starter/relief driver)
Fred Hawes (CSRA sprint car regular of the thirties & forties)
Bert Karnatz (1929 Indy 500 starter)
Frankie Luptow (IMCA sprint car champion of the forties & fifties)
George Lynch (1949 Indy 500 starter)
Al Miller (11-time Indy 500 starter)
Bruce Miller (sprint car regular of the twenties)
Chet Miller (16-time Indy 500 starter)
Cliff Miller (sprint car regular of the thirties)
Fred Moebs (sprint car regular of the thirties)
Lou Nagy (sprint car regular of the thirties from Trenton, suburb of Detroit)
Bob Norman (sprint car regular of the twenties & thirties)
Johnny Ritter (sprint car regular of the thirties)
Harry Robtoy (sprint car regular of the forties from Pontiac, suburb of Detroit)
Charlie Rogers (sprint car regular of the thirties & forties)
Hal Sievert (sprint car regular of the thirties from Pontiac, suburb of Detroit)
Bob Simpson (sprint car regular of the forties from Waterford, suburb of Detroit)
the Teachout brothers, Mike, Frank & Leo (sprint car regular of the twenties)
Al Theisen (1934 Midwestern Champion)
George Whitzman (sprint car regular of the forties)
Johnny Wohlfeil (sprint car regular of the twenties & thirties)
Eddie Zalucki (sprint car regular of the thirties & forties)
Bob Zauer (sprint car regular of the thirties from Hyde Park, suburb of Detroit)

... and, of course, many more from the area: Ann Arbor (Sam Ross), Flint (Roland Mallo, Howard Taylor), Jackson (Rollin May) or Lansing (Zook Harton, Dan Wurgis). Also, many famous drivers relocated to Detroit for several years, from Ralph de Palma to Billy Winn, from Wilbur Shaw to Russ Snowberger, from Dave Evans to Duke Nalon, Windy Jennings to Doc Shanebrook.

#3 E1pix

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Posted 25 January 2011 - 21:46

Today I was looking at an incredibly sad photographic essay in der Spiegel magazine about urban desolation in Detroit, and it occurred to me--perhaps erroneously--that along with everything else that has gone terribly wrong with that city, it no longer produces driving talent like it once did. In the past it seemed as though the Motor City produced many fine drivers, but no more. I thought it might be a poignant exercise to list the great racers who were born in Detroit. Feel free to commence if you like.


Your sentiments are spot on, that city was once one of the greatest in the States and is now looking like a poster child for bad things happening, and to come. Hope not.

So far as drivers, the only relatively-current one I can think of is Robbie Buhl, former driver and now team owner in IRL.

Nice post, heartfelt.


#4 Michael Ferner

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Posted 25 January 2011 - 22:02

Post-WW2 drivers:

Don Carr (Jackson)
Ronnie Duman (Roseville)
Johnny Federicks (Royal Oak)
Carl Forberg
Paul Goldsmith (Saint Clair Shores)
Jack Goodwin
Norm Gunyon
Harry King (Hazel Park)
Clare Lawicki (Saint Clair Shores)
Andy Marsh
Al Miller (Roseville)
Carl Scarborough (Keego Harbor)
Les Scott (Livonia)
Johnny White (Hazel Park)
Leon Wieske (Saint Clair Shores)

Edited by Michael Ferner, 25 January 2011 - 22:06.


#5 Flat Black 84

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Posted 09 February 2011 - 21:56

I'm working my way through some admittedly perfunctory research and have come up with surprisingly few highly successful drivers born in Detroit proper. They are Joe Nikrent, Joe Boyer, Fred Harder, Albert Karnatz, Chet Miller, Eugene Haustein and Al Miller II. And I don't expect to find many more.

Chicago, on the other hand, produced loads of excellent drivers in the pre-war and immediately post-war era. But the post-war era in general (at least in open-wheel racing) has been dominated by Californians and rural Midwesterners.

At any rate, I'm quite surprised that the Motor City did not produce more auto racing luminaries. Alas, I fear it never will.

Edited by Flat Black 84, 09 February 2011 - 21:57.