6 replies to this topic

[sramoa]

Have got anybody any info for Mike Salay and his Szalai Offenhauser car in 40s and 50s years?Mike's bio or is this car raced only Indycar events or any sprint events....Thanks

[Michael Ferner]

All I can say is that you'll need a heck of a lot of luck to find out something about this car. I never found anything.

There's also some confusion involved here, in that the Salay/Offy did not appear before Indy in 1949 - but Gordon White lists Salay as recipient of Offenhauser engine #81 (a 270) in March of 1947!! What did he do with a brand new (and expensive) engine in the meantime? He does not appear to have raced it!?! Actually, Salay appears to have driven pretty much exclusively for Chicago car owner John Lorenz in those two years, first a #54 Sprint Car in "outlaw" events (mostly CSRA) in 1947, then the 1940 Schoof/Offenhauser Indy (or: Champ) Car in AAA as #38 in 1948. I have seen the #54 sprinter listed as "Schoof Special", also, so it was probably also built in Milwaukee - or did it have a Schoof-modified Ford engine? It may even have had Salay's new Offy engine in it, because CSRA had no engine limits in 1947, as far as I know. Still, it wouldn't explain what that engine was driving in '48, as the Lorenz #54 disappeared from the scene when the team bought the Indy/Champ Car.

From the looks of it, the Salay/Offenhauser was a former Sprint Car, spruced and tidied up in appearance - the hardware looks all thirties to me, save for the bull nose and head rest which were probably added at a later stage. With the 270 Offy, it would not have been eligible for AAA Sprint Car racing on half miles, and in fact, I don't have any record of Salay appearing in Sprints after 1947. Good luck!

[sramoa]

If you do not know it Michael his story may be mysterious really then.
Do you know Mike Szalai carreer anyway?

[Michael Ferner]

I'll give it a try: Michael Joseph Szalai ("Mike Salay") raced Big Cars from 1931 to '51, minimum. I have the following championship positions for him:

1936 - CSRA - 14th - 107 pts
1937 - CSRA - 26th - 28 pts
1938 - CSRA - 11th - 173 pts
1939 - CSRA - 11th - 115 pts
1940 - CSRA - 9th - 91 pts
- MDTRA - 1st
1941 - CSRA - 23rd - 87 pts
1942 - CSRA - 14th - 62 pts
1948 - AAA - 43rd - 50 pts
1949 - AAA - 31st - 130 pts

Known races:

1931-07-05 - Greenville (OH) - 15m - unknown (won by Mauri Rose)
1932-08-14 - Logansport (IN) - ? - unknown (winner unknown)
1934-10-28 - Tipton (IN) - 15m - 2nd (won by Frank Papracki), also won H2
1935-06-20 - Des Moines (IA) - IMCA 10m - unknown (won by Gus Schrader), also 3rd in Q
1935-07-09 - Paris (IL) - 15m - 3rd (won by Red Campbell)
1935-08-18 - Dayton (OH) - 19m - unknown (won by Charley Engle)
1936-04-26 - Dayton (OH) - CSRA 19m - 3rd (won by Fred Moebs)
1936-06-07 - Dayton (OH) - CSRA 62½m - 6th (won by Red Campbell)
1936-06-07 - Roby (IN) - AAA 50m - DNA (won by Rex Mays)
1936-07-04 - Hamburg (NY) - AAA 15m - DNA (won by Doc MacKenzie)
1936-07-04 - South Bend (IN) - 20m - won (2nd unknown), also 2nd in TT, won H1 & match race
1936-07-19 - Evanston (IL) - 20m - 3rd (won by Cotton Grable), also won H3
1936-07-19 - Jungle Park (IN) - CSRA? 15m - DNA (won by Gail Lower)
1936-08-09 - Evanston (IL) - 10m - won (2nd unknown)
1936-08-23 - Jungle Park (IN) - 10m - unknown (won by Ev Saylor), also 3rd? in H2
1936-09-02 - Belleville (KS) - 10m - unknown (won by Howdy Cox), also 3rd in H4
1936-09-03 - Belleville (KS) - 10m - unknown (won by Howdy Cox), also 2nd in H2
1936-10-11 - Jungle Park (IN) - CSRA? 10m - unknown (won by Ev Saylor), also won H3
1937-05-16 - Greenville (OH) - CSRA 15m - unknown (won by Ev Saylor), also 2nd in consy
1937-06-20 - Greenville (OH) - CSRA ? - DNA (won by Ev Saylor)
1937-06-20 - West Allis (WI) - IMCA 10m - unknown (won by Emory Collins), also won AP
1937-09-12 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 20m - 4th? (won by Pete Alberts)
1937-09-26 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 20m - unknown (won by Pete Alberts)
1937-10-24 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 25m - 2nd (won by Joie Chitwood)
1938-06-05 - Hammond (IN) - CSRA? 16m - 3rd (won by Jimmie Wilburn), also 2nd in H1
1938-06-11 - Altoona (PA) - CSRA 100m - 4th (won by Joie Chitwood)
1938-07-24 - Hammond (IN) - CSRA 25m - unknown (won by Johnny McDowell)
1938-08-21 - Hammond (IN) - CSRA 20m - unknown (won by Joie Chitwood), also 3rd in H2
1938-09-25 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 20m - DNS/accident (won by Ted Tetterton)
1939-05-14 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 25m - won? (2nd unknown)
1939-06-04 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 25m - 2nd (won by Steve Truchan), also 2nd in TD, won H2
1939-06-18 - Jackson (MI) - ? - 3rd (won by Glen Myers)
1939-06-25 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 19m - 2nd (won by Steve Truchan), also 3rd in H1, won TD
1939-07-23 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 25m - unknown (won by Bayliss Levrett)
1939-08-13 - Hammond (IN) - MDTRA? 62½m - 2nd (won by Everett Rice)
1939-08-31 - Belleville (KS) - CSRA? 10m - unknown (won by Elbert Booker), also won H2
1939-10-01 - Jungle Park (IN) - CSRA 10m - unknown (won by Jimmie Wilburn), also 2nd in H1
1939-10-29 - Atlanta (GA) - CSRA 20m - 6th (won by Jimmie Wilburn), also won H3
1940-04-21 - Franklin (IN) - MDTRA ? - unknown (winner unknown)
1940-05-05 - Jungle Park (IN) - CSRA 10m - unknown (won by Johnny de Camp), also won H3
1940-05-26 - Winchester (IN) - CSRA ? - unknown (won by Jimmie Wilburn)
1940-07-04 - Uniontown (PA) - CSRA 15m - unknown (won by Jimmie Wilburn)
1940-09-22 - Greenville (OH) - CSRA 7½m - 2nd (won by Elbert Booker), also 4th in H3
1940-10-06 - Marion (OH) - CSRA? 15m - unknown (won by Harry Robtoy)
1941-10-12 - Franklin (IN) - MDTRA ? - 3rd (won by Eddie Zalucki)
1942-05-17 - Greenville (OH) - CSRA ? - won (2nd unknown)
1942-05-24 - Hammond (IN) - CSRA ? - unknown (won by Eddie Nicholson)
1942-07-26 - Jungle Park (IN) - MDTRA 10m - 7th (won by Bus Wilbert), also won H3
1946-06-09 - Jungle Park (IN) - MDTRA? ? - won (2nd unknown), also won H2
1946-06-16 - Sandusky (OH) - MDTRA? 7m - won (2nd Bob Simpson), also won H1
1946-06-23 - Jungle Park (IN) - MDTRA? 10m - 2nd (won by Jimmie Wilburn), also 2nd in H1
1946-06-23 - Newark (OH) - CSRA? 10m - DNA (won by Frank Luptow)
1946-07-04 - South Bend (IN) - MDTRA? 10m - won (2nd unknown), also won H2
1946-08-04 - Toledo (OH) - CSRA? ? - unknown (won by Deb Snyder)
1946-08-23 - Des Moines (IA) - IMCA? 7½m - 3rd (won by Jimmie Wilburn)
1946-08-29 - Belleville (KS) - CSRA? ? - unknown (winner unknown), also won heat
1946-09-22 - Columbus (OH) - AAA 5m - 3rd (won by Bill Holland)
1946-10-13 - Marysville (OH) - CSRA? 12½m - won (2nd Red Bales)
1946-10-27 - Marysville (OH) - CSRA? ? - unknown (winner unknown)
1947-06-08 - Jungle Park (IN) - MDTRA? 10m - won (2nd Leon Hubble)
1947-06-22 - Salem (IN) - AAA 10m - unknown? (won by Tommy Hinnershitz)
1947-08-26 - Ord (NE) - CSRA? 10m - 3rd (won by Carl Scarborough), won Q & H1, 3rd in TD
1947-08-27 - Ord (NE) - CSRA? 7½m - unknown (won by Speed Wynn)
1947-08-28 - Belleville (KS) - CSRA? 6m - unknown (won by Carl Scarborough)
1947-11-09 - Newark (OH) - CSRA? ? - unknown (winner unknown)
1948-04-25 - Arlington (TX) - AAA 101m - retired (won by Ted Horn), also 13th in Q
1948-05-31 - Speedway (IN) - AAA 500m - retired (won by Mauri Rose), also 24th in Q
1948-06-20 - Langhorne (PA) - AAA 100m - retired (won by Walt Brown), also 16th in Q
1948-08-21 - Springfield (IL) - AAA 100m - retired (won by Ted Horn), also 17th in Q
1948-08-29 - West Allis (WI) - AAA 200m - DNQ (won by Myron Fohr)
1948-09-19 - Springfield (IL) - AAA 100m - retired (won by Myron Fohr), also 17th in Q
1948-10-10 - Du Quoin (IL) - AAA 100m - retired (won by Johnnie Parsons), also 13th in Q
1949-05-30 - Speedway (IN) - AAA 500m - DNQ (won by Bill Holland)
1949-06-19 - Trenton (NJ) - AAA 100m - 6th (won by Myron Fohr), also 15th in Q
1949-08-28 - West Allis (WI) - AAA 200m - DNS (won by Johnnie Parsons), also 27th in Q
1949-09-11 - Detroit (MI) - AAA 100m - DNS (won by Tony Bettenhausen), also 18th in Q
1949-09-25 - Springfield (IL) - AAA 100m - DNS (won by Johnnie Parsons), also 19th in Q
1949-10-16 - Langhorne (PA) - AAA 100m - 8th (won by Johnnie Parsons), also 7th in Q
1950-06-11 - West Allis (WI) - AAA 100m - DNS (won by Tony Bettenhausen), also 32nd in Q
1951-05-30 - Speedway (IN) - AAA 500m - DNQ (won by Lee Wallard), serious accident in practice on May 27, driver injured & retired

Edited by Michael Ferner, 08 August 2012 - 18:42.

[sramoa]

Great Michael!!!Thank you!

Maybe I have a more request about Mr. Salay:Do you know Mr. Salay's know race cars?(to 1947,because I know his National Championship cars)

[Michael Ferner]

Hit and miss. I have him in a #1 "V8 Special" in 1934, presumably an early flathead Ford. In 1936, he had a stint in one of Leo Krasek's cars, and later that year in a #121 "Belmont Special", which was probably Bill Willison's 1929 16-valve Model A Ford conversion. 1937 #21 "Hoosier Special" (the Willison Belmont, again?), and in 1939 a "Miller Special". Then another stint for Krasek in '39/'40, the latter year with #20, which was the car Krasek also ran in postwar years, mainly for Fritz Tegtmeier. Salay drove the #69 (Jimmy) Frankland/Frontenac, a Stagger Valve, in 1946, then the John Lorenz "Schoof Special" in '47. Probably other cars in between.

Edited by Michael Ferner, 17 August 2012 - 21:29.

[sramoa]

Michael!

I have some more evnets date and results about Mr. Salay(locally in South bend,IN)-maybe interesting!

1931-08-09 ? mile-stock car event-M.Salay entered
1931-09-08 15 m-(won Harry keisler)Salay 2nd in H2
1932-05-31 20 m-(won:Fred Lille),6th in TT
1933-05-31 15 m-(won:Ted Hartley),Vince Salay won H1,2nd in consy,injured in feat.
1933-07-04 15 m,Mike won,Vince inhured in feat. Note Mike raced#101 car
1933-08-07 100 m-(won:Verne Franke),Mike 2nd in feat and TT
1933-09-05 15 m,Mike won in feat and H1
1934-05-31 15 m-(won:Ted Hartley),Mike 2nd in feat,and won in TT(raced:D.O. Fronty),Vince 3rd in feat,2nd in H2 raced a Miller-Schoefield
1934-07-05 15 m,Mike won a Belmont Spl.
1934-09-17 10 m Mike won again Belmont Spl in feat,H1 and TT
1935-05-31 20 m,won consy and feat with Belmont Spl.
1935-07-05 ? m-(won:Red Campbell)Mike in H1 3rd,"low qualifiers" event-3rd,H1-out
1935-09-17 ? m-(won:Verne Franke),Mike broken left leg in feat.
1936-05-31 20 m,Mike won feat,H1 and TT,Vince won in H3
1936-07-04 20 m,Mike won in feat,TT and H1,Vince won in H2
1937-07-06 race cancelled after 10 laps(won:Paul Russo),Mike 3rd in Hoosier beer Trophy,3rd in H1 and car ripped up in feat. #15
1938-09-06 20 m,-Mike won in feat and H1
1939-05-31 20 m,-(w:Windy Jennings),won H1 and Match event
1939-09-05 20 m,-(w:Johnny DeCamp),3rd-H1,Match and feat-3rd
1940-05-31 30 m,-(won:Bob Simpson) DNA
1941-05-31 ? m,-Mike won in H1 and feat,2nd in H4
1941-07-04 15 m,-(w:Jimmy Wilburn),3rd in feat
1941-09-02 ? m,-(w:Bob Simpson),2nd in feat and 3rd in H1
1942-07-04 10 m,-won in feat,2nd in H1 and 3rd in match race
1946-05-31 15 m,-won feat,TT,H1
1946-07-04 10 m,-won in feat,TT,H1
1946-07-29 15 m,-won in feat and 2nd in H1
1946-09-03 15 m,-2nd in feat
1947-06-16 15 m,-won in feat and H1 #54 Schoof
1947-06-28 15 m,(w:Ronney Householder),won H2
1947-07-04 15 m,-(w:Doc Shanebrook),3rd in H1,won in Trophy dash and injured in feat. raced Schoof car
1947-09-02 ? m,-(w:Cliff Griffith),3rd in feat
1947-10-06 10 m,-won in feat

Mike youngest brother was Vince Salay(1910-08-03 to 1975-02).I don't kow he raced somewhere in Midwest.
A list think Charles Szekendy raced in Szalai car 1949 Springfield event(DNQ)-is it true?