16 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

Aleshin will be the third Russian IndyCar driver. There is much to find about Zora Arkus-Duntrov, who four times failed to qualify for an IndyCar race (two time for Indy-500), but I cannot really find much about Baron de Rachewsky who drove a Bugatti in the Atlantic City race in 1926, but withdraw with engine problems. Can anyone tell me more about him?

[sramoa]

Vladimir Serguéiévitch Rachevsky  was born June 21,1892, Dvinsk,Russia(today:Daugavpils,Latvia),died February 1967,New York,NY,USA

 

http://news.google.c...pg=6862,3581838

[Michael Ferner]

According to contemporary press, he was the "winner of the Russian Grand Prix and a brother-in-law of Grand Duke Boris", which is bull, of course. Even the name was somewhat variable, the spread going from "Baron Rachowesky" to "Vladimar de Racowsky", with almost every imaginable variation in between. Was he even driving a Bugatti, or perhaps a Rolland-Pilain? In truth, he was a wealthy amateur, with no racing experience to speak of, and no business to be there in the first place.

[sramoa]

He raced in 1924 at Montlhéry track with a Peugeot.Finished in this event-4th place.

[Richard Jenkins]

Although Ben Brandfon was born in what is now the Ukraine, he, and his family, referred to themselves as having Russian ancestry, so Aleshin is the 4th "Russian" - the first actually born in the country.

[Michael Ferner]

I'm sure Putin will be pleased to learn that, but for me Benny will always remain a Brooklyn boy.

[D-Type]

Bill Vukovitch was known as the "Mad Russian" presumably because of Russian ancestry.

[Vitesse2]

Bill Vukovitch was known as the "Mad Russian" presumably because of Russian ancestry.

Total invention by a promoter. He was of Serbian ancestry.

 

Most Americans could find Russia on a map (probably). Serbia on the other hand ...

Edited by Vitesse2, 24 November 2013 - 00:59.

[Oleksij Hrushko]

I prepared the short article about Vladimir Rachevsky. The next sources were used: this forum, Russian Wikipedia (articles about his family), champcarstat.com, Sheldon vol. 1, Dick Wallen's book about board tracks, numerous newspapers articles from Google newspapers, newspaperachive.com and newspapers.com

 

http://racingchronic...hevsky-born-en/

 

and this portrait photo I cut from Lucky strike advertising, dating 1930

 

http://fastpic.ru/vi...e83749.jpg.html

Edited by Oleksij Hrushko, 25 November 2013 - 09:51.

[Michael Ferner]

So, the "de" was only vanity showing through in his signature? And Rachevsky would be the common transliteration, as in Brezhnev, or Abdoujaparov, right?

[Oleksij Hrushko]

Yes, there was no "de" in the history of the family Rashevkiy, it appeared only after Vladimir's visit to Atlanta in 1926. But the family of Rashevskiy probably has the nobility - this surname is present in the list of noble families of the Chernigov province by Miloradovich (1890) - in the part II (military nobility), part III (nobility gained by civil service) and part VI (ancient nobility). Wikipedia is listing Vladimir's father in the part VI, but I think that nobility was gained by the military service - the family founder was Cossack centurion (sotnik, lieutenant) Ivan Malyk, who commanded the Cossack squadron, based in Roische village of Chernigov province, as well as his descendants served in Cossack Chernigov (Chernigiv in Ukrainian) regiment. It's more likely that family name is connected to the name of the village.

The family name is origin is written as Рашевский. According to the modern transliteration rules it have to be written as Rashevskiy (Raschevsky to German transcription). Rachevsky = Рачевски or Рачевский, but according to the contemporary US press of 1930-1950's, Vladimir's signature (appeared in Lucky Strike advertising) and his daughter surname, exactly this [Rachevsky] English spelling was used by himself.

[Michael Ferner]

German transliteration is crap. My two examples from the last post are written Breschnew and Abduschaparow in German, can you believe that? Nobody can pronounce that but Germans, which is not at all what a transliteration is meant to be. But I'm digressing.

Thanks for all the information, Oleksij!

[Vitesse2]

Bill Vukovitch was known as the "Mad Russian" presumably because of Russian ancestry.

 

Total invention by a promoter. He was of Serbian ancestry.

 

Most Americans could find Russia on a map (probably). Serbia on the other hand ...

And if you needed proof: Americans Try To Place European Countries On A Map   The only one I can see who attempted Serbia actually put it in Hungary ...

[ray b]

Aleshin will be the third Russian IndyCar driver. There is much to find about Zora Arkus-Duntrov, who four times failed to qualify for an IndyCar race (two time for Indy-500), but I cannot really find much about Baron de Rachewsky who drove a Bugatti in the Atlantic City race in 1926, but withdraw with engine problems. Can anyone tell me more about him?

when did Zora try to Q for indy ?

and what car/team ?

[Vitesse2]

when did Zora try to Q for indy ?

and what car/team ?

1946 with one of the Talbots which had failed to qualify in 1941.

[Tim Murray]

Also 1947, according to Champ Car Stats:

 

http://www.champcars...sDuntovZora.htm

[Michael Ferner]

And if you needed proof: Americans Try To Place European Countries On A Map   The only one I can see who attempted Serbia actually put it in Hungary ...

This gets repeated so often, people get the false impression that Americans have poor geography skills, but then let's try it the other way round: how many Europeans can name more than two dozens of the (United) States, let alone place them on a map?