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Andy/George Fernic - 1927 Indy 500


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#1 Disco Stu

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Posted 21 February 2003 - 00:34

Could anyone help me sort out what the deal was with this driver or drivers? I've seen several different sources with different notes for them.

1. According to the race rundown at Motorsport.com, Andy Fernic drove in relief of Fred Frame in the #31 Miller. George Fernic was listed as the entrant of the #46 Bugatti driven by Buddy Marr which did not qualify.

2. According to Johnson's Indy 500 site, George Fernic was listed as the driver of the #46, no mention of Buddy Marr. The site does not have relief drivers from 1927 listed.

3. Meanwhile this website dealing with the history of racing in Romania mix-and-matches a few items. It has him finishing 11th in a Bugatti. Fred Frame is listed in 11th for that race in the official results, so that part is right, but he was driving a Miller. The Bugatti was the car mentioned earlier, the #46, that did not qualify

4. The Indy 500 Record Book published by the Indianapolis Star (1994 edition) lists George Fernic as Frame's relief driver, not Andy.

Interesting to note that Fred Frame only drove 5 laps in the car he started, but drove 47 laps in another car. Whichever Fernic was relieving him drove 182 laps, and another driver drove 12. The car was 1 lap down at the end.

So can anyone help me sort out this mess? :confused: :drunk:

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#2 MPea3

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Posted 21 February 2003 - 01:02

http://members.fortu...949/1927ind.htm

from this site frame appears to have driven 47 laps in relief of frank elliott of car number 5, those being laps 54-100.

this site also confirms that frame only drove 6 laps in his starting car, #31, with andy fernic running 182 laps, those being 6-68, 77-123, and 128-199. a 2nd relief driver, george abell, drove 12 laps, those being 69-76, and 124-127. abell's being a 2nd relief driver may explain the mistaken use of his first name with fernic's last name. there are other mentions of an andy fernic having raced in teh 20's, but none that i've been able to find for a george fernic.

#3 Phil Harms

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Posted 21 February 2003 - 05:18

Originally posted by MPea3
http://members.fortu...949/1927ind.htm

from this site frame appears to have driven 47 laps in relief of frank elliott of car number 5, those being laps 54-100.

this site also confirms that frame only drove 6 laps in his starting car, #31, with andy fernic running 182 laps, those being 6-68, 77-123, and 128-199. a 2nd relief driver, george abell, drove 12 laps, those being 69-76, and 124-127. abell's being a 2nd relief driver may explain the mistaken use of his first name with fernic's last name. there are other mentions of an andy fernic having raced in teh 20's, but none that i've been able to find for a george fernic.


Let me see if I can straighten this out without creating more of a mess.

The above is correct, except that Frame drove only 5 laps in his qualified car. Fernic and Abell
traded driving the #31 car. The source for this is the official timing and scoring report for the
1927 Indpls 500. As for the first name --- in several places George Fernic is mentioned but
nothing about Andy. It was George Fernic who was unable to qualify the #46 Bugatti and the
same George Fernic who relieved Fred Frame. I too seem to remember an Andy Fernic who
drove in the 1920s but can't find any mention of him today. It certainly appears that I've
created an error that may have been picked up by others.

George Fernic is listed as the entrant for the #46 Bugatti. I wonder if anyone has any clue as
to where this Bugatti came from. The official reports indicate that both GeorgeF ernic and Buddy Marr drove the Bugatti in practice but neither made a qualifying attempt.

#4 Disco Stu

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Posted 21 February 2003 - 14:16

Thanks for the info!

#5 MPea3

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Posted 21 February 2003 - 15:19

i'm trying to get ahold of norm frame, who lives here in atlanta and is fred frame's nephew. maybe he can shed some more light on this.

#6 Graham Clayton

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Posted 13 September 2011 - 01:41

I found some further information which is about the same George Fernic who raced at Indianapolis.

The August 1930 edition of the US "Flying Magazine" has the following:

"Fernic Monoplane Designed for Trans-Atlantic Flight

A new monoplane designed for a trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Bucharest, Romania was recently taken to Roosevelt Field, Long Island NY for exhaustive flying tests.

This plane has been in the course of construction for more than a year and has cost $80,000 to build according to George C Fernic, vice-president and general manager of the corporation, who will pilot the ship on it's proposed trip".

I then found this excellent summary of his aviation career:

http://surprising-ro...rge-fernic.html

#7 Michael Ferner

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Posted 14 September 2011 - 09:13

I also dimly recall running across Fernic's name in connection with flying. The Indy adventure was apparently his only try at auto racing, and in belated response to Phil's question about where the Bugatti came from, it was apparently imported by Fernic, and possibly sold to one William Horn (of Detroit?) afterwards. It should've been a 39A, so c'mon you Bugattistis, can we have a chassis number, puleaaaaze?!!! :)


P.S. Mark, have you ever succeeded in contacting Norm Frame??? :cat:

#8 Bramgoro

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Posted 15 September 2011 - 07:19

Published in 1927
( Results of the 1927 Indianapolis 500 )
Posted Image

Edited by Bramgoro, 15 September 2011 - 12:48.