7 replies to this topic

[brickyard]

Hi,

I have some doubts about three cars that raced at Indy in 1955:

according to 4 different sources, the cars appeared with diferent makes. The sources are Phil Harms, Popely's "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle", indy500.com (photo section) and indy500.com (boxscores). The cars are:

#37 Dr. Sabourin Spl. (Eddie Russo)

Harms, Popely and photo section - it's a Pawl-Offy
official boxscore - it's a Allen-Offy

#71 Martin Bros. Spl. (Al Herman)

Harms and boxscore - Silnes-Offy
photos and Popely - Curtis-Offy

#83 McNamara Spl. (Eddie Johnson)

indy500.com (both sections) and Popely - it's a Trevis-Offy
Harms - it's a Turner-Offy

Any ideas of who's right and who's wrong?

(please note that in two cases the indy500.com gives two different cars in their sections.

Thanks

[Team Gunston]

Interesting, Brickyard. I'm a bit confused with these cars too. Unfortunately, the 1955 Clymer's Yearbook gives no detail on the cars builders.

Here are my own sources, reflections and/or conclusions :

#37 Dr. Sabourin

According to the "20 years ago" section of the 1974 Hungness Yearbook, the Dr. Sabourin Spl. "...was built by Johnny Pawl and it was mechanicked by Ernie Casale, Eddy Russo drove it the following year (= 1955) in its only other appearance."

I don't know who could be the Allen you are speaking about. Didn't know a dirt car chassis builder or a chief mechanic with such a name. As far as the Dr. Sabourin Spl. is concerned, I am more likely hesitating between Pawl and Del Roy, since the #56 Dr. Sabourin Spl. of 1953 was supposed to be a new Del Roy, which never reappeared at the '500'. Honestly, I wondered whether the 1954-1955 Pawl was not this reworked Del Roy...

#71 Martin Bros.

Hungness 1974 again : "The salmon-colored car was built by New York's Frank Curtis and was new in '54. Al Herman drove it in its only other appearance the following year and finished 7th. Bill DeJournett was the mechanic."

#83 McNamara

This car (with Eddie Johnson at the wheel) was too slow in 1954 to make the show and was 1st alternate. So it is not mentioned by the Hungness source.

Nevertheless, Mike Nazaruk drove it as the #83 Kalamazoo Spl. in 1953, when it was supposed to be a Turner according to others sources (Motorsport.com for instance).

In my opinion, the only Trevis dirt car seen at Indy in the mid-fifties was the #81 Central Excavating Co. Spl. (from 1951 to 1955).

Why not my own 1955 question now :

Among the 1955 non-starters was the 1st George Walther's entry at Indy. It was a 1951 Schroeder known previously as the Brown Motor Co. Spl. (already numbered 74 in 1954). Although this car was officially entered as the Walmotor Spl., with rookie Elmer George its assigned driver, it appeared at the Speedway with the Dayton *something* Spl. title painted on its sides. The car was wrecked during practice (was Elmer george the driver then ?) and the wreck is pictured in the 1955 Clymer's Yearbook.

My question is : what was the actual name painted on the car, since the Clymer's photo is not clear ? All what I can see is something like "Dayton SA Spl." or maybe "Dayton SN Spl.". But definitely not "Dayton Steel Foundry Spl." or "Dayton Steel Fdry. Spl." as one can read on Walther's cars the following years (maybe another possibility could be "SF" for Steel Foundry ?). I wonder. Can anyone help ?

Philippe

[Collombin]

Originally posted by Team Gunston
Among the 1955 non-starters was the 1st George Walther's entry at Indy. It was a 1951 Schroeder known previously as the Brown Motor Co. Spl. (already numbered 74 in 1954). Although this car was officially entered as the Walmotor Spl., with rookie Elmer George its assigned driver, it appeared at the Speedway with the Dayton *something* Spl. title painted on its sides. The car was wrecked during practice (was Elmer george the driver then ?) and the wreck is pictured in the 1955 Clymer's Yearbook.

My question is : what was the actual name painted on the car, since the Clymer's photo is not clear ? All what I can see is something like "Dayton SA Spl." or maybe "Dayton SN Spl.". But definitely not "Dayton Steel Foundry Spl." or "Dayton Steel Fdry. Spl." as one can read on Walther's cars the following years (maybe another possibility could be "SF" for Steel Foundry ?). I wonder. Can anyone help ?

Philippe

As a youngster with good eyesight ;) , I would plump for "SW" but I agree it's not 100% clear.

[Team Gunston]

SW ? Why not. But what these letters stand for ? SW like "Salt" Walther, George's son ?

[HDonaldCapps]

Originally posted by E.B.
....I would plump for "SW" but I agree it's not 100% clear.

It is clearly "SW" -- which is for "Steel Works" I would imagine.

[Team Gunston]

It is clearly "SW" -- which is for "Steel Works" I would imagine .

Or more probably "Steel Wheels" in my opinion, although this Schroeder was one of the last Indy cars - if not the last - with wire wheels...

[HDonaldCapps]

After thinking about it for awhile, I pulled out my 1955 folder and found some information in the program for the "100 Mile National Championship Big Car Auto Race" held on 5 June at Milwaukee: the No. 74 car was entered as the "Dayton S.W. Special" by George Wather for Elmer George. It apparently did not show since Chapman Root has nothing noted by the entry. Nothing on the car in Speed Age as well. Not much, but a little something.

[fines]

Originally posted by brickyard
Hi,

I have some doubts about three cars that raced at Indy in 1955:

according to 4 different sources, the cars appeared with diferent makes. The sources are Phil Harms, Popely's "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle", indy500.com (photo section) and indy500.com (boxscores). The cars are:

#37 Dr. Sabourin Spl. (Eddie Russo)

Harms, Popely and photo section - it's a Pawl-Offy
official boxscore - it's a Allen-Offy

#71 Martin Bros. Spl. (Al Herman)

Harms and boxscore - Silnes-Offy
photos and Popely - Curtis-Offy

#83 McNamara Spl. (Eddie Johnson)

indy500.com (both sections) and Popely - it's a Trevis-Offy
Harms - it's a Turner-Offy

Any ideas of who's right and who's wrong?

(please note that in two cases the indy500.com gives two different cars in their sections.

Thanks

It's very easy, these cars were all Specials in the best kind of the word, why do you need to find a new name for them? "Sabourin/Offenhauser", "Martin/Offenhauser" and "McNamara/Offenhauser"? Why not? Johnny Pawl certainly contributed to the building of the Sabourin, as did Frank Curtis and Joe Silnes with the Martin and Harry Turner and Fred Tomshe (rather than Floyd Trevis) with the McNamara, but so did Jim Endruweit with a lot of Lotuses, Ermanno Cuoghi with a lot of Ferraris and Roger Hill with a lot of Tyrrells!

I always smile when I see car makes like "Silnes" - Joe was a panel beater from Chicago (I believe), he clothed almost every car that was built in the midwest, and many cars from California, too! Some Kurtis-Krafts or Meskowskis end up being called Silnes when the car owner is asked, "who built it?" - and they're not wrong, either!