Showing posts with label biography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biography. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Monday, April 27, 2026
the first volume of A.J. Foyt's biography is 656 pages, and there’s a second volume on the way, Octane Press is taking pre-orders for the book
Foyt is the only driver to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Illustration for “There Are No Ordinary Men in Iowa,” Saturday Evening Post, May 10, 1947.
Albert Dorne, born to such New York poverty, by age 10 he was working on escaping the single mom with 4 kids in the slums life he'd been born to
he skipped school, and hung out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, made friends with the guards and docents, and was the youngest ever given a pass to paint and draw in the galleries. By 7th grade, he dropped out of school, to earn money with art, and his teachers made a pact not to turn him in to the truancy officers, knowing school was a waste of his life, and he was destined for better under his own stewardship.
He sold newspapers, more cleverly than other newsies, by picking a better location. Not the highest trafficked, but the location with the best tippers. By age 12, he'd hired 4 other kids to man spots he picked out.
He apprenticed as a letterer with then-letterer and future prominent illustrator Saul Tepper before beginning a five-year stint at the commercial art studio of Alexander Rice. He left the studio to begin a freelance career and soon his illustrations started appearing in such magazines as Life, Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post and by 1943 was featured on the cover of 'American Artist' magazine, recognized as 'one of the best and highest paid in the field of advertising illustration.'
Eventually, Dorne became the wealthiest illustrator in America, the president of the Society of Illustrators, and the founder of the international Famous Artists School in 1948 with the assistance of Norman Rockwell. Faculty included colleagues Al Parker, Austin Briggs, Rube Goldberg, and several others. The Famous Artists School correspondence course influenced generations of artists.
He drove a custom made Mercedes with a burled walnut dashboard and a pull-out bar. His steering wheel featured a silver plaque with Dorne’s initials and a large star sapphire.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Alexander Winton established the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897, among the earliest American automobile manufacturers (Duryea and White were the others)
In 1898, the first automobile on Erie Pennsylvania's streets, was a creation of Alexander Winton from his Cleveland, Ohio shop. This was the 1st shift from horse-drawn carriages to cars.
The buyer, Jackson Koehler, an Erie brewery owner, had the car personally delivered by Winton, a journey that spanned 5 hours.
Winton stayed a week, instructing Koehler on vehicle operation.
Winton was a Scottish immigrant with a fervor for engineering and racing, Winton crafted his inaugural car in 1896, founding the company the following year in Cleveland. The company thrived until 1924.
Thomas Henderson immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1881 and
became the business partner of Alexander Winton
He married Alexander's sister, Catherine Winton, also Scottish, and
they had eight children.
Alexander Winton (b. 20th June 1860, Falkirk, near Glasgow) son of a blacksmith who specialized in the manufacture of farm implements. Alexander went to school within earshot of the Clydeside shipyards. He learned the rudiments of mechanics from his father, then perfected his knowledge working in those shipyards, and from there it was a logical step to a job as a ship's engineer. He emigrated to New York and is in the 1880 census for Manhattan, aged twenty.
Alexander's sister, Catherine Winton and her husband, Thomas Henderson, were also in Manhattan at this time. Thomas was some eleven years older than Alexander. Alexander may have followed his sister and brother in law to the US.
His first work was as a machinist with Delameter Ironworks in New York. A year later he left to take up a position as an assistant engineer on a cargo boat plying between New York and South America. He endeavored to learn as much as he could about steam ship engineering.
He left the sea a couple of years later and married Jeanette Muir McGlashan (b. 3rd September 1861, Glasgow) in Manhattan on 18th January 1883. Jeanette had arrived two years earlier but they had known each other from childhood in Scotland. Jeanette was the daughter of foreman engineer's patternmaker William McGlashan and Jean Muir.
In 1884 he was working at the Phoenix Ironworks, and by 1881 was foreman but was again listed as a machinist the following year.
In 1891, he was superintendent of the Cleveland Lock Company.
He opened a bicycle repair shop and this was incorporated as The Winton Bicycle Co in 1892 with a share capital of $25,000. Thomas Henderson, Alexander's brother in law, was President.
Saturday, January 03, 2026
George Jelinski, Eagle Scout of Poland, on his round the world tour (good idea for "scouting" as learning self preservation is inescapable while driving around the world) stopping at San Fran city hall in 1928
Jelinski left Warsaw on May 30, 1926, in a white Ford that was named “A Scout Is Clean”, paying all expenses of the trip by lecturing and writing articles for Polish newspapers. (That's a long name for a car, but the clean white thing is quite clever)
Jelinski's tour took him through Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, Yugoslavia, and Italy where he met with with Benito Mussolini, and Sicily, where he embarked for the North African shore.
He drove through Tunisa and Algeria to Casablanca in Morocco, and had traveled about 19,000 miles, the mileage being attested to and verified, by various foreign automobile clubs.
He left Casablanca for America on an export steamer, arriving in Manhattan in August. In Washington he was greeted by President Coolidge in Sept. When he arrived in Detroit, Jelinski was received by the Polish consul for Detroit, who presented him to the Mayor. (Detroit had a large Polish population)
He addressed several Polish-America organizations during his several days' visit here. The Polish Falcons of District 13 raised the funds for a new Buick to replace the light weight Ford model T he had worn out
The happy presentation was made by the owner of Stanley Krajenke Buick, who also presented Jelinski with a membership in the Detroit Automobile Club, the seventeenth organization of its sort which has welcomed him since he left Warsaw.
JFK was photographed in front of Krajenke Buick 30 some years later
Jelinski was also welcomed by James E. West, chief Scout executive of the United States, on behalf of the 870,000 Scouts in the United States. From Detroit his route was through Toledo, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities.
He continued his journey to San Francisco, and left on the ship Taiyo Maru, and on July 13 arrived in Hawaii, then rode to Japan, where he traveled from Yokohama to Kobe, arriving there in mid-August
He planned to return to Poland through China, but there was a civil war going on there, and he gave up the idea of traveling to India at the last moment due to insufficient financial resources. Jeliński left Japan around September after visiting Nagasaki, then set out for Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The expedition was described in the book "Under the Polish Flag by Car Around the World" published in 1929 by Władysław Umiński. The book is free online, but in Polish. https://www.ee.pw.edu.pl/~kwestorm/jelinski/uminski_jelinski.pdf
His grandson made a replica of the Buick
a replica of the Ford is in the Museum and Centre of the Scout Movement in Krakow
After his time in the scouts and his round the world tour, he was a sailor and returned to the USA, going to Hollywood to learn to be a cinematographer. He studied modern film techniques and camera operation in Hollywood, becoming a professional cameraman.
Returning to Poland in the mid-1930s, he founded the Laborpat company, which dealt in film processing and production.
During World War II, the Germans confiscated equipment from Laborpat, destroying the company. Jeliński was participant of the Polish-Bolshevik War, and member of the resistance movement during World War II.
After WW2, he established a rickshaw and handcart factory.
He died in 1986
It's uncommon to find photos of Boy Scouts as they are too young to drive, typically. I remember the ones using a wagon to hike from Minnesota to San Francisco for the 1914 Pan Pacific Expo though https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/01/1914-kids-were-made-of-tough-pioneer.html
The scouts from Brazil that drove a Jeep to Canada https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/02/coffee-and-dunts-video-in-1955-three.html
The scouts on the Lincoln Highway with a covered wagon in 1928 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/03/i-think-i-posted-this-before-but-cant.html
in a 1927 article, U. S. Boy Scouts trekking through foreign lands were mentioned:
Sixteen Eagle Scouts from Wayne, Pa., were welcomed by the acting Lord Mayor of London.
Eight Sea Scouts from Chicago constitute part of the crew of the John Borden-Field Museum expedition, now collecting fauna in Arctic regions.
Two Scouts from Excelsior, Minn., are officially carrying greetings to Denmark.
In 1926, the following outstanding men were made honorary scouts:
Robert Abram Bartlett
Frederick R. Burnham (horse mounted messenger for Western Union, actual US Cavalry scout, taught by native American Army scouts, fought in the Boer wars, and then taught Baden Powell trail signs and woodcraft, then went gold prospecting in the Yukon, and wrote his excellent biography, that I've read and have a copy of and recommend, Scouting On Two Continents https://www.facebook.com/groups/1491191564434558/posts/1514731728747208)
George K. Cherrie
James L. Clark
Merian C. Cooper
Lincoln Ellsworth, polar explorer in above airplane, which was once buried by an 8 day blizzard, and he dug it out, with a teacup. The only implement he had at hand
Louis Agassiz Fuertes
George Bird Grinnell
Donald Baxter MacMillan, arctic explorer next to his tracked vehicle, 1927
Clifford H. Pope
George Palmer Putnam, Amelia Earhart's husband
Carl Rungius
Stewart Edward White
Friday, December 12, 2025
Blackhorse Jones was a fascinating guy in California who raised black Morgan horses for use by mortuaries to bring materials for his grave to the Grangeville Cemetery thank you Sharon!
A tragic accident had robbed him of his one-and-only true love and he chose to seek a secluded spot away from family, friends and society. Taking a break from running a threshing machine, he enjoyed a drink of water that his sweetheart had brought for him. As she turned to leave, her skirts were caught in the tumbling rod of the machine and she was crushed to death before his eyes.
Once he came to the Garza's Creek area he gave up his former ventures in teaming and in the sheep business and turned his attentions to the breeding of fine black horses, that were sought by mortuaries and other discerning buyers.
Jones is probably best known for his crumbling burial site at the Grangeville Cemetery in Armona, on which he labored for a third of a century. The theme of the plot is “From The Cradle to the Grave.” Going into the hills near his home, he quarried seashell-filled sandstone that he fashioned into a vault to hold his coffin. He also carved a stone cradle and a small rowboat complete with oars. These represented his belief in the life beyond earth. He portrayed his lifeboat anchored to solid rock after crossing the river of life. The site is decorated with petrified wood.
From the butt of a cottonwood tree, which he planted and watched grow for nearly forty years, he formed his own coffin, which was placed in the vault. The casket, except for the lid, was carved from a single piece of wood and used no nails. Even the screws that secured the lid were carved from wood. Only the handles on the sides of the casket were made from metal.
As his fifty-mile trips to the burial site required several days, Jones outfitted a rig that would provide for all his basic needs. Jersey cows, that were turned loose at night to graze, were trained to pull the large converted spring wagon. Chicken coops, placed under the running gears, were outfitted with canvas chutes to gently deliver the eggs to padded boxes so that they would not be broken. The chickens were also released to forage at each stop. Thus were his needs for meat, milk, eggs, butter and cream met, but that’s not all. He also carried boxes of soil and cans of water so that he could raise his own vegetables while on his trips.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/230190890340133/posts/4903209979704844/
this is mentioned in The San Joaquin Valley
By Richard Hammond, but, Google Books doesn't have more than a couple sentences
Friday, August 22, 2025
Con Ferr, of Burbank, built/customized two vehicles for Steve McQueen, a Jeep, and his Thomas Crown Affair Manx.... realizing this makes it a very significant company, I had to learn about it
and the Super Jeep https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/08/con-ferr-incorporated-in-burbank-made.html which I haven't figured out, did they build it for Steve, or, did he do them the favor of posing with it for publicity photos, as they sure were in business together, they sold the seats Steve patented, that Solar Productions made (see below)
This only JUST connected for me today, that Con Ferr, did two vehicles for Steve McQueen, and got me wondering, what WAS Con Ferr? Did they have a name for making customs? Or just working for the very rich?
So, here's what I found out:
Con-Ferr was a company known for manufacturing off-road accessories and equipment, particularly for Jeeps and other 4x4 vehicles. founded in 1961 by Pete Condos & Frank Ferro though eventually Pete bought out Frank to become sole owner.
Pete had a background in Scouts, while Frank had a background in Jeeps. Their goal was to provide specialty off-road products for both types of vehicles. To that end, not only did they run their parts shop in Burbank, California, they also built custom jeeps like the Super Jeep.
Pete’s driver, Bill Haddad, drove Condo’s race jeeps to 18 victories in the 21 races in which he entered.
Pete would go on to co-found the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) in 1966, which produced races like the Baja 1000 and Mint 500. During that time, Condos also produced racing vehicles for other folks, such as off-road racers for Steve McQueen and James Garner.
In 1970, Con-Ferr billed itself as America’s largest Off-Road vehicle accessory provider and had more than 44,000 square feet of storage, work, and retail space. It was an authorized dealer of Kaiser Jeep, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Manx.
Pete would go on to co-found the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) in 1966, which produced races like the Baja 1000 and Mint 500. During that time, Condos also produced racing vehicles for other folks, such as off-road racers for Steve McQueen and James Garner.
In 1970, Con-Ferr billed itself as America’s largest Off-Road vehicle accessory provider and had more than 44,000 square feet of storage, work, and retail space. It was an authorized dealer of Kaiser Jeep, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Manx.
I translate "by Solar Plastics" as meaning this is the Steve McQueen patented seat I posted about
This is the Scout, that Pete Condos owned
Con-Ferr stuff was available at IH dealers. Many accessory parts were 'tied in' by corporate and made available for direct order by dealerships. Offerings were commonly noticed to dealers using the Parts Mike bulletins, and included specialized dealership tools. A lot of the accessories were also issued as addenda to the MT-87 Necessaries catalog.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/pete-condos-frank-ferro-con-ferr.351433/
Wow, imagine being at that Hall Of Fame ceremony... Garner, McQueen, Hickey, Stroppe? That's the Who's Who of celebs in off roading
Born on May 8th, 1925, Condos grew up in the suburbs to the north of Chicago. He spent many hours of his young years at a local speed shop learning the skills needed to customize cars making them into hot rods. He helped to hop up Model A’s and B’s, but his time spent at the garage came to a quick end with the beginning of World War II.
In 1942 he joined the United States Navy. He served on the U.S.S. Nevada as a seaman. After the war he returned to Chicago and completed his high school education and resumed his interest in hot rods.
He began building and racing roadsters and coupes. His first Roadster was a 1934 Ford that he completed in 1948, and he became a charter member of Andy Granatelli's Hurricane Hot Rod Racing Association.
In 1948 he moved to So Cal and joined the Throttler Car Club, (dry lakes racing).
In 1950 Earl “Madman” Muntz hired him to assist with the fabrication of the Muntz Road Jet car. Condos worked for Muntz building the high-end custom cars which were purchased by Hollywood’s elite.
In 1961 he purchased his first I.H. Scout so that his hunting trips to Nevada, Montana, and Idaho would be easier, while on the trips, he realized the need for different accessories for the Scout and he began making accessories for the Scout. He worked with Frank Ferro and the two would discuss accessories that would be useful for both Jeeps and Scouts. The two men started their own company, Con-Ferr in 1961.
How crazy of a coincidence is that, I just posted on the Dec 7th Pearl Harbor attack yesterday and Pete was crew on the USS Nevada, the only ship that got underway that morning.
Amazing... he was in WW2, in the Throttlers CC, worked for Muntz, co founded NORRA, pioneered Baja racing, coined the term Off Roading, made the Manx for Steve McQueen in the Thomas Crown Affair, and made cars for James Garner... which I'll guess was the Olds or the SC/Rambler Baja racers... I'll see if I can verify that
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Ed Pink has died. He built engines until 2 years ago, though he officially retired in 2008
Pink tore apart the engine of his very first car pretty much as soon as he bought it, and built his last engine just a couple of years ago, at the age of 92. That motor was a Ford 427 SOHC "cammer" V-8, something that Pink built his career on back in the mid-1960s. It ended up getting shipped to Australia
After two years in the U.S. Army serving in the Korean War, Pink returned to Los Angeles and set up his own shop. He built his own dragster, and then started building engines for other racing teams. "Think Pink" became his slogan.
I bet that engine owner KNOWS he's got the last engine built by "The Old Master"
Monday, October 14, 2024
August Pabst Jr., brewing legends' descendant and racing icon, dies at 90 years old
In 1956, after founding Pabst Motors, an imported car dealership in Milwaukee, Augie began his racing career in the SCCA, which quickly led to opportunities driving for some of the greatest teams of his time, including Meister Brauser, Shelby American, John Wyer, Briggs Cunningham, NART-Ferrari, and John Mecom.
He won two National Championships during his storied career. He competed in Europe in the 24hrs of Le Mans twice, and Brands Hatch in the UK. He even managed to throw in a handful of stock car races including the 1963 Riverside NASCAR event, in a Ford Galaxy.
During his career, Pabst also raced in the Road America 500. He secured victories in 1962 and 1963, among many other achievements.
During his career, Pabst also raced in the Road America 500. He secured victories in 1962 and 1963, among many other achievements.
An avid outdoorsman, Augie enjoyed hunting ducks on Lake Winnebago, fly fishing the Deschutes River, hunting upland game and cruising Oconomowoc Lake on his pontoon boat. He became passionate about snowmobiling after his dear late friends Richard Bickler and John Fitch introduced him the more modern snowmobiles in 1984.
Tuesday, June 04, 2024
Parnelli died today. Last of the bullring ironmen racers. Winner of the Indy 500 as a driver and team owner, 100 jalopy races, the Motor Trend Riverside 500 and 4 other USAC stock car races, the 1970 Trans Am championship, Pikes Peak, 4 sprint car championships, Baja 1000 and Baja 500 in the Big Oly, member of 8 Hall of Fames. He retired over 50 years ago from driving... but he's going to be legend forever.
Robin Miller said it best: U.S. motorsport’s Mount Rushmore would feature A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and Parnelli.
Parnelli was among those elite sports stars Shaq, Fangio, Stirling, and Shelby, etc who require only one name for everyone to know the subject of the conversation. There is only one Parnelli, and yes, he was the all-time leader of the Broke While Leading category. But winners are often the ones pushing their equipment the hardest
But Parnelli wasn't really his name, he was born Rufus Parnell Jones. And he raced a car called Ol Calhoun! That's cool, very cool, to THIS car guy!
He grew up poor—and poorly educated—and did a long, painful apprenticeship running jalopies on Southern California bullrings. Yet despite racing during what was statistically the most dangerous era in motorsports history, he was never seriously injured, and he ended up as one of the wealthiest drivers in the world.
Parnelli was the first driver at Indy to ever qualify over 150 miles per hour in 1962 and participated in the Baja 1000, raced midget cars, stock cars, sprint cars, ORVs and more during his career.
the best write up of Parnelli is at https://racer.com/2024/06/04/parnelli-jones-1933-2024
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Thanks to George for tipping me off to Ron Fournier models of Kurtis Kraft Indy cars and midgets
His career began with Holman and Moody in 1964, and since that time racing greats such as Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt, Kar Kraft and Bob Sharp Racing have all utilized Ron's unique skills to transform metal into various components for their championship-winning race cars. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have also contracted for his fabrication and training services.
In the 1970s, Ron founded Race Craft, which developed a reputation as one of the finest metal fabrication shops in the U.S. Ron and his wife, Sue, have written two books now considered essential references in the automotive metal work field: Metal Fabricator's Handbook and Sheet Metal Handbook.
In the 1990s he wasa making the midgets, in quantities of 250, each numbered.
http://www.coachbuilt.com/des/f/fournier/fournier.htm
Monday, January 01, 2024
There are 3 things Cale Yarborough never said: 1. I need a relief driver. 2. My car isn't comfortable. 3. I don't care who wins the pole position. He was the first to win 3 consecutive Cup titles
A star athlete during high school, Yarborough went on to play semipro football for four seasons and was a Golden Gloves boxer for a period before turning to racing.
"I never had a relief driver during my 30 years of racing and that's one record I'm most proud of," says Yarborough, who retired as a driver following the 1988 season. No other driver with at least 500 starts on the Winston Cup tour can make that claim.
https://fordauthority.com/2024/01/nascar-ford-legend-cale-yarborough-passes-away-at-84/
https://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/car-museums/museum/1969-mercury-cyclone-cale-yarborough-spoiler-428cj/#google_vignette
https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/39215537/cale-yarborough-three-nascar-champion-70s-dies-84
He won 83 of 558 races, an impressive 14.87 winning percentage. It's the fourth best percentage in NASCAR for anyone competing in more than 300 races. His 83 wins are fifth on the all-time list. He also won 70 poles, third on the all-time list.
While winning more than $5 million in prize money, Yarborough accomplished some other impressive statistics. He's the only driver to win the Grand National (now Winston Cup) championship three years in succession (1976-78), and the only champion (1977) to be running at the finish of every race.
While winning more than $5 million in prize money, Yarborough accomplished some other impressive statistics. He's the only driver to win the Grand National (now Winston Cup) championship three years in succession (1976-78), and the only champion (1977) to be running at the finish of every race.
4 wins at the Daytona 500 and 5 at the Southern 500 – and he is also one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships.
Now, years after he hung up his helmet for good, Yarborough is tied with Jimmie Johnson for the sixth-most wins by any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series with 83 victories to his name.
Of anyone leading at least 7,500 miles of race competition, Yarborough ranks second with 34,079.9 miles led and first in percentage at 16.0% He's less than 10,000 miles behind Richard Petty, who entered more than twice as many races as Yarborough. He's also second to Petty in leading the most laps (101) in a race.
Of anyone leading at least 7,500 miles of race competition, Yarborough ranks second with 34,079.9 miles led and first in percentage at 16.0% He's less than 10,000 miles behind Richard Petty, who entered more than twice as many races as Yarborough. He's also second to Petty in leading the most laps (101) in a race.
In 340 races, he led at least one lap; only two drivers have led more races.
In 1969 Mercury built 617 Cale Yarborough Special Edition Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
https://fordauthority.com/2024/01/nascar-ford-legend-cale-yarborough-passes-away-at-84/
https://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/car-museums/museum/1969-mercury-cyclone-cale-yarborough-spoiler-428cj/#google_vignette
https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/39215537/cale-yarborough-three-nascar-champion-70s-dies-84
Friday, December 29, 2023
Roland Leong has passed away
Leong’s Dragmaster-built rail was driven to the Top Gas victory at the 1964 Winternationals by future motorsports legend Danny Ongais, and the 1965 Winternationals and U.S. Nationals with driver Don Prudhomme, duplicating those Winternationals and U.S. Nationals victories in 1966 with new driver Mike Snively – but switched to Funny Cars in 1969 and was immediately successful there as well, winning the Winternationals back to back in 1970 and ’71 with drivers Larry Reyes and Butch Maas.
Thursday, December 21, 2023
drag racing legend Don Schumacher, died yesterday from lung cancer. He was 79.
As a Funny Car pilot and match racer in the 1960s and ‘70s, “The Shoe” won the 1972 Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Stars, 1973 AHRA world championship, five NHRA national events, nine IHRA events and about 70% of his 560 match races. Records he set in his “Stardust” Barracuda Funny Car include a 6.18 sec at 241.95 MPH in 1974.
During his own racing career, he contributed cutting-edge safety innovations for the new Funny Car category including a roof-mounted escape hatch that allowed drivers to quickly exit when all-too-frequent fires occurred. He was also the first to mount the lever that activated a fire suppression system on his Funny Car’s brake handle so the driver could apply both while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.
If he could simply claim to be the only team owner to have wins from each of NHRA’s four professional categories, doubly so, but those marks barely scratch the surface. 367 team victories and 19 world championships are the true measured numbers here and they may never be touched again.
A fierce Funny Car match racer in the 1960s and ‘70s who fielded multiple entries with top-notch drivers to fulfill the demand for bookings of his Stardust Funny Cars, Schumacher took a departure from motorsports in the early 70’s to grow the family business, Schumacher Electric.
While operating Schumacher Electric, he grew the family business into a global corporation. Schumacher increased the company value more than ten-fold
As a team owner, he funded and spearheaded a project to develop a protective, enclosed canopy for Top Fuel dragsters, which has since been adopted by multiple NHRA teams.
Schumacher was also intent on utilizing his team’s fleet of race cars to raise money and awareness for various charities. Each year ahead of the U.S. Nationals, DSR hosts a pre-race event at its Brownsburg, Ind. headquarters to benefit Riley Hospital for Children, and for seven seasons, Schumacher, along with Terry and Doug Chandler, campaigned ‘giving cars.’ The program enabled non-profits, such as the Infinite Hero Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and MD Anderson Cancer Center to be recognized through a dedicated tribute livery at no cost to the organization.
Schumacher was also intent on utilizing his team’s fleet of race cars to raise money and awareness for various charities. Each year ahead of the U.S. Nationals, DSR hosts a pre-race event at its Brownsburg, Ind. headquarters to benefit Riley Hospital for Children, and for seven seasons, Schumacher, along with Terry and Doug Chandler, campaigned ‘giving cars.’ The program enabled non-profits, such as the Infinite Hero Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and MD Anderson Cancer Center to be recognized through a dedicated tribute livery at no cost to the organization.
He was invited into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.
in May 2013, he was enshrined into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
In 2019, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and
In November 2022, Schumacher was presented with the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thursday, May 04, 2023
In 1925 Robert Paxton McCulloch was 14 years old when he inherited part of a fortune, later in life, he bought the London Bridge and moved it to Arizona... in between, he raced, made superchargers, and chainsaws
.jpg)
McCulloch graduated from Stanford with a degree in engineering.
While still an undergraduate Milwaukee-based Robert McCulloch was making his mark in the world of speed. He raced in outboard-motor hydroplane contests in more than 15 states and Canada, winning two class championships and collecting some 50 trophies.
Two years after he graduated from Stanford University, he married Barbra Ann Briggs, whose father was Stephen Foster Briggs of Briggs and Stratton.
McCulloch’s first business target was auto racing. He and his team built a four-cylinder two-stroke engine of one liter from which 90 bhp were extracted. Targeting the compact unit at midget racing, McCulloch installed it in a four-wheel-drive chassis.
Taking note of the wave of supercharger launches by Duesenberg, Graham and Auburn, in 1935 Robert McCulloch turned his talents to a compressor suitable for the ubiquitous Ford V-8. The resulting McCulloch Supercharger was launched in 1937 as an $85 kit. More than 5,000 superchargers were sold before McCulloch ceased producing them after 1941 in order to turn his attention to wartime requirements.
McCulloch had a good war, designing and producing Roots superchargers that were used for railcar engines, generator sets and power units for high-speed patrol and torpedo boats. Shifting operations to California, McCulloch was not idle. His post-war activities included experimental helicopters and the compact two-stroke engines that had always been a passion.
Starting with their first McCulloch-branded chainsaw in 1948, his team engineered breakthroughs in small and light saws that became major money-spinners. Exploiting his middle name, McCulloch poured some of his profits into a new enterprise, Paxton Engineering, set up on May 1, 1950 to explore new business opportunities. He decanted more than $700,000 into development of the Paxton variable-speed centrifugal supercharger that achieved wide acceptance both in the aftermarket and as original equipment for Kaiser, Ford and Studebaker.
Then he made a car prototype designed by Brooks Stevens who ingeniously provided for its hard top to slide backward and down to nest snugly over the rear deck for full convertibility.
For anyone that isn't engine/mechanic/car minded, McCulloch might be best known for purchasing the "New" London Bridge, which he moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona—one of the cities he founded.
In 1963, on the courthouse steps of Kingman, McCulloch purchased a 26-square-mile parcel of barren desert that would become the site for Lake Havasu City. At the time it was the largest single tract of state land ever sold in Arizona, and the cost per acre was under US$75.
McCulloch’s first business target was auto racing. He and his team built a four-cylinder two-stroke engine of one liter from which 90 bhp were extracted. Targeting the compact unit at midget racing, McCulloch installed it in a four-wheel-drive chassis.
Taking note of the wave of supercharger launches by Duesenberg, Graham and Auburn, in 1935 Robert McCulloch turned his talents to a compressor suitable for the ubiquitous Ford V-8. The resulting McCulloch Supercharger was launched in 1937 as an $85 kit. More than 5,000 superchargers were sold before McCulloch ceased producing them after 1941 in order to turn his attention to wartime requirements.
McCulloch had a good war, designing and producing Roots superchargers that were used for railcar engines, generator sets and power units for high-speed patrol and torpedo boats. Shifting operations to California, McCulloch was not idle. His post-war activities included experimental helicopters and the compact two-stroke engines that had always been a passion.
Starting with their first McCulloch-branded chainsaw in 1948, his team engineered breakthroughs in small and light saws that became major money-spinners. Exploiting his middle name, McCulloch poured some of his profits into a new enterprise, Paxton Engineering, set up on May 1, 1950 to explore new business opportunities. He decanted more than $700,000 into development of the Paxton variable-speed centrifugal supercharger that achieved wide acceptance both in the aftermarket and as original equipment for Kaiser, Ford and Studebaker.
Then he made a car prototype designed by Brooks Stevens who ingeniously provided for its hard top to slide backward and down to nest snugly over the rear deck for full convertibility.
For anyone that isn't engine/mechanic/car minded, McCulloch might be best known for purchasing the "New" London Bridge, which he moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona—one of the cities he founded.
In 1963, on the courthouse steps of Kingman, McCulloch purchased a 26-square-mile parcel of barren desert that would become the site for Lake Havasu City. At the time it was the largest single tract of state land ever sold in Arizona, and the cost per acre was under US$75.
In 1968, McCulloch was searching for a unique attraction for his city, which eventually took him to London. By the early 1960s it was apparent that John Rennie's 1831 "New" London Bridge was gradually sinking into the River Thames and the City of London Corporation decided that a new bridge was needed. Rather than demolish the existing bridge, they decided to auction the historic landmark.
Tuesday, May 02, 2023
Jim Wangers has passed away, he did more than most with the car manufacturing companies and in drag racing than most car guys will recall - and worked with some incredibly iconic people, including Hefner, Hurst, DeLorean, and JFK Jr
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=wangers if you didn't see these posts the 1st time around, his helping JFK Jr, helping AMC with the Hornet, helping Pontiac with the GTO, helped Hurst get the Pontiac contract in 1961, helped Needham get the Trans Ams for Smokey and the Bandit, and he won the 1960 Top Stock Eliminator at the nationals in 1960. That's some serious drag racing historic winning title, and I don't think anyone ever gave him his due respect for that.
He worked with Hefner at Esquire, I shit you not, before Heff went independent with Playboy, and Jim even owned a Chevy dealership in Milwaukee.
Since I've written several articles that cover all this before, if you want to read them, https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=wangers I won't re-write them here.
Hard to believe, that someone as accomplished and well liked as Jim doesn't have a Wikipedia page.
Following graduation with the class of '42 from High School, a year of study at the University of Illinois was
completed before Uncle Sam called him to duty, he went into the Navy.
For the best online biography of Jim Wangers:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)