SWC75
Bored Historian
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I’m going to jump back a decade because a new highlight film has recently been posted to U-Tube of the 1946 race. I found it especially interesting because this was the race that resumed the tradition of the Indy 500 after none had been held during the war and because the quality of this film is very high, sharper and with deeper, richer color than the later highlight films. Some of the racing action is obviously staged, with a car in a camera getting shots of the drivers from an angle just ahead of the car but it’s still fun to watch.
The future of the speedway and the race was in doubt at this time. Eddie Rickenbacker had lost interest in racing and was planning to turn the area into an industrial plant. Three time winner Wilbur Shaw persuaded Tony Hulman to buy the place and appoint him its president. With great difficult, he managed to get the track back in shape for the race and to recruit a field or noted drivers to appear in it. Without his efforts and Hulman’s money there would be no Indianapolis Motor Speedway and no Indy 500 today. You could say this was the most important Indy 500 ever run.
There’s a different group of names in this film that the 50’s films, both because of the hazards of the game and because these guys were the generation of racers from the 1930’s, having another go of it after the lapse caused by the war. They were the heroes of the next generation of drivers, the ones we’ve been seeing in the highlight films of the 50’s
You can also see a bit more variance in the design of the cars. Many were racing cars from before the war, with a box-like shape and oversized wheels. The newer ones were the cigar shaped “Indy Roadsters” that because standard in the next decade and dominated the race until the rear-engined revolution of the 60’s.
The winner, George Robson, is a very handsome guy. He looks like a movie star as he rolls into victory lane and poses with his proud wife. He was born in England, emigrated to Canada and then to the US. He’d been racing since 1930 but had never had much success at Indianapolis. His win was a big surprise to everyone, probably including himself. His great moment came largely as a result of attrition as only 9 of the 33 cars that started finished the race, (and one of those was 72 laps back). But his triumph was short-lived. Like Dan Wheldon last year, Robson lost his life later in the year in which he won the big race. On September 1st, 1946, he was killed in a crash in a 100 mile race in Atlanta.
The other drivers mentioned:
Cliff Bergere was an ex-cowboy, pilot, wing-walker and movie stunt man, born in 1897, who competed in every Indy 500 from 1927-47, (that’s 17 of them). He never won. His best finish was 3rd place, (twice). He lived to the ripe old age of 83 and good for him.
Ted Horn was one of the biggest stars in racing in the 1940’s, once winning three straight AAA championships, (AAA was the ruling body of the sport at the time). But he never won Indy. He was known as a very gentlemanly driver and a great ambassador for the sport, often spending time with admiring children and teenagers who hung around the garages for a glimpse of him and the other stars of the era. He called his car “Beauty” and it was renowned like a cowboy’s horse. He finished in the top 4 at Indy in every race from 1936 to 1948, the best such streak in Indy history, but one second was his highest finish. He was 3rd on this day. He was killed in a race in 1948 when Beauty broke down and crashed.
Joie Chitwood was a full-blooded Cherokee. He competed at Indy from 1940-50, finishing 5th three times. He later toured with a daredevil racing show for years. He must have been good because he lived to age 76.
Mel Hansen was a famed practical joker who loved to throw firecrackers under cars when people were standing next to them. They called him the Firecracker Kid. I suspect they called him other things as well. He was an Indy also-ran, never finishing higher than 8th in six races. But he died at age 65 in retirement. That’s a victory of sorts.
Luigi Villoresi was a rare European driver who gave Indy a try in those days. He raced from 1935-56 and retired partly because of the death of his friend Alberto Ascari and partly because he nearly joined Ascari in a crash the next year. He retired and lived to age 88.
Rex Mays was Ted Horn’s great rival. Like Horn, he won AAA championships, (two of them) but never won at Indy. Like Horn, he died in a crash, (a year later, in 1949), but with a special heroism. Duke Dinsmore had crashed in front of him and was thrown onto the track. Mays deliberately swerved into a wall to avoid the prone Dinsmore and was killed. He was mourned throughout the country.
Ralph Hepburn, born in 1896, started out racing bicycles and motorcycles just after World War 1. He drove in 15 Indy 500’s from 1925-46, finishing as high as 2nd in 1937. He died trying to qualify for the 1948 race at the age of 52.
Paul Russo had a long career. He started racing in 1932 and was still in the Indy field as late as 1962. He was heavily involved in the many failed efforts to achieve victory with the legendary Novi engine. He survived his long career and died in 1976.
Duke Dinsmore was a legendary dirt track driver given to driving with a pipe clenched between his teeth. He was a colorful also-ran at Indy but also survived his career, dying at age 72.
Henry Banks was another transplanted Englishman who never won at Indy but was the 1950 AAA champion. He later became Director of Competition for USAC when it took over running the sport from AAA and lived to age 81.
Mauri Rose had won the last Indy 500 in 1941 when a teammate, Floyd Davis, running his team’s third car was called in after Rose’s initial car left the race with a sparkplug problem. Rose drove to victory and they shared the purse, even though the car was running 14th when Rose took over. Rose went on to win the 1947 and 1948 races and continued competing until 1951, never able to get that record 4th win. He considered his greatest achievement to be the invention of a device to allow amputees to drive a car. He lived until 1981.
Harry McQuinn was a midget race legend who never could win at Indy, never finishing higher than 7th in ten races. He lived to age 80.
Jimmy Jackson finished 2nd in his first 500 but never did as well in five more attempts. He lived to be age 74.
This is the highlight film. Again, click on the box in the lower right hand corner of the view screen to get it full screen. You'll enjoy it more that way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqE0pKFTo50
The future of the speedway and the race was in doubt at this time. Eddie Rickenbacker had lost interest in racing and was planning to turn the area into an industrial plant. Three time winner Wilbur Shaw persuaded Tony Hulman to buy the place and appoint him its president. With great difficult, he managed to get the track back in shape for the race and to recruit a field or noted drivers to appear in it. Without his efforts and Hulman’s money there would be no Indianapolis Motor Speedway and no Indy 500 today. You could say this was the most important Indy 500 ever run.
There’s a different group of names in this film that the 50’s films, both because of the hazards of the game and because these guys were the generation of racers from the 1930’s, having another go of it after the lapse caused by the war. They were the heroes of the next generation of drivers, the ones we’ve been seeing in the highlight films of the 50’s
You can also see a bit more variance in the design of the cars. Many were racing cars from before the war, with a box-like shape and oversized wheels. The newer ones were the cigar shaped “Indy Roadsters” that because standard in the next decade and dominated the race until the rear-engined revolution of the 60’s.
The winner, George Robson, is a very handsome guy. He looks like a movie star as he rolls into victory lane and poses with his proud wife. He was born in England, emigrated to Canada and then to the US. He’d been racing since 1930 but had never had much success at Indianapolis. His win was a big surprise to everyone, probably including himself. His great moment came largely as a result of attrition as only 9 of the 33 cars that started finished the race, (and one of those was 72 laps back). But his triumph was short-lived. Like Dan Wheldon last year, Robson lost his life later in the year in which he won the big race. On September 1st, 1946, he was killed in a crash in a 100 mile race in Atlanta.
The other drivers mentioned:
Cliff Bergere was an ex-cowboy, pilot, wing-walker and movie stunt man, born in 1897, who competed in every Indy 500 from 1927-47, (that’s 17 of them). He never won. His best finish was 3rd place, (twice). He lived to the ripe old age of 83 and good for him.
Ted Horn was one of the biggest stars in racing in the 1940’s, once winning three straight AAA championships, (AAA was the ruling body of the sport at the time). But he never won Indy. He was known as a very gentlemanly driver and a great ambassador for the sport, often spending time with admiring children and teenagers who hung around the garages for a glimpse of him and the other stars of the era. He called his car “Beauty” and it was renowned like a cowboy’s horse. He finished in the top 4 at Indy in every race from 1936 to 1948, the best such streak in Indy history, but one second was his highest finish. He was 3rd on this day. He was killed in a race in 1948 when Beauty broke down and crashed.
Joie Chitwood was a full-blooded Cherokee. He competed at Indy from 1940-50, finishing 5th three times. He later toured with a daredevil racing show for years. He must have been good because he lived to age 76.
Mel Hansen was a famed practical joker who loved to throw firecrackers under cars when people were standing next to them. They called him the Firecracker Kid. I suspect they called him other things as well. He was an Indy also-ran, never finishing higher than 8th in six races. But he died at age 65 in retirement. That’s a victory of sorts.
Luigi Villoresi was a rare European driver who gave Indy a try in those days. He raced from 1935-56 and retired partly because of the death of his friend Alberto Ascari and partly because he nearly joined Ascari in a crash the next year. He retired and lived to age 88.
Rex Mays was Ted Horn’s great rival. Like Horn, he won AAA championships, (two of them) but never won at Indy. Like Horn, he died in a crash, (a year later, in 1949), but with a special heroism. Duke Dinsmore had crashed in front of him and was thrown onto the track. Mays deliberately swerved into a wall to avoid the prone Dinsmore and was killed. He was mourned throughout the country.
Ralph Hepburn, born in 1896, started out racing bicycles and motorcycles just after World War 1. He drove in 15 Indy 500’s from 1925-46, finishing as high as 2nd in 1937. He died trying to qualify for the 1948 race at the age of 52.
Paul Russo had a long career. He started racing in 1932 and was still in the Indy field as late as 1962. He was heavily involved in the many failed efforts to achieve victory with the legendary Novi engine. He survived his long career and died in 1976.
Duke Dinsmore was a legendary dirt track driver given to driving with a pipe clenched between his teeth. He was a colorful also-ran at Indy but also survived his career, dying at age 72.
Henry Banks was another transplanted Englishman who never won at Indy but was the 1950 AAA champion. He later became Director of Competition for USAC when it took over running the sport from AAA and lived to age 81.
Mauri Rose had won the last Indy 500 in 1941 when a teammate, Floyd Davis, running his team’s third car was called in after Rose’s initial car left the race with a sparkplug problem. Rose drove to victory and they shared the purse, even though the car was running 14th when Rose took over. Rose went on to win the 1947 and 1948 races and continued competing until 1951, never able to get that record 4th win. He considered his greatest achievement to be the invention of a device to allow amputees to drive a car. He lived until 1981.
Harry McQuinn was a midget race legend who never could win at Indy, never finishing higher than 7th in ten races. He lived to age 80.
Jimmy Jackson finished 2nd in his first 500 but never did as well in five more attempts. He lived to be age 74.
This is the highlight film. Again, click on the box in the lower right hand corner of the view screen to get it full screen. You'll enjoy it more that way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqE0pKFTo50
