1947 Russ Klar and Bob Shattuck Big ARDC Midget Accident at Dover, NJ

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Michael Ferner
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#16

Post by Michael Ferner »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Yes, that's the right way to go about this: follow the photographer. If he's from New York, 99 % the pictures are, too. But it's still needle in a haystack stuff.
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#17

Post by Jesper Hvid »

All the other pics in the auction (all taken from the infield), in case there are clues, click to enlarge:
Image
Image

#66 Boulevard Velvet wreck (night race), and possibly involved in accident.

Image

#71 midget on other car. Night race.

Image

#49 flip, driver ejected, same as the one on the 1947-programme. Probably Menands/Empire Raceways. In which case, non-fatal.

Image

Midget flip. Race during the day.

Image

Midget flip. Race during the night.

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Jack Doffey (Duffy?) flips, with John Peterson and Rebel Con-something. Race during the day.

Image

#20 midget rolling. Night race.

Image

Messy accident involving at least two cars. Blurry, but looks like it could have been very serious, indeed. Note characteristic building in background. Race during daytime.

That's all.
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#18

Post by Michael Ferner »

Well, Jack Duffy and especially Johnny Peterson were prominent ARDC Midget drivers in the New York area, mostly Long Island, but we knew that already. Both drove mostly before WW2, and in the late forties, so the pictures come from a very wide range of years. There's even one with slick tyres on the cars (#20 midget rolling).
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#19

Post by PTRACER »

Oh.

Image
Image

Src: "Russ Klar Accident at Dover,NJ. Sept.28,1947"

He survived and continued racing...

Jack Duffy is still alive, if it is the same one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3700163 ... 748213509/
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#20

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Good work! In Ferner's defense, I cannot remember seeing a midget racer of that era with a rollbar. Did they make them mandatory at some point? I know they did for champcars for the 1959-season after the death of Pat O'Connor at Indy.

This: http://www.geocities.ws/MotorCity/Downs/5915/UHOH.html states that there was one more car involved.

Thanks for the ID, topic title revised.
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#21

Post by Michael Ferner »

Yeah, a bit of a surprise! I've seen a picture of a Sprint car with a rollbar in the mid thirties, so it was not totally unheard of, but certainly unusual in the forties still. I think they became mandatory in USAC in 1959, other clubs certainly followed within a very short time.

Good job, Paul! :thumbsup:
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#22

Post by Jesper Hvid »

I've highlighted a detail from the crash photo (best vers.), showing what appears to be the car number of the other one involved. Click to enlarge.

Image

Klar's (assuming he's the #16) left rear tyre is over the cockpit of this car, and it looks like the driver is leaning out towards Klar, and I can see something like the top of his helmet, a white spot. Klar must have gone straight into the other car at full speed, so possibly other car hit fence, bounced back, stalled, then got t-boned or hit in the rear by Klar. I would be interested in reading a crash description. The other driver was in bigger trouble than Klar.

But how do we know which machine was Klar's? Could be him being hit by the #16.

BTW, found a pic of Jack Duffy from 1959, showing a similar rollbar design to the 1947:

Image
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#23

Post by Michael Ferner »

The other driver was Bob Shattuck. He was reportedly "in critical condition" after the accident.

EDIT: I found a couple of follow-ups: on October 1, Shattuck was reported as "still unconscious", but a week later "will be confined for about three weeks in the hospital". I don't think he raced again.

EDIT2: accident report
The front axle on Klar's car snapped in the first semifinal race and the auto crashed into the guard rail, bounced off and hit Shattuck's car. Klar's auto was demolished and parts were scattered over a 30-foot area.
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#24

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Thanks! Shattuck's name added to topic title, and topic fully solved.
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#25

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Jesper Hvid wrote: 2 years ago All the other pics in the auction (all taken from the infield), in case there are clues, click to enlarge:
Image
Image

#66 Boulevard Velvet wreck (night race), and possibly involved in accident.

Image

#71 midget on other car. Night race.

Image

#49 flip, driver ejected, same as the one on the 1947-programme. Probably Menands/Empire Raceways. In which case, non-fatal.

Image

Midget flip. Race during the day.

Image

Midget flip. Race during the night.

Image

Jack Doffey (Duffy?) flips, with John Peterson and Rebel Con-something. Race during the day.

Image

#20 midget rolling. Night race.

Image

Messy accident involving at least two cars. Blurry, but looks like it could have been very serious, indeed. Note characteristic building in background. Race during daytime.

That's all.
The Duffy-accident, with ID, click to enlarge:

Image

Jack Duffy flipping, Red Marlow and #15 Johnny Peterson, in 1947, at Deer Park Speedrome/Speedway, Long Island, NY. Pic appears in the August 1947 issue of Speed Age.

- no race results available -
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#26

Post by PTRACER »

This one is Paul "Wimpy" Ervin, also at Deer Park in 1947 @Jesper Hvid

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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=21 ... YojiS5q0De
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#27

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Yes it is, and the #35 is Bill Baker (not involved in the crash), and to the far right Mike Joseph, whom Ervin rolled over, in the "first flip of the season".

Image

- no race results available -
Last edited by Jesper Hvid 2 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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#28

Post by Jesper Hvid »

6 pics left...
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