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Car Forum / Antique and Collectibles / Studebaker / September 2005Stude engine at Indy
The recent issue of Autoweek, September 5th, details the efforts of one Russ Snowberger and how in 1931 "he won the pole with a stock block Studebaker he had assembled from salvage-yard parts". It then goes on to suggest that he held the stock block qualifying record for 35 years. Been a long time since you could do that at Indy. <g> > The recent issue of Autoweek, September 5th, details the efforts of one > Russ Snowberger and how in 1931 "he won the pole with a stock block > Studebaker he had assembled from salvage-yard parts". It then goes on > to suggest that he held the stock block qualifying record for 35 years.  SignatureJP/Maryland Studebaker On the Net http://stude.com My Ebay items:http://www.stude.com/EBAY/ 64 R2 4 speed Challenger (Plain Wrapper) 63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk 62 Lark 2 door 61 Hawk 60? Hawk 53 Starlight The "stock block" rules at Indy were known as the"junk formula" years to racing insiders. Even then, the powers that be were trying to keep down the high cost of technology development. And of course - it didn't work back then, just like it doesn't work now. Racers want to win races, and spectators want them to go faster than last year. Add in the sponsor money, and you WILL have change, like it or not. Tell that to Lil' John Butera.. One of the greatest fabricator builders to ever come out of Wisconsin... Jeff <hoxiepoo@cox.net> wrote .. > The "stock block" rules at Indy were known as the"junk formula" years > to racing insiders. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > last year. Add in the sponsor money, and you WILL have change, like it > or not. > Tell that to Lil' John Buttera.. One of the greatest fabricator builders to > ever come out of Wisconsin... Jeff - I'm hip to Lil' John since I grew up reading Hot Rod. He's still an ass-kicker in my book. I'm also a tool & die maker, which qualifies me to know the true depth of the "billet" concept. My question is.... Are we to tell Mr. Buttera about an Indy low-point? Or ask him about his role in the ever-changing rules of the racing world? I'm not being snide, I merely wonder what your point was..... Thanks - Chris Pile Lil John was part of an Indy team that was running a stock block engine. It was a grass roots adventure that did remarkably well. The tone of the article was that the Indy culture looked down on stock block attempts at competition. My pointing out John Butera was that there is some amazing talent out there, and just because it is a stock block attempt, it should not be looked down upon. Jeff <Chris Pile wrote... > Jeff - I'm hip to Lil' John since I grew up reading Hot Rod. He's still > an ass-kicker in my book. I'm also a tool & die maker, which qualifies [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I'm not being snide, I merely wonder what your point was..... > Thanks - Chris Pile >> Tell that to Lil' John Buttera.. One of the greatest fabricator builders >> to >> ever come out of Wisconsin... Jeff Rice wrote: Lil John was part of an Indy team that was running a stock block engine. It was a grass roots adventure that did remarkably well. The tone of the article was that the Indy culture looked down on stock block attempts at competition. My pointing out John Butera was that there is some amazing talent out there, and just because it is a stock block attempt, it should not be looked down upon. Jeff Thanks for the clarification, Jeff - we see eye to eye on John. The experts at Indy are notoriously hard to convince of anything beyond the norm, and there's no use in going over that piece of ground again. We'd be here for years..... The "junk formula" accusations came about when The Great Depression hit. Things were getting out of hand anyway as to cost in the late 20s, and The Motor Speedway wisely figured out that with the depression under way, something had better be done if the event was to survive when so little money was available for non-essential corporate (or private!) spending such as racing. BP At SB '68, the first meet in that city, one of the "junk era" Studebaker drivers addressed the group at the dinner. It may have been Russ. After his interesting talk, there was a question / answer period. None of the several hundred there had a question, even with urging from someone else (Herb Read) on the platform. I look upon this as perhaps SDC's darkest hour. Ever since, when I go to a talk I have a question ready before the talk is done. So often the Q & A sesssion is better than the talk! Karl Karl, That's pretty sad to hear, that's a great approach to ask at least one question if only to inspire others to interact. Here's a guy that was out there on the cutting edge of his time, grassroots development. The Autoweek article also mentions that Russ's son has done a recreation of one of Russ's Indy cars, a later non-Stude engine one, but maybe he'd have more info about those days? > At SB '68, the first meet in that city, one of the "junk era" > Studebaker drivers addressed the group at the dinner. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Karl |
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