| (2-18-09) From Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu:
"We will roll out the Spurgin-Giovanine in July and we're shooting
for the Pebble Beach Concours in 2010 if they have the Tribute Class for
Record breaking Lakes cars... as planned."
(2-20-09) From Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu:
The Society of Land Speed Historians will "roll out" the complete
long story of the Spurgin-Giovanine Roadster in their 100th Newsletter
soon... and some of the key historians state that the Spurgin-Giovanine
Roadster is one of the four most significant Land Speed Dry Lakes racers
with the special cars which include the Pre WWII Rufi Streamliner- Schenck
Streamliner- Post WWII Spurgin-Giovanine Roadster and the Chrisman #25
Dragster. The Spurgin-Giovanine Roadster continued on with a GMC 6 in Drag
Racing - Dry Lakes and Bonneville as the Borgh Mothersill's Special...
and then the GMC 6 was placed the the rear and raced at Bonneville... and
then Robert Cano raced the car at Lion's Drags in same configuration. The
Spurgin-Giovanine was the cover car for the March 1949 Hot Rod magazine
with a feature story and cutaway drawing... and featured again as the Bonneville
Mothersill's Special in the Hot Rod magazine and once again as the Cano
"Snoot" racer."
(11-7-09) From Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu:
“KEEPER OF THE FLAME”
Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster
1948 SCTA Overall Champion
"Racing swiftly in the swirling dust from the clay pans of the Dry
Lakes of Southern California in the SCTA racing season of 1948… flashed
the wonderful, sleek and very innovative Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster, which
was the legendary “Albata” Club Dry Lakes-Land Speed racer that established
one of the most incredible records ever in Dry Lakes racing history… “It
was the little Chevy 4 that thought it could… and it did”
I just received this wonderful film clip – final draft this morning
which is just a “Trailer-Loop” film clip as we all realize…but I wanted
to share it… it is so heartwarming…touching… historic… and the spirit of
Dry Lakes racing at its best! We just don’t know where this wonderful little
Chevy 4 will take all of us…and Richard Parks- Editor of the Society of
Land Speed Historians stated that he considered the legendary Spurgin-Giovanine
Roadster of being one of the four most significant Land Speed-Dry Lakes
cars included with the Pre-WWII Schenck Streamliner, Rufi Streamliner and
Post WWII Chrisman Dragster, Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster."
Watch Filmclip Here!
(11-8-09) More from Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu:
"There are so many different factors in determining what is significant
or legendary and what elements are the most important with Land Speed Dry
Lakes racing cars... Ultimate speed record, innovative designs, durability
(such as the Chrisman Dragster which started in Dry Lakes and became the
legendary Dragster), multiple record breaking achievements, number of years
holding the record, etc."
The key and outstanding achievment was to in one SCTA racing season
of 1948, was that the Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster was to break the existing
record at all of the six SCTA racing meets at the high point in the number
of cars ever entered ... and in those years it took a "Qualifying Run"
over the existing record to be recognized... and then the car would be
allowed a two way run that must break the exiisting SCTA record with an
average speed over the record. The Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster continued
on with the same chassis and slight modifications to the nose and engine
to race at the drag strips and on to Bonneville and was called the Mothersill's
Special. The car was built in 1940 and the last race was at Lion's Drags
in 1957.
(Personal: I am always concerned about not wanting to be "Banging
the Drum" for the car but just presenting the car as it is... and the above
shows the perspectives in what is a "significant" car of legendary status...)
ELEMENTS OF ACHIEVEMENTS – SPURGIN- GIOVANINE ROADSTER
1.) The Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster was for over
43 years, long lost from sight, and it was discovered in a backyard in
Apple Valley California in the high desert …and now restored to the record
breaking 1948 SCTA Dry Lakes racing season configuration.
2.) For your kind consideration…
3.) 1948 SCTA Dry Lakes Champion- record breaking
and “High Points” Dry Lakes Racer… during the year of the highest average
entrants for racing the Dry Lakes. After 1948, there were more Drag Strips
and the starting of racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats (1949) which affected
the number of entrants at the Dry Lakes Meets. In 1948, the Rusetta Timing
Association began and also started to take away racing entrants and their
cars. Hot Rod Author, Don Montgomery states…”The 1948 season was a tremendous
year for SCTA … record numbers came to the Lakes Meets and expanded to
two days. The 1948 SCTA club roster had also expanded to a record of 38
clubs… not only did SCTA have possibly the greatest season in 1948, the
competitors blasted the records.” There were crowds up to 10,000 race fans
at some of the meets. 1948 was the peak of Dry Lakes racing with an average
of 245 entrants per meet with the SCTA having two day meets with three
lanes for starting cars as well as timing lights.
4.) The 1948 SCTA overall High Points Season Champion-
Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster- Class A- season total of an incredible 1800
points. The second place in total points was Doug Hartelt with 1480 points
and third place went to the Burke and Francisco Streamliner with 1400 points.
5.) It was an historical and incomparable feat
in Dry Lakes Racing established in 1948 by the Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster…as
it was a difficult and complicated process in establishing an officially
recognized world SCTA record. The rules were clear and states as such…“All
SCTA records are based on the average time in miles per hour, of two runs
through our quarter mile photo electric timed course from opposite directions.
Both runs must be made within a total elapsed time of fifteen minutes.
Any car exceeding the previous existing record in it’s own class shall
be entitled to run for the record as such a time during the day’s meet
as he chooses. Every car in the SCTA competition must be powered with an
American automotive production engine, but may especially equipped with
overhead valves, cams, or blowers subject to the 1947 Class regulations.”
The official record run consisted of an average of the two way run. The
Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster did multiple runs at each SCTA meet and it
was not just one “speed trap run.”
6.) Exemplified reliability and durability in days
of inconsistent performance in racing. There was consistency in performance
during the 6 scheduled SCTA Dry Lakes sanctioned meets and multiple runs
for an approved and official record for the class. The Spurgin- Giovanine
Roadster established a exceptional record in the 1948 SCTA record books
that would stand for two years!
7.) The Sprugin – Giovanine Roadster raced with
a Chevy 4 engine and was in the true minority among the competitive racers
as most engines used were Fords or Mercury engines for Dry Lakes Racing.
The team had the experience of Ralph Schenck, Bob Rufi, Duke Hallock to
help Spurgin and Giovanine achieve the records. A banner at the Los Angeles
Second Annual Hot Rod Exposition at the Armory in Los Angeles… stated “Out
of the 597 cars at the El Mirage event, all but 22 were powered by Ford
or Lincoln Mercury Flathead V8s”… and the writer for the event stated “The
banner did not say that the little Chevy four ‘banger’ got the first perfect
score and broke the world record each time, and was almost as fast as Alex
Zidias in a streamliner with a Ford V8.”
8.) The Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster was the “Hot
Rod of the Month” and “Cover Car” for the March 1949 Hot Rod Magazine.
The Spurgin- Giovanine – Mothersill’s Special Bonneville racer was
selected as the Land Speed race car representing the year 1956 in the section
of “Flat Out on the Flats” in the “Best of Hot Rod”- Special Collector’s
Edition covering Land Speed racing from 1948 to 1980… and the Roadster
was referred to as …“Worth it’s Salt.”
9.) Many stories were written about the Spurgin-
Giovanine Roadster and it was many times the Cover car with many feature
stories in the Hot Rod Magazines and Land Speed- Dry Lakes Timing Association
Programs. The official timing plaque for the SCTA image of a roadster was
attributed to the Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster by many historians as it
was completed for use following the record breaking 1948 SCTA season.
Illustrations were done of the roadster by the legendary Gus Maguum
10.) The multi-tasking in racing of the Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster
was documented in many magazines as the different configurations were featured
with stories…without any changes in the chassis and minor body changes
for the rear engine placement. The Spurgin – Giovanine Roadster after the
1948 SCTA record breaking season… continued Dry Lakes racing which then
included Drag Racing and later Bonneville Salt Flats racing. The legendary
roadster was the “Mothersill’s Special” and later the Cano Snoot’ and rarely
does a race car race in Dry Lakes, Drag Racing, and Bonneville during it’s
long career as the original design concept was exceptional indeed. In the
year 1954, the Spurgin- Giovanine – Mothersill’s Roadster raced at El Mirage
and Bonneville the following year with Drag racing during that entire period
as well.
11.) The Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster was built in 1939 and first
raced in 1940 and the last race was in 1957 at Lion’s Drag Strip in Long
Beach as the Spurgin- Giovanine- Borgh – Cano “Snoot” racer (featured in
Hot Rod magazine again). The many years of recorded racing and the many
types of racing was the hallmark for the legendary Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster
Land Speed- Dry Lakes roadster.
12.) The legendary Spurgin- Giovanine Roadster is considered by Land
Speed Historians to be one of the great history making Land Speed- Dry
Lakes racers of the Pre- WWII and Post WWII era. It made a mark in the
history of Land Speed-Dry Lakes racing history." |
