This site is part of & made possible by the B.A.D. CHARIOTS - (Harleys, Racing, Trains, Planes & Automobiles)
and Doc Hemp's DENTAL SITE Homepages! So, Please visit Dave & Becky's other 300 websites there too! After visiting
this great page of course!
GREAT AMERICAN RACE 1984 - 2ND YEAR IT WAS RUN
Crusty Rusty was our navigator & Darrell Dye our backup support. We won one day overall & did get our finishing pin. Won no mulla
(money) though.
After it was over I guess we were all supposed to go 10mph around the Indy 500 track just before the race that year .... photos of 100 classic cars
parading around the Indy track ..... taken from a helicopter .... I didn't get the word at all! .... about the 10mph or anything ... we got there late as usual
...
rushed up last in line just as all were entering the track ... I turned to Crusty Rusty & said it's a shame we paid all this money and everyone is going
so slow around the Indy track!) He said
" HELL YES! - HIT IT!" ( I didn't want to do it ... But he was the Navigator!... He made me do it! ) .. I laid on the horn all the way so no one else
would pull out in front of us that also might want to go a little faster ... & pulled out up high on the track at up to 80mph
with Darrell Dye (our mechanic) yelling his head off in the rumble seat ..... needless to say ... we have never been invited back .... or I should say,
I haven't been. Crusty Rusty has .... he blamed it all on me! (Grin) .. Please enjoy our adventures below.
Oh ... and for Bob Wallace of J.C. Taylor's Ins. Co .... that was the last time we have ever ever gone that fast ever again!) ... J.C. Taylor has been
our insurer since 1983 for all our cars! They are the best in the world belive me! ..... We were with Grundy for the previous 10 years before that
& they would not insure at any cost for the Great Race. We switched then. We have never had a claim (knock on wood) .. but some of my friends
have had in transporting their cars, etc. & they all have high praises for J.C. Taylor. (3-28-13 update - I believe Grundy changed their policy since
though?)
Our Car was featured, (1930 Studebaker President Roadster) Pic in lower right corner of this British Car Magazine - the author
rode in the rumble seat with us one day. We had heating problems, ran with the cowl or hood off a lot! We hit top speeds of 80 mph
playing catch up at times! From 1928 - 1934 the Studebaker President straight 8 engine with few modifcations & gearing changes in the
stripped down roadsters were always in the top 3 - 5 finishers at the Indy 500! See more on our Antique Studebaker Club Page!
Myself (Doc Hemp) & (Crusty Rusty) Terrance Rust (Oral Surgeon) went dressed as gangsters! We took real Thompson Submachine Guns
(unloaded). In the rumble seat we had the FAMOUS HITMAN HARRY!!
Darrell Dye drove our back up truck & was our mechanic & prepared the car for us for the race. (Darrell has since passed away - see our
tribute to him on the Antique Studebaker Club Page.)
Me (Doc Hemp), Crusty Rusty, & Hit Man Harry in the Rumble Seat!!
This is Crusty Rusty aka: ( Baby Face Rust), Hitman Harry rode in the rumble seat!, all of us on the road again!
The car was heating up so much I actually put a milkshake down the radiator! Richard Munz looking on I believe!
Also shown is the 1933 Packard driven by Neil DeAtley of DeAtley Motor Sports! We show the before & after! The car caught fire the
first day - Terry & I got to know Neil quite well at the time! His team worked from 5pm till start time at 7:00 am the next day & got Neil
up and running - he finished the race! We were all allowed one down day & could finish the race. I fell in LOVE WITH THIS 33 PACKARD!!!
.... So finally years later when we could ... We bought "Blackie" our 1933 Packard Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton .. which is pictured here at the bottom
of the page.
This sums the Great American Race up perfectly! SEND MORE MONEY HONEY!
Beck in "Dandy" Our President Roadster during an HCCA tour - WE DRIVE THIS CAR!!!
