Hisso Racing Cars

Hisso Racing Cars

Page 2

1934 – 1937

Webmaster’s Note: Some of the “thumbnail” photographs on these web pages are links to other complete web pages on this web site with a number of additional photographs of the subject cars or drivers on those.

Vic Felt – #35 Norberg Machine Shop Special – 1934

Vic Felt is shown here in his own #35 Norberg Machine Shop Special – Larry Sullivan photo

*Al Reinke - #19 Hisso – 1934*
	This photo may have been taken at San Jose, CA . Reinke was fatally injured in a racing accident at another Southern California racetrack that same year. If you know who owned this car, please contact Bob Lawrence – Herk Edwards collection

*Bert Karnatz - #2 Terry Hisso – 1934*
	This photo of Bert Karnatz in the #2 Terry Hisso was taken at Detroit, MI on July 15, 1934. Karnatz lost his life in this car on that day. The car later became the #2 Moore Hisso – Al “Ace” Blixt photo

*Tee Linn - #28 Eveready 76 Gasoline Special - 1934*
	William Lynn, Jr. a.k.a. “Tee Linn” in the former Yagle Miller in which Frank Farmer perished on August 28, 1932 at Woodbridge, NJ after tangling with a car driven by Bill Neopolitan. Neopolitan also died in that accident – Carl Sweigert photo from the Larry Sullivan collection

*Rex Mays – #2 Fromm Hisso - 1934*
	Rex Mays drove Paul Fromm’s Hisso in 1934. Mays had earned the right the use the #2 by finishing second in the AAA Pacific Coast point championship the preceding year – Charles Pauley photo

*Ted Hartley – #1 Pappy Hough Hisso – 1934*
	The Pappy Hough Hisso with driver Ted Hartley – Larry Sullivan photo

*Mel McKee - #59 Mikkelsen Hisso – 1934*
	Car owner Carl Mikkelsen is pictured here seated in the car with driver Mel McKee standing behind it. Mikkelsen had purchased the Hisso engine in this car for $25 as government surplus. It was equipped with a Model-A Ford clutch but no transmission. The photo was taken at Silvergate Speedway, San Diego, CA – Frank Mikkelsen collection

*Don Church - #9 Ambler Hisso - 1934*
	Don Church apparently survived this crash in the #9 Ambler Hisso at Lewistown, PA in August of 1934 – Carl Mosser photo from the Jeff Adams collection

*Ken Fowler – #5 Ambler Hisso – Mid-1930s*
	Ken Fowler in the #5 Ambler Hisso at Langhorne, PA – Harold Robinson photo from the Sapp collection

*Frank Brisko - #36 Brisko Hisso – Mid-1930s*
	Frank Brisko in his own Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*Ken Fowler – #10 Ambler Hisso - 1935*
	Ken Fowler at Milwaukee, WI in the #10 Ambler Hisso from the Philadelphia, PA area – Larry Sullivan photo

*Vern Orenduff – #8 Ambler Hisso - 1935*
	Vern Orenduff with the #8 Ambler Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

*John Tersinor – #1 Tersinor Hisso - 1935*
	John Tersinor of West Frankfort, IL enjoyed good success with his Hissos until his retirement after a near fatal accident at Mexico, MO in 1937. This is the same car as the #26 Tersinor Hisso – Tersinor collection

*Tommy Thompson – #71 Thompson Hisso - 1935*
	Tommy Thompson of St. Louis was a successful Hisso pilot both on the racetrack and in the air – Larry Sullivan photo

*Lloyd Axel – #35 Felt Hisso - 1935*
	Lloyd Axel is shown here in the Felt Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*Johnny Wolhfeil – #2 Moore Hisso - 1935*
	Midwestern Hisso Chauffer Johnny Wolhfeil is shown here in Mel Moore’s Hisso which had formerly been the #2 Terry Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*William “Al” Hamman - #1887 Berghoff Beer Hisso – 1936*
	William “Al” Hamman of Ft. Wayne, IN is shown here in the Berghoff Beer Hisso. One of the things that set this car apart was its custom cast iron crank case. Andrew Berning drove this car at least once in 1937 – Tom Delagrange collection

*Gail Lower – #404 Merkler Hisso – 1936*
	This photo of Gail Lower in the Merkler Hisso was taken at V.F.W. Speedway in Detroit, MI. This car was sold to Tommy Kristin in the early 1940s. After Kristin’s death in World War II, the car was purchased by Bayliss Levrett – Boyer photo from the Lewis collection

*Art Challender – #c-3 Challender Hisso - 1936*
	Art Challender of Davenport, IA is shown here in his Hisso probably somewhere in South Dakota – Wood collection from the book Dirt Track Auto Racing, 1919–1941, A Pictorial History by Don Radbruch

*Frank Beeder – #4 Ambler Special - 1936*
	Frank Beeder in the Ambler Hisso at Milwaukee, WI in 1936 – Larry Sullivan photo

*Ted Johnson - #44 Jeter Hisso - 1936*
	Ted Johnson is shown here in the famous Jeter Hisso. Ray Pixley died in this car later this same year – Larry Sullivan photo

*Ray Pixley - #44 Jeter Hisso - 1936*
	Ray Pixley is shown here driving the #44 Jeter Hisso at Roby Speedway at Hammond, IN on August 30, 1936 – Jerry Kalwasinski collection

*Walt Brown – #4 Ambler Special – 1936*
	Walt Brown is shown here in the #4 Ambler Special Hisso. Brown began his racing career in 1931 and went on to compete in the Indy “500” three times before being fatally injured in a crash at Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania in 1951 – Larry Sullivan photo

*Floyd Davis – #4 Ambler Special – 1936*
	Floyd Davis in the #4 Ambler Special – Jeff Adams collection

*Chuck Tabor – #51 Ambler Hisso - 1936*
	Chuck Tabor is shown here in the Ambler Hisso at Milwaukee, WI – Larry Sullivan photo

*Frank Wearne - #44 Jeter Hisso – 1930s*
	Frank Wearne is shown here in the #44 Jeter Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Clay Corbitt – #22 Bowles Hisso – 1930s

Clay Corbitt drove this Dreyer owned by Dr. M. E. “Doc” Bowles. Corbitt is credited with coming up with the two-port exhaust system for the Hisso engine, an idea that greatly improved their performance. Although it caused them to run hotter than would have been preferred, they did not overheat The #22 Bowles Hisso was probably the first cross-flow Hisso engine ever built – Bruce Craig collection

*Mike Little - #66 Ambler Hisso – Late 1930s*
	Mike Serokman raced under the pseudonym “Mike Little”. This photo of him in the #66 Ambler Hisso was taken at Langhorne, PA – Jeff Adams collection

*Lou Webb - #44 Jeter Hisso - 1937*
	Lou Webb is shown here in the Jeter Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*Gail Lower - #3 Merkler Special Hisso - 1937*
	The number on the Merkler Special was changed from #404 to #3 after Gail Lower finished in third place with the car in the CSRA season points in 1936. Lower was fatally injured when he crashed the #3 Merkler Special while leading the feature race at Ft. Wayne Speedway at Ft. Wayne, IN on May 23, 1937 – Jeff Adams collection

*Gus Zarka – #66 Ambler Hisso – 1937*
	Gus Zarka of Doylestown, PA is shown here in the Ambler Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*Clay Corbitt - #47 Bowles Hisso – 1930s*
	Clay Corbitt in Dr. M. E. “Doc” Bowles’s Hisso. This is the same car as the #22 Bowles Hisso – Dr. Mark Bowles, Jr. collection

*Gordon Chard – #16 Chard Hisso – 1937*
	Gordon Chard is shown here in his own Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

*Ora Bean - #55 Ambler Hisso - 1937*
	Ora Bean is shown here in the #55 Ambler Hisso at Milwaukee, WI on August 22, 1937 – Larry Sullivan photo