Found these on the H.A.M.B. I had not seen them before.....
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Daytona Beach 1952
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I am going to guess that the pictures are from about 1952 (based on the cars). Notice how everyone is dressed. Thanks for posting this.
EDIT: I was so busy looking at the pictures that I didn't notice that the thread is labeled as 1952. At least I agreed <G>.Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer
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I looked up the 1952 Daytona race and found that Studebaker #23, which is featured in pictures 1 and 2, was driven by Al Keller. He placed 19th and took home fifty bucks. The car was sponsored by Perry Smith. There were other Studebakrs in that race. #3 was driven by Jimmy Ayers who sponsored his own car and took home 25 bucks. Finally there was car #282 was driven by Tom Gifford (also sponsored by him) and finished out of the money in 43rd place. Studebaker #96 was driven and sponsored by J.E. Hardie. He finished 45th out with oil pressure problems. The only picture I found were the ones above that I found on the H.A.M.B.. It doesn't look like Frank Mundy was racing a Studebaker that day at Daytona, so may not be in that picture.Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Eastern North Carolina Chapter
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Originally posted by rockinhawk View PostOK Joe, I didn't know anyone drove # 23 other than Frank. One of my most prized possesions is an autographed picture of Frank Mundy standing be side # 23. I'm looking at it right now.Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Eastern North Carolina Chapter
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The #23 Studebaker Commander in the photo posted by Joe Roberts was a fresh 1951 model still listed as owned by W. Perry Smith, then the late Studebaker dealer from Columbia, SC. Perry was fatally injured in a private plane crash in December, 1951 just days after the end of the 1951 NASCAR season. The car appears to be in much better condition than the # 23 that Frank Mundy raced during most of the 1951 NASCAR season. Al Keller raced the car in the photo at Daytona Beach as well as West Palm Beach prior to the Daytona Beach race. The car was sponsored by Gulf Stream Motors, the Studebaker dealer in West Palm Beach, Al was from Greenacres, FL just outside West Palm but originally came from Buffalo, NY. Al was later fatally injured in a USAC open wheel event.
Based on photographs I have collected, the original #23 that Frank Mundy raced during the 1951 NASCAR season continuted to be raced sparingly in NASCAR in 1952 and 1953 before ending up in Birmingham, AL being raced on a local track there.
The car shown here that Al Keller raced seemed to disappear from competition after Daytona Beach in February 1952.Last edited by trnstrtrk; 01-29-2013, 08:49 AM.sigpicBob Coolidge
DeLand, FL
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Originally posted by rockinhawk View PostOK Joe, I didn't know anyone drove # 23 other than Frank. One of my most prized possesions is an autographed picture of Frank Mundy standing be side # 23. I'm looking at it right now.sigpicBob Coolidge
DeLand, FL
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Just looked up some more info on #23. It seems it was raced by 50 different drivers, But Mundy was the only one to ever win a race in it.In 1951 he won Columbia and Mobile. He also had the pole 4 times and 24 top 10 finishes. He finished 5th in points for 51.
He was also General Pattons personal driver during the war.Neil Thornton
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I also attended a couple of meets where Mundy gave presentations. If I recall correctly, he said he sized Patton up and decided that driving Patton around in a Jeep or a tank was not a safe way to spend the war. Instead, he got an opportunity to join an army recruiting show performing barnstorming and wing walking stunts. He figured that was safer than hanging out with Patton.
I also have one of those autographed photo's. When I met him, his wife was along. Although both were in their 80's, you could tell his wife must have been quite the looker in her younger years. Just as when I met and talked with Bob Bourke, you couldn't help but know you were in the presence of someone very special.John Clary
Greer, SC
SDC member since 1975
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[QUOTE=rockinhawk;714877]Just looked up some more info on #23. It seems it was raced by 50 different drivers, But Mundy was the only one to ever win a race in it.In 1951 he won Columbia and Mobile. He also had the pole 4 times and 24 top 10 finishes. He finished 5th in points for 51.
He was also General Pattons personal driver during the war.[/QUOTE
Neil: Drivers for the Perry Smith # 23 1951 Studebaker in 1951 were Mike Klapak, Frank Mundy, Bill Rexford, Perry Smith, and Cotton Owens.
In 1952 drivers were Al Keller, Billy Carden, Jack Smith, and Roscoe Thompson.
Drivers in 1953 were Roscoe Thompson and Weldon Adams.
Attached are photos of the car driven by Al Keller at the Palm Beach Speedway, West Palm Beach, FL on January 20, 1952 a few weeks prior to the February 10, 1952 beach race at Daytona.sigpicBob Coolidge
DeLand, FL
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