Greve Trophy Race
 

The  Cleveland  Pneumatic Tool  Company  was  once again the sponsor of 
the  LOUIS  W.  GREVE  TROPHY  RACE.  20  laps on a 10 mile  course.  
George Byars in the Keith Ryder "Eight Ball" was unable to start due to        
 engine problems. Lee William's, flying the Brown B-2 "Miss Los Angeles"      
 experienced  an engine failure while turning into the scatter pylon, stalled and
   crashed fatally. Art Chester in the brand new Chester "Goon" was off first and
 well into the lead with the aid of the French Ratier two position propeller.       
    Tony LeVier in the Schoenfeld "Firecracker" passed Chester on lap six and      
lead the race till lap 11 but had to retire due to a magneto problem.               
   Harry Crosby was unable to retract his landing gear and officials flagged         
 him off the course starting lap 11. Art Chester, with no competition opened    
 the throttle of the Menasco C-6S4 winning the race, setting a new record.      

                                     2 Out lap 11
                                     3 Out lap 12
                                     4 Not able to start
                                     5 Crashed fatally
                       

Crosby CR-4

   Thompson Trophy Race

 The race course remanded the same 30 laps for 300 miles.                           
There  were  no new  racers entered for  this year. Earl Ortman had installed
a new three  blade constant speed propeller hoping to beat Turner who had    
recorded a lap at 299 mph. Tony LeVier's "Firecracker's" engine had been      
 soup up  to over 500 hp, estimated capable of 350 mph. Due to heavy rains    
the races were postponed to Tuesday which kept attendance down. Seven     
planes  were off and headed to the scatter pylon, Turner was fourth off  and    
Tony  LeVier moved into the lead by lap five, followed  by Art Chester in the
 "Goon".  Earl Ortman was next in his Marcoux-Bromberg. Turner had a slow
take-off and was in fourth place. Steve Wittman cut the scatter pylon and was
penalized a full lap. Turner came up from forth to take the lead from LeVier in
the ninth lap. Art Chester who was in third place developed engine trouble in
the  eighteenth lap and retired.  Earl Ortman took over third place and  Harry
Crosby finished forth with Steve Wittman only able to take fifth place after a
great effort to get back in the money.  Joe Mackey flying Turner's old Wedell
 William's finished last.  Days before the Thompson was run, Hitler marched
into  Poland  and  World War II was beginning.  Also  the Thompson  Trophy
deed of gift  had expired and  here was no more prize money or plaques.

 
 Turner Laird #29                                                                                     LeVier Firecracker  

               
                 Earl Ortman's Marcoux-Bromberg                                                                Harry Crosby CR-4                          

                        
Wittman Bonzo                                                                                                     Joe Mackey

Chester Goon

Place	Pilot	Race No	Aircraft	Speed
1	Turner	29	Laird-Turner	282.536
2	Tony LeVier	70	Schoenfeldt	272.538
3	Earl Ortman	3	Marcoux	254.435
4	Harry Crosby	52	Crosby CR-4	244.522
5	Steve Wittman	4	Wittman Bonzo	241.361
6	Joe Mackey	25	Wedell-Williams	232.926
DNF	Art Chester	5	Chester Goon

1. out 18th lap 

 

Photos are from the Likovetz and Hansen collection unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

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You are the th person to pop in on us since October  06, 2007.  Thank You for landing, please  go-around and land again later. C A V U

Updated Wednesday, March 06, 2013