Tag Archives: Hanson

Ross Page Special – Kurtis Duray

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Today’s featured Ross Page Special was built around a frame designed by Frank Kurtis in California using some parts that were taken from Leon Duray’s Indy Car originally built 1931.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

It was one of the few post war designed and built cars that went to the start line of the 1946 Indy 500.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

The Ross Page Special is recorded on the Indy 500 website as being a Kurtis Duray, it ran with a motor that started life as a 1932 Miller 220 but which was modified by 2 time Indy winner George Stewart better known as Leon Duray and the Offenhauser Engineering Company who fitted a super charger. Though the badge on the front carries the words Miller Ross Page, Indy 500 historian Michael Ferner tells me the car was referred to in period as “Offenhauser Special”, “Page Offenhauser Special”, “Ross Page Offenhauser Special”, “Page Special” and “Ross Page Special”. The names of frame and bodywork builder Kurtis, engine originator Miller and engine modifier Duray have all been added retrospectively.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

Mel Hansen started the 1946 Indy 500 from 27th on the grid and was classified 11th having retired on lap 143 with a crankshaft issue. For some reason that is not clear to me the car is listed in the official Indy 500 results as the #4 though the photographic evidence shows the car carrying the #41.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

In 1947 rookie Fred Agabashian started the Indy 500 from 23rd on the grid and was classified 9th and running with 191 laps completed.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

The following year Fred could only start from 32nd on the grid and only managed 58 laps before retiring with a broken oil line and was classified 23rd with the car now carrying the #26.

Ross Page Special, Kurtis Miller, Desert Classic Concours d' Elegance, Palm Springs

When the car was restored by John and Heather Mozart it was briefly used raced in vintage events before being donated to the Peterson Automotive Museum. The car is seen here at last years Desert Classics Concours d’Elegance.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for the photographs and Michael Ferner for the details about the cars name and build.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ross Page Special edition of getting a li’l psycho on tyres, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Sub 7 Second Family ? – Chevrolet Corvette C1

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After a thrilling Aarrons 499 in April ’09, my friends Throttleneckracing and Checkeredflagstilettos kindly took me back to Atlanta and put me up in a hotel using TNR’s loyalty points and we had a great meal at a local Cracker Barrel.

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That night my head still buzzing from a combination of jet lag, 3 days of Alabama sunshine and hundreds of laps of 200 mph racing action I found my self watching drag racing for the first time on the Speed Channel.

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Despite the fact I was physically exhausted, I was enthralled and fully engaged mentally by the sight of earth shaking top fuel drag cars spitting flames a good 10 to 20 feet into the air.

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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I met Drag Racer Chris ‘Backdraft’ Hartnell on a Bristol Pegasus Motor Club trip to Race Retro at Stoneleigh and such was his enthusiasm for the sport I am determined to go and see a drag race at Shakespeare County Raceway this year.

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If I am lucky I hope to catch site of this outrageous pro modified Corvette C1 run by Ian Hanson and his family team comprising his wife Pauline son Richard, brother Colin, sister in law Karen and nephew Tom.

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Chris tells me that Ian’s car has this outsize magneto to deliver charge to the spark plugs in place of a battery which would be run flat by the electrical requirements of this humongous motor.

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The blurb on Ian’s motor read something like “8860cc / 540 cui all alloy New Century Chevrolet Big Block, with forged Arias pistons, Brooks alloy rods, Howards billet crank, and Aviade dry sump oil system that is hiding behind an Enderie ‘Big & Ugly’ injector hat and fuel system with an 8/71 Teflon Stage 4 Littlefield Supercharger”.

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Last year Ian set a new Supercharged Outlaws UK et record of 7.29 seconds over a distance of 402 meters.

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The record was set with the engine in a ‘mild state of tune’ producing around 1,700 (Seventeen Hundred) hp !

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This year Ian will be turning up the boost a little further…

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and attempt to cover the 402 meters in under 7 seconds.

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I am sure you will join me in wishing Ian all the best, with a little luck I’ll be there to see it, with a bit more luck I might just have time to take a photograph.

Thanks for joining me on today’s ‘mild state of tune’ edition of ‘Gettin a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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