1938-1942 and the WWII Racing Ban

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At 14 years old Larry built his road hot rod from parts and pieces scraped around the family grist and lumber mills

Larry Shurter always had a love for machinery and speed. At fourteen he built a “road job” out of a 1920’s Star Touring car. He removed the body, bent and formed some tin for the speedster look and lowered it by moving the springs out on the axles alongside of the frame. The lowered frame meant that he could take the turns faster—a feat not appreciated by family, neighbors, and Constable Cunningham. The 1930’s were the dawn of American Midget racing. In 1931 Larry was speeding along the back roads of his place of birth, Samsonville, NY in his first “midget”.

The Woodstock Legion Speedway, Inc. was about 40 minutes from Samsonville. In the summer of 1938 Larry tried to get a “ride”, but midget owners didn’t want to risk their cars to a rookie. He helped the friendlier drivers when he could and listened to the pit crew chatter. Sometimes he watched from the grassy knolls with his girlfriend Mavis from West Shokan. The quarter mile oval dirt track was in Bearsville, NY and set in a bowl of the Catskill Mountains. While some racetracks in those days were dirt, the Woodstock Racetrack was clay. That same year Larry began to build his first competition midget. It had a Model T frame, rear end, and front axle with a cut down Whippet radiator.

Mavis began her first racing album while Larry was racing at the Woodstock Legion Speedway, Bearsville NY. She drew the title page in gold leaf and depicted the progression of Larry’s racing machines.
from L to R. Len Fanelli in Ben Rymer’s #R2. Larry Shurter leaning against his first competition midget, #S1.
Woostock Legion Speedway, Bearsville NY. Larry’s pay stub earnings. 1938

In April of 1939, he and Mavis Barnes-Avery Miller were married. On their honeymoon Larry found a Ford V-8 60 flathead motor and raced the season’s opening day in Woodstock. He managed to qualify for the feature though his. gas tank broke loose. To tighten the fit Larry grabbed some bailing wire and an extra tire and shoved it between the frame and the tank, wiring it secure enough to run in the feature.

The following week Larry shaved off a few hundredths of a second and qualified for the feature. Afterwards in the pits, Ken Gallup came up to him and said, “J—- C—– Shurter, you’re bumping into us in the turns – don’t you have any brakes?” Larry said, “I’m putting on all I’ve got but I can’t seem to slow it down much.” Ken studied him for a few moments and asked, “Did you take the flywheel out?” That week Larry took the flywheel and clutch to a machine shop to put in a “dog clutch”.

1939 Woodstock Legion Speedway Racing Program

Some competitors were local like Nelson Shultis. Others were more widely known midget drivers – Len Fanelli, Bud Marl, Chas Menges, Ralph Palmer, Chet Gibbons, Charlie Street, Lew Volk, Art Spore, and Chauncey Maggiacomo. Larry and Mavis met loads of people; acquaintances who became friends with lasting bonds; lifelong and generational friends like the Gallup brothers, Walt, Ken and Glen from Oneonta, NY. The Gallups are now 4th generation race car drivers.*

Joe Goldsmith of Ellenville, NY could often be seen over and under Larry’s car with a tool in his hand. His wife Mildred and daughter Marilyn sat with Mavis to watch the races. They were with Mavis and Larry as friends and race car partners as long as fate permitted. Joe helped start the Orange County Stock Car Racing Association which would later become the Hudson Valley Racing Association. Marilyn went on to do press release work for Bill France at Daytona.

Almost immediately Mavis began her racing archives by taking photos, writing the lineups and finishes in racing programs and saving track pay envelopes and newspaper clippings. She loved racing and travel and the camaraderie of like-minded racing folk. A racing lifestyle was developing. Larry was meeting divers and midget owners while driving and working in the pits. Mavis watched and kept her records while making friends and bringing family to the races. Mavis brought her two younger sisters Doris and Sarah who would marry Bud Glass and Stretch Vansteenburgh, both of whom would become race car drivers. Their sons would grow up to race.* She also brought her two young cousins Bucky and Don Every who would also become race car drivers. Bucky’s son and grandson are currently racing.*

*Please go to the “Extended” Family and Current Racing post on this website. Iam just beginning drafts in the post / September 2023. There are currently some photos.

Woodstock Legion Speedway time trials 1939
1939 Woodstock Legion Speedway: midget specs, prize money, qualification rules, registration form
Race Results for 1939 Season

	Events 				Wins		Second Place		Third Place
	Feature 				  			1			5
	Consolation							1			3
	Semi					   1			3			4
	Heat				               3			4			3
	Specials 				   1			2			
	Champion race						1
			Total Wins		   5

In 1940 Larry drove his S1 Midget at Woodstock, Washington Hollow, Sanatoga in Pottstown PA, McKowns Grove in Albany and Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1941 Larry was driving the V #2 belonging to Elmer and Virginia Sefcik while Elmer drove his #11. Both midgets had the flathead V-8  Ford 60 motors. In the #2 Larry finished 9th at Thompson, Ct. In front of him  Larry also drove Bill Oliver’s #27 in  Delmar, NY and added the Triverton track in Rhode Island to his racing log. In 1942 he competed at the Dunkirk and Batavia tracks including some in Western New York and Union, New Jersey where he was racing when the World War II racing ban was announced.
L to R; Photo of Jocko Maggiacomo and Larry Shurter after what was refered as a Match Race between them. Some of these “competitons” were choreographed before the race by the drivers to make a more entertaining show for the spectators.
Pay stub shows Larry was paid $15 for the race.

The stats I’ve compiled by race year are based solely on Mavis’ written records which means that some of Larry’s event competitions and wins in Mavis’ absence are not recorded. As I continue to read through old racing papers and magazines and share articles and research, Larry’s stats will most likely continue to grow though the following stats show an adequate picture of his racing career.

Race Results for 1939 Season

Events              Wins        Second Place        Third Place
Feature                             1           5
Consolation                         1           3
Semi                       1         3          4
Heat                       3        4           3
Specials                   1        2           
Champion race                       1
        Total Wins         5
1939 Washington Hollow Speedway Program and photo of Len Fanelli, Al Duffy, Larry Shurter.
Shurter’s receipt from CSRA -Central States Racing Association

From the first race album that Mavis Shurter compiled – L to R – 1939 Woodstock Legion Speedway race pay stubs for Larry Shurter. Newspaper clippings. Photos taken by Mavis – the track – Shurter’s midget #S1 – Len Fanelli with the #R2 – Charlie Menges with his midget.
1939 Racing Program for the Orange County Fair at Victory Speedway, Middletown, NY

1940 newspaper clippings of Woodstock Legion Speedway results. Len Fenalli wins feature with Shurter second and Ralph Palmer third. Shurter sets new track record and wins the first heat race. Finish for main event is Johnny Finta, Dutch Schaeffer and Chet Gibbons. Ed Ryan wrote the story and went on to become a race promoter. In the 1960’s, he was closely associated with Onteora Speedway.
Shurter pay stub

West Springfield Speedway, Racing program featuring Rufe Anderson. Below is the inside of program
Top photo: Bill Oliver’s #27 driven by Larry Shurter in center, Town of Olive resident Irving Bell behind Shurter and future stock car driver, Don Avery at far right with hat. Don and Mavis were cousins, As young teens, Don and his brother Arlos traveled with Larry and Mavis to races. Both became stock car drivers. Don was track champion at Onteora Speedway.
Middle photo: Larry with Oliver’s #27.
Bottom photo: Driver Len Fanelli. Behind Len to the left: Joe and Mil Goldsmith with daughter Marilyn. Behind Len to the right: Teenager Sarah Miller, youngest sister of Mavis. Sarah would married stock car driver Stretch Vansteenburg. Both of their son’s, Jim and Jeff would race sprints and stocks.

In 1940 Larry drove his S1 Midget at Woodstock, Washington Hollow, Sanatoga in Pottstown PA, McKowns Grove in Albany and Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1941 Larry was driving the #2 belonging to Elmer and Virginia Sefcik while Elmer drove his #11. Both midgets had flathead V-8 Ford 60 motors. Larry also drove Bill Oliver’s #27 in Delmar, NY and added the Triverton track in Rhode Island to his racing log. In 1942 he competed at the Dunkirk and Batavia tracks including some in Western New York and Union Speedway in Union, New Jersey where he was racing when the World War II racing ban was announced.

L to R: 1942 Washington Hollow midget track NY.
Batavia midget track NY – #2 Eddie Cox.
Batavia Track Mr. Gallup and son, driver Glen Gallup.
Walden Howe midget: driver Canino.
Joe Goldsmith’s #8 midget, Ellenville NY. Zoom in reveals daughter Marilyn standing behind driver’s seat. She would grow up to work for Bill France at the 2 – 1/2 mile paved Daytona Beach track. Being a Gal Friday to France, her work included PR and making layouts for the Daytona racing programs. As a child I remember watching her and being absorbed with the cut and paste procedure that would turn into pages of the next shiny picture program.

1942 Larry Shurter, Batavia Track, NY Bud Marl in #4. Midgets on the track at Dunkirk, NY
L to R Driver, Bud Marl standing to left. Joe Goldsmith with his #4 midget and daughter Marilyn. Victory Speedway, Middletown NY, 1940.
2 pics of Albany racetrack, one with Larry Shurter driving Howe’s#27. Driver Bob Pendergast at Lockport, 1942

In 1940 Larry drove his S1 Midget at Woodstock, Washington Hollow, Sanatoga in Pottstown PA, McKowns Grove in Albany and Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1941 Larry was driving the #2 belonging to Elmer and Virginia Sefcik while Elmer drove his own #11. Both midgets had the flathead V-8 Ford 60 motors. In the #2 Larry finished 9th at Thompson, Ct. Larry also drove Bill Oliver’s #27 in Delmar, NY and added the Triverton track in Rhode Island to his racing log. In 1942 he competed at the Dunkirk and Batavia tracks including some in Western New York and Union, New Jersey where he was racing when the World War II racing ban was announced.

1944 #2 and #11 midgets purchased from Elmer Selfic’s parents after his death. The racing “family” from L to R: Sarah Miller, Glen Gallup, George Gallup, Gene Nichols, Joe Goldsmith, daughter Marilyn, Mil Goldsmith with Larry and Mavis Miller Shurter.
Center pic: Mavis in the #2.
Bottom; Doris Miller comes out from behind the camera to get in the pic.

Larry was still stateside when he received word that Elmer Sefcik, a racing buddy and friend, was killed in a road accident. It was agreed that Mavis and Glen Gallup would purchase Elmer’s two midgets and trailer them back to a barn where they would be stored until the racing ban was lifted.