Enlarge to view details by moving cursor to photo or item on your computer screen. A hand will appear- click on it and click again on the magnifying glass + to enlarge again.
Driver Johnny Ritter leaning into the turn, braking with his left hand in the #3 Offy.
Bill Schindler sets track record of 5:49:92 beating the previous record held by Art Cross of 5:50:12.
Larry Shurter’s Hinchcliffe Stadium pit pass; Meet No.. 5
Stan Disbrow advertising card. ARDC “Sim Clark Special”
1947 Al Duffy #6
Kingsbridge Armory races and 100 lap feature
Illustrated Speedway News article.
Larry Shurter in Muir’s #50 wins his heat, takes 3rd behind winner Stan Disbrow and Tony Bonadies in the semi-final.
100 lap feature winner is Bonadies, 2nd Al Keller, 3rd Bob Disbrow, 4th Johnny Ringger, 5th McCoy, 6th Shurter.
Handwritten record by Mavis Shurter showing Larry driving the #8 winning main event, Ray Nestor 2nd, Bob Disbrow 3rd
Larry Shurter in bottom midget
Bill Schindler wins his 30th race of 1948 season
Larry Shurter wins his heat, comes in second behind Schindler in the semi-final and third behind Schindler and McGrath in the Feature.
Larry Shurter wins his heat. In the semi-final Larry starts on the outside in the second row. Bill Schindler is in last position, with Fusco, Rice, Fornoro, and Boulet between him and Larry. Larry got in front of J. Fornoro and Ethier went out on the 7th lap. Bill Troutwine and Larry were battling for first while Bill was out-powering Nick Fornoro, Rice and Fusco, though they were capable of making him drive his best to get around them. The last few laps was a three-way battle for the lead between Troutwine, Shurter and Schindler. Schindler couldn’t get under either good driver so powered to the outside with the Caruso Offy -3 deep with Troutwine in the middle, wheels touched and Troutwine got a little loose: by the time he recovered he dropped back to 6th place. Schindler won, Shurter 2nd, Nick Fornoro 3rd. All in just under 3 minutes!
Shurter, Disbrow and Renard tangle.
Larry Shurter wins Heat Race and wins Semi-final with Conklin 2nd and Nasaruk 3rd.
Main Event: winner Schindler, Fusco, McGrath
Some 20 plus years later, racing journalist Bill Tuthill reminisces , “one of the finest nights of racing I’ve ever witnessed…”
top pic: first turn.
bottom pic: Bill Schindler on the pole at the green flag.
Larry and Mavis Shurter join others in buying a photo from Nat Klienfield; donations to go to Johnny’s widow.
Cars raced in 1948
- 50, owner Bob Muir
- 95
- 91
- 17
- 2
- 37
- 62
- 28
- 38, owner Harry Hull
- 32
- 8
- 15,
- 87, owner Art Cross
- 5
Tracks raced in 1948
Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx, NY
Orlando, FL
Stapleton, Staten Island, NY
Cherry Park, Avon, Ct.
Danbury, CT
Rhinebeck, NY
Middletown, NY
Albany, NY
Hinchcliffe Stadium, Paterson, NJ
Vernon, NY
West Haven, CT
Polo Grounds, NY
Stafford Springs
Williams Grove, PA
Race Results for 1948 racing season
January 10th through September 21st
Events Wins Second Place Third Place
- Feature 1 5 2
- Class B 3 2 2
- Semi 7 8 8
- Heat 16 11 12
- Total Wins 34
In 1948 Larry finished in fourth place a total of 27 times.
In the 95 midget meets Larry won 34 race events.
July 2nd Hinchcliff Stadium, Paterson, NJ
Larry in the # 50 wins his heat (Time 2:21:530) and wins his semi (Time 3:32:92) Al Keller won the feature with Bill Schindler second ,Records third, Cross, B.Disbrow, Nazaruk and Larry next in midfield. Time 5:45:34
By the end of July, Steve Mcgrath won 12 main events as recorded by Mavis in her racing notebook.
Excerpt from the KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN August 18, 1948
“Once again it was Disbrow night at Rhinebeck Speedway…..Stan Disbrow did some clever driving and kept his car against the inside rail and though challenged hard by Schaeffer he managed to eke out one of the closest victories seen this year. Previously Shurter had taken two first places and events with the same Disbrow and Schaeffer as his opponents…. Just before the main event last night the crowd stood for 30 seconds in silent reverence to the memory of another great sports figure Babe Ruth.”