Just when you thought the salt history was all sorted out. . .
Cord Blomquist contacted me about a car his father is restoring - a 1930 Hupmobile - that was "hopped-up" in 1934 by Bill Kenz in Denver, with the 1932 Indy 500 "Hupp Comet" engine, and then timed on the salt in 1935, 36 & 37 thanks to Augie Duesenberg and Ab Jenkins.
Below is a link to provide insight and background:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hupmobile-that-raced-at-bonneville-alongside-ab-jenkins.1055247/ I have verified a number of random details and believe the story is steeped truth, not hype.
We are interested primarily in any photos, news clippings, or other documentation of the car owned and salt raced by Dr. and Mrs. Knoch during 1935, 36 and 37. We have documentation that Mrs. Knoch, with Augie's and Ab's help, drove the car to 130MPH in 1935 which makes her the first woman to trip the timing lights on the salt.
This hunt will matriculate into a story in the Society of Automotive Historians Journal as it weaves quite a backstory that includes such land speed luminaries as:
Ab Jenkins
Augie Deusenberg
Louis Meyer
Malcolm Campbell
John Cobb
Capt George Eyston
Bill Kenz
Hupp Comet @ ’32 Indy
AAA
FIA
Firestone
Kendall
After 25 years chasing down land speed history, this one was pure radar splatter, none of us supposedly “in the know” and an inkling of this car and its exploits.
We have already reached out to the REVs Institute, Price Museum of Speed, Jim Miller, Richard Parks, Nethercutt Museum, Randy Ema, the Henry Ford and Detroit Public Library. Additionally, work is being done locally in Denver. Ab Jenkins himself verifies his connection to Dr. Knoch in his "Salt of the Earth" book. I found a photo in my photo archive that identified the 1937 photo of the man in white overalls as a member of Ab Jenkins race crew.
Anything that anyone can contribute will be very much appreciated.
To discuss privately, please send a personal message.
LandSpeed Louise
