The name "Mormon Meteor" was the winner in a contest to name the car
sponsored by the Salt Lake City afternoon newspaper, the "Deseret
News". By that time Ab was an extremely popular guy in Utah as a
result of his racing accomplishments.
Actually, the Mormon Meteor Knox Kershaw sold is Meteor #1. Meteor #2,
the 1935 car, was the Duesenberg car with the Duesenberg engine that
wasn't up to the long, 4500 rpm, runs for Ab to be competitive. He
replaced that engine in the same chassis with a Curtiss Conqueror
aircraft engine, matching the airplane motors the Brits were running.
(The first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean was powered by a
Curtiss Conqueror engine). Lycoming Motors at Wiliamsport, PA
converted two aircraft engines to Augie Duesenberg's specs and he
supervised the engine replacement in the car. Like the engines the
Brits were using, they made more horsepower at half the rpm's. With
some bodywork changes that car became Mormon Meteor III.
Ab used to live two blocks from my home and I think about him every
time I pass his old place. Ab was very up front about being a Mormon.
He credited his ability to drive for such extended periods of time to
observing the "Word of Wisdom" which suggests not using tobacco or
alcohol, "hot" drinks, (later defined as coffee and tea) and care in
selecting your diet. Pretty much what the doctors will tell you today
but a revolutionary doctrine when it was first espoused in 1833.
Before he started endurance running on the salt, and convinced Reid
Railton to bring his British friends to race there too, Ab made several
coast to coast, record setting runs. He did them with no relief and on
roads that were sometimes very primitive in the 1920's. When auto
traffic made such runs more dangerous he switched to the hillclimb
circuit. He had the AAA select a Studebaker roadster from the assembly
line in 1931 and he drove it to a win in every major hillclimb he
entered that year. He campaigned two Pierce Arrow "specials" on the
salt in 1932 and 33-34 before switching to the Duesenberg chassis
Meteor #1 in 1935.
Wes
On Sep 2, 2007, at 11:17 AM, Keith Turk wrote:
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