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Race History

Schumacher Motor Services was active in racing from the mid 20s through late 30s. Tracks were in Penn, NY, NJ, Long Island and Conn. Here is a programme from the Danbury track circa 1937 that was given to me by Bob Swanson (thanks Bob!). Note that both Schumacher cars were entered into the race.

Schumacher Race Cars

Here is a picture of one of Gus's cars after it was sold and renamed to the "Rosemary Spl". Does anyone have any further results or information for this car?

Schumacher Drivers

Here are some race results and tracks for Gustav given to me by Fred Roe and compilied by race historian Jim O'Keefe. If anyone has any information on these drivers (W. Holmes, Al Cusick, John Cebula, Harry Paust) I would appreciate it. I've been told by Gus Jr. that one of Gustav Sr. drivers eventually went on to win the Indy 500. Gus jr. has a small toy car with the driver's name on it that he is going to drive to find. Gus has some great pictures of two of Gustav's sprint cars loaded on a trailer being pulled by a Rolls Royce PI tow truck. These pictures were taken somewhere in Penn.

Here are some race results for the currently known list of Schumacher drivers. These were provided to me by race historian Michael Ferner (Thanks Michael!). These results are for drivers that raced for Gus Schumacher at one time or another.

William "Bill" Holmes

from New York (Brewster, Astoria/Long Island or Brooklyn)

1933 ARA (Automobile Racing Assoc.), # L-1 "Fal Special" Sep 17, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 2nd Sep 20, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 1st Sep 24, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 3rd Sep 27, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 2nd

1933 AAA, # 3 "Riley Special" Oct 7, Danbury (CT), 8 m, dns (3rd in consy)

1934 ARA, # 40 "Honner Special" - no individual results, but won ARA championship (1060 or 1090 pts, 2nd Al Jepsen 570 or 670), also won track championships at Cross Bay and Deer Park

1935 AAA, # 21 or 22 "Green Engineering Special", possibly also # 99 "Drake Special" May 30, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 15 m, ? (3rd in heat 2) Jun 20, Woodbridge (NJ), 20 m, 4th (3rd in heat 3) Aug 31, Flemington (NJ), 15 m, 3rd? Nov 3, Charlotte (NC), 15 m, 2nd? Nov 4, Charlotte (NC), 15 m, ? (2nd in heat 1)?

1936 no info

1937 AAA, "Varley Special" etc. Apr 25, Reading (PA), 18½/20 m, dna? May 16, Langhorne (PA), 28/50 m, dna? May 31, Readville (MA), 25 m, dna? Jun 6, Union (NJ), 12/15 m, 1st Aug 8, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), ? Aug 21, Middletwon (NY), 15 m, 4th? (qualified 2nd, won heat 2) Sep 6, Flemington (NJ), 15 m, ? (2nd in heat 1)

1938 AAA May 30, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 15 m, 1st and track record (14'10.8") 42nd in Eastern Circuit standings with 60 points

Al Cusick

from Pennsylvania (Brookline,Philadelphia, Upper Darby or Ardmore), possible Massachusetts connection

1935 AAA, "Ford Special" etc. Jun 16, Langhorne (PA), 50 m, 6th Jul 4, Pottsville/Cressona (PA), 20 m, ? (won heat 3) Aug 3, Harrington (DE), 15 m, dns (8th in consy) Aug 18, Langhorne (PA), 50 m, 6th Sep 14, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dna? Sep 15, Reading (PA), 15 m, dns (ret in consy) Oct 19, Spartanburg (SC), 14½/15 m, dna?

1936 AAA, "Riley Special", "Schumacher Special" etc. Apr 26, Reading (PA), 20 m, dns (qualified 19th) Jul 4, Hamburg (NY), 15 m, dna? Aug 8, Lewistown (PA), 15 m, dna? Aug 14, Altamont (NY), 13/15 m, dna? Aug 15, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 16th, 5th in consy) Aug 22, Middletown (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 4th, 5th in heat 1, 6th in heat 2) Sep 27, Reading (PA), 15 m, dns (qualified 20th, 6th in consy) Oct 3, Goshen (NY), 35 m, ret? (started 11th, 3rd in heat 3)

1937 AAA, "Schumacher Special" etc.? Apr 25, Reading (PA), 18½/20 m, dns (qualified 12th) May 16, Langhorne (PA), 28/50 m, ??? May 31, Altamont (NY), 15 m, 4th (qualified 9th, won heat 3) Jul 5, Roosevelt (NY), 300 m, ret (qualified 29th) Jul 5, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dna Aug 21, Middletown (NY), 15 m, dna? Aug 28, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 17th, 5th in consy) Aug 29, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 5th, 4th in consy)

1938 AAA, driving for Bill Lenhart and Ray Brady (Cragar), etc. Apr 24, Reading (PA), 20 m, dna? May 22, Langhorne (PA), 50 m, ? (2nd in heat 3) Jul 31, Langhorne (PA), 25 m, ? Aug 6, Lewistown (PA), 15 m, ? Aug 20, Middletwon (NY), 20 m, ? Sep 5, Altoona (PA), 45 m, dna? Sep 25, Reading (PA), 15 m, dna?

Johnny Cebula

from New Jersey (Manville/Mansfield?, Atlantic City, New Brunswick or Paterson), possible Long Island/New York connections

1932 ARA? May 22, Newmarket/Dunellen (NJ), 10 m, 4th

1932 AAA, "Ambler Special" Sep 17, Reading (PA), 10 m, dns (qualified 5th, 3rd in heat 2)

1933 ARA, # 1? "Vetere Special" May 30, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 12½ m, 1st Jun 18, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), dns (accident in qualifying) Jul 23, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 1st Jul 30, Deer Park (NY), 1st Aug 13, Deer Park (NY), 1st Sep 10, Deer Park (NY), 1st Sep 13, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 1st Sep 17, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 4th Sep 24, Deer Park (NY), 1st Sep 27, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 3rd Oct 4, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 3rd Oct 8, Deer Park (NY), 5th Oct 11, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 2nd Oct 18, Troy Hills/Parsippany (NJ), 1st Oct 22, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 2nd Oct 29, Deer Park (NY), 1st Nov 5, Ho-Ho-Kus (NJ), 12½ m, ret (accident) won ARA championship

1934 AAA, "Wabecko Special" Sep 23, Reading (PA), 15 m, dns (qualified 14th)

1935 AAA, "Peterson Ford"?, "Buckley Special" etc. May 12, Langhorne (PA), 50 m, ? (qualified 14th?, 4th in consy) Sep 14, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 22nd) Sep 15, Altamont (NY), 15 m, 7th (qualified 8th, 5th in heat 2, 2nd in heat 3) Oct 13, Langhorne (PA), 100 m, ret (started 13th)

1936 AAA, "Buckley Special" Oct 12, Roosevelt (NY), 300 m, dns (qualified 46th)

1937 AAA May 31, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 11th, 3rd in consy) Jul 5, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dna? Aug 21, Middletown (NY), 15 m, ? (qualified in 33.4") Aug 28, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 18th, 8th in consy) Aug 29, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 15th, 5th in consy)

1938 no info

1939 AAA May 30, Union (NJ), 15 m, dns? (3rd in consy) Jun 20, Union (NJ), 15 m, dns (5th in consy) Jul 18, Union (NJ), 15 m, dns (engine, won consy) Aug 19, Middletwon (NY), 15 m, dns (8th in consy) Aug 20, Williams Grove (PA), 20 m, ? Aug 26, Bedford (PA), ? Sep 17, Reading (PA), 15 m, dna?

Harold "Harry" Paust

, from New York (Yonkers), possibly Upper Darby/Philadelphia (PA)

Below is a picture of driver Harry Paust taken in 1938 (NJ) in one of Gus's race cars (same as the one being towed by the Special). Special thanks to Harry's grandson Ron who sent this to me. Harry was from Yonkers NY and drove a number of races for Gus. Sadly he died in an industrial accident in 1941.

1936 AAA, "Cragar Special" etc.? Apr 26, Reading (PA), 20 m, dna? Aug 14, Altamont (NY), 13/15 m, dna? Oct 3, Goshen (NY), 35 m, dns (5th in consy)

1937 AAA, "Schumacher Special" etc.? Apr 25, Reading (PA), 18½/20 m, dns (qualified 14th) May 31, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dna? Aug 21, Middletown (NY), 15 m, ? (qualified in 30.4") Aug 28, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 19th, 9th in consy) Aug 29, Altamont (NY), 15 m, dns (qualified 14th)

1938 no info

1939 AAA Jul 18, Union (NJ), 15 m, 8th (won heat 3) Aug 1, Union (NJ), 15 m, dns (5th in heat 1, 4th in heat 2) Aug 15, Union (NJ), 15 m, ret (engine, 6th in heat 1, 4th in heat 2, 3rd in heat 3) Sep 5, Union (NJ), 15 m, ? Sep 24, Union (NJ), 11½/15 m, 7th (6th in heat 1, 5th in heat 2, won heat 3)

Updated on January 19, 2010