Above is how we normally see Duesenbergs nowadays – sitting on the grass at concours events, swarmed with people. Which is fine – I don’t think there’s a person out there who doesn’t think of Duesenbergs as some of the most beautiful vehicles ever built in America, and the chance to study them up close is always a treat.
But seeing them in motion is another thing altogether. Most times, all the motion you’ll see them in is driving to their spot at a show or rolling easily by in a parade; if you’re lucky, you’ll get a glimpse of one on tour. Their value keeps most of them squirreled away in tile-floor cocoons where there’s little chance of some accident befalling them. For that reason, a Duesenberg drag race was almost unthinkable, but that’s exactly what John Baeke plans as part of this year’s Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club’s National Meet on September 3.
John said it wasn’t easy putting plans for a Duesenberg drag race into motion. First off, the closest dragstrip would be in Osceola or Albany, both quite some distance from Auburn, which led John to look for an airstrip to close off for the drag races. Nearby Kendallville agreed, but it took the efforts of just about every elected official in Indiana to get the FAA to consent to closing the airstrip for the event. Conducting the drags on an airstrip gave a perfect opportunity for a fly-in, so John has invited plenty of Stinson airplanes to the event.
The drags will be side-by-side, two at a time, with an old-fashioned flag start instead of a Christmas tree. So far, John’s enlisted 20 Duesenbergs or Duesenberg-engined vehicles to take part in this unique event. John has plenty of information about the event at the ACD Club’s site.
Hey, maybe if Duesenberg drag racing takes off, we can run them as a special exhibition class at Musclepalooza…