From
left, Frank E. Miller of Auburn, Bill Lynch of Spencer, Alden Schofield
of Worcester, George Stratton of Grafton and Dave Boulay of Worcester
check out the antique cars on display yesterday in the parking lot at
Castellana’s Restaurant. All are members of the Worcester County Model
A Club.
WORCESTER —
When the call came for racers to start their engines, it was more of a
clatter and a rattle than a roar, but it was snail, not horsepower, the
drivers yesterday in a parking lot off Winter Street were looking for.
They wanted snail power and as little of that as possible.
“Everybody wants to go fast,” Eugene C. Zabinski said as he prepared to send cars off for the first heat of the Snail's Pace Antique Auto Race. “We want to try to go slow.”
The idea of the race was that the cars, which were as old as a 1914 Model T Roadster or only as young as a few 1931 vehicles, would compete to see which vehicle could drive the slowest across a large parking lot. The vehicles lined up two at a time. When the signal was given, they shifted the vehicles into gear, released the brakes and then did nothing but steer as the vehicles slowly chugged their way to the finish.
The free event attracted about 31 antique autos and their owners — many from the Worcester County Model A Club as well as visitors curious to check out the old cars and watch them slowly roll to the finish.
The pace car for the race was an even slower vehicle — a horse-drawn stagecoach driven by Bob Largess of the Hotel Vernon.
One of the vehicles in the race was a 1931 Model A “Woodie” dubbed “termites' temptation.” It is owned by Don Pelley of Barre, who said he found it in a barn in Maryland in serious need of repair. He has completely restored the vehicle, including rebuilding the engine, which he said was in extremely bad condition when he bought it.
Mr. Pelley said he has driven his vehicle all over New England. He said it can travel comfortably at 45 miles an hour, but can do 65 to 70 miles an hour at top speed. He said the vehicle's mechanical brakes are a limiting factor.
“I don't know if I would want to try to stop this thing at faster than 60 miles per hour,” he said.
Another driver was Cherie Sherman of Boylston. She was dressed in a period costume from the Roaring Twenties and driving a 1929 Model A Roadster.
“I'm doing this for my husband,” she said.
Mrs. Sherman's husband, Richard, is in Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital in Worcester and was unable to attend.
The first heat of the race had six vehicles, running two at a time. As the first two lined up, a hush fell over the crowd as most were curious what would happen. Then they were off: Slowly, very slowly they rolled their way to the finish. In the first pair, Dave Boulay of Worcester was a little over 8 1/5 seconds slower to the finish than his competition. But he was soon surpassed by Michael Kemenos' 1929 Dodge Stake Body pickup. It took more than a minute, about 13 seconds, longer than Mr. Boulay's car.
The 1914 Model T Roadster owned by Ken Saunders of Northbridge, ran too well and ended up the fastest of the first six vehicles.
In the end, Mr. Zabinski said the times of the vehicles were irrelevant. The best part of the event was getting all the near-perfectly restored ancient vehicles together for the public to see and appreciate.
“In that, it was a huge success,” he said.
They wanted snail power and as little of that as possible.
“Everybody wants to go fast,” Eugene C. Zabinski said as he prepared to send cars off for the first heat of the Snail's Pace Antique Auto Race. “We want to try to go slow.”
The idea of the race was that the cars, which were as old as a 1914 Model T Roadster or only as young as a few 1931 vehicles, would compete to see which vehicle could drive the slowest across a large parking lot. The vehicles lined up two at a time. When the signal was given, they shifted the vehicles into gear, released the brakes and then did nothing but steer as the vehicles slowly chugged their way to the finish.
The free event attracted about 31 antique autos and their owners — many from the Worcester County Model A Club as well as visitors curious to check out the old cars and watch them slowly roll to the finish.
The pace car for the race was an even slower vehicle — a horse-drawn stagecoach driven by Bob Largess of the Hotel Vernon.
One of the vehicles in the race was a 1931 Model A “Woodie” dubbed “termites' temptation.” It is owned by Don Pelley of Barre, who said he found it in a barn in Maryland in serious need of repair. He has completely restored the vehicle, including rebuilding the engine, which he said was in extremely bad condition when he bought it.
Mr. Pelley said he has driven his vehicle all over New England. He said it can travel comfortably at 45 miles an hour, but can do 65 to 70 miles an hour at top speed. He said the vehicle's mechanical brakes are a limiting factor.
“I don't know if I would want to try to stop this thing at faster than 60 miles per hour,” he said.
Another driver was Cherie Sherman of Boylston. She was dressed in a period costume from the Roaring Twenties and driving a 1929 Model A Roadster.
“I'm doing this for my husband,” she said.
Mrs. Sherman's husband, Richard, is in Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital in Worcester and was unable to attend.
The first heat of the race had six vehicles, running two at a time. As the first two lined up, a hush fell over the crowd as most were curious what would happen. Then they were off: Slowly, very slowly they rolled their way to the finish. In the first pair, Dave Boulay of Worcester was a little over 8 1/5 seconds slower to the finish than his competition. But he was soon surpassed by Michael Kemenos' 1929 Dodge Stake Body pickup. It took more than a minute, about 13 seconds, longer than Mr. Boulay's car.
The 1914 Model T Roadster owned by Ken Saunders of Northbridge, ran too well and ended up the fastest of the first six vehicles.
In the end, Mr. Zabinski said the times of the vehicles were irrelevant. The best part of the event was getting all the near-perfectly restored ancient vehicles together for the public to see and appreciate.
“In that, it was a huge success,” he said.
Cherie
Sherman of Boylston, dressed in period costume, drove a 1929 Model A
Roadster to the show and raced it. (T&G Staff Photos / TOM RETTIG)