The Surprising Stutz
by Thomas F. Saal
3/4/2009




For the 1930 race the rules for the Indianapolis 500, in deference to the tight national economy, were altered to cut the cost of owning and operating a racing car and to encourage automobile manufacturers to enter competition. The new semi-stock rules, called the "junk formula" by the racing elite, allowed cars with stock block engines up to 366 cubic inches and two valves per cylinder to compete with some chance of winning against the Millers and the Duesenbergs. Also, riding mechanics were now required, a throwback to the earlier days of racing.

An enterprising enthusiast from Cleveland, Ohio named Milton Jones looked at these rules and made a very shrewd move. Jones was identified in a story in Cleveland's Sunday Plain Dealer Magazine of May 29, 1932 as an employee of the Prospect Auto Top & Painting Co. of Cleveland.

It's possible that Jones owned the shop on Prospect and had enough money to finance what was a very modest effort as a racing car owner even by Depression era standards. He lived in Cleveland Heights according to the Plain Dealer account, indicating that he had attained some degree of affluence even if he wasn't exactly filthy rich. At any rate, he probably didn't have to go into debt to finance his Indianapolis entry, a brand new Stutz Vertical Eight Torpedo Speedster straight from the Indianapolis factory.

The car was perfectly stock except for stronger springs, additional shock absorbers and a larger gas tank. To make it ready for the race Jones removed the convertible top, the windshield, the fenders and the headlights. It's unlikely there was any need to modify the 322 cu. In. engine because the Stutz was a very fast car to begin with, earlier Stutz Black Hawks having done well in stock car races of the late twenties.

Another shrewd move by Jones was hiring Lora L. Corum, a steady driver with prior Indianapolis experience, mostly as a relief driver. Corum had shared an Indianapolis 500 win with Joe Boyer in 1924, driving the first 109 laps in a Duesenberg until he was replaced by the faster Boyer on orders from Fred Duesenberg. The year before that he had finished 5th in the Barber-Warnock Special which was based on a Model T Ford.

Some writers of Stutz history claim that the Jones Stutz was a factory entry, but that's not likely although it's possible that the modifications attributed to Jones above were made at the factory and Jones took delivery there. Fred Moskovic (or Moskovics?), an engineer who believed that racing improves the breed, had resigned as Stutz's president early in 1929 because he disagreed with the board's new non-racing policy. It's even more unlikely that the factory would have allowed an unknown Clevelander to go along for the ride. Corum drove the entire race with Jones in the right hand seat, made only one stop at halfway for gas and water, and averaged 85 mph to finish an amazing tenth overall and second among the stock blocks.

Russ Snowberger's Studebaker-powered Russell 8 placed eighth, but his car was built on a racing car chassis whereas Jones's car was a standard production Stutz with minor modifications. Five or six other stockers followed Jones home but their bodywork was butchered for lightness unlike Jones's mount which even retained door handles and the golf bag compartment behind the driver. It was a remarkable achievement, one position better than Stutz's 11th place finish in 1911 which was the reason Harry Stutz named it "The Car That Made Good in a Day."

The story could have ended there, and perhaps it should have because it was followed by tragedy. After doing so well at Indianapolis, Jones must have thought the racing business was a cinch because during the winter of 1930/31 he purchased two one-year-old racing cars. These were the two MAVV Specials named after their sponsor, the maker of the Melcher Automatic Variable Venturi carburetor. James Talbot, Jr. had entered them in the 1930 "500" with drivers Mel Keneally and Tony Gulotta who had placed 17th and 19th respectively. It's said that these cars had been built by Myron Stevens in a box car on the way from Los Angeles to Indianapolis employing modified Whippet frame rails.

Again in 1931 Jones was moderately successful at Indianapolis where he entered both cars without sponsorship of any kind, presumably paying all expenses out of his own pocket. Stubby Stubblefield drove one of them to eighth, and Frank Farmer finished 32nd in the other out of a field of 40 starters. Jones had attempted to master the Stubblefield car himself during practice but tore off a wheel when he hit the wall, suffering only a bruised arm. The car was easily repaired, but the experience apparently caused Jones to realize that he wasn't ready for Indianapolis.

The accident didn't seem to dampen Jones's enthusiasm, however, because he drove in other races around the circuit for the remainder of the 1931 season and hired Paul Bost to drive his second car, replacing Farmer. Bost was a young driver who showed a lot of promise when he qualified third fastest for the "500" in 1931 driving the Empire State Special. (On race day, however, the car suffered a broken crankshaft on lap 35 and Bost placed 31st.)

After Indianapolis the team had minor successes with Jones finishing eighth and fourth in 100-mile races at Altoona in July and September, and Bost seventh and fifth in the same two races. The Plain Dealer account mentioned above said that Jones participated in 75 races during the 1931 season undoubtedly counting heats and feature races) and placed fifth in the American Legion Classic feature race at Philadelphia just prior to the 1932 Indianapolis 500. But at Indy the dream was shattered. Jones, 37 years old at the time, was killed the Friday before the 1932 race while practicing. Page one of The Plain Dealer of Sunday, May 29, 1932 carried the following notice: "Death Takes Jones From Auto Race List.The Plain Dealer Magazine Section today contains a story of the Indianapolis Speedway auto races tomorrow. The story tells of Milton Jones being a Cleveland entry. Jones was killed in a trial run on the course Friday.

At the time of the accident, the magazine section was on the presses. Qualifying sessions were different in those days. Cars merely had to exceed a minimum speed of 100 mph to make the race in 1932, up 5 mph from the previous year. Jones was making his attempt when his car went into a slide, hit the wall on the outside of turn two and rolled over, crushing his chest which resulted in his death within a few hours. His riding mechanic, Harold L. Gray, was severely injured but survived. The No. 19 car which Jones crashed was too damaged to repair in time to qualify even if another driver had been available, but his second car, No. 36, placed 12th in the "500" with Kelly Petillo driving, indicating that Jones must have had a dependable crew. I have found no record of either car ever being raced anywhere again after 1932. The photo of Jones's wrecked car indicates it was probably repairable, but the Petillo car never had a scratch put on it. If found, either car would be a highly prized antique today, especially the No. 36 car, because Petillo went on to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1935.

And that's not all. Mauri Rose, who later won the "500" in 1941, 1947 and 1948, took his rookie test in the No. 36 but failed to qualify, giving Petillo the opportunity to make the race.

Special thanks to West Peterson of Antique Automobile magazine and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway