Pic of the Day 65th November, 2005
A special treat this week - Ted Ernst has kindly given permission to post some of his vintage racing photos on Pic of the Day. Today's pic - Kate Smith Starts the Chicago 6-Day
http://www.wooljersey.com/
(Click on pic for much, errr... "larger" image. Photo courtesy Ted Ernst. Thanks again, Ted!)
Possibly Chicago, or possibly New York, sometime in the mid-1930s. Kate Smith, start of Broadway and radio (and later movies, war bond rallies, and television) starts the 6-day race. Riders from bottom of the banking up:
#1 Bobby Thomas, Kenosha, Wisconsin, pro from '32 through '40, and
winner of 1938 Buffalo "6". More results for Robert "Bobby" Thomas at:
http://www.dewielersite.net/
#2 Gerard Debaets, Heule, Belgium, pro from '24 through '44 (!), winner
of the 1925 New York "6" and 1927 Tour of Flanders. More results for
Gerard Debaets at:
http://www.dewielersite.net/
#3 Jules Audy, Montreal, Canada, winner of the 1934 Milwaukee "6", 1937
Louisville "6", and 1937 Pittsburgh "6". More results for Jules Audy
at:
http://www.dewielersite.net/
#4 (possibly Jimmy Walthour) winner of the 1934 Pittsburgh "6" and 1935
Los Angeles "6". More results for Jimmy Walthour at:
http://www.dewielersite.net/
During the 1940s, Kate Smith was personally credited with selling over six hundred million dollars in Defense Bonds. She is most famous for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America".
To hear Kate Smith, and for more info, go to:
http://katesmith.org/
Tomorrow: The Unbeatable Pairing of Gustav Kilian and Heinz Vopel a.k.a. "Where did Ted Ernst get his Dürkopp?"
Aldo Ross
Middletown, Ohio