On short notice I can offer a few facts, but others are much more
qualified to speak about him personally.
Bob was 1948 SCTA champion along with his partner Chuck Spurgin.
In his day Bob held the A roadster record at 123.655 mph campaigning
the 1925 Chevrolet loaded with a 1925 Chevy 4. The record was set in
October of 1948 -- before the hot rodders went to the salt. They
belonged to the Albata car club which finished in 8th place for the
'48 season.
The car was entered under the "Spurgin & Giovanine" banner and in 1948
they set a new class record at every SCTA meet that season. The boys
were riding high, fast,and having the time of their racer boy lives.
They had paired up in 1940, but WWII put their racing partnership into
mothballs .
Spurgin bought the '25 roadster for $25. and it had a 4 1/2 inch
stroked engine that offered up a 112mph runs. After the war the pair
pooled their equipment, like so many other did in those days (and seem
to do event today) and managed a 15th place Class B finish coaxing the
best out of 187CID.
In 1948 the SCTA increased the maximum CID in Class A to 183 inches
and the pre-war bullet was demothballed. The stroke was shortened to
meet the new limits and SCTA champ and club pal Bob Rufi joined the
effort.
Slick even by today's fancy standards, the engine used a C Ford crank
drilled for pressure to the OX-5 rods pinned to Giovanine-designed,
specially cast pistons. Tony Capanna did the machining. Topside was a
3-port Olds head with two enlarged intake ports. The exhaust valves
were recommended by Ed Winfield based on the reground Chevy cam with
7/16" lift through 1.5:1 Chevy rocker arms. The Mallory ignition was
fitted with ball bearings on the rotor shaft to ensure steadiness as
the engine turned up tot 5,000 rpm while on the course.
The carburetion mirrored that of Duke Hallock who held a roadster
record in 1937 -- 1 3/4" I.D. throats intoa a single dump-tube for the
mixer. Hallock joined the trio and continued to experiment with
carburetion techniques that eventually proved that mechanical changes
could drastically reduced just by testing air conditions and adjusting
accordingly. Remember than the new time you see someone making a
barometer check.
The chassis was a strip-down deal that got a full belly pan and a Ford
cross-spring and axle assembly. With fuel and oil, the car tipped the
scales at 1,680 pounds. Equipped with 3.27 gears in the rear-end that
fed the power out to the 6.00 x 16 inch tires.
Most folks do not know the nose of the car was hand-built by Spurgin
in his backyard with a broken ball-peen hammer and a rock employed as
a dolly!
Speedy Regards,
"LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
LandSpeed Productions
Telling stories with words and pictures
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Amo" <jkamo@rapidnet.com>
To: ""LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth" <lanspeed@west.net>
Cc: "Glen Barrett" <speedtimer@earthlink.net>;
<land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: Another loss
> Louise, any chance of a piece on Mr Giovanine, as some of us were
> unfortunate enough to not have met him, maybe post it on
Landracing.com at
> a time that suits you, would love to learn more Joe :)
>
> "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth wrote:
>
> > I recall Bob's complete surprise at the salt when his family
staged a
> > surprise birthday party for him. Unlike the complete, utter
failure to
> > perform at Muroc, my voice was in fine form when his daughter
asked me
> > to sing "Happy Birthday" over the radios which were then piped
through
> > external speakers at his pit.
> >
> > I later came by to have some cake and he gave me a little kiss on
the
> > cheek, blushing no less, on how pleased, even embarrassed, he was
when
> > the song was in full swing. We spoke for a few more minutes, and
as I
> > listened to him reflect on the many happy years he had enjoyed in
the
> > sport, I recognized that this man was a touchstone for a
particular
> > segment of the land speed racing. Although he now lost to us, save
in
> > articles, photos and the stories that we will tell about him in
the
> > years to come, his imprint in land speed racing has left an
indelible
> > mark.
> >
> > In the end,
> >
> > we will only remember what we love,
> > we will only love what we know
> > and we will only know what we are taught.
> >
> > Bob Giovanine taught us well.
> >
> > Speedy Regards,
> >
> > "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
> > LandSpeed Productions
> > Telling stories with words and pictures
> > |~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Glen Barrett" <speedtimer@earthlink.net>
> > To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 3:48 PM
> > Subject: Another loss
> >
> > > Recieved word this morning that a member of the landspeed and
> > drylakes
> > > racing family pass away. Bob who was an inovator and master of
> > > the Chevy four Cylinder engine passed away on monday. Bob will
be
> > > missed. Condolences to his family.
> > > God Speed Bob
> > >
> > > Glen Barrett
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>
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