Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
Morten Larsen of Norway challenged you to solve this weekend's Mystery Foto. Morten is currently writing a biography on the driver in the Mystery Foto.
Answers to Mystery Foto questions:
Identify:
- The driver of the racer
Eugen Bjornstad of Norway
- How did he earn his nickname "King of Speed"?
Bjornstad earned the "King of Speed "nickname because of his successful racing career in Scandinavia and Europe in the 1930s and his aggressive style of driving. His usual tactics was to immediately take the lead and keep it with very means available. Bjornstad would win Turin Grand Prix, Polish Grand Prix and the Finnish Grand Prix.
- The make and model of the race car
- The link to the Vanderbilt Cup Races
For the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Bjornstad qualified 20th and retired on lap 60 with a broken transmission finishing 16th. This would be his final race in a remarkable racing career.
- Balmacaan
Bjornstad was sponsored by the New York socialite twin brothers Alistair and Esmond Martin. The Martins were the grandsons of Henry Phipps, a partner of Andrew Carnegie. The Martin estate Knole was located in Old Westbury, close to Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury.
The name Balmacaan was the name of the Scottish hunting estate the family leased for many years.
Kudos question: Post other jpegs of the racer and the driver.
Comments (9)
Congrats to Art Kleiner, Dick Gorman, Bob Swanson, Ken Parrotte, Steve Lucas, Randy Reed and Al Velocci (my favorite co-author) for identifying Eugen Bjornstad, a unique driver in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
Kudos to Art Kleiner, Steve Lucas, and Randy Reed for their jpeg contributions.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Comments
Driver is the Norwegian Eugen Bjorstand.
He earned his nickname the “Scandanavian King of Speed” for his aggressive and spectacular driving style developed from his many years of ice racing”. (Historicracing.com).
The make and model of the race car: Alfa Romeo Monza
The link to the Vanderbilt Cup Races: Raced in the 1937 George Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Field.
Balmacaan was the name of the racing team of which Bjornstad belonged: the team was owned by the Alistar and Esmond Bradley-Martin brothers who named the team after the Scottish hunting estate their family stayed in going back to the late 1800s (interestingly, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a guest in1909). The Martins were residents of Old Westbury who grew up as wealthy socialites. They entered another care, a Masareti in the 1937 Cup Race also which was driven by Deacon Litz.
Kudos question: Post other jpegs of the racer and the driver.
Sources: Nassau Daily Review, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, American Road Races (Joel Finn), Henry Ford Museum (the latter two from the vanderbiltcupraces.com research library).
Additional supporting material.
Additional supporting material. Last picture is the Balmacaan Racing Team #8 Maserati also entered in the 1937 George Vanderbilt Cup Race.
The history of Eugen Bjornstad coming to America and the Bradley-Martin family make interesting reads if you are so inclined.
Mystery Foto #12…The driver of the car is Eugen Bjornstad. He earned the nickname King of Speed because of a very aggressive driving style. The car is an Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 Monza. Eugen was entered in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup race in this car. Finished 16th. Balmacaan is a Scottish hunting estate from which Eugen got sponsorship.
Eugen Bjornstad, Alfa Romeo P3 from 1933, race team owned by Alistair & Esmond Martin, named after the hunting lodge in Scotland “Balmacaan” that they rented.
Driver: Eugen Bjornstadt, King of Speed: Ice Racing, Norway
Car: Alfa Romeo, 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race start 20th finish 16th
Balmacaan: hunting estate in Scotland near lake Loch Ness where John Cobb was killed in a water speed record attempt in 1952
The driver is Eugen Bjornstad, who was from Norway. He is pictured in his 1932 Alfa-Romeo 8C-2300 Monza. The photo was probably taken at Roosevelt Raceway where he was entered as “The King of Speed” in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The nickname was probably earned during his considerable successes racing in Norway and Europe in the 1930’s and especially for his aggressive style while ice racing. Balmacaan is an estate in Scotland near Inverness and Loch Ness.
The driver is Eugen Bjornstad, a car dealer in Norway.
He won numerous GP races in Scandanavia plus a timed speed of 186.5 kph to earn the nickname “King of Speed” with his Alfa Romeo.
The car is an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza s/n 2111041. Eugen had the car converted to P3 (single seat) configuration and bored the motor to 2600 cc. During later ownership the car had a Ford V8 motor and other mods at various times. Last known location was in Denmark and being restored to Monza configuration.
In 1937 Bjornstad qualified for the Vanderbilt Cup 20th and retired on lap 60 with a broken transmission.
Balmacaan is a Scottish hunting estate where the sponsors, the Bradley Martin family resided.
The entry of this car in this race must be considered quite Quixotic considering the top level of competition entered.
The driver is Norwegian -Eugen Bjornstad, the “Scandinavian King Of Speed”. Titled earned for his reckless and daring driving style all over Europe during the 1930’s. Participated in the !937 Vanderbilt Cup Race driving an Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Monza. Balmacaan was his sponsor.
Balmacaan has taken on a second meaning.