Shorty Burns – #35 Snell Hisso – 1938

Hisso Specialist Tom Scheck a.k.a. Shorty Burns from St. Louis is shown here in the Snell Hisso.  Burns had driven the car years earlier when it was the #1 Davis Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Everett Rice - #404 Merkler Special Hisso - 1938

Everett Rice is shown here in the Merkler Special.  This is the same car in which Bob Garringer can be seen flying off the racetrack in the photo at the top of this web page – Jeff Adams collection

Roy Lake - #50 Felt Hisso - 1938

Vic Felt at left and Roy Lake at right are shown here at St. Paul, MN in 1938 – Jeff Adams collection

Buzz Mendenhall – #8 Moore Hisso – 1938

Leonard" Buzz" Mendenhall was fatally injured when he crashed this car at Hammond, IN later in the year - Larry Sullivan collection

Clarence Delagrange – #404 Merkler Special Hisso – 1938

Clarence Delagrange is shown here in the Merkler Special.  Clarence did not drive the car in races but served as a test driver instead – Jeff Adams collection

Rex Records – #73 Della Torre Thunderbird Hisso – Late 1930s

Rex Records in the Della Torre Thunderbird Hisso.  This car later became the #12 DeMatthews Hisso – Ralph DeMatthews collection

Ben Musick – St. Cricq Hisso – Late 1930s

Marcel “Pop” St. Cricq standing beside Ben Musick in the St. Cricq Hisso at Dallas, Texas.  Brothers Leland and Ben Musick both drove the car with Marcel Cricq, Jr. also driving it once – Pat St. Cricq collection

Joe Lace – #44 Jeter Hisso - Late 1930s

This photo of the Jeter Hisso was taken in Bloomington, IL.  If you know anything more about Joe Lace, please contact Bob Lawrence – Ed Hitze, Jr. collection

Phil Mocca - #4 Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special Hisso - 1938

Phil Mocca in the Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special Hisso.  Mocca drove his very first big car race for the Brown Brothers and finished second in the feature even with a bent front axle - Brown collection

Everett Rice - #4 Helm Hisso - 1939

Everett Rice is shown seated in the #4 Helm Hisso – Bruce Craig photo

Len Duncan – #73 Della Torre Thunderbird Hisso – 1939

Len Duncan was driver of the Della Torre Thunderbird Hisso when it raced in the eastern United States in 1939.  This car later became the #12 DeMatthews Hisso – Ralph DeMatthews collection

Clay Corbitt – #12 Wolf Hisso – 1939

Clay Corbitt of Columbus, OH is shown here in the Wolf Hisso in which he enjoyed a lot of success in and around Ohio. The car was owned by "Shorty" Wolf– Bruce Craig photo

#4 Schutt – Munton Hisso - 1939

Al Schutt and Ed Munton purchased this ex-Everett Saylor, Pop Dreyer chassis from Dreyer and had him install a Hisso engine in it.  The car later sold to Ralph “Speedy” Helm and became the Helm Hisso.  If you can identify the driver of the car in this photo, please contact Bob Lawrence – Bill Wiswedel collection

Pete Alberts – #4 Helm Hisso – 1939

Pete Alberts (a.k.a. Pietro Alberti) of St. Louis, MO is shown here in the Helm Hisso in 1939.  He would lose his life in the Tersinor Hisso later that same year on a dusty county fairgrounds racetrack at Mt. Vernon, IL.  The engine in this car was later used in the Aicher & Benham Hisso dragster – Larry Sullivan photo

#11 Vern Failer Hisso – 1939

The Vern Failer Hisso after a crash at Ft. Wayne, IN in 1939 – Ed Hitze, Jr. collection

Johnnie DeCamp – #404 Merkler Special – 1939

Johnnie DeCamp is shown here in the ultra fast Merkler Special out of Ft. Wayne, IN.  This car was later sold to Tommy Kristin and then to Bayliss Levrett thus becoming the Levrett Hisso – Bruce Craig photo

Ralph Foster – #33 Foster Hisso – 1939

Ralph Foster is shown here (second from right) standing beside his Hisso at Hutchinson, KS.  Foster purchased this car in Kentucky and had the engine rebuilt by Oliver Jennings of Raytown, MO.  Foster sold the car in 1941 but he can not remember to whom – Paul Dye photo from the Dennis Dye collection

Frank Weirer – #35 Delagrange Hisso – Late 1930s

This Hisso was number 35 when Clarence Delagrange purchased it from Bill Howe who had originally numbered it 5 when he built it in 1929 to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Delagrange rebuilt it to run the short tracks.  This is not the same Howe Hisso that was numbered 100 and raced in the late 1920's and early 1930's.  Delegarnge only ran this car as #35 for a short period and then renumbered it 100 – Jeff Adams collection 

Elbert Booker – #404 Merkler Special Hisso – 1939

Elbert “Pappy” Booker is shown here in the #404 Merkler Special – Frank Smith photo

John Purdy – #54 Brown Brothers Hisso – 1940

John Purdy is shown here in the Brown Brother’s Hisso from St. Louis – Larry Sullivan photo

 Bill Hooper – #100 Delagrange Hisso – 1940

Bill Hooper is shown here in the car with Clarence Delagrange of Ft. Wayne, IN standing beside it.  The car was a former Howe Hisso from St. Louis – Larry Sullivan photo

Bob Garringer – #404 Merkler Special – 1940

Bob Garringer is shown here in the Frank Merkler owned Merkler Special.  Notice the word “SPECIAL” just visible on the pan just behind the front wheel.  It probably actually read “MERKLER SPECIAL” – Harold Robinson photo from the Larry Sullivan collection

Lou Walker – #4 Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special – 1940

Lou Walker from St. Louis (in the car) is shown here with car owners Ed and Bill Brown beside their Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special – Brown collection

Al Mather – #4 Mather Hisso – 1940

Al Mather, from Minnesota, is shown here with his own Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Shorty Burns - #4 Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special Hisso - 1940

Shorty Burns in the #4 Brown Brothers’ Machine Shop Special Hisso at Middleton, MO – Brown collection

Rex Easton - #5 Helm Hisso - 1940

Rex Easton in the Helm Hisso in 1940.  That is Ralph “Speedy” Helm standing center with fellow car owner Leo Krasek at right – Larry Sullivan photo

Tommy Kristin - #3 Helm Hisso - 1940

Tommy Kristin in the #3 Helm Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Harold Shaw – #5 Helm Hisso – 1940

Harold Shaw is shown here in one of the most successful and recognizable Hissos ever, the #5 Helm Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Cecil Burnaugh – #23 Lynch Hisso – 1941

Cecil Burnaugh in the Lynch Hisso at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds at Sandwich, IL in 1941 – Krause photo

Rex Easton - #3 Helm Hisso - 1941

Rex Easton is shown here in the #3 Helm Hisso in 1941 – Larry Sullivan photo

Fred Hawes - #100 Delagrange Hisso - 1941

Fred Hawes is shown here in the Delagrange Hisso owned by Clarence Delagrange of Ft. Wayne, Indiana – Larry Sullivan photo

Earl Green – #23 Lynch Hisso – 1941

Earl Green in the Lynch Hisso at Fairbury, IL in 1941 – Krause photo

Tommy Kristin – #404 Ex-Merkler Hisso – 1941

Tommy Kristin is shown here in the newly aquired hisso he had purchased from Frank Merkler.  Kristin drove it a few times before being called up to be a bombardier in World War II.  He was killed overseas and his widow sold the car to Bayliss Levrett – Harold Merkler collection

Rea Bray – #35 Ex-Felt Hisso - 1941

This car was fitted with a 6-cylinder Hispano-Suiza passenger car engine when this photo was taken.  Rea Bray lost his life in this car later that same day – Chalmers Davies photo