George DeMatthews - #12 DeMatthews Hisso - 1946

George DeMatthews (a.k.a. George Matthews) in the DeMatthews Hisso.  This was the fromer #73 Della Torre Thunderbird Hisso that DeMatthews purchased and updated.  DeMatthews set fast time in time trials in this car at Dover Speedway in April of 1946 – Ralph DeMatthews collection

Bayliss Levrett – #404 Levrett Hisso - 1946

Levrett ran this ex-Merkler Hisso for a couple of seasons with the IMCA but mostly raced it with the American Racing Association at Oakland Stadium, Oakland, CA – Levrett collection

George Tichenor - #33  Hummel Hisso – 1946

George Tichenor is shown here at Logansport, IN in M. C. Hummel’s #33 Hisso.  M. C. Hummel was from Champaign, IL - George Tichenor collection

Ned Shoemaker - #69 Davis Hisso – Late 1940s

This photo of Ned Shoemaker of East St. Louis, IL in Ed Davis’ Hisso was taken at Greenville, OH in either 1947 or 1948 – Gene Heeter collection

Lenny Lowe – #404 Levrett Hisso - c1947

Lenny Lowe of Oakland, CA is shown here in the #404 Levrett Hisso at Oakland Stadium, Oakland, CA.  The car was sold to Floyd Glidewell who replaced the engine with a 110 Offy in the early 1950’s – Motter collection

Billy McGee - #404₂ Merkler Special - 1947

Billy McGee of Zanesville, OH is shown here in the Merkler Special.  McGee’s real name was William Spinks.  The cream color paint scheme on the car was selected to match a new ‘47 Mercury tow car.  The small number #2 was placed inside the “0” of the #404 to indicate this was the second car to carry the #404.  The first had been the Merkler Hisso that Frank Merkler raced before World War II and that was by this time known as the Levrett Hisso – Brownie Brown photo from the Jeff Adams collection

Jimmy Daywalt - #404₂ Merkler Special - 1948

Jimmy Daywalt of Wabash, IN is shown here in the Merkler Special in which he won a CSRA feature race at Greenville, OH in 1948 – Jeff Adams collection

Jackie Jiarrusso - #69 Davis Hisso – 1948

Jackie Jiarrusso at Heidelberg Raceway near Pittsburg, PA driving a Hisso owned by Ed Davis of Benton, IL.  The engine in this car was the Rogers & Tersinor Hisso - Jeff Adams collection

#45 Hisso Special – Late 1940s

This Hisso Special may have raced on the West Coast.  If you know anything more about this car or the men pictured here with it, please contact Bob Lawrence – Bud Sheldon collection

Glenn “Pee Wee” Northern - #404₂ Merkler Special - 1949

Pee Wee Northern at Bloomington, IL on April 10, 1949 in his first ever ride in the Merkler Special – Larry Sullivan photo

Billy McGee - #505 Merkler Machine Shop Hisso - 1949

Billy McGee is shown here in the #505 Merkler Machine Shop Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

George Tichenor - #3  Helm Hisso – 1949

George Tichenor of Logansport, IN is shown here in the #3 Helm Hisso in 1949 - Roby Helm collection

Jack Flaherty - #404 Glidewell Hisso - 1949

Jack Flaherty crashed the Floyd Glidewell owned former Levrett #404 Hisso in a 100-mile race at the Portland Meadows at Portland, OR on September 18, 1949 – Pacific Northwest Racers collection

Cliff Griffith - #3 Helm Hisso – 1949

Cliff Griffith is shown here in the Helm Hisso.  The Merkler Special Hisso is also visible at right in this photo – Larry Sullivan photo

Bill Potter - #404 Glidewell Hisso - 1949

Bill Potter drove the Floyd Glidewell owned former Levrett #404 Hisso at Portland Speedway, Portland, OR on June 19, 1949 – Pacific Northwest Racers collection

Glen “Pee Wee” Northern - #505 Merkler Machine Shop Hisso – 1949

“Pee Wee” Northern is shown here at Powell, OH driving the #505 Merkler Machine Shop Hsso that was owned by Frank Merkler.  The #39 in the background is the Myles Riley driven by Red Bales – Brownie photo from the Tom Saal collection

Gene Aldridge - #3 Helm Hisso - 1949

Gene Aldridge with the #3 Helm Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

Wally Mandleco – #404₂ Merkler Machine Special – 1950

The Merkler Machine Special Hisso after driver Wally Mandleco tangled with Jimmy Wilburn at Cedarburg, WI and crashed on June 11, 1950.  Mandleco suffered a broken kneecap in the incident while Wilburn went on to finish second in the feature - Jeff Adams collection

Gene Allen - #47 Horne Hisso – 1951

Glen Allen is shown here in the Horne Hisso which had previously been the #505 Merkler Machine Shop Special.  Frank Merkler still owned the car but it was named for crew chief Harry Horne.  Merkler had joined AAA and purchased an Indy car so he could not be associated with such an “outlaw” organization as CSRA where Horne raced the car.  The car number was changed to #47 as that was the number that AAA assigned to Merkler for his Indy car effort in 1951 – Larry Sullivan photo

Johnny Joy – #O-X  J & J  Special a.k.a. the "Hiss-O"– Early 1950s

Johnny Joy is shown here in the J & J Special a.k.a. the "Hiss-O" which was a 1932 Ford five-window coupe jalopy built by Johnny Joy and Raymond Jett at Jett's service station in Jacksonville , IL.  Bud Kientzle is also known to have driven this car.  The 719 cu. in. V-8 Hispano-Suiza engine used 16 sparkplugs and is reported to have required more than 50 feet of sparkplug wire – Weldon C. Lewis collection

Bill Mumford - #33 Mumford “Heart Braker” – 1953

Bill Mumford from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota is shown here in his Mumford “Heart Braker” Hisso – Larry Sullivan photo

Freddie Nelson - #33 Mumford “Heart Braker” – 1953

Freddie Nelson is shown here in Bill Mumford’s “Heart Braker” Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

Tex Shackelford - #58 VanNess Hisso – 1953

Tex Shackelford is shown here in the VanNess Hisso which was a former Helm Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

Wade Crew - #85 VanNess Hisso – 1954

Wade Crew is shown here in the VanNess Hisso which was a former Helm Hisso – Jeff Adams collection

#4  Aicher & Benham Hisso Special – Late 1950s

Current car owner Rob Shanahan is restoring this dragster built by Paul Aicher and Ron Benham of El Monte, CA – Car Craft magazine photo