CLASSIC AMERICAN PEOPLE Bob and Curt Giovanine Like father, like son

What could be more of a winter warmer than spending some time in the desert of El Mirage? Come back in time with us to the heady days of dry lake bed racing with pioneering dad and son record-breaking racers, Bob and Curt Giovanine…

- Steve Havelock

Back in the March 2010 issue, we told the fascinating story of the Spurgin-Giovanine‘dry lakes’ roadster that in 1948 won its class on each of the six times it raced that year at El Mirage and set a new Southern California Timing Association speed record on each occasion; a feat never before achieved. With a clean sweep, it scooped the SCTA Championship and at the season’s end set a new two-way record of 123.655mph. Its fastest single run was 127.65mph. It was displayed at the 2nd Annual Hot Rod Exposition in Los Angeles and was featured on the front cover of Hot Rod magazine, March 1949 edition.

This little black and polished aluminium 1925 Chevy 183cu in four-pot, sporting race number 15A, punched well above its weight and was built in a home garage and raced by Chuck Spurgin and Bob Giovanine with help from their good friend and 1940 SCTA Champion, Bob Rufi. Retired racers Ralph Schenck, who raced his Golden Submarine streamliner in the early Forties, and carburation expert Duke Hallock, who owned his own speed shop, also played a hand. All of these guys had been hot rodding and dry lakes racing before the war and would go on to be lifelong friends.