1930 Belanger Indy Special

This Indianapolis Racer began its life in 1930 and continued to be raced until 1950, capturing many historic finishes and enduring a very prestigious career. The original chassis was constructed by Myron Stevens and delivered to its driver Louis Meyer. Meyer opted not to drive the car at the 1930 Indianapolis race, so Stevens drove it to an impressive fourth-place finish. From that year until 1950, this race car would visit Indianapolis almost religiously until 1950, missing only a few years. It never did capture the checkered flag but was able to score fourth-place finishes in two races.

The car was driven by many famous drivers, had multiple engines and bodies, and was adorned in a plethora of paint colors. Throughout its long lifespan, it proudly wore advertisements for several sponsors including Jadson Valves and Gilmore Oil.

Under the hood was an eight-cylinder Miller racing engine. When it was acquired in 1935 by an individual named 'Marks,' the name of the vehicle was changed to 'Marks-Miller.' In 1936 ownership once again changed and so did the name. Mr. Murrell Belanger purchased the car after the Indianapolis 500 race, and the car became known as the 'Belanger-Miller' car. The paint scheme was again changed and again saw track time at the Indianapolis 500 race in 1936. The following year the car suffered a broken crank-shaft during a qualifying run which resulted in a wreck. Myron Stevens undertook the task of rebuilding the car. The job was superb enough to land it a role in the MGM movie 'Burn 'Em Up, O'Conner' where it played a starring role next to Jack Oakie and Dennis O'Keefe.

For 1939 and 1941, the racer was not entered into the Indianapolis 500 race. In 1940 it was given a four-cylinder Offenhauser engine. The car was later sold to Tony Bettenhausen, who replaced the Offenhauser engine with the original Miller 8-cylinder engine. It changed hands again in 1947, and a supercharged Offenhauser engine was placed under the hood and replaced the 8-cylinder unit.

In 1950 it was again on the big screen starring in the movie 'To Please A Lady' which featured Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck.

This car has had an impressive career and brings with it a history that is virtually unmatched by any other race car. To compete for twenty years and still be competitive is astonishing. This 'Belanger Special' has been restored to its original configuration and paint scheme.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2006