In almost all parts of the world street racing is illegal. It’s unsanctioned, unregulated, and often extremely dangerous for participants and bystanders. Although street racing in the United States may have been most widespread in the early post-war period, the activity dates back to the dawn of the automobile and continues in popularity. Today, despite heroic efforts by law enforcement and racing bodies such as the NHRA, this unlawful pastime persists not only in the U.S. but in many other parts of the world. And the reason can be summed up in one word…adrenaline.
Street racing can take on many forms with varying numbers of challengers racing at the same time. A race can be a short drag-style sprint or a marathon coast-to-coast competition, such as the Cannonball Run. An impromptu race begins when two or more individuals find themselves astride at a traffic light or stop sign; a quick locking of eyes with a nod and the cars are off. A more organized form of street racing occurs when public roads are illegally blocked off, typically in a remote location. Tōgeracing, also known as drifting, is a form of street racing along mountainous roads.
In the late 1940s, there were not many drag racing venues available for those with a proclivity for burning rubber. Although California offered early options for racers (Alameda, Goleta, and others), no such opportunities were available for young petrol-heads in other U.S. locations…such as Kansas.
Robert E. Daniels of Wichita, Kansas was just 19 years old when he and his father, Clarence E. Daniels, began to build a one-off racing roadster in the family’s single car garage at 247 Greenwood. The build took 16 months to complete and the finished car was featured in the July 1950 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Although the article referred to the vehicle as the Sunflower State Speedster, Daniels apparently never used that term and did not like it one bit. He did, however, love the car including all the fun and misadventure it brought to his young life. In addition to the Hot Rod Magazine article, Daniels’ car also appeared in the July 1950 issue of Popular Science,and the June 1950 issue of Mechanix Illustrated with the latter bequeathing a Workbench Award for the high quality of assembly.
Construction of the Robert Daniels Roadster started with an early Ford chassis with stock suspension and juice brakes. Tires were 5.50×16 up front and 6.50×16 at the rear. Power was supplied by a 1948 Mercury V8 equipped with an Edelbrock Super manifold with twin carburetors, as well as a special Edelbrock aluminum flywheel. Engine dress was first rate with chrome plating treatment to the generator, oil filter, crank case breather, voltage regulator, light relay, fuel lines, linkage, and various other components. Gearshifts were by way of a ’41 Ford column shift transmission fit with ’48 Lincoln gears. The combination of a 3.78 rear end and a Columbia overdrive unit resulted in a long-legged final drive ratio of 2.72:1.
The body design was clean and streamlined and was inked by Daniels according to what he thought a hot street machine should be. The body was hand-formed in sections from sheet steel, which were ultimately welded together to form a single continuous unit. The front bumper was fabricated of 3/8-inch steel bar with a large “D” broadcasting the family surname.
The roadster was finished in blue lacquer with silver gray leather interior with individual bucket seats. The instrument cluster contained 1940-1941 Buick gauges, a Chrysler starter button, and a Cadillac light switch, ignition switch, and lighter. The completed roadster was sleek, devoid of doors and fenders, with a wheelbase of 114 inches and a curb weight of just 2,360 pounds.
Now old hot rodders tell tales of fancy and with each telling and passing year the spectacular nature of the street racing story grows. Not so with Daniels and his wonderful roadster because with this car we have bulletproof documentation…from the Wellington (Kansas) Police Department. That’s right. On Saturday November 26, 1949, Daniels and two friends were arrested with the Summons (which still exists) citing the violation as “Reckless Driving”.
The entire ordeal was documented in the November 28, 1949 issue of the Wellington Daily Newswith the article titled, “Police Pick Up 3 Hot Rod Drivers.” The article went on to report, “The Wellington police department is holding three hot rod automobiles owned by R.H. Bash, Robert E. Daniels, and W.C. Berntsen of Wichita, who were arrested late Saturday night here and charged with reckless driving. The hot rods, three abreast, speeded north through the business section about 10:50 p.m. and the drivers were arrested by the city police before they got out of the city limits. Three Wichita girls were in the cars. Unable to post a cash bond, it was agreed that the boys leave their hot rods in Wellington. They all returned to Wichita by bus. They were returned to Wellington this afternoon at 4 o’clock for trial.” At the trial Daniels was fined $25.00 (plus $2.45 for court costs) according to the original document signed by the Police Judge which also still exists.
According to sons Pat and Kelly, their father enlisted in the Air Force in October of 1950 during the time of the Korean Conflict. Before shipping out, it appears that Daniels sold his roadster. When Daniels returned home four years later with an honorable discharge at the rank of Staff Sergeant, he began to search for his car. In the ensuing seven decades Daniels continued to search for his bespoke roadster, ultimately concluding that it may well have been destroyed. Daniels passed away on January 1, 2011 at the age of 81, never solving the mystery of his car’s fate.
Enter Geoff Hacker of www.undiscoveredclassics.com. Acting on a tip from a friend, Hacker purchased a custom built roadster through an ebay auction that ended on September 22, 2017. The ebay item was advertised as “1930s 1940s Flathead V8 Rat Rod Lowered Chassis Body Ford”. Essentially the seller knew nothing of the cars’ origins or history. Hacker, on the other hand, had a copy of the Hot Rod Magazinearticle on his desk and was absolutely certain he was bidding on the Robert Daniels Roadster as he placed the lone winning offer of $350.00.
Since then, Hacker has quickly assimilated the car’s history and has become friends with Kelly and Pat Daniels who are overjoyed that their father’s treasured car has been found. Hacker plans to visit the brothers in the coming months and tour the one car garage at 247 Greenwood where the roadster was originally built (Kelly lives in the house).
After that Hacker intends to restore the Robert Daniels Roadster and return it to its former glory. And if the adrenaline so moves him, he might even street race it. WINK!
Know of an interesting Hidden Treasure you’d like to share? Email Mark at [email protected]
