CLASSIC AMERICAN PEOPLE Clessie Cummins

By 1934, due in no small part to Clessie Cummins, the diesel engine was proving popular in the US. The trucking, bus, shipping, farming and heavy-machinery industries had pretty much embraced the diesel due to its frugality, reliability and load-lugging capabilities, but the vast car industry remained unconvinced. As we saw in Part One of this story, Clessie Cummins had become a showman and a master of the publicity stunt. He entered a diesel car in the 1931 Indianapolis 500 and it ran the whole 500-mile race without stopping. Although only finishing 13th, the press coverage which Cummins obtained was enormous.

In 1934, Clessie decided to have another bash at Indy, this time with two cars. The No 5 entry was an experimental two-stroke diesel and the No 6 car, a Model H four-stroke, both 364cu in capacity and both supercharged. Duesenberg was again awarded the job of building them. Twenty-six-year-old ‘Stubby’ Stubblefield – who had finished eighth, 14th and fifth in the three previous Indy 500s in Millers and a Buick – was to drive the No 5 two-stroke with Dr Bert Lustig riding shotgun. Dave Evans, who drove the Cummins in the ’31 Indy, was allocated the No 6 four-stroke with Jigger Johnson sitting alongside. They