The March-April 1947 issue of the Sports Car Club of America’s “Sports Car” newsletter announced a Sports Car High Speed Trial sponsored by Al Garthwaite.  The idea of holding a high-speed trial was not new. Time trials had been running on the beach at Daytona and on the Salt Flats at Bonneyville for years.  What was unique about this trial was the location.  The trial was to be run on the Pennsylvania Turnpike - without the knowledge of its owner, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Two classes were established for the trials, under 1500 cc and over 1500cc.  The trials were to be run each year in two phases.  Qualifying runs were to be made from January 1 to August 15 with final runs to take place between August 15 and December 31.  The qualifying runs were to determine the two fastest cars in each class. The qualifying runs did not have to be witnessed and could be made in a one-way trip in either direction over the course.  Drivers were to submit a report of their performance to the editor of Sports Car.

After August 15, the two fastest cars from each class were to make a final run, which was to be timed by Club Officials. Final runs were to be for a round trip over the course, one run east and one west.

The 15 mile west bound course was between the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel and the Sideling Hill tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The starting point was ½ mile west of Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel at a yellow sign reading “Caution-Tunnel ½ mile.” The finish was ½ mil east of Sideling Hill Tunnel at a sign reading  “Caution-Tunnel ½ mile.

The eastbound course used the same yellow signs in the reverse direction.

Trophies were to be presented to the winners at the end of each year. 

The May-June issue of Sports Car reported the following times:

Bill Spear in his Mercedes Benz 540-K posted a time of 10 minutes, 45 seconds; D. C. Wilson in his duPont 5-1/4 liter turned 12 minutes; and Phil Moore in his Bentley 4-1/2 litre turned 12 minutes and 36 seconds.

The Editor of “Sports Car” observed that not only should the times be better but also an ineligible Studebaker Commander, that turned a time of 10 minutes and 6.2 seconds, had beaten all three sports cars. The editor suggested that the sports car owners “Hop to it and step on it and send your times for the July-August issue of Sports Car.”

And the times did improve.

Bill Milliken ran the course in his 2-litre Type 35-A Bugatti in 10 minutes and .4 seconds to set a new standard.  Al Garthwaite’s 4 ¼- litre Bentley only managed 10 minutes and 13.6 seconds.  Jim How’s 7-litre Duesenberg blew a tire on the first try, put a rod through the block on the second try and finally, several weeks later, turned 10 minutes 51-3/5 seconds on his third try.  Then Al Garthwaite set a new mark with a 2.3-litre supercharged Type 43-A Bugatti with a time of 9 minutes and 28.3 seconds.

Then Virgil Exner ran the 15 miles in his 5 ½ litre Studebaker Indianapolis racer.

Exner had worked with Studebaker from 1938 to 1949 along with Raymond Loewy and was largely responsible for the design of the 1947 Studebaker Starlight coupe. During his association with Studebaker, Exner acquired one of the Studebaker company’s five racers that ran the Indianapolis 500 in 1932 and 1933.  In 1932, Cliff Bergere qualified one of those Studebakers at 111.5 mph and finished third in the race.

Not surprisingly, Exner’s Studebaker run set a record for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Sports Car High Speed Trial with a time of 8 minutes and 34 seconds for an average of 105 mph. To put that speed in perspective, earlier that year, Ted Horn qualified on the pole at Indy with a speed of 126.56 mph.

In the July-August 1947 issue of “Sports Car”, the editor announced.” Al Garthwaite, the sponsor of this contest, regrets exceedingly that it is necessary to cancel the Sports Car High Speed Trial at this time.  He has been informed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission that the legal speed limit on the pike is 70 miles an hour.  Consequently, in order to save prospective contestants difficulties, it has been deeded necessary, after due consultation with various legal aides, to formally announce the cessation of hostilities.”

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