#48, 1954 Kurtis Kraft Sumar Streamliner Replica
Kurtis Kraft built this replica of the original for Don Smith. Chapman S. Root commissioned Frank Kurtis of California to build the original Kurtis Kraft Streamliner. The car had a 270 C.I. OFFY engine, capable of 330 HP @ 5,000 RPM. Jimmy Daywalt, Marshall Teague, Elmer George, Tony Bettenhausen, Sam Hanks and Bob Sweikert were drivers of this car. Jimmy Daywault drove the Streamliner to a 9th-place finish in the 1955 Indy 500. In 1959 at the new Daytona International Speedway, Marshall Teague had the Streamliner up to 171 MPH which was the Daytona record at the time. Teague thought he could easily do 180 and surpass Tony Bettenhausen’s speed record of 177 MPH. He told chief mechanic John H. Blouch he wanted to go out again. This time, he lost control, sending the car into the infield where it flipped four times. Teague was thrown from the car and suffered fatal injuries.
Don Smith Collection Car Auction - June 23, 2018 - Terre Haute, IN
