May 31, 1909: National Hill Climb, Giant's Despair, Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

 

The Knox factory team was also at the Bridgeport Hill Climb this weekend. Not sure who won the Hollenbeck Trophy at the National Hill Climb (need to research) but Knox owner and privateer Mrs. Joan Newton Cuneo is known to have carried the Knox banner at Giant's Despair in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Louis Disbrow was on hand as her mechanician (and may have also driven).

Despite Cuneo's outstanding performance at the New Orleans Mardi Gras races in February and her well established record as a driver, she was disqualified from racing after beating all the boys except Ralph DePalma in New Orleans. AAA officials at the Giant's Despair Hill Climb grudgingly allowed her to participate "unofficially." 

See "Drivers and Mechanicians" for further information on Joan Cuneo, and "Mad For Speed: The Racing Life of Joan Newton Cuneo."

 

 

 If you could read the thought bubble over Knox owner/driver Joan Cuneo's head
it might say: "I don't know about you gentlemen but I came to race."



Racing officials confabulating to decide if they are going to allow Knox owner/driver Joan Cuneo to play in the same sandbox as the boys.



The answer was "Well, sort of yes but not exactly."
Officials allowed Joan Cuneo to compete "unofficially."
It would be another 11 years before Mrs. Cuneo would be allowed to
vote in an election (1920). 







Cuneo and Louis Disbrow in her Model M Knox at Giant's Despair. Oh man, imagine the fun of driving this magnificent beast in a hill climb. Getting misty just at the thought.