I became acquainted with Michael Fahey of Columbus, Indiana, a few years ago. It was business and had nothing to do with racing. Naturally Michael discovered my passion for The 500 and told me about his Great-Uncle, Clyde Terry. He told me that his mother had several pieces of memorabilia that Uncle Clyde had kept over the years and they were not sure what it may be worth. They are ready to sell it.
Clyde Terry had been a AAA driver during the 1920’s and a Riding Mechanic during the ‘20’s and ‘30’s. After which he was a AAA and USAC official for several years. Like many people, Mr. Terry’s association with racing and the Speedway was life-long. When he passed away in 1970 he had been a racer for nearly 50 years. He kept many memories in the form of badges, armbands, pictures, tickets, credentials, etc. throughout his life.
One of the highlights of his career was as riding mechanic for Louis Schneider in 1930 when they finished third in The 500. The following year he built the car owned and driven by Schneider to victory in the 1931 race. In that race Terry rode with Tony Gulotta. They were in 2nd place when they crashed through the inner rail on the fourth turn in Gulotta’s green-and-gold Studebaker.

There is a great picture of Terry and Gulotta in the collection. The cloth “helmet” that Terry is wearing in the picture is in the collection, too.
Clyde was involved in a spectacular accident at Altoona, PA in the summer of 1930. The Altoona newspaper article tells a graphic story. Here are a few un-edited excerpts:
** The (Louis) Schneider mount was dubbed the “Flaming Chariot” following the Flag Day wreck in which (Freddy) Winnai and (Clyde) Terry displayed one of the greatest feats of heroism in the history of racing when they duplicated the famous “Flaming Chariot” ride made by the late Norman Batten on the Indianapolis bricks in 1927.
Those who saw the June 200 miler remember how on passing the main grandstand on the 117th lap, Winnai at the wheel, and Terry in the mechanic’s seat, the Bowes Special burst into flames, the result of a broken gas line. It was time for Winnai and Terry to do some split second thinking, for if the car continued on the course, there were possibilities of endangering the lives of six drivers coming behind. If they stuck with it, it would be only a matter of time until they would succumb to the torturing flames and the car would begin a wild dash, perhaps resulting in wholesale disaster. They played their trump card when, realizing they themselves would “take the rap” they wrecked the blazing car and the other drivers passed unharmed. Winnai was taken from the wreckage in a critical condition and has just spent his fifth week on the hospital cot. Terry has been about for the last week with his arm, which was fractured in the spill, wrapped in a cast.**
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