Reed Doesn’t Win, but Gets Moral Victory

In vintage car racing, it’s not always whether you win or lose, it’s whether you finish the race.

That’s the philosophy Randy Reed of Spring Valley has when racing his 1914 Tahis Special.

The Tahis Special was one of five pre-World War II automobiles featured in the Fine Store Cup of the Rodger Ward Invitational-San Diego Historic Grand Prix Sunday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Peter Giddings of Walnut Creek won the race in his 1932 Maserati. Racers took 12 laps on the 1.7-mile course.

“I’m just out there putting around,” said Reed, who remained happy despite his last-place finish. “It’s just important to be running at the end of the race.”

The occasional sputtering made spectators question whether the car could finish the race, but Reed, accompanied by his wife, Susi, was able to finish in Saturday’s practice session and on Sunday.

Susi pumped fuel through the car with the hand fuel pump every couple of minutes. The car holds 40 gallons of gasoline and under racing conditions averages five miles per gallon. It can reach speeds up to just over 100 miles per hour with its 110-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The Wisconsin model JR engine was used for race cars from 1911 through 1915, Reed said.

On Saturday, the Tahis Special did stop at mid-course, but gasoline was added to get the car running. The tank just hadn’t been filled, Reed said.

Reed’s father, Lonnie, purchased the car in 1952.

“No one had any interest in old race cars at that time and mainly wanted the parts for other cars,” said Reed, who obtained the car from his father in 1966.

The Tahis Special looks as though it should be retired to a museum with its crank-start engine, exterior gears and brakes and 35-inch tires. The black leather seats are wearing through in spots and the wood panel which houses the tachometer, oil pressure and water pump gauges has faded. The blue paint is cracking, revealing red paint, but Reed said the original color in 1914 was cream. Reed has attempted to keep the automobile as original as possible and has restored only the tires and has done minor engine work.

The car sat in the younger Reed’s garage until last year when it was raced for the first time in 25 years. Reed placed 13th out of 19 cars in the Monterey Historic Races last year. Reed said that was a much faster course than the one in San Diego. He said that this course was very tight on turns and it was impossible get a an accurate measure of how the Tahis Special can race. The car has been in a few automobile shows but this is its second race since coming out of retirement.

The Tahis Special was built by Fredrick Robinson in Los Angeles in 1913. As far as Reed knows, this was the only one made. A year ago, Reed heard a rumor there was another Tahis Special, but he could not confirm it, he said. The Tahis Special probably is worth close to $100,000 today, according to Tahis.

The car’s first race was in Elgin, Ill., in 1914 by its original owner, Jack Teel. Reed said that in its day the Tahis Special was a prime contender in major auto races, although it never won.

The Tahis Special just finished up a three-month stay at the San Diego Automotive Museum where it was on display.

The proceeds from the two-day event will benefit the museum, which is located in Balboa Park.

Reed also raced on Sunday a 1963 Fiat Abarth and placed fifth out of 17 entrants in the American Airlines Cup. David Springett of Rancho Palos Verdes won in his 1956 Lotus MKII.