The son of German immigrant farmers, Gustav A. Strupp was born September 7th, 1896 in North Branch Station, New Jersey.  Gus, as he was most commonly known, attained national recognition in the 1930’s as the owner and chief mechanic of a successful racing team.

  Gus was an avid mechanical tinkerer as a boy, often repairing farm machinery for his dad, John.  Work on the farm ended for Gus when he enlisted in World War I.  Upon his return to civilian life he bought a motorcycle, got a job running a trolley in New Brunswick then met and married Kate Kinney.  Soon afterward, Gus became the business owner of a three bay garage and Esso gasoline station on Main Street in Pluckemin, New Jersey (photo #1).  Gus had become a talented mechanic and business was great.  Gus and Katie found a large home in Pluckemin, nearly across the street from the garage, where they would raise seven children.

  Gus attended auto races with some friends at New Market Speedway and was immediately captivated by the spectacle.  He decided to become involved first hand.  He bought two older cars and tried to work his mechanical magic on them.  This effort met with little success, but Gus was more determined than ever.  He found backing for his team, and purchased a Miller race car and engine.  This was top of the line equipment and deserved a competent driver.  Pennsylvanian Johnny Hannon had the look of a champion to Gus and he was hired. 

  The teaming of Johnny Hannon and the Gus Strupp Miller Special was almost immediately successful, scoring pole position and feature wins at many of the track on the “Fair Circuit;” which included famed local tracks such as Langhorne, Reading, Lehighton and Allentown in Pennsylvania, and Flemington, Trenton and Hohokus in New Jersey.  (Photo #5 shows Hannon at the wheel of the Gus Strupp in the background before action at Langhorne in 1933.)  With the frequent winning, Gus’s garage became a weekly hangout for sports reporters and photographers.  Newly famous Johnny Hannon was offered a “ride” for the Indianapolis 500 by a rival car owner.  Hannon accepted and was killed time-trialing the car.

  The Gus Strupp Miller Special was a much-coveted ride, and the seat was soon filled by prospective talent, including names that are now legendary in auto racing, such as Tommy Hinnsershitz (seen “throwing dirt” in photo #4 and posing before an Allentown feature with Gus in photo #2,” Floyd Roberts and Walt Ader.  Unfortunately, the team never duplicated the enormous success it had during the Hannon years and Gus was forced to sell the race car to satisfy his debtors.  This was a logical decision, but, nonetheless, it broke his heart.  Gus Strupp died at the age of 51 in North Branch, New Jersey after suffering a massive heart attack.

  This Bedminster, New Jersey native, Harold Leroy Barker, was born the fourth day of October, 1938.  As a child, he was tagged “Bucky.”  In adulthood there could not have been a more appropriate name than “Bucky Barker,” it perfectly fit him--- the prototypical, larger-than-life, fun-loving, hard-driving race car hero—a local legend and an icon in northeastern auto racing circles.

  Obviously a very big man, it was partly his size and partly his driving prowess that made him so popular with racing fans and colleagues.  Bucky began his auto racing career as a twenty-one year old hobbyist, entering his first race at the local, Nascar-sanctioned, Flemington Speedway. Bucky’s “garage” for his home-built stock cars became both the yard behind his family’s Pluckemin, New Jersey house (which can be seen behind Bucky, proudly posed with car number 24jr. in photo #5) and their barn (pictured in the background with young Bucky, a county fair queen and a prized cow in photo #1.)  The house is still there, and is visible as you exit this car wash while “Bucky’s Garage,” the barn is gone but, in a sense, remains as this car wash was built on virtually the exact location of that old barn structure.

  Surprisingly, although the almost always competitive and frequently fast Barker won his share of qualifying races and second division races, as evidenced by a victory lap in car number 55 at the Flemington Speedway in photo #2, he never captured a feature race victory in the then premier “Modified Stock Car” division.  Perhaps plagued by bad luck, Bucky all too often experienced untimely mechanical failure and was a victim of more than his share of catastrophic crashes.  These were, at most, temporary setbacks and never for an instant dampened or tempered the enthusiasm of the colorful big man.

  Moving on from stock cars, Bucky was immediately competitive and successful in the United Racing Club super sprints, although his “racing luck” still had room for improvement.  Photo #3 has Bucky happily collecting some well deserved and hard earned trophies at a URC award banquet in 1971.

  As much as Bucky Barker enjoyed life, there should be no doubt or question that he was a truly serious and talented racer, indeed, brave.  He raced in an era where injury or fatality was not always uncommon occurrences, and he raced hard.  There were easier and safer ways to enjoy one’s Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons, but not for Bucky—he preferred participating to spectating.  Photo #4 depicts Bucky at the wheel, broadsliding the number 56 sprint car on a rough, rutted and dusty dirt track with his right foot hard on the throttle.  Bucky Barker died on December 5th, 1995.  He is still greatly missed by those who knew him.  We will try our best at Gus and Bucky’s Car Wash to carry his name.