James Pilat submitted the following photo and note: “Roscoe Turner entered the 1938 National Air Races in Cleveland, Sept. 3-5, with the aircraft renamed “Pesco Special” (sponsor was PESCO, Pump Engineering Service Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio), winning the Thompson Trophy Race. For the 1939 races, the aircraft carried the registration NR263Y and the name “Miss Champion” as the sponsor was Champion Spark Plugs. Turner achieved first place in the Thompson Trophy Race again and became the first and only two- and three-time winner (1934, 1938, and 1939).”
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Roscoe Turner is one of the more interesting pilots from the golden age. He beat Doolittle in several races. When World War Two started, Roscoe tried to go back into the Air Corp, but Doolittle was able to keep him out. Roscoe and his company trained up over 5,000 for the Air Corp. in the big scheme of things, that probably did more for the war effort, compared to him serving. My 1956 Piper Tripacer has his signature in it, when he bought and picked it up at Lock Haven.