Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Something really odd about the first car in the last set of Rooties pictures, look at the tie rod and how low it is. I've never seen one that low.

And...could the #38 in frames 6 and seven be the old Earl Beal, Traylor, hickey, Stearly, B&J car? The rear radius rod attachments look identical.

 

I noticed that tierod deal too. No idea what's going on there but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down any. The #38 is the old ECCA car out of Az.

 

Great photos Rootie.

 

Thanks Rootie, you are the forensic dr of this old stuff.
jim

 

mr. cook. do you have any more info on Blair &/or what he did w/the car later???
mlight9

 

why do I get 2nd copy of post?????
mlight9

 

Any info on West Coast racing for Murray Earl would be appreciated.
"Hi Carl,
I took a little time and read over the thread you sent me a link to. Thanks again for doing that. It sounds to me as though you and, maybe Michael Ferner are people with the interest and maybe even the access to some records that I’m needing for my current research. I’ve been researching Murray Earl who raced in the Midwest from the late ‘20s up through the ‘30s. He moved to California in 1941 and raced there until his death in 1954. What information that I have is from his racing in the Midwest but I don’t have access to any west coast records that I know of. I’m interested in learning about Murray’s participation out there as both a driver and then as a car owner. Do you know anything about Murray Earl’s participation in any race coast races? You can find what I currently know about Murray Earl at the following three links but there is almost nothing there about his west coast racing:

http://kansasracinghistory.com/Murray.html

http://kansasracinghistory.com/Murray-Earl_results.htm

http://kansasracinghistory.com/McCord/Dreyer.htm

Bob Lawrence"

 

FWIW- Came across this shot of, I'm pretty sure, the car in question at Oakland Stadium. But I have no other info.

 

Thanks!
Will alert Bob Lawrence

Here's a note from Jim Thurman:
"
Carl,
The only mention I've found on Murray Earl in California were two pre-race items for a December 19, 1937 race at Southern Speedway in South Gate, California. He doesn't turn up in the race report or results of that race. Obviously, this doesn't mean he didn't race in California, but between a cast of local veterans and young hotshoes, Earl might have been one of those drivers making up the margins by that point in his career. I'm sending the clippings to Bob Lawrence."

 

That does appear to be a photo of Murray Earl's Dreyer. Thanks!

 

Here's a few shots of Bill Akin's '53 Kurtis KK500B..placed 3rd in the '55 500 owned by Pat Clancy and Jimmy Davies in the seat.....posted these if you'd like to do some comparison with the #24 Bardahl pictured above...Bill's car has always been powered by a 270 Offy.......Joe

 

Late 60s Champ Car action.

 

John Capels is in the Al Unser Chevy, he said this was late in the year in 1969

 

subscribed!

 

I believe this is the Widow Maker Mr. Nise referred to...

 

Some nice shots of the Zink upright circa 60/61.

 

Excellent and very interesting photos, Rootie. Thank you for posting!

This seems to be a Watson Champ car that has been reworked by Dennie Moore. Things like the oil tank mounting, the extra high roll bar, and the louvered side panels are things that Moore would have done. I think Ruttman drove this car, at least in this configuration, just once. That was at Trenton in the 1961 season opener where he got a terrific 3rd place finish. This photo must have been taken just before they left for that race as the pavement tires are already on the car.

 

I think the spare wheels on the trailer look odd. They seem really wide for a 1961 champ car. They look like later 16x10, not the 18 or 16 x7. Great pics though. I am torn between keeping my small single axle trailer like this for my midget, or going to a bigger trailer that can hold the ATV also. The small trailer is very vintage and easy to handle, but having the ATV makes vintage racing a whole lot easier.

 

All,
The Sam Traylor/Jake Vargo champ car was built in 1953 by Frank Kurtis for Sandy Belond, and driven during the 1953 AAA champ car season by Johnnie Parsons as a white #21. It is believed to be the last KK4000 built by Kurtis. It is documented as the the last "upright" car to qualify for the Indy 500, and the fastest ever to run at the Speedway - as well as the last KK4000 to ever record a USAC champ car victory. Sam Traylor purchased the car from Sandy Belond and Ken Hickey prepared it for Al Keller to drive as a blue #55 in the 1956 500.

This is NOT the same car Keller drove for Traylor in 1955 that was involved in the Vukovich incident.
Jake Vargo then purchased the car from Traylor and campaigned it from 1958-1962, mostly as a white #63.

The car ended up at Ben Cook's shop, and was purchased there by Ted Blair in 1963 or 1964. Blair ran it as a red #69, first with a Hemi driven by Ronnie Rough, and then with a home made 4 cyl. driven by Paul "Wimpy" Ervin. He transported the car to the track in a converted red school bus.

The car is currently on display in unrestored condition at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing at the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in Pa. The current owner is trying to locate a 270 Offy, transmission, and aluminum tail needed to begin the restoration process. He purchased the car in 1978 in New Jersey.

This photo is from 1978. It was painted Ford "Grabber Blue" and is believed to have raced on the east coast URC circuit. I am looking for any history, information, or photos of the car between Ted Blair in the mid to late 1960's and it's last race in the mid to late 1970's. Any information would be greatly appreciated for this historically significant car.
A lot of people refer to this car as a Widow Maker, or Death Car due to the fact that three drivers were killed while driving it, however, all three incidents were genuine racing accidents that were not any fault of the car or because it was cursed in any way.

 

It is still the car that Watson built for Zink and Bob Sweikert in 1955. That's Jack Zink in the pictures.

 

I thought that was the case. Thank you, Michael, for your confirmation.

 

At the Lime Rock Park Historics, CT event Saturday 8-30-14
Joel

 

These "old" cars had soul.

 

A dichotomy of sorts in this 63 Trenton pic. Dan Gurney talking to Jimmy Clark (?) Colin Chapman (?) while in the background you have the homebuilt Frey upright and (I suspect) Bob Mathouser fixing to saddle up in the W.R.D. Kuzma.

 

And both the WRD Champ car and Clark's Lotus were numbered 92. Hard to believe that USAC allowed that but I guess there wasn't much chance of Timing and Scoring getting the two cars mixed up.

 

ROOTIE great photo as usual.....yes you are right...Colin Chapman,and our greatest ever driver...JIM CLARK.....Dan Gurney looks so young...Rootie, I saw the John Frey car in Amelia Island this year,looks small compaired to the ''roadsters''

 

I always considered Clark to be one of those "natural" drivers ala A.J., P.J. Don't think it would have taken long for him to learn to sling dirt with the best of them.

 

Things were kinda different back then

 

Just like a pit stop at the Little 500!

 

Do you happen to have any info about this picture ?