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

Rootie, I could be wrong , but i think that the sherk offy was originally the Lee Elkins McNamara 73, one of 2 73's , then it went to Bob Sweikert as the black #5 than Jerry Hoyt drove and was killed in at oklahoma city , then to John Wills as the Hoover Motor Express, then to Bud Sherk , then much later to Oscar Ridlon up Boston way, then to Art Rousseau run as a super modified still with the 220 offy. up in the northeast. I have for sale the original trailer with bud Sherks decals on the ramps. the car is fully restored as the McNamara car with the original 220 Offy

 

Hi Rootie:
Thanks for all the work you put in to making this the best of threads. I was intrigued by the photo of Herb Porter's lay down style roadster. In your esteemed opinion how did the lay down fare against the upright Offy? TEB

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You're correct.

 

Theoretically the laydowns should have had the advantage with their better aero, lower c/g etc. but the results don't show that. JMHO- the skinny rock hard tires of that time was the great equalizer and the cars that had the best setup and didn't burn off tires had the advantage regardless of chassis design.

 

Hi Rootie:
Thanks for the reply. As a side note the lay down certainly was not as attractive proportionally as the beautiful upright roadsters of the 50'. TEB

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Check out the story about "laydown vs upright" at my Indy roadster website.....
http://indyroadsters.webs.com/apps/...gine-vs-upright-engine-a-technical-comparison

mac miller in INDY

 

great stuff guys! I love that latest pic of the aggie 98!

I'm Looking for any close up detail pics of the rear bird cages on roadsters if anybody has some.
Thanks,

 

Would anyone know what the tire sizes would have been on this racer?

 

most likely 890/16's on the back with a 550/16 on the rt. front and a 500/ 16 on the left front

 

Thank You Tommy !!!

Glenn

 

The Sweikert #5 was a different car, built for Sweikert in 1954 as #24. This one here was #7, and it was always owned by John Wills although it ran in the same colours and was wrenched by Sweikert, too. It was also the first USAC ride for a guy named A. J. Foyt, wonder whatever became of him.

It was the second of at least three Elkins #73s, not counting the Champ and Indy cars. Built in 1952 by Fred Tomshe, it replaced the ex-Doc Shanebrook stretched Midget that Billy McGee, Harry King and perhaps others raced for Elkins in '51. Mike Nazaruk won at Dayton June 1, 1952 first time out, or at least very close to first time, then again on Aug 31 in the big 100-lapper. He was also second at Salem (twice) and Winchester, and won again at Terre Haute on Sep 21. It was then #83 in '53, and won again with Nazaruk at Dayton Apr 25. It may have also won at Winchester Sep 27 where there was a bit of car shuffling amongst the three Elkins entries, and I believe it actually finished second with Leroy Warriner. It's also possible numbers changed around, as reports and pictures do not always agree.

In 1954, this car was #2 and driven by Sweikert, when it was sold to John Wills mid-season. Sweikert (Salem Jun 27 '54) and Jerry Hoyt (Oklahoma City Apr 10 and Fort Wayne May 8 '55) added three more wins to the car's resumé, running as #2, #7, #28, #8 and #6 before being sold to Earl "Bud" Sherk towards the end of '57. Sherk ran it, apparently always as #5, for three years and drivers Rex Records, Jim McWithey, Don Carr, Charlie Musselman, Ernie McCoy, Jud Larson (who won one more main at Berlin Jun 19, '59), Harry King and Tony Bettenhausen (those I'm fairly sure of). I have nothing on its New England career.

 

Johnny White in the Hoy Stevens 12 port circa 1958.

 

Rodger Ward at Langhorne 1955. I believe the tall fellow is Andy Dunlop, the head wrench.

 

Johnnie Parsons in the Ricketts #6 1952.

 

http://www.thevintageracer.com/reading/reading_59_3.htm sherk car 1959

 

Rootie, that Hoy-Stevens car was destroyed in a fire 20 plus years ago in New Hampshire. a fellow in Maine still has the remains. it had been completely restored and was part of the Mel Clark collection.

 

Wasn't this car a multitime Little 500 winner?

 

Hoy Stevens little 500 record 1956 12th Ray Sellar. 1957 1st Johnny white, 1958 3rd Johnny White, 1959 & 60
1st Ronnie Duman, 1961 2nd Clare Lawiki

 

Bud Sherk #5 "in flames" 1959.

 

Jack Turner- Hart Fullerton Spl. 1958 Atlanta.

 

Colby Scroggins, Bobby Unser- El Centro 1961.

 

Jim McElreath-2, Ronnie Duman-19, Carl Willuams-52 Springfield 1967.

 

West coast driver Frank Secrist came east 1967 to run with USAC in the Woodland 94.

 

Pat O'Connor on the high banks 57.

 

1951 indy winner fresh out of the oven.

 

Rodger Ward in the Aristo Blue Spl. 1955.

 

Van Johnson in the Traylor 55, 1957.

 

Joe Barzda Flemington Speedway.

 

Larry Crockett in the Engle 31 at Langhorne.

 

Ready for the road 1967.