History Earliest Willys Racecars

Just confirmed bottom picture is at Dover drag strip, in green paint and sponsored by S and S Speed Shop Richmond Hills NY

Pat

 

It's Johnny Loper with Ole Hoss in the far lane but who's in the near lane? It's hard for me to make out the names on the side of it and it looks like it says national champ on the roof

 

I can make out Bowman and Miller, but the last could be Hill, Hall or Hull.

 

Thanks SR100 that's a good start. Hopefully someone will see this and know more about the car and I will do some digging around too. That looks like an early magazine picture and unfortunately very few people are still around that remember these early cars. That's part of why I started this thread while there is still a chance to find some first hand information on these early gassers.

 

Chuck Finders and Jr Thompson?

 

The Willys in the right lane is the BMH Special driven by Norman B. Hall from Owensboro, KY. It was powered by a Chevy engine.
.

 

Thanks for the information. Do you have any more information on it or pictures of it? (It looks like it says National Champ on the roof)

 

Love this thread.

 

Kentuckian, here is another one from your area

 

Jr Thompson

Here is a little history, does anyone know what year he first started running his Willys Coupe?

https://www.nationaldragster.net/da...item/1320-where-are-they-now-jr-thompson.html

 

Great thread ! Here is one taken at Sanford , Maine, late 50's.

 

Do you have any idea who it belonged to and what motor and transmission it ran or anymore information about it? It still has the factory 41-2 vent windows and those were usually replaced pretty quickly by a one piece door glass.

 

Don
Don't know where jimbo17 got his info from but Ron Norman owns 5 WILLYS
View attachment 3302536
Grove Boys, behind it is the Beeline, Jack Merkel '33, Jack Merkel '39, Airoso Bros. which is behind the black Merkel '39. No K.S. Pittman and not the Stone Woods & Cook car. Mike Cook owns the Swindler "A"and the other is in the estate of Mike Wales. Actually Ron does own a sixth WILLYS but its a modern day build that he races[/QUOTE]

Don: The Bee Line Willy's sat for many years in a back yard of Russell Grady's until he passed away and Ron Norman told me himself that he purchased the car from a friend of mine who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut who was in charge of selling Russell's collection of about 30 cars.
The Bee Line car was on display at few years ago at the Indy Nationals along with a few other cars.

Jimbo

 

Engine Masters Hydro versus The Grist Brothers
Looks like Jack Bible in the near lane.

 

This one out of Denver has the look

 

Hi Jason. I don't . Thirty years ago I bought a 62 Corvette race car project and the guy I bought it from gave me a folder with some paper work and a whole pile of negatives that years later I took to the local photography shop and had prints made. Some great stuff ( Sanford Maine Drag Strip/Airport), but no info unfortunately. Good catch on the vent windows.

 

This is from another thread. Maybe someone has some pictures or information on it. Definitely has that early look, cool tow vehicle too.

 

Are my eyes deceiving me or is the willys right hand drive? And the lettering is correct so it's not reversed

 

The thread the pictures are from say it was center stear.....

 

Sounds like his one was raced up here in Minnesota in the late 50's. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...ts-racing-history.708678/page-11#post-8392613

 

Speed Gems, Yes it was an early car too, I wish that some early pictures would turn up for Bass but so far I haven't been able to find any pictures of it.

 

It did have center steering and the engine was set back. It would have probably run in an Altered class. The firewall was aluminum and it only had the single seat.

 

I'm not sure when this picture was taken. Herrera Willys

 

Lots of great early pictures. Thank you to all who have been posting.

 

brilliant thread. This one ran a VW front beam, ia have another pic of it someplace