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

the post by jbarzda was i'm sure from jimmy barzda, current owner of the famed California Speed & Sport Shop in new brunswick, n.j. - his dad was partners with his uncle joe in the shop, and some other businesses in the area - i used to get to hang aroung there when i was a kid as my uncle Fred "Jiggs" Peters drove for Joe in that stretched midget, while we were picking up parts for my dad's modified and my go cart - a great place to hang around and swap stories then and now - and Jimmy will appreciate your business, still has many vintage parts - the go cart steering wheel on a bonneville car i'm involved with came from there -

 

Howerton came from Tulsa, here he is in the Torrance car,

 

Then Zink, Denny Moore chassis

 

The Mile

 

Racing from the past .com has many more pics of Jackie and the guys who he competed against.

 

I put him on broadway lol, he was a mechanic for my step dads Indy car team and my room mate

 

a few more

 

some more

 

some more

 

At last weekend's Wine Country Classic, held at Infineon Raceway (Sears Point), California; Dian and I were able to pull of another rather successful weekend. We were able to garner second place finishes in each day's events: Saturday's Qualifying; and Sunday's Main. Saturday's event was harder, both on me and the car; in that, I had to start in the pit lane (in the back of the "pack"). I was late to the starting grid, as I was refueling; and, in my old age, was having trouble figuring out the gas pump! OH WELL!
After sorting through most of the pack, sitting in fourth place; and getting tired, I thought of taking it easy, coasting "home". However, I saw the second and third place cars, about a half to a mile ahead of me. I guess the "Old Fire Dog" in me took over, and I "turned up the wick". In a lap, or so, I caught up with the two. Jan Voboril (an intrepid competitor) in a Frontenac Ford Indy/Champ Car, began to use his superior power (just about twice mine), to block me. I waited about a half a lap, to come to a favorite place of mine to pass. Coming down the Start/Finish straight, full on it, approaching a slower car; I made a move to the inside (we were coming to a left turn). Jan bit the bait, and moved to the left to block. I went to the outside, to the right of the slower car. I kept my foot in it (all the way to the firewall); and did one of my "outside slide jobs" on poor 'ol Jan. According to the driver of the slower car, I shot by Jan, going 30 to 50 m.p.h. faster. My momentum took me up the hill, into the second turn, right behind the second place car, Mike Cleary in a 1934 Studebaker 2 man Indy Car. Mike, being a gentleman driver, didn't try to block me. However, we both had to slow for traffic; and Jan caught up us. As we entered a fast, downhill, right hand turn called "The Carousel", Mike slowed for traffic; and Jan decided he wanted to force his way to the inside. I made a brief move to the inside, to make sure Jan would stay committed to the inside; and, using my momentum, I put my foot in it, to slide around to the outside, passing all of them. Because I had momentum, neither Mike or Jan could catch me, going up the next straight; and within a few turns, I was gone. And so, the 2nd place finish, behind Peter Giddings, a "World Class" driver, in his 1935 8C Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car.
I complained of an intermittent miss, at speed, in the engine. Russ Aves, with Sal Jacobs, took over; and diagnosed it to be a defective ignition lead. They fixed it, and we were good to go.
Sunday, I showed up to the starting grid on time. Peter Giddings, of course, had "The Pole"; I was on the outside. My goal, other than finishing the race, was to see how far I could stay up with Peter. At the rolling start, I stayed in second gear (I normally will drop into third, or high; and leave it). I was able to stay close for the first five turns; but, once we hit the first long straight, the Alfa's 430 h.p. and five speed gear box took over, and away he went. The rest of the race was uneventful.
We had a great turnout of friends: In addition to Dian, Russ and Sal, Denny Howland, Howard Melschau, Bob and Carlotta Dathe, were there for support. In addition to the encouragement of my friends, I received a lot of positive comment from spectators. I really appreciated everybody's attention. It made it all worth it.
So, hopefully, its on to Monterey for the "Historics" in August. That, of course, if I get an invite.
That's my contribution; and I'm sticking with it!
"Dawg"<!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->

 

Good racing report Old Dawg.


and it goes with waht I'm about to post. I don't know who this is (looks like your car Old Dawg) Anyways.. Its 8 min long but WATCH it all.. This guy knows how to wheel this Miller. A guy gets away through the pack at the start but this guy picks off all the cars in front of him and after a few laps he gets around the hot dog that took off. WATCH THE FRONT WHEELS AND HIS HANDS.. He has her hung out pretty good a few times!

GREAT IN CAR VIEW..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMrNqR1B-cs



And check out this poster I got this week. From 1982







JD

 

The companion D.E. midget "x-ray"

 

Wally Meskowski could build a fine looking roadster!

Recently a question regarding Indy car owner Pete Schmidt came up and peaked my curiosity. It seems he owned a chain of supermarkets in the St. Louis area and was a prolific car owner in the 1950s/60s. In 1960 he bought one of the only 2 roadsters built by W.M. and put Bob Vieth behind the wheel, finishing 8th in the 500. In 61 a blown engine in qualifying ended his hopes of another 500, and his involvement in racing alltogether, it seems. Anyway, here's the W.M. built car in two different incarnations. (Yeah, I know, the turtle green paint doesn't do it for me either )

 

Meskowski was so talented, he would have had to have gone to school to learn how to build an ugly car.

Meskowski race cars were beyond beautiful.

 

Jbarzda-thanks once again for posting those great photos!

Any chance you are Joe`s son???

His sprintcar is in the EMMR museum just the way it sat when parked,with the paint chips and rock dents still there. Also there was a nice feature article on the car in Circle track mag back in the 80s....

 

Buildy, the sprint car and the midget are the same car. They stretched the midget. Neat Pictures.

 

Yeah I knew that. That car had a long history and a LOT of changes over the years.
Midget,then Stretched midget with a Flat-head Ford with carbs,then a SBC. It is neat that they left the car as it was last run,just like the Frankie Cal Offy that tragically burned in a fire on LI....


I have a pretty good collection of photos of the Barzda 33,but I`m always ready to see more!

I`m also interested in that cool quarter midget photo!

Details?

 

Here is Nick Fornoro in the Joe Barzda #33 in 1956 at Reading PA

 

Buildy- Why is that picture so fuzzy?

 

This thread is awesome !

 

"Buildy- Why is that picture so fuzzy?"

Because it was a very low res photo from the net that I photoshopped to give an art treatment.
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hey...aren't these "big cars"/100" cars/dirt champs cars?

I wonder who was carrying the #1 and the #2? This is a great shot... Indiana State Fairgrounds Mile? Anybody?

 

You guys gotta buy "To Please a Lady"... a great early 50's flick with Clark Gable playing an "outlaw" midget driver who gets a shot at Indy. Great racing scenes... Grandpa Walton is his crew chief!
http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=83996&mainArticleId=83960

 

I snagged this photo from the TrackForum board. Taken at Indy/GoodGuys/ Raceway Park yesterday or Thursday. A few H.A.M.B. folks cars there.

 

Krooser-those are Dirt Championship cars-1966 I believe. AJ Foyt #2 leads Mario Andretti in #1.

Indiana Fairgrounds-USAC Hoosier 100.

 

Dug up some of my dads old pics. Any idea what track this is/was?
Guessing eastern Ohio,western PA but not sure. I'll post the rest
of them next weekend for fathers day and link to this thread if
your interested.

 

I for one am VERY interested!

Sorry I can`t help with ID on pic.

 

Back from Indy, good show.

Heard some interesting news.. It seams the "To please a Lady" cars that wwere discussed in previous pages have been SOLD. They were sold as a pair, which is good. Those cars should always stay together.

I'll post pics of Indy after a while.

JD