60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Great thread.......I had to post a couple of pics I took of the old Miles "the MOUSE" Melius's car.

 

Paul Radford early 70's he was always one of the toughest southern boys along with Ray Hendrick and Sonny Hutchens... Found this image on the Wall stadium message board.

 

Ok, Pete's going to check something out. I'll get back to you. Remember this when it was blue and belonged to Joel of Birchwood Towing? That's Pete's car in the background. We're gonna rebuild it.

 

Yeah I remember that, Sean did some work on the resto of it. I know I have images of it when Joel had it too.

 

I knew Joel since I was 16 and sold cars for Carl "Whitey" Staton. Joel was supr guy always smiling and joking. Moved to Fla. Sons took over the business. I don't see it around anymore. Have no idea about Joel. His old El Camino tow truck is still being used at Riverhead and still looks as good today as it did 25 years ago. 454 powered.

 

Joel was a great guy; I broke an upper left ball joint in the daily driver while going deep on a Sunrise Hwy clover leaf; good old Joel came and scooped up the mess right away! But I had to scoop up the other mess... that racing friendship stuff only goes so far !!

 

Was pitting for the"Monk" on a special show night, Kyle Petty comes over and says to Lou, I heard you were the "man" here, Lou came back with a "well I guess I used to be"! Priceless memories.

 

While on the subject anyone have any 60's alum or mag wide 5 wheels???

 

Dug up a few more. Two of Wayne Anderson (Long Island) early rides.

 

The late great Freddie "The Flying Dutchman" Harbach.

 

X-3 Jimmy Hendricks and Bill Slater running their old coupes at Islip Speedway.

 

Artie Tappen, Islip

 

This is actually a recent photo of a car owned by Dale Cote of Connecticut. Photo was probably shot at New Hampshire International Speedway's vintage event. The car is a shortened 1933 or 34 Chevy sedan body on a mid 80's Troyer dirt modified style chassis.

This car has elements from many different style cars. It has a 80's Northeast DIRT Modified style chassis, body and wings are similar to midwest Super Modifieds of the late 60's and Dale has been around asphalt racing for a long time...so he has it setup low and wide with slick tires from an SK style pavement Modified.

 

Thanks for the correction John, how have you been. I'd like to dig up some photos of the super speedway mods. Do you have any? I recall one year at Dover Evans ran a full body Camaro or something like that. Others just ran nose cones like Cook did.

 

Dave Kotary John Grady photo

 

Do you know any history on this #10 car?

 

I have been looking at some of the motors in these, bigblock,tunnel rams, injection... those things must have been insanley fun to drive!

 

Mousey Kemster. Date I believe is 1962, place unknown.

 

Hey Emil, that's George Wagner in the V 9.

 

Thanks for the correction Rich. The mind ain't what it used to be. I completely forgot what George drove even though someone just brough his name up at the Jam.

 

The "SHOE" is one of the all time greats at Fonda Speedway. Likeable and always ready to tell ya' a good story. May he RIP.

I was at Fonda one night and he was running a coupe and tagged the wood fence in front of the flagger to avoid T-boning Jack Johnson. When the dust settled he knocked down the planks and 4 vertical railroad tie fence posts. Sitting in the drivers seat you could look down the carburetor throats and the rear X-member was knocked over about 2', yeah feet, not inches . I think it was the yellow and black Tony Valano #37. The "SHOE" apologized to Tony. Tony said no problem, it was worth it to see his shit box run near the front. Better than any other driver had ever done before.

The "SHOE's" would get outa' a car after warm-ups and always say, "Give me more engine and give me more gear."

Notice the windshield on the #24 (think this is the Zautner Bros. car). It collects the dirt and as the race progresses ya' pull a pin and it drops down. By that time he'd usually be up front and have clear vision the rest of the race. I had a similar set-up on my 2nd late model race car in '68.

 

Thanks Randomrodder. The reason I ask is I have 37 Ford coupe that looks very much like this car. All I know about the car is it came out of PA, was at one time yellow, and a track champion at some unknown track in 1960. The car has a ton of setback on the engine and knee action shocks on the front.
I know these old mods seen many configurations through the years and lifetimes of the cars. From the looks of the frame rails from firewall forward, mine lived an awfully hard life. There seems to be more old weld and torch slag on mine than anything else.

 

Ask Dight Clock on the Jam, that or invite him over, the guy knows his history! He could tell you about 10 cent ride. Could ask Marty Himes, but he is too far away from a computer and burried in old nuts and bolts of old rides. God, you gotta love that man!

 

Hey Jackbolt...The Dime did end up in Pennsylvania as a vintage racer in the early 80's, it was purple and white at the time.

 

Reading PA Fairgrounds 1965

 

Great pics Al. Look at the grandstands, a full house as this is when racing was a big attraction for sure >>>>.

 

Don't forget, fairly hard tires, brakes known to fade if used hard for a few laps, heavy unsprung weight,


All these things could build a grudge that could last 30 plus years. They were just as obsessed with these as we were with our supers in the midwest.

100,and 200 lappers were common in those days too.