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

mlight9-
I was at Trenton Speedway when URC ran there. The same day that Don Gillette lost his life. This car was on its trailer in the infield, not running, with a FOR SALE sign on it. This was in 1965 i believe. I found the owner, a Bob LaCoor, from Edison, N.J. We talked and agreed on a priice of $1800.00. He told me to ask Billy Wentz Sr. and Wimpy Irvin about the car since they had both driven it that season. They both said it handled as good as it ran; that should have been my warning, but being green, i thought they were giving the car a good word! The car was red and black, and carried the number 99.
I ran it one season, then sold it for $800.00 to a guy name of Harry Garner. He ran it in 1967 twice, then shot himself to death after being arrested as a child molester. Very big shame!
Several years later i was told that the car was in Santa Monica, CA., where it was restored as it is now. When i talked to the man from Carlisle who owns it at the Grove, he said he paid over $100,000.00 for it! Dont know how true that is; deems like a lot of money to me!
Thats about all i know about the car in recent years. BTW, when i had it , it was painted metallic blue with gold leaf numbering. The number than was 46.
If i can remember any other details i will post them.
Spike

 

L. Ruby was 1 of my favorites & I always liked seeing race cars on trailers, but the item on the left takes the cake. I think I would go to B B & B with her any # of times.
Anyway, what I started out to say was that when I was 12 on up, my treat on a Sunday when the Grove ran, was to stand along Rt. 422 in the evening & wait for Horn, Hinnershitz, Light, & all the other cars that were going east. Quite a difference from todays NFL, video games, malls, etc. That was my drug habit. ML9.

 

Spike, thanks for the info, interesting. If only these cars could talk.ml9

 

Another Jungle Park photo. Have you seen the Tom Williams book on Jungle Park? It's got a lot of photos of it.
HG

 

Oh yeah, The Ghost of Jungle Park--its on my book shelf
a great piece of history.

 

I'd say a lot of them performed the "Hauling ass in there" fine... It was the "Turning left, and Hauling ass on too turn two" that many of them missed!

THOSE SLIDES ARE KILLER GENE! THANKS!

If any of you have never been to Jungle park.. GO! Walk down the front stretch and into turn one. Look at the BIG trees that line the turn. Then turn around and look back UP the front stretch.. The hair on your arms WILL STAND UP!

Neat place!

JD

 

the good old days ,somewhere you guys where talking about IRP verses ORP it will always be IRP to me

 

A couple more from the original negatives. Jungle Park, 1940. Looks like they are getting ready to use the state of the art remote starter....again!
HG

 

The Williams book is AWESOME....some really great stories about the owners, obviously the races and racers and some good ones about those who "left the Park" in Turn One...some even made it to the river!
Ebert

 

Great job Gene..

For those of you watching.. Gene and I stopped in at Mark Bowles III the other day. Mark told us he had a box full of his Grandpa's pictures.(Dr. Bowles Sr.) He also told us that he hadn't gone through them yet..

Well, quick thinking Gene said, "can we go through them" GENIUS!!

We saw a lot of good stuff, but an envelope full of 2 x 3" slides held the best stuff.
That's what gene is scanning in and showing us.

They were snapped by a friend of Bowles Sr. that ran around with them. That's why the #22 is in so many pics.


This car.. #22




Is this car, that I posted way back in the first few pages..





This car, Now Red.. was at Winchester's old timers this past year but I didn't get any pics. The owner was on here a while back.. I hope he see's these.

They have never been shared before...

Thanks Gene.

 

Joshua, I know what you mean...I wish I had taken some photos of the red #22 big car too......oh wait, maybe I did.
HG

 

Right on, Spinzzy!!! If NHRA hadn't "retired" me as part of the youth movement in 2000, I would probably have been fired when they started calling it ORP because I'd have been a throwback. Just couldn't write press releases calling it ORP.

BTW, at one time we did a nostalgia-type program and I had to copy and do the old logo all over again. Couldn't find a good copy of it. Wish I had taken it off the computer at IRP when I left.

 

That's the one Gene!


Thanks

 

That bowles car has an interesting engine in it. bolt down singel cylinders and water jacket at top of cylinder, Modified aircraft? or Harley barrels on a crankcase.

Must have been aircooled at one time!

traderjack

 

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
HG

 

We don't know who the two guys with the #7 car or the driver eating the sandwich are......help... The other photo is Doc Bowles.
Joshua, you have used me up for the night.....
HG

 

that's hillarious!!!!!

 

i picked up my new sprint car yesterday, and just thought i'd post some pictures of it on the trailer behind my truck. notice i got the tire carrier in the deal and the cage and a Roger Beck gas cap.

me and my son went and picked it up (he had a blast). bonding you know!

i have to be honest i don't think i ever had so much fun as yesterday. driving down interstate 10 (55 MPH) with this old car and trailer was just awesome. the look on peoples faces when they went buy us (priceless)
it looks so neat on the trailer behind the truck. i know now i need a old truck to pull it. i can just picture it!!!!! old truck, old sprint car on a old trailer. i'm going to leave it hooked to my new truck and drive around town for a few days. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT OFF.

if you guys want to have alot of fun get a old sprint car and a old trailer and drive around with it. AWESOME!! i want to take it somewhere a old car show or vintage sprint car event. if anybody has any suggestions where i can take it please let me know. I JUST WANT TO TAKE IT SOMEWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

should i leave the tire carrier off the trailer or put it on?????? it looks cool with it off?

thanks to everyone here on the H.A.M.B. for all your help and encouragment!

Rob

 

this one looks cool in black and white!

 

New to this site and just want to say this is "Bitchen" as my heros have always been racers.
Do any of you know Art Bagnall? He wrote the autobiography for Roy Richter "Striving For Excellence" Raced Midgets 50's & 60's. If you do please post or send me a message.

 

any one have any hewitt pics

 

Dadgummit Rob... you opened a door I just have to walk through. My driveway would be a great place to... Aw heck I'm day dreamin again. Seriously I'm thinking some of the tracks in Florida during speed weeks might be a place to consider if you just have to make a trip. Let me know when and where; I'll do my best to stop and visit.
Blessings,
PK

 

There are a few on Jimmies site
http://jimmiesoldtimeracing.mywowbb.com/

 

Oh Rob, I almost forgot... for my money I think you should put the tire carrier back on the trailer, load it up with some mounted tires, fuel cans, a tool box or two, and then hook it to a 1960 Chevrolet pick up. Gosh Josh its fun spending someone else's money. Rob what ever you decide to do thanks for preserving some great history for everyone to enjoy.
PK

 

Yup. I'm thinking the same thing. I'm working on the old truck along with a repop car, consequently,both projects are moving slowly.

 

Story on Langford Speedway, Victoria, BC, Canada, operated from 1936 to 1950 (excluding the war years of 42 to 45). Seattle and Portland cars and drivers came up. This is the place where Grant King got his start building sprint cars.

http://www.motorsportscentral.com/langford.asp

 

mlight9-
Are you Mark Light, the guy i saw running at the Grove as a kid?

 

FTF, which blue oval is that (which engine)?