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

Bob Swiekert and a neat looking Iddings car.

 

Yes, I was there that day with the Iddings car... Fall of 1967. As I recall we were trying out some of the first Hoosier sprint car tires ever made. I know we qualified on them but I am not sure if we used them in the features. Fun day!!!
We went to Salem the following week and, also, won the 50 lapper there.

 

I went to the Indy Expo today also. Nice swap meet. I picked up an uncut Kurtis style nose, a tapered midget axle, and some misc. Chevy II parts. Still looking for Chevy II injectors if anybody has any.

I also stopped by the speedway museum and for about 45 minutes I was the only one in there. It was great to get some "alone time" with those cars. When it is quiet you can really start to here the engines and pit chatter.

 

Thanks Brian26 and racer5c, this reminds me of the old days. This site and you guys are great.

Bob

 

My uncle Bob Pratt in the Vivian Buick Special.
Reading in '67 and New Bremen '68

 

Those Dixons were F Head Engines - Intake Valve still in block - exhaust in head

 

'Before I begin, DWPRATT3, 'Your uncle's sprinter is one of the most beautful cars I've seen. Especially for back in those days when so many guys were still running spring fronts and continued to until the mid-seventies when the 4-bar, deep-frame rail cars became the norm. And Rootie, as great a driver as Dean Thompson was, he was also one of the happiest guys I've ever known. Although he didn't die racing, he still died way too young. What's funny, he drove that little TQ midget just like he did that big bad Bruce Bromme sprint car. But, this ones for macmiller. 'Sir, could you please elaborate on one of my favorite sprint cars again, like you did before? Wally's Wynn's Sprinter: 'What's the suspension on the front? It's got a dropped axle like it might have a spring, (which I can't tell) but Wally was always way ahead of the game I thought and surely it would have been a four-bar? And you've informed us before that Paul Leffler was a student of Wally's and didn't he become well known for liking a parallel bar front end? Thanks, macmiller............'knowing how long it takes to do what you do, I still don't know how you find the time to fiddle with this stuff! But thank you!

 

littlefauss

That 31 car is Bob Bogan's son Bill and I think the 9 car driven by Dean was a Don Kischell TQ. Its been a while.

 

Little Fauss --- The #1 Wally M car posted In Indy pit lane is really the Wally #9 car with the #1 on it, after just winning the USAC championship. It is a spring front. The new car Wally built had T bars running length of chassie. The car going over the fence is the new #1 car, on it's only second time out on track. Being old guy -need lesson on how to post pictures-- tell me how And I'll post my copy of that car.

 

Hi
I'm currently restoring Wally's #1. The car was built with parallel front torsion bars; the first of its kind. The design wasn't to Rutherford's liking. Later that season Mario won several features in the car. Perhaps Wally improved it.
Just joined forum a few minutes ago. Looking forward to your discussions.

GREAT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe

 

Looks like a "Stapp" front axle... But, I'm sure a lot of guys had and made Axles like that.

 

Joe, I don't know if she would be able to answer any questions about that car but if you want to talk Wally's daughter Joy e mail me and I will give you her e mail address,

 

Actually, parallel T-bars were used on track roadsters, and some midgets I believe, as early as the 1940s.

 

KK midgets were refered to as spring front or 4-bar cars. The 4-bar cars were parallel bars on all four corners [this in the 40's]. Then they began to put cross torsion on the rear. So you might have cross on the back and either parallel or spring front. Then they went to cross all the way around. In the begining they thought the cross rear gave more forword bite than the parallel rear, but less side bite. Some drivers said they had to ajust their driving some. Cross rear had to get back on the gas sooner in the corner to keep from spinning.
Jim Graybeal

 

Hi racer5c,
I have spoken to Joy already and was very nice. Thanks for your offer. I will keep her updated on the project.
You guys are right about the usage of parallel bars on early midgets but I think it was rarely used on sprinters. Times have sure changed. Today you buy speed and back then it was trial and error.

 

From the Power Block Website..

Courtney Hanson in the "Walker Spl." By Shaw Hot rods.

 

I seen it today Josh. Very cool. I bet you gets some calls on that one.

 

Josh you shoulda had your own model sit in the car she is better looking than the Courtney

 

Little Fauss--- email me at monkeyre@mchsi.com I'll send you the pictures you can post them--- If you want )

 

Josh,
I saw both programs and they kept showing the sprint, great and I hope it gives you some work. Racer5 5 is right, yor Lady looks nicer than the one on TV.
About the brake handles. They were for leverage to the rear brakes[the only brakes old race cars had], mecanical only at first. When juice brakes came along everone driving was use to having a hand brake so theystayed. In the old race cars they all had a clutch[no room for a brake]. When in-out boxes came along they had room for a foot brake. All the drivers were still use ti a hand brake bur got use to using the foot brake[some times along with the hand brake- which for a long time was where the kill button was]. Gene Hartley told me this. The hand brake and foot brake were connected toghter, so everyone could tell when you put the brake on. He got his Dad[Ted Hartley to seperate the two] so no one could tell when he was using his brakes. Driving a race car with skinny tires, you used the brakes a lot in a lap as well as the gas pedal and he did not want other people to know when that was going on. He said the first time was at Eldora in a midget. If anyone remembers Gene was one of the smoothest ever in anythinghe drove and so was his Dad.
Sorry this took so long,
JimGraybeal

 

For those who might be interested, they have updated the Dayton Speedway Lives site yesterday. It has some great new photos and text. He has now added some extra sections to the site including "what's on your bookshelf". Mickey does a very good job keeping this site updated. Check it out at:
http://wthompson4.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx

HG

 

As an old Dayton guy I check the site every week.

 

Way cool, Josh!!!!!!

 

NED FRY, 'Thank you; I just emailed you. sideways27, 'Yeah, I got that pic of the TQ's off of Bill's site. I also always admired that one-of-a-kind midget with the Offy engine that his father Bob had built for Mike Mosley to drive. 'Beautiful car. And wasn't Don Kischell also active and involved in air racing? It seems like I remember being at the Reno Air Races one year and seeing his name in the program as an owner or sponsor??? 'Good for him that he had the insight to see that Deano was going to be a good one. ...'And to Wynns#1, Joe....Wow! 'Unbelievable that you actually have and are restoring one of the most memorable race cars in USAC history. I knew that when Rutherford broke both arms that day that Mario Andretti moved from Wally's #9 into the #1 car. macmiller has come on here before and mentioned that Rutherford hated the changes that Wally had made on the new car. But Andretti loved the car and went on a terror that year. If you read Joe Scalzo's book years ago, he explained that Andretti was downright scary he was so fast and reckless and had so much to lose at that time. Dick Atkins moved into the #9 car. 'Would love to see pics of Dick in the #9 car if anyone has any. Thanks again to all you guys. And Rootie, 'even my Cadillac Seville had parallel bars in the front-believe it or not!

 

No my dad Don Kischell was not in air racing. To let you know that my father was friends with deano mother & father since they were 3 years old. That was a long friendship. Bud & Marge was like my second family. Dean & sister Barbara where my big brother & sister growing up. Yes my fathers cars were know around the world.
If any one has any pictures of the old cars here in the states please let me know. I am putting together a album for the family and need some pictures. My father died in 2001, and the family would like to have memorys of what he has done. Can anyone help me out with this??????Dawnette

 

Yep, so did my 62 Morris Minor

 

Yep..

 

HarleyGene, I agree with you on Mickey's site. I'm a regular and I recommend it to anyone interested in any kind of midwest racing history.

 

hi, I owned this car for more than 25 years and nit is a 1969 Don Edmunds spring front and parallel rear car. I only ran the chevy in the car for 1 year and the rest of the time it was always Ford powered.