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

'Bob Coutts, 'My hat's off to you; for running your sprint car at the old State Fairgrounds and your midget at Cal-Expo in Sacramento. Yes, all of the pics of Silver Crown (Champ Dirt) Cars are from the old California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento at the corner of Broadway and Stockton Blvd. The old fairgrounds hosted races up until that fateful day, October 25th, 1970. The California Exposition and State Fair was built and started in August of 1970 on the brand new Expostion Blvd. (right off Interstate business 80) but, did not host a race until 1975. It was a non-National Championship motorcycle race hosted by Wildcat Promotions. The following year, J.C. Agajanian (technically, his sons, Agajanian Enterprises) started running AMA Grand National races. It wasn't until June of 1989 that the first USAC Silver Crown race was run at Cal Expo. And these first few races were promoted by a group of gentlemen, including Tom Hunt (Joe Hunt Magnetos) and other successful bsuinessmen. 'Off and on until about 1999 until, like you said, the horsemen finally won out. Today, they are even contemplating ripping out the mile and an eighth dirt track and the grandstands to make room for a possible arena for the Sacramento Kings (basketball) team to play in....'You are right, the old fairgrounds was real dirt, whereas Cal Expo, being right next to the American River is very, very sandy and is extremely hard on tires for both the bikes and cars.

 

YES> The Johnny White car was bought by a fellow that lives in Redmond, Oregon and he ran it a few times with WESTCOAST VINTAGE RACERS and then sold it a couple years ago back east some place. It had all of the pictuers that the White famly had given him.

 

Independent front suspension and steering off the left front. How was the right front steered?

Does this car have a RF and LF drag link to the steering box?

 

Yep, I guess he didn't become the premeire steering box builder by accident.

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13563/Schroeder-Indianapolis-Special.aspx

 

Hey, Josh it is for sale on Ebay and already has your name on it.

Blacki-Suede

 

Ha!! Nice... I like that.

Josh Shaw

 

It is

 

Al Keller, Curly Boyd-IRP-61

 

Thanks, Rootie. I love collecting older photos from IRP. I wish I'd had some of these when I was the news director and was doing the programs.

 

I think that is from the first openwheel race on the pavement 7/61.

 

Came across this pic at one time and thought it was from Milwaukee. Looking closer, the background and lack of "curtains" make me think it may be IRP. Also the cars/tires look to be mid/later 60s and I don't think (?) they ran sprints too much past the early 60s at Milwaukee. (?)

 

i, dont have a picture but I, remember it I, was there Miller Time !!!

 

Rootie
The 7 car in the front row was my gramps if it says will county auto wreckers on the side...joliet il. If so, IRP, Ligouri or Knepper, late 65 or early 66.

 

Thanks, Jim

 

Some cars from Southeast Missouri. All of these are from 1970 or earlier, the track closed after the 1970 season.





Big Mike

 

Best I could come up with:
IRP June 27 1965
#3 Mario
#7 Knepper
#51 McClusky
#92 Weld (winner)
#2 Larson
?
#11 ?
Looks a lot like A.J. back in 8th

 

Love this thread. I work at Whip City Speedway in Westfield MA (whipcityspeedway.com). On July 18 the Atlantic Coast Old Timers will be bringing their cars to show and also for some hot laps!!! Come see them! I will get some shots to post.
Mike

 

crash scenes but no fatalities...

 

finishing touch on the new NOVI car being built here in INDY...... new tail fin fresh out of the mold ready for installation

 

Rootie...you are the man.
My father said that was about right..had to call him since my memory at 5 may have been clouded...lol
It raced at the Minn. State fair by Ray Elliot. On the way back from that race, They (gramps/gram) were involved in a wreck while towing that car home. Rutherford came along...made sure they were taken to the hospital, took the car to a garage somewhere, and checked in to let them know where the car was and that all was well. If I remember the story correctly, seems that Rutherford may have won there. A very touching act by a great driver, and human being. I dont remember where that car ended up, but there were a few sprinters that Sonny Ates bent up at winchester. That may have been one of them.

 

That picture of McGraff i the car is the CITY of TACOMA Kurtis chassis #317 built in 1948 and owned by Leo Dobry of Tacoma, Wash.

 

The car in your picture was built in the ANSEN shop by Biff Caruso. EAGLE ELECTRIC in Spokane, Wash. owned the car and it was driven by Bud Gorder. My car won the championship over the EAGLE ELECTRIC car and my car was the old JIMMY CAMPBELL sprint car that ran IMCA for years and was over 20 years old in 1966. BOB GREGG drove for me. The Eagle ELECTRIC car done much better in 1967 with JIM ROBERTS driving, They gave us some competion.

 

J.R. is the real deal and a credit to the sport for sure, both he and his wife Betty have done a lot, behind the scenes, to help out racers over the years.

 

Kurtis, that pic of Mel Hanson has always been one of my favorite pictures

 

Jimmy Davies, Allen Crowe and Herk- Terre Haute 1961.

 

Rootie, is that the same midget race in 61', that this dude won?

I bought this great shot of A.J. in Hank Greens midget, from Ken Coles, this is the Hut Hundred, in 1961.

 

random..

 

Can't say for sure Mitch, they ran the midgets twice at T/H in 61. The track doesn't look as heavy as in the A.J. shot, which doesn't mean much.

 

Rootie, from the background beyond the wall I'd almost bet it was IRP, but it seems like you've already had it confirmed.