I'm a newbie here but I've been checking the site out for some time. I just discovered this thread a couple days ago and have been thrilled to see some of the pics. I've been a Bobby Hamilton fan since he drove for Petty and have been trying to find stuff from his racing career's early days, especially since he passed away. Aside from a grainy video on YouTube, I've been coming up empty. Can anybody here help me?
Anyone know who drove this Nova? It was in the mid 70s at Athens, Toccoa or Lavonia Speeday. My dad took it and can't remember what track he was at when he took it.
When I get time I will try to dig out some photos of that race and more from Lakewood. Just happened to be able to get to this one easily. That's the other "Sam" (Summers) just coming into the photo.
Sam Jr., let me say we're fortunate to have you and your photos, along with your memory, here with us.
That would be most appreciated as I only have a couple. Big Sam was in the 98 car that day but went out early with an oil leak. Race was won by Buck Simmons in Billy Thomas' yellow #22. I got a good view of the back of it. Sam JR P.S. Very glad to have found this site and look forward to all y'alls correspondence. Big Sam just passed this past Jan 3rd, And I'm just now able to look at these photos. Pretty tough still.
Little Brother Mark "Wild Thang". Lapped the field. If he came along now, he would be in a cup car. If you think there was a bunch of school boys there that nite, think again. # 4 that ran second, none other than Clint Smith.
1960 or 61 at Thunderbowl. Look close at the left foot and leg. Had a cast up to his hip. Had a flywheel com apart in his '57 Pontiac in Phenix City at the drag strip.
Sam jr Welcome to the HAMB I heard about the passing of your dad from Mike Bell. I am sorry to hear about it. Many years ago because of a family medical emergency your Dad gave be a lift on one of his planes from South Ga. back to Birmingham Alabama . About lakewood old Charlie Bagwell ran their in the 40s and the last race there. The about 80 year old is still rideing around the track at watermellon speedway. I think the........ ""{DAMNYANKEE}"" s son is the promoter. On that last race at lakewood Mike Head spun out on the front straight and almost hit several of us dumbasses standing there. One otherthing somebody in a grimlin was leading when he knocked a hole in his oil filter.. I am a charter member of the GARHoF..Keep those photos coming... Bobby........
K9, I think that Gremlin was Charlie Padgett. He was in a Gremlin at that time and drove in that race.
wow, I just spent 3 hours reading this whole thread and what ride. I grew up just west of Charlotte and was at the dirt track almost every saturday night. Everyone I knew raced. Lots of guys had H/M engines. We'd go by the holman-moody's shop on the way into town. We'd skip school and go to qualifying at CMS. (It was free back then). Just walk in and hang around the pits and watch the action. What'd Buddy Baker win the 70 or 71 600 from the infield. Man this was a great walk down memory lane. Thank for the photos guys!!!!
hey guys, If you haven't seen it there is another great stockcar thread on the hamb, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174989 (I have seen some people only posting on one thread , or the other...) there is also a 1969 and older sprint car only thread, but I don't follow that one.
Hey guys I didn't know this thread was in existance. The guys at the 60's and 70's modified thread were gracious enough to let me post pictures of my old stock cars and of cars I built for other people. I raced from 1966 to 2006 in the midwest and California and have about 60 pictures from tracks that I ran like Ascot park,San Gabriel, Saugus, Riverside, Ontario, El Cajon, Carona and El centro calif. And the midwest Salem, Winchester, Louisville Fairgroungs, Sportsdrome, Raceway Park ,Queen City. Dayton and New Breman etc.If you would like I will post them here. They are from the 60's through the 80's. Some of you may know me. I think I know IndyBigJohnand a couple more of you because some of the pictures are familiar.
In 64 there also was another Pontiac the winged deuce driven by Buddy Webb and sponsored by the Pontiac dealership on Hyw131 Clarksville Ind. The Baird car was No. 14 . In 65 Hampton went to a Small block 64 Chevy convertable. I started racing at the Fairgrounds and Jeffersonville Sportsdrome in 1966. The last time I saw the cars they were stacked one on top of the other in a junk yard on Canerun road at I think Millers lane. I tried to buy them to restore but the guy wouldn't sell them. Then one day they were gone and I lost track of them. Allstarracing
This is 1965. The 49 car is Estel Strong I will have to research the others. I started racing at the Fairgrounds and Jeffersonville Sportsdrome Ind in 1966. Allstarracing I also think the no. 36 in the pits is Ed Sweat. Greg Gibson pointed out that the no. 49 could be Walt Ragland. I know that there was a red and white no. 49 at Estels gatage when I was there. Estels number was 70 but he had a partner at one time. Could it have been Ragland? Allstarracing
It was located across from the ball field . It is a parking lot now. If you come in the Fairground off of Crittenden Drive by the expressway it was or you right. My dad was the crane opperator that set most of the bleachers and the prefab exterior walls. I was there opening day because my dad was still setting bleachers even as they practiced and qualified. Good old A Ray Smith told the fair board he would not move his baseball team to the fairgrounds if he had to compete with the race track for fans and didn't like the noise. The track was averaging 3500 fans per night racing Friday figure eight and hobby stock, Saturday night was late models and modifieds. They tore down the race track late 1982 and made it a parking lot for the live stock trailers at the fair. Four years late the ball team was gone because they couldn't bring in a 1000 fans a night, some times only three to four hundred.Allstarracing
There was another car built. It supposedly was the backup car. Joe and Paul Ruggles from California bought it jacked the top back up put stock fenders on it and ran it as a NASCAR westcoast sportsman. I crewed on the car at Riverside and Ontario Speedways 1971. They didn't even repaint the body just buffed the numbers and lettering off and relettered. There were a lot of other stuff done to the car that couldn't be seen. I have pictures of it and other Sportsman cars. I will have to locate them. I am going to post some of my cars today. Hope you enjoy them.
John Yost and I ran this car at San Gabriel, Orange show and Ascot park California in 1970. It was an old Grand National from the Carolinas brought to California and when the boby style was too old he bought it and I crewed for him. This is exiting turn two at San Gabriel ( later 605 Speedway ) Calif.
My first totaly self owned NASCAR sportsman. Ran it at San Gabriel and Orange show. Ran the very first race at Carona. It was a dirt race finished ninth. Orin Prosser won Ivan Balwin second. George and Ron Esau, Floyd Johnson, Joe Ruggles and a host of Sportsman drivers were there.
This is my second NASCAR sportsman. This is the pits at San Gabriel. Clem Proctor had built a t-bird a year or two before and Ron Hornaday Sr. built one the same year I did. It was called the Thunder Bucket and was pictured in Stockcar Racing magizine when it was run at Ontario Speedway. I brought this car back to Kentucky with me. I was on my way down south to race and met an old girlfriend married her and never made it to the Carolinas. Mistake then but have enjoyed the rest of my life.
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