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

I'd never thought it would be spelled that way either. You right about hotrodders and racers 'back in the day' even ol' A.J. spent some time in a belly tank.

 

Here is a picture of the HOW/KEY car from 1957

http://www.thevintageracer.com/king/vintage_ow2-7.htm

And 1954

http://www.thevintageracer.com/king/vintage_ow3-1.htm

 

OldBill is DA MAN! What a resource. There's no doubt in my mind that, between OldBill, Jim Nise, Wynns, Mlight, Mac, Roy, SteveE, etc. etc. we have about as close to THE difinitive history of open wheel racing 1950-1970, as one can find, right here with a few clicks of the mouse. How cool is that!

 

Another view of Branson 1957. Looks as though the radius rod pickup points were changed by then but still parallel bar rear. The cross bars were probably put on when the v-8 went in.

 

Jim, any info on the #12 car/Hulman/George etc???
mlight9.

 

Here are some photos of Al Chamberlain. First two in 1959; last two in 1960. The No. 66 car is Dave Humphrey in the Lynch Chevy. Jim Nise also has a fine portrait of Al.

 

As far as the # 12 HOW sprinter, I know I have it on an 8mm movie. i'll have to try to review it. I remember McCluskey and Wayne Weiler dring them with Offies at Langhorne in 1960 Sprint race. Elmer was still serving his 1 year suspension for Hitting Tommy Nickolson (USAC east head guy) for getting black flagged during the June 1959 Champ car race. So that's all I know for now MLight9.

Here is a picture of the 21 at Reading 1959.

http://www.thevintageracer.com/reading/reading_fairgrounds1.htm

 

I'm curious as to when George came into possesion of the #21 Lesovsky car that went on to become the Traco/Foyt-Wagner/Reichert car. Did he have 2 or more cars in his stable at one time or did he get it after he sold the one to Colvin/ Shepard?

 

OldBill;
Thanks much for posting the pics. I never raced with Al, but i did race with Dave Humphrey several times. Very good driver, and the Lynch car was no sloutch either!

 

The second HOW car (No. 12) was built for Elmer and Mari George in 1960, apparently with funding from Tony Hulman. It ran that season as the "Tony's Special" and was first run at Reading on April 17. Elmer was still suspended by USAC, so Roger McCluskey drove it, with Wayne Weiler in the original HOW car; McCluskey and Shorty Templeman also drove the older car in 1960 (both still run by the HOW team); and Elmer after his suspension. The new car had an Offy at first, but was quickly changed to a Chevy.


In 1961 the new car was run as No. 21 (still the "Tony's Spl.," with the older car No. 4 as the HOW Spl. The older car was changed to a Chevy during the 1961 season. In 1962-early 1963 the new car was still No. 21, black and white but with no name. The older car was still George's but was the "500 Platolene" No. 5 and was red in 1962. It was sold to Jack Colvin in mid-1962. The new car was sold to A.J. in mid-1963 and repainted white with blue trim, still as No. 21. Foyt changed it to No. 2 for 1964. Foyt ran the car through 1964, then sold it to Frank Wagner as No. 62.

 

O.K. Thanks Bill, that's kinda what I had figured, all the 21s-12s-5s-4s were getting me confused

 

Spike, you asked for more info on Al Chamberlain. Al was a (very) good modified stock car driver from Altoona, PA. He had a short sprint car career. Drove the Leitenberger Offy once in 1954 with AAA at Flemington; finished 9th. Bought his own midget in 1955; raced with AAA a half-dozen times; ran in top ten consistently.

In 1959 bought two-year old Chevy-powered Hillegass sprinter which Walter Beletsky had campaigned in USAC in 1957 and 1958, with George Landry and Red Riegel driving. Al painted it black as No. 55. Started 1959 at IMCA Florida State Fair series in Tampa in a Myers Chevy (which might have been his own car); didn't make any of four features. Ran six more IMCA races later in season in his own car; got a 4th and two 5ths. Ran at least four with URC, won two (at Selinsgrove, Shelby). Ran 7 USAC shows in own car; got three finishes in top 12. Still also racing modifieds.

For 1960 Chamberlain painted his No. 55 light brown and cream. Took it to IMCA Tampa races without much success. Then to USAC at Reading and Langhorne, again without much success. He raced with URC seven times, got a win at Abbottstown, four seconds, a third and a seventh, and then towed out to IMCA with his younger brother, John. He got four fourths, two fifths and two sixths in features in his car and was offered a ride in the Chet Wilson Chevy. He was killed in that car in a five car crash at the start of the consy at Lincoln, Nebraska, on Labor Day. He was 29.

John raced the No. 55 car with URC through the end of the season, then retired. I believe Wynns # 1 has restored the car as the Beletsky Chevy.

Bob Mays excellent book Big Car Thunder, Vol. 1 has a good description of the circumstances around crash, with photos.

 

OldBill;
Thanks for all that great info on Al. I didnt know he ran stock cars . Was he related to Gerald Chamberlain? Reason i ask is; same last name, and Gerald was pretty good in Sprints and Modifieds also. What a small world!

 

Spike, don't know if Gerald was a relative; he was sure a good stock car shoe, though, and later on with URC. Vern "Speed" Chamberlain was another guy who ran consistently well in IMCA; doubt that he was related.

 

I have been following the Vintage Sprint Car thread on the HAMB since the beginning, and I'm looking for pictures and information for my sister-in-law, who's husband was a sprint car and modified driver for quite a few years in the northeast.

Due to the increased number of people that have joined the thread recently, and mainly due to the rude ignorance of a couple of people to even offer a reply to my PM's about anything they might recall about him, I'm posting this for everyone to see.
______________________________________________________________


His name was Richard LeFever, and he drove a sprinter that was purchased out of the Maryland area.

The first car they bought and ran was a red Offy Meyer-Drake motored car that was purchased from Dave Welk, and repainted brown with the
# 49. The car actually belonged to an older businessman named Hargas.

The car ran namely in the Williams Grove, Reading, Mason-Dixon Speedway, Tequay Speedway, Hatfield, Susquehanna, Lincoln, Syracuse, Port Royal, Flemington and Bridgeport circuit.

The second car they bought and ran was a Red/White/Blue Curtis Offy #21, and ran primarily the same circuit. He drove primarily in the 60's and 70's, and later was a car builder and co-manager of Flemington Speedway for a couple of years along with Joe Hall. He also drove quite a few modified races during the Budd Olsen days.

Rich passed away this past spring, and I was looking for copies of any old photos, newspaper clippings, etc. with him in it, that I could possibly give to his widow Debbie.



Any help would surely be appreciated.
Thanks.
Bryan
Spring Hill, Florida

 

OldBill;
Gerald really got around Reading in that #76 Modified owned by Joe Bullock!
I remember several years before he started running Modifieds regularly; he drove a Sprint Car which was outlawed at several different tracks. Everitt Speedway told him the car was legal, but couldnt run simply because it was too fast!
They got away with that for a month or so, but in the end they got pressure from the very drivers he had been beating every week! Just shows that REAL drivers love competition! The pressure these guys put on the track was to let him run.

 

Grinderspark, I recall the name, but I don't have any info on him. I'm sure your public appeal will result in some of the guys on this thread coming up with something.

 

I, think you boys are mixin a How sprinter with How champ car , a few pic show a sprinter and a few show a champ car what do you think ????

 

No, the w/b of the Branson/HOW car is definatly a sprint car, and also, Branson never drove the HOW champ car.

 

Some stuff from today at Irving Texas

 

My new 49 champ car take on 4bar Kurtis , po boy offy !!

 

Hey y'all,

Just got back from the Historical Racing Festival at Darlington (SC) Raceway... Awesome field of cars there. I even had the pleasure of meeting Corngrower32 (who started this most wonderful time killer of a thread ) but wasn't able to spend alot of time with him as he was actually working!! Proof below.

 

Few more pics of 1949 car

 

Looks great, very nice work. It's begging for some Knobbies and ribs though.

 

"BS in SC" It was cool meeting you today! Sorry I couldn't talk longer, But yeah, I was working.

Been a great weekend!

I CAN'T BELIEVE the speeds they are allowing the cars to run!!

It's truly... "as fast as the driver and car feels comfortable" They watch everyone CLOSELY!! (trust me, I had a head set and heard it all) The Indy roadsters are running an honest 100 - 120 Mph. The big block modifieds are around 120 - 130 and some cat in a REAL Dale Earnhardt 90's Lumina was hittin 150 in the final session down the straights. It was EXCELLENT!

JD

 

That thing is looking Great! You sheet metal guys amaze me. Can't wait to see it done.

 

thats one of them rare single stick Offy's lol, Looks great!!

 

Is anybody interested in an RM auction on Oct. 9 where the 1949 Belanger Special Indy roadster and a Miller front drive engine are being auctioned off from the Thompson Auto / Aviation museum in Cleveland?

per HJmaniac:

I am crushed. I had efforts on a few of these cars. The Balanger Special Indy Car I had worked on for over a year. I did all of the lockwiring on it too. There were only two of us that knew how too. S patterns etc all that Crap. I dissasembled and assembled all of the sheetmetal and belly pans on it. Helped with the engine assembly and located parts for it.

http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=HF09&CarID=r110


I found aluminum castings for the Bugatti too.

Lots 601 - 625 are the Crawford Cars.

http://www.rmauctions.com/CarList.cfm?SaleCode=HF09

 

Very cool, take this over to the W.G. old timers board and post more we love them. One of the historic pieces to run central Pa. The 456 Bobby Allen drove I believe started out as a pavement car.

 

You guys blow me away.....nice car metal bender.