60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

i have to ask! dose any one in here remember a old timer dirt tracker from paterson new jersey by the name of pappy hough from gasoline alley. i can still remember that miget he built with a cut down 283 made into a v4.

that man was my main mentor and teacher of dirt and street rodding.

 

I don't think there are many guys in this area that had any interest in the old cars that didn't get to meet Pappy !He signed me up as a N.E.A.R. member back around 74 he wasn't really pushy or anything I can remember he was just a real like able old guy back then and and it was easy for him to convince me to join.He knew some info on my dad who drove midgets and "big Cars" around New England just after WWII

 

Sad news. 70's sportsman and modified dirt racer George Ault has died. George raced at Flemington and East Windsor Speedways in his 11-7 cars. George won a number of sportsman features, a strong runner in modifieds. Almost won a feature in modifieds at East Windsor, ran out of fuel last lap, 4th turn, passed by Glen Fitzcharles. George had a bad wreck at Flemington that ended his career.

George was 56 years old.

RIP from Les, Mark, Tony , the crew You wrecked it, we fixed it.

 

That was a Pro Stock/ Late Model, I drove it at Hudson Speedway and Lee Speedway in New Hampshire and Thompson Speedway in Conneticut during the 1985 season.

 

Yeah, I guess slab sides would have been the standard in 1985.

Cars bodied like that now a days are kinda rare since the ABC bodied late models got to be so prevalent.

Sometimes I'm kinda miffed that I missed so much of the "good" parts of stock car racing, being born so late in the century.

I would miss the computers and other electronics, but I think I would have really enjoyed the racing in the late 60's or early 70's.

Now everything seems to come out of a catalog, and the cars all look alike. It just ain't got the same soul that it used to.

 

I had the pleasure of catching up with (John) Ace Lane, Jr. this past summer at Ken Brenn's great show in Warren, NJ. (Don't miss that annual show next year!!)

A GRRRREAT GUY .. he is still covering the races regularly at Wall Stadium & New Egypt (New Jersey).

Ace Jr's. son (third generation) is now following his Dad & Grandad & taking pictures at various tracks. As an example he was at Riverhead on Long Island, NY taking some this past season.

I hope Ace Jr. is at the annual Stan Lobitz shindig in Hazleton PA tomorrow.

All of us Long Islander's miss Islip .. Freeport too.

Wasn't it Bobby Lane that plowed into Tom Baldwin .. between the first & second turns at Riverhead .. resulting in the FLAMES from Baldwin's car reaching as high or higher than the utility poles?

 

You are so right Cool Hand, thats why we loved the Mods of the 60's.
When you went to Trenton or Langhorne at the end of the season it was sooo cool. You would see cars from all over and with that the ideas that each builder used was amazing. So much of it was " seat of the pants engineering" but it was truly amazing and sometimes a little scary.Cars would come from way up north and from as far south as the Carolinas and everywhere in between. I know Modifieds were a little behind the times compared to stuff that was happening on the West coast. We were using staight axle front ends into the 70's But at least they were "Flemke front ends". In the 80's when we were running the Pro Stocks we still were building our own stuff and had alot of indivduality. The shows we went to in NH & Conn brought a varied range of cars and by then the Mods were well on there way to being weekly IROC cars.

 

Here's a decal and a photo from Weissglass Stadium which was open from 1953 to 1972.

 

If we're mentioning Weissglass Speedway, we might as well mention my website, www.weissglassspeedway.com and my museum. George LeBlanc.

 

Randomrodder
I was perusing the thread and came across your post. Freeport was definatley running. I remember racing against John at Islip in '77 if my brain cells aren't to far gone. It was an open comp sunday afternoon show. the islip figure 8 cars on the oval and they let us run our freeport bomber cars against them. the only other guy I can actually remember running with us was Louie Cappola with his Mustang, but there was a full field.

Bruce

 

i wish dirt racing could go back to 80's style cars and prices today's racing is pricing the weekend warriorers out of the sport its nascar in dirt bacislly.

 

that was pappy for sure. but when thought you, you learned and kept it with you.

i had a 36 poncho 3 window he fabed up for me. the front end out of a ford enconoline van, a 1959 389 backed up by a muncie and a pappy special rear end. a 55 to 58 olds houseing, 59 to 64 center and pappy custom cut down 59 to 64 axles to fit the shorter rear houseing, he even redid the ford wheel bolt pattern to match up the olds rear.

i saw the car here locally last year, starting talking to the owner, got a ohh i did this and that. lloking from under at the left side custom motor mount barcket asked the owner what the phh stick welded into it ment,

let him have it in front of about 20 other guys. it means pappy houg hough. i'm the guy pappy built the car for in 1969. haven't seen it locally since.

yah i owned the car but pappy built it.

another good old time guy was peter gardner from sussex county. give those 2 a stick welder and say what you wanted done.

circle track they both were tops in the feild at the time

 

No .. I'm POSITIVE it was Riverhead .. Baldwin was stopped (a wreck in front of him & others) and Bobby Lane evidently never saw them & PLOWED into the back of Baldwin FULL BORE!!

 

Bobby was an OK guy, he gave my parents some deal on their vynal siding. I was very good friends with His son, Richie Wheeler. last I heard, Richie was living down in Texas and his girl.wife had been involved in a massive accident and hasn't been the same since.

I sure would like to get in touch with him again.

I recall Bobbu running his Modified at Dover, finished 6th, highest finishing Long Island Mod. That was the race that Troyer fell ill and Geoff Bodine got behind the whell of the 6 car and made up 6 laps and won the race.

What a day that was!

 

I know for sure his mom ran there, he showed me photos of her. Marty Himes has a bunch of them. Real nice lady. I doubt Johnny even remembers me but, I do seem to leave some sort of impression on people. LOL Just ask Richie!

 

It must have been a night we missed, i don't even recall hearing about it from Bobby or Richie. Maybe Richie was living in Hoeseheads at the time.

I need brain re-fresher, LOL If I ask my wife, she will probably slap me upside my head and say, don't you remember............ DOH!

If it WAS Riverhead then I might not have known about it. We did not like the atompshere there when Islip shut down and only went now and then. Got back into rodding full time.

 

Hi Emil, I was at Dover for that race also. One of the best races I've ever seen, Keith

 

George ..

Maybe you can give my memory a boost here?

What was the name of the OTHER track that was once on Staten Island (NY)? Also, do you have any idea of when it ws run?

THANKS!!!!

 

Prepare for GOOSEBUMPS!!! These photo's are from a collection of a friend of mine Wayne Gregory. I'm about to post a whole slew of photos. I know most of the drivers name, but I'll let you have the enjoyment of naming them! lol MOST of them are modified and MOST of them are Islip Speedway!!! A few misc. pictures but it will bring back Islip memories! Forgive me of the ones not modifieds, but think you'll still leave with a HUGE smile on your faces!!! Have I let you down before! lol

 

What a treasure trove Pete!

 

Man, I miss talking to TB...

 

Great pics Bull and guys! A treasure trove! Thanks, Jacky.