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

Does anyone here know how to contact former USAC driver Mark Alderson or his wife Sherii? I've tried the usual ways and have struck out. On 411.com I found a couple of Mark or M. Aldersons listed for Indy but not all have phone numbers.

Email contact information will work as well as a phone number.

Thanks.

Mike Garrepy

 

Yes! I met them! I was introduced, said a quick hi, hello, and we all had to go.. I'd have loved to talk to them. They said the car was very much together and complete.

JD

 

MORE FROM GREG SMITH:

QUOTE:Boys , thank you both so much for your help.
Doing things from 10,000 miles away is always a drama.
I got in touch with Carroll (Blackie-Suede) because I saw a rack of transmissions in the background of one of his photos on the site and I was chasing something with a clutch for the Shilala.
He gave me Rich's phone number and long story short , no transmission , but this instead.
It is the 1967 Curtis Auto Center Special , entered by Frank Curtis (yes Curtis with a "C") and driven on the Championship trail from '67 to '69 by Bay Darnell, Dee Jones, and Al Loquasto always as #37
Entered and qualified for INDY in 1969 but smacked the wall on his cool down lap after qualifying and then didn't have the dough to fix it!!
Sat in barns for 38 years.
A friend also bought a lovely CAE sprinter from Rich through your contact Carroll ,so double thanks.
Although it is a Championship car it might be worth putting a picture up as it is pre '69 and the thread has led to its rescue.
Interesting , it ran a 320 CU IN stock block Chev against the quad cam Fords and turbo Offys on very little money ,but still managed to run mid field in a home made space frame car .
Probably the last true "Special" at the Brickyard
Once again, many thanks
Cheers Greg

 

after Len Duncan, Bobby Marshman was my hero, great talent....

 

According to the Indy paper, Josh, all the area they had was sold out to exhibitors. Tony talked the city into a contract through 2015, and they expect it to double in size next year. Hopefully, I'll be able to make it next year. Maybe pass up the IRP trip in late July.

 

Prepping the C/E #8 for Bobby Marshman to run the 1962 Reading opener, where he finished 4th.

 

Help, looking for miscellaneous parts for Smith Jiggler V860. I need two rocker stand covers and one "Smith" lid. bobryan@bwig.net or 612 889 2212 Thanks!

 

Sorry if this is off topic but today I got an incredible present, when I was 16 years old Rich Vogler was driving my dad's cars, he won the 1978 USAC National Midget Championship Rich's first and sadly my dad's last as he died that year of cancer, we had 2 cars that were identicle, one was sold to Sherman Armstrong now belongs to Don Smith, the other was left in California after Turkey night and was bought by a man named Larry Pestorich, I only met him one time at Ascot I think in 1981 Tommy Astone was driving the car and Tommy had also driven for us and was like a big brother to me, anyway Mr. Pestorich has had this side panel and bumper in his office ever since they bought the car. Somehow through Fred James who owns Magnum axles and Brad Kuhn this years USAC Midget Champion he sent this back to me with a real nice letter. I can't believe the side panel still exists just like it did the day I last saw the car, I know it sounds dumb but I'm really kinda choked up that I have these pieces

 

Hi Racer5c,
Great story about the body panel and bumper. Those parts are " back home" where they belong! Racing people are the best!

 

Roy, you had a right to choke up. That is fantastic.

 

Rootie -- Buildy .. anyone

Could this have been the Hewlett, Long Island, NY Frank Curtis who fielded cars in the 50's?

THANKS

 

Yep, one and the same.
1969 owner standings:

 

Yes my Grandmother lived right down the block from Curtis. He had some fast sprints and midgets in the 50s. Wally Campbell drove for him,Ted Tappett too and others.

Frank Curtis was a grumpy old cuss when I was a kid. We tried to check out what he was doing in his garage,but he would chase us off.
Uncle Jerry drove his Indy car a time or two in the seventies.

It was a different car from the one in post 8364.

 

Wally Campbell in the Curtis 8jr. It began life as a conventional Kurtis upright midget, but inspired by Vukys F.I. spl. Indy car, Curtis sliced and diced it into a roadster config. Jimmy Bryan was also one of its drivers early on.

 

That is a great piece Roy!!

 

That`s Wally Campbell in the B&W photo on the left.

Thanks Roy.

 

.....'Roy, 'Great story! Larry's a super-cool guy and it was him that introduced John Runjavac to racing as a car owner. You're right on, when Larry quit driving, Tommy Astone took over and then it was them that got Little Billy going. After all those years of being loyal to Don Edmunds, was that the Grant King midget that your Dad sold to Larry and Runjavac? And the car Rutherford drove at Turkey Night, 1977? 'Either way, please don't ever feel that anything you have to offer is off-topic. You're another one besides macmiller that could write a book on all your experiences and we'd all be interested. Thanks!

 

We had two King cars, not sure if that's the one Rutherford drove or not, My dad was still loyal to Edmunds but Edmunds was busy building Lightning Indy cars and didn't have the time to build the new midgets my dad wanted so Grant King built the last two cars he had. I think Edmunds might not have been real happy but my dad did go to Edmunds and wanted him to build the cars. Also I was wrong John Runjavac is the one who bought the car, it's been so long ago and like I said I only met him once. Also Little Fauss I am sure you know but the others might not, Tommy Astone was little Billy Vuckovich's uncle. Billy and I grew up together, and the year I won the Hoosier Dome him I and P.J. Jones had a lot of fun in his rental car lol

 

Kick ass find Roy! Good for you.. That was one of my favorite era's in the Vogler book.

J Shaw

 

Been out of commission for a spell as the docs took another inventory and turned me loose. Did anybody ever respond to the question I asked about Marv Faw Ranger powered roadster built in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the mid 1950's? Haven't had a chance to go thru all of the pages to see. Also if I can ever figure out how to post a photo I have several old Mutual Roadster and late 1940's midget shots from Indiana and Ohio. I have often wondered what happened to those magnificent old roadsters and with the exception of the #93 Pete Allen and the #38 of Tom Cherry, I have never seen any restored of know of their whereabouts.

 

Roy...Found an old book this morning...I didnt see this for years, good timing with your cool gift. There is a pic inside from terre haute with the bumper bent just like that.....

 

In spite of what it says on the casting, there was nothing quick about it.

Actually there was only one change gear that ran inside an internal ring gear of 48 teeth. When you loosen the four bolts and slide the box rearward at some too soon point, the end of the splined drive shaft hits the u joint cross. Now you have an opening which may or may not let your hand get in there to pull the gear off the splined input shaft. I could barely get my hand in and get the gear off but played hell getting the shallow splines lined up for the new gear.

Became quicker to take the rear radius rods loose and the rear spring mount and roll the whole thing rearward to the extent the brake hoses and shock links allowed.

 

The Marv Faw Ranger was of course a laydown engine! Good trick with what was originally a fairly tall inverted in-line 6 air cooled aircraft engine.

I will ask a few questions in the coming weeks of some locals who might have some info to share.

 

Congratulations Roy,nice storey for a nice person dislpay with pride & enjoy.

 

USAC rookie Greg Weld, in his own ex-Davis Chebby, duels with the 'old master' Jud Larson in the other 'old master's' Offy, 1965. Kind of prophetic, as in the next couple of years many of the 'old guard' were either dead, disabled or had given up on the sprints and the next generation started to take over.

 

Rootie, re your post #8378, is that DAVIS as in "Willie" ???
mlight9.

 

Do any of you out there have any pics in midgets, sprints, or champ dirt cars of Ronnie Duman/ I always thought of him as one the better drivers, and a great guy to talk to.
Thanks for any help.

 

Yes, the former C-T Auto rig.

 

Duman #19 splitting McElreath #2 and Carl Williams at Springfield 67 and in the Fetter car, IRP 63.

 

Duman hearding the Gabriel Shocker around Langhorne and Milwaukee 1963.