I was trying to figure out where this shot and the next few post came from. Is that Fred harbach at Trenton when it was a one mile oval?
Sorry Dog, I picked up the posting in the middle and didn't see the previous page with the Title. Do you know what year this was?
back in the 70's I raced at a track in gibsonton fl. eastbay raceway, one of my cars I built was 68' charger I put the paint on almost with the exact paint scheme as the one iggy is in in a post up top , I gotta find my pictures and learn how to post them instead of just babbling about what was, this is such a great thread I have to contribute, anyone out there have any of gibtown 's track and the 'ol 44 I drove mostly mopar and pontiac, but did have a chevy for a few races after I flipped the poncho to pieces one night,
Calhoun, I might have told this on here before, and if so, I'm sorry. One of my favorite Les Snow stories... At the Louisville Downs race (the one where Iggy is qualifying in my avatar), they used the horse barns for garages. Les climbed into the No. 6 and fired up the hemi, and the walls on both sides fell down.
GATR Trucks practicing at Atlanta. Flagging these things was a real experience. This was before they started chopping and modifying them, and they were real ten-wheelers. One hit the fence hard coming off the fourth turn in practice, and what looked like a brake caliper went as high as I've ever seen any part fly. Looked like a mortar shell coming down, and I was scrambling as it just missed the grandstand. When everything settled down, I heard somebody say on the radio, "Are they done?" and two hands came up over the inside wall, then one of our pit stewards peeked over the top carefully like in the Kilroy drawings.
Here's one I remember coming across on the internet of Les Snow. That Coronet Super Bee looks pretty sweet.
Well sometimes a talented fella like Frank gets a tad bit overworked and he sometimes can't get everything done he wants to. The producer of the FMS card set (his Dad) wanted to roll out the card set since so many requests were ordered and paid for, so Frank finished the card set before he could ever finish the booklet as he still needed a few more interviews before it could be completed. The plan to mail out the booklet after the card set never materialized because Frank (at that period in time) was over-involved in producing much of the new Kentucky Speedway's new material such as their logo and early marketing materials and their website. So the booklet had to eventually be called off. There was no way to explain all this to everybody, and really, the card set was so over-the-top popular, the booklet wasn't even going to compare to it. Still, when confronted, Frank always explains to people that if they felt short-changed, he'll gladly refund their money in exchange for their card set. And to this day, he hasn't ever had to give a refund. So, when you're placed in a position that Frank is, you are eventually going to "tick-off" a few people. Just like the card set though, some of Frank's best stuff will roll out eventually, he's working on a great project. Nice forum by the way.
The chopped Camaro was Andy Vertrees. Car was nicknamed the "roller skate". The year was about 1975, at the high point of the "modified" Figure Eight era at Fairgrounds when wide open tire rules and chassis specs reached their peak. Soon after, the rules outlawed such kind of car and got back to basics (street stock) again. Richard Bloyd took a Huey Darnell Camaro to the season title several years later. But the two cars weren't even close to comparision.
ScoMoto, I agree that Frank sometimes shoots too high and is so busy he can't get everything done that he wants to do. E-mail me at indybigjohn@roadrunner.com and I'll give you a phone number. We need to talk. Also got a great Butterball story I need to do in one of my columns sooner or later.
I need to hunt up my old truck shots. It was funny watching the pit crews pull a 6' long jack over the pit wall to change tires. Was this the same race that ran the same show as the Indy cars at Atlanta? I believe we crossed paths many times with out knowing it.
There is someone comming next week to start scanning my old negatives for the Georgia Autmobile Racing Hall of Fame Assoc. When that is done I will try to post more of my stuff.
Actually, Falconred, this one was with an ASA program. But I'm sure we've crossed paths at one point or another.
I was there at the ASA show also. I was shooting for Racing News at the time. Didn't Balough hit the wall in practice? Here are some shots out of an old album. I am going to reprint several rolls of asphalt photos that were messed up in my basement.
Well Falconred, at least we know one place where we've crossed paths, in addition to Georgia International. I would also bet on Nashville. I don't remember Balough hitting the wall, but the memory is getting a little fuzzy. I remember Butch Miller getting into the wall in Turn 1 at Atlanta once, but that was when we were running with CART. Nice set of photos...thanx.
guys just to let you know,keep the faith old nashville ain't quite dead ...............yet,close but still a shimmer of hope!!!!
I hope so, B.A. We have to respect our history. Too many of those old places are gone now. N.D. Copley was an ARCA driver from Hodgenville, Ky., and his son PM'd me asking if I remembered him, and if I had any photos. Indeed, I do remember N.D., and I found this one of Fords on parade at Salem in one of Wayne Doebling's stacks. That's Bruce Gould of Batavia, Ohio in a Bowsher-built Ford No. 68 and Copley in his own No. 62.
Falconrod - How does a photo collector get some of the prints your planning on prodcuing? I'm interested - jhehl@fgcu.edu email me - thanks!
As many of you know, before I became the race director, I was the track photographer for Georgia International Speedway in Jefferson, GA. With all the revising and reopening the track as Gresham Motorsports Park I thought I should let you know why the track exists at all these days. Rob Joyce came down from Indy, leaving his custom van and truck shop and his part time job as an ASA tech-man to take over management of the track when it was bought out by the principles of Prototype Engineering of engine fame. Rob took the track and babied it, groomed it and kept it in opperation for several years with a constant lack of funds and many times uncooperative owners. Every time the track seemed to be picking up the money for ads and such would dry up. (Don't get me wrong, the owners poured a fortune in the track but never seemed to be able to spend when the peak was about to be reached). Rob spent all his time at the track as well as funding many repairs and maintenance himself. Unfortunately Rob never saw the track reach it's potential and left the opperation to go into business. The photo below shows Rob's love for the track as this is one of his wedding photos taken following his wedding. He and his wife Kathy are pictured next to the entrance sign to the track and they were married in the brick track building in the background. May Rob rest with the knowledge that he gave his heart to two wonderful things, Kathy and the track he loved. Rob left us in June of 2006.
Here is a couple of items I ran across this moning in my pile I call my files. How would you like to have this line up on a short track today?
This is from newspaper reports of a later World Crown when it was a joint, All American Challenge (200 laps) and Busch (200 laps). We also ran a local limited latemodel race of 100 laps so this years race was called th WC 500 instead of the usual 300. You will also notice results from Lanier Speedway who had a Dash race and local races, dirt races at Dixie and 7 Flags also owned by Micky Swiams, and a couple of local dragstrips.
Thanks, Falconred. I think Dan Spence and I flagged that 1984 race. A cold Thanksgiving weekend. You were the one who told me sometime back that Rob had left us, and I still think about him. Ironically, the last time I saw him was at Roger Holdeman's funeral.
The Jalopy Journal
