History Historic Stock Car Photos

narley Ned, I remember those tracks. And, Moose and the Stovall family were great friends of mine. Really good people.

 

Speaking of Moose.......

Here he is on the high banks at Dayton. From the angle of the shot you can see where Moose gets his name ! The only other driver I knew that had a similar physique was Les Snow.

This race was the last of the year, probably in 1971. It was great, not only because the locals were there, a bunch of the Indiana guys showed up, as well as Senneker & company from Michigan. To top it all off, Tom Collella and a bunch of Pittsburg Racing Association guys were there too.

Moose - "wide angle" shot of the day.

The Oldtimer.......

 

moose myers

 

#3602 the first car is ...

#72 of JR. HANLEY!!

LOVE IT!!! but what track is this!!!

 

I love the Lancaster pics, but I was wondering, was it a rule that they had to use the larger Impalas & galaxies....In So.Cal. during that time everyone ran the smaller Chevelles & Fairlanes.....Just curious.

 

I have a '69 Lancaster rule book somewhere and I'll see what it specified if I can find it. I believe there was some kind of rule, because they allowed Holland/Perry/Cayuga Late Models to compete with the Modifieds and those cars were Chevelles and Chevy IIs. Let me ask around...

 

From the Oct. 8, 1971 issue of Gater Racing News. I'll be selling a bunch of my old Gater News on eBay this weekend. My seller name is lancaster_speedway.



Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend -- with no rain!

 

The #82 in the last picture post # 3588 at Queen City is Danny Dean in the car he bought from Frank Dewboys. The numbers were changed to blue and po' boy special put on the sail panel. This was the way it was painted when I got it. Allstarracing

 

Allstar.....

Here's another shot of the # 82 car.

We'll name the 82 car the Photo of the Day !

Enjoy,

Vegas_oldtimer.

 

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Walter Zoomie posted this photo from Legendsofnascar.com on the Trackforum Nostalgia board, along with a story written by his father in the Indianapolis Times prior to Paul Goldsmith taking his rookie test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1958. Zoomie has been posting some fantastic newspaper stories by his father. What I found neat about this photo, and qualifying it for this thread, is it shows "back in the day" the cars still had the chrome trim on them. It's a 61 or 62 Pontiac, I believe and you'll notice the "Ventura" on the door. Neat.


It is a '61...I just joined and noticed this. It is a bubble top and not the look of the '62.

 

That's neat, JLP. Even has the door handle and button.

 

Dale Earnhardt's destroyed car after flying into the catchfence during a 1989 Busch Series practice at Daytona.



Pictures supposedly exist that show Earnhardt's car flying into the catchfence. Does anybody have photo's of this flip taking place?

From the SCHO website:
"When Dale Earnhardt destroyed his own GM Goodwrench Chevrolet on Valentine's Day, 1989 while practicing for the upcoming Busch Series season opener at Daytona, it left him temporarily without a ride.

The accident took place in the trioval during a morning session, and damaged three fence poles in addition to demolishing his car.

"I was making a one-lap run to see what we could do in qualifying," Earnhardt said in the Feb. 23, 1989 issue of Grand National Scene. "The spoiler was laid way back. A gust of wind cut across the track and I just lost it. The car got out from under me and I tagged L.D. (Ottinger).

"If L.D. hadn't been there, i would have gone on down the center of the race track flipping. It was off the ground when I touched L.D. I don't know what all hit. I know the car got airborne from the right rear and after that, i was just waiting for it to stop."

Earnhardt wound up in Greg Sacks' Busch Series car, a Pontiac. Earnhardt started 27th and finished fourth behind winner Darrell Waltrip (who won the Daytona 500 the next day), Rusty Wallace and Rob Moroso.

Earnhardt would go on to win the next five Busch Series season openers at Daytona."

 

Clipped from the Aug. 27, 1971 issue of Gater Racing News. Always loved those Western N.Y. '57 Chevy Late Models. They became scarce when Lancaster (NY) Speedway declared 1969 as the last year for 1950s cars in the class. They lived on for a year or two more at Ransomville and Holland (Chargers).

 

From the Nashville Fairgrounds Raceway Facebook site:

The 2010 Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville Hall of Fame inductees: Mike Alexander, R. C. Alexander, Gary Baker, Doyle Ford, Tony Formosa, Sr., Jimmy Griggs, Hope Hines, Bobby Hunley, Chuck Lowe, Bill Morton and Sonny Upchurch.

Familar names to us who were around during the ASA-Allpro-All American Challenge Series days and to local racers.

From all indications the days of racing at the old Fairgrounds Track are almost at an end. This also from their site.

"Mayor Dean says THIS IS IT! The last race at the historic Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. October 1st & 2nd - Friday: Dwarf 20, Frt Runner 25 & Super Street 50 plus SuperTruck, Pro LM & CRA qualifying. Saturday: SuperTruck 50, Pro LM 200, CRA 200 (615).730.1587"

"As we approach the final race at the fairgrounds share your special memory."

Hate to loose such a historic race track. Lots of bad talk about the mayor of Nashville and those wanting to close the track and fairgrounds.

 

Nashville:






Local cars:

 

Just what is the Nashville mayor's problem?

 

As with most politicians, GREED. They think they can turn the land and make money on it.

 

Great thread guys! I consider it a huge honor to have read each of the 182 pages so far, an endless amount of history that even someone from my generation can appreciate (born in 1984.) I was able to guess a lot of the old late models from guys like Hanley, Eddy and Sennekker just by their numbers, it was very cool to see how their cars evolved over the years. One of my favorite photos was of the old dirt track '55 that someone pointed out had an offset cage in it!

A couple of questions:
The guy with the the old Merc ex-Banjo or Smokey car, did he ever figure out exactly which car he has?

I'm looking for ARCA/CUP pictures that use the '73 Chevelle/Laguna body. I've got a rolling chassis I'm finishing right now that is that kind of car that I am racing as a street stock around Indiana at tracks like Anderson, Salem, Winchester, and I don't want it to look like anything on the track currently. I'm not a big fan of the metric chassis Monte Carlo's that everyone runs these days with fluorescent numbers and such. I want my car to look like it was an ex-Cup car straight from the past. All I can seem to find is Bobby Allisons red and gold car.

 

Ken Cassel in Al Cretsinger's Camaro at Perry (NY) Speedway, 1973. This car also ran with the Modifieds at Lancaster (NY) Speedway. Over the years, Ron Martin, Bill Brainard and Sonny Wittmeyer also drove this car for Al.


Art Clark (West Seneca, NY) in 1973 at a race in Pa.


Art wrecked his Dodge Challenger Late Model in an accident at Cayuga Speedway (Nelles Corners, Ontario) in 1972 and finished out the season in Dick Flaig's (Eggertsville, NY) Camaro. (Clipping from the June 23, 1972 issue of Gater Racing News.)

 

I always find it incredible when people turn their backs on places that many find historically significant, even if that place is "only" significant to the racing community. It's a damn shame!

Thanks for posting the pics from Nashville. Would you happen to have any of Bobby Hamilton and his rides from his pre-Winston Cup days there? Google searches have come up pretty much empty!

Gary

 

I think I have somewhere, the first time I heard of him was one of his first starts in an All American 400. I can't remember what car or number he was running.

 

Does anyone have any pics of 80's dirt late models or pavement. Especially Camaros with the real sharp front spoiler and big rear ones. I always liked the look of those cars. The movie "Six Pack" reminded me of those cars. Thanks.

Bob

 

I've got an old Stock Car Racing magazine laying around somewhere that has a great article about Jim Coopers "Car Brite" super late model than he ran in the early 90's Magnum series. Big block power, hand fabricated aluminum wedge body, trick suspension.... it was a work of art. I'll dig around and see if I can find it somewhere. Coincidentally, a couple years late my dad bought the trailer they used to carry that car from track to track and we used it for years and years, just sold it a couple years ago to a local guy.

 

Fantastic pic Norton!

 

Tonight's Photo of the Day is Johnny West in a Camaro at an ARCA Tri-County Race in 1970. The car isn't the most important thing (to me) in this shot. Does anyone have an idea how much I'd pay for a good. cold Sixer of Schoenling Beer ? What a great local brew ! Better yet a twelve-pack of Little Kings Cream Ale !

Sadly, great stock car racing isn't the only thing going by the wayside - great breweries have been disappearing too.

Sad.

The oldtimer

 

Did you have to remind us about the disappearance of so many local breweries, Steve? I was partial to Fehr's, a Louisville brand, in the 60s.

 

Love those old chevelles!!!!!!TB

 

WOW! This thread is keeping me up looking for pictures and information. Loaded with cool stuff!
I bought a Jack Bowsher built Ford about 10 years ago. The day I was looking at it I called my pal, the late Bob Dotter sr. and asked him for things to look for to confirm it was a chassis built back in the 70's. Get this. Bob say's hold the phone I'll get Jack. As in Bowsher. Turns out they are both in Fox Lake, IL. working on ARCA Motors at a Engine builders shop. Well I was so stunned I didn't do a good job of asking questions but he knew the guy that owned it and knew the car.
Two weeks ago I spent time with AJ Foyt at Chicagoland speedway and told him about the car. Interior on this car was a bit different from a NASCAR car so that would jump out at someone who built it or drove it. AJ said could be the car he ran at IRP road course in 1970.
Flash forward to today. Bob's gone and Jack's now passed and I desided it's time to re-build the car as it looked in 1970 But I need pictures.
I would be greatfull for any shots but would like to see interior shots and MAY 3, 1970 @ IRP. Any body know Photographer CV Haschell from Speed Sport News back in the day?
chuck@gtstockcar.com

Here is a shot during time trials at Atlanta 1987 of me and Mr. Dotter.

 

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Here's a picture of our "company" car. It was built like the Late Models that ran at Jackson in '69, when I first went to a race.
Freddy Fryar is suppose to come make some laps in it. He used to "own" Jackson, as well as a lot of other tracks.TB

 

This picture is at the Laurel Ms Fairgrounds. It was later paved.TB