60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

George Kent was one of those guys I really liked when the mods came to IRP in 1988 and 89. I was standing there when he got out of the car after one practice the first year. His crew chief asked him what he needed to go faster, and George said, "Bigger cojones."

 

That #36 coupe is Jack Reinhard's Thunder Wagon. Never knew it had that number on it. I always thought it was the J-6 at Freeport.

 

I thought that was Jack's car, was he racing it, as the 36? Did he build it? Did he buy it? Minds MUST know! lol

 

I'm sure he built it. I saw a picture of it tore up in a pile up at Freeport somewhere. His son frequents this site and 3-Wide on occasion. He told me that this car ended up with the AMX body on it at Islip a few years later. It saw quite a few years of racing action.

 

Did Jack drive it as the 36, also was that before or after the J-6 ?

 

It looks like it was before.

 

Priceless! Ranks right up there as one of the best yet quips!

 

Danbury

Kent
\Kent

 

That looks like it was an early thrill show.

I don't think there is a decent thrill show that's still touring.

The kids just loved the thrill shows, especially the better ones like the Joie Chitwood and the Jack Kotchman shows.

 

Is that the BATTERY sitting in front of the LR tire on that #11 coach? Where did this car run that would have allowed this?

 

Can anyone tell me more about the transporter that appears in this group of pictures?

 

The 36 in the earlier post was not our car but that sure looks like Pee Wee Pobletts from the Maryland area. He was also partial to Pontiac motors and ran number 36. We ran the cutdown with the full hood in 1962 only and it had the side panels installed so the engine was totally enclosed.

A little sidebar here...after running Langhorne in 1961 and seeing the Pennsylvania bugs my father decided he wanted to build a cutdown and since we were still running the 308 Hudson 6 it was also time to build an overhead V/8. At that time field service reps for the car manufacturers would check any motor warranty issues at the dealers and if their call was to just replace the engine with a new factory engine they would "condemn" the bad unit and the dealer would scrap the bad engine. Since my father ran the machine shop for West Amity Auto Parts in Massapequa he had contacts with every dealer & in the area and got 2 389 long blocks for free. Thus we ran Pontiacs which were a pretty hot set up until 1968 or so. By the early 70's when suspensions and tires improved to the point that HP made a difference we were toast.

I used to needle my father after he stopped driving that it was a good thing it wasn't a Studebaker dealer that had the free motors....

 

Thanks for clearing that up in regards to your fathers car. I stand corrected. I forgot about the PeeWee Pobletts car that was very similar with the full nose. I have color 8mm film of the pits on Sunday,opening day at Freeport with your fathers cut down car in it,and Bruno's twin to the 71 sedan that I have,only with a full tilt nose on it with side panels, never did get the story on that car. I'll have to ask his son.Thanks,George.

 

The hauler I'm not sure, but if I remember right, it did haul a modified and had it in the batch of photos, we've posted photos before of haulers, trailers, straight bar towed to chained and rope towed race cars.

 

Didnt Troyer have a hauler like that?

 

here's another shot of that #36

 

Maynard's was very similar, orange, of course, but his didn't have quite as much "bodywork" behind the cab, if I remember correctly...

 

Sad news: Word comes from racing historian Ford Easton that JACKIE SOPER passed away in Ocala, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 17. Jackie had been in failing health for a number of years. He enjoyed much success in the 1950s, but we know him best at the winner of Lancaster (NY) Speedway's very first feature, on Grand Opening Day, May 1959. Here's a pic of Jackie on that day. May he rest in peace -- we'll miss him.

 

Anybody have any photos from the Old Bridge,N.J. Speedway that ran from 1953 till 1968 ?