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

Does anybody know what those little "ski" looking things are on the front axle? They don't look very strong.

 

I believe they are a safety item in case a wheel comes off, the axle won't dig into the track but will just slide along until the car comes to a stop.

 

Memory tells me that if those little ski's had been on a certain car back in 1962, Stan Bowman may not have rolled over on the pace lap.....

 

Something to think about...

In the 30's up into maybe the 50's, most spindles were production car, especially on the midgets and the sprints were using those and International Truck spindles. Magnufluxing was the order of the day and some of those spindles were modified so the rear bearing was secured to the spindle by a nut on a newly threaded portion of the spindle.

The hub was two piece and the rear half was held on by that nut and rode on the bearing. The front half bolted to the rear half in another bolt circle like the 6 pin wheel bolts but frequently was a large threaded outer for the knock off wheel nut that had a blind hole that slipped over the outer bearing that was held on the spindle by the normal spindle threads and nut.

Halibrand and Casale were two of the manufacturers of these safety hubs. If you broke a spindle, you didn't lose a wheel.

Today we have forged aluminum spindles with inserted tubular snouts of steel or titanium.

I think today, broken spindles in normal use are not occuring.

 

Great answers guys, thanks.

 

Hi Denny ..

Not my picture .. so no I don't.

But blowing it up to 400% there doesn't seem to be much at all about the history of the car or of Joe Csiki ... rather more a list of the Vintage/Old Timers events that the owner (the late Judge Bill Shoemaker) brought the car to.

 

1982 USAC Silver Crown race at Flemington. enjoy!

 

1982 USAC Silver Crown race at Flemington. enjoy!

 

Neat shots, Lee! It makes you homesick for Flemington- dirt or asphalt!

 

Is that Seymour car a Grant King chassis? Wonder where it is now?

 

I was out of town and missed the Indy swap meet this weekend. Anybody get any great buys?

 

CTtoPA, Call Bobby Seymour he would likely know. Denny Z

 

That was "Old Walley"

 

I was under the impression it was a Meskowski fitted with a GK cage.

 

Also there was this:
"Originally Posted by carl s
re: sprint cars (and midgets) at Riverside
fwiw From my readings, following Rodger Ward's stretched midget success at Lime Rock there was added emphasis to incorporate road races into the USAC Sched.
Here's some photos and data from the 1958 USAC midget and sprint car races on the RIR road course.
There was a USAc Midget Race on Jan 19, 1958 and then a triple header (midget, sprint cars and stock cars) in May
scroll down to RIR
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/...rts/?start=all"

Rodger Ward did not drive a stretched midget at Lime Rock, it was a regular midget that was 12 years old, being the former Johnny Ritter # 3 Offy.

How about the 500 mile midget race that Allen Heath won on the Riverside road course?

 

Rodger Ward did not drive a stretched midget at Lime Rock, it was a regular midget that was 12 years old, being the former Johnny Ritter # 3 Offy.

How about the 500 mile midget race that Allen Heath won on the Riverside road course?[/QUOTE]

Curious who Allen Heath was driving for and what year at Riverside. He was quite a "showman" when he drove for the Famagetti brothers back at Ascot.

 

RW was in Ken Brenns' midget at the Lime Rock formula libre race 59.

 

Curious who Allen Heath was driving for and what year at Riverside. He was quite a "showman" when he drove for the Famagetti brothers back at Ascot.[/QUOTE]

Mr. Heath was certainly a showman and a helluva racedriver. I attended the 500 mile race for sprint cars on Friday May 30, 1958 but did not attend the midget race on Saturday. I have a question out to someone who will know the car owner and will get back. Pretty sure it was an early (about '48) Kurtis, and am pretty sure it was a V8-60.

Mike.

 

If that's the case then I believe they still have the car.

 

Mr. Heath was certainly a showman and a helluva racedriver. I attended the 500 mile race for sprint cars on Friday May 30, 1958 but did not attend the midget race on Saturday. I have a question out to someone who will know the car owner and will get back. Pretty sure it was an early (about '48) Kurtis, and am pretty sure it was a V8-60.

Mike.[/QUOTE]

Mike,

Thanks for the information regarding Allen Heath. That must have been "one helluva" race at Riverside. The only information I could find was regarding the CRA sprint car race at Riverside in '58. It lists Bud Rose - who won the race in the Joe Gemsa Offy - the car that was in "To Please a Lady". It paid out $10,000 to win!

I knew Teddy and Charlie Famagetti well - [RIP], I occasionally see Ted's sons who have taken over the family's welding and fab business. Ted had some funny stories about Mr. Heath. Probably one of the best was when Allen won the feature at Ascot and decided to drive the car over the motorcycle jump!

Offy 220 [Bruce]