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

I know this is OT but thought perhaps someone here might have a pic I'm looking for I am looking for a pic of Steve Kinsers WOO winning 1985 Gambler I have this car and would like to see exactly what it looked like as raced in 1985 I asked steve and he told me to talk to Karl Karl said to call Gambler and they sent me a packet of photos of car as it was being built. I was told Open Wheel did a spread on the car but haven't been able to find one. Anyhow any pics would be helpful. Thanks

 

Looking for information and pictures of Joe James in the # 3 Gold McNamara Sprint Car, and Bob Sweikert in the # 2 Black McNamara Sprint Car. Both cars ran the highbanks in 1951. Thanks

 

Wrong Year, Should be 1952. Sorry

 

Joshua, first off I would like to say thanks for this thread! Its great! I just found this a few days ago. Great stories and pics. I have a couple of questions that you or Roy could probably answer for me about the cars from the 60's 70's vs today's cars. I think today's cars with the smaller fuel tanks the downtubes and the extra body work look like crap. Is there a reason for the smaller tanks other than to save weight? Also I'm not real clear about the reason for the downtubes. Also the size of the fuel tanks then vs now. Also I think you have a great website. I may have a few pics to post sometime. Anyway thanks. Craig in Missouri

 

James on the outside of Gene Force, Salem 52.

 

do you have anymore pictures from salem in the early 50's

 

clibb1,
The down tubes are to make the frames stiffer[so they will handle better?], the small tanks are to save weight[and to mess up the show when they have to stop the race so everyone cab refuel to make it to the end] the side panels are to make the car go straighter?] and to stop the fans to see what the driver is doing while driving]. That is why they are so ugly!
Jim Graybeal

 

I thought I saw a color photo of the Ken Brenn robin's egg blue #82 or 83 offy midget posted recently, but I can't seem to find it now. Does anyone have any color shots of the car that they would post? I have that new Revell offy midget kit and was thinking of making it that particular car as I already have the correct decals for it. Thanks for the help!

 

Same car a couple years later with Nazaruk 'hiking' it alongside Pat O'conner.

 

Crockett, O'Conner, Boyd 1954.

 

Thanks for the pictures love the old pics from Salem as it is my favorite track.

 

Didn't Brenn's cars carry #24? I think over time his cars were painted red, light blue, cream and then white and red... His boy's modifieds were yellow and red.

LM

 

Bob,

Very glad you found this place. I am a fan of yours.


Jim Nise, Wynns 1 Sprinter 2, Rootie, Mlight9,etc may be able to advise on the early Brenn car.

IIRC it was #24 and Lt. blue when the car won the road course race at Lime Rock Conn.

Later on the car was painted all red.

They can also fill you in on the history of that car as well.
Tony D.

 

I never remember an 82 or 83 for Ken Brenn, 83 was pretty much Ed Darrell's number and his car was cream after 1958 or 1959. Gun Barrell blue before.

Brenn had numbers 20, 24, 9, 1 that I remember over the years. Red, Robbins egg blue, Black or two toned white and red.

One exception was a pink 20, which was sold to the Bennette Brothers.

 

Don't have any color shots of Brenns car in light blue but it obviously was a light color at Lime Rock. As mentioned before, originally it was the Johnny Ritter #3.

 

jimg12 Thanks for the info. I figured the reason for the down tubes was for a stiffer frame and handling. Do you know the capacity of the fuel tanks from the old cars vs today's? And are they using midget tanks? Anyway I still think they're ugly but the non wing cars still pit on a good show. Thanks again Craig

 

Capacity isn't much different now as then (aprox.30 gal or so) but back then they used a seperate tank covered by a alum./fiberglass tail section. Nowadays they use a 'tail tank' which combines the two, eliminates wasted space and cuts weight.

 

Hey LittleFauss:
I did some snooping around and verified with what another Phx expert had told me. Billy Shuman now has the Gabe & Tilly Ford that he drove to third place in the 3rd Western World championship in 1970 behind McClung who was driving for a California owner/driver named Jim Cole, Gene Brown in Ruth Kassenberg's Chevy and Billy in the Gbe & Tilly Ford with a 289 under the hood. Can you imagine how hard Billy had to drive for that 289-incher to keep up with McClung & Brown - I was there and it was very spectacular to say the least!
McClung was unbelievable that weekend. It was his first race back at Manzy in a sprint car since he went USAC on the midget tour. I had seen Cole run the car at Manzy with CRA before but then Jim Cole was not Jerry McClung if you know what I mean. The car was sort of orange in color carried the #44. Brown was the odds-on favorite to win before the main started - he was magic in Kassenberg's car but he was involved in a crash in turn 2 on lap 10 that rearranged the front end that made the car virtually impossible to drive - but then this was Gene Brown, I don't think I have to explain anything else!

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I feel like such an idiot! After I posted the question I went downstairs and checked the decals, and they were the #24. I must have gotten Darrell's number confused with Brenn's. I'd like to find that color shot of the blue one, though.

 

I knew back in the late 70's the Outlaws were taking the tail section off and to save weight and painting a number on the fuel tank. Someone came up with a 'tail tank' not long after that and I thought it looked about the same size as the fiberglass section and that is why I'm thinking that they're using smaller fuel tanks. The older type fuel cells look bigger also. So that's why I'm asking about the capacity. I can remember seeing sprint cars running 50 laps on a half mile and not have to stop for fuel even with yellows. Hopefully my memory is not fading like the rest of me! Thanks a lot. Craig

 

Didn't the USAC sprint guys run a 100 laps for the Pat O'connor - Joe James race at Salem, in the old days ,without a fuel stop?

 

Most sprint cars run the 25 gal. midget fuel cell to save weight that's why they look smaller

 

Yeah they did, but the 302 chevys with the small injectors they ran back then weren't that thirsty. Doubt that could happen now days.