60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Who is this??? I know not a Chitwood!!!

 

This is my first post, other than my introduction. I read here alot and enjoy a majority of the stuff on here. I have enjoyed this thread, as well as the vintage sprint cars and midgets.

Unfortunately, I am a generation behind. My family built Eastbay Raceway in Tampa, Florida. Lonnie Prevatt was my grandfather's brother. He and Jimmy "Pop" Mingo built the track. Most of the pictures I have are from the late 70's and newer. All those old dirt cars reminds me of being a kid, though. We lived at the track and I got an education in race cars (and alot more) from all the drivers who came down during the winter. They were all The late model and sprint nationals would, and still do run in January and February. IMCA used to have a travelling modified series that would show up during that time.

My dad ran the regular saturday night modified class for years. I'll have to dig up the pictures of those cars. We ran the fair grounds on 301 on friday nights, Eastbay on saturday. And sometimes we'd at least go watch sunshine speedway if they ran on sunday afternoon.

Good times, man. Thanks.

The pics are of my son and pop when we went and watched the old cars run at Zepherhills fairgrounds. Our friend Tommy Zwally let my kid sit in the car. We couldn't get him out! Alot of old friends and old iron running around that day.

 

19 bobby park stafford?

 

can't confirm it as Park, can anyone else?

welcome aboard bpd315, look forward for more posts from you.

 

bpd315, Welcome. Denny Z

 

bpd315 dig those Bobby Day 5x5's out. welcome to the hamb.. East bay was the first I saw that had private suites at a track.. I always enjoyed the fast paced show. 3 races lined up and ready to go. But the best was the wrecker/ tractor crew getting to wrecks and clearing them so fast.. For a fla dirt track it has a very good fast surface..if any one is in the area this is a must see track.... Bobby..

 

Hey Denny, thanks, man. The whole site is cool but these pic threads were off the chart. Especially when it's the roots of what you grew up around. I am on my 2nd lap through this thread and about halfway done with the sprint cars. Catch you later.

 

Post 9841 is Bob Park in the 19 and post 9843 is Chuck "Tootie" Williams in the # 60 at Islip.

 

No, It's not Chitwood, it's the "Tiger" Tom Baldwin in the #747 Falcon.

 

Bobby, it was, and still is pretty fast dirt. Although, I have no idea who runs the place now. Lonnie passed on and it's changed hands a couple times, I think.

I learned to drive by running the pack truck while my cousin Greg ran the grader. I've seen alot of dirt shows and it's one of the best. 360 and 410 sprints put on a good show. My dad ran what they called a southern modified back in the late 70's to the late 80's. It was basically a sprint car with a starter and without the wing and in/out box. Got too expensive for regular folks to run so we sold the stuff.

Good to meet you.

 

I won't post on here a sample image from it, because its author seems pretty sensitive to having anything copied&pasted from it, but there are 100+ images of '50s-'60s Modifieds here:
http://www.raceplace.zoomshare.com/3.shtml/Pit 3 - Classic Photos

The overall site title is "Carolina Race Place". As implied, there's almost nothing there from above the Mason-Dixon Line. In this case, that is good, in the sense that not many of the images on there have been (AFAIK) on other sites.
In his other photo "Pits", you'll find some very evocative images of Grand Nationals of the same era.

Check it out - def worth a look.

 

Nazareth

 

Nazareth 2

 

New Britian, Again Thanks. 169 photos some brought back memories. Denny Z

 

That pace car is so COOOOOOOOL looking. Looks like a '50 Ford with a Caddy back half. Wonder where that went?

 

That pace car is the berries...other shots are also pretty neat.

 

kholm65, Post 9854 the second photo, 49 or 50 Ford Pace car leading the pack. That embankment or hillside was between the first and second turn at Nazareth. It was were I watched my very first auto race and got hooked for life. I was 10 or 11 years old. Our whole family was on vacation visiting my Fathers friend in Nazareth PA and they decided to go to the "Stock Car Races" and they brought me along. The coolest thing I did at that time was ride my bike. That day I decided when I got older I was gonna do that. I only raced there once in a URC sprint car. Denny Z

 

kholm65, those Nazareth pics are some of the best shots around, quality, old stuff.
Waiting to hear some info from someone on that pace car.

Ya gotta love the tow truck's phone number . . 8 !

 

Methinks the pace car was one of a very few "Fordillacs" that were made in 1949.

 

Info from Rikster's site.

 

Ole Blue has been pulled out of The Pronyne Museum, thanks to Charlie White permission to use these photos. This car is getting ready for the Spring Sizzler this weekend at Stafford.

 

Denny, I can see from the photos how that place would leave a lasting impression on a kid, only wish I was around to take in a race back then...Kris

 

The Lenny Boehler Ole Blue #3 has to be one of the most interesting Modifieds that I ever saw.

I had the chance to see this car up close several times in the early 1970's when we were racing at Pocono and Oswego. If you did not know the history of the car and who the master wrench was, you would have looked at this car and figured that it was a back marker or last place car.

Boehler was famous for putting non-functional pieces on his cars to mess with the competition's minds - check out the "Aero" shields on the upper A frames.

 

The steering wheel wasn't always that high? Or did they do that just to move it around?

 

probably used a lot of forearm to muscle it around.

 

That seems to have been the norm,




but not without exception: