60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Art Tappen's coaches were my favorites. I especially liked the copper colored coach. Most, if not all, of Art's cars were red. But this one coach he built was copper colored. I've posted two pictures of the coach (one after the other down below. One has the car copper color as I remember it and one has it in red. I believe the shots are the same and some one has photoshopped one of them.


Art at speed at Islip with Gene Siuzdak in the #25 and I believe that is Fred Desarro not Bugs Stevens in the Kozella #15 for this time period.



Interesting shot because I don't recall Artie ever having an "X" associated with his numeral....maybe it was a big race or something....




coach in red (I believe this shot has been photoshopped)



What I believe is the same exact shot in what should be the correct color (copper)




Art in a skirmish at Islip with Cliff Tyler as I believe Ed Brunnhoezle and Mousey Kempster in the 3K Mustang go by




Art behind another clean coach in the pits at Islip (?Harbach? Wesnofske? Bartlett?)




Coming down the pit ramp at Islip



With the gold leaf lettering that was a trademark on his cars in later years

 

Art with his first pinto


in the pits at Islip with one of the volkswagon class cars in the background



on the hauler at Islip



Going the wrong way with Ed Brunnhoelzl in the #4 as Nascar point chaser Bernie Miller in the #41 bears down on them during the Permatex 200



in the pits again at Islip




the debut of the pinto in '72 alongside Bobby Holmberg in the 9A Falcon and Richie Gomes in the #x27 Gremlin





at speed at Islip



Capturing a win at Islip





crossed up again at Islip with Bobby Holmberg in the 9A coupe bearing down on him and Danny McNamara in the #98 coupe getting by on the inside




Art sitting on top of Cliff Tyler in Butch Mecieka's #18 Camaro with Kevin Keillor in the #66 Coupe alongside both




and another vantage point of the same wreck

 

JBull, good to see you back and posting.

 

Went to a car show in the Rochester, NY area over the weekend & saw this project car. Didn't get to talk to the owner, but looks like someone's bringing a Mod from the late 60s-early 70s back to life. Anybody know the history of this car?

 

I believe this car is owned by a woman named Linda who lives in Spencerport, New York and she hopes to run some races with the Vintage groups and show them that Coupes aren't just for guys.....

 

I believe this is a car being built by Bill Fitzsimmons. I receive picture updates from him occasionally. He beat me to that '36 Chevy body, but we're still friends - dang it!

 

I heard it followed you home!

 

Talk about a "Duh" moment...... I work part time for a branch store of one of the "big box" auto parts houses. I walk into work on Monday morning, and as I'm going through the door, I see a notice of a "race car show" scotch taped in the window. I stop, go back, and read the notice...the show was two days ago!

As if that wasn't bad enough, I was a half a mile away from there on Saturday, while visiting my mother.......

 

I'm pretty sure somebody does... looking pretty awesome Bill!!! What car was the source chassis for it?

 

Added some info above.

 

Sad news: Word comes tonight from the Western N.Y. area that veteran Modified driver Dick Emerson of Rochester, N.Y. passed away today. Dick raced into the mid-1970s at Lancaster (N.Y.) Speedway and Spencer Speedway (Williamson, N.Y.) as well as special shows at Oswego, N.Y. A truly nice guy.









http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/de...y.aspx?n=richard-j-emerson-dick&pid=150770964
Canandaigua, NY: Richard Emerson, 80, of Cascade Park, passed away, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at his home. Dick is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Donna; his children, Cindy (Ken) Emerson, Louis (Barb) Emerson, Brenda (Kevin) Batzel, Gail (Raymond) Glather, and Marci (John) Emerson; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and loving canine companion, Maddie.

An avid race fan, Dick was a former stock car driver. He also enjoyed rooting for the NY Yankee's.

Friends may call Thursday May 5, from 2-4pm and 6-8 pm at Fuller Funeral Home, Inc. 190 Buffalo St., Canandaigua. A 10 am funeral service will be held Friday, May 6, at the funeral home. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. To share a memory or to express condolences online please visit www.fullerfh.com.

 

Gary,
Busted....you're right, but you still can't have the body!

Brian,
You're right too!

Bakes,
The part of the frame over the rear end is a Scout, but that's where the resemblence ends!

 

Here's one I found in a Stock Car Racing magazine from Jan., 1972. One of our very own! Were you really old enough to drive in 1960 Denny??

 

1963

 

shamrock 3x, I started driving in 1957, I was a senior in high school. By the way Thanks for that picture I had been looking for it. It is now in my collection. That was probably taken at Riverside Park in (I think) 1959. Car was owned by Warren Sentevoni. (Warren, sorry if I misspelled your name).

kholm65, Yup, Southside Speedway one of my favorite tracks. I think the next year I won it and due to a scoring mix up Eddie got the win and I they gave me second.

Denny Z

 

I'm a new member and I have to say this is a great thread! I love vintage photos so many function inspired great ideas!

 

Here's a few of one of the ole' masters from upstate NY, Donald "Dutch" Hoag

 

Denny,
You're welcome. A friend just dropped that mag. in my lap over the weekend (although I think I have it somewhere too, given that it's got Part II of the Dutch Hoag story...and I saved everything relating to Dutch!) and I thought I should share. The credit to the photg. (Shaney Lorenzet) says it was taken at Riverside Park in 1960, but you probably know better. BTW, I noticed the "S" on the front bumper, so I figured someone with a last name starting with "S" had built the car. Was Warren the builder & owner? Nice looking car, BTW....for a FORD (lol)!

 

shamrock 3x, Warren was the owner and I believe also the builder. Some years later Warren helped on the super modified that Skip Matczak and Mike Hambleton built. They won three championships at Oswego NY with that car. Denny Z

 

Some more of Dutch Hoag this time in the Valiant...

a lynchmob photo



At Pocono battling Bryan Osgood #09 on the outside. Not sure what kind of body was on Osgood's car (possibly a Valiant as well?)





A John Grady Photo of the Valiant '72





At Speed at Pocono again battling Bryan Osgood #09 and Ray Hendrick in the winged 11









On the pole at Pocono alongside Bryan Osgood #09, you can also make at Geoff Bodine #99 in row 2 and Richie Evans #61 and Graeme Bolia #15 a few rows back...




I beleve the same line-up from the other side, Hoag #7, followed by, ?Ray Hendrick in the #11, Maynard Troyer's #6 Falcon, Merv Treichler #58

 

Some more shots of Artie Tappen, this time in his Pontiac Astre. One of the few competitors to use this body style. I believe John Anderson had a hatchback, SJ Evonsion had a notchback or sedan astre, but not too many others. Most used the sister car--the Chevy Vega. This was perhaps my favorite Tappen car. It looked fast just standing still. He won a feature or two at Islip Speedway with it and possibly one or two at Riverhead as well. But, he had the most success at Freeport with it. In fact Freeport may have been his best track period, as he did claim what I believe was his only track championship there (albeit in the late model division after he hung his modified helmet up).

A Len Calinoff photo I had autographed as a kid




in victory lane at Islip




brand spanking new, not even fully lettered (no McBetts Engines on the hood, yet)




in the pits at Islip again





in victory lane at Freeport




in victory lane again at Freeport with the flamboyant flagman Dutch Miller





at speed at Freeport in turn 1




battling #35 Don Taylor (aka Russ Klar) at Freeport

 

Thanks, Emil. Good to be back.

 

I may get killed for this, but they do let one slip once in awhile. But as we can see and many have witness the art work that is an Arty Tappen Machine! But this late model he built just shows the true beauty that went into his work and those that he taught and worked with. He always made sure his car looked clean. So forgive me for this!

 

okay back to mods and coupes and sedans.

 

My dad was on the Artie Tappen pit crew for many years, The Late model in the picture is not his. they used an open trailer that he built from scratch, that also was beautiful, to tow the late model. The Astre modified was sold to John Reading, Artie updated the front clip, was and re number (98?) Then he built the flaming 14 pinto, sold that, then built the late model in 1981. All of Artie tappen Cars where, "Tappen Red" I watch my dad paint many of cars, and they where all Beautiful. Love all the Pictures!

 

what turned art tappens vega into a astre was a $35.00 tail light panel from mal peirce pontiac.art seen a astre on the road,told dondi he'd seen a vega with g.t.o taillights grafted on, and dondi informed him it was a new pontiac

 

Here are the rest of the shots I have on the Astre


In victory lane again at Freeport



A JBull original when I was 10 years old at Islip through the fence as he was heading down the pit ramp into the pits




at speed at Freeport




racing Don Taylor (aka Russ Taylor) again at Freeport




in the pits at Freeport






In a skirmish at Islip diring the All Star 300: Richie Evans in the 61, Tom Baldwin in Butch Medeika's #18. Jim Tyler in the #08





in the pits again at Freeport, Joe Mammalito's #31 in the background






And once more at Freeport





in the pits at Islip