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

I guess Monkaz is after the Fike => Pestana/Lang link, rather than how the car got to Oz. I don't know if my info is of any help, but I believe the Fike car ran last in Arizona ownership when Hulse flipped it at New Bremen, May 3 in 1964. At Hanford in February 1965 where they ran one-two, contemporary accounts identify the Pestana/Lang cars #98 as the former Fike, and #99 as the former Shinohara/Osborn/West cars.

I'd need to dig a little bit to find the actual source, but in my records I always make very clear whether claims are contemporary, or of a later nature, beacuse I know how things get mixed up over the years. That is not to say contemporary claims are always true, but they are a lot better (in my experience) than the yarn spun by our ageing heroes - no disrespect, but memory can play terrible tricks!

If you want me to, I can search my archive for the actual quote.

EDIT: Sorry, I was wrong!!! I checked again, and my records say that the #99 was the Fike, and #98 the SOW car!!! This may turn out to be fun...

 

Now that I'm pushing 70 I've finally learned to recognize that feeling that creeps in when I'm taking myself too seriously and need to back off a bit to oil the 'putting it in perspective engine.'
Why the hell can't you learn this stuff when you're young?

 

Oh $hit!! Dun dun DUUUUN!!! You old guys sure are grumpy in the morning! Monkaz is only trying to clarify some seemingly conflicting information.

 

Where can I find a Vintage Sprint Car old frame. Im a newbie to this and need to start out slow 1957 Vintage Sprint car project car. HELP!! It can be rusted etc. I need this asap my budget isnt that high.

 

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/2675380155.html

 

I just met a guy who was at Springfield when Bill Utz was black flagged, parked his car on the front straight, got out, climbed up to the flag stand and punched the flagman to a standing ovation from the crowd. God bless sprint car people. Ain't this fun?!

 

Must of been a hell of a fence to hold o'l Utz up.

Curt Grogan

 

That's what this guy said! He said Bill was a little........stocky.

 

Little Fauss: Thanks for the P/M. You are wright about John driving Lang's midget. He drove it indoors at Oakland in 1965( his first time on pavement) finishing 8 th. in points? He drove it at West Capital spring 1966 finishing 2nd.,he also drove 98 sprint car at Ascot.
Thanks Bill

 

Michael,
Thank you for having the intelligence to understand the question I had regarding the Fike Plumbing car and the guts to stick your neck out and post a reply that will not be popular, but is truthful.
I would be interested in seeing the article stating that the #99 car was the Fike Plumbing car and the #98 car was the SOW car.
As you said::"That is not to say contemporary claims are always true, but they are a lot better (in my experience) than the yarn spun by our aging heroes - no disrespect, but memory can play terrible tricks!"
This might not be the end of the story but I believe it demonstrates the fact that I am seeking an answer to a legitimate question, not trying to stir up a "conspiracy" where no conspiracy exists.

 

Buildy, that isn't Langhorne and I never knew Johnny Thomson had been a smoker.

Nice man purse there!

 

Any idea where and when,then? 1953? 1954?

It was a very large photo on the wall in the EMMR , I never saw it before yesterday. It is very oddly tinted.

I also noticed his cigarette.


A little checking in Champcar stats and I narrowed it down to Milwaukee 100 in 1953.

 

And, in a way, it also put the ky-bosh on most Indy car drivers driving other forms of cars like midgets & sprints, which is one of the reasons, in my way of thinking, that Indycar is drawing less fans, today. Bettenhausen was in a Silver Crown car at 'cuse, not a Sprint car. Word has it he said he'd be able to turn a lap without lifting. Quite a few, since then, have turned laps at "cuse without lifting, but they had a lot of tin over their heads when doing so.

 

Johnny Thomson at Williams Grove 1954 taking a smoke break!

 

I agree on that one. Gary B's accident came at a bad time, even if unexpected.

 

Thanks Monkaz,

I always enjoy seeing anything about Johnny Thomson.

 

Thanks for the clarification Mac.
Can't we all just get along?

 

More pictures of 12x car.

1. Opperman qualifing for Hawkeye Futurity at Iowa State Fairgrounds 1969 in Speedway Motors livery, we won the race.

2. Hank Butcher at Sacramento State Fairgrounds 1968 CRA open race.

 

Is Opperman also in the 12x ahead of Hank Butcher in the second photo?

 

Was that the same race where Aldo Andretti crashed and ended his driving career?

 

No Hank Butcher is in 12x, Opperman was in 88 Trostle car which he drove in midwest. The other 12 car ia the Bill Pratt Chevya CRA car. Bill

 

No Aldo crashed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, i was there. He got into turn 1 to hard and got upside down, went into fence cockpit first. It was a IMCA race, no cage. Bill Chadbourne

 

I was referring to the first picture from Iowa State Fairgrounds, not Sacramento. Sorry for the confusion!

 

That is one helluva picture from Sacramento. 'Never seen any of the photogs' take anything from that angle?

First reaction to the other 12 car was Arizona's Bob Cleberg, just a guess? Two cars in front of Butcher could be Nick Porter from Redding and Jimmy Oskie up ahead in Don Peabody's California Ammonia Transport car #28 and that "T" bodied super might be the Peat Bros. car with Wayne Weiler. Wayne drove a helluva race that day but went over the wall on the last lap!

Aldo Andretti: I think Aldo's crash at Des Moines might have been in the 4-cam Ford sprinter that Mario had bought for him. When Mario crashed the Lotus at Indy in practice that year and had some serious facial burns, Aldo stood in and took the official IMS photo. But that IMCA crash later that year broke virtually "every bone" in his face and ended Aldo's career. Needless to say, Aldo and Mario no longer look like twin brothers.

A lot of great memories but also some sad ones. Nobody drove like Jan Opperman and Aldo Andretti was as loyal and dedicated brother as Mario could have ever hoped for.

 

Still owned and lovingly cared for by Mark Biro out here in Ohio. I love this car.

 

I'm not sure if it was the same race that Aldo got hurt. IMCA ran two races at Iowa State Fairgrounds each year. One race early in year and another during the State Fair. Getting to old to remember.

 

Here are two more pic. of 1968 CRA open comp. race on old Sacramento Mile. Hank Butcher driving 12x car. He did a good job in car, we started 25th. and got up to 3rd. when Buzz Rose got out of shape and Hank drove over his hood . We made it about ten more laps before drive shaft feel out ending our day.

 

Back in those days most guys smoked. And why not' no real difference between smoking thenj or breathing the screwed up air nowadays.

 

Chances were the racing would kill you long before the cigarettes would!

 

I don't see any proof that he was smoking, it's just a picture of him with a cigarette

:>)