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

Well here,s a few more to go with that very interesting write up.

 

.....'sideways27, 'I wouldn't have any qualms at all about bolting on a second roll-bar if I were you. I just happened to be sifting through a lot of late-sixties pics of sprint cars and noticed that very modification. There wasn't a better, faster and more respected combination in the country than Bobbie Adamson in his W.G. Hawthorne Spl. back then and that's exactly what he had. I've also noticed this, particularly on Wally Meskowski cars. Wally's roll-bar was very small; simply welded on top of the seat hoop.

 

At first glance I thought both cars had two roll bars - until I realized there were THREE cars packed into the picture. Yikes!

Sideways27, I applaud your concern for safety - I know of at least two other instances where guys crashed restoration cars.

 

What does a rat rod have to do with this thread???

 

One mans rat rod is another mans Roaring Roadster.

 

When I started racing back in the 60’s my first car was an old rail job with a short roll bar. My helmet was well above the roll bar BUT I only used a lap belt along with a Sam Brown belt. This way I could move out of the way and my neck would not take the full brunt of the car. This sprinter when it ran back in the 50’s and 60’s and the drivers used the same set up and sometimes with no Sam Brown belt. In the WRA Vintage Assoc. shoulder restraints are required and even left loose I can not get enough room and my neck would take the full load of the car. This year WRA member Kenny Van Blargen had a bad accident which has left him paralyzed, he is doing much better but I do not want to take a chance and have this happen. I feel it is not fair to my wife and family just because I want to drive this car so bad. That said I will extend the bar with a bolt on and have it on the track next year.

 

Little Fauss: Great picture, it doesn't look like whoever is in the 88 car is to bashful. I agree about rool bar. Bill

 

#17235, Ray Tilley in the Bud Grim #88 on the inside.
mlight9

 

Does anybody know where this picture was taken?

 

I , think this car was one of the Sumar cars drivin by Marshal Teage. I, was at the practice day when the mil. mile was first paved and Teag blew the motor and whent in the creeck in 1and 2, no damage to the car but a big hole in the side of the motor, pulling the car back to the pitts Marshal and the mechanic were walking he was getin chew for sticking his big foot in her when she was still coold. the car if I, remember was blue / white and maybe the same no. 16. my 2 cents.

 

Hi Still Crazy... I like the picture of the Rat Rod Sliding through the Dirt and being ran hard.. BUT these guys are kinda fond of there REAL Sprint cars so we better keep it ONLY that.
Thanks for posting, and please feel free to join in on the conversation, and post more pictures as long as they have top do with Vintage Sprint cars, Champ cars, and Indy cars.

J Shaw

 

Part of my display at The Cincinnati Cavalcade Car show this year is an area called SPRINT CAR LEGENDS. It will be a line up of Sprint cars covering almost 100 YEARS! Starting in the Teens I have a Sprint car for EVERY DECADE explaining to the general public what changes occured throughout history all the way up to a New 2011 USAC non wing Sprinter.. HEre is the HUGE banner the show people are providing to hang over the area..

Like any good racer, I've stolen a few Racing banners in my day... I'll have to keep a CLOSE EYE on this one!

Hope to see you there!

J Shaw

 

The guy in the #88 was Ray Tilley. I raced with him many nights at Selinsgrove, PA. I almost beat him one night and there is a picture around of Ray about to put a slider on me. He won but i felt gtood to holode himk off all those laps. He was one of the best ive ever raced with.

 

Any pictures available of that first Banas "super" rail job. Do you know what became of it?As I remember,there were 3 of them built. One,with a layed over Buick,driven by Don Dahle, Mickey's,with a T-Bird,Driven first by Herb,Then by Gus,and Joe Viglione's,with a wedge Chrysler. John S.

 

Looks like Tampa

 

Thank you for the photo. I used to have that Pictorial, but time stole it. That's the Gene Davis #8 from Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Dad said he could never get a good feel for that car. Cliff Cockrum drove the car before Dad (and he barrel rolled it down the backstretch at Anderson in the Little 500). Looks like Dad's car is one of only two still not bolting on a cage in this race. His career was very near it's end by this time. Thanks again.

 

Here's the #8 car on the hauler at the motel for that Cincy race in 1970. Sweet tow vehicle.

 

Here's a different shot. Note the paint missing off the red area on the top of the tail - that's what happened when Cliff rolled the car at Anderson. I always liked these rear wheels. **See the big STP sticker? When Andy G himself asks you to put it on your car, you put it on your car!

 

Same car in Feb 1970 at the motel in Tampa. The good looking young stud warming the seat is a 13 yr old me. Dad would go to the track (Plant Field) and spend the day watching the IMCA midgets or stock cars and would leave me (alone) at the motel with tools and a bucket and sponge. I'd usually roll it off the trailer by myself, wash it, and then start taking body panels off to clean everything. Sometimes I'd change gears in the quick change, or change tires, but never anything very serious. Please don't feel I was improperly raised by being left alone; Dad always left me with at least (1) six pack of Busch tall boys and a couple R. G. Dunn cigars.

 

On a sad note,1977 URC sprint car Champion Charlie Svetic died on Christmas Day at age 63 after a long battle with cancer. Charlie was a social studies teacher in the Bethlehem School District during his racing years. He spent his non-teaching hours working for Frank Murray who did all of the chassis and body work for Buster Warke's restorations. I know that a lot of people on this thread were his friends. He truly was a Sportsman and "Gentleman Racer".

 

Man that's gonna look good in my garage

 

That is the 2nd turn at Reading. Bobbie Adamson on the outside, Ray Tilley on the inside and that may be Don Krietz in the middle. 1967 ..... and I think this photo is by Ray Masser.

 

Josh, Maybe you could offer reproductions of the banner.

Happy New Year!

6re6

 

Josh,

I wish I could be there to see that sprint car display. I hope someone from on here will get some good photos from the show and post them here!

BTW the Ray Tilley photo is probably Reading or Allentown PA.

I see Al Consoli said Reading,so Reading it is!

 

This is me in #55, Tilley in #88 and Tommy Spriggle in the bug style car at Selinsgrove. Ray was setting me up and i didnt know any better!!

 

In the late 60's and/or early 70's my dad drove a small white sprint car #51 owned by Pappy Buckley from Akron, OH (Buckley's Auto Wrecking). He drove it without the cage in the Little 500 and with a cage and wing at a few local dirt tracks - Skyline Speedway in Athens, OH for sure. I've only seen (1) photo of that car and that was on the starting line at Anderson just befoe the start. Does anyone have a photo of that car? A wicked, wicked family member obtained the balance of the photos when Dad passed away. It was a pretty little car - very clean.

 

Improperly raised??? Are you kidding? At that moment you were living every kids dream!
Blessings,
PK

 

Sorry about the cage and wing; it was part of the rules. lol
It was the same Hillegas chassis i ran with URC, IMCA ETC. But with the clubs we left that junk at home.

 

Hello I'm new on here I'm looking for info on my greatgrandpa he used to build springs back in the 30/40s his name was ray Leo out of Columbus Ohio found an articlein my grandmas attic found a car in Ohio that the guy still races but missed placed it would love to find out stuff about him thanks Jeff