I see my thread is full of bad links now, and THANKS PHOTOBUCKET for holding MY images hostage! This thread is dedicated to GREAT OREGON RACERS! This car put us on the map!
I'll be watching this one. Does anyone remember the blue homeyers cleaners willys? Driven by a gentleman named Erwin. If anybody has any pics of the car from back in the day, I'd love to see them. The car now belongs to a friend/club member and I'm sure he'd love it if we found some pics he hasn't seen before.
Yes woodburn for sure. I'd have to ask to get the story on what years he raced. I know it was a winning car, he's got dozens and dozens of the trophies that came with the it. I'll ask him.
Well to add to the list:: From Eugene/Springfield area, Paul Welborn and Larry Paine Ardun Dragster, , Doc Buffington, Joe Johnson, Ted Kelm, Joe Mock, The Weaver Bros, Jerry Russell, Bob McCutchn, Corde Jensen, Vic Morris, Paul Smith, Al May, Dave Pruitt, Glen Larsen, most raced at Balboa Raceway in Eugene but all of us went up and down OR-CA-WA. Will add to the list as I remember them, I bought 2 of my Cheys from Bob Cochran's Auto Sales in Glenwood. Several of us ran out of "Vans Auto Truck Repair" in Springfield. Another one, Tom Dooley. The tool box shown on my "Vintage Tool Box" thread is the one I used/worked out of in 60 thru early 63 while working for Van. Another one was Bob McCutchn, owned Specialty Automotive in Eugene and run a fuel FED, still involved in racing altho the speed shop is long gone, bought tons of stuff from him. Most of it went to Alaska for my Vettes and Hemi A990 Dodge.
IT may not be as old as what the pics are showing but im trying to find what happened to the severely disabled chicken coupe that ran at woodburn piloted by Doc lavender. Its a car i remember watching growing up.
Great shot of Kenney, my best memory of him was in 1992, I gave him his only oval track racing experience. It was at Portland Speedway, I put him in a brand new 34 Ford coupe Dwarf Car for a celebrity race, he won the race handily! He was a good guy, we miss him.
Long, long time racer Marv Buchanan. Marv was my cousin and a great guy! I'm glad he finally won a Wally!
Butch Hoagland [sp] from Bend, in his '63 Belvedere wedge cross ram "Yosemite Sam", did well at the WinterNats one year, and I seem to recollect he was occasionally a nemesis for Ireland and his T-Bolts. Sorry, no photos, last I heard he owned a salvage yard over on the coast.
last time I saw Doc Lavenders' "Severly Disabled Chicken Coupe", it was in the NHRA Museum at Pomona a few years ago....not sure if it wasn't donated to the museum...
I have never had much respect for Oregon drag racing. I'm not from Oregon and never have been BUT, in 1954 whoever was promoting the Scapoose drag strip personally invited my partner and I to bring this car down from Seattle and run against the best Oregon could muster up at the time...He said he heard we held a few records and we would be welcome. We went down and beat everyone that showed up including Herschel McGriff's NASCAR car. We broke every record they had at the time also. Then when payoff time came, the promoter said no tow money for us and no trophy because we were from out of state. We spit in his face and left......PTOOOEY! He had a couple cops there at the time so beating the crap out of him was not an option. I heard someone he screwed on some parts caught him in a dark alley sometime later and he did a couple months in the hospital.....
Just curious since I lived in Medford and sold performance for Thrift Auto Supply about the time I left for Sacramento they were trying to get the Strip in Medford.A couple years ago a lot of us on the HAMB were trying to help save it,what was the outcome?
Wasn't Ed McCulloch originally from Oregon? Didn't Twig Ziegler also own the world famous "Orange Crate?"
Ed was originaly from California, but made his name in Oregon. He was known as THE driver at Woodburn. Hence the Whipple-McCulloch Duster pic. Bob Tindle owned the Orange Crate, the car was around for years before it was turned into the version you know. It actually raced at least once at McMinnvile in the commonly known (Revel model) configuration. Twig was the engine builder at Colletti Chrysler Plymouth in Hillsboro.
Bill Ireland was a Portland fireman and part of the original Ford factory drag team. He ran T-bolts, this A/FX Mustang and was an earlt Pro Stock racer.
Do I count? lol I grew up at Woodburn Dragstrip. My grandpa, dad, and uncle's raced the 55 threw the late 70's and 80's. Then when it was my turn I jumped into the seat. These pictures were taken at the Oldies but Goodies drags.
Doc is a thread of his own and much later than this thread. I sponsored him as much as I could as did many others. everytime he called me up he said "he was the shortest guy I know." I miss that little bugger.
After Doc died Judy sent it to the NHRA Museum, A couple years ago I saw she had it back and was trying to get a group of disabled high school kids on the track.
The Jalopy Journal
