Don't see any reason to not include all types of racers, as long as they are Oregonians! Does Portland Speedway still exist? That place was funky ancient even in the 60's! An eith mile oval if I remember right.
Always enjoyed the jalopy and destruction derbys at Jantzen Beach. Was always amazed how some guys could run multiple heats and show little or no damage. One of the best was Dick Plew of Plews Auto Wrecking. Miss that old yard too.
I will have to scan them first...they are Kodachrome slides at present. Most of them are great shots that I plan to have printed and framed.
i wish i could find the Hot Rod magazine with an article on the now Southern Oregon Dragstrip. it was in the 80's and there was pictures titled "Pancake Panel" it was a '59 Anglia panel wagon. good stuff.
Here are few more of 8 The Hard Way. Does anybody know where this car is today? I have a couple spare 4-bangers.
Here we go again Rick, I got to be good friends with Len and his Car owner Rolla Vollstedt, In the later 90's I was building Flathead powered Track Roadsters for the street and to race on dirt ovals. I n 2001 I built one for 2 time AMBR winner and friend of mine Lonnie Gilbertson. We assembled it during the Portland Roadster Show. We had Len in the seat to fire it up on Sunday nite. That spring we arranged a race at our local dirt track, featuring Len and 3 of his pals he had raced against in th 40's, all in similar roadsters. After being retired nearly 40 years he won the race easily and continued to Vintage race until he passed. What a sweet memory.
Len Sutton's words: Last fall (2005) I purchased from Rolla Vollstedt the replica race car he had been working on for the last 5 years. It is as close as you could get to the race car he built in 1948. We won 3 local Championships with that car. It's a 1925 Ford roadster using a real 25 T steel shell. Harold Sperb spent 2 months getting the body cleaned up. It has a Ford flathead with a Merc 4" crank, 3 5/16 bore, and 275 cu.in., Offy dual intake manifold with 2 Stromberg 94's, and Edelbrock heads. Licensed in Oregon with 1925 plates, it's street legal and a ball to drive.
You wouldn't recognize that intersection today. Burnside is a one-way east (away from bridge). Sent from a pay phone
I am posting these pictures for Marty Strode. George, This is Len Sutton in one of my roadsters, coming out of retirement. Thank you for the great conversation. -Marty
Wow this thread is really going. Nobody remembers the blue willy's coupe that raced at woodburn? Homeyers cleaners was the sponsor, mid 60's or so when he was racing, the cars name was the hustler. He had a hand flipping the bird painted on the sides behind the doors, and later he switched it to a nagging old woman with her tongue out after complaints about the finger. Anyone?
don't forget Art Pollard who died at Indy.....he was one hotshoe out of Roseburg on the circle track..I remember him running at Eugene Speedway in the 50s...a real gentleman driver.. and always seemed to win...
That was Dan Kilcup. A couple of years ago I bought a Madras Dragway jacket off of Craigslist from a guy in Portland. He bought it at Dan's estate sale and got this article from the Oregonian that was written sometime in the 90's with it. Seems like a tragedy that the family wouldn't want to keep this stuff, but it will stay safe with me.
Wow this thread is really going. Nobody remembers the blue willy's coupe that raced at woodburn? Homeyers cleaners was the sponsor, mid 60's or so when he was racing, the cars name was the hustler. He had a hand flipping the bird painted on the sides behind the doors, and later he switched it to a nagging old woman with her tongue out after complaints about the finger. He also had a sister car, a flathead powered Anglia. Anyone?
Erwin Von Homeyer raced a 46 Ford coupe, the Willys, followed by an Anglia. All were "baby blue" and had healthy flatheads. I know the Anglia had a "Bings Speed Shop" 286 incher. The Anglia was the most competitive, winning lots of trophies. The black and white of the Orange Crate was taken at McMinnville in 1960, before the Keith Randol total rebuild.
Watched him race many times in Eugene out west 11th at the Speedway, outstanding driver, tragic end at Indy.
In 61-62 there were 2 Von Hoymeyer cars, A Caddy powered 40 Ford coupe and a 40-41 Willys coupe, Caddy also I think, both were in Charcol primer, raced at McMinnnville and Madras then, were not that fast as I remember. Used to be a 33 Willys PU, metallic green, I think that had a wild flathead in it with a Norden(?) crank & cam, fired 2 cyls at once, wild sound and pretty fast, anuone remember it and where it went??? I may be wrong, it was a long time ago.
Davey, Erwin's uncles, Hans and Curt, I believe, had 2 Forty Ford coupes, 1 std and 1 deluxe and a 40-41 Willys coupe. They were all red and were all Chrysler Hemi powered. The Fords had "dog houses" around the carbs, with heater fans blowing in to the boxes. This qualified them for Supercharged class. They always picked two different classes for them. That way they could make a single pass for a trophy. They must have had a ton of trophies. The green Willys PU was Bill Lewis and Wayne Harry of the Slo Poks. It later became Coonrod and Harry A/GS. Then the 33 Coupe came later. The truck is still around Vancouver.BTW Earl Floyd still has the 180 degree Norden Flathead engine.
Thanx for the correction, like I said, it was a long time ago. I remember the 40s, thought one was a Willys. Was sure they were Caddy powered but I do remember the heater fan above the carb so they could run Gas Supercharged. Lots of laughs over that one, you had to see them to believe it. Always wondered where the 180 Flathead went. Was an impressive flatmotor. Really miss those days. Trying to keep the A/S and B/S Chevy competitive took a lot of time away from watching other classes and the elims. Made it once in a while tho. Here is the 60. Was a 350 horse 348 4 spd car.
I was wondering when someone was going to get around to mentioning Rolla Vollstedt... Talk about Indy history, and most of it done out of his garage! THOSE were the good old days. FIRST rear engined Offy to qualify for the 500 (built entirely in his basement). LAST rear engine (turbo) Offy to attempt to qualify (think about that...). Car owner for the first woman to race in the 500. If you guys haven't read Rolla's book, you should. I've heard there are some inconsistencies here and there, but what a story.
The Jalopy Journal
