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

GMC_52 best to contact Harry johnson at Horsethief race engines in Grand Rapids MN,think it might be one of his old cars.If its the one I'm thinking of you bought it in the Walker MN area from the Sautbines?Good history prior to Harry getting it

 

Perhaps it has been posted before (sorry if so), picture I found on the net of Roger McCluskey's flip at Reading in the 1964 opening race.

 

GMC_52 feel free to call 701 484 5689 TOM

 

Dean...............correct. RH threads on LH side and vise-versa.

 

1. Mario Andretti aboard Rufus Gray's Gapco sprinter, Allentown fairgrounds, August 15, 1964.

2. Mario in the Gapco sprinter, this time it's 1965

 

USAC Sprint Car at Eldora, 1966

1. Johnny Rutherford (#1)
2. Al Smith (# 26)
3. Larry Dickson (#29)
4. Bob Wente (#38)
5. Don Branson (#4)
6. Roger McCluskey (#51)
7. McCluskey & Branson
8. Greg Weld (#92)
9. Bobby Unser (#3)
10. ??? (#6) Mario ? (#9)
11. Ronnie Duman (#12) & Greg Weld
12. ...

 

Mostly Allentown

 

Wagner's team 1967

 

Mariofan GREAT PICTURES!!!!

 

Hope you enjoyed the one of Jimmy, sent for you ;-)

 

Like it was taken yesterday!!!!

Any more from Tampa??

Jim

 

KK500,

these are not my work, just a "web found" I wanted to share with you.
The Allentown, Eldora, Tampa pics come from this site :

http://www.wirphotos.net/photos/thumbnails.php?album=141

On the home page, you can find the albums by season (2011 to 2000) and then two sections called Older dirt (13 albums on 2 pages) and older asphalt (26 albums on 3 pages).

The pics from the previous posts (17644-17651) can be found searching this site :

www.coastal181.com

 

Lot of Indy 500 pics from the eighties here : http://photos.winterinkphotography.com/f353480072

 

Thanks for posting, very enjoyable! It's actually from the 1st Ascot Midwinter Championship, February 1979, and an open comp event. The list of those who failed to make the main that day is already mouthwatering: Dean Thompson, Walt Kennedy, Jay East, Rick Goudy, Jimmy Oskie, Rip Williams...

 

To be happy or young is much more a state of mind than anything else, so I'm glad you feel 10 years old again

 

MarioFanKri, I was there the day the picture of Mario and Ted Hartley was taken. They paid Mario money to show up and he missed the show. It was indoors at Ft. Wayne. Later that year I sterted driving for Mr.Hartley.
Jim

 

From http://www.autoracing1.com :

 

I'm enjoying the Tampa pics... keep 'em coming
PK

 

a few more Mario related ...

Can someone tell me what is the # 38 car (thumbnail n°2) and when where was this pic taken ?

 

Salem sprints, 1961

 

1. Mario (Meskowski #1) & Roger (51) in 1966, I would say Winchester (?)
2. Mario (Watson #2) in 1967, Oswego
3. 4. probably the same race
5. Aldo Andretti (#55), 1967
6. Aldo Andretti (#18) 1969, Dayton - 8th heat 3, 12th semi
7. Aldo Andretti (#18) 1969, New Bremen
8. Mario, 1970 (?)

Regarding Aldo, just found this article : http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19700529&id=hs8tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=46AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2530,7478166

 

Hi MarioFan,
Thanks so much for your contributions. The #38 car was owned by Charlie Clark, nicknamed "Hot Dog". Photo was 0ct. 1961 at Bloomsburg, PA.

 

I'll bite.... what's the story?

amazing picture.

 

She died as she tried to race through a wood wall of death, she was 25 (i think I remember having read) and had just got married the year it happened ...

 

MarioFanKri - I assume you know these two pictures are of the same car: 1st with AJ and then with Scratch.

 

Past Friday and Sat at Bill Rozhon's Havasu 95 Speedway, Havasu City, AZ.
Billy Shuman's West Coast Vintage Racer's Southwest Chapter, joined by Western Racing Association.
Twice a year-next will be the 3 day event in October.
Nice place to be out in the sun amongst the vintage clan.

Havasu City is chock full of aging hot rodders who've 'escaped from L.A.' and snow birders who come from places that still love short track racing.

Link to a few photos, hope to add more:
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/Havasu%20Feb%202012/?start=all

 

Carl - Nice photos. That pit area reminds me of National Trail Raceway (dragstrip) back in Ohio. I used to go there on the weekends and walk around all the cars and think: damn this is a nice pit area. Asphalt, clean, well lit, trash cans, landscaped grass and tree areas, and easy access with haulers. It makes me think back to some of the shit holes we visited in the 60's. A lot of red clay pits; down over or up on hills; giant mud puddles; no lights; sometimes in the woods; big holes you could fall in; hillbillys coming out of the weeds sneaking into the track and maybe wanting to take home a momento (like parts or even your mom). I remember some places it was like having to drive a road course just to get from your pit area to the track - and you'd have a helluva time finding your way back in the dark. There were no enclosed haulers back then, so everythiing you owned was out in the open. And, it always seemed if you dumped your car, your stuff was up for grabs. "He looks hurt. He won't be needing this tool box for awhile." On one trip, as Dad was being taken away in the ambulance, some guy grabbed his helmet and facemask and ran the 100 in 9.4 on his way to the gate. There has to be a ton of stories about crappy pit areas from the past.

 

I hate to be the barer of sad news but we have lost a great ambassador to the sport of auto racing. Art Bagnall passed away Sunday night, he is probably most remembered for his book “Striving For Excellence” an autobiogophry of Roy Richter in which he acknowledges the great drivers and builders from the past. Which Art knew almost all of them and was friends of all the ones he knew. Art raced himself and drove stock cars, TQ Midgets and full Midgets. He also was an announcer at some of the west coast race tracks. Art loved and lived racing all of his life and started hanging around Roy Richter when he was 10 years old and watched Roy build several race cars in the 30’s one of which was the Sam Hanks car which he was great friends with Sam. Art was a racing historian in all forms of racing from the ¼ midgets to the Indy cars and from the stock cars to the Bonneville cars and every thing in between. Art and Roy would go to Indy every year until Roy's death. Art loved Indy and knew all the drivers. I can not put into words the knowledge this man had regarding racing. I don’t think there was a question he could not answer about a race car or driver, I think he knew all of them. He spent most of his time after the war working for Roy Richter which allowed him to be into racing 24 / 7 and from before the war until last Sunday afternoon. If you have not read his book you are really missing something and it is getting very hard to find.
RIP My Friend.
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I'm sure I speak for many in saying thanks for taking the time to share some of your racing experiences with us. That way of life and racing has come and gone so long ago and would dissapear from record without you and others setting it down in ink.
As for stolen goggles and helmets from the side of an injured racer, it has happened all to often.
My friend Bill Barringer told me that someone stole his Father's race gear at the scene of his fatal crash at Atlanta in 46. Several years later the thief wrote the family and admitted his wrongdoing and offered to send them. Bill's Mother told him to keep them.