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

It was also entered in the 3 western states champ races in 52 and was a DNQ at all 3. Don't have any pics of the car with the Stude in it but this is the car, from 53, with a Offy.

 

For Josh Shaw and Stan Lobitz,
Here are the rack and pinion Rileys which were very innovative in feeding the fuel in at the bottom and not allowing aeration but still controlling the float level with a needle and seat.
As the throttle opened ,the mechanic had the option of altering the cam position which drove the rack and pinion which has the float fulcrum attatched to it thus either maintaining or raising the float level as they saw the demand might be.
The cam is marked with 4 positions allowing of a range of about 1/4"
there are idle and intermediate adjustments via air bleed screws (these might be fuel bleed screws, I havent investigated further)
The idle jet cover underneath is stamped 14X62 and the intermediate cover is stamped 32X62
The carbs are numbered SR5 and SR6 ,so presumably pretty early and I have put a comparison shot in of a standard small one ,number 235 to give you an idea.
These are all 1 1/2" carbs so the two inch ,with the rack and pinion option must be huge to say the least.
I will PM about jets
Cheers Greg

 

An open wheel legend gives a stock car legend a ride at Eldora before the Prelude:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF-XdhAhJFU&feature=related

 

Bob, that narrative describes Tampa perfectly. I was born there, raised there, and the first sprint race for me was in '57. I'm sure we crossed paths at one point or another... my dad was always in the pits and that's where I watched a lot of he races. Dad was friends with Homer Claytor, Pete Folse, and Buzz Barton. Joie Chitwood, who had a chevy dealership in Brooksville, would usually give dad free tickets to his thrill show which included admission to the races. Oh how I wish I had a way back machine I'd sure like to relive those memories in person!

 

Joie Chitwood and those white Chevys! Was there anything better? Just like the IMCA guys they traveled with, they were fantastic to us kids. It was like hanging out with Roy Rogers. I'd run straight to the Chitwood haulers to watch them unload those cars from the "new car" hauler. The tunnel, the ramps, and that damn clown! Man, he made me nervous standing on the track like that with those cars brushing by him at speed! Thanks for the comments!

 

The Johnston-Carbone-Wendt Watson roadster, Bonneville car, sitting on its tow tires, as it leaves the mac miller shop for its new home in south Fla.

Can't wait to hear that 270 from Zakira's!!!

mac miller in INDY

 

I missed the Prelude this year for some stupid reason and didn't know about this. But I did see him screaching for mercy like a little kid at Bathhurst last year. Here is an abbreviated video of that ride. Gary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLkLtBkUVuo&feature=related

 

If you come, be sure and stop by to say hello.
BVS 1927 Miller Tribute Car #15 Garage #1

Vintage Racing at California Speedway Oval and Road Course on June 22, 23, 24.

Historic Champ/Indy Cars Celebrated Their Great Indianapolis Speedway History A
Few Weeks Back During The Indy 500 Festivities And Will Be Celebrating Their
Great Southern California History June 22-24, On The Auto Club Two-Mile Oval
Twice Each Day With The Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase During The
Big Historic Oval And Road Racing Festival Organized By HCICA And HSR-West.

Over 25 Historic Champ/Indy Car Association Cars will join more than 200
Historic Sportscar Racing West Cars for the Southern California Racing Festival.
The road racing cars will run in 12 groups twice daily during the 3-day event on
the 3-mile Grand Am road racing circuit, which uses the main oval front straight
and infield area.
Many great oval car names are expected to run on this Auto Club oval, including
Watson, Eagle, Kurtis, Miller, Lola, March, National and Novi.
Great road racing cars to appear include Corvette, Jaguar, MG, Healey, Lotus,
Lola, Chevron, Porsche, Mercedes, Triumph, McLaren, March, McKee, Genie, Elva
and many more. The event also includes Historic Stock Cars, Production Sports
Cars, Sports Racing Cars and Formula Cars.
Historic Champ/Indy Car entrants call Pam Shatraw, HCICA, 650-321-1411 (CA).
Road racing entrants call Ed Swart, HSR-West, 310-750-6933 (CA).

Here's the most up to date sched for the historic indycars on the oval, call Ed
Swart for the roadcourse schedule.

Thursday June 21 12PM gates open for trailer parking Garage 1 spaces 61-74.

Friday June 22
8-5PM HSRW registration Garage 2
HCICA safety Inspection
10AM Drivers Meeting HCICA
12:05 HCICA on track
4:30 HCICA on track

Saturday June 23
10AM Drivers Meeting HCICA
11:35 HCICA on track
1:00 Lunch for HCICA entrants and guests
4:30 HCICA on track

Sunday June 24
8:30 HCICA on track
12:15 HCICA on track

Best Regards
Carl Schulz
Indio, CA

 

If you read the Art Christman biography, he goes into detail about eh engine failure on the car. It appears to be a result of an explosion in the oil heater that Clint Brawner did not look into far enough. Christman was with Tony Capanna on the project and it was the oil system failure that put Christie in the wall and out of the race. The car had turned laps that would have put it in the race prior to the accident. The book I refer to is "The Christman Legacy" self published by Ed Justice Jr. a great book of very limited production, so if you want one (and everybody should) cantact Ed soon.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. In a Bob Russo Speed Age report, he states: "Christie went into a slide after something locked up and he hit the inside fence on the back straight"

 

Greg,
Thank you.

 

Balckie: regarding your by-line" Time flies......." You work qualifies you as an artist... Do you draw flies in the summer???

 

I think Hewitt ought to give him a ride in the two seat sprinter!!!!

 

If it was "an explosion in the oil heater" that (either directly or indirectly) caused the engine to lock up I wonder just how that worked. In those days the standard racing oil was 50W and the general practice called for heating the oil in the oil tank with what amounted to a jumbosized soldering iron to warm and thin the oil before startup. This preheating might take at least 30 minutes and also served to help evaporate any excess methanol that might have gotten into the oil when the car was last run. In this case was methanol/nitro somehow getting past the rings and into the oiling system? Did the mentioned explosion take place while the car was sitting in the garages while the oil was being heated and Brawner just said not to worry about it? There must be a heck of a story here somewhere.

BTW, a old friend of mine named Bob Owen was working for Brawner at Indy in 1955 and he ended up being the designated chief mechanic on the Dodge dirt car. It seems that while Brawner was busy with the roadster AAA required a chief mechanic to be with the other car anytime it was taken out of the garages and Bob got the call. Bob passed away years ago and today I wish I'd ask him more about his involvement on this and several other race cars at Indianapolis.

 

Amen to that!

 

Tampa, on the "crushed sea-shells" track surface.............
and rash on the nose...........still on the car 45 years later.

 

Add Bobby Unser in the 1972 Eagle Offy

1972 Eagle-Offenhauser
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the most important cars in the “Indy 500” history

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the remarkable 1972 AAR-Eagle, one of the most significant Indy cars in the history of the famous race, 3-time Indy-500 winner Bobby Unser will get back in the cockpit of his favorite racing car and enjoy leisurely laps of the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway racing track in Fontana, California during the HSR-Victory Lane vintage Indy car event June 22, 23 and 24, 2012.
The new Eagle built by Dan Gurney and his crew in his All American Racers facilities in Santa Ana proved to be the class of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 field by qualifying on the pole at an astounding 195 MPH, a full 17 MPH faster than the fastest lap in the preceding year. This in itself has set a record that remains unbeaten today.

The new car had been designed by a team composed of Dan Gurney, Roman Slobodynskyj , Phil Remington and crew-chief Wayne Leary, and was available for purchase by other racing teams.
A few days after the works car was completed, driver Bobby Unser set new records at Ontario Motor Speedway, covering laps at over 191 MPH.
At the Phoenix 200, the first race of the season, Bobby took no prisoners as he qualified on the pole and won the race running away. At Indy, Bobby easily led the race until the distributor rotor broke, the car coasting to a halt when nearly a full lap ahead of the field. Bobby

Years later, a deal was struck between Dan Gurney and collector-racer Philippe de Lespinay in an effort to recreate both the 1972 cars of Unser and Grant, using leftover parts from both cars bolted to two NOS unused tubs.
After years of research for the missing correct parts and many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the cars were eventually completed by the talented and immensely experienced John Mueller in the Entrepreneur Enterprises race shop in Fresno, California. Chassis 72-30 was delivered to Dan Gurney in 2010.
Chassis 72-29 is the car retained by de Lespinay. Tracing the engine numbers (crankcase and cylinder block/head assembly) from old records he saved from the bin, it was discovered that the engine was the very one used by Bobby Unser to win the 1974 California 500. That engine was rebuilt by Stewart Van Dyne of Van Dyne Engineering in Huntington Beach, California.

The car is decorated as the # 6 Olsonite-Eagle, exactly as it was at the 1972 Indy 500, the paint scheme having been devised by Philippe 40 years earlier. The car is on display at the Riverside International Automotive Museum, along with a remarkable collection of Eagle racing cars collected by museum owner Douglas Magnon over the years, and is maintained by Bill Losee and his crew.

Along with the 1972 Indy car, at least two more AAR-Eagle racing cars from the Riverside International Automotive Museum will be exercised by Douglas Magnon and Tony Adamowicz: the 1969 Eagle-Ford driven at Indianapolis by Denny Hulme and the 1970 SCCA F5000 championship-winning Eagle-Chevrolet.
A web page is available for more information and pictures at http://www.tsrfcars.com/toys-full_size_eagle.htm

 

The steering is all welded in and works.....this job has seemed to drag on for ages.....but its done,and I can move on.The computer 'thing' is getting closer,but there is still plenty to keep me busy.There is a guy about 30 miles from me and he has just supplied all the AN fittings and line that I need to plumb the car,and he also helped with a problem with my remote oil filter.This will be the next job.

Baldtireman.....I hate flies...I like buttons....

 

Coming along quite nicely,sir.!

 

1948 and SoCal Mercury dealer Bob Estes figures a Mecury powered Indy car would be a fine thing. Somewhat naievely he drops a typical hot rod flattie in a Connie "sealdbeam" Weidel chassis and tows to Indy and puts Manny Ayulo in the seat. Pretty much a slug they didn't come close to qualifying. He skips 1949 but returns in 1950 with a pair of Ardun heads bolted on. Though they came close and even with Clark Gables help they miss the show. Come 1951 and he's back but now he has Watson's former 'pots-n-pans' Offy with both Watson and Jud Phillips wrenching. Although they do qualify (33rd) the're the first to drop out. Now here's where it gets interesing. Seems he brings along the old Weidel car too but... get this... it now has a DOHC setup on it. They have problems with it and was a DNQ. I guess those of us who thought the Ford "cammer" didn't first show up at Indy until the early 60s were wrong.

 

Thanks Rootie

 

It is possible to find a picture or other information maybe...
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?165406-Cal-Connell-Spl.

 

Happy Father's Day everybody and to all of our fathers that have passed. Any of you young guys out there who aren't fathers yet and aren't sure how, just call me and I'll walk you through it on the phone.

 

Let's see: Estes, Ayulo, Watson, Phillips - hot rodders (CA) running Indy. Penske, Ganassi, Castranevous, Franchitti, ??? Wow, how much things have changed. But then, Ray Harroun was probably saying the same thing about those hot rodders.

 

Indy in the 1950s pretty much became the personal playground for those from Cal. or Az.

 

EMMR at Port Royal 6-9-12, enjoy!

 

Glenn, FWIW- I came across this shot and it appears at some point the beer wagon did indeed have low mounted T-bars. Of course the cage is all different but I suppose that could have been changed at some point also. No idea of the time line of any of this or if there was more than one beer wagon, just thought it might be of some interest.

 

Thanks Rootie, I think that 56 car is the one that Sheldon Kinser drove and it does look very much the same, I will try to look into it further. Thanks
Glenn

 

Yes, the 56 car was owned by ??? Hammond, a NY beer distributor thus the name "beer wagon". Sponsored by Genassi? Beer. That is Sheldon in the photo. Car was wrenched by Galen Fox and I believe built by Grant King. Great pavement car.

 

That would be Genesee beer or as we like to call it, Genny