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

I knew it was a mistake to make that offer...

The purse was, allegedly, $10,000! Never saw a breakdown, however...

Qualifying times, pieced together from different sources, so not altogether coherent:

1 Nick Valenta 1'39.83"
2 Mike Schmader 1'39.79"
3 Allen Heath 1'39.91"
4 Colby Scroggin 1'39.93" (1'40.81"? 1'39.85"? 1'36.86"? 1'37.43"?)
5 Hank Henry 1'40.70" (1'44.44"?)
6 Bob Eaton 1'40.73"
7 Johnnie Wood 1'42.66" (1'49.89"?)
8 Roger McCluskey 1'42.98"
9 Billy Cantrell 1'43.07" (1'43.11"?)
10 Jack Rounds 1'43.54"
11 Don Stayner/Stanyer? 1'44.55" (1'43.54"?)
12 Jim Hurtubise 1'44.70"
13 Ed Lockhart 1'45.00"
14 Wayne Weiler 1'45.02"
15 Howard Gardner 1'45.29"
16 Rosie Roussel 1'45.59"
17 Bud Rose 1'45.62" (1'46.62"?)
18 Scotty Cain 1'48.20"
19 Paul Kamm 1'48.52" (1'48.86"?)
20 Rip Erikson 1'48.53"
21 Don Davis 1'48.59"
22 Jack Gardner 1'48.74"
23 Leroy Neumayer 1'49.65"
24 Chuck Leighton 1'49.85"
25 Elgin Holms 1'51.01"
26 Al Goelz 1'53.40"
27 Bob Willis 2'00.24"
28 Doc Schaefer 2'00.29"
29 Duke Wyrembeck 2'09.35"

It's possible some of the guys re-qualified, or qualified different cars. Newspapers are never that specific. Typos could also be the source of confusion.

 

S'more RIR sprint stuff:

 

I liked the Hillman Husky add. I had one - an old beater that wouldn't die. Did anybody ever use a Hillman powertrain for a midget / TQ power?

 

It appears that most of the cars were straight out of Ascot. Can't believe many would have gone to the expense of a gearbox or 2-speed rear for just one race. So that begs the question how did they gear them? High (numericaly) for the corners or low for the staightaways? Guess that might explain why a ex-champ car won.

 

I read somewhere how they geared Rodger Ward's Lime Rock winning midget, but I can't recall which way they went with it, high or low.

 

I believe they had it geared pretty low. But that was kinda his advantage with Lime Rock being pretty tight with short straights. With his light weight and grunt off the turns he could stay ahead of the Mazzies and such. If it would have been at RIR with looong straights into tight turns and hairpins the sporty cars probably would have eaten him up.

 

Another cool pic from the HRM/Rickman archives. A 1958 naked pic of Lee Knox's Mopar Poly motored car , driven by Roy Prosser. I suspect you probably could count the number of Polysphere powered sprint cars on..... well, one finger.

 

There's some pretty "state of the art" looking stuff on that sprint for 1958 - like that seat and radiator tank. I like them better without the bodies.

Rootie - I hope you're OK from all the fires in your area, and, PK - I hope you're OK from all the water down in Tampa. Too bad you guys couldn't work something out and let everybody win.

 

A-OK, I'm quite a ways away from the fire on the west side of town. They're consentrating on keeping it from getting into the residential parts of town and letting it burn on up into the mountains. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the bare bones pics too.

 

Rootie - I hope you're OK from all the fires in your area, and, PK - I hope you're OK from all the water down in Tampa. Too bad you guys couldn't work something out and let everybody win.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the shout out Bob, I'm ok and hope Rootie is doin the same.
Blessings everyone,
PK

 

Notice a Jim Ruth,in a Dodge......

 

Had these photos for awhile and just noticed the difference in the car. Buzz Rose in the 23 and Colby Scroggins in the 12. Colby won the CRA championship for Kenny Worth
. I think the 23 has a V/8 studebaker and the 12 has a chevy. the 23 was earlier and the steering and rear radius rod location is changed. Car is a Kurtis chassis X1 originally owned by Tom Barnes when he worked for Kurtis. Hank Henry crashed it at phoenix and kenny retired it. Its in my barn. Wrong itis a caddy in the 23.

Totally different cars. The #23 was owned by Lester Robertson and was the machine that Jim Rigsby was killed in. Lester used to do janitor work for Jud Phillips and Jud gave the car to Lester around 1957 or so. A bunch of really fast guys drove it in its lifetime. Besides Rose, there was Parnelli, A.J. Shepherd, Neumayer, Bob McCoy, Dick Fries, Steve Kennick and more. Lester parked it when Jud gave him the Branson death car. He ran that one well into the '70's.

 

Roll out your vintage open wheel racer and join us, SATURDAY JUNE 30th at BELLECLAIR SPEEDWAY, BELLEVILLE IL.
Check in at 2PM
Two pit passes for each displayed vintage racer
Possible track time
Display on concrete under a metal roof across from the main grandstand.

See you at the track
David J. Kovac
314-220-0699

 

Stan,
who's, or what car was Don Branson killed in? I always thought it was AJ Watson's 255 Offy.

 

Rootie and Michael in Germany ,many thanks for the times and program,
We have a track very like Riverside down here ,it is called Sandown Park (I think you can Google it) about 2.6 miles long and even at our big Historic event we cant field 46 firebrathing v-8s or Offys or anything like the quality or the number.
People I have shown the details of this 500 mile race to are astounded!!
Cheers Greg

The cost of racing hasnt changed at all in 40 years, back then it cost all you had ,it still does.Anon

 

two great drivers, ready to spin some laps on the super speedway at Fontana Cal, last weekend!.... Carl S in his 1927 "Boyle Valve" Miller and Bobby Unser in his 1972 "Olsonite" Eagle!

 

Event recap and link to more photos:

117 Event Photos from Jerry Imboden
http://printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp...80007&curpage=

http://www.vintageovalracing.com/
2012 Wednesday June 27: Bobby Unser Re-acquainted with 1973 Eagle Indy Car As Part of the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase During HSR-W 11th S. California Sports Car Festival Auto Club Speedway, June 22–24, 2012
Fans enjoyed eight decades of Historic Champ/Indy Cars as they roared toward the green flag as part of the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase. The sound of thundering Offys, Millers, Chevys resonated throughout the stands. Bobby Unser spent two days at the track meeting all of the fans and driving a few laps. “I am going to go out and have some fun” said Unser, “ I have already gone as fast as I want in that car.”
Other historic race cars once driven by Gordon Johncock, Rodger Ward, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and other racing legends ran on-track, at-speed in a practice sessions Friday, Saturday morning and Sunday in the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase. From cars designed in the twenties to accommodate a riding mechanic, to the turbo charged rear engine missiles of the eighties, the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase provided a salute to “America’s Racing Heritage”™. Some of the owners and cars that were on-track were:
Owner/Driver Car Ray Alcaraz 1959 Epperly Indy Car
Bill Barringer 1938 Ford Flathead Indy Car
Diane Cerveny 1955 Indy Roadster
Gary Cerveny 1963 Watson Indy Car
George Chilberg 1950 Champ Car
John Darlington 1966 Lola T90 Indy Car
Philipe Delespiney 1972 Eagle Indy Car
Dave Duncan 1989 USAC Silver CrownCar
Dennis Howland 1958 C.A.E. Sprint Car
John Kerr 1932 Miller Scofield Ford Champ Car
Steve Logan 1968 C.A.E. Sprint Car
Doug Magnon 1969 Eagle Indy Car
Rich Mastroleo 1970 Barnet Sprint Car
Tom Malloy 1973 Viceroy Vels Parnelli Indy Car
David Morrison 1977 Lighting Indy Car
Delmar McClure 1958 Collins Champ Car
Stephen J. Morici 1968 Cheetah
Gilbert Glenn Necessary 60s Watson Indy Roadster
Carl Schulz 1927 Miller Boyles Special
Chuck Spielman 1963 Watson Roadster
Bud Taylor 1960s Watson Roadster
William Watkins 1968 Gerhardt Indy Car
Between track sessions the historic Cars were on display in Garage One. This event was organized for the Historic Champ/Indy Car Association by Victory Lane Motorsports Marketing and was presented by Vintage Oval Racing Magazine and Victory Lane Magazine. For more information contact Pam Shatraw, Events Manager, 650-321-1411. ​

 

Who won?

 

Ya mean between an old fat guy and an old skinny guy?

I lapped him 7 times and held up an added digit in his direction each time I went around.

If pressed for more details I must admit his Eagle had expired on lap2 and he was parked forlon along the backstretch apron.
His words back at the garage, "you don't need that much boost for this stuff."

 

In case any of you guys had planned to go to the Pikes Peak hillclimb this year, they have decided to postpone it to a, yet, unknown date due to all the fires going on up in that area.

 

Rootie, I'm getting ready to tow to Milwaukee Sunday Morning from Indio, CA.
Looks like heading N up 25 from Albq to Denver and then to 80 is out due to fires along 25.

Do you know about picking up 80 heading East out of Salt Lake (to stay N of CO)? Free of fires?

Or should I stay on 40 through AZ, NM and OKL and then swing N.?

Hardpressed to find a travel website with this info.

 

No, I-25 is flowing freely. They had the so. bound lanes closed for a few miles last night for a little while to evacuate some people but the fires have'nt affected it otherwise. Of course I can't predict Sun./Mon. but I really don't see any problem. Cant say about about any other route as all the centeral states are dry as a bone and at a high fire risk I imagine.

 

Thanks!

 

drive safe Carl

 

Thanks compadre!
I think I'm getting too old to do this by myself anymore.

Don't forget your goggles and this time I 'promise' we show you where the brake is.

 

Here are some cars from 1939 Union, NJ.

 

Where did you found these photos?

 

From an old paperback book i have. I scanned them with my old scanner. I will look for the book and post the title.

 

Jim, he was driving the Phillips/Wilke offy.

 

Millers at Milwaukee Mile - Harry Miller Club
Participant Info and times to be open to public

Just got an update from the event coordinator, Lenore Heinzelmann.

In the event the info doesn't find its way onto the Club website
http://www.harrymillerclub.com/

"56 cars registered at this time"
"a number of cars from the Vanderbilt Cup era
including a 1906 Fiat from the Indy Museum as well as The Blitzen Benz, owned by Bill Evans"

Thursday July 5 Cars/Trailers may be parked at track 12-4 PM
Followed by reception cook-out at Crown Plaza Hotel

Friday July 6
8:30 cars on track for group photo to be taken at 9AM
9:00 Open to public
9:40 Drivers Meeting
10:00-4PM Cars run on the mile (usually alternating slow and fast sessions throughout the day)
First laps to be taken by featured cars of the Vanderbilt Cup era.
6PM Cocktails at Hotel-Silent Auction-then
7PM Dinner

Saturday July 7
7AM Track opens to entrants
8:00 Event Open to Public
10-4PM Cars run on track

I'll be leaving Indio in a few days and will try and get as many photos as possible to share.
This should be one really unpleasant tow through the heat and forest fires but well worth it in the end.

carl schulz
indio, ca
<!-- / message -->