Vintage East Coast Dirt Trackers, from my father's scrap book

So, my father had a surprise 60th birthday this weekend, and I went through his s**** book of old dirt track stuff. His father started racing just after WWII, and he started racing before he was out of High School. Around 1962 or so. All these photo's are from East Coast Dirt tracks in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Have a good look, it's amazing how stock these old coupes and coaches were. If anyone has exact IDs as to the year of the car pictured, chime in.

 

more to come, but I gotta run to work.

 

Please post a few more pics and maybe one of us can ID some cars. If your dad raced on dirt in Connecticut in '62, I'm guessing that the track he ran at was Stafford Springs.

Those old Mods and Late Models weren't quite as stock as you might think. The difference between then and now is that back in the day, you built everything! Nowadays, the youngin' just call Speedway Motors, Lefthander or whoever and order parts.....

BTW, for you New York Modified guys, did you know that Troyer Engineering had a major fire the other night? I'm not sure how badly the facility was damaged, but it didn't look good.

Jan

 

Dammmit Man,That old 57 reminds me of my Hobby Stock days at I 35 Speedway.LOL
That was a fun cl***.6.5Lbs. per cubic inch,13" tire limit,internal weight jacks,center seat and steer,run whatcha brung,with a $2000 claimer on the car .
In order to claim a car you had to run in the top 5 and post the money with a race official(good luck finding an official,LOL) in cash within 15 mins. of the final lap of the A-Feature.
If your car got claimed(which needless to say didn't happen often)you kept your seat,tires,and saftey equipment and everything else went to the claimant,as opposed to today where you only claim the motor.
Damn those were fun times.
Thanx for makin' me think of 'em.T.OUT

 

A 2 grand claim! Back in the late '60s, we raced in a Claimer cl*** over in Western PA and the claim was $200 for the COMPLETE car! There was an agreement between most of us not to claim each other's cars, but occasionally a new kid would come along and try... I ran a couple of '62 Thunderbird Landaus back then. Believe it or not, those '61-'63 'Birds made pretty good stockers.

Jan

 

A friend of mine used to run a Cl*** B car on tracks at West Peabody,the Pines Speedway in Groveland,and Seekonk M***achusetts in 59 and 60.Also at Brookline New Hampshire.Didn't do too much but we had a good time.I lettered the cars and attempted to keep the flatheads from coming apart and/or overheating with very mixed results,but what do you expect from a 16 year old?

Never took any pictures(couldn't afford a camera;it would cut into my drinking money)but sure wish I had.I remember that the overheads were just starting to infiltrate racing then(Cl*** A)but there were still a couple of guys who ran some pretty fast flatheads.

Some of the cars that come to mind were a Pontiac engined A car(the Flying Five) driven by Red Seguine(sp?),a neat 32 3 window with narrowed 53 Ford rear section(#181)out of the East Lynn Garage driven by Rocky LeBonte,a 34 3-window(the big chrome zero) with a Hilborn injected 283 driven by Ollie Silva and a 34 Plymouth(B car) driven by a Roger Lancey from New Hampshire.

Any of you East Coast guys remember those cars?
Ray

 

The picture of the #03 and #84 coaches were taken at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York, about 20 miles east of Albany.

I remember B.C. Wood running there. I ran there off and on from '68 to '76.

That #48 '57 Chevrolet also looks like a Lebanon Valley late model division car from the mid to late '60's. The Sep '65 date on the picture margin confirms the time period.

I thought Tommy Baldwin out of Troy, NY ran a #48. He usually had his business name lettered on the side of the car. He ran a service station/garage at the bottom of Spring Avenue. I bought a race car trailer from him in 1970, still have it and still use it today!

I suspect the pics of the coaches is from the late '60's and/or early '70's. I think the engines look like small block Chevs. I think Lebanon started to allow big blocks in '72.

Those '35-'38 Chevy coaches were the body of choice back then. They'd completely gut the inside, channel them over the frame, install a '48 and earlier Ford straight front axle and a Frankland Q/C rear end. Chrysler leaf rear springs were the hot-setup. Engine set-back in the frame about 18-24" from the front axle centerline. Homemade firewalls and floorboards.

That's back when a top shelf car cost $5,000 - $7,000 and ya' built it yourself using a lot of junkyard parts. At Lebanon Valley, the weekly Saturday night feature race paid $500 to win. A once a month Sunday night 100 lap Open Competion race paid $1,000 to win. A guy could actually make money racing. Example, Will Cagle aka "The Tampa Terror" #24, Frankie Scheinder #2 and Buzzie Rutieman #00.

In the early to mid 70's the era of the commercially manufactured 2' x 4" tube frame started. That was the beginning of the end for the low buck back yard racer. Crazy racers with money started spending crazy money to win. End of story .

Today folks have a $50,000 store bought/built race car/engine and race for a $1,000 - $1,500 feature win. What's wrong with this picture . No wonder why racers and track owners are struggling.

Spending big money doesn't improve the quality of racing. Instead it dilutes it. On any given Saturday night you'll see the best racing in the lower less costly divisions. It's all about entertaining the fans in the grandstands with a quality show.

 

from what I remember he raced Lebanon, Statford Springs, Nazareth, Danbury (paved), Syracuse, but mostly Middletown N.Y.

That #48 57 Chevy may have been a loaner, I don't think he ever owned one, but 1965 he would have been 3 years out of high school.

The 2 #84 coupes are both stovebolt powered. Behind the one with the lightning bolt is a fuel injected 57 that my grandfather bought from Briggs Cunningham, then yanked the motor and put in a race car, and I imagine either junked the rest of it or made another race car out of it. How much would a 57 with FI that used to belong to Briggs go for today? More than they ever made racing, that's for sure.

I'm at work right now, but I will post more later when I get home.

Woody III

 

Stovebolt being 6 cylinder?

If so, they could've run those cars with the V-8 Late Models. Rules back then were a bit complicated between V-8's and 6's to maintain parity.

 

There are two great books by Gary Spaid and Bob Hunter do***enting racing in New York state from the late 40s right up to the late 90s. One is "Syracuse S****book" 50 years of stock car racing on Labor Day. The other is "Card Coming" that do***ents road racing as well as oval track over that same period. Both are great reading for those of us the kicked around race track in New York. Me included.

 

Have the Syracuse S****book, but haven't taken time to read it.

The books, FONDA and They Called Me The Shoe-The Kenny Shoemaker Story are two of the best books I've read about racing in the Northeast. I've raced at Fonda many times and knew the Shoe fairly well. Away from the track he shared a lot of his experiences with me. Ya' don't have to know him or know who he is to enjoy the book. I loved it. It's about the way it used to be, when it was fun!

RICHE-The Riche Evans Story and Bugsy-The Bugsy Stevens Story are also pretty good.

 

I'm kinda fond of the #84 myself, don't know why. Hey Modifieddriver remember some of us still have cars built the old way. How many hours did we spend on the frame and nerfs for the "?" car? Just the other day I was told the only real race cars are limited and lates (Both store bought ch***is and thin metal bodies that don't look nothing like any car you see). It kinda of struck me funny, because our Jones friend in GA once told me my 55 wasn't a real race car because it wasn't from the 40's. Can't please everybody, but at least we don't have to depend on the stock market to get our racers. Speaking of pleasing, the other night I caught Bille Jean in one of the moods, you know after a beer or twelve. When I took my pants off she laughed and asked who I was going to please with that. Looking her straight into the eyes I said "Me *****". Don't tell Billy Bob.

 

Yep racing is ALL about entertaining the crowd, and that's why Reading (PA)Fairgrounds was able to pay a grand to win for a regular show in the early '70s. Great drivers, relatively inexpensive cars, Warren Ruffener stirring up the crowd before the feature with "Who do YOU think has the hot shoe tonight?" the 3 Minute Clock and Lindy Vicari's promotional skills made for full grandstands. Remember, Reading ran Fridays and Sundays most of the season and a real "shoe" like Kenny Brightbill or Gerry Chamberlain could win $50-60K a year.

I don't think Toby's 2X4 ch***is...old Chevy and Ford bodies and frames were getting rare by '72, ruined the Mods so much as the Kenny Weld/Gary Balough/Drug Cartel "Batmobile" which ran at Syracuse in '80. That thing drew everyone's attention to aerodynamics. Then Troyer came out with the first production offset car...the Mud Buss in '81 and things went downhill from there....

Jan

 

hey i just had a ridiculous and crazy thought that i just thought i'd share with you all. how about applying the "hambster" idea to circle track racing? Lets start a cl*** where people could build cars the old way (no money, lots of skill and effort...and coolness) and race them on a dirt track. that would be so much fun. I mean If we did it to drag racing why not circle track racing? damn that would be a hell of a sight too, some old school cars sliding around on a dirt track just like the old days. Could anybody out there start something like this?

 

This is a cool thought as several of us already have old stockers we race with various clubs. Gettin' together at a centrally located track once a year and having a race would be great... The problem is that the rules differ a bunch between the clubs. Some only allow pre-'49 open wheel cars, others like mine allow early Late Models like the '63 Ford I'm building. Also, what would considered 'cheap vs expensive' parts? As an example, I'm using good Carerra gas shocks because I already own them. So to me, they're free. But if you bought a set like mine, that's over 400 bux.

Don't get me wrong, I think a HAMB circle track race would be awesome! I'd be there in a hot second. But it'd be hell to put together a set of rules that would make everybody happy.

Jan

 

Yeah, from the look of the photo's they are both powered by Chevy 6's. The first one looks bone stock down to the one barrel carb and cast iron exhaust. The other one is my father's first car, built while in high school, also looks like a one barrel.

As opposed to this pink #84 coupe, whick is powered by a six with 5 one barrels. I think this motor is sitting in storage in the shop because he moved to the V-8s. He's thinking of putting it in a street car, but he's looking for the right car.

 

Cool thread. Thanks for posting the pics.

 

Here's some more, and more to come...

#303 was my grandfather's car and his business partner's, from sometime before my father was driving, late 50's maybe?

#4 sitting on the truck was also built by my grandfather, while my father was in the army in the late 60's

Tan #84 sitting in the driveway, on the trailer, was my father's from I would say 1970-1976? All I know is I was born while the lived in that house, and we moved in 1978.

The Red,White and Blue #84 is sitting on a '66 Chevy Dualie truck, which he used up until 1980, or so. That was the last of the coaches. Later pictures of it have it running a big block with mechanical fuel injection.

 

I can't tell, in the black and white photo, if its got the injection yet, but it certainly is running injector stacks in the other color photo.

#59, the '72 Nascar Chevelle is the one Donnie Allison drove in the Daytona 500. Its the first Di-Gard car. The Di part was a cousin of ours. I only later learned that we all went down to Florida in 73 to run it, I was only 1. According to the story I was told, B.C. was supposed to get his big break at a later race, since Donnie wasn't signed to a contract, but it never happened.

The #84 Gremlin was the one I remember best. It was built in the garage of our house, and I remember sitting in it in various states of finishedness. It was big block, disc front brakes, and fuel injection. I think it had fully ajustable anti-sway bars front and rear and adjustable coil overs all the way around. This is the reason I have always though Gremlens were kinda cool.

 

My grandfather had a 55 just like that one that is pictured in his backyard for years....It was my 'Jungle Jim' in the summer and our 'hill' to slide down in the winter....As a kid i got to see some of those cars run at Evans Mills Speedway..But those are distant memories now....
My folks moved to Florida and one of my Dads new friends collects all these old circle track cars....He let videotape all his stuff...Some amazing history....He even had Bobby Allison & Aj Foyts old cars....It was really something to see all of those old cars but i could only imagine what it was like to see them run.....

I just heard about Troyers shop..I'll have to go check it out...

 

Rules? Do we need rules to just have fun?

 

Hell no, we don't need no stinkin' rules.... If any of y'all think a HAMB circle burn is doable , we'll be there either with the coupe or late model.

BTW, these are great pics, Parkwood!... Old stockers are really what rock my world.

Jan

 

I heard she had her eyes on Bubba now. He's the one ya' need to worry about. I'm not sure, but I heard that when Billy Bob was going out the front door, Bubba was waiting to come in through the back door. (By the way, I'm referring to the front & rear trailer doors ).

Well, real question is, did ya' get pleased .

 

The green and white #84 coach has a Big Block Chevy . I love it.

In one of those previous pics where the coach is on the back of the truck, it has the narrow tires on it. That indicates that is was running in the Late Model V-8 cl*** with a 6 cylinder at Lebanon.

When my '56 Chev was parked with a blown engine, I drove a 292 c.i. 6 cylinder coach in that cl*** a few times at Lebanon Valley for Al & Craig Kugler. They were out of Colonie. That was fun .

 

The Reading Fairgrounds was my hang out every Friday night and Sunday until the sad day in 1979 when they built another friggin mall!!! I remember many HOT SHOES from the sixty's and seventy's. Still have my airbrushed felt hat too!! I have a PLEASE STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE sign that we took the last race from the front strech fence. Boy I miss those days

 

my first and last time at reading was the last show..i was by the yellow line when a local came up and told us too move or you will end up with a face full of car..it was sad that grbac got killed that nite

 

Been wondering why Bubba has been giving me the eye lately. And yeap, she's pretty good at pleasing.

Now back to racing. In the early spring there has been the Dixie Vintage Nationals, in Atlanta, open to all. GARHoF is no longer going to sponsor this event. The NVRA is attempting to have an Open Vintage race in the spring to replace this event, hopefully at OSP in Savannah GA. Maybe just in time to make speed week in Daytona. Rules for the Open events are pretty liberal. They run 4 cl***es.
1. Limited Sportsman - Flatheads and six cylinders, OEM type frame, years up to 66.
2. Late Models - 50-66, OEM type frame, natural aspirated V-8's.
3. Modified Sportsman - 30-49, OEM type frame, natural aspirated V-8's.
4. Open Modified - Tube ch***is, run what you brung and hope you brought enough, as long as it's natural aspirated.
(They do require metal bodies, you know original tin not a gl*** replicia.)

If that don't work maybe someone could find a track, that's willing, around the Charlotte area during the sping Auto Fair. That way we could search the swap meet for good buys and race too. Lowes dirt track would be great, but I don't think Hummpy wants people showing up his little make believe cars.

Now That I've got wood, from thinking of Vintage racing, I think I'll go get a 12 pack or two and see if Bille Jean wants to do some baby sitting. Oh Baby! Oh Baby! Oh!

 

Now a show up at Charlotte would be great.

Ya' know the "HUMP" won't go for it, but Carolina or Lincoln(? where they shot footage fof the Dale Earnhardt movie) might.

Good luck with Billie Jean and baby sitting!!!. Sounds like some good action . I think Bubba had to see his parole officer today. Something about a transponder and a tender place on his ankle. Said he was switching sides. I didn't know he was interested in playing ball.

 

Didn't know Bubba was a switch hitter, now I'm really worried about him eyeing me.