History Classic Indy roadsters: Most beautiful oval racers ever?

Thanks for all the interest!

 

While I was in Rockingham, NC last weekend, driving my 1927 Miller replica, the Bonneville Watson roadster, I built last year, was "on the salt" in Utah.

Check out the construction of this car at >>>
http://indyroadsters.webs.com/buildingabadass.htm

 

Great photos, thanks!

 

Kur-arri

 

Bill Akin, Hermitage, TN. wins again at Pebble Beach 2013...First in class and the Tony Hulman award for the most outstanding open wheel race car....see links below for pics and full story...Joe

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9166045#post9166045

 

Great photos of a fascinating race car, thanks!

 

Love the roadster era at Indy.

Subscribed to fully peruse later.

 

How about a Lesovsky lay-down. 1959 pole sitter Johnny Thomson.

 

I loved those laydowns as a tot. They were so impossibly low, seemed futuristic.

 

Seemed like a good idea at the time but, oddly enough, only two of them ever won.... the very first Salih car won two Indy 500s and the pink Lugie Lesovsky car(pictured above) won a race at Milwaukee.....

Read all about them here>>>>

http://indyroadsters.webs.com/apps/...gine-vs-upright-engine-a-technical-comparison

 

Great story, thanks. Just goes to show how low CG isn't everything. Recalls the Brabham BT55 and the original Shadow Can-Am car, two more ultra-low race cars that didn't prove out.

 

Things to do.

 

More pics and 2 videos to look at Bill Akin's Pebble Beach double winner in 2013....many construction photos and be sure to note the 2 videos at near the bottom of the gallery...these are marked with an arrow in the picture...turn up the volume and listen to the 255 Offy rumble...hope yall enjoy...Joe

SCROLL DOWN AND READ POST #315 IN THIS THREAD...

https://plus.google.com/photos/1032...220223879439094766/albums/5915374605357804657

 

Well, this thread seems to have come to a calm point. Seems like a good time to add some photos and comments. A long time acquaintance named Ted Cornis ( a high school mate of my Dad's) was a midget racer of some repute. He became somewhat notorious for building a frame fixture to "clone" Kurtis midget frames (he owned a machine shop in San Bernardino, CA) In spite of this he and Frank Kurtis became very good friends. Long story short I had the opportunity to meet Frank Kurtis in Ted's shop one afternoon in the mid seventies while on his way to his home in Parker, AZ. Ted came to be an engine builder for some Indy car teams in the late fifties and was held in some respect as such. In 1957 J.C. Agajanian sold his 1956 Kuzma roadster to Bob Sorensen. Mr. Sorensen contacted Ted Cornis to be the Chief Mech. on the car for the 1958 Indianapolis 500. I have lots of stories about how Ted repaired the repairs that were done to the car after the '57 practice accident, and how Dempsey Wilson ended up in the car (he was not the assigned driver in '58) and how it got qualified, but this is getting long and we need some photos. So, photo #1 Ted Cornis apparently doing a plug read.
Photo #2 Dempsey Wilson after a successful qualifying run. Photo #3 action in one of the first two of three pit stops. Photo #4 Dempsey at work, looks like coming out of 2 (South East). Photo #5 Eventual winner Jimmy Bryan (Belond- Salih #1), Johnnie Parsons (Gerhardt-KK500G #45), Dempsey Wilson (Sorensen-Kuzma #59). Photo #6 Jud Larson (Zink-Watson #44), Dempsey Wilson (Sorensen-Kuzma #59), Bob Christie (Federal Engineering- KK500E #65).

 

J.P. dinged it up on the wall in 57 and missed the show, his 2nd to last Indy.

 

Thanks for the great info.

 

It is not Indy roadster but is a Grant King supermodified roadster. I am selling my " Art Sugai owned " Pink Lady", Grant King built, driven by Art Pollard, Kenny Hamilton and others, supermodified roadster on E-bay. Listing number is 151149327497 or under Pink Lady supermodified, have a look.

 

Looking at the photos of the 58 Indy: How uncomplicated it all looked back then. I believe the had one engine and fixed it if they had problems in May run up.



Ago

 

you are correct, your car doesn't belong on this thread. try selling it in the classifieds

 

New video of Bill Akin interview at the Bowling Green 2013 Hot Rod Reunion....filming thanks to Holley TV....I took Bill's 1959 Quin Epperly Bowes Seal Fast Special to this event.........great interview...full screen it for better viewing.....Joe

http://holleytv.com/?p=657

Hope all yall enjoy.........ain't nothing like vintage Indy roadsters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks, have seen this car at Milwaukee, one of my favorites.

 

Please school me on this photo!

 

...

 

l Love this thread!

 

Post <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=1> <TBODY> <TR> <TD class=postrow2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" vAlign=top width="1%">denracer
Member


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD class=userinfo vAlign=top align=right>Joined: </TD> <TD class=userinfo noWrap>Thu Nov 1st, 2007</TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=userinfo vAlign=top align=right>Location: </TD> <TD class=userinfo>Cleveland Area, Ohio USA</TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=userinfo vAlign=top align=right>Posts: </TD> <TD class=userinfo>1282</TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=userinfo vAlign=top align=right>Status: </TD> <TD class=userinfo> Offline
</TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=userinfo vAlign=top align=right>Mana: </TD> <TD class=userinfo></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </TD> <TD class=postrow2 height=150 vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2>The famed Dean Van Lines roadster with Eddie Sachs at the wheell. 1963 Trenton. This car would later be discovered at the Lorain County Speedway running as a supermodified. Historian Tom Saal and Ernie Holden identified the car and Jud Phillips confirmed the identity by the unique roll bar and some repair work and welding that was done on the frame. Tony Gullatta of Garfield Heights, OH did the complete restoration of the car from parts that the supermodified owner had saved and has a complete step-by-step photographic history of the restoration. Vic Yerardi later purchased the car and re-did some of the cosmetics and later sold the car to the Bahre family of Loudon, NH (the folks that owned the speedway up until a month ago). Holden and PPG had the car on tour for awhile and then Holden had some health problems that forced the sale of the car. I love those old roadsters.
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Denracer posted this on Jimmies Old Time Racing a while back.

 

Thanks for the info on the Bignotti photo. Wonder what became of the Corvette and the chopped Ford coupe.

 

I am hopeful someone out there may be able to help me. I am seeing any photos of the 1964 Don Branson Wynns Friction Proofing Special Watson roadster.

Don drove the car in the following races in 1964:

- Phoenix 200 3/22/64
- Trenton 200 9/27/64
- Phoenix 200 11/22/64

Interestingly, Jim Hurtubise drove the car at the Trenton 100 on 4/19/64.

I have been able to find two photos of the car from 1965 (#4 Wynns Friction Proofing Special) but have not been able to find any of the car from the previous year.

If you prefer, please PM me with any information.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

FATCOOP: Man oh Man you hit that RIGHT on the head & I second your thought

 

Don't have anything now but will add to my search list.