There's a lot of dirt tracks here in the upper Midwest that run almost every night of the week in the summer. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj8n-OnlrrQAhWI7IMKHREWAcgQFghaMAw&url=http://movrcc.webs.com/&usg=AFQjCNFLe9WqjjL2Jh_7ZSA1RDJ1znyTmw&bvm=bv.139250283,d.amc You see this......... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...56500/&usg=AFQjCNEkQgHMIzg0B1HfoNEaDAEYuQDXgQ
There is a vintage hardtop group here in Nor Cal. Mclure has been pushing it for a number of years. I believe they get track time at some of the dirt tracks here.
I'd be on board with my old 99x- we thought about doing a version of this only on the ICE here in Minnesota or Milwaukee... I think it would RULE. good company... plenty of stories to tell. by Tuck posted Feb 6, 2014 at 10:34 PM wintering... by Tuck posted Feb 6, 2014 at 10:34 PM
I've posted about this before, but I'll repeat it here. In the early 90's, I was able to find an almost complete vintage dirt car. I "restored" it and ran with a couple of vintage clubs up here in Minnesota for about 15 years. My car is well do***ented and was the Minnesota Champion Stock Car champion in 1966; it's the real deal. About 10 years ago, track rules, insurance concerns, and club rules have virtually eliminated my opportunities to run my car. I don't want to run balls out or trade paint with this car. A lot of racing ***ociations and tracks mandate fuel cells and seat belts less than 5 years old. I am not about to cut my original car up to install a fuel cell. I have a 5-point harness that set me back a couple of hundred bucks 20 years ago. It is in perfect shape, but one look at the label and I don't p*** inspection. Our group used to run mainly intermission shows at the local dirt tracks. We did have one or two events that were vintage shows, but mainly we run as an adjunct to the regular racing program. Over the years these shows have evolved into "Clutch and Starter" events. They have so many cl***es (most of them real ****ball cars) that they don't have any extra room in the pits and no push trucks. My car has an in/out box and a Frankland quick change; I can adapt it to any track, but it has to be push started. I have been told not to bring it to certain events because of the "problems" it causes. I last ran it about 3 years ago and have not had any opputunities since then that did not require a 500 mile round trip with no ***urances that I can p*** tech or track rules. It's a good thing I'm getting to old to drive it, or I'd really be pissed. The rules of most of the clubs up here have slowly changed over the years to favor much newer cars with old bodies slapped on them over original period cars. Here's a picture of my car at Arlington (Minnesota) Speedway in 1999.
1954, myself, dreaming of being a driver, my Uncle Chester was the driver at this time by wicarnut posted Jan 20, 2014 at 5:27 PM Next step, take apart, finish some welding and make it pretty, not jewelry, just nice by wicarnut posted Aug 25, 2013 at 8:28 AM . Attached 2 pics of family Midget, 68 years in my family, restoring it, NOT going to Vintage race it. In Wisconsin, Dirt track racing is changing for the better, it has been struggling IMO, $$$ costs had/have spiraled out of control, there's a successful limited 360 wing Sprint car group that's doing well, a 410 wing group doing OK, a new 360 nonwing group that is catching on and a 2.4 limited Midget group that is growing. Cannot say much about stock cars, do not follow them. I grew up in racing, competed for 21 years myself and got out in the 90's, age, 40's and the $$$ involved encouraged my retirement, Hoping these new groups survive, so current, future generations can have the fun of compe***ion, I loved it, Miss it, But all things change in one's lifetime. "Vintage" Dirt track racing, seems to be doing OK, have friends involved, Original concept was, have some fun, be careful, as nobody is a kid anymore, gave Old Timers a chance to play racing as they did not when young for what ever reason and a few actual old real racers get/got involved. My friends tell me the fun is fading fast as more people came in, bought old/good/fast cars, put modern high HP engines in and it's gotten pretty dangerous, getting to serious, racing to hard. We'll see how it all turns out, this like all things, will go through changes and survive in some form, always has, always will.
Dirt track racing alive and well here in the Deep South. Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA, a**** others, has been operating for decades. Dirt tracks are a southern tradition. Redneck racing: Haul *** and Turn Left
I tried to get a Jalopy Showdown-like event going at the Dixie Speedway when I lived in Atlanta, they weren't interested. I think it was mainly because they didn't have any free track time.
Yep; same ole, same ole. I have heard that the same thing happened to the vintage drag guys years ago : They bring their cars out to have some fun, and when others see how much fun they're having, they flock to the events because there are "easy pickins'" there. The run up the speeds and performance, which requires he sanctioning organizations to tighten up the rules, and, all of a sudden, the guys that started it can't p*** "Tech". Oh. BTW, I'm not interested in racing on ice. This is a thread about dirt track racing.
Not sure where you are going with this, Ryan, as there are already hundreds of vintage oval racing groups and events around the country / world. It is already here. If you are thinking something TROG-ish, those kinds events are already here, too, but perhaps not as many as you'd like to see? Let's face it, oval racing on dirt, boards, pavement, indoors or out, winter or summer, has been around far longer than "hot rodding" - drag racing. Gary
That looks pretty nice. I've seen a lot worse brought back. Reconsider turning it into a dirt car. They did enough of that in the '50's.
We ran Hardtops at our local 1/4 mi dirt track for about 9 seasons. The rules allowed engines up to 360 inches, 500 CFM two Barrel carb, 28 to 48 American car bodies. We had fields of 12 to 18 cars, and the crowd loved it. It wasn't "Gentleman Racing", there were crashes, roll overs, mayhem, and quite a variety of cars. The 39 Merc, had a 351 Windsor and we had it set up well, it was most compe***ive, season after season.
We attended a neat dirt track moonshine event in San Antonio maybe 3 years ago....was covered on here but seemed to be barely noticed.... Sent from my SM-G930P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I like these... hopped up but not with rare parts - more expendable so to speak and more modified than just a fender-less hi-boy jalopy tippy-toeing around trying not to roll over. Gary
Bugsy is already working on this for the past couple years. I believe he has been talking with the people at the Clay County Kansas fairgrounds.
@Rainier****** and I had been tossing this idea around for a bit a few years back, but then he got kids and a trip to the sand box.
I still think it would be a great idea @Hitchhiker kids and lack of funds not withstanding... Depending on how things turn out in the next few months, we may have to revisit the idea.
I was trading PM's with Tubman as his Thurmer Brothers #102 piloted by Jack McCorkell was a fierce rival to the #14 piloted by Jim Edginton, built by my Dad, Roger Hendrickson and powered with motors built by Ron Barton. This is a ballad my Dad wrote and performed about those days. @tubman if you look closely you'll see the #102 in a few shots... This was real racing!
Eric, Many thanks for this. This is the first video I have seen of those days. You're right; that was real racing. I've been thinking about this the last couple of days and have come to the conclusion that with the average age of older dirt track fans today (50-60), their impression of "Vintage dirt track cars" is probably a clapped out '75 Monte Carlo "Street Stocker" with fluorescent numbers applied with a spray can. This is reflected in the car counts I have seen at the last few vintage races I attended. The cars we are discussing are not relevant to the current fan base. The main complaint I have heard about the shows I have attended is the "You guys don't have enough wrecks!". I am going to get down to meet you and your dad next summer though. It'll be a blast! Tubman
Here's and evolution of how the cars changed from 65 to 70 in Southern Minnesota. If you have some time to kill scroll through some photos here. http://fairmontspeedwayarchives.org/photos/1965 1965 1966 1967 1968 1968 Looks like they sold out to STP in this picture. 1969 1969. That's me on the tire....This car won the '69 Minnesota State Fair Asphalt race. Dad has found this ch***is, and I found part of the body. 1969, Even had a fan club.... 1970 The same ch***is with some changes and a new body and they won the Minnesota State Fair again.
The Jalopy Journal
