60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Got some more...

 

wow the carnage in that last photo Rabs any info on that?


Al Tasnady

Daytona

Bill Snowden

 

Jim Tyler and Ed Ortiz

Charles Angerman, any info about this ride?

Benny Stevens

 

The Thunder Wagon, Jack Reinhardt

Ed Ortiz

2 of spades

 

Early Nascar mods!

 

I've got no info on these shots, there from my fathers collection,maybe our panel of knowledgable experts can fill in the blanks....Rich

 

This car was affectionately known as Old Nell. That pic was taken in the pits at Shangri-La Speedway. And yes, the car still exists:



and so does Benny...


...but sadly the speedway's now a gravel pit. The above two pics were taken by me at the final race ever at the track in 2005.

 

I don't know much about the speedways upstate, but there is a new Shangri-la II speedway in Tioga center NY. Is it on the grounds of the old speedway or in a new location?

 

Rich, first off, thank you so much for getting these great pics to see the light of day. Seeing these photos makes this 49 year old feel like a 13 year old !!

I'm gonna guess, but I think the 222 might have been Gordon George ? Gordon had a habit of wrecking on the front stretch. If it's not George, it would have been an outsider to Reading, as the car has a lot of details that were foreign to the Fairgrounds . . . outside chicken wire, a glass panel in front of the steering wheel, etc.

 

There's a replica of this car running around somewhere up here. Very neat.

Actually, there are a few vintage cars that take laps around the local track every now and then on race night.
Airborne vintage mods

I hope that link works...hehe

If it does look very closely at the door panel...you'll see there's something behind it.

 

I followed the link and it worked. That sure looks like a good copy, but about 10 years ago I was visiting some friends down in N.C. and in the Chassis shop of Hendrick Motorsports was the original Jack Tant -Clayton Mitchell #11 coupe, driven by Ray Hendrick. It was being restored there.

 

Did not know that. I'll bet it's nice, to say the least! Several years ago I spoke with the gentleman who owns the car in the link I posted, if I remember correctly he ended up writing and asking for permission to make a "copy" of the #11. Being a child of the 80's I don't know much about the 60/70's cars, but I grew up close enough to the track to hear the announcer clearly on Saturday nights all through the 80's an 90's, and I had a blast on the nights I could con someone, anyone to bring me to the races. The track popularity declined mid-90's, recently has gained a ton of momentum. Regionally the short track scene has gained in popularity, nice to see.

Catamount site

The above site has a ton of pictures/history from tracks in northern NY/VT, some defunct.

 

Swear to god that top pic is an Aussy Monaro beside a Torana.

Doc.

 

Rich ..

Good to see Lindy Vicari, the promoter of the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, in a few of the pictures that you've posted.

 

Why yes it is an aussie shot! Got a few of them, some mean looking cars they had!

 

Bob Whitbeck

Smith

Bud Hamilton

 

Bubba Peck, Paul Radford and Billy Hensley

Bucky Dragon at thunderorad

Buddy Krebs

 

Brunell

Brunell

Bruno Brackey

 

Bugs Stevens

Brain Ross and Ernie Gahan

 

N.J. has some stringent rules for Vintage race cars to compete. The rules basically make the vintage cars NOT vintage. I know that you MUST have a fuel cell to race.

 

Came across a couple more....

 

It's located about 3 miles west of the old speedway, off of Rte 17C on Skyline Road on the top of a hill where Skyline Amusement Park used to be many years ago, adjacent to Skyview Drags (1/8 mile IHRA strip). George Swansborough is putting together an absolutely first class facility up there.

If you look at the map below with the satellite image, the new track is located approximately where the oval shape exists to the southwest of the dragstrip:

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=s&lat=42.08299&lon=-76.335958&zoom=18&q1=owego NY

 

Its nice to here about a new speedway for a change, especially if its a first class facility as Bakes has stated. Down here on Long Island we are down to are last oval and no more dragstrips. I think the poor economy is our saving grace for Riverhead Raceway right now(no Big box stores looking for property).

 

Quick ID on these Reading racers: Top Row... Ken Brightbill (19).... Red Coffin (44) spins out.....Johnny Botz (2) leads Toby Tobias (1).

Bottom row....Larry Ochs (24) leads Jim Keppley (59)...Toby Tobias (1) leads Gerald Chamberlain (76).

 

I followed the linkt to Airborne as I grew up in the area and am familiar with Airborne, Devil's Bowl and Albany-Saratoga.
I cannot believe they paved the tracks again.
Even worse is that they are running the modern "dirt mods" there. I hate the looks of the modern car, but seeing it on pavement just isn't right. Like blue grass and green sky.
Nice restores though.

 

You get used to 'em. Seriously though, they put on a good show and draw a big crowd. Of course there still are the 'heart of the sport' smaller divisions which are just as much fun.

a lot has changed there. But it's still there. Maybe it doesn't have that nostalgic feel that TR sometimes has, but then again I don't think much has been replaced at thunder road since 1960! It's disappointing that Malta and Devils Bowl will be asphalt this year, I thoroughly enjoyed making the trip there in the summertime. But I guess I'm just glad we still have such a variety of tracks around. We're lucky. A lot of regions can't seem to keep the car count or the facilities up.

 

RABs,

My Friend Jack put IDs he could make on your last set of photos. Post# 4434

For Last set posted on the MB...Reading Fairgrounds 1973.....

Upper left: Budd Olsen (44) Gerald Chamberlain (76) Dick Tobias (1). Center: Toby Tobias (1), Ken Brightbill (19), Right: Buzzie Reutimann (00), Toby (1), Brightbill (19), 86 ????

Lower Left: Freddy Adam (8), Brightbill (19) and ??? (34). Bottom Center: "Mr. Outside" Ken Brightbill in his usual high line.

 

I belive the missing drivers are:

86 - Dan Readinger

34 - Hal Browning

 

These pics were from the 1973 Daniel Boone 200. How do I know that ???

Because Kenny Brightbill was running carburetion intstead of fuel injection for gas mileage !!!!!!!!

 

Billy Tanzosh

Budd Olsen

Bugs