History Historic Stock Car Photos

Here is one of Jack Bowsher's early rides. Photo taken at Skyline Speedway in Charleston, W.Va. in the mid 1950's.

 

That dont look like a flat head under that hood. Please tell me thats a y-block ford. Back about 1990 ARCA had a Legengs race at Flat Rock and Jack was there along with Iggy Katona< Dave Dayton, Benny Parsons and I dont remember who else. They had them drive enduro cars and I had the pleasure of building the car for Jack. I will dig up the photos someday and try and post them.

 

Well, here's another one for the "Weird car of the Day" list. I blew by this shot the first dozen or so times I've looked it over. Then I figure out it isn't one of the early Jay Wyatt ZERO cars - it's later, with Pat Patrick driving - and if you look at the trunk, it's got a huge wing !

I'm surprised Earl Baltes let him run with that thing. It's not a Superbird style wing, it's a supermodified type wing !

Does anybody know if this wing was run at other tracks ?

Enjoy.

The Oldtimer

 

Andy was inducted into the Kentucky motorsports hall of fame in 2010. Dave Huber

 

Jack Bowsher shop, circa 1976

 

Hey, would you (or anyone else) have any old pictures or anything else from the old Somerset track or cars that ran there? My dad & grandpa used to take me there to watch the races when we were in Somerset. My grandparents lived out on old 80 west of town, out past the old drag strip. They lived a few houses down from the Yanders familys place. I remember the Yanders running '55 Chevys at Somerset. Their car # was 96 and were usually maroon with white tops. Any body remember them?

 

A few pages back somebody posted some pics of the historic stock cars at the Monterey Reunion event. Here's some more from the track. The Oly Dodge was the Winston West car of Ray Elders. I was seriously bummed it never went out on track. Lot's of good looking stock cars were on hand.

 

It's been a long time since I added anytjing to this great post!

How about we go back to a little short track asphalt racing in Chicagoland?

Raceway Park in Blue Island, IL. favorite Paul Bauer in his 2 year old '66 Impala in 1968.



Here's #36 Chicago fav, Joe Shear at Soldier Field in 1968.



Ted Simonsen's TS1 Chevelle at Soldier field in 1968.



Last but not least, the immortal short track star Whitey Gerkin at Illiana Speedway in 1972.



more to come, enjoy!

Joel

 

I think that's Bret Miles, son of the late great Dennis Miles.

 

Norm Nelson 1960 USAC Champion Zecol Lubaid Ford

 

Joel , GREAT pictures. Please post more. Off to Rockford this weekend for NSTC !

 

This car also raced with the wing at Tri-County Speedway.

About the time Patrick was driving this Jim Cook Roadrunner, Chuck McWilliams was driving a Dodge Charger with the "Daytona" style rear wing. It had the normal Charger front and grill but with the rear wing. I think that was how they justified the wing on this Plymouth. Everybody stretched the "stock body" rules a little.....and I wonder how much that helped on a half-mile dirt track in those days.

Oldtimer, being from SW Ohio, I love your pics. Lot of great memories there.

Got any of Porter Lanigan's Mopars or the Stricker's Fords?

How about when they ran a 4-door Ford Maverick body? That was a bit of a rare model.

Thanks, Oldtimer...............Mike C.

 

After sorting through the photos and the results, I believe I have reduced this down to being Jay Sauter. There were several 14s there in practice but the 14 in the race was Sauter. They changed the 14 of Sterlin Marlin to 74 and the 14 of Freddy Fryer to 1.

 

and speaking of nashville this sat night is SUPPOSED to be the last race ever at the historick old fairgrounds. this years version of THE ALL-AMERICAN 400. i'll be there but sure hope the can pull a rabbit outa their hat for next year!!!!!

 

Here's a shot of Tom Colella and Tom Wible on the high banks of Dayton Speedway. There was one "magical" race at the end of 1970 where folks came from all over - Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky as well as the locals from Ohio. It wasn't necessarily a high-dollar purse, but it was after most of the seasons had wound down at the other tracks. I have no idea who won that day, but there was sure some great talent there.

We'll make this one the Photo of the Day...

The Oldtimer

 

Great Pic.

 

Don't you just love it when race cars actually look like cars!! That was a good era in racing. The days of the Chevelles and Fairlanes were some of the best memories.

 

I noticed the "Prototype" engines patch on Alan's suit, I still have my old red "Prototype" jacket and a couple of worn out shirts.

 

Thanks for the comments on the pic of the driver interview. FYI, the ASA officials in the background are photographer Wayne Doebling, PR rep Steve Stubbs, and our tech director and pace car driver, the late Leo Parrish.

 

I couldn't think of his name but I thought I recognized Steve Stubbs. I remember the name Leo Parrish but would not have recognized him. I miss the days of Rex and Uncle Bob and later "Stormy" Weathers and some of the shows we had. Back then the racing fraternity was more of a family, we may have feuded a lot but most families do. We got to know each other doing our jobs around racing and would run into each other as we made the rounds of the tracks. I remember we had a special or two at GA International and had a mixed crew of ASA and Allpro guys to help us and there were all great to work with. After I became the race director I learned what nerves and the pucker factor were all about and I sure appreciated being able to work with pros like them.

Speaking of pace car drivers, I think I have told this story before but............

We were having one of our shows, a 100 lapper or such, and got John Harrison of Southeastern Racing Products to drive the pace car. He and another fellow hid a bottle under the seat and would sit over in the turn one track entrance and indulge while waiting for a caution. Late in the race the flag came out and so did John, only he didn't pick up the leader, he was riding along in the pack. Rob Joyce, the general manager, picked up a radio and said, "Tower to pace car, you are now running fourth" or words similar to that.

 

Good Golly, Indy - There's several million dollars worth of talent in that shot - including the flagman !

 

Only in their minds, only in their minds. Just kidding!!

 

the dairyland transport on the back of the guy your talking to ? would that be mike miller of the worlds uglyest racecar fame

 

By his hair, it looks more like Jim Sauter to me. Also that is what the original poster said.

 

yep your right .that is what he said. and HE should know. my bad.getting old sucks

 

Better then a photo and sorry it was last weekend enjoy fellas.-Weeks

http://www.golivestream.tv/channels/realfast.tv/shows/OKIE_BOWL_HARD_TOPS_MAIN_EVENT_9-25-10/

 

Falconred, I hope you don't mind if I pick up that story and paraphrase it in a future "Driven to the Past." That's classic.

And for the record, I ALWAYS enjoyed working with the All-Pro officials, and I'm sure the rest of the ASA crowd did, too. There was no intersectional rivalry whatsover, just an "Let's get together and do this!" attitude. Dan Spence and I became great friends, and really loved working together.

 

Cool. I was at Jackson when the produce guy (can't remember his name) stole the pace car. Alcohol was involved!!! The All Pro bull jumped in the passenger seat (head first), his skates dangling in the air. He spun it out on the back stretch. Those were tha daze.TB

 

Feel free to use the story. I was talking more about the rivalry of the drivers and crew amongst themselves not so much the organizations, the individual track promoters sometimes maybe but most of the officials were great to work with. I think there was a little more rivalry between Allpro and NASCAR All American Challenge as organizations than there was between Allpro and ASA who seemed to work together more. Most were friendly rivalries.

 

Wasn't that J.W. Hunt, the Strawberry king of Florida?
And the All Pro Bull was Paul Schuermann (SP), from Birmingham, I think.

But good times in All-Pro, and Jackson was one bad fast track. Remember guys who liked getting up on the "sidewalk", or the top of the track on the front stretch.
I also remember guys who flat refused to race that track due to the size and speed. Same guys wouldn't run Baton Rouge when it was open, either.<!-- / message -->