60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Oscar Saunders was the only one to get upside down in the Moat. The Moat was later filled in and became the 1/3 mile that the Midgets and Stocks ran on...

 

Yvan: I love that photo of J.P. Cabana in that 3/4!! Thanks, Neal

 

Ernie Marshall 1958, Danbury.

 

1959-Feature-crash. Is this what you meant?

 

Bullfather, I think that picture was taken at Old Bridge....although could be Plainville ?
Funny story....not too many dents in that picture, at that time Eddie and I were working on our cars out of Bert Brooks garage in New Britain. I had a couple of weeks I kept getting bent up, just couldn't stay out of trouble, we would come back and Bert would look at my car and shake his head, there would be dents all over and the nerf bars and bumpers would be twisted and bent. Bert told me if I didn't shape up he was going to take the torch and cut the dents out and anything bent he was going to cut off and he predicted in two weeks there would be nothing left. Denny Z

 

Thanks Denny, must of been a surprise for you tonight to see you and some of the boys!

 

Yes Sir, It's great, brings back good memories....and some of the stories. Denny Z

 

From the March 1, 1974 issue of New England Speedway Scene

Ed Flemke


Bill Harmon

 

That's the deal I called "Leahey's Alley" in an earlier post, that tore up SO MANY cars.
John Leahey owned the track and Fairgrounds. He had a fuel and oil business and used Fords almost exclusively, his older trucks were used all around the fairgrounds. He was still using a couple '36 trucks for fuel delivery locally up into the '60's if I recall correcrly.

 

Denny, that must be Plainville or somewhere else. Old Bridge had those upright railraod ties as part of the catch fence.

 

4everblue, You could be correct, as you can tell by the wording I wasn't positive. Now a days me brain miss fires sometimes. The Bert Brooks story is correct though, that I remember like yesterday. When Brooks said that I thought Eddie was gonna split a gut laughing. Denny Z

 

Those are great shots of Ernie Marshall. Got any of him at Lebanon Valley? (used to work for "Leadhead" who was on his crew then...)

 

Thanks Doug!!!!!

 

Your more than welcome Neal, here are a few links to JP Cabana photo's ect.


http://www.stockcarquebec.com/pilotes/C/cabanaphotosjournaux.htm

http://www.anca-qc.com/pionners/cabanajp.htm

 

This thread is the greatest. All the old pics just stir the old modified memories. Wish I had pics when George Summers had a bounty on him at Seekonk. Too bad we couldn't get some Mercury photos posted or R.A. Silva could get some things up. Thanks again.

 

Bulfather and DaveWW1 Your pictures are fantastic, especially Flemington. In picture 8823, Flagger Tex Enright standing on the start finish line. Tex was a show himself, no one would think of being on the track to give the green, but he did. A jump in the air and wave the green then run like hell.

 

The white 71 was owned by J. Merle Smith of Avonmore,PA (Western PA). J.Merle own dirt modifieds driven to many wins and championships by Bob Wearing and Bob Wearing, Jr. Lenny Pond did race the Monza but it was driven last by Bob Wearing at Daytona in February of 1979. Bob qualified the car in excess of 198 mph. The Monza was destroyed in a practice crash when the right front tire blew entering turn three. Wearing was serverly injured, sustaining a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs, and a collapsed lung. He would recover and continued a legendary career that ended with over 620 wins in dirt late models and modifieds.

 

Seekonk great Rusty Rushton