Clipping from July 6, 1961 Webster (NY) Herald. Webster is a suburb of Rochester. Spencer Speedway is an oval track in Williamson, NY with an extended front straight still used for 1/10th mile drags. Everyone knows who Rosemary Gennuso is. Fred Adams was a local kid who later built a wild '41 Willys pickup C/Gasser, spent some time building Supermods, and had time for a couple of nice streetrods. He gave up cars to take up woodworking. Frank C.
Brings back fond memories Frank. I saw "Mouse" run his grungy-looking 55 Chev a few times against Rocky Reitano's better-looking 56 Chev C/G and Richard Miller's 38 Pontiac A/G. As I recall, the roof of Mouse's car was adorned with a "Precision Machine Shop" advertisement sign that rotated in the wind as it went down the track. He won some and lost some against those guys --- they were pretty well-matched. But the quickest car I ever saw on that little track was George Bedor's 32 C/G pickup I think fitted with 8000+rpm 348 screamer --- I couldn't believe a BBC V8 could sound like that and still stay together. Bedor's ET was just over 4 seconds --- a track record at the time --- even though he had to shut it down before the finish line in order to have room to brake for the first turn. Don't remember Bedor's mph but he still was going fast enough to spin around twice trying to make the turn --- his car was simply too fast for that track. Jack E/NJ
I haven't been to the Spencer drags (or any drags for that matter) in almost 40 years. I remember Bedor from Niagara. Here's some pics from Dean Johnson's excellent website: Frank C.
Thanks for the photos and link, Frank. Yeah, I think Bedor tried Spencer only that one time. Sorta like an exhibition run of a world-class type C/G screamer. At the time, I think he was just returning from an NHRA-sanctioned national event. He trailered his car in. Reitano and Mouse drove theirs in. I think Reitano still has an auto shop somewhere near Mt. Read Blvd and the InnerLoop. My Spencer hey-days were mostly mid to late 50s so I never saw Bedor's or Mouse's Willys creations. I raced F/G in my streetable 38 Ford a few times at Spencer and the now-defunct Monroe County Fairgrounds track (and almost always lost to stovebolt 6s). It had a 49 flathead that was slightly warmed up by relieving with my old man's 1/4" Black & Decker electric drill, a Crane street cam, some 2nd- or 3rd-hand Offy and no name speed parts, and a few reconditioned $20 97s from Western Auto. The biggest problem was a stock rearend that behaved semi-OK on city streets but wandered all over the place on those slippery tracks. I still have my 38. Been driven for most of the past half-century only fitted with a stock 55 265 which was recently replaced with the car's original early-38 221 motor in fresh stock re-condition. Jack E/NJ
Ah, you're one of those lucky SOBs who had the foresight to keep his old car. I have a great story about Mouse finding his old Willys, which I'll post soon. Here's some pics of the Willys when he towed it home from the barn it had been sitting in (note his tow car, and the cow) then a shot of it completed, and finally in action at Niagara. Paul Dow was his partner in the Willys project. Frank C. (Fred Adams Photo) (Fred Adams Photo) (Dean Johnson Photo)
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