60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

They called 'em "Super" Modifieds out on the West Coast:

Roseville, Ca (1967):

Sacramento, Ca - West Capital Raceway (1973):

San Jose (Ca) Speedway (1974):


More at: http://public.fotki.com/nitram22/auto_racing/

Marty

 

I've been a long time fan of vinatge oval track racers. I "ve put in some photos of models I've built over the years.

 

Don't seem fair to look at these great photo with out adding some too;
This is Flying X of Buz Berton from Tampa fla in the late 50's,at the time this was taken these were called for a short time Bug's,that one was nick named the Road Graeter and won lots of races,then Modifieds again.
I was too young to drive tell 59,but loved these things,years later drove Lou White's #312 after Bobby went up to Alabam for a few years @ Hialeah Speedway,then my own Fire ball #4.
My local hero in jr & high school was Mel Payne #30

 

Speaking of Buzz Barton....here's a car he ran up this way in the 60's. It's being restored now in the supermod configuration. I offered to help out by bending up some tubing bumpers and nerfs.

 

Left turn Clyde!!!

 

This is at the Hutchinson Kansas state fair grounds Driver on the left is Roy Bryant and the car owner is the legend sprint car builder LaVern Nance>>>>.

 

The 04 car was driven by Grady Wade>>>>.

 

The trick to this car was there was a opening in the front of the car that was about 12". It was ducted straight into the intake and Weld new the speeds at the mile would be very high and the duct would act like a turbo-charger. This body design was a lure to take the attention off of what really made the car haul-ass. The best part was after the race in the time of monkey see monkey do everyone lined up at Welds shop to buy the ground effect body kits. So Weld got to sale his competion a bunch of shit that didn't even make the car go that fast. Talk about a smart man>>>>.

 

Now we're talkin. This cat was one my favorite drivers when I was a kid. The other was Bugsy Stevens>>>>.

 

This link will get you to some photos of the NY state competition. I don't want to hijack the thread, I'm just answering your question.

The Central Islip FD still has the Drag Strip with the overhead tower set-up. It's used at least twice a year for competition and they use it all the time during the spring and summer for practice and "training"

http://fdracing.911pictures.com/

Here's a neat pick for you vette lovers.......

 

Kenny Brightbill 1970 Reading PA Fairgrounds

 

Some posts back there were some pictures of Charlie Jarzombeks right hand drive coupe coupe doing it's best to wrap itself in Dover's catchfence.

Here's a pic of the car at Stafford Speedway around 1972 I believe.

 

great pics,thanks

 

That Ray Hendrick #11 coupe picture wasn't taken by me. It would make me about two years old when it was taken around 1971 at Pocono! It's in my collection and was obviously taken by someone else. Sincerely, Mark Southcott

 

I left out the location.

 

just bought a 58 delray super modified . from a guy who used to race back in the 60 . will have some picks soon . picked up some wheels and a frankland quick change for it also some frankland spindels and hubs from charlotte three weeks ago . got some free tires from a sprint guy down the road from me for free so i think i will bee rolling soon . they guy also gave me an other 58 for good skins the ones that are on the car now are bad , but he is also going to get me some pics of the car when he ran it . this is a realy cool thread . i will have some pics soon .

 

Found some pics from Spencer Speedway, Williamson, N.Y. from the mid '70's. Scanned a bunch into the 'puter here are a few. The yellow Camaro and transporter are models I built back then, inspired by these guys.

 

We just sold one of Steve old Haulers




old Tobias frame getting a tan

and an old VW dirt tracker

 

I sent mine down the road yesterday, it went to Maryland to get restored back to it's hey day. The new owner had a glass bodied car and raced up and down the East coast to Florida.

 

Oklahoma City legend Evard Humphrey

 

Jackie Howerton before Indy and Zink

 

Racing From The Past.com

 

Another car I wish to recreate

 

Some guys over here are still building them and racing like they were back in the 60,s I took these pics last year.

 

These guys were my heroes back in the 50's and 60's. The Wisconsin racing scene allowed the Milwaukee Stock Car associatiuon to race five nights per week. Many cars had 'shifts" of guys wrenching on the cars... many of these guys were mechanics, and machinists so nothing couldn't be built to repair the cars.

Mostly based on a '33/'34 Ford chassis the cars ran Ford Flatheads, Chevys, Y-blocks, Hemis and every other combination of engines. The Ford "666" rear was the gear of choice for the 1/4 mile tracks. Originally equipped with buggy springs, many cars eventually switched over to cross torsion bar suspension by the late 60's. Several four wheel drive cars were also built and later banned as being too exotic.

Tracks that these cars raced at included Hales Corners, Cedarburg, Slinger, Beaver Dam, Wilmot, Plymouth, Luxemburg, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Luxemburg, Sturgeon Bay, Franksville, Waukegan (IL), Lake Geneva and others.

http://www.lasheefs.com/Pages/JohnSurgesP/wismodifieds1.html

 

This car was called by some,the winningest thing on 4 wheels. The car had 3 drivers under the ownership of Pat and Kenny Riffel,Frank Lies,Roy Bryant,and Marvin Bradford. This day was at the 1974 Hutchinson Nationals. The worst wreck I've ever seen. This was a direct result of Kenny's retirement as a car owner>>>>.

 

My father owned a front end and brake shop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and as a ten year old spent many an imaginary lap of our hometown Thunderbird Speedway behind the wheel of some battered flathead powered Modifield, Danny Leatherman's '55 Chevy hobby stock, or if really lucky a Super Modified in for a last minute Friday afternoon "alinement"...

For great photos from Thunderbird, Tulsa Speedway, Wichita, and a lot of other 60's and 70's tracks, check out http://www.racingfromthepast.com/.

Greg Gray