60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Richie Evans








check out the stacks! sweet!

 

Artie Tappen

 

Charlie J!

 

Bill Henry John Grady Photo

 

Dick Clark... John Grady Photo

 

Wonder if Bill Grady had peanuts thrown in that car too off-set the green machine!?!
Dick Clark? The guy who would count down the ball drop in time square???? lol ok enough jokes. Check out the job on the pipes?

 

Anybody have any Ace Lane Sr. photos. he did a lot in NY and NJ. amd many other places.I met him at daytona speed weeks in the early 70s. very likeable gentleman. RIP.. I have really enjoyed this thread..

 

Can't see the other side but if he'da put them on the other side (upside down) and vice-versa they mighta come out down by the frame... but that kinda engineering is what made the old race cars so cool in the first place...gotta got with what 'ya got...

 

Hi K9, I knew a Bobby Lane that was a Figure 8 Champ a couple of times then went into the mods. He ran a dark blue Pinto #4, didn't go under the name Ace though. Then again, when these drivers ran out of state they often ran under other names.

His best run on a big track was at Dover around 1979 or so, maybe early 80s. Finished 6th. That was the race that Troyer was feeling ill and Geof Bodine blew his engine. He got into Troyers car, 6 laps down, made up all 6 laps and won the race. Next thing you know, Bodine is running Busch then Winston Cup with Childress.

 

Neat to see all these photos.The Eagle/1 and the 83 are both Moon Burgess,New England hall of famer,and all around good guy.He now has a restoration of his winning stock car,302 GMC powered.Interesting to note,Moon was teamed with Joe Fontana,famed engine builder,still running midgets and at bonneville,in his eighties! The#6 is Walt Smith"s own GMC 302,not sure who's driving,but Walt still has this exact car,and surprisingly has the engine,with a Skinner head,in a modern Nascar tour type modified.It ran competively with these 700 H.P.suckers at Riverside and Modanock tour races just a few years ago.Quite a feat,and if you speak to Walt,it's still not officially retired.All thse guys are hot stuff,and still involved to this day.

 

I love Walt Smith's side pipes, it something you'd see more on a track t-roaster then a east coast modified.

 

Bullfather;
Do you know If the black panther driver Dick Beauregard is a Waterford Ct. driver?My cousin Dick Bearueguad raced Waterford in the 50s and 60s But I know Him as driving either the 305 or 385 modifieds he and his brother owned.there was Dick and ray beauregard and their cousins Dick and Ray Deslile Dick had the 305 and 385 modifieds in 58-61

 

Yes Believe that the same, these are all northeast modified drivers.

 

He's referring to one of THE best photographers ever to cover modified racing in the NY/NJ/PA area. I believe hHis son Ace Lane Jr. still covers some racing and is involved with Go Kart racing in New Jersey.

Bobby Lane was a fixture in the Figure Eight division at the old Islip Speedway. He was far more successful in Figure Eights than in modifieds.

Islip Speedway......I still miss that old place.

 

Anyone one that ever spent time at Islip misses the place. I see you've been to Marty Hime's place.

I've neer followed the photographers, other then Rich Oakley and that was after the fact. Pete, The Bullfather, my son could tell you more about photographers gthen I could. I've gotten a bad case of CRS. Someone here on the Jam had said his was so bad it progressed to CRAFT. I'd say, that's about where I am now.

And, I concur that Bobby was a much better Figure 8 driver then modified driver. The same went for Quinn Volgraff (sp) who I also knew. Then again, a lot of it came down to money, plain and simple. Many a driver didn't make the call when the Troyer revolution came into being. Bobby wasn't a young man anymore either but, he made a hell of a showing fofr the Long Island boys at Dover that weekend. Quinn was was trying his hand at the mods in an old coupe when his throttle stuck open and it smacked the 1st turn wall, as did Johnny Bush who started out in Fig 8 in a customized 57 Chevy then switched to a coupe during the Pinto/Vega revolution. Stuck throttle, 1st turn wall. I believe Johnny is still running though I haven't spoken to him in 30 years. Haven't seen Quinn in about 8 years.

 

Brian is correct about Ace Lane.

Both Brian and me are Islip Speedway photographer alumni. He was the official photographer some time between the Calinoff and Worthman eras; I'm not sure of the years. I was the shooter 82,83,84.

Brain also used to race WKA Karts and knows Ace on several levels. Here's a link to Ace's web site; he's still shooting great stuff. http://www.acelanephoto.com/index.php

 

Jackie Evans 1967 Reading PA Fairgrounds



Jackie died in a crash at Reading on 8-28-1970

 

I just received this at the LongIslandJam.com and thought I should post it here.

Just want to take a moment and let everyone know my father, Henry 'Hank' Brown lost his battle with Leukemia this morning in his home in Putnam, CT.

Hank was a fixture in the New England racing scene for well over 30 years as a tech inspector for the once new Pro Stock division at Riverside Park Speedway, and later also worked as tech inspector at the Thompson Speedway.

He also gave unlimited amounts of advice to fellow racers concerning chassis setup, while also building some of the strongest Chevrolet Mini Stock motors ever to run at Thompson.

Hank is survived by his wife Jane, sister Carol Gray, and 2 sons Alex and Charles.

Charles is a staff member at Mod Series Scene and also a member of the Whelen Southern Modified Tour community.

Funeral plans are not finished at this time, but the family wishes to publicly thank the Thompson International Speedway for letting us fulfill Hank's last wishes.

 

Fans of northeastern paveent mods may enjoy this link...

http://www.thechromehorn.com/news/2007/features/lookingback/index.htm

 

Reading Fairgrounds 1950

 

Budd Olsen - Reading Fairgrounds