60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:line style="Z-INDEX: 1; POSITION: absolute; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TOP: 0px; LEFT: 0px" id=_x0000_s1025 to="54.75pt,15pt" from="36pt,15pt"></v:line>THE UNUSUAL AIRPLANE-ENGINED CAR AT RHYTHM INN

x44​

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According to Chip Cormie, this car was owned by Arnold Delisle, Sr.. The car was a Chevrolet body and I will let Delisle's son describes the running gear: "the engine was a air cooled 6 cyl mounted upside down with carb on the bottom and a home bell housing mated to 3 spd trans with hudson rear end. I was only a kid when my father raced so some of the details may not be right if any knows about the car i would like hear from them call me at 413 529 0150 or email me ndsuzuz@aol.com "
Arnold, Jr. goes on to say: he raced in the 50s on short tracks in Ma ,VT and N H mostly rhythm inn speedway on fri nights."​

Courtesy of Chip Cormie
Rene Charland poses with the car and its owner, Arnold Delisle.​

Here is another short article written by Arnold Delisle, Jr. about the car. Some of it may repeat what is above, but it is worth checking out:
​

x44 airplane racecar

by x44aero

I found my fathers x 44 on the catamount stadiums webb site . I have been looking for this car for many years. Needless to say i was surprised to see my father standing next to Rene Charland, who was only 21 at time. The caption under the picture wondered who the driver was. I sent email to the site and said the driver was Arnold DeLisle , he built the car in Northampton Ma. about 1951.
The car was a 37 Chevy with a surplus Lycoming 6 cyl air cooled engine hooked up to Studebaker bellhousing with a lincoln 3 spd trans and a Hudson rearend. It had a downdraft carb on the bottom of the engine, causing a lot debris getting to the engine. It had short pipes out the front that turned white hot and shot blue flames out of them.
My father built many cars but this is the one i am interested in. He raced at West Brattleboro, Riverside, Rythmn Inn Speedway and others in the area. he wasn't too successful but he caused quite a stir. He was active in the early 50s when dirt tracks were plentiful. The car wasn't fast enough for the short tracks as the fords beat him most of the time. I don't think he cared , he just wanted to be different.
I doubt if the car is still around but if any has seen or heard about the car i would like to know. I live in Easthampton Ma. My # is 413 529 0150 email ndsuzuz@ aol.com.

Courtesy of Chip Cormie
Same car, same owner, Arnold, but a different, older driver. Can anyone help ? I notice the hood is
not as unusually placed in this photo. Was it a different engine then ?
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It was even a sad sight in the 70's. Most everything had gone to pot, as the oval facility had laid dormant and for the most part unattended (except for the Go Karts) for many years. Even all that Bob Hager put into the facility was no more than a small band aid on a BIG problem. By comparison the Riverhead (NY) Raceway was a palace.

Yes sir .. over the years MANY stock car racers got their start and started on their learning curve by racing Go Karts there. Some/many became stars.

I didn't know Bob (Hager's) son was/is involved in racing at all. I'd like to meet him.

There were enough houses around .. where the sound carried .. that the Westhampton (NY) Speedway faced a similar problem in the 70's .. involving noise .. that we did at Riverhead. I went to a number of Westhampton Town Board meetings regarding that .. (not to fight their fight, we had our own) .. but more to see if I could learn anything more about environmemtal noise and the law. If I remember correctly, the Westhampton town placed a number of rules/local laws as to when the track could operate, etc..

In later years, the guy who took over operation of the drag strip was going to turn the drag strip around (as you mentioned), because of significant noise complaints from local residents. From what I'd heard, he was fighting not only noise, but a number of issues with both the local residents & local government.

Somewhere along the line this same guy had a 1/4 mile oval of sorts paved there. At his prompting, Marty Himes, the late Johhny Coy, the late Len Calinoff and myself were supposed to meet with him one evening at Marty's home, re promoting stock car racing there. Calinoff couldn't make the meeting, but Himes, Coy & myself sat there for HOURS .. long past the time that was set for the meeting. The guy never showed, never even called. Some where late in the night, Marty finally got him on the phone. The guy just made lite of blowing us off, not calling or anything (as if our time meant nothing) & suggested that we arrange another meeting. Not me, as his total disregard for us had completely turned me off.

However I was curious enough to take a ride & look at this new 1/4 mile oval out there. The transitions from the old track to the new were TERRIBLE. The paving so poorly done, so shoddy, so thin that the weight of any type of stock car would have torn it up in no time.

A few might remember that Larry Mendelsohn (who had the golden promotional touch) years ago also tried his hand at promoting the Westhampton oval for awhile. There were others too, most have been mention here in this thread.

Yep, Westahampton was the last Drag Strip on Long Island, but how many know that the property that was once the National Drag Strip (in Manorville, NY), that is now the Greenwood Village (I "think" it's called) .. a 55 and over &/or retirement community .. is still owned by the same people/corporation that owned the Drag Strip. They owned seven Drag Strips across the country, but when the first gasoline crisis/shortage hit & Detroit stopped making muscle cars and drag racing (as it was at the time) almost died and was no longer a cash cow, they did the same with all seven facilities .. turned them into communities, where they still owned the property and maintained an excellent income. The chap that managed National for them .. Eddie Eaton .. was a real nice man and remained on as the General Manager of Greenwood Village.

 

That X44 is a neat story, and note the skull and crossbones on Charland's helmet. Be something to find that one...

 

Some more pics from Martinsville....

Paul Radford #07 leading Jerry Cook #38 and the rest of the pack







a crash sequence.....

 

Back up North to Bugs Stevens and company...


the woodchopper days






why I haven't included many of my own pictures (taken as a 10 year old on the pit ramp at Islip)



the vega...




Bugs (winner) and Ron Bouchard #17 at the Sizzler

 

Bugs Stevens...the vega...



int the pinto (1977) beating Geoff Bodine #1 in the Cardinal Classic at Martinsville




back to the classic Woodchopper battling Bernie Miller #41 and Rene Charland #6





the Joe Brady years...

beating Bob Polverrari #711 and Richie Evans #61 to the stripe



in the thick of it at Westboro

 

more of Bugs Stevens in the Joe Brady years in the #00 & #41

beating Richie Evans at Stafford again



At Monadnock with Alan Whippel #1, Ron or Ken Bouchard #3, Punky Caron in the #121, Leo Cleary or Jeff Fuller in the T-5



Battling Punky Caron #121 in a still very competitive Coupe





Bugs battling Daring Dick Caso in Ted Marsh's #55 Monza

 

There's so much to a 10 years old photos! The way they see things or the way they try to capture the moment! Share if you got them man!

 

A few photos I took with my Brownie or other Kodak camera back in 66 or 67 at the Reading Fairgrounds. Keep in mind i was 11 or 12 so they are far from perfect:
Tas 39, note the "win" stickers
Tas 39 color, neat photo showing the "lean" from the pony tire
Dick Meals 44, always one of my favorite cars, might have been Hal Reifinger that day
Toby in the blue Consoli 54. If I remember, that car had a hot streak with consecuative wins ar Reading, Harmony & Haftield. I believe it was crashed and painted white following the crash.
Bill Rafter in the 45
Don Diffendorf in the numberless S360. Boone 200 that day & he finished second.

 

Sorry about the last post, here are the photos.......

 

i just recieved a clipping today that georgie cousins passed away. in the sixties, with artie king, they were pretty tough to beat at Freeport

 

This weekend we will race our new(old) toy for the first time. If anyone has pics of the original 123 sometimes driven by Real Ledoux for an owner from up-state NY in the early 70's please post them here.

 

Came out sharp, Good luck with it.

 

The car really looks great ... done RIGHT! ... in my opinion. Stance, hood, wheels, body cut and mounting, etc. Nice job.
Joel
www.JFNStudios.net

 

some more pictures of the Chargin' One, Charlie Jarzombek all from Freeport Stadium...

interesting to note that the caption says Charlie came from the back not once, but twice to win the feature event...one of the reasons he was so exciting to watch...also of note in the caption is the starter Dutch Miller....I always thought he was one of the best flagman...a real flare and passion for his job....red pants with a big question mark on the back of his shirt...does anyone remember his exciting starts to the figure 8 races...he used to stand on the start finish line and wave the green and then sprint to the retaining wall while the cars were screaming down on him....










the caption says Charlie J and Wayne Anderson, but the #15 is actually John Sukaris in the former Billy Spade gremlin

 

some photos from the Bicentennial 200 at Freeport....

 

The "new" 123 looks great. Best of luck. Maybe I will see you on the track sometime.

Dan Carlsen
98 Racing

 

Some more of Charlie J at Freeport....

battling Georgie Brunnhoelzl in the #8








battling Gary Winters in the #380





And this one is an interesting one....Although he led a lot, Charlie J never one the annual Race of Champions at Langhorn, Trenton or Pocono; however, he did win the Invitational Race of Champions at Trenton back in 1974 or 1975. It was an invitational only race with Evans, Cook, Bodine, Troyer, etc. that featured three shorter races run on the same day. Charlie one two out of the three races and the crown. I wasn't there but recall reading the article in Newsday. This is a photo from that Newsday article...

 

Jeff Andrade at Riverhead around 1984, I think was the last coupe to compete at a NASCAR track, I don't think he ever qualified for a feature with this car though. But, it was neat looking!

 

Both Richie Evans and Jerry Cook are on the nomination list for the next five for the Hall of Fame,and well deserved. Charlie should be there too. In time I'm sure that will happen.

 

Reggie Ruggiero in the Art Barry 21. Art used to build rods back in the day. This is one of the sexiest mods ever.

 

awesome!!!!