60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Hank61,

WOW, thanks for the pics.

Yes, that's Kenny Goodermote in the 62jr Harvey Ford.

Thanks for that pic and Dick Dixons convert pic and the earlier silver/gray M-6 pics.

Now we're really rolling the clock back. I was 10-12 years old when Dixon ran the '55 Ford convert in the pic.

The M-6 I remember was an even earlier version than the one in the pic. I remember some remnants of front fenders.

The 62jr that Goodermote ran to win the Pine Bowl 200 lapper was a Ford 292 or 312. So it was later than the pic shown with a flathead. Although I remember him running a flathead with finned aluminum cylinder heads. I asked my dad why the fins were on some some heads and not on others .

All this "STUFF" made an indelible impression in my mind at an early age. After the races were over and they'd open the pits, I had to inspect every car. Certain items have stayed stuck in my mind all these years.

 

I agree. That pretty much sums everything up. Good parents, a focus and meaningful direction in life and selecting good quality people to be with.

"Doing what ya' think is right." That's it, right there. All that speaks volumes for what you are and your upbringing. Sounds like we have much in common .

 

My Dad thinks it's Shangri-La (he said it pretty quick when I showed him the pic). He can't think of anywhere else he would have run.

 

Seekonk Speedway had an open practice sessin today. These are members of the NEAR I believe. Most I recognize, a few I don't. Unfortunately, the light setting on my phone wasn't correct.

 

Hi,

My two cents: Lancaster had a single guardrail (they later added a second guardrail in '69). And there was a drag strip between the front straightaway and the grandstand fence. To me, looks like Shangri-La.

JB

 

RAF: Plaese forgive me for fiddling with your photo, but it was such a cool pic I wanted to see if I could do anything with it in Adobe Photoshop....

 

Here are a couple more shots of Mazza's modifieds. Hey Dr.John thanks the picture looks great, please feel free to improve any of the photos I post.

 

Bigfeet13 and Dr. John: You guys are probably correct. The short grandstands are the give away. I thought sure the walkway at Shangri-La was elevated and can't figure out how the grass is above the wall in the pic.......It's been awhile since I was at the old girl though........lol......................kt

Smokin' hot pics from RAF and Terry1.

 

I wish I could say that I've been there. One of the few NY paved tracks I've never been to. My dad used to go down there with Larry Nye, probably about that time frame. I won't even say what my guess was.

 

This is one of the best threads on the HAMB. When i was a kid we had an 5/8 mile
track in the neigborhood "Lakeside Speedway" with races every Sunday. Yes sir thats
were I was, and I loved every minute of it.

 

Hey guys and gals could that picture of Dutch Hoag be at Chemung. Dutch is from Bath,N Y.

 

KT, just an FYI....Although it's now a few years old, I recently picked up a copy of the book, "Oswego Classic, The First 50 Years", and it chronicles the Oswego Classic from the beginning. The first 6 races were pretty much modified races, and the 'supers' took over in '62-'63....


BTW, the book is a really good 'history book' for the speedway, with lots of great pictures and stories.


Yes, Spencer had a 'ditch' between the wall and the fence in front of the grandstands. IIRC, when they moved the pits to the south end of the speedway (after the accident), they took down the walls in the turns, and filled in the ditch. Not sure why they filled it, but I seem to recall one or two cars climbing the wall, getting into the ditch, then bouncing up into the fence. No ditch, no bounce, seemed to be the theory.

 

That Budd Olsen car looks odd.....kinda like an Earnhardt 3 paint scheme on a dirt late model.

 

I may be wrong, but I believe the picture might have been taken when Dutch was lined up on the track next to the turn four wall at Shangri La. The grandstands there were at ground level whereas the main grandstand had an elevated walkway.

My dad and I used to sit in these stands and usually next to or behind Dutch's wife Doris. She was a lovely lady. Dutch would usually slow down at the end of a race and wave to her.

Regards,

Moselli

 

Here is a picture from the turn four grandstand area at Shangri La that I took in September of 2005 after the track was closed.

You can see the grass area between the stands and the track. This may be where the picture of Dutch was taken?

Regards,

Moselli

 

Which picture are you refering to?

 

The picture of Dutch Hoag, in post #9632....

 

Re: Dutch photo....I think Moselli has it right. I knew it couldn't be at the start/finish line at Shangri-la (def. no grass there), but I hadn't thought of it being in turn 4. I'll bet the photgrapher took the pic while Dutch was sitting in the car, waiting for the race to start. The tree behind the stands confused me and was the one thing that made me question if it was a Spencer, as I didn't remember any trees behind the stands there. I've officially changed my mind and can say with 99.9% certainty that it's the 4th turn at Shangri-la. Moselli is also right about Dutch's wife Doris (and daughter, Donna) sitting in the 4th turn stands. We always sat in the main grandstand, but I also made it a point to go down to turn 4 and watch at least part of the heats with Doris & Donna each Saturday. I'd chat them up & usually came away with some "insider" information. Those were the days!

 

Leave it to Moselli to solve one of the great mysteries of life.....lol......Thanks Rich
L4, you got me there, I should have stated that there were no modifieds at Oswego in that time period.

Dutch Hoag was and STILL IS a great hero of mine. I can still remember as a kid, getting Dutch's autograph once or twice a week EVERY week. He always called me by name and took the time to talk to me every time. Later in life, I always tried to emmulate him in that respect, considering it an honor that some kid would want my autograph in the first place.......................kt

 

KT and Shamrock,

Thanks for the comments. The other thing I thought about was that Dutch was always high in the points and with a 24 car starting field and the handicap system, he usually lined up for the features back in the turn four area. Watching him work through the field was pure art....

I think it would be hard to find a better hero than Dutch Hoag. After the race he would let the kids sit in his car and sign an autograph for anyone that wanted it.

My favorite quote from Dutch was this one. Someone asked him what it took to be a good Modified driver? His response was, "You need a 100 mile per hour foot and a 10 mile per hour brain. If your brain ever catches up with your foot, you'll realize how crazy you are to be driving these cars."

Regards,

Moselli

 

I would consider it a "tribute car" especially since it has a contemporary chassis.

Not being critical, however, I would have raked the A pillars to match the angle of the roll cage, just my opinion.

 

kt / Moselli,
When I was a Freshman in college, I talked my roomate into hitch-hiking to the Shangri-la opener in 1971. 300 miles & it took us 11.5 hrs., but that's another story. Anyway, about as soon as we got there, they cancelled due to rain AND snow. The race was rescheduled for the next day (Sunday). My roomie wanted to go back, but I convinced him hitching after dark wasn't a good idea, so we split the $15 cost for a motel room across from the track. Next day wasn't much better and they cancelled again. I figured we could get as far as Bath (we were going to Grove City, PA) if Dutch & crew could give us a ride. So I went to see Doris & she said no problem, except as I remember they already had 5 in the car. We made it a total of 7. We were really crammed in. I was in the middle between Dutch, who was driving, and Doris. You'd have thought he was in a hurry, but I think he just drove fast both on and off the track. I'll never forget flying down Rt. 17 at 80-85 mph just inches off the back bumper of whoever Dutch happened to be tailgaiting at the time. At first I was actually a little scared, but then I saw how unconcerned Doris looked and I remembered thinking, 'Dutch is driving, so there can't be anything to worry about'. It sure was a quick trip to Bath!

 

This is the cover of the Shangri-la program from that cold Spring day in 1971. My roomate bought it before the races were cancelled, saved it for almost 40 years & just sent the pic back to me last year

 

Did some digging and found more old pictures from back in the day. Here are a couple shots of the Bobby Bard driven #20 owned by the Czarnecki Bros.out of Westfield, Ma.

 

Here is a shot of Johnny Lobo at Riverside Park.

 

Here are a pair with Buddy Krebs in the #10, don't know the track.

 

That truck with tires on it was Jimmy Bosco. He sold tires at both Riverside and Plainville, I'm gonna take a guess that that's Plainville but I'm really not sure. Denny Z

 

believe the last three were snape photos.