http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/ Here is a link to the collection Wheels Through Time, hope to get there some day. Dale brings a few bikes to the Oley, Pa. AMCA meey every spring.
This post has some great pics and history in it. Some of you may like to see it who missed it the 1st time.
mryon stevens famed body builder (miller 91 indy cars) told me a great story. he was riding mechanic in a two man board track car . they were about half way through a race and begin seeing debri on the track but as soon as they got to there it disapered. truns out there was a hole in the track and a kid had climbed up the frame work holding up the track and would stick his head through the hole and watch when a car came by he would duck. Greg Weld,s(weld wheels) father pappy weld was a board track motorcycle racer in the 20,s
Myron Stevens happens to be my favorite of the Miller team and I am probably one of the few that fit into that mold. Especially when you think of Goosen and Offenhauser alongside Miller but for flatout talent Stevens was pretty hard to beat. I have a tape that he made shaping an old track nose for the now defunct National Auto Racing Historical Society. I also have one of his signed blueprints of the Lockhart Stutz Blackhawk LSR. He built many of the best cars to run at Indy and did a bit of driving himself. I marvel at the headers he made from a flat sheet as well as his hand hammered racecars. Hope it generates more stories of Stevens works or adventures.-Jim
For a very thorough read on the board track history, one only has to read Dick Wallen's book " Board Track, Guts, Gold and Glory". CHEERS !!! ZIMM
Happy New Year Jim! I saw that Myron Steavens vedio years ago at a VSCCA Winter meeting, real good demo of gas welding aluminum. My favorite bit was the history of the body hammers Myron had hand made from Model T Ford rear axle shafts. He knew were to find good steel.
Happy New Year 37, I also liked that about his hammers and I ended up making a few myself from good steel. Went overboard a bit though as I probably have around 50 or so bumping hammers. My favorite though are still the old Protos. His workmanship is a bit better than mine. I studied an old tail that was supposedly built by him around twenty years ago and the hammer marks on the inside of the panel almost looked to have been precisely made by a machine. My favorite Stevens photo is him hammering away of the Blackhawk LSR.-Jim
another great writer historian is Don Radbruch.. Monthly contributor to Vintage Oval racing Mag. Don is orignally from Calif and raced roadster sprints and all. He has written several books with great photos. If you want contact info on him PM me as I dont want to spam on this very good thread. Bobby...
noyice the riding mechanics in the cars, I have been a race mechanic most of my adult life and I have NEVER met a driver I would ride with . Those mechanics must have had nerves of alcohol or really dumb, or both.
My neighbor has a picture of that track that spans his mantle (it's huge) and tells the same story about the kids peeking up through the holes! Maybe you know each other. ~Jason
I missed this post the first time around. Realy great. one has to stunned by the fearless crowd of this time. Absolutely wild. thanks guys you have started a growing interest in my mind here. I want to learn more about this. Can you imagine running a skinny bike like that on an oily slippery boardtrack at a 100mph. Totaly f.....n insane. ....poke up head game. That's the way to go. M: Go out and play kids. Take care and have fun. K: Yeah mum, no problem, where just poke-peeking. It's great M: OK, just be home bu suppertime. K: jupp Paul
I had no clue either. Missed this post the first time around due to it being a Holiday weekend I guess. Anyway, thanks for blogging it on the JJ therefore bringing back to the top on the HAMB. AWSEOME thread. It's stuff like this that makes the HAMB ROCK!
My grandfather used to Race at Rockingham in Salem, NH. I wish I had talked to him more about it. Or remembered what he told me.
Can you guys imagine the sounds that must have come from these guys fighting for traction across the boards? I be it was incredible...
37Kid: I'm from Charlotte NC & and my Dad was working in a Dodge dlrshp when the track was open .There was a Dodge powered racer that needed some help at one of the races & Dad volunterred.He said he didn't get to do much but I remember him telling me of his experience.The site of the speedway is off of South Blvd & is now an Industrial park(Southland Ind.Park). I buy supplies at a business there & have told the people there about the track.They look @ me like I'm from another planet!! I have seen a printed program from one of the few car races and tried to buy it. The owner has it stapled up on his wall & won't sell..I'd really like to find some advertising from the track. Lotta poeple do not know that it was the first of 4 Charlotte Motor Speedways...Stan
Great post. Thank you all. It would of been something to poke your head through the track. I could only imagine.
They have a huge pic of the track on the wall at Caspar Brake and Clutch in KC. Kev and I went down there to exchange the shoes for my coupe (12 bucks each). here's a link to some pics I found: http://www.statnekov.com/motorcycles/2cam-old4.html
Hi Ryan & guys. I hope this is what you are looking for? I am not so familiar with board track history. But I know these are millers. I took these shots at the Milwaukee Mile @ the Harry MILLER mEET--2006. (Shit, one of these shots was choosen for our hamb calendar,,,but the res. size wasn't hi enough...Damn!) But really,,,hope ya dig the shots,,,And go to the event if ever get a cance,,,It'sa step back in time!!!!---Nick
Milwaukee Mile was born in 1903!! Does any one know the history of their racing format! did it start out as dirt,,,boards?,,Bricks? Concrete?...Thanx!
Watched them run board track at the Los Angeles Coliseum, around '47- '48. some of the track roadster guys drove there.
Ryan, Here is an aerial view of Charlotte Speedway 10/25/24, part of a literature collection I have on a 122 Miller that a fellow campained during 1925 season.
Some more Charlotte Speedway shots pre race shots are dated 10/19/24. I like that infield soda crate viewing platform
Great info guys. Thanks. Keep it comming. I really had no idea about Charlotte having a track till this thread.
Nick, You are a lucky guy to see and hear these cars run! The black #5 is the Tommy Milton Convertable, named for the fact that it could run a 183 or 122 straight eight. On April 4, 1924 Milton turned 151.26 on Murock Dry Lake..............that was LESS that 5MPH under the Land Speed Record at that time. It last raced in Philadelphia, Pa. area.
The Jalopy Journal
