Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Hi Ned,
I always enjoy learning more about Wally. When I got this car, Jim Mann and Mac Miller were very helpful. I learned about the basic differences between the wally and leffler frames. The sweep on the chassis above the rear axle is different and of course, paul would not install a weight jacker. Ithink you are correct that built 4 or 5 cars. Mac Miller agrees that the JJ Smith and Todd Gibsons flinstone flyer are Wallys, also the Dunseth/ Weld car and my own. I always wondered about Wib Spaldings car because it had a jacker. What do you think?

 

There have been a lot of big names race there. from way back in the 50's was there for the last race. they went out in style for sure. even had the Hank Arnold Twister there.

 

Hi Spike,
These chassis are not really narrower than the others of the day, but they are shorter than most. The front parallel torsion design allows the chassis to end behind the axle. The wheel base is 84 to 85 inches. They must have been a handful on a big track!

 

The Twister is one awesome car, it was on the cover of Hot Rod magazine way back in the day. Some old time AZ guys have told me some stories about that thing. That car has the original motor in it and was found by mistake in oklahoma, I think is how the restoration story goes.

 

Wynn's # 1--Interesting question---- Russell Dowdson(ms) Wally's helper told me Leffler did not put on any weight jackers. I'll look into it some. But Mac Miller would know-- what say Mac--- I got some help from good guy Jim Mann as well. I drove a leffler Parallel front car in the day-- and it was a hand full-- but when your young you'll drive anything LOL

 

SUPERDUKE-- you drove alot of different types of cars- which chassie did you like the best. If I remember right you had a Nance ride once. How did you like that one ?

 

Rootie, Here are two photos of the Ted Mitte car from page 194 of Jack Fox's book the Illustrated History of Sprint Car Racing.

 

Blower and all......

 

Thank you, thats a good looking rig, way ahead of it's time, for sure.

 

Was so pleased to be invited to have our car put into the EMMR for a year. thanks Guys
Great racing Museum ... If you get to the PA area it is really worth the time to visit.
racinman

 

Thought this was fitting after seeing the Model A towing a race car. Just completed putting this old midget back togeather and hooking up to my Model A for towing to some shows. It sure turns alot of heads when driving down the street.

 

I don't know where the photos were taken, Carl just sent me some copies.

 

Spike Ruth-here are a few photos of your Hillegass car when it was the Culp Offy. Starting in 1950 when it was right out of the Hillegass shop. They are, in order, 1950 Ottis Stine; 1951 Buster Warke; 1952 Buster Warke; 1952 Joe Sostilio; 1953 Jiggs Peters; 1954 Bill Holland; 1954 Buster Warke.

 

racinman- your T is awesome- PLEASE share some more pics!!!

 

Wynns1-
What i meant was that my chassis had a larger outer diameter main tube, down low in the chassis. Yours seems to have two frame tubes, smaller in outer diameter. Mine ended much the same as yours in the front, but had the transverse leaf spring instead of bars. It had bars in the back such as yours had in the front.

 

I'll second that request! What is the history on the car?

 

Old Bill thanks for showing the photos of the Culp Offy!

I`m always ready to see photos of 1950s Sprint car racing in the East.

 

Hey Spike Ruth..

Is this one of you cars? ..the #11 car?

Guy said it was raced in Penn and kinda looks like it.

It's in a collection here in Cincinnati

JD

 

This car?

 

This car sure had some major changes made over the years; in all of these pics it had the transverse leaf spring in the back, but when i bought it from Daniel Dexter in Ayer, Mass in 1966 it had parallel bars in the back!
After running the car for two years, i took it to Buster Warke. He had it all that winter, but it sure was worth every minute. He took a lathe to the parallel bars and cut them down, among some other changes. Cutting the bars down made the rear of the car softer, more weight transfer, and much better forward bite! The next season on the tacky track at Selinsgrove, i had mostly all top five finishes.
What had been a very good car was now a great car!

 

Spike was your car #14?

I have a photo from Illustrated Speedway News that shows Jerry Karl driving a #14 Hillegass at Flemington NJ.
I asked Jerry about it and he said he couldn`t remember who owned it and that when he drove it,it was after his bad wreck at Bedford in 1966,and his shoulders were still too weak for him to drive right.

 

Corngrower-
This was my brother Dicks car; he ran it just like this for two shows, then added a roll cage, and quit running with URC. He was a good driver, but didnt like running a roll bar only.
Dick bought this car from Bill Tarr in Franklin, PA. The previous driver had been Dick Kelm.

 

Jerry Karl-Earl Halaquist. 1967

 

Buildy-
Yes, that was our car. I ran it the day before that at Essex Junction, VT., got hit in the throat with a rock, so my brothers brought the car to Flemington without a driver. Jerry was there without a ride, so he filled in for me for one day.

 

Thanks Spike! I was puzzling over that for quite awhile.


Those cars with no cages or rock screens-that could really get rough.

 

Continuing the pictures of the Culp Offy, these from 1955-1960. In order: 1955 Mike Magill; 1955 (late) Danny Kladis; 1956 Bill Damico (after sale to John Smith, using a Mercury); 1957 Damico (now a GMC); 1958 Damico (with the former Jimmy Wilburn Offy engine); 1959 Damico inside of Jiggs Peters in Beletsky No. 22 (Smith using another Offy engine); 1960 Bill Brown.

 

OldBill-
Thanks for these priceless pics! I knew some great drivers had run the car; just didnt know how many, or who they were. If you have more, would sure appreciate seeing them.
Even as late as 1960, this car still used a cross leaves spring setup in the rear, but when i got it tha car had parallel torsion bars.
This thread is awesome; without it i would never have seen any of these pics of my old cars!! Thanks everybody!!

 

1954-Reading PA Buster Warke.



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/2291728922_088f5e95e9_o.jpg

 

Finishing the Culp Offy saga, here's how it looked in 1960-1962. I have no photos of it in 1963 when it was the Dexter-Whitney No. 77 mostly driven by George Monson, replacing the roadster-jeep styled car they campaigned earlier. Photos are, left to right: 1960 Bill Brown; 1961 Chuck Hulse (at Terre Haute, where Don Davis also drove it that day; don't know what color it was then); 1962 Jimmy Maguire (don't know color here either; photo from Tom Kelly). I believe that in all of these photos it was still owned by John Smith. Spike, what color was it when you got it from Dexter-Whitney?



Other drivers while Culp owned it included Ed Terry, Tommy Hinnershitz, Bob Cooney, Buzz Barton, Dutch Culp, Roy Sherman, Jimmy Bryan, Duane Carter, Hank Rogers, Joe Sostilio, Al Herman, Nick Fornoro, Joe Barzda, Steve Yanigan and Speed McFee. Chuck Arnold, Ernie McCoy, Al Miller, Jim Hemming and Bob Harkey also drove it when Smith had it. A pretty spectacular drivers list!

 

Jim Nise-Those are beautiful photos you have posted on the Vintage Racer site! The car with Don Davis in 1961 at Salem (July 4) is the Standard Brass Chevy No. 88. Ronnie Duman is with the Beck Chevy No. 7. Bobby Boughan is with the Hood Chevy No. 32.

Sure would like to see more of your photos!