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

Does anyone have a photo of the G & J Engineering Special # 63 USAC sprint car from 1966? The car was owned by Clyde Gutzweiler, I believe from Cincinnati, OH. This is the same car that Ron Lux was fatally injured in at Tulsa, OK. July 16, 1966.

 

'NorthEastMetal, 'Don't even worry about the spelling. We'll take of that. To some of us, these are too good to be true. 'Like the pic of the #42 car. 'Don't know who it is but, it's definitely Hughes Stadium, Sacramento; site of the very first midget race ever in June of 1933. I happen to know that the water tower in the background is actually still there. I will email the rest to an expert and see if he can identify everything else. Thanks again.

 

That must be the car known as the Pendleton Builders Spl. Right?

 

That's what I like about racers. Innovation . A true dry dry sump oil system .

 

Spike:

Probably not the same car. The Pendleton Builders car was sold after the 1963 season.

 

Al's Vint/Racing. There is a small pic showing cockpit & engine in Vintage Racing, Historian's Corner, Dennis Unger, Salem '62, pic #2, car shows yellow w/red uphol. It ain't much, but its there. mlight9.

 

Is this it?-Tom Bliss

 

The car Ron died in would not have had a cage; it was a USAC show.

 

i'm aware of that.

 

After searching for years I finally found a usable Tilton clutch and starter for my midget. It really does not make things much tighter inside either. This should make the car so much more usable when done.

 

I am not positive this is the same car Gutzweiler ran in 1966 - can anyone clarify? The yellow and red car in the Dennis Unger photo was taken at Salem April 29, 1962. Stan Bowman won in that car at Eldora April 22, 1962, but was fatally injured in the car June 17, 1962 at Terre Haute. Was this car rebuilt after the Bowman crash, or did Gutzweiler purchase another car? There is no record of Gutzweiler in USAC in 1963, but reference appears again in 1964, 65 and then 66. Al

 

I thought Stan Bowman won at Eldora in the Beck Construction Offy and was killed in the G&J chevy which was the former Bob Sweikert sprinter.

I didn't see either event so...

 

Thanks guys. I've had a long stretch out of racing and just couldn't remember. I was thinking of using the spare 360 I've got in a pre cage car I'd like to restore. It's meant to be a fun project but I don't want to commit a "felony" doing it.

 

Here is a picture of Ron Lux competing in Tulsa on that day.

http://www.texasopenwheel.com//index.php?showtopic=378

 

The car that Lux is pic in was KK#354 champ car, shortened to a sprint car by Dick Holynski. Sold to Max Britton and Buzz Dils in Parkersburg WV in 1963. Put a 427 Ford in it and ran local super mod. and started with IMCA in 64. I was the "chief mech." at 18yrs and had to crawl under the fence at Little 500 to work on the car. Sure wish I had that car back. We didn't realise what we had then.

 

Check out the video clips on ; www.historicspeedway.com There is an ex Stroud/ Tattersall Offy # 35 there, plus a Kurtis Offy from Johnny Pawl, plus the Indy Roadster. Enjoy !

 

Ive scanned a few more midget's from my uncles shoebox of photos. Some photos had names written on the back some didn't. More to come including roadsters from the Northern Calif Roadster Racing Ass'n.

 

Thought I'd mix it up with a couple little car photos. Me in the Luther under the flagger Mr Gomez. Also shown is the Hayward QMRA trainer car. It's 1966 at the Hayward Calif track.

 

Thanks for posting all the photos, there sure were a lot of motorcycle powered cars out there, they are the ones with the bulge on the hoods and one pipe on each side. Did they run against the V8-60 & Offy powered cars or against other twins?

 

They all ran together. Generally speaking.

 

Jim Nise is correct, Stan won Eldora in the Beck off and was killed 2 months later in the G & J car. I thought the # of Clydes car was 19 when Stan got killed but I could be wrong. That car later went to Gene Besecker and SuperDuke drove it some. The car Ron Lux got killed in was also Gutzweiler was a different car than the one Stan wrecked I believe.

 

RATKEE/MILLER SPECIAL left the shop today. I still have to build a hood for it, but can't untill they get the injection and header figured out..

Cage is way more than the car needs, but SCTA rules are strict and a little over board.

 

Many thanks to Buildy, wynns #1, and rootbrothers spl. for replying to my inquiry about the Traco sprint car. I've wondered what happened to it for many years.

 

Looking good!! One Hell of a Cage!

 

Al's V/R, you are right. USAC History has G & J listed as #63 under owners. Pic on Texas Open Wheel shows car, you can make out # 63.
As stated before, no record in '67 but in '68, go to page 107. C. Booth in car #89. One of the experts will have to determine if the car as of '68 is same as '66. I do not know. I am going to pursue thru Tex. Op. Whl. mlight9.

 

Josh

Will you be building any more of those grill shells - I like the looks of that one.

 

On the west coast the URA had a red circut and a blue circut. The Offys ran the blue circut, and the V8-60's and everything else ran the red circut. The blue circut got all the bigger races, like Gilmore. The one time they let a Ford in, the Edlebrock 60 cleaned their clocks.

 

How does the driver get in and out?

Bart

 

Right in and out the front. It's not bad. I can jump in and out pretty quick.

 

"On the west coast the URA had a red circut and a blue circut. The Offys ran the blue circut, and the V8-60's and everything else ran the red circut. The blue circut got all the bigger races, like Gilmore. The one time they let a Ford in, the Edlebrock 60 cleaned their clocks. "

Rodger Ward-Baby!!!!!!!!!