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

i love this thread.

 

Roy
Red ran 4 parallel....right ? Seems like I remember coil rears on that thing at one time. But it may have been on another car. Munchkin...parallel front, coil rear if I remember right.
We could really get the theories spinning since we started down that path with the parallel on champ car discussion. It always seemed like there was a relation between where the bar is located vs. transfer. The arguement used to be....does the wheel know where the spring is located, or only the spring rate ? High bar vs. Low bar edmunds was a good example. Low bar comments were..."unstable" "never tracks straight" ....etc. More noticeable on big tracks. Short tracks they actually ran well. Some changed to old style high bars and swore it was better. This prompted us at the time to change our J+J midget from low to high. We had a young Jim Mahoney in it. He swore it was a different car. I would always jokingly tell him that he was full of shit and point at the LTC...with the bars damn near dragging the track. Big difference in cg between the vw and chevy, but I wouldnt suggest that to him.

 

From Sept. 1974 "Hot Rod Magazine", article titled "Offy Eatin' Sesco Swallower". Maybe Racer5c can explain in more detail!

 

It was certainly 4 parallel then...Probably Lonnie in it, maybe Olivero. I'm sure Roy will recognize the driver...

 

Cool short clip of IRP...still dirt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyD2TwghghE&feature=related

 

Looks like Bobby's helmet.

 

Information quest here.

Russell Shoulders of Forney, Texas came up with this CAE looking sprinter. Story is it was built in '62 and ran through '64 with drivers Jay Lyle, Bill Utz, Eddie Leavitt, My thinking is it was run on the IMCA trail, just an assumption.

Anybody have anything to add? They're looking for any other history on it.

 

Olivero

 

'I was gonna say Olivero and it looks like El Toro Speedway; the red and white striped wall. 'Don't think Lonnie was around the scene when Red introduced the VW. I remember the turn-key price on a car ready to go was $7500. And Johnnie Parsons, Sr. was the guy Red had building them. 'Kind of weird, that issue of Hot Rod is September, 1974. Their first race was Roseville, Ca. in February of 1973.

 

In the article it mentions Olivero finishing 3rd in points in 1973, and has a feature win and a 2nd place in the first two races of the season (as of the article being written). Gray Baskerville wrote the article, it also states the car came ready to race for $8,500 as of the 1974 season. They offered a 2047 cc VW race engine for $2,855 or a 2180cc model for $3,000. Fun to re-read this article all these many years later, impressive that the LTC shop did the whole package, car, engine, the whole deal out of the shop ready to race. Who does that in this day and age!?!

 

Here's some more from the magazine, bummer my copy lost the cover many years ago, but the rest of the issue is in pretty good shape.

 

'Mitch G, Thank you for posting the article and magazine story for the LTC. As we did a few months ago when we were discussing the SESCO-Chevy and Ron Hoettels, I was able to go on Ebay and get that issue of Hot Rod. So, earlier today when you first posted and said that this article was out of the Sept. '74 Hot Rod, I was able to go right on and pick up a copy. There are others still available on Ebay. As for the pics, that's definitely Bobby with the red jacket in the car and Red, himself standing next to the motor stand, on the right (with all the hair). 'Don't know who the other guy is (Maybe Roy would know) and I don't seem to see the 1950 Indy 500 winner in the background who was building the cars for Red? Thanks, again.

 

Look what I found in western indiana, I wonder if it is the original car?
aXe

 

Thanks Jim, always good to see 'Mr. Smooth' A.J. even for a few seconds. Not quite so smooth was ol Rodger McCluskey.

 

Hate to clutter up this thread with some pre-69 pics ... but, FWIW-

Arnie Knepper #16 and Mario at Sacto 64.

URC sprint action at Williams Grove 64- #19 Steve Travers #57 Bob Martin and Bryant Ingalls riding the rim.

A.J. and J.R. bringing down the field for the start of the 1964 Langhorne 100.

 

Rootie;
We dont ever mind that kind of clutter.
The guy driving the #57 in URC pic lived two miles from wjere i live now. His car was powered by a small cubic inch Dodge Hemi V8 engine. It was a Hilly chassis too.

 

Small world, as they say. Looks like a rookie flag on his roll bar. Here's s'more URC'ers
#28 Dave Lundy # $ Sal Moschella, Hatfield 1964.
#82 Wally Dalenbach #0 Joe Csiski and Bill Brown at Westhampton N.Y. 1964.

 

Not sure if this neat color shot has been posted on this thread before, the site I found it on had the caption "1954 this may be Al Herman". Anyway it's a neat photo.

I'm trying to make up for the roll cage stuff I put up.

 

That is a good pic, high quality color from the early 50s isn't real common. Herman would be a likely choice, but can't say for sure.

 

From the same site, (I lost my notes), I do remember the #5 is the Bud Sherk Offy, Al Herman is in the #12, and Joe Barzda in the stretched midget #33, (with the small block Chevy V8, right?) and the photo was shot in 1957. Again a weird caption on this photo said Joe Barzda was in a Ford. He never ran a Ford, did he?

 

Yes, he did, a blown flattie none the less. Don't see the typical sbc headers in that shot, so it may still had the flattie in it. (?)

 

Awesome! you da' man rootie!

 

A couple guys, probably better known for their asphalt success, on the dirt.
Loyd Ruby #27 racing P.J.- Phoenix 1962.
'Gordo' at Allentown, around 1964

 

Found my notes: Williams Grove, PA Oct. 20, 1957 - Rex Records in the Bud Sherk #5 Offy, Al Herman in the Frank Curtis "Rosemont Spl." #12, Joe Barzda in his own #33, Ford.

 

A few years later at IRP. It led a looong life with , remarkably, few major changes other than motor.

 

Isn' that car in the EMMR museum now?

 

This has been one of the coolest threads,brings back a lot of memories.I grew up in springfield il just a mile or so form the springfield speedway.Alot of the guys on this thread came thew springfield to race at the 1/4 mile drit track.I lived down the road from some the best midget,and sprint car divers in the midwest,Chuck Wyeant Gene{Stuge}Wyeant,Duke DeRosa,Sonny Russell.I grew up with all the kids of these guy's and hung out in the garage's,Had a lot of fun.But one of my best friends Keith Kunz and his brother raced motorcycles.But keiths brother rusty had a midget and we would go to the races with him and help out.Duke DeRosa drove the car and won alot of races.We so up at the hut hundred in the mid 70's and won the thing and we as kids couldent beleave that we had won.And that started it.Me keith and rusty drove all over the country side racing.Had alot of fun.We had some of the best drivers in the country in the car's.Steve kinser,Sammy Swindell,Johnny Parsons Jr,Steve Buttler,Rich Vogler,Page Jones man that kid could drive a race car won alot of races with that kid,Tony Stewart just to name a few.But thanks to the theard starter.

 

Name any Big Time race this side of the world, if Page Jones wanted to win it, he would have done so by now. Talent multiplied.

 

Don't know as I've never been there, but it was dug out of Barzdas garage after about 25 years exactly as it was last raced in 1966. May still be that way.

 

Rootie, Barzda didn't campaign that car to the end, he bought a Shilala (was Black #6) in 1963 or 1964. I only Remember Jiggs Peters driving the Shilala.