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

What a great thread! Recently joined and I was quite surprised to see my father's picture show up here. He only ran Nutley and only raced for a short time. He flipped just after this shot and some say it was an easy roll and others say it was a complete roll in the air and down on all four again. chris Economaki says it was an easy roll!
Anyway ... attached are two from our scrapbook of the car in my dad's yard in July, '38. It later was painted white and converted to a chain drive. I'll post some more soon.

Joel

 

Yeah! Please do! Welcome..

 

I love this thread, I don't know how many hours I have spent looking for and saving pic's from here.. Nothing goes better with HAMB than a cold beer...

 

Harold Leep and Jud Larson both had tries grabbing the brass ring at Indy.
Harold is one of Wichita's "favorite sons", as well as Chet Wilson.
Both stormed all over the Midwest taking home hardware and kissing the race queen.

 

Welcome to the HAMB, thats a nifty little car your father had, appears to be a m/c or outboard motor (?)

 

If Harold Leep wasn't around when the wheel was invented, he was probably the first to race one. Didn't know he had a Indy ride though.

 

Great Thread! Here's a couple my Dad owned through the years. The only one with history is the #96. That is Bob Trostle's first sprint car restored. The street legal Dirt car might be newer than '69..

 

This one is just plain RAD!

 

Recently joined and I was quite surprised to see my father's picture show up here. He only ran Nutley and only raced for a short time.

Joel, do you have Crocky Wright's book on the Nutley Veledrome? If not you need to get it!

 

Here is one of competition at Nutley in 1939.

 

Joel, do you have Crocky Wright's book on the Nutley Veledrome? If not you need to get it![/quote]

I do have the Nutley book, bought one for my father before he passed away too.
Attached are two snapsots of Nutley in 1938. Border notes on one say the crash in upper right is Ken Fowler.
Joel

 

I know its a picture thread.. But here is a good short story, well worth reading. Some of you know this story, but for all you knew commers... its a good one.

If Racer5c's time machine only got you to ONE RACE.. This one wouldn't be to shaby.. This race alone personify's "The Pennsilvania posie" IT DOESN"T MATTER WHO YOU ARE, IF YOU GO TO PENN. TO RACE... GET YOUR ELBO'S UP!!"

(sorry if its hard to read,, get out you magnifying glass!)

 

Thanks for the welcome fellas. The car my father ran had a Harley engine. They bought it from someone unknown ... originally had the engine sitting sideways turning a driveshaft to the rear. That setup always had problems so my father (a welder by trade then) turned the motor inline as on the cycle which gave a little better weight distribution and (if I have it right) they ran it via a chain that allowed the HD clutch and primary to be used. The chain setup can be seen in the attached shot after the car was painted white. Shown here with temporary assigned number.

Joel

 

Great shot Joel..

On a side note.. See in this picture, how the turns are way higher that the straights.. how you drive "up" into the turn... Thats what they have done to LAWRENCEBURG!! The wall is 17 to 18 feet hi!! and yes, I said WALL!! ALL THE WAY AROUND...

 

When the old west went away, a new breed of cowboys took their place...



This Picture takes me back to my childhood.. Not cause I ever saw this guy race, but a funny and VERY vivid memory of this shot. And of how ate up with sprint car racing my dad was, and how I didn't have a chance to become normal.. (Thank god!),
I decided one day (about ten years old, 1986) that I wanted a "Flat top" hair cut.. So my dad said, "Well, dont let your mom take you to get one yet, I gotta find a picture I have of the "Right one"... The next day I got home from school and dad had an issue of Open Wheel laying on the counter with a note that read "This is the flat top you need, take this book with you when you go" I did, I had no idea who that guy with the cigarette was at the time, but I had that style hair cut till my later teens when I grew a mullet.. (Dumb ass teenager)

JD

 

Awesome Hinnershitz story!!!

Joel, what was your dad's name???

 

Art Naprstek. He and his partner Will Youakim ran Nutley and occasionally a couple of other small tracks in the area. He didn't race long. Just like my brother and me ... when the money started getting thin we had to quit.

Attached is a shot of a car that one of my father's friends ran. This car must have been having some welding done and was photographed at my father's home. Louie Garafolo's car V8-60 power. Not sure if it is a 1939 or 1949 date in blurred pen on the photo. It is in the album with the '37-8-9 pics and I feel it is from '39. Note the tube chassis!

Joel

 

Man if that is 1939 that has to have been the first "space frame" chassis ever!

 

Here is The Flying Farmer for you Josh

 

What did Lawrenceburg have against Offys?

 

Corngrower used to race against this guys son in Modifieds, I think corngrower finally won at the Burg after he retired.

 

I guess it will be way different from the old days of sitting in the back of my truck drinking beer watching them shoot down the front straight into turn 1... I'll still go..

 

OUCH! Not sure about that Josh was a fast little fucker...

 

Yeah...


Racer5c has a long history of getting at me with the "Norris Jabs"
When I was running, he was the one to beat.. He was a fast, smart old man.. and finished second to me on more than one occasion.. INCLUDING THE CHAMPIONSHIP!! (but i assure you, I know the back of that Norris car just as well!)

The best thing about racing Norris was the race itself.. He was a guy I could run wheel to wheel with, lap after lap and KNOW he wasn't gonna pull any bozo moves.. Good clean fun racing. There were nights he and I would have a battle for 4th and 5th that were more memorable than some wins.. I know a lot of you (drivers and fans)can relate.

Keep it coming Roy, I can take it..

Joshua Shaw

 

here is my contribution to this thread.
it is a few pics my Mom took of me (the little dude clutching the toy car) with Pete and Billy Cassella at the old Greater Pittsburgh Speedway back in about 1966.
I know the pictures of the boxy looking car aren't very good but Pete won alot of features racing sprints in our area,Billy..his son was his "warmup" driver back in the days the pic was taken.
he went on to become a USAC Sprintcar Champion driving for Boston Louie in the 80's..then retired and walked away at the height of his career.
myself..I got my 20th career feature win this past summer although in stocks and Late Models not sprints.
thought someone might remember these guys and enjoy the old picture..thx!

 

O/T but has anybody set any sprint car/open wheel records on the Salt with a Vintage Sprinter? Just curious, I need to make it out there this year,either is a helping hand or a spectator...

 

"thought someone might remember these guys and enjoy the old picture..thx!"


I saw Billy Cassella drive many times. He knew how to stand on the Gas. I Never even knew his Dad drove,though...<!-- / message -->

 

Yes.. many.. Indy roadsters too!! They still do today. They have a vintage open wheel class.. kinda.

 

Billy..his son was his "warmup" driver back in the days the pic was taken.
he went on to become a USAC Sprintcar Champion driving for Boston Louie in the 80's..then retired and walked away at the height of his career.
myself..I got my 20th career feature win this past summer although in stocks and Late Models not sprints.
thought someone might remember these guys and enjoy the old picture..thx![/QUOTE]

Remember Billy Cassella?? Hell I grew up watching him, Boston Louie had two sons that became pretty Damn good race drivers too!

 

Anybody in the area heading out there this year? I'd love to go this year, never been and would love to have someone show me the ropes of the salt..