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

Crocky Wright

 

more Crocky

 

I lit the board wall the last time he did this when he was in his 70's!!!

 

Sorry if the last one was a little off topic, but I wanted to share it anyway

 

McKee: What wheels(spoked) did you use on the MiniMiller? NICE

 

This painting hangs in our shop.
It's a favorite to all who stop in.
It should be titled:
If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch

POST 999, come on number 1,000

 

The track was a little heavy this night back in the early 60's.

 

Quite possibly the last frame bent by Grant King. Don't ask where it is, not sure if I can tell.

 

I think our own Racer5c (Roy) used to work for Grant King.

Correct me if I am wrong Roy.

 

Jackie Howerton-

 

Ralph Parkinson in the Ed Silk built and owned roadster midget

 

David Hesstand's CAE sprinter

 

Hey Brian26, is that pic of Howerton's midget from Zink's museum? After Mr. Zink passed away, what happened to all the stuff? My dad and I went there on the "tour bus" in 05 during the chili bowl. That was quite an experience.

 

It is my understanding that it is still there. i haven't heard of anything being moved.

 

Everyone in Indy worked for Grant King lol I worked there the first time when I was 12 years old during the summer, from 8 am till 6 pm for 20 dollars a week, when school started i couldnt get there till 3 pm and he wanted me to stay till 9 pm for 10 bucks a week, I didn't work there while I was in school. I worked for him again when I was in my 20's
the list is endless of the guys who worked there
Jerry Weeks
Jackie Howerton
Steve Chassey
George Snider
just to name a few

 

Posting this for a friend (Flashback Bill from Beaver Springs Dragway)
Flashback Bill


The photo above shows Fast Eddie McCardle on the left in his sprint beside his brother, Guy McCardle's sprint car. The photo was taken circa 1947. These two guys were the real deal stereo types you read about. They survived the war to come back, full of life, to now get their thrills from racing. Fast Eddie was a central Pa racer and innovator. I believe his car used a modified Ferguson 4 cylendar engine and his brother Guy's car had a flat head in it. Fast Eddie went on to become the first dirt track champ at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal PA, which is still in existence. Eddies parents were concerned about his safety in the dangerous sport of racing so he quit breifly, only to take up the sport again to run under an assumed name so his mother wouldn't know he was back to his old tricks. While attending college in California, Eddie visited a race track out there. The same day he went to the races, he saw a racer buddy named Carter, he knew from Pa. Carter was able to get Eddie a ride in a new style car with torsion suspension all around. A rich, pretty young gal owned the car. She asked Eddie not to bang the car up, because thats what all the other drivers had done who had driven to date and it had just gotten back out of the shop from being wrecked. Well during warm up laps Eddie followed Carter around the track to get used the car. During those warm up laps, Eddie went on to pass Carter and set a new track record in the car and beat his first lap time on his second lap. Now this gal car owner was starting to get excited. In the feature race, Fast Eddie stayed behind his buddy Carter and let him win the race, and took second as a gesture for getting him the ride. Carter knew what Eddie did and gave him all kinds of heck afterwards because Carter knew Eddie had a better car. Eddie continued to race for a while, but the his college grades started going down and his parents were upset with him. So, Eddie stopped going to the races. This upset the pretty car owner, who then came calling on him. Welll Eddie was able to get his grades back up and went racing for a bit more. For one of his college classes, the professor was the football coach. During a class, the coach asked Eddie about his racing activities mockingly to give him a rough time in front of the entire class. He asked Eddie how much he got when he won a race. Eddie just happened to have the check in his pocket and when he produced it, it shut the professor up real qluick because the amount he won was a bit more than the professor was making for a weeks wages. Since Eddie was doing so well at the track, he was able to get the entire college's football team free admission with great reserve seats. His professor and football coach were in attendance. Eddie went on to win the race that day and their was a great write up about his win and the fact that the entire football team showed up to watch the races. Eddie told me the pretty car owner liked him a bunch. One day after the races, she asked him if he was going to the Brown Derby restraunt like the rest of the fellows. Eddie told her that he didn't have that kind of money. Well she replied that she asked him to go with her and the pit crew and that he didn't have to worry about a thing. So, Eddie went to the restraunt. He noticed how expensive things were on the menu and how fancy the dishes were, but being a plain country boy, he asked the waiter if they could make him a hamburger, since it wasn't on the menu. Well, Eddie said he took all kinds of ribbing from the pit crew for just wanting a hamburger. And about that rich pretty car owner, well Eddie passed up marrying her, though she wanted to marry him. He never said why though.
As time passed on, Fast Eddie got married and had a son. His son drove a championship quarter midget much like his Dad. Though Fast Eddies car is long gone, sold by his mother, his son still has the quarter midget. Being a wise insightful father, Fast Eddie noticed how dangerous dirt track racing was, especially since he had a few friends die in the sport. Harm to his son was on Eddie's mind and so he was able to divert his boys interest of dirt track racing toward drag racing. In the early 1970's Fast Eddie would go on to help his son start a small, backwoods drag strip that is still in existance today and gaining more and more notoriety each year. You see, Fast Eddie McCardle is the father of drag strip promoter, Beaver Bob McCardle. The legacy the McCardle family has started is Beaver Springs Dragway. Beaver Springs is the home of the York US 30 Nostalgia Super Stock Nationals and the Jalopy Showdown Drags sponsored by Traditional Rod and Kulture magazine, put on in part with Scarry Larry Garland. Both events are "must attend" events to the die hard race enthusiast.
As for Fast Eddie McCardle, well that tough old veteran racer still can be seen on the porch of his home on the grounds of Beaver Springs Dragway. Its an absolute honor to be a passenger on the "wayback machine" when Fast Eddie is at the wheel. He is alive and doing well for combat veteran in his mid 80's. He still has the black 1955 Thunderbird he ordered brand new. Even though he was an average Joe who answered the call to serve back in 1943, I think he is the kind of remarkable individual and backbone that the early sport of racing is founded on. If you ever get a chance to attend an event at Beaver Springs Dragway, don't hesistate to knock on the door of the only house on the fair grounds, and ask if Eddie has time to take you for a short spin in the "waybach machine."
This past year, I was honored to have a copy of the photograph shown, given to me by Fast Eddie. I quickly had copies made and then autographed for my son and I. Edward also gave me 1948 AAA race car plaque that would have been attached to the car in the picture denoting that it was a legal sanctioned race car. He found it in an old cigar box and it is mint condition. Along with race car plate, was a1949 AAA drivers tie tack. The day after he gave me those things, I mounted them on red felt and framed them. I asked Eddie if wanted them back when I showed him how good they looked framed. He told me that was why he gave them to me, because he knew they would be preserved and appreciated for years to come, rather spend more years in an old dark cigar box.

 

I know you have all seen it, and you probably tired of it,

but heres a few more of dads car.

I had to shoot it for Street Rodder Magazine monday, Here are some of the good ones.









This one is what its all about.. Pops driving it on the street.


And me scuffing the tires..

 

Hotrodphotos...

That is a great story. Thank you so much for sharing! I just read the Vuky book and the Ward book and both talk about hot young actresses and daddy's lil rich girls owning cars at Gilmore stadium and what not.. Wonder who she was?

Man thats cool.

JD

 

"I know you have all seen it, and you probably tired of it,

but heres a few more of dads car."



I don`t know about the other guys,but I could look at photos of that car anytime!

 

Damn, thems race driver eyes if I ever seen em!! Hewitt aint got nothin on him

 

the scary part is, he looks alot like babe shaw, a guy I raced with in nema. older guy who drove a black edmunds number 2s. hell of a driver too. still winning races with a ~25 year old car

 

Its a shame you would butcher this car ,Seems thats a popular thought. LOL!! Thats why i decided to keep it!

 

"Butcher" might be a little harsh, I prefer the term "reconstructive surgery"

 

Good luck with that.

 

Now that the indoor shows I had to do are done (thank god!!) I can get back on the Bowles Ranger Spl.

I finished welding up the frame this week, and today I lifted the engine onto the build table and started to "set" it all up.

Thats a BIG engine.. tight fit. Gonna be cool!



Joshua Shaw.

 

This place is too special! This is a pic of my dad's (Skip Molkenbur) last sprinter, Grant King bar car, driven by Tom Rushing...that youngster behind the wheel is me about 34 years ago. I would love to find this car now!

thank you guys,
Billy Molkenbur
p.s. Sorry for breaki...I mean bending the rules. I will post some older stuff later.

 

Hey Josh your pic didn't come through

 

a few more