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

Thanks Jim, that would explain the restored HOW car. Actually after I posted I vaugley recalled that I once read that when Bob Debisshop built the (future) KEY car he had copied another car. Possibly one of the rare Kurtis sprinters? I looked to see if I could find that article again but couldn't find it.

 

I thought I would post that the Christenson Ruby roadster chassis is getting some of the wrinkles ironed out of it at Gary Bridge and Iron. I will post photos soon.
Also I wondered if the Indy guys might remember anything about this pit bike and if anyone deems it a thread derailer, just say so & I will delete it.








The one I have was last owned by Woodrow Black's great niece. I don't know how many there were?

 

Ted and Wilbur didn't need no steeenkeen motor, they did it old school!

 

Re- HOW sprint cars.

Came across this stuff and now,it seems, I know even less than before.

 

Rootie, this tells me we are talking about 4 cars in total. The cutdown champ car, which has been a topic on here before. The two mostly identical cars that I posted about, one of which is the KEY special, and the Lesovski that Foyt bought.

The champ car, which was Wolcott's being cut down makes sense. The confusion with the Bessie Paioli car may come from the fact that Wolcott was the only man standing up for a woman owner in the ranks. HOW was an acronym for Hulman o??? Wolcott HOW. Dont know what the O was.

 

I'm inclined to agree, assuming the info is accurate. That would mean 1.-a cut down champ car (#31) 2.- a purpose built sprint car (possibly a KK) and now owned by Malloy. 3. Debisshop built car (future K.E.Y) 4. Lesovesky (future Foyt) Mari Hulman certainly wasn't hurting for money so it's quite possible.

 

Spoke with a friend who went to the auction and he said that the midget you were iterested in went for something in the area of $7200.00.

The champ dirt car went for $6200.00.

 

What is everybody doing for fire suits at vintage events? 1 layer or 2 layer? Not ready to step up to a new vintage hinchman yet.

 

supposedly a mr. ober, a judge in indy & a pal of the hulmans (scalzo).
take it for what its worth,
mlight9

 

Hi Guys, Just got my big car back from Guy Shivley's. He did all the hand painted lettering , even the IMCA & CSRA logos are hand painted. He is one of the few left to do gold leaf. I'm really happy with the results

 

...Stunning.....

 

That's probably correct. In 1955, after AAA took a hike and left everybody in the lurch, Tony Hulman and George Ober started up USAC to keep things going. The pic shows Ober and Comp. Director Duane Carter holding the 56 USAC championship trophy.

 

It was a Very Succesful weekend for us here at Zakira's. The prestigious Amelia Island Concorse took place, and featured the Works of HARRY MILLER. The 1926 Loco-Mobile that we have been thrashing on lately took home the Top Honors with a "BEST IN CLASS". And the 1923 Tommy Milton Car we did Two years ago won The "HARRY MILLER EXCELLENCE" award.
It could not have worked out better!!

A ton of help came from guys like YOU ALL!! With research, inspiration, and info.. you all helped. Thank you!

J Shaw

 

Well deserved awards.
And we sure appreciate your taking the time to share your projects with us.

This tub (for sale) is claimed to be the remnants of the 1926 '91' Miller Works car driven in the 1926 Indy 500 by Benny Hill.
Let's hope it sells and the new owner puts in a call to Zakira's.
See car sequence numbered 2616 (oldracingcars.info)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91981316@N06/sets/72157632889773144/detail/



and link to Sale Page
http://www.milleroffy.com/For Sale.htm

 

As far a the Hulman Champ cars I found 4 different champ cars all by different builders. 1952 KK4000/Offy, 1959 Kuzma9/Offy and a 1962 Meskowski D8/Offy, 1962 Lesovsky5/Offy. These cars were ran from 1953 to 1964. With this many cars I can see where all the confussion comes from. This is not counting how many sprint cars she was running during this time period. Im still digging and reading.
I found this info on this site http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=4893



http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/index.htm

 

Yeah it does get pretty confusing with a full "stable" of cars like they had. I've come across conflicting/overlapping info and it doesn't help that it was such a common practice to cut down champ cars into sprints, back then either.

 

Looks good!
Will we see this at Latimore or anywhere running with WGOT this year?

Zach

 

Sideways, I think the 1959 kuzma was really a Watson, which has been recently pictured in this thread, with AJ Watson himself standing behind.

 

That's the story.

From 'Old Bill':
"The second HOW car (No. 12) was built for Elmer and Mari George in 1960, apparently with funding from Tony Hulman. It ran that season as the "Tony's Special" and was first run at Reading on April 17. Elmer was still suspended by USAC, so Roger McCluskey drove it, with Wayne Weiler in the original HOW car; McCluskey and Shorty Templeman also drove the older car in 1960 (both still run by the HOW team); and Elmer after his suspension. The new car had an Offy at first, but was quickly changed to a Chevy.


In 1961 the new car was run as No. 21 (still the "Tony's Spl.," with the older car No. 4 as the HOW Spl. The older car was changed to a Chevy during the 1961 season. In 1962-early 1963 the new car was still No. 21, black and white but with no name. The older car was still George's but was the "500 Platolene" No. 5 and was red in 1962. It was sold to Jack Colvin in mid-1962. The new car was sold to A.J. in mid-1963 and repainted white with blue trim, still as No. 21. Foyt changed it to No. 2 for 1964. Foyt ran the car through 1964, then sold it to Frank Wagner as No. 62. "

 

josh, congratulations to you & the crew on the award. the car looks fabulous.
mlight9

 

For those that don't know "500 Platolene" was a chain of Terre Haute area gas stations owned by Tony Hulman cousin Don Smith. There are still some 500 Platolene convenience/gas stations around today.

 

This site and you guys are great. I never tought when I was doing the research regarding the Springfield Welding Smith Spl and Hank Henry that I was going to gather this much information regarding the Hulman cars. I can't tell you how much I enjoy racing history thanks to my old friend Art Bagnall who started me down this path.

 

My name is George Austin III, im from Raytown Mo. and my grandfather whom i never met worked for Oliver Jennings,this is the first pic i have ever seen of a Jennings car ,goosebumps as i write,would love to touch this car just once,Oliver also built a scaled down jeep. thanks for sharing !

 

Tony's Spl. Terra Haute 1960

 

Looks like Branson and McCluskey in August of 1960 during the Vigo County Fair. With a very few exceptions the fair USAC race was always dusty like this by feature time.

 

I don't know any of the details but a friend told me years ago that Elmer raced one of the HOW sprint cars under a fake name a couple of times in IMCA during his USAC suspension. He also told me that he personally watched Elmer take part in some kind of open competition race at Dayton (I believe that's what he said...it was definitely one of the high banked tracks) during this same period. Has anyone here every heard of this?

 

I remember Elmer running IMCA during his suspension. The above picture is Elmer not McCluskey. Elmer's suspension was one year from the punch! June 1959.

 

If you click on the link sideways posted last page, it shows a couple of IMCA races in 59 that he ran.

 

That's pretty much correct. Mari bought the Springfield Welding Special mid-1955, and had Watson do it over during the winter, hence it appears in many records as a Watson. They ran this car till the end of '61, and sold it to Bill Ward in California - I believe this is the car that Leonard Surdam got in 1964 to cut down to Sprint Car size, and the one Hank Henry died in.

The 1959 Kuzma wasn't run very often, and loaned to Ansted-Rotary in 1960 and Bryant H&C in '61. The 1962 Meskowski went to John Pfrommer in '63, and the Lesovsky to Dick Kemerly in '64.