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

Not much, but near as I can tell it's Billy Foster in the Enterprise Mach. car at the Trenton 200 1964. No clue as to why their refueling it with a bucket though.

 

I think the assistant on the right side of the car may be Billy Earl and the guy in the Firestone jacket looks alot like Buzz Gregory.

 

A true "splash-n-go"?

 

Good eye Speedwrench! I thought the guy in the jacket looked familiar but couldn't place him. He did drive that car in the previous race at Trenton.

 

Thats Buzzer ,drove my sprinter back then he stooged for A J

 

Buzz Gregory had AJ`S 100 MILE AN HOUR club jacket. Carman Schroeder told me that his sister thru it out when he died.

 

Speaking of Buzz, Next Wednesday the 10th, will mark 21 years since his passing. For those who don't know the circumstances, he was in the hospital with reoccurring heart problems and was taking a STRESS test on the treadmill when he suffered a full heart attack. How ironic is that? We were really close and I still miss him all these years later. Dan Fleisher

 

I miss Buzz too Dan. His participation brought a lot to our WRA events. Remember the night, at Santa Maria, when he drove my Dad's V8-60 and blew off the best WRA Offies? Buzz was good people.

 

Aggie and Rutt take on the Oakland high banks.

 

I took these pictures yesterday of a car that was being built by Joe Silnes in the Indianapolis area, but was never finished. Sorry they are low quality, as the car is on a lift, and I was using my iPhone.

 

A few more...

 

This car is a reproduction that Watson put together. However, the neat thing about it is that the engine in it(I think #82) happens to be the very one that helped Bill Holland to his Indy 500 victory in 1949.

 

Very interesting! I didn't know he raced that car at Oakland, and that early!! Do you have any date with these pictures? It must be 1947, from the number on Aggie's car, but the quite exhaustive list of races in "California Gold" by Bob Gates shows Troy only racing in the Southland until late summer of that year, and not at Oakland until 1950!

As far as I know, there were four 1947 Big Car races at Oakland in May and June, and one each in October and November, and I'm pretty sure that Bud Sennett drove Aggie's #9 all through summer, although he was in Leo Dobry's Hal by November. By that time, however, Carrell Speedway was staging races more or less weekly, so I figure Aggie stayed in Southland.

 

No, I don't have any exact dates. My best guess is that the group pitside shot is 1947, the track shots may be later. If you look closely the cars paint job is slightly different in the track shots and his helmet is different. I'm pretty sure that is Rutt on the track and I have other pics of Rutt wearing that helmet in 1948.

 

So if the photo was taken in 1947 would these races have been run by the Western Racing Association or would they have been under a Pacific Coast AAA sanction? I have no idea just what year Agajanian went AAA fulltime.

 

Most likely ARA (American Racing Assoc.); WRA and ARA pretty much co-existed in peace at the time (not much unlike CRA and NARC later on). The AAA Pacific Coast circuit was only revived in November of 1948, and didn't last very long apart from being pretty anaemic throughout.

Yeah, I noticed the difference in clothes and helmet, but like you I'm sure that's Rutt in the on-track pictures. I'm not really sure if the numbers were changed over the winter, but all the pics I've seen of that car in 1948 show it running as #4 (or #44 in the three AAA events in November). The paint job, however, seems to have evolved constantly!

 

What would Ruttman's age have been in 1947? The first page of this great thread has pictures of Aggies early cars, some with Vuky in the seat.

 

I believe that Troy was born in 1930.

 

Won his first race in 1945.

 

Made a die for punching those louvers that Silnes did. They are smaller than other louvers but turn out really nice. WAW

 

That's very interesting. I've heard for years that Lou Moore used specially made and modified 8 valve hemispherical chamber blocks on his Blue Crown Specials as part of his overall one pit stop strategy using aviation fuel. Does anyone here know more about this? Does Offy S/N 82 have the 8 valve setup?

 

Indianapolis in Oerlikon Switzerland
An annual event - I'd sure like to bring the Boyle Valve Spl.
A 100 y/o bicycle track that runs vintage cars once a year. Just like the velodromes that served as an inspiration for Jack Prince and the US board track builders in the early 1900s.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtech/sets/72157630828096484/
http://lowtechblog.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

 

Never heard of this before, looks like fun. It would be even funner if it was about 3/4 mile longer

 

I have the John Zink Kurtis 4000 that was just completed this year.Was at Indy[slight problem] and Milwaukee where it ran great ! At Indy had the pleasure of meeting Bill Jones cars first crew chief,what Mr.Jones and I don't know about car is its history after Watson became crew chief.Remains found in L.A. in 1992[body] and chassis in 2012.How did it get there,where was it 1955 until 1992,anyone know?

 

Good day gentlemen!

I work at the St. Louis Car Museum and in the last week, we received this beautiful restored 1938 Dreyer / McDowell Flathead V8 sprint car. I know the story of both of these fellows but was hoping that someone here may be able to provide me with a little more knowledge on this particular car. It is said to have been raced competitively through the early 50s and per the late Don Radbruch, is likely the car wrecked in Milwaukee in the early 1950s. It is said to have been later restored, racing IMCA in the 90s and put away shortly thereafter where it has lived in nice warm garages since.

Having read through this particular thread, this seems like the best place to gather any further insight into the history of the car and maybe even some pictures of the car in its heyday. I will certainly keep an eye out for responses but please feel free to also give a ring at the number in the picture. Thanks!

Alexander Rogers

 

We restored the car several years ago....
Call if I can be of help.............in Minnesota Bob Ryan 612 889 2212 is the cell phone.

 

I'll be there selling! If you're in the area stop by, it's great show and the Museum will be open too!

 

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll try to get there. I've always wanted to see that track and the cars there.

 

FYI, The VARC vintage cars will be at Lawrenceburg speedway this Saturday along with the USAC National Sprint cars. It it is The Last Midwest stop for the USAC cars. Weather looks perfect for fall racing!

 

Haven't heard much about it but the Jungle Park Reunion is this Saturday, September 27th. I'm planning on going but ironically I just sold my midget and have to deliver it Saturday morning. I hope I can still get there, Last year was pretty weak but the weather was some to do with that. I would like to see this event grow and not dwindle away.