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

From what i was told the sprinter I wrenched on that we were running on pavement was a Trevis car. I have a pic somewhere ill have to scan it .. In fact ive got pics of the car running against the supers at Toledo.
Dave

 

I ran the little Salem track starting in 1964. It was small, slick, flat, but fun. I raced against Rich's Dad in mid 60's. Rich was to young to get a pit pass. Rich and his Mom would stay right behind Don over the fence and needle him if he was not running as fast as they thought he should be. Rich was a great driver.
Jim Graybeal

 

O/T

CRA in around '87. Far as I know, Eddie Wirth brought the first complete downtube sprinter to Oklahoma. He is seen here cage testing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE-7Lt4JZVY

 

This may be a little OT but I thought it was interesting. I saw this on NASCAR.COM.

I know most of you guys don't car for the taxi cab racing but it was interesting to see the roots of Martinsville Speedway.

 

Good shot Eric. Looks like They were not afraid to water that place!

Nascar had there own Sprint car sanction for a while...


Now there just sponsored by sprint!

My dad and I were sure that when they switched to "Sprint cup", the stupid anouncers (mainly DW, what an idiot) would start calling the "cup cars", "The Sprint cars" and that would have SUCKED!!! But, I have not heard it yet.. but, give them time.

Boogity Boogity BoSHUT THE F@%K UP!!

JD

 

Josh, was that a sprint car division NASCAR had or a champ car division? I've talked about it with Ralph Ligouri, who ran some of those races, and he said the cars were nearly all champ car size.

 

Being that it was NASCAR it could have been the Support Cup and the cars could have been LRC's (Little Racy Cars)

 

Yeah, I think it would be safe to say it got recaged at least once.

 

Rootie,

That does look like a GK

 

NASCAR did have an open wheeled division that used Champ cars with STOCKBLOCK engines, it did not last very long. I think Buck Baker was the champion. I think it was in the very early 50's. In the late 40's Bill France called my Dad to bring the Southern Star down to race so he could use it to advertise the races. One time he went down with no driver and told me Fireball Roberts drove for him. Dad got expence money [$200 or $300] plus what the car made. I have some pictures of one trip. Bill France drove a sprint car a few times and did not like them. He also drove stock cars and was not very good at that, so he started promoting full time.
Jim Graybeal

 

Thats the same story I got.. Went for a couple of years, then fizzled out. There was a dark blue car at Detroit this year, upstairs that was an official car of the sanction. Pics of It were posted on here WAY back.. I'll find it. ..and yes, it was LONG!! 103 or 4 inch..

JD

 

Here it is..

 

Here are some pictures. View attachment 11inMud.jpg.zip
This one is Jim Moughan in my car at Springfield, Il in 75 (too new?)

 

Had to go to Zakira's last night to look at some work to be done.. As soon as I walked in, Jim was smiling funny, and I could tell he had something he just couldn't wait to show me. Well, He did!!!

The ENGINE for the 1923 INDY WINNING MILLER thay have been restoring has been final assembled, and was sitting on a build table..



It's breath taking, and pictures just don't do a justice!















These are the jets..






original photo..



today..













Gossens drawing for throttle linkage...



Made to specs in house by Jim "longname"



and where it goes..





J Shaw

 

Gentlemen, If anyone was at The Winchester Old Timers, you saw one of the original Nascar "Speedway division" racers. Here is the photo. This car is owned by Don Anderson of Tipp City,Oh. Don restored this car in the nineties. Tom Cherry modified a Mutual roadster to fit the rules of the Speedway division. This car won one race in the short lived series ( one year I think) with Tom Cherry driving it. Somewhere around here I have that information. I have a photo of five cars lined up on Daytona Beach for a PR photo. I'll see if it can be found. I think I remember it was in 1953 or 54
Harley Gene

 

Jim, Gene, & Josh, that's essentially the same story I heard from Ligouri. Champ car sized chassis with stock blocks.

 

I've seen that photo, and was wishing I had it..

 

Having trouble getting the photo to go. We'll try again. This is the photo of the "Speedway Division" car of Tom Cherry......I hope?
Harley Gene

 

This photo is the H.D.Carpenter 122 Miller, Mechanic Frank Fabian is on the right side. Ira Vail bought it new, sold it to Mr. Carpenter for $6,500. and drove it in the 1926 Indy 500 after R.J.Johnson was injured in a wreck at Charlott. Original photo is part of the collection of paperwork on the car in my collection.

 

That is quite impressive but then again Miller (Goosen, Offenhauser, & Stevens) work was almost always eye candy. Billet on racecars started in the teens and was never a bad thing on a race car that I know of. Even some of MIller's gear selector handles were hollow pieces of jewelry. It is pretty easy to be mesmerized by the workmanship of all things Miller.-Jim

 

Very cool 37kid!!

Thanks!

 

Here's a couple other "things of interest" that I looked at.

The Duesenberg that I gotta do work on.



Jim built a teppered die and hand bent these.. they go from 1.5" to .5"



check out these BILLET STEEL spindles, I saw these when they were a stack of steel blocks on the floor.





Axle tube..



freshly made torque bell



and the newest challenge, Jim is going to make a Crank from scratch. He has Millers original pencil drawings and this 8" solid chunk of heat treated hardened steel!

 

Corngrower,

If that engine was mine, I would have to find a way to place an engine stand over my Sealy Posterpedic.

 

Track was muddy wasn't it?Looks like that left front is a foot off the ground!

 

I was there that day

 

I wasn't there that day (wasn't even born yet) but I do have A Dick Wallen tape (remember those) of that crash. If I remember correct the cage was bent pretty bad as they towed it back to the pits. Ol' Ziggy was a luck man that day, not many people go over the wall at Salem or Winchester and live to tell about it.


Bob Shutt

 

Are there any detail pictures of the Lincoln Special. Great looking car. Dose anyone have any information on forming a cowl flair like that.

Ron

 

PM "hillbillyhell" He was the one that posted it, and mentioned it came from his shop.

 

I hope this question isn’t too off topic for this discussion…but a car like this is about as close as I will ever get to owning a 30’s era dirt track car.

I want to build a similar Ford bodied 3-springer. I have the Whippet shell and radiator, late 20's Chrysler tube axle, Model A engine, Model T body...and a 25 Chevy frame. But this is where one of my questions comes from.

Anyone recognize the frame in the Chuck Spurgin 25 Chevy roadster…



I assumed it was 25 Chevy, but now I'm not so sure.

The Carurthers/Chrisman #25 car claims to be built on a 1928 Chevy frame (which should be the same as a 1925)...but the frame horns look straighter than the stock Chevy posted below...





and it's springs are hung outside the frame with the spreader bar like the Spurgin car. Anyone know details on this? Did they commonly do this, as most 3-springers I see have the front spreader bar/spring hangers?

The front spring hangers on my Chevy frame do not look like the two cars above. Here's a stock 25 Chevy like mine...



...see how the springs hung under the frame.

Lynn Bird's modified had a Chrysler axle and similar looking frame to the cars above...





I was told he used an early Chrysler frame. Were they commonly used in early sprint cars or dry lakes cars? If so, what year/model Chrysler frame I should be looking for?

Thanks,

Neal

 

I have been told the Caruthers/Chrisman car is a 28 29 chevy frame and have also been told it's a Star frame, not sure to be honest.

Roy Caruthers