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

Thanks Joe! Looking VERY forward to it! You know, I've been preaching the supermodified gospel awful hard this last year, yet there sure are a lot of sprint tails popping up on this place!


I keep hoping I've got everything I want...............those hoods from Mac Miller, and this Silver Crown tail,hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

Found this on www.indianaopenwheel.com.

John Marco (Marco's Spl.) 1936 midget racer.

Have a good day...see you at the races

Midwest Connection
Photos by Rich Edwards - Arnold, Missouri

 

racer12- you wouldn't happen to run a SC car would you?

 

I just found an old R&C from 70 or 71 that has an article about ARDUN's in it and it has some pretty killer shots of an ARDUN powered Sprinter, I will scan when I get home and post..

 

If you guys want the rest of the article let me know....Hate to leave anybody hanging, but since its a Sprinter pic thread, I tried to leave it at that...

 

I for one would like to read the rest

"Doc" Parsons

 

Found these pics while looking through another of my Mom's old scrapbooks. Chet Wilson in his #5 under construction. Taken in front of Chet's house in Lincoln, Ne. around 1939. Note the cool '38 convertible parked out at the curb. Check the rear bumper on the finished car. Looks to be pieces of a '34 Ford bumper! I believe Dad said the engine was a Star 4.

 

[quote="Doc" Parsons;3229614]I for one would like to read the rest

"Doc" Parsons[/quote]


There you go Doc, refer back to the original post, I edited it for you, I personally love the last page with the cut away mechanical diagram, I love that stuff...I am sort of a junky for mechanical diagrams, if anybody has any let me know I would love to get some copies....ryan

 

I saw some other quarter midgets posted here, so I thought I would post the back corner of my garage. A 1947 Kurtis full midget, and some 1/4 midgets... 1958 Kurtis 500, 1961 Lenny Gonsel (pretty rare) 1958 Racecraft, 1959 Racecraft, 1956 Stevenscraft, 1957 Whalborg and a late 50's mystery car (with the primered nose) early Vikingcraft? I also collect vintage speed equipment for the Continental motors. I hope these are not too off topic! Kenny.

 

Casper! That 1/4 Midget collection is killer!!

You weren't at the Bakersfield Hot Rod Reunion in the swap meet a couple weeks ago were you?

 

Thanks! That is an awesome compliment coming from you! No, this is the first one I have missed in a few years. There is a guy named Steve that lives in Bakersfield and he is friends with Arlen Kurtis and they have been reproducing some Kurtis parts. I'm sure he was there selling stuff because he was telling me that he was going to set up at that swap meet. Did he have anything cool? Kenny.

 

These are from Jimmy Graybeal, who asked me to use my alleged computer expertise to post them. This is a sprint car which isn't finished yet.

 

More from the Graybeal ranch...a quarter-midget, Model 61, made between 56 and 59, Offyette...

 

Nice car!

 

Good looking car, looks to be real close to being finished. The wheelbase makes me think it's a champ car though.

 

You'll have to ask Jimmy about that. However, here's another he sent me of his Silver Crown car. It's a 1986, new with Blackie Fortune, and Rich Vogler was the first driver. I remember this car from the first time it ran at IRP. From the strawberry, I'd say J.W. Hunt had a hand in some sponsorship.

 

I LOVE THAT COORS CAR!

The first time I went to Winchester, Jim had it out front. I drooled over it for a while. That hood, that look, and those wheels are what my earliest memories of sprint cars are. My mom and pops had me at Lawrenceburg at 5 weeks old, (1976) but you know how you don't remember things well till about 4 or 5 years old. At 5 years old (1982) They took me Ascot, and the only thing I remember is a midget flipping and landing on top of the SECOND fence up! (thats the only kinda stuff you remember at 5!) The early 80's is as far back as my "in person" memories go.

Thats why I am SO THANKFULL to you guys, that have been there, done it, or seen it.. and share it on websites like this, or in books.

Thank you!

When we started racing karts I had to have one of those style noses cause thats what the cool guys ran.. The Gambler cars, the Coors cars, all of them. I remember Danny Smith was in a Yellow car with black Numbers and Thats who dad always rooted for.

I know to a lot of you, that was only yesterday.. Thats why I tell my buddy's to enjoy yourself at all times, cause THESE are the good old days!


​

 

I have to agree with you, Josh. It's a beautiful car. I drooled over it a bit myself at IRP in July of 1986. Don't know where Rich finished that day, but if I recall correctly, Schrader won it in Boston Louie's 29.

 

...and that Coors car is HAND LETTERED!!!

Most Racers today don't agree but, Stickers are among the TOP FIVE worse thing to happen to Sprint Cars, and race cars in general. It took "the look" out of it.. Too many people that have no Idea about, layout, color use, flow, and most of all READABILITY get on a computer and decide they can letter a race car. "Vinyl Wraps" are for busses, and reflective luminescent vinyls are for Highway signs.

...just ask any track photographer.

Yes, I'm byast.. My dad letters race cars for a living and I alone have lettered well over a hundred. Man, it kills us to see a race car that has so much shit, you can't even read the numbers and sponsors.

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I'm sitting bored in a hotel room in L.A. so I'll give ya'll some Examples.

****Warning.. New, Winged Sprint cars about to shown (for example only!!****


I posted these small cause at 100 mph in the dark, on the track.. this is all the better you see a race car. Now, imagine being a SCORER on a field full of cars like these!! Try to read the sponsors.. Never put Graphics through a logo.









Now, look at these cars. At the same size, you can easily read the numbers and sponsors. Not all are hand lettered, just done better!










This car is interesting.. cause it has Graphics, behind the logo.. But you can still read it. It's because of good color use. Black and White, hard contrast.. The number isn't real strong, but better than most!





Sorry for the rant.. Everyone has there pet peaves.. Mine and my dads is Bad race car lettering..

 

I agree. These new race car wraps suck!

 

Joshua, Whinning does not become you...hehehe
Here is the photo you asked about.
Gene

 

Well, Gene.. Like I said, I'm in California for the week.. so.. "When in Rome" HA HA!! (Damn I'll catch hell for that)

As for the other Five "Worst things too happen to Sprint car racing". Most were Mandatory and made life easier for all racers.. But didn't help the "coolness" of the sport.

In no order..

ENCLOSED TRAILERS. Kids need to see race cars going down the road and at rest stops. How many of you "old timers" Begged and pleaded your parents to take you to a race because you saw a race car go by your house every sat? (I've heard that story too many times!) You guys with hot rods know the deal.. You drive on the highway and kids go NUTS! Kids that are not in "Car families" While the parent talks on the phone and could give a shit less, the kid in the back seat is yelling "LOOK!!!" You know that kid told EVERYBODY he saw that day about it too!

ROCK GUARDS. (and any body panels around, above and over the driver) We need to see the driver WORKING! When I look at old video footage of guys racing, I notice how cool it is to see the drivers arms working. Imagine if they took the roofs and upper quarter panels off Modifieds and latemodels.. You'd be able to see they guy working and looking. Sure, the cars would be ugly, but FUN TO WATCH!!

SMALL FUEL CELLS. Not only back to, the "Readability of the number" But big fuel cells on sprint cars just LOOK BETTER!! The little midget tanks they run today are bullshit! ..and FUEL STOPS!! WTF!! If you can't run 50 laps in your sprint car, TOUGH SHIT! This isn't NASCAR. (thank god!)

VYNIL GRAPHICS. We've been over that..

and of coarse..

TRACK PROMOTERS. Of coarse, mandatory.. One can't survive without the other. But while the Racers have grown in EVERY way, Technically, money spent, speed, safety, ect. They are still racing for weekly purses that in general have not changed in DECADES!! I read these books about racers from years back and think, "thats what they pay today!" The book I'm reading now takes place in the twenties when it cost WAY under a doller to see the race and they are racing for $800 to $1500 to win the feature!! Sure, we have the Million, and a hand full of other big shows but weekly racing veniews just haven't kept up with the rest of the show.
I know this is the broken record report, but think about one more thing. At our local track, the 50/50 is usually around $500. (Thats $1000 total) Most people buy $5 worth. And if I had to guess, I'd say only 30% of EVERYBODY that paid their $15 to get in (don't forget the racers and there families who paid $25 for pits) actually buy 50/50 tickets. Start doing the math.. They should pay a little more.

------------------------------------------------

Now, I'm sure some of you are wondering why ROLL BARS weren't in there. Well, Thats a hard one. While Roll bars killed the Classic look of old sprint cars.. (although I enjoy a lot of the Caged cars of the 70's and even 80's) They were a must. (everything in my top five could be changed or "saved") It's the same as saying full faced helmets were bad.. It was going to happen regardless. In a perfect world Guys would be racing in a T-shirt with a pack of Lucky strikes rolled up, a Bandana around his face, for a purse that actually put money IN his pocket after expenses..

Well' it's just not gonna happen.

What amazes, and impresses me the most.. Is that despite all the "Flaws" we can think of, (and bitch and moan about) SPRINT CAR RACING IS STILL THE GREATEST FORM OF MOTORSPORTS IN THE WORLD!!

I'll be a fan forever.


J Shaw

p.s. Sorry for the negativity.. Boredom at its best!!

How about HANS devices.. Yeah they mean well, but not when a driver can't get out of a car in a timely fashion. How about HANS devices for Half miles and bigger only??

 

..and yes Gene.. Thats the picture I saw! COOL!!

 

Ya know Joshua, if you have something to say....don't hold back, spit 'er out....hehehe
Gene

 

Well... I've had that come back to bite me before!

It just might do it here!

 

How about a nice vintage B&W photo to calm you down a little. It once again shows a remote starter sticking out of the front.....
Gene

 

How bout a little chrome and gold leaf.

 

ahhhh.. Much better. Chrome frame, rudge wheels, #2, & Shinny black, and Gold leaf...

Wonderfull!

 

Caged or not, ya just can't beat a cross spring front, lobsters and hairpins.