History The Jalopy Races

[Ryan]

The following video was sent to me by Dave Hallberg of Scottville, Michigan. Dave is passionate about Jalopy Racing in a way that I can't explain. Along with this video, he sent a number of old photos as well as a three page hand-written letter that ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[hugh m]

Surprising to see all this footage in color, really neat that historians like Dave are saving it . It's neat to know there are guys like Dave around the country who are also saving history, and it's always a treat when a "new" old find comes to light. Thanks for posting it.

[Shade Tree McGhee]

That video is so freakin cool...

[SUHRsc]

wow.... thanks for posting this Ryan...
Here's my dad's uncle George Suhr in his "jalopy" from central PA in '46

[HEMI32]

Ryan ... interesting video ... thanks for sharing.

Now those are "ROLL" bars! ... I don't think I've ever seen anything like them before ... and using an old wagon wheel ... who would have ever thunk?

['46SuperDeluxe]

Originally Posted by HEMI32

Ryan ... interesting video ... thanks for sharing.

Now those are "ROLL" bars! ... I don't think I've ever seen anything like them before ... and using an old wagon wheel ... who would have ever thunk?

2x on that. Those are true "roll..over" bars. At first from the blog photo I thought they were running airplane engines like on a 'Glades air boat, or funny French contraption that I saw on "My Classic Car"

[Retro Jim]

Ryan , thanks for that really great video of the old Jalopy race cars ! It's so interesting to see how it all began to where it is today ! I love the "Safety" roll bar ! Someone had a good idea there ! It was really nice that a farmer would donate some of his field so the men could have some fun racing . Those were the greatest days of racing and to see what that had to work with . Those were real men to get into those "Jalopy's" and race each other like that . I saw in one picture where the fence had fence polls with Barbed wire on it . Man that would really hurt if you went though that fence .
Again thanks for all the great footage and to all the great race car drivers in the video !
I loved it !

Retro Jim

[Atwater Mike]

Originally Posted by HEMI32

Ryan ... interesting video ... thanks for sharing.

Now those are "ROLL" bars! ... I don't think I've ever seen anything like them before ... and using an old wagon wheel ... who would have ever thunk?

Oh, cave men. Dates back to the 'wheel'. Kinda 'full circle'...

[Detroit Chrome]

Best video ever made. Loved those roll bars.

[Lucky77]

Now that was cool! I really dig that tow truck too.

[casper]

Wow! What a great video ! I have to say those "hula hoop" roll bars were a good idea at the time. Thanks for posting this.

[need louvers ?]

Way cool! I've seen a photo collection of jalopy racing from here in AZ. about the same time frame. We had tracks running in Phoenix, Prescott, and Holbrook. It made me think about how hot rods spread from CA out ward across the country. Probably because of our proximity to CA., our cars from that era tagged as "jalopies" looked much more like the traditional track roadster of the era. Video was way cool, and deeply commendable for taking the time and passion to preserve a bit of little known history

[crapshoot]

NICE VIDEO, really interesting to see the interviews of the guys that raced, those hula hoop bars are crazy

[stude_trucks]

Now that is something different. Love the roughness and true grit of the whole thing - even the strange left over something at the very end, just part of the charm. (glad though that last part wasn't some other type of home video if you know what mean. )

Nice, thank you.

[Hitchhiker]

way cool.

[Bugsy]

That was great!!! Talk about a pile-o-fun!! I wish that there was a track around here that you could still race that style of jalopy at!! That color footage from '47 is pretty rare. I love the history of the "jalopy" races and the old, county fair race track type races. I see a new HAMB race class in the future!!!

[flamingokid]

Very Cool.

[HotRodMetal]

I love the Roll Bars!

[RustyCoupe215]

Thats an awesome video! Rare color footage from 47...that was a pricey camera in those days!!! Its even cooler the photographer took the time to not only document the racing but the women and the cars...eveything changes but at the same time everything stays the same!!! HAHA Women and racetracks!! Its also nice to know that our deep rooted American automotive history isnt lost and someone took the time to document the "little tracks" and the everyday racers. Life hasnt changed all that much that 50+ years ago our grandparents were doing this same stuff!!!
Very Inspring....

I really DIG the vintage Midgets thats cool stuff you see cars like that in musems like the one up at the Jalopy Showdown, in PA but soo much cooler to see em being driven, raced hard and at speed!!!!

[plymouth1952]

now thats a show!!!!!!!!!!!!!