Jalopy races

[AV8-Rider]

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Paul

[Southfork]

Originally Posted by revkev6

I've found lots of cool dirt track pics. I love the "racing roadsters" type of car. seeing how my car was cut up I've often wondered if it was a dirt car in a previous life (top cut off, doors welded shut, wheel wells cut out).

Was cutting the rear wheel wells out actually a practice for modifying dirt track cars??? I am not challenging that bit of info, but I haven't heard that before. If it was a typical practice, what would be the point of doing it?

[SKRTCHSR]

[SKRTCHSR]

One more.

[revkev6]

Originally Posted by Southfork

Was cutting the rear wheel wells out actually a practice for modifying dirt track cars??? I am not challenging that bit of info, but I haven't heard that before. If it was a typical practice, what would be the point of doing it?

if the body was channelled over the frame at all it was. even sometimes when it wasn't. go back a couple pages and you'll see some pics of later modifieds that had everything but the basic shell removed.

[Rand Man]

Here's a few.

[john56h]

Here is a link to some old amateur movies of Jalopy stock cars at Mid-State (Morris) and Brookfield Speedways in upstate New York:

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...nt=racing2.flv

[Junkyard Jan]

Originally Posted by old dirt tracker

as you can tell by my name i am in total agreement about dirt oval racing being the main influence in hot rodding. Hot Rod magizene / wally parks created nhra drag racing and have always pushed it when in realty oval track racing has always been the back bone of hot rodding. i am from the midwest and could go to 5 or 6 dirt tracks in my area i remember when kenny weld left are area for pennsylvina and i asked why and was told there were over 50 tracks in the area. new dirt track are currently being built all over the country. we have a new just opening here in phx.

Ahhhh...somebody finally agrees with me. Here's a bit of theory. The West Coast, where the mags were published had the dry lakes, Bonneville not that far inland and drag strips back in the day. They also had the Jalopies and the CRA roadsters which evolved into sprints. Hot Rod and others gave coverage to all, but concentrated on straight line stuff. Back east, roadsters weren't prevelent due to the climate, but every fairgrounds had a horse track so we had coupe racing. They eventually split 4 ways in the late '50s into the supermods and dirt sprinters, the Late Models and the modifieds. All of these divisions have survived in one form or another. But the mags were on the West Coast and we got little to no coverage until Stock Car Racing magazine came along in late'65. It was published in the east, so the world could finally see what we had. It's a shame that Kenny Weld got into cocaine around 1980, went to prison then died without reaching what he could've been. He was right about the many tracks. It's the same with the Batmobile driver Gary Balough and a few others. Sad...., but don't screw with crime...

In my area we have quite a few drag strips within 100 miles of my house, but so many dirt and asphalt ovals I couldn't begin to count them all. I can pick my tracks on Frday, Saturday and Sunday and change every week. Even though the LMs have gone their own way...whatever that is, we still have sprint and modified racing out of the butt. I love the early and new DIRT mods so badly it hurts. Even with an '07 Bicknell and all of it's aerodynamic sheet aluminum, strip off the tin and the basic chassis concept hasn't changed in well over 30 years. Straight front axle, straight frame rails, center steering and a Q/C rear end. Want hot rods? Oval track cars are among the originals.

Jan...racing *is* life

[krooser]

I used to watch the jalopy races from Culver City, CA on TV back in the 50's on our local UHF sattion. They were a real low budget deal and you never knew what you'd find.

Great footage...would love to see those again.

[Old Dawg]

Krooser!
Tom Luce has a book out on the California Jalopy Association. Google California Jalopy Association and go to his website. He also has videos. The book covers the TV characters and drivers, such as "Termite" Snyder, Bob Hogle, Art Atkinson, "Steady Eddie" Gray, Ed Van Eyck, Danny Letner, and, of course, Parnelli Jones. Check it out, it's a hoot!

[car toon]

Thanks for the jalopy pics. I can't get enough of them. I am building one in 1/8 scale....a little over half finished with it.

[KIRK]

Great thread, Thanks

[car toon]

Originally Posted by Old Dawg

Krooser!
Tom Luce has a book out on the California Jalopy Association. Google California Jalopy Association and go to his website. He also has videos. The book covers the TV characters and drivers, such as "Termite" Snyder, Bob Hogle, Art Atkinson, "Steady Eddie" Gray, Ed Van Eyck, Danny Letner, and, of course, Parnelli Jones. Check it out, it's a hoot!

It is a very interesting book....HUNDREDS of photos. It also explains how Jones got his name "Parnelli",.....his real first name is Rufus.

[krooser]

Originally Posted by Old Dawg

Krooser!
Tom Luce has a book out on the California Jalopy Association. Google California Jalopy Association and go to his website. He also has videos. The book covers the TV characters and drivers, such as "Termite" Snyder, Bob Hogle, Art Atkinson, "Steady Eddie" Gray, Ed Van Eyck, Danny Letner, and, of course, Parnelli Jones. Check it out, it's a hoot!

Thanks...

[R33CHEBY]

I'm not sure if these pics are of Jalopys, or midgets (my grandpa Frank Melton raced both). They were taken in the mid 50's at the Carrell Speedway and Ascot Park. Let me know if any of you have pics of him, or his, cars. I would love to build him a copy of his old racer, before he passes.