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

McGrath's Hinkle Spl. 1951, back when race car cockpits did kinda resemble a "office."

 

Herk on his way to winning his first Champ car race, Sacto 59.

 

Yes Parnelli finished second in the HOW. Elmer stepped aside after Parnelli crashed his Troutman and Barnes rear engine bathtub in warm ups.

 

Chuck Hulse leads Rodger McCluskey, IRP 1961.

 

Don Branson and A.J.- Langhorne 59.

 

Working on Bryan's DVL Spl. #1- 1955.

 

Bobby Unser, Phoenix mile 1961.

 

Pat O'Connor's "nekid" pole winning Sumar Spl. 1957.

 

Jim Brubaker in the Maurer Spl. Maserati, Indy 47.

 

I see a 1951 photo with lever shocks, and a 1957 using tube shocks. Could someone tell me what brands they may have used back then? The tube shocks look similar to racing shocks available today.
I would really like to dial-in the handling on my T. I would like to be able to say "rebuildable shocks came out in 19xx".

 

As I recollect, the tube shocks were either Monroe or Gabrial.

The levers were really old school. Don't remember who made them.

 

they were houdaille's modified to have 50/50 resistance . they were commonly used on 32 to 48 fords

 

Alton W. Ellis, passed away 1-26-16, age 87. he was chief mechanic for the Pfrommer Offy driven by
by Jud Larson & Tommy Hinnershitz. was mechanic for john pfrommer for 20+ years.
Reading Eagle obituary.
mlight9

 

I'm sorry to hear that. Alton appears on many old photographs, and from his looks he must've been a pleasant chap.

 

Mlight his nick name was Boomer if I recollect. A very nice man.

 

Sammy Sessions, Johnny Noble and Dee Jones at IRP 65.

 

Marshall Teagues Pure Oil Spl. gets some attention Indy 53.

 

Herk and Parnelli duel at Hoosier 100 62.

 

Johnny was the driver of the first sprinter I ever worked on. And it looks like he was driving Billy Earl's car. Those two really made a pair - lots of memories.

 

obit. actually said "Bummer" which I thought was in error, so I didn't use it. glad to know the proper nickname.
mlight9

 

Monroe offered free tubular shocks and paid contingency money to race teams at Indy starting around 1950. Vukovich's 1953 car was the first winner to use them and started a streak that lasted through 1971. Donohue's win in 1972 was on Koni shocks.

 

Parnelli #27 and McElreath Langhorne 63.

 

Mack Hellings showing off his Tuffanelli ride to Cecil Green Indy 51.

 

George Amick, Terre Haute 1957.

 

Mlight9, with the way the Pennsylvania Dutch pronounce things, it came out Bummer.

 

that could be, I'll have to think about that.
mlight9

 

Offy powered Mike Mosley 'elbows up' at Terre Haute 68.

 

Mauri gets a push from the 'Whiz Kids' -Indy 1950.

 

Norm Hall leads Chuck Arnold and Bob Mathouser at Trenton 1964.

 

I've often wondered what would have happened if Rose had not decided to retire after rolling this car in the 1951 500. If he had stayed with the Keck team would he have then gotten the ride in the new Fuel Injection roadster in 1952? If so, maybe no one today would have ever heard of Bill Vukovich who might have been relegated to mid-field cars for good.

BTW, had the 1950 500 not been stopped by rain it is very likely that either Rose, in this car, or Holland in the #3 Blue Crown might have won instead. At the very least they would have been in contention as Parsons would have had to pit at least one more time and both Rose and Holland were planning to go to the finish without another stop.

And there was one conspiracy theory that though the rain quickly stopped (most of the track never even got wet) the 1950 race could easily have been restarted but for Wilbur Shaw who called the race complete. According to this story Shaw was convinced that no other cars would challenge the Blue Crowns anytime soon and he didn't want someone like Holland (2nd at the time) to be in a position to top his three 500 wins in a couple of more years.