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

Rootie.

I can't tell you much about the car, other than it was red with gold lettering. Scotty led many laps in that event before shucking an axle due to several excursions off track. It was in my memory quite a beautiful car, very loud and very fast. Do you have a link to where you got that photo?

 

Found it on the Getty Images site but don't remember now what I searched for. I think if you search for CRA (or the full name ) sprint cars you should find it. It's kind of a convoluted site to search.

 

Black Vette,
the 67 was built in 1964 I think. Was owned by Johnny Fray from New England (Mass I think). It was late to the dance, first ran a Offy 220 ci. against the 255's. Fray had been fairly successful in Eastern Sprint cars with Jiggs Peters driving.

 

Who were the drivers? Anybody hurt?

 

The photo that Rootie posted appears on page 92 of Joe Scalzo's "Stand On The Gas".
The caption that goes with the photo identifies Bruce Walkup (16), Greg Weld (92), Rollie Beale (82), and Mickey Shaw (28), Winchester 1967. No info on driver condition.

 

I don't think anyone was hurt (at least not seriously) Near as I can tell the 92 is Greg Weld, the other Dunseth (16) is possibly Bob Wendt or Bruce Walkup (?). The 82 is probably Rollie Beale and the 28 may be Mickey Shaw. Its all just a semi educated guess on my part though.

 

I was right for once Didn't know it was in a book, it was on E-bay a while back.

 

Pretty sure I was there that day, and I remember Walkup flipped Wally's car.

 

Great photo's from a wonderful era of midget racing.
The engineering and craftsmanship that went into building these cars was really was really unbelievable.

Each car was build with the latest tricks for the day.

Jimbo

 

.......managed to fit in all the fuel system,just have to hook up the tank lines,and its done.......

 

I think Rollie came out of this crash with a broken leg.

 

Weld and Walkup were both in Dunseth cars.
Rollie broke his leg later in the season at Reading,Pa.

 

Rootie, the more I look at your Scotty Cain roadster photo the more the car doesn't look like a Kurtis (or any other Indy roadster). First off I don't think Kurtis ever made a grill that looked like the one on the car in the photo. The tail seems off as well and there is no provision for refueling showing the way a Kurtis car would have had. And the running gear seems wrong with hubs all appearing to be stock with lug nuts being used instead of the standard knockoffs. Also, the cars seems just a little too wide and the wheelbase a little too short; at least in just looking at the photo. I'm starting to think that this was a one-off that someone built based on the Indianapolis cars of the day. And as you state in 1958 you would think that any Kurtis car would have been at Indianapolis trying to qualify.

But it would have been great to see the car run at Riverside. That Buick engine with a multispeed transmission must have worked pretty well. I wonder if any film of this race still exists somewhere? No matter, as it's still an interesting car that must have an equally interesting story to go along with it if we only knew.

 

Here is some info, and a few pictures from Riverside Grand Prix, in 1958. There are listings for more than one Buick powered Kurtis Kraft sports car. The one Rootie posted I did not see here, but I also didn't look real close (working ), and looking closer at the picture, that car looks like it has no driveline offset.

 

The link might be helpful http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Riverside-1958-10-12.html

 

It also occurred to me that it may not have been a oval track car to begin with but a purpose built road race car. Don't know if any film exists but Eric Rickman was there, so I suspect more pics are around but just haven't come to light yet.

 

I looked on the same site also and came up with this, Unfortunatly no pics but the time line is right and it shows Jerry Unser as a driver soooo

 

Another neat car from that race. Looks to be a old rail frame with a bitchin scallop paint job and chrome wires. Bet it was a real looker in color.

 

[QUOTE="s55mercury6 and looking closer at the picture, that car looks like it has no driveline offset.[/QUOTE]
Makes one wonder where the drive shaft went. Either it had a offset transfer case, was fwd or Cain had a hole drilled through him

 

Got some pictures and stories if anyone is still out there and interested.

Phil Meyer,

 

Rootie, what can you tell me about this car? hope this finds you well...Ben

 

Doing O.K. Ben, thanks. Looks to be Jack Rounds in Homeyers car around 61/62. IIRC Homeyer bought a lot of Bob Estes stuff when he quit racing so I suspect this may be Estes old Jud Phillips built car. Others will probably know for sure.

 

Here's one from the 30's that I just finished painting and lettering

 

Here's one from the 30's that I just finished painting and lettering......
Phill...really wish you were closer to me....some stunning work going on here....

 

Not a car, but found this, at the last spring carlisle, fits "souped-up" model T ford motor...

 

I am certain the Homeyer sprinter is not the Bob Estees car that went to Bud Tinglestad after being the Hoover Motor Express car in 1961.

 

I emailed an old friend - Dave Sweeney since I knew he competed in the sprints at riverside raceway in 58.
Well he has a real hard time with computers but after a weeks' attempt I got this back today - so I'll have to track him down by telephone.
"
Hi Carl

First, my computer skills are about a 3, with wop being a 2 and Laurence around an 8.

Soooo, I have no idea of how to open whatever you sent, though it is intriguing.

The 3 back to back 500 milers at Riverside do indeed bring some memories.

I was running a KK500B roadster that had belonged to Ed Walsh. It had crashed at Indy after only 4 laps and had been sent back to Glendale where Ronnie Ward repaired and turned it into a SCCA type sports car racer. I wound up with it, working for an absentee owner that I rarely saw, especially if I needed any money. We did quite well at Willow, Paramount and a few other local tracks. When the 500 was announced I asked Walt for permission to run, granted with several corrections needed. (Car count, I'm sure). Continued...

 

From Dave this AM:
"
Yup! That's us.
I'll write it up.
That's just past where he finally crashed. New mystery though - the windshield was already broken, or so it appears.
Thanks - brings back memories.
dbs"

 

I don't know about the four laps part of the story but the only 500B that Walsh ever ran was in 1953 with Cliff Griffith. Griffith crashed the car during Practice and was badly burned. He was in so much pain for so long that he reportedly told friends that he was praying to be able to just die. As far as I know that was the end of the car in Indy racing and it had never been in any race at that point. I'll be interested to hear the rest of the story. And I'm like Rootie in that I can't figure out just where the driveline ran! BTW, Ronnie Ward was a much more talented builder than most people realize. And he was very involved in the construction of many, if not most, of the Watson roadsters.

 

Carl, you da man! Thanks. I thought the dual trailing arm front suspension looked to be a early Kurtis set up. Now we know.