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

Interesting that the rear trailing arm in the '40 pic seems to have an adjustable instant center.

 

A shoeless but smiling Bill Garrett cools off after finishing 16th in the the 56 500. The Greenman Casale (ex-Aggie 98) Kuzma was among the last uprights to run the 500.

 

^^^^^^ Rootie when did this car go to the Unsers and run Pikes Peak? Bob

 

To my knowledge, it never ran pikes peak. However, Bobby did drive it in the early 60s on the oval tracks as the Lynch 28 and White Front 31.

 

Bobby Unsers hill climb car was originally built by Denny Moore for Jack Zink. Bobby bought it in 59 and race only as a hillclimb car through the 60s winning most every year.

 

That first pic of 3 in hill climb trim looks like it might be ' Louie ' in the seat ?

 

It is, he finished 4th, and Bobby won in his Jag powered car 1958.

 

Hi Rootie
In 68' I had just opened my own racing engine shop and got into circle boat racing, and on the way to a race one of his customers asked if I would like to meet Louie

We stopped in and he was a true gentleman and showed a new engine builder to the scene, his whole shop and I was very impressed

One day at the races he had to look at a big block distributor, and was having one heck of a time getting back in the block with the oil pump drive lining up

It was about 100 degrees and they had no shade cover over the boat, I felt so sorry for him as he had some pretty bad health stuff going on and was in a tough spot but he got her in and made the race in time

I was thinking of offering him a hand but did want to make him feel bad as I know how it might of looked, as he had to get around on a little electric cart with his tools and always got it done

 

Rather obscure and ill-fated was the Cornis Engineering Spl. Built by west coast builder Ted Cornis and driven by relatively unknown driver Bob Courtner. It is thought that a gust of wind, during a practice run, caused him to lose control and hit the wall, suffering fatal injuries.

 

Was the exhaust pipe long enough???

 

Rootie.

Thanks for posting the Cornis photos. Ted Cornis is on the left in the first photo I have no idea who the other two gentlemen are. I knew Ted for many years, (he and my Dad attended Redlands High School at the same time but were only aquatinted, not really friends). Ted gave Bob Cortner his start in midgets and were very close by what I could deduce. Ted had many stories of them racing together. Bob was a bit of a local hero as he was from Redlands as well and was the 1957 BCRA Midget Champ. The late Don Radbruch recalled him as very talented, fiercely competitive, and ambitious. The way I have heard the story was on the day after he passed his rookie test he was practicing and apparently the wind got him in the N/E turn, got the ass out, he corrected and it took him head on into the wall, he succumbed that evening in Methodist. It effected Ted quite badly and he had nothing to do with race cars for years.The car sat disassembled in the back of Ted's shop thereafter. Although he would talk of he and Bob racing midgets and would speak off building the car he never spoke a word about the two of them at The Speedway.

 

In the first shot of the Cornis roadster you can see the hood/cowl, with the name Frank on it, of another car directly behind it. This is another "one off " 1959 car with some interesting history: The chassis is actually the Hopkins car that Vuky was killed in. For 1956 Hopkins rebuilt it with new body work and a extended nose and was driven by Jim Rathmann. By 1959 it had found it's way to be owned by Frank Arcerio of the 50s/60s Arcerio Brothers Lotus sports car fame. His plan was to install a Maserati v-8 engine and hire Shorty Templeman to drive, however oiling problems prevented it from qualifying.

 

The car has now reportedly found its way back to the Arciero family after spending several decades in a Dutch museum with a 4 cylinder sports car engine and driveline. A year or two ago the word was that the family hadn't made up their mind whether restore the car to its Vukovich configuration or as it ran under Frank Arciero in 1959.

 

Didn't Caruthers own this car after Hopkins? 1957 maybe?

 

He did, it was the Braund Plywood Spl. in 57 with Don Edmunds up but it was a DNQ.

 

Pat O'Conner tire testing, Monza Italy 1957.

 

Monzapolis 1958.

 

Rootie. Can you identify car #25 in the first photo?

 

It's actually #29, the sun reflection makes it look like 25. It's the DVL car with Fangio driving. I magnified it:

 

That works, thanks Rootie.

 

Freddie Agabashian San Jose 51.

 

Michigan supermodified racer Jack Conely, Indy 63.

 

Rootie, that Dunn engineering car was sure around for a long time.

 

Hi all, I was hoping someone might be able to assist. I have an old sprint car that I believe was driven by Walt Allen or Billy Allen at South Bay Speedway back in 1972. I have the history from 1973 on but nothing before that. If anybody knows how I could get in touch with either Bill or Walt I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.
Mike Baylis

 

George Tichenor and the Hopkins 78, 1955.

 

Pete Salemi's 81 gets a nose job.

 

This must be the result of Buddy Cagle's crash during his Rookie Test?

 

Yes, it was.

 

West coast racer Bud Sennett wads up Joe Barzda's Mazzy in his one and only attempt at Indy.

 

A mystery (to me) car. #8? looks to be the late 40/early50s with coil sprung IFS and inline 6(?) motor. Appears to have lots of positive camber, which was pretty typical of the European cars.