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

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Joshua Shaw, Jan 17, 2008.

  1. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Al Keller leads P.J.- DuQuion 61. 12x-23-a kel pj.JPG
     
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  2. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-23-b- 65.JPG McElreath and J.R. bring the field down in front of a great crowd, Springfield 65.
     
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  3. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-23-c-58 wg packard.JPG Jim Packard, Williams Grove 58.
     
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  4. carl s
    Joined: Mar 22, 2008
    Posts: 745

    carl s
    Member
    from Indio, CA

    Tommy - check your PMs x2
    NHIS Vintage Celebration 6-29-95
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2015
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  5. flatheadtommy
    Joined: Oct 21, 2013
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadtommy
    Member

    this was a watercolor done of Vic Yerardi, Tommy Caruso and Larry Pfitzenmaier at Louden, N.H. IMG_0300.JPG
     
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  6. flatheadtommy
    Joined: Oct 21, 2013
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadtommy
    Member

    a bust of the great Leon Duray IMG_0306.JPG
     
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  7. flatheadtommy
    Joined: Oct 21, 2013
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadtommy
    Member

  8. indyrjc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2008
    Posts: 985

    indyrjc
    Member
    from Indiana

    To this day Jim Packard is something of a legend to those that knew him and still remember him.

    They still admire his grit and single minded determination as well as his skill in driving a race car. And most of his rides weren't top notch but he always seemed to make them go faster than anyone else had done.

    Packard was from North Carolina and apparently didn't have any serious interest in racing until he got drafted into the Army and ended up serving his time in Germany. Somehow he started reading publications like Speed Age and National Speed Sport News while in the Army and at some point he decided he wanted to become a race driver. And through his reading he determined that Pop Dreyer was the person he needed to get to know to start his career.

    After his discharge he went home long enough to say goodbye and then got on a bus to Indianapolis. The bus took him to downtown Indy after which he walked the 5 miles to Dreyer's race shop and motorcycle business carrying nothing but his Army duffle bag.

    Walking in unannounced he introduced himself to Pop and told him his plan. Pop was unfazed and asked him if he could weld. Packard could and started off welding immediately asking for nothing in return. Soon after he was an employee and by the end of that summer Dreyer had given him his first ride. And the Dreyer family basically adopted him.

    I believe at one point he had a midget which he maintained at the Dreyer shop. And I don't know if it's true or not but the story goes that there wasn't room for his car inside so it was chained to a tree outside at night in front of the shop.

    Packard spent several seasons learning and was just starting to come into his own by 1960 in Championship cars with a 2nd at Langhorne and a win at Springfield. But it all came to an end when a mechanical failure caused his midget to crash at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in southern Illinois.

    Packard was a talented and very personable race driver. Everyone apparently liked the guy and thought he would go far in racing. Maybe it's because of his unfulfilled promise that many veteran racers still remember him fondly today.
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2015
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  9. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Jim Packard Indy 1960. 12x-24-a-pack 60.JPG
     
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  10. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-24-b-mcg 53.JPG McGrath leads Sweikert Indy 53.
     
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  11. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-24-c un-sacto 62.JPG Bobby Marshman checks out Bobby Unser in his first oval track champ car ride, Sacto 62.
     
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  12. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Jimmy Packard was breaking through. He won the USAC Allentown sprint race that claimed Johnny Thomson.

    His langhorne 2nd place was something else. He was hit in the jaw with a rock, and ran out of neck muscles. His head laid over hard right from the centrifugal forces of the big left turn. He pretty much drove looking at the fence pole tops and trees. A gutty drive!
     
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  13. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    Jim's widow, Betty, is a good friend. Remarried and living in California now.
     
  14. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Vuky II at Du Quoin 68. 12x-25-a vuky 2 dq 68.JPG
     
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  15. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Al Unser Pikes Peak circa 61. 12x-25-b un-al.JPG
     
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  16. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Ted Horn Phoenix circa 1937. 12x-25-c horn phx 1937.JPG
     
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  17. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

  18. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

  19. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Funny you should mention that...the two largest crowds ever at the Canterbury horse racing track here were for the snowmobile races and the motorcycle races.

    Bring on the USAC sprinters.
     
  20. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

    If my memory serves me correctly, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, and Louis Unser were all driving Stock Cars up the hill in 1961. I was there as a DNQ in my Corvette and only got in one practice session and it was with the stock cars.

    Having never been on the hill I was listening to the shifting as they left for the first turn...two up shifts...must be a fast corner...off I went...ooops...never realized that those stock cars had 4 speed transmissions.
     
  21. indyrjc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2008
    Posts: 985

    indyrjc
    Member
    from Indiana

    Looks like all of the Unsers ran in the Championship Division in 1961. Maybe they also ran in the Stock Car Division?

    http://www.champcarstats.com/races/1961nc.htm
     
  22. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    With the similarity in names it gets confusing. In 61 Bobby, Al and their uncle Louis ran the Champ division while Bobby and Al's brother Louie ran and won the Stock Car div.
     
  23. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-26-b-eli-56.JPG Ed Elisian Indy 1956.
     
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  24. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-26-c-hart win 51.jpg Gene Hartley Winchester 51.
     
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  25. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-26-a dq 66.JPG Bobby Unser DuQuion 66.
     
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  26. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    12x-27-a th 66.JPG Knepper, Unser, Dickson and Mario mix it up at Terra Haute 1966.
     
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  27. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Rodger Ward, Indy 1954. 12x-27-b ward 54.JPG
     
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  28. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Jim Packard, Terra Haute 1959. 12x-27-c 59.jpg
     
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  29. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Elmer George, Tommy H. circa 1960. 12x-28-a-circa 60.JPG
     
  30. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Johnnie Parsons, San Jose 1951. 12x-28-b-51.JPG
     
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