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

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I would date that shot circa 1948. His bio at the SCHoF would indicate the car was built Roy Ritcher. (?)

 

Roy Richter. There you have it. Thanks!
(Have all the pieces, unfortunately will never be able to run an Offy)

 

Thanks for the help identifying Deb Snyder in the pic above. The picture came out of an old Sprint car book my dad owned. Regarding Parnelli...it sure looks like a 20 something Parnelli to me but I'll take your opinions as fact that it's not. Anyway, I didn't see a thread dedicated to post 65 Sprint cars so I'll post this one here. It's my dad, Darrell Davis, and his brother Genes', I.M.C.A. car about 1968, I think. The driver at the time was Cliff Cockrum. Luke Easter then drove the car from about 70 to 71 then the car was sold, basically to keep me out of it as I was 17 in 71 and ready to get behind the wheel.

Another question I had....does anyone remember an old Sprint racer from Illinois named Loren McMeen? Loren was a friend of my dads and had this old 50's vintage car that was allegedly an ex Indy car from the 50's. It was obviously obsolete by the 60's when I was around it. I never remember seeing it race but dad and I went by Loren shop many times and he would be working on the car. Loren died in the 70's and the car disappeared. Similar to another friend of dads named John Columbo who owned a midget that dad always called "the checkerboard offy". It too disappeared after Columbos death.

Anyway, thanks for the space here. I am into old Mustangs but would love to own an old Sprint car, especially dads old car, but if I remember right it was destroyed in the mid 70's by somebody named Buckwheat.

 

I believe that might have been Larry "Buckwheat" Gates of Evansville, Indiana. Gates pretty much ran where he wanted but did race with USAC for a few seasons in the early 1980s.

 

There is some resembalance to P.J. but he was born in 1933 so he would still have been a teenager in the late 1940s and the fellow in that pic is obviously older. The only "Buckwheat" I'm familier with is the nickname given Jimmy Sills. He raced sprints from the 70s-90s mainly in Calif. but did run often at the big shows in the midwest. Lots of old Indy/Champ cars lived on at the short tracks but back then they were just considered "old race cars" by many so when they ran out of usefullness nobody really cared or kept track of what happened to them.

 

A. L. (I assume that's Loren) McMeen ran a gold #16 Ranger in the fifties, drivers included Bill Miller of Evansville, Dick Paden of Peoria, Lee Drollinger of Champaign, Bill Lawson, Bill Burdick and Chet Hamby of KCMO, and A. J. Shepherd of Wichita/KS. I can see the name again in the late sixties, but only once, as the owner of a #16 Chevy sprinter driven by Rick Patterson of Paducah/KY. In the fifties, McMeen's hometown was listed as Indianapolis.

 

Charlie Rogers in the Jewell #71 at Goshen N.Y. 1946.

 

Thanks Indyrjc , I think you are right about Buckwheat being Larry Gates as Gates sure sounds familiar. My dad has been gone 10 years now and his brother Gene close to 4 years so nobody here anymore to ask those questions. All I could remember was Buckwheat. Maybe I will try and contact him to see if he still has the pieces of #8 laying around.

 

A.L. and Loren are one in the same. I remember now Lorens pickup truck had A.L. McMeen lettered on the side. Loren had what would be considered today to be a treasure trove of parts. I remember wheels hanging on the wall and parts everywhere in his little shop. As I said I remember being there many times with dad loafing and he was always working on that old sprinter getting ready for the next race but at least in the 60's when I was around never remember seeing him race, only talk about it which there's nothing wrong with that. Old racers never die they just fade away.

 

Rootie, Yes, sure looked like PJ to me especially with that silver dollar sized tuft of hair on his forehead. I've kind of got one of those things going myself now... I am into BOSS Mustangs, bought my first in 71, and PJ is certainly a hero among that crowd due to the Trans Am thing in the 69-70 era. I was at a Mustang show in Indy a few years ago and PJ was there signing autographs. There was a long line that I didn't get into since I had gotten his autograph twice before at DuQuoin as a kid. If I had it to do over though I would have just to tell him I was a big fan so many years ago.

 

I think the guy looks like Wally Meskowski.

 

Bayliss Levrett leads Johnnie Parsons #12 and Paul Russo #19, 1949.

 

The 1953 Travelon Trailer KK500B, Jim Rathmann up.

 

Nice pics Rootie!!

 

I have to wonder if that's Eddie Johnson in the car in this photo. Eddie drove something like the last 90 laps of the race in relief for Rathmann after he was overcome by the heat and engine fumes. Eddie was pretty short and the driver's head is almost below the headrest in this photo. Judging by the oil buildup on the tail the photo was likely taken later in the race.

Rathmann was originally supposed to drive for Lou Moore (in probably the worst car Moore ever brought to the Speedway) but ended up in the Travelon car after assigned driver Troy Ruttman couldn't pass his physical as he was still suffering the effects of his Cedar Rapids crash the year before.

 

Good eye indy, I believe you're right.

 

Unknown driver in Joe Gemsa's Calgo spl. Pomona circa 1950.

 

Looks like the driver is Gemsa looking at the name on the side.

 

Gemsa had a pretty unique profile, doesn't look like it's him to my eye anyway.

 

Rootie,
I was just reading the name painted on the car. Never saw the guy drive.

jim

 

Joe warming up his DO Hal at Corona, 1946. Just another Sunday drive relaxing with a cigarette.
He gave me this photo when I was 14, right after I bought my first RPU from him.

 

Awesome pic!

 

[Deb Snyder, for sure. I was told the mechanic is Wally Meskowski

 

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I was told it is Wally Meskoski with the hammer

 

Not exactly on post... but start your scrap books now. I went to Desoto Speedway last night to see the ex-TBARA cars run their winged 360s on the paved high banks! Dave Steele won his 98th sprint car race in Florida, breaking his tie with Wayne Reutimann for the most Florida wins. 30 laps, all green, under 7 minutes according to the announcer. Dave passed them everywhere in one insane, smooth, fast run. Hat's off. Apologies for the winged / caged post. Gary
http://www.desotospeedway.net/news/?i=42714&clk=featureNews

 

George Fonder in the Sparks 6 cyl. powered Ray Brady Spl., Indy 1950.

 

Pa. racer Ronnie Rough circa 1962.

 

Indy 1949: Lindley Bothwell attempts to qualify his 30+ y.o. Peugeot.

Complete with riding mechanic.

Bud Winfield offers up some speed secrets,

 

Riding mechanics were still listed as "optional" but not required on the Indianapolis 500 Entry Forms as late as (I think) 1960. With the exception of Bothwell in Practice no one used them.

 

All these are from 1962-1963 no other info was with them.