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

Very, very happy to hear Bob is still with us. In one of my last years at IRP, he called and wanted to know if he could come down for a midget race and sit in the press center. I told him I would be honored to have him there with us. He wasn't walking real well, and I suggested he get on my golf cart and we take a spin through the pits. He was extremely happy meeting everyone. I later learned that Ed Watson had put him up to calling me.

 

I think it is.. It's been ten years since Paxton showed it to me. I remember him pointing out where the train parked.. I guess my memory "put it in there" as well as aged the people too!
In my head I was seeing it WAY older.

Neat picture! I LOVE the Motorcycles in the infield. I wonder if they are police bikes, there seems to be someone standing by each one, and there evenly spaced out.


Thanks!

JD

 

I just looked him up and called. He answered thinking I was some guy named Harry. Anyway he had a lot of stories about himself and Norm Hall and the 1960 Indy 500 where he and Norm got Aggies old Kuzma into the show for the first time after Aggie went with a Watson and Ruby(I wish to meet him next week).

Conversations like that .......priceless


My problem is so bad that if I were in Indianapolis, EVERY OLD GUY I SEE is a possible driver or crewcheif or someone that knows one. God's mercy on Indy is not letting me live there!

 

Oh yeah--- He is no longer in the ross steering box business. At 84 he has decided to retire.

 

Rootie i measured today and it is 72" approx.

 

Yep, that would be a midget.

 

Hope those people in the first 3 or 4 rows didn't pay a lot for their tickets, I dont think they saw much of the race.

 

This is a pretty neat picture!!

Good website www.bmara.com

 

here are some pictures i took today with the roll cage on it!
thanks for all the info i have got so far from everyone i really appreciate it, Rob

 

Here is a pic of an era correct restored Edmunds/ Sesco, Chassis No 110
for reference.

 

Rotta14,
that's nice! do you have any other pictures of it like a side shot?
thanks,
Rob

 

would these be considered sprints?
if so is there any info on them.

 

Track roadsters were a close cousin to sprint cars, but weren't technically considered sprint cars. They were a stepping stone to midgets/sprints/Indycars for some famous drivers back in the 50s such as McGrath, Ruttman, Sweikert and others. Use the search function here, and you will find a bunch of info/pics that have been posted over the years.

 

AF/X

More pics for you.

 

Rotta14, thats a beauty, is that one of Mels old cars?

 

i second that!! very nice!!
Australia looks nice too!!

 

Sure is ! Purchased by Mel in Jan 1971. Chassis No 4BM 110. Raced by Mel, Tommy Astone, and Billy Engelhart.

 

Dang Rootie how do you remember all that stuff?????????????

thanks again for your help,
did you see those pictures i put up today of our midget with the cage on it?
i don't like it with it on there. looks better off!

rob

 

I agree, the cageless cars look more "pure," for the lack of better term, but as I came up through the cage era I really don't mind them either. The old-old timers don't like em much though.

 

'Fauss, interesting that this pic should come up. Rutherford hated this car because of its unpredictable handling but Mario got in and loved it, so, go figure?? Wally was trying out a different style rear suspension on this car.

I just sent a new hood and tail to Joe Fiore in Conn. who is restoring one of Wally's cars. I believe he said it was the car just before this one, the #9 car.

The original of this car was built by a guy named Ergo in Eddie Kuzma's shop. Wally bought the Ergo car from Kuzma and built, maybe, 4 or 5 copies of it through the mid 60s. Paul Leffler took over the design from Wally and built somewhere around 40/45 of these cars with various rear suspension setups, including the recently restored two tone blue Dunseth Chevy driven by Greg Weld.

 

Hey, AFX - you can find a few photos of the old track roadsters on this site...

www.daytonspeedwaylives.com

 

It really don't get much better than a real deal Kenyon car from that era IMO.

 

here are a few pics that john mahoney just emailed me of my dads two cars.... I hope you guys like them

 

Anybody out there have any experience running one of Donovan's "Model-D" engines and is there an overhead conv. laying around somewhere?
Butch Evans
PS Getting my feet wet on this deal, worked with Ray Smith late 60's -early 70's , our own car #27 Nothin Spl. with Gordy Lee and others after Smith

 

'It's too bad USAC didn't just tell the car owners, "Guys, THIS is the body style that we're going to run on all Championship Dirt (Silver Crown) Cars!" And the same goes for the midgets and sprint cars. Thanks to Tim DelRose, A.J. Watson, Junior Kurtz and some of the other most respected car owners for prolonging the greatest era of the American dirt tracker. note: 'Credit goes to Mr. Al Consoli, for this is obviously one of his works-of-art.

'​

 

got these pictures when i bought the one i did. the guy i bought the car from said this one was already sold but he was able to get these (and a bunch of other) pictures of it. it appears to look similar to the one i got
but not exact. he said he thought it was the same exact style and design.

anyway here are two of the pictures. it has "DRIVER" RICHARD ZUFALL on the side. maybe someone has some info on this one. which may help me determine where mine came from.

i have a bunch of close ups of the car if any one needs them.
again, this one was sold, this is a different car than mine! but they were both together.

i'm trying to get in contact with this guy already.

thanks,
Rob

 

Old school was and still is the most beautiful race cars ever built. If I was rich ,I would build a 250" big block Sesco with a 7ft - 3" ex. pipe. in a "new" Watson 4-bar , towed to an Eldora day show on an open trailer. Put Haud or Stanbro in the seat and show those freakin kids how old farts get'r done !!!!!!

 

Wow what a great site it is a must see.

 

hey guys, to see some cool footage of Southern Ascot Speedway in the 1940's check this link out. The guy in the red helmet is the famous Eddie Haddad, the California Rug Merchant. The guy with the stripe down his helmet is Swede Lindskog. Hope you enjoy.
HG

http://uk.youtube.<WBR>com/watch?<WBR>v=lCTItY3jmOI&<WBR>feature=related

 

Hell yeah Harley Gene! Kieth Wendel Just Emailed me that, and I was gonna post it if no one had!

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Went to dads today, and grabbed a couple books to scan some pics. The first is a GREAT feature on Babe Stapps sprinter in "VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS" Magazine. Okay Magazine.. Lot of "Whine and Cheese" race cars but every couple issues they blow you away with something like this!













This is from the same issue.. A couple of pages of Parnelli's Garage. Pretty cool stuff, but one of the best cars in the collection is in the background.. "Do you see waht I see!!"








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And then These are out of a Book called "American Speed" Neat book, I'm sure a lot of you have it.

Enjoy.







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This is where it all started boys..



to this...







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The BEST part about this picture is, THERE IS A THIRD CAR IN THERE!! LOOK!!








And last but not least...









Joshua Shaw