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

Regarding Bryant Ingalls, I believe he worked for Cosworth for many years.Not sure where he is now. He was a very underrated driver and won his only feature in my car at Wall Stadium in the early seventies. The Pendleton, Nyquist car would be quite a find! According to many people, the car was destroyed.Is this true?

 

The All American Racing Club (AARC) was formed in 1955 by Tom Cherry. Raced mostly in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio with many stock block cars and some Offies, mostly on pavement. They raced some on the high banks. Operated into the Sixties. Early on they had a joint race with URC at Sharon, PA, with points going into the point standings in both clubs.

 

This is a pic of me in about 1953 My Dad built this 1/4 midget at his steelyard in Paramount California. I remember ( like it was yesterday )
my Dad welding on this car on saturday's and after work, and one time in particular, while listening to the indy 500 on an old radio and "daydreaming" about the day I'd drive in THAT race I never did make it to Indy, but I won THIS race at "Auction City" in Norwalk, CA. My Dad had an old "jalopy" that he ran at Ascot and the old carroll speedway in LA. I had an uncle that pitted for Joe Leonard at Ascot an I got to sit in his car when I was about 5 or 6. I still like to watch the midgets & sprints at Perris when they're here. A LOT of history here in this thread , I gotta go back and check the rest of this out.

 

I ran a lot of races at Auction City '55 through '57. Fun track. When you wern't racing, go watch the auctions. Great time to be a kid.

 

Those kids were filled with envy weren't they?

 

I've been told this is not Tommy in the Phrommer car at Reading, but, I can't remember who is behind the wheel. Ken Felker Photo,

 

Ron, looks like Larson. I'm pretty sure I've seen colored pics of him wearing a red helmet, I think in Watson's #4. ml9.

 

OK Is that the seat belt around his mid section on the lead car???

 

Here is a rare photo of the two Tom Cherry cars. The 83 car was almost identical to the 38 of Cherry's. Amick destroyed the 83 car and was never rebuilt. I think this photo is at Playland Park in South Bend, I think?
The other photo is of the AARC sticker on the cars.
HG

 

Lanny, probably his "Sam Brown" belt. A type of harness around waist & over 1 shoulder & fastened to frame. Old Bill & Buildy, is that pretty close??? ml9.

 

The Sam Brown belt was sorta a Y shaped affair.

 

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to add to the this fantastic thread.
Drivers name: Al Fredenberg
Place: Somewhere in the Midwest
When: Early 60's
Engine: Offenhauser
Chassis: wish I could remember......
Bio: ran sprints with IMCA 1960 to 1963
best finish: 3rd, 8-4-63, Chippewa Falls, Wi
This pic is just one of only five (besides the common driveway pics) that I have in my collection of dad and his Sprint car.
Thanks again,
Ron Fredenberg

 

Welcome Ron, great pic, post more when you can, I always like seeing more IMCA stuff.

 

Yah! Nice shot. Feed us Seymour!

 

That number is cool too.

 

It's a Sam Brown belt

 

Ron, The Pfrommer Offy only ran as No. 15 in 1961 and 1962. It was Reading with that number only three times, 15 Sep 61, 25 Mar 62, 16 Sep 62. In first two was driven by Don Davis who wore dark helmet with white visor; in last by Jim McElreath in white helmet. That must be Davis!

Nice photo! Please post more!

 

Ron, here's another, taken in Oklahoma City, probably 1961. That was a fine looking Offy. What were its colors? I'd sure like to see some of your other photos (including the "common driveway pics!")

 

Ah, my all time favorite sprint car...

My guess would be Don Davis also. I was there, but my memory isn't that good. I only remember being in a funk, because Tommy retired.

 

Thanks all, and thanks For sharing Bill, haven't seen that one.
Ron

 

This was one fun race! We went back and forth for around 70 laps, fighting for 8th place! Finally, on lap 96 i ran out of fuel. I think Bentley was able to carry more than i could. He had a small advantage on the long chutes, but the turns were very tight and narrow. My wheelbase was shorter, and front tires more narrow, so i could chop in and out quicker than he could.
I wish those races could have gone on more than a season, but some people said the death of Troy Ruttman Jr took away the fan interest. Could be, as it was an ugly crash.
Anyway, it was fun, and also paid very well!

 

Sam Traylor Offys:

While generally considered more adept on tar than dirt, here's Dick Rathman saddled up at Reading 4/56

Van Johnson, Reading 9/56

Johnny Thomson #2, Reading 3/57

 

I agree, sure would like to see old IMCA pics from the fair days. Really exciting action on very hairy tracks.
It would also be nice to see more pics of the Champ Cars, 50s and 60s, at Langhorne, Sacto, DuQuoin, and Springfield. Oh yeah, and some years Syracuse could be half decent too.

 

O.K.
Phoenix-63
McClusky#29 Grim #37 Branson#4 P.J.#98 McElreath#8

DuQuoin-64
McElreath#35 Leonard#16 B.Unser#8 J.R.#10

 

A.J., Jim Packard- DuQuoin 1960.

 

That does sound like a good time. I don't care weather your racing for 1st place or 20th, if you have somebody to dice with it really makes it fun.

 

Ron,
Did you drive midgets at Manzanita in the 90's? Your name sounds really familiar. I lived out there during that time and ran mini sprints there.
Thanks for the cool photos everyone, I read here everyday.
David.

 

That was my brother Dan. He ran the midgets for a couple years down there and switched to sprints for a few years. My Sister Bev ran a half dozen times in a midget in AZ also. My Dad, uncle Elver Lund and most all my brothers, Al, Dan, Bill Berg and I ran with BMARA for a bunch of years. No one in the family races anymore. None of our kids took it up.

Thanks for asking,
Ron Fredenberg

 

Hurtubise was only wearing a lap belt and his version of a Sam Browne belt. While everyone else wore their Browne belts over the right shoulder Hurtubise always insisted on wearing his "backwards" with it going over the top of his left shoulder. The Sam Browne belt simply helped hold a driver upright in the seat in the left hand turns; it provided zero protection in a frontal crash. It was usually attached to a shock mount bracket or roll bar mount on the left side of the car.

 

Here's a rare one.
Tony B. in the Blakely Oil Spl. at the one and only dirt Champ car race; the Silver State Century, Las Vegas 1954.