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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. BZNEIL
    Joined: May 28, 2005
    Posts: 660

    BZNEIL
    Member

    The duel for the lead at the burg was outstanding!!! When Clauson made his big run in 3 and 4 it looked like the RR sidewall was the only thing touching the track. Pure art!
     
  2. wynns #1
    Joined: Feb 1, 2009
    Posts: 206

    wynns #1
    Member

    Hi Rootie and Spike,
    A couple of years ago,I helped the Sowers family to sell two of their cars. The Hilly sprint and Gordon outboard went to Grand Junction to a private museum. He has about 15 cars, although he is in ill health.
     
  3. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Thanks wynns, I've heard of the fellow over in G.J. and some years back, I recall seeing some pictures of his collection on the net. Can't remember where, now, though, but he did have some significant cars, quite a few midgets IIRC.
     
  4. wynns #1
    Joined: Feb 1, 2009
    Posts: 206

    wynns #1
    Member

    Hey Spike,
    I forgot to tell you that I helped to sell the Vargo sprint car last week. You should feel a little connection to Jake living where you do! The car was sold to a businessman in your area. The car deserves to be finished and shown!
     
  5. racer8
    Joined: Jan 17, 2009
    Posts: 54

    racer8
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    Max Reichenbach had the third SESCO Ron built and we won the first race with a SESCO
     
  6. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    Gentlemen, I realize I'm talking about taxicabs, road racers, and drag racing, but I would like to call your attention to Post 1818 on the Historic Stock Car Photo thread. I think it explains why I love this sport so much.

    Incidentally, I have also been privileged to work TQs, Midgets, and Sprint Cars on dirt and pavement, sometimes from the track.

    No feeling like that in the world!!!

    Thanks for letting me be a part of this thread.
     
  7. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    wynns#1
    Joe;
    I did see that Gordon midget several times over there; great looking machine!
    The Sowers guys also restored, to a degree, my brother Dicks first Sprinter. This was the ex- Dick Kelm car. For some reason they painted it white #10.
    He never ran it like that, but it did look very nice. I saw it on this thread a while back in the shop of a guy who had a bunch of old front-engine dragsters. I think it was around Cincy, Oh.
    Do you have any drawings or old prints of a HILLY such as mine was?
    Its not important; just a few things im curious about.
    rootie;
    great old pics of the Langhorne Sprints, and anything from Hatfield. That was for sure my home track, living in Lansdale; about five miles away!
     
  8. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Joe
    That Vargo car sure should be shown; it has a ton of history. When my old friend Monty Wernett owned it, i drove it once at Bedford to help him get it working. Im real sure it worked better with a 220 Offy in it than when i ran it with a rather lame 327 Chevy. Just curious; is Thompson the guy who has it now?
     
  9. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    The ill-fated Bobby Ball Memorial, Phoenix 1962:

    P.J. and Troy Ruttman, in his last Champ car start on dirt, lead the field. Further back, it appears A.J. and Bobby Marvin have a 'discussion' going on.

    Three of the best to ever steer a Champ car.

    Marvin leads J.R., Ligouri and Hulse.
     

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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    More Phoenix 62:

    P.J., Marshman

    Marvin passes Ligouri

    On lap 51 Elmer George gets up side down over the front straight guard rail, injuring 20 spectators. At that point, the race is called and Marshman declared the winner.
     

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  11. Speaking of Ralph Ligouri,(Ralphie the Racer) here is a photo I took of him last summer at Mt Lawn Speedway helping his grandson Joe Liguori race USAC regional midgets. Ralphie is still Ralphie. 83 years young and a pleasure to hear him tell racing stories.....and boy does he have them!
    HG :cool:
     

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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I'll bet he does after, at least, 40 years behind the wheel, in about every kind of oval track car there was.
     
  13. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Ralphie's accident at Trenton in April, 1960 looks like the turning point of his career. He had the Federal Engineering ride lined up for Indy, but his injuries pretty much took him out for the season. He must have slid 1/3rd the length of the backstretch upside down.

    He never got a decent ride after that.
     
  14. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Ralphie in the Forberg 15 sprint, 1967. Probably one of his best seasons with a couple of wins and some pretty decent finishes.
     

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  15. jimg12
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 307

    jimg12
    Member

    Ralph told me he started racing in the 40's. He ran the 50's,60's,70's,80's,90's and in 2000. He wanted to say he raced in 7 decades and he did! Shame he never made INDY. He is a nice guy.
    Jim Graybeal
     
  16. Wynns #1, hi, how much history do you know about the VARGO sprint car??
    mlight9.
     
  17. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Trenton 200 1964:

    Bobby Unser leads unkown roadster (possibly Bob Harkey) followed by #23 Mickey Rupp, unk. upright and #14 Joe Leonard.

    Dee Jones gives the 'fence' a test.
     

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  18. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    We had Ralphie at our banquet back in 2002 because he was in the 1954 NASCAR Grand National race at Corbin Speedway, and I knew how to get hold of him.

    I'll never forget the night in the bar at the Speedway when he was talking about whether he wanted to race again in 1990 or not. After everybody (myself, Len Ashburn, Roger McCluskey Jr., etal) agreed another decade would be really neat, he also agreed. I've got a photo of a race he won that year at the Speedrome. And damned if he didn't keep going until 2000, as Jimmy says.
     
  19. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member

    Kokomo was a lil' heavy last night.. :D

    They junked a slew of cars, and set a new Track record. Guys raced as hard as I've seen in a long time. Four wide lap after lap.

    This is what you get when a race track is prepped right! :p
     

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  20. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    HTML:
    Trenton 200 1964:
    
    Bobby Unser leads unkown roadster (possibly Bob Harkey) followed by #23 Mickey Rupp, unk. upright and #14 Joe Leonard.
    
    Unknown upright is the John Pfrommer car. I think it is Tommy Copp if its the Trenton 200.
     
  21. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I believe your right. There were only 2 uprights other than Unser, and it appears to be a single diget no. which would be Copp (#3) with a Meskowski roll bar.
     
  22. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Rootie;
    Im thinking that the last upright was the Pfrommer Trucking car, formerly an HOW car, any chance i could be right? Could it be Johnny White in the seat?
     
  23. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Spike, I can only find that the only Trenton race of 64, that White drove in, was the Spring 100 race and he was in the Weinburger car.
     
  24. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Rootie;
    Thanks for the info. I was pretty sure it was the Pfrommer car, by the stripes across the hood.
     
  25. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Just found this pic from the same race, this one's captioned.
     

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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Tommy Copp, downsized a little, in 1965.
     

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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    A good shot of Johnny White, hiking the L/F of the Pfrommer car, Milwaukee 1963.
     

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  28. ZOOOM
    Joined: Aug 8, 2008
    Posts: 40

    ZOOOM
    Member

    Rootie...
    What's that pitchur in your avitar?
    My guess is Hans Herman bailing out of a Connought at Avis.
    What's a died in the wool 'merikan sprint car guy do'in with a Formula 1 pitchur?

    ZOOOM
     
  29. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    My sister was engaged to John Pfrommer Jr. It could have been Harkey or Stapp if it was in the other races.
     
  30. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member

    You guys will like this.. A guy told me he had a box of OFFY spark plugs. 40 of them to be exact, most brand new, some used in a big steel box that he wanted me to buy. He was advertising the Plugs in which I was about half interested in.. Then he told me what was lettered on the box.

    I didn't really believe him.. I figured it was a neat old box with a sticker of the "Name" on it. So, I said bring it Columbus Good guys and I'll check it out.

    Turns out It was the real thing!! I "stepped up" price wise, but how do you let an item like this get away? there weren't very many of them..

    Now I just hope I can find a picture of it "in the background" :D

    Enjoy..




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    Plugs look great!


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    But,,, now the box!!!





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    The guy said he almost repainted it 3 or 4 times over the years..
    Thanks god he didn't!

    J Shaw
     

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