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

Thats the 4-2-2-1 tri-y headers, gives better scavenging.

 

Rootie,

Do you have any photos from Allentown PA? I have searched but only found a few at the Eastern Auto Racing Historical Society.

Thanks.

 

Couldn't find any action shots, right off hand, but I'll keep a eye out. Do have a couple of static shots, which I think I've posted before, of A.J. and Gordo at Allentown.

 

Allentown pic's here



http://public.fotki.com/daven/auto_racing_pictures/allentown_pa_fairgrounds/

 

Mr. Nise, love those sprint cars. Seeing Dick Atkins, I assume this was Aug. '66 race ?? Thanks for posting,
mlight9.

 

Philadelphia Stadium midgets 1964:
Maurice Viette #45 Tony Bonadies
Johnny Mann #8 Ernie McCoy #12 Rodger Bailey

 

It's a class with an open record.. (No one has ran it) V4F/VOT Which stands for: Vintage Four cylinder Flathead / Vintage Oval Track. There have been many Vintage Oval Track cars that have ran, but all with Overhead conversions.. No Flat heads.
The record for the Overhead cam four banger Oval track cars is around 130...

They are hoping to run 115 - 120 with the MILLER RADTKE Special..

That might not sound like much, but remember... everything looses power and slows down out there, or I should say UP THERE! B-ville is very HIGH! either 5000 or 7000 feet abouve sea level. (can't remember) There is no air, that's why the fast cars you see are blown, turbo charged and sometimes both! AND.. The salt has no traction! Very common to hear cars breaking loose in high gear at BIG mph..

JD

 

Spike, re the Blair/Vargo car, did you know what car it was when you raced @ Bedford??
mlight9.

 

Corngrower32, thanks for the info. Please post any news you get on their results.
mlight9.

 

SCTA Vintage Oval track records can be found here,


http://www.scta-bni.org/Bonneville/BNIrecs_cat_b2.htm
Grants Fantasy is a straight six I believe.
The Leclair midget is an Offy.

aXe

 

Thanks for the info Rootie and Jim.

Of all the tracks i have researched in the USA, Allentown has by far been the most difficult to find. Many top drivers raced there and the place itself is very historic i find it unbelievable nothing is written.
I'll keep searching though, it's sort of fun but at times frustrating.

Thanks again.

 

Thanks aXe33. That's excellent. Mike Spacek in the V4 class, is now the Tech inspector for VOT. He helped me out a great deal!!

I'll keep you guys posted on there runs.

JD

 

mlight9;
No, im not sure; didnt know Blair so i dont know if he had more than one car. It was a big red champ car, same tone of red as these pics, but no lettering or numbers. I thought Blair said that he had built the engine; his own design, but im not sure of that. I know the car was very slow; i mean VERY slow.
The tail tank on that car at Bedford was very large, like these pics; but im sure the tail on the car which was involved in the Randall accident was clearly smaller.
I just wish i could remember how many upright dirt cars Jake owned at different times.
Im sure he told me the same car was involved in all three fatals.
Of course it dont take long to change the looks of cars through different tail tanks.
Wish my memory were better!

 

Allen Heath aka 'splinterhead' 'knothead' 'the Seattle madman' and others. Cut from the same cloth as Johnny White and the like, if he wasn't crashing he was flat out. Never gained a lot of national fame, but was legendary on the west coast.

 

Allen Heath at San Bernadino.

Same place different photo. Go figure.

 

Heath was a favorite of the photog's and usually didn't disappoint.

 

specialy if He grabbed your rear end pinched it with those hooks!!! LOL
you really had to watch Him if He was close by!
aXe

 

Yeah, I believe ya.

This is from the Mel Anthony Collection.

That's Heath kissing the trophy girl who just happens to be Mels' wife Barbara. Heath was best man at their wedding.

 

Hey when you get out there look up Glenn Dennee,He has the #6060 lakester. Driven by His Daughter Michele. Say hi for Me. He is "old very old" time midget racer and owner. Had Foyt Herk, Amick and Himself amongst His drivers at times. Out west.
aXe

 

At first glance he looked to be a serious badass, but was quite a good natured prankster in reality. One time, instead of using the common bandana to cover his face, he made a Donald Duck looking mask instead.

 

aXe-
Near as I can tell it seems that Heath hung up his helmet sometime in the 60s and lived until 1981. Did he stay working in the racing/automotive industry? It appears he was a full time racer and didn't have a career outside of racing to go back to, but I really don't know. Just curious.

 

Someone told me that he was a car salesman during most of his west coast racing career. Maybe someone here knows for sure. Heath had several starts in Indianapolis cars during the early 1950s for teams like Agajanian's and Al Dean. He passed his Rookie Test at Indy driving for Dean and was still learning the ropes when he lost his hand in a sprint car crash at the Illiana Speedway in northwest Indiana in (I believe) 1953.

 

My dad once told me he was better after he lost his arm, said he had never seen anyone run the cushion like him before or since

 

Here's a link to a story on one of Allen's many northwest exploits. In a listing of Washington Midget Racing Association winners I counted Heath with 24 feature wins in 1946 and 35 in 1947. Add to that 3 Oregon Midget Racing Association wins in '46 and 10 in '47 and you get a guy dominating the racing scene.

 

Two quick scans that I have of Allen Heath from the northwest.

 

His mangled hand wasn't the only serious injury in his wreck, in fact he was busted up very badly and was probably more dead than alive. By all accounts, after he healed up, the wreak didn't seem to effect him at all and, as Roy said, many thought he was even faster.

 

I can still visualize Him Darn near turned around in the seat looking backwards waving that hook at the cars behind Him!!
aXe

 

One of those Dick Wallen videos has him winning a dash at El Centro, circa 1962. He's coming off the last turn for the checkered "whipping" the tail of his car like it's a horse. His "whip hand" is his "good hand". The hook is clamped on the wheel while sideways on the gas. Maybe that's not a big trick but it's always impressed me.

 

Initially, after losing his hand, he was fitted with a non functioning false hand and within a year he won a 100 lap midget race driving, virtually, one handed. Later he went to UCLA medical center and was fitted with one of the first functioning hooks that was controled by flexing his biceps. Quite a medical breakthrough, for the time.

 

I understand He was at the fore front of those voluntering to be a guinea pig for them so to speak. Working side by side with the docs.
One more story winning a CRA trohpydash at ASCOT then throwing the car into big slide up the Motor cycle jump hill in fornt of the main grandstand and immedialty fliipng the car!
aXe