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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Langhorne season opener 1955, and by most accounts, the begining of the end of the AAA as a race sanctioning org.
    O'Conner and Hoyt #7 fight for the lead.
    Larret Crockett #31 passes Sweikert shortly before his crash.
    Al Keller wadded up his ride when he flipped it on top the guard rail. Amazingly he got away with a mangled hand.
     

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  2. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    I have seen reports of the conflict between the racers and different sanctioning bodies but i have never really understood it. Is there a good article on the Web that explains this?
     
  3. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Wasn't so much a conflict between the racers and the AAA but 1955 was such a bad year for deaths in racing. Starting with Crockett then Nazurak, Vuckovich etc. and add in the debacle at Le Mans and racing got such a bad name as a "death sport' the AAA washed their hands of the deal and USAC then took over the sanctioning of racing in the U.S.
     
  4. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    There was even a effort by a Senator from Oregon to pass a bill in Congress to ban auto racing in the U.S. :
     

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  5. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    Ah, yes. The '55 season. Now i'm getting it.
    I may have confused myself with the ACA and the AAA. In the early years these two sometimes didn't see eye to eye. Those conflicts were also in regards to the number of racing related deaths.
    Also, the USAC, from it's inception didn't replace the AAA on the FIA Board which to me doesn't make any sense considering the fact the AAA wanted nothing to do with autoracing. Hmm, i'll have to do more research on U.S. racing.
    Thanks Rootie.
     
  6. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Not saying the AAA didn't rule with a iron fist though. Here's a article from 1955 that may be of interest.
     

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  7. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    The author of the article wrote in the third paragraph,

    It is doubly hard for a writer versed in auto racing to now write a factual thesis on the subject. The few who have devoted their typewriters to the speed sport have either been a willing monetary victim of some faction within the sport and now owe allegiance to the faction, or he is a victim of his own love for one phase of this all comprehensive avocation such as sports cars, Indianapolis, stockcars, midgets and the like. He will quite naturally look at this void as it affects his particular pet.

    That part of the article is very prophetic. I am forever researching the history of racing and learning everyday, but, it is very difficult to obtain the true facts from reading just one story. Recently i mentioned to a fellow HAMBer my disbelief of racing results from the early days {1900s-1930s} of auto racing, a time when some 'facts' were reported by the promoters of the race. Nevertheless, as more reading is done the more learning is obtained.

    Great article Rootie. Thanks.:)
     
  8. Rootie, pix are great, keep-em coming,
    mlight9.
     
  9. racer5c
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 2,218

    racer5c
    Member

    compliments of Jerry Castor
    Here's the feature lineup for the 1963 Joe James/Pat O'Connor race. That's Foyt on the pole, Don Branson on the outside in a car quite similar to the Konstant-Hot--also built by Jud Phillips, but with A.J. Watson involved. Bobby Marshman is inside in row #2, driving Wally Meskowski's car. Outside row 2 is Parnelli in the Fike Plumbing car.. McCluskey is starting inside on row 3,
     

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  10. racer5c
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 2,218

    racer5c
    Member

    Two more from Jerry Castor
     

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  11. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    The 1960 World Derby at Sydney Showgrounds was attended by Americans Bob Tattersall and Leroy Warriner but will always be remembered for Peter Cunneens crash.
     

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  12. racer5c
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 2,218

    racer5c
    Member

    one more Salem picture
     

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  13. Bill Van Dyke
    Joined: May 21, 2008
    Posts: 810

    Bill Van Dyke
    Member

    I still see Benton, Frank Mc Daniels and Bob Huebner out at the USA race track here in Tucson once in a while. great guys. Huebner kids my daughter about driving a winged car so she's gonna take the wing off for the Hank Arnold race on labor day.
     
  14. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Speaking of O'Conner and Salem, here he takes the high side to avoid Hoyt and takes out about 50 ft. of fence but was unhurt.
     

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  15. CTtoPA
    Joined: Jun 17, 2008
    Posts: 252

    CTtoPA
    Member

    That picture of the sprint field at Salem is just awesome!
     
  16. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    That has got to be the smallest grandstand crowd i ever saw at the Horne!
     
  17. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    March 21st, it might have been a touch the cool side.
     
  18. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    A Senator name of Sweiker from PA. also tried to have racing banned after the 55 season.
     
  19. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I hadn't heard of him, but it doesn't suprise me. There was a big bruhaha about auto racing, world wide, back then. In fact, Switzerland did ban racing and that ban was just lifted a couple years ago!
     
  20. wrayeugene49
    Joined: Jun 26, 2009
    Posts: 262

    wrayeugene49
    Member
    from eugene,or

    hey there...I love the thread...I grew up in pittsburgh,pa and have fond memories of going to heidelberg raceway there. I still rmember to this day a bright red nailhead powered sprinter that lapped most of the field in the feature one weekend....anybody else remember it? it was around 1964 or 65 I guess.
     
  21. BZNEIL
    Joined: May 28, 2005
    Posts: 660

    BZNEIL
    Member

    Anybody driving there Hot Rods to the USAC race at the burg this weekend? I AM!!!!
     
  22. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Not from around there so I can't really say, but I wonder if it wasn't the Steck Buick? Quite a hot rod around those parts in that time frame.
     

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  23. wrayeugene49
    Joined: Jun 26, 2009
    Posts: 262

    wrayeugene49
    Member
    from eugene,or

    That's a nice lookin' sprinter but different....the one I remember had an open engine bay and a nose piece but the era is close...the color was more candy apple red too....it might've been as early as 62 maybe I was in 7th or 8th grade....just good memories with my dad and next brother...heidelberg is long gone i hear ...I never got any pictures to remember....just names like joe mihaleck....herb scott....local racers pop into mind....the sprints were the "really big show" as they are today here in oregon....I'm an avid car photographer so I enjoy the picture treads....keep'em comin'....when I get an album organized I'll post some...just returned from bonneville;):D
     
  24. trentesept
    Joined: Mar 15, 2008
    Posts: 120

    trentesept
    Member
    from Australia

    Guys , thanks for the response on the Benton car #89.
    I guess I was just hoping it was the car I am looking for which was also numbered 89 and ran in California.
    A Shilala -Chev run by Flloyd Demmit and maybe driven by Roy Prosser according to Walt James in CRA at Whiteman stadium.Flloyd was the fuel guy at the nearby airport.
    Black 89, red numbers and red upholstery ,the same as his midgets.
    Does anybody have any memories or photos of this car??
    Apparently a bit of a dog and never did much
    Cheers Greg
     
  25. Racer, any idea who has red driving suit in pic 2, & can you ID the blue #26 in back ??
    mlight9.
     
  26. Buildy
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,521

    Buildy
    Member

    Roy,those Salem slides are fantastic!






    Tony D.
     
  27. jjones752
    Joined: Apr 3, 2008
    Posts: 205

    jjones752
    Member
    from Indy

    In pic 1, on the side panel, looks like somebody scrawled "Clyde $2" (or might be #2). Anybody know the significance of that? A side bet, sponsorship (maybe cigarette money, since it's obvious smoking wasn't banned in the pits back then)?
     
  28. BZNEIL
    Joined: May 28, 2005
    Posts: 660

    BZNEIL
    Member

    Finally got some time to work on the midget a little bit and gave it an evil grin, or at least sinister smile. I made a front bumper based on the shape of the Stapp spring front bumpers. I always liked how the lower hoop appeared to be a larger radius than the upper hoop.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I also made a clutch handle and linkage. The handle has an odd bend in it to clear everything, but it puts it in a good spot and has plenty of travel.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Now to mount the radiator. That is the last chassis part I need to make before finishing the body.
     
  29. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Mlight, the red drivers suit is Don Branson in picture #2. It's his Hoover Motor Express drivers suit.

    I believe McCluskey named the car Clyde, the #2 I have no Idea.
     
  30. solid
    Joined: May 20, 2007
    Posts: 1,459

    solid
    Member

    Heres a few.
     

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