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

AMEN to that.......

 

Early 60s midgets at Ascot
Without much else going on in the early season, an eclectic mix of USAC, CRA, BCRA cars/drivers and others could be counted on to show up for the Ascot midget races.

McCluskey #28 (Roy's dad's car I believe) and A.J.
Ned Spath leads Alan Heath, Chuck Hulse and Elmer George.
Sporty car driver Bill Krause gets some tips from Louis Unser before qualifying.
Chuck Booth leads the pack while Johnny Wood takes the 'inside' line.

 

Spike, GLAD to hear you are doing better!!

 

Is anybody going to Winchester for the Old timers weekend? I am planning to go on Sunday.

 

I will be there Sat and Sun!

 

Have fun, guys. Say Hi to everybody for me.

 

What a thread, I have been reading it for 2 months now, and am about 1/2 way through. I confess, I know nothing about sprint cars. I need help in getting any information on a car I just put together for a friend of mine. All of my racing experience has been drag racing and Bonneville Salt Flats. My first and only experience going around an oval was last year when I made quite a few laps around Winchester in my Model T Speedster. It was a ball. Anyway, I am trying to find some history on this car. This is the information that I have at this time. Glenn Dyer of Des Moines, Iowa is the most recent owner. He has had it about 3 years. He acquired it from Bill Scarince from Sartelle, MN. Bill owned it a couple of years. He acquired it from Virgil Britson of Houston, Mn. Virgil owned it about 30 years and he acquired it from ? Anderson from Elgin, Ill. The name "Armstrong" was on the hood. That is as far as we can go with history. The body is all steel. It orginally had a chrome 37 Ford tube axle in front, and knockoff wire wheels. These disappeared along the way. It has a 37 rear end, a model A trans. The belly pan is aluminum. I was told the steering is Franklin. I will try to include some pictures. This is my first attempt at posting pictures, so be kind. If more information and pictures are needed, let me know and I will try to post them. Thank you in advance, Wayne

 

SteveE, I do not recognize the owner then, but would guess Henry Meyer or Ken Lay, for no reason other than they were longtime owners from that era.

 

Here are some more pictures that may help in getting more information on this car. The steering outside support was part of a v8-60 connecting rod welded into the cowl sub structure. The grill was fabricated out of flat plate and tubing. Thanks.

 

corngrower32;
I agree with that!
In fact i saw a goodly number of guys drive dirt cars on the miles, but i never saw a guy do it with such perfection.

 

thats a franklin steering

 

I know these are to new for this thread but thought you all might like to see them anyway
Pancho Carter in my dad's car at Terre Haute can't remember the exact date

 

the rest

 

ok this one's old enogh for the thread might have posted it before I don't remember

 

my first "ride" lol

 

Roy
I remember that well...the memorable parts of that event were Pancho holding on to the cage,(scary) and that particular flip being used as another reason to finally get rid of those tires in the infield.

 

Yea the Sprint Cars ran over the tires and I guess Pancho thought he could do it in a Midget too.

 

Anyone had any luck keeping a polish on mag halibrand side bell covers for a q/c? I am having them bead blasted but was also wondering about painting them? Thanks

 

Spike, glad to 'see' you back, heal fast, and well.

 

In the second set of pics it looks like Pancho is feeling the effects of grabbing the cage. Looks like the same pose I strike after I hit my finger with a hammer (minus the firesuit and helmet, of course).

 

BZVEIL--- Just checked out your up dated pics --looking goood--- Please email me at [email protected] ----------------talk parts.

 

Erick;
Thnks so much.

 

Taking the old man's car up to pace the Jim Kierce Memorial race tonight at Ventura Fairgrounds. My dad and Jim were high school buddies who raced sprinters together in the late 50's through the 60's. Jim's son Kevin is organizing the event and is also the current VRA points leader at Ventura.

We'll likely be the only vintage car there (especially with asphalt tires!) so come by and say hi if you're attending tonight.

 

Hi Coyote x14,
Polishing any magnesium is a problem. The first exposure to dampness, it turns to crap! Any Halibrand components, I glass bead, clean and apply a lite coat of Plasti Coat #285 cast gray paint. It is very close to the original Dow finish that Halibrand used. Good luck.

 

Hi Joe;
Thanks for the kind wishes; you and your family were always among the best in URC, so i was not surprised.
I do have a question for you; in your #98 Dirt Car, what kind of transmission and clutch does it have? Years ago at Langhorne i saw a great number of different setups. Some were just an older tranny with only two forward gears and one reverse speed. Thats something like what the older Vargo Dirt Cars used. Im really interested in how many different setups were used back then.
I was told by a mechanic at the Horne in the mid 50s that they were required to have two forward and one reverse.

 

Hi Spike,
Glad to see that you are back! The 98 has an Offy two speed trans. with a multi disc. clutch designed by Meyer and Drake. When reverse was no longer used, most guys chose to remove the gear (less weight I guess). I think a Ford truck trans. could be adapted, but was seldom used. I was down your way last week to check on the progress of the Vargo Offy sprint car. The car should be done early next year.

 

From the Wayne Doebling batch. Not a sprint car, but a hell of a sprint car driver. Don Kenyon and Sonny Ates discuss things at Indy in 1969...

 

Don't post on here much, but I read all the time. Just wanted to say I am glad to see you back Spike I enjoy your input and wish you well....

 

what track is that picture from?

 

GOSHOW;
Thanks for the kind words; i also enjoy your words of wisdom!