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

.....'Hi Spike, 'Hope you're feeling better and getting back to normal. 'Thought I'd get in here, post a couple of quick pics and then get the hell out before Rootie runs me over! But, I see he beat me to it! You're right, Ronnie was a swell guy. And incidentally, 'talked to a buddy of mine that was out at the Perris Auto Speedway in Southern Cal for the last race of the season for the USAC/CRA sprint cars and Ronnie has a grandson racing the sprinters now. 'Didn't catch his name or if it's Duman?

 

I don't tkow if it was this particular car or not (I'd have to see pictires in both liveries) but brokered by Ambler, PA's Ken Hickey a Pfrommer upright became the Ken Brenn Offy #57 and was then driven by Wally Dallenbach, Sr., Larry Dickson, ?maybe? Don Kreitz, Sr. and some others.

 

This was posted on the vintage trophy girl thread. It's bobby Olivero's cousin Mike. The location is Roy's dad's Jelly Bean Bowl around 1954.

 

The late Bob Lee, my starter at Riverhead (NY), had similar stories about him being a grumpy so & so, etc..

Even before my involvement at Riverhead, I knew of his earlier efforts (the 50's, etc.). .. He was kind of a mythical legend from here on our NY island .. but I had NO IDEA about him building &/or running rear engine Indy cars in the 60's & 70's.

If he ran Trenton (NJ) or the paved Langhorne (PA) I "might" have even rubbed elbows with him, without knowing it .. although I don't remember a Chevy powered rear engine machine.

If this wasn't his last car, I wonder if his later car(s) still exist?

 

The Pfrommer Trucking yard was only about 20 miles from me. One of the better looking Champ Dirt Cars of the day.
Also, had a very sharp mechanic, Ken Nickey of Ambler, PA..

 

John Pfrommer did not use Ken Hickey as the mechanic on his champ car. He had Danny Oakes, and based the car out of Indy for the 63/64 seasons. He sold it in 65 and I believe Ken Brenn was the buyer who probably used Ken Hickey.

The picture of Duman in it is the 1964 season. Originally Jim McElreath was to be the driver on dirt, and Steve Stapp on asphalt. McElreath moved on after langhorne and the car had Bob Harkey, Tommy Copp, Duman maybe more the rest of the season.

 

Not much, but this is about the best shot of the Brenn car I could find right off hand.
Looking through the stats I find that Duman was entered in 3 races for Pfrommer in 1964. It appears that it wasn't until later in 65 that the Brenn car appeared, with Dallenbach and then Dickson.

 

Phoenix...1957......

 

Kiwi, I'm more believing of 1947 than 57 looking at the iron on the track.

 

Rootie, any more pice of that #15?? and do you know who's in it?

Thanks, JD

 

Bob Mathouser in the Federal Engineering Kurtis. I'll look for some more pics.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say it was 1950 with Bobby Ball on the pole, in the Pankrantz car and Henry Banks in the Blue Crown car behind him in 3rd.

 

I think thats a good call Rootie.

 

Thanks! Look familiar?

Look at the front shock mount, rear radius rods, oil tank mounting bolts, and grille..

 

Looks like it! Seems that shortly after the Langhorne race they updated to a Meskowski car that Tinglestad often drove after that. The only other pic I could find was this one of Larret Crockett in 1954 at ISF. I believe this is the same car less roll bar, but not really sure. BTW- it seems that in 54, for some reason, they passed up a Champ race to run the Pikes Peak Hillclimb with this car but I couldn't come up with any pics of that.

 

Yes.. This car. There are TON'S of pics of it, both like below, and a White and Blue #10.. The biggest way to tell the cars apart is the front suspension. One is buggy sprung, the other is torsion. The Early car is a Big single tube chassis that Russ Snowberger built himself, and the later is a space frame car by Meskowski like you said.. Thanks for looking!

JD

 

Tingelstad and the F-E spl. DuQuoin 64.

 

.....'I don't have words to describe the beauty of this restored Federal Engineering Offy. 'Except to say, typical Wally! 'Not only were his cars beautiful, they worked! One thing: the nose and grill looks more like a Grant King/Don Edmunds style. Because I remember Wally's cars particularly later on, on A.J. Foyt's cars as having more of a nose with a bigger, flatter grill. Also, what was very revealing was when Wynns#1 posted those pictures of the bare chassis on his sprinter, Wally liked to weld the roll bar right on top of the seat hoop instead of an external (outside the tail section) roll bar. What do you think, Rootie?

 

I agree, there were variations in the nose/grill over time. Don't really know why or when they occured though. His basic champ car frame was pretty much standard though, near as I can tell, and the integral roll bar was also. In this pic you can see that the roll bar is fitted into spuds, probably for chroming and ease of repair.

 

Little Fauss;
Im doing better all the time. Thanks.
I belong to a web site, and recently spoke to Rick Duman. He said Ronnie was his dad. Very nice guy.

Rootie;
Thanks for the pics of Duman.

 

Rick is Ronnies son, he also has a sister named Rhonda, not sure which one has a kid thats racing will try to find out

 

Duman's Grandson's name is Ronnie Gardner. He had a really good rookie year this season.

 

Ronnie is Rhonda's son.

 

.....'Jerracer, 'Thanks for that; 'saves me a phone call tonite. Also, I want to issue a public apology to my friends here on the H.A.M.B. I knew that I had mis-marked my picture of Ronnie Duman from the 1964 Hoosier Hundred. But, obviously this site does not allow you to go back and edit your "manage attachments." So, sorry about that..................................*****note: 'After playing around I've found that you can edit attachments if you go to "Go Advanced." That will open separate window to edit pics.

 

Pre-WWII board race track. Any idea what race track this is?

 

Laurel Maryland. You'll find lots more here:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362482&highlight=board+track&page=2

 

And that will be a hundred lashes for you!

 

.....'That's funny, Rootie! 'Got in a big hurry and didn't wanna let Spike down......'Anyway, before he lost his life, Wally Meskowski must have been an awfully proud man at what he accomplished as a car owner, car builder and chief mechanic. Part of his resume was....all he did was build A.J. Foyt's Sheraton-Thompson Specials and the old Ansted-Rotary Special dirt cars.

 

Update... BELLY PANS.















HERE'S THE OLD ONES... They had a hard life..






And I had Tyler Hilton on "Final prep" & "Shine" duty..





Lil more polishing, and Elbow grease, and He'll have her looking good.




J SHaw

 

hey Josh not to be a jerk but that car should have a tapered axle not splined