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

FIRST ... Lee THANKS for posting them.

Although I too more enjoy the older cars .. cageless, with rounder noses, etc. .... I can't say that (to a lesser extent) that I don't also enjoy these cars from the 70's and 80's .... especially if they don't have wings ..... even though I've seen some damned good winged races over the years too.

At least they don't look like the slope nose, straight paneled, wedge shaped, as pretty as a door stop, butt ugly, no personality (for lack of a better word) , vinyl lettered cars of today!!!!

Maybe not to us "old farts" (Jason's not one) .... but these cars of the 70's & 80's are now obsolete antiques and being sought and restored as such .. maybe by a slightly younger .. but none the less a senior generation.

As unsightly as they are, cages have saved lives and we have many drivers among us today, that otherwise probably wouldn't have been.

Hey, our own Denny Zimmerman has regularly driven one of the slope nose, straight paneled, wedge shaped, as pretty as a door stop, butt ugly, no personality, probably vinyl lettered midgets this year at the Whip City Speedway in Massachusetts and as much as I dislike the look of those cars I KNOW that I'd thoroughly ENJOY seeing him compete in it.

Josh Shaw started this thread .. 1969 & older, etc..
Maybe if we're unhappy with some pictures or such posted here, rather than jumping all over someone ... maybe we should PM or eMail Josh and let him handle it in his own way.

I think once in awhile we have to give some slack to someone as talented to Lee.

ANYHOO ... THANKS again Lee .. I enjoyed those pictures .... just maybe not quite as much as I would've if the were pre 1970.

 

Well said Ken. I agree and thanks Lee for the photos. I guess I can't get enough of cageless sprint cars with round streamlined noses and panels. Cars built in the 40's - 60's had individual ideas and designs - not like mass produced cars today. Maybe an exception - Kurtis midgets as previously discussed. And yes, cages saved lives and all of us are thankful for that. I always enjoy the photos - whether past or present!

 

I too have to say Thanks Lee, they are nice pictures after all there race cars, but I thought this site was "mostly" for older cars.....before the cars of today that look like door stops with wheels. Door stops with wheels that's funny Ken. Denny Z

 

Hillegass display at EMMR Museum

 

First I want to thank all of you for enjoying my pictures that I post. I'm not trying to piss anyone off here.

Gee wiz I didn't think roll cages would get everyone wound up.

If you look through this thread there are pictures all over the place of sprints and midgets and champ cars with roll cages on them that I didn't post. Heck if I go to a vintage race car show there's roll cage cars there. Heck go to the Williams Grove Old Timers museum an you'll see roll cages.

Know body minded the pictures I posted from Winchesters Old Timer deal that I went to in 2010. There were roll cage cars there too.

I'm not trying to make anyone made by posting pictures of cars with roll cages, I'm just following in the foot steps others.


Do these pictures make everyone happier?

Sorry for causing trouble.

 

Lee
I guess I'm a little different..I love it all. I'll look at anything posted from rail frames to the 80's. I might skip over the winged cars though...
Thanks to anyone who posts.

 

I've "colored outside the lines" on occasion myself, and there is probably going to be some spillover now and then. Having said that, I have other racing interests unrelated to pre 69 sprint cars etc., some of which are quite modern but I have also found many other sites/message boards that cater to those interests. The reason I joined the HAMB was= pre 64 rods and customs, the reason I subscribe to this thread is= 1969 and older. Not real hard to figure out.

 

Nobody is mad and nobody is causing trouble. Really. I have a couple of Art degrees and if anybody questions my work I want to burn down the building. The men on this thread have a lot of emotion tied to the past: injuries and/or death of friends, the bravery of others to continue on after tragedy, but mostly they are upset because of the end of the "romantic" period of open wheel racing. Back then there were hand built machines, hand painted bodies, and drivers who were much more important to the outcome than today. Drivers in "T" shirts didn't depend so much on weight jackers and wing angles. Every team was unique. Also, back then sponsorship (if any) was picked up when you got to town at a local garage or gas station. It's where they let you keep your car and equipment indoors. You had open trailers to show the world your car. You had drivers out in the open to show you their efforts. Because every car was unique, the builder's work was also out in the open. It must have worked because I mainly remember packed covered grandstands and kids sitting in trees outside the turns. I loved and hated the old racing. The worst thing is to watch the kids you were just playing with pack their stuff in the motel room next door and leave with that "terror and disbelief" look on their faces because their dad had just been killed. I damn sure don't miss that. But, I do miss the true gentlemen heros of that time. You know the ones: just defied death, showed unequaled skill, and were as nice and humble as they could be after the race. I really don't remember any real smartasses until the start of the 1970's. Yep, racing changed at the end of the 60's, but the whole world changed, too. Viet Nam, the Moon landing, music, clothes, politics, etc. The majority of those old racers are gone. The rest of us fans aren't going away without a fight. I, too, like a lot of different types of racing. But, those old pre-cage days will always have a special place in my heart.

 

If I upset anyone I apologize, didn't mean to. I promise to behave. Denny Z

 

Denny and Ken, if being a grouchy old fart puts me in the same class with you guys, I'm proud to be part of that group! I don't really mind the cages as much as I do the new body style.

Easter, I hope you don't mind. I copied that story about your dad at Anderson. In my Potts' Shots (used to be Driven to the Past) column on Frontstretch.com, I get into open wheel racing now and then. Sometimes I have to explain it to the stock car people, but that's fun, too. That story might make it in there sometime this year.

 

I was gonna chime in , but when I went back and saw the pics, I loved 'em.

I have a thing for 1970's style caged cars (USAC style). Grant King and Edmunds my faves.


I'm 43 yrs old and I TOTALLY dread the day when the vintage WoO style winged sprints take over.

 

I'm honored to have you use any of my stories and/or photos. Dad would have really liked it, too.

 

Hello, WOW!!!!!! All that over some photos? I love all forms of open wheel racing. I know it says 69 or older. No gray area at all. This is A public sight or is it like, I am taking my Ball and going home! my way or the highway! If so I am sorry if I pissed any one off with my post‘s. I will just watch every one else play Ball. “Nothing is constant but change”

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the pre 69 open wheel cars. Got lots of them, but I also have an 82 Nance house car driven by Sammy Swindell(love it). I also attend all the ARDC midget shows that I can get to. All of the drivers are gentlemen and brave ones at that. I hope the participants are remembered later on in life as were Heros and friend of yesterday
I have seen some great photos on this site. I love em all!!!

 

Hey Lee, Love the shots you have posted. I posted shots from the same time period and seemed to get a good response on the thread but if you saw the personal messages that I got about my shots similar to yours,and was the reason I stopped posting my shots and gave up on uploading my old 35mm to discs for now.....Rich

 

For Spike,
We have not heard from you lately, hope you are well.

 

Put some more 1970 s photos on , just no wings theres more than 3 guys looking at this stuff .

 

If I knew my post was going to elicit that response I would have withheld
comment! I wasn't knocking Lee and I know others have posted post-1969 photos. It was said tongue-in-cheek but I guess it struck a nerve with you "grumpy old farts"! Haha. All in good fun

 

Rich,
I have enjoyed your posts as well, I miss new posts from you. I understand everyone has there likes and dislikes. I haven't gotten any PM's yet about my posting on the negitive side. I'm just trying to post items that I think people will enjoy seeing just as you have done. I figured this would be a great place to do that, an so far it has. And yes I know some people just like pulling other peoples chains. Lets keep it fun.

 

I don't post here very often but I sure do visit the thread daily. Amazing stuff! I'm 47yo and love the photos Lee posts, old and new. I wasn't around back in the 40's-50's when my Dad ran midgets but I'm fascinated by that era of racing. Having grown up during the "Larry and Gary" era I love seeing the 60's-80's photos too, keep posting them!
David.

 

Lee your pictures are great. Roll cages are a necessary evil.
Easter had the best response I have ever heard. I witnessed
Many fatal wrecks that a roll cage would have made a walk away
Wreck…Horvath was killed at Vallejo by a simple tip over.
I know owners that withdrew in depression because there best
Friends and drivers were killed in their car!
Old cars are awesome but they are in the past and time
Marches on. I do love their look and history.
I love the pictures that I have seen you guys post I have learned
A lot about the different tracks like Langhorne I wish I could have seen
It before it’s demise.
RABs32 I feel you have posted some of the best pictures I have
seen on this thread….Thank you .. sorry if I missed someone .fficeffice" /><O></O>
Everyone has great input here and there is no Trolls…Kool .
When they perfect batteries the electric motors will rock
They just need loud speakers to make them sound like there
Internal combusting…… Alan

 

I know they're more than 3 guys looking at this thread, it was the dozen or so lurkers that sent messages that the pictures I posted were like racial slurs because of the cages and being from the later 70's, plus having a sh$t load of pictures poached by a few guys trying to and selling them on Egay and Craiglisp, just took the fun out of it for me.I always enjoyed coming home after working all day at a restoration shop and sharing me,my father and my late uncle's shots with all the Great Guys on this thread. Just need to get remotivated and search for more shots to upload. If it's OK!! (lol)....Rich

 

Hey! I'm still kickin.. imagine that! Damn I've been gone for too long. Almost moved into my new shop. (pics on the way soon).. Completely building living quarters from scratch. They finished up the Kitchen today while I hauled the Kurtis 2000 5 hours away to Jim Mann for some work.

---------------


First off--- WOW!!! Unbelievable stuff fella's! I'm blown away as always. Unfortunately I am still SLAMMED with work, way behind, and had to literally SKIM through it all just to "kinda" catch up!


As for the newer shots from Lee.. I don't mind them as long as they are kept in the form he is posting them... (only the REALLY good ones, and famous, historical cars). While completely to my amazement, NEW pictures of pre 60's sprinters are still showing up... I also enjoy pictures from the 80's and back. I'm probably bias because that's when I grew up and that's what I remember!

Keep the cage car pics centered on the "best of the best" as you already have and I'm fine with it! (My buddy Roy will let ya know if it gets outta hand!)

All I can say is KEEP ON DOING WHAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING!! at this point, I'm just one of the young-in's trying to keep up with you guys!

Thank all of you SO MUCH!
Joshua Shaw

 

WELCOME! This made my day! Thank you!

Enjoy

 

Oh! ...and EASTER, DAVEWW1 and the rest of you flooding the site with GREAT PICTURES..

KEEP THEM COMING!!!!!!!!!

I'll strap my Hip-Waders on, grab a Snorkel and enjoy the FLOOOOOOD!

 

Thanks Josh! I will!