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

Butch--I have 5 single calipers and 2 double. I have 5 Airhart rotors 1 drilled, Cosworth injectors and air cleaner, Auto Craft valve cover and rods VW, aircleaner covers, Tonto covers for Edmunds cars, 4 pairs of Ford spindels. Cleaning out what's left of Dad's 50 years of parts.
Danny Frye Jr
636-300-3788

 

Thank you, Jim. That's one of the best things I've had said about me, and it's all a flagman can hope for.

 

21st Vintage Racing Celebration

<!-- /EVENT TITLE --><!-- EVENT DATE/TIME -->Tuesday, May 17 - Sunday, May 22, 2011
<!-- /EVENT DATE/TIME --><!-- EVENT LOCATION/SERIES -->Oval & Road Course - Cars
<!-- /EVENT LOCATION --><!-- EVENT DESCRIPTION --><!-- EVENT LOGO -->
<!-- /EVENT LOGO -->From Tuesday, May 17, to Sunday, May 22, history will come alive as legendary racing machines from around the world gather to compete in the 21st Annual Vintage Racing Celebration.
Beginning Tuesday, May 17, through Thursday, May 19 some of the world&#8217;s best vintage midgets, sprint cars, champ cars, roadsters and NASCAR stock cars will race on the speedway&#8217;s 1.058-mile oval.
From Friday, May 20, through Sunday, May 22, New Hampshire Motor Speedway&#8217;s tricky 1.6-mile road course will challenge vintage road racers from around the world. Classic car enthusiasts can see vintage sports cars, formula cars and motorcycles compete for bragging rights on the 12- turn NHMS course.
Join us on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 for the Classic and Custom Car Show along with an Automotive Flea Market. If you love cars, this event is for you!
Gates open each day at 9:00 a.m.

Anyone from here going? I'm planning on being there from Tuesday afternoon until around noon on Thursday.

<!-- /EVENT DESCRIPTION -->

 

I'll be there with my #16 "Simoniz Spl." Watson roadster.

 

IBJ: Do you think a flagman should be willing to discuss a call with an affected driverafter the races? John S.

 

Can't beleive I fell for it! LOL

 

AJ will be concentrating on whether he throws the lap top over hand or back hand on race day, so Parnelli is a good choice.

 

Larry I really want to see your roadster! This might be my only chance to see it so I'm trying to make it happen.

 

Wow! All the way from Arizona! You da man!

 

Jack Hewitt thinks so (google Jack Hewitt flagman but be warned it has some big time cussing in it)

 

grab this off ebay Magnaflow 38037

 

Bill Cummings Miller/ Miller average speed - 104.863 MPH

Faced with the challenge in 1934 of completing the entire 500 miles on an allotment of only 45 gallons of fuel, Bill Cummings, the previous year's pole winner and early pacesetter, drove a strategic and well-planned race to break the distance record in spite of the restriction. Driving a 220-cubic-inch Miller-powered creation from the los Angeles shops of Henry Miller, Cummings averaged 104.863 mph. Not only was the extremely popular winner born and rasied in Indianapolis, but the winning car was prepared only about three miles from the track, in a building leased by the team's owner, Chicago sportsman Mike Boyle, and managed by legendary chief mechanic Harry " Cotton " Hennings.

 

Here's a look inside and outside of the Hall of Fame Museum at Indianapolis. enjoy!

 

baldtireman, I never refused to discuss a call with a driver in a situation like that unless he was being downright violent about it. Once he cooled down, no problem. However, that only happened once or twice in almost 30 years. You'd be surprised how many of the affected drivers are understanding when you explain the situation, and how your focus is on the overall race and the safety of all competitors. Even though I made calls that affected them, I remained friends with just about every driver I can remember.

I guess the fact that I was sure I had been right made a difference.

There's a parallel here between this and officiating basketball. I did some of that in my younger days, and I was taught to be extremely emphatic in my calls. No simple, "Foul's on number 4, we'll shoot 2," but much more emphatic. Many times after a game I'd have a coach say, "I was ready to argue, but you looked like you were sure of yourself."

There was one time when a coach slammed a ball down against the floor and glared at me. As it soared toward the ceiling, I simply said, "If that comes down, you're out of the game."

Sorry for getting off-topic.

 

I don't think any of this is off topic. I have the greatest respect for an honest, hardworking starter (and flagman).

Thanks for your work! even though you never worked for me. Sounds like I wish you had.

JOHN

 

REMEMBER! THIS NEXT WEEKEND!
THE CHEAPEST MOTORSPORTS EVENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNA!
http://gallery.mailchimp.com/1953c78ecb79021d85e7cdd09/images/rt66indy.jpg

 

Sorry folks! This is what I wanted to download. If you're anywhere in the area, you need to treat yourself and your family

 

Does anyone remember Johnny Hicks the IMCA starter at the Old Tampa Fairgrounds. He used to start the race standing as far out on the track as he could... as far as his legs would let him and still carry him to safety after waving the green. Later in the 60's he had a starter stand to flag from. Anyhoo just wondering...
PK

 

While on the subject of starters or "flaggers", here's a question: Who was the first starter (Flagger) to use double checkered flags to signify the end of the race? Was it Nick Fornoro?

 

There was a flagger at Danbury Racearena who used to start the field from the middle of the track by the name of "Tiny" Weyer. The nickname being ironic of course!

 

PK - I wonder if this is the same guy. Notice the Starter's stand on the left. I remember those IMCA guys wore those white caps. This is 7/7/67 at Winchester. That's my dad (Luke) in the #54 heading for a 10 lap World Record.

 

Lee, this car sure has an interesting history.
link to our own Michael Ferner's site, (OldRacingCars.info) building on the work of Mark Dees-
see Miller ID #2810
http://www.oldracingcars.info/marques/indy/miller/1924/

Here's what it looked like out of the box in 1928 with Cliff Woodbury behind the wheel
after he put Boyle Team Driver Dave Evans in his former #15 Miller 91 Rear Drive.
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums...w&current=192820Cliff20Woodbury2022-706-a.jpg
And here's photo after being broken up and rebuilt as a two seater for 1932:
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/Miller FD/?action=view&current=imsc2631.jpg
And here's link to photo of the car (close to the Boyle Racing Headquarters) as the #45 in 1933 when driven by Babe Stapp-that's Cummings in the photo, next year the car would be renumbered #7 for him.
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums...w&current=Bill-Cummings-at-Hoosier-Resize.jpg

 

very cool

 

PK - I did a "search" on Johnny Hicks. There are a bunch of reports about an incident in Tampa when a car came up into the flag stand and knocked Johnny out. He eventually came to, but refused to leave. It said he finished the event in obvious pain. Maybe he was safer down on the track!

 

Hello, A rough day for the flagmen.

 

That was Larry Clark's career ender at El Centro. Flagging crew didn't fair too well either. As I remember broken legs and such. I saw it from the pits and it was frightening to watch.

 

no flagman story is complete without adding a few Johnny Shipman stories, Tommy Astone while Driving my dad's Midget would have ummm "discusions" with Johnny Shipman about when to pick up the green flag etc, so here is Tommy on the pole of a feature race I'm thinking I remember it being Terre Haute but I'm not sure, they cars come by to get the green, no green, they come by again..... no green by then Shipman is looking frantically for his green flag, a lap or two later Astone comes off of 4 wide open holding the green flag through the top of the cage, can't remember if he got in trouble for that or not. i would have to say one of if not the best flagmen I ever had was Vick Lipkey, never had the pleasure of being flagged by Nick Fornoro Sr. but I got beat by his son a few times

 

The flaggers were Steve Vodden & Brian Howard. Steve suffered a severely broken leg, and limped for years after that. Brian was about 19 at the time, I think, and the ass't starter, and was chief starter for the TQ's at Ventura. He's the brother of one of the many racing Gary Howards in the state of California. Brian's pelvis was shattered, but he showed up a couple of weeks later in a body cast to flag the season opener at Ventura!
He's gone on to flag some semi-important events, like the Indy 500...

 

This is one of the coolest stories I've ever heard. Thanks.

 

racer5, That's halarious.....I can just picture that...wish I was there. Denny Z