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

HEY CSMC

I am so envious of you right now

I've always wanted to restore a vintage car and has I known I would have been on her doorstep for this one.

The driver was Dick Watson from Lincoln, IL and he was a regular at Joe Shaheen's Little Springfield during the 60's and 70's.

The car was green, almost a lime green(for comparison see the bright green Plymouth/Dodge used during the late 60's-70's) and if mymemory is correct had a roof and bobtail as a super before getting more of a sprint car look.

It also had white painted wheels.

Dick hauled it on an open trailer.

How do I know? Rode my bike past the house a number of times as a kid and sat in the seat at least once as a kid.

What a find!!!

 

Clyde Gutzweiler was from Cheviot, OH (Cincinnati). The G & J stood for Gus (the name Gutzweiler went by) and Jake Burkhardt.

Drivers included: Jones, Larson, Tinglestad, Clum, Booth, Packard, and others. Nelson Stacey drove the G & J car in an early Little 500. Stan Bowman and Ron Lux suffered fatal injuries in the G & J car. Bowman at Terre Haute and Lux at Oklahoma City.

The first G & J car was the ex Swikert/Watson chassis and body (discussed earlier on this thread), while the later car (I believe shown in this photo) was a G & J built chassis. Always number 19 and always nice looking, well prepared cars.

A lot of history with the G & J cars. Where are they now?

Blacki-Suede

 

If you have got more point standings please share with me or us!
Thanks

 

See where Hal Wilson came out of retirement in Fla.,started 24th,drove up to 12th! Artivle said he's 74 years old!

 

Blacki,
I have the first Swikert/Gutzweiler car. Was happy bto find it. Bruce Craig put me on to it. It is still a fun car, has a chevy in it but I have a great 220 offy to put into it some day.

 

Ron Lux died in Tulsa.

 

The picture of Lux at Tulsa isn't this frame/car, same owner though.

 

Hi there CSCMC1 Very interesting find, and a real time machine. This era of Sprint Car holds a lot of interest for me and I am glad you posted the pictures.

 

vinsprint76

love the super in your avatar!

 

Hey, I got the state right - that was along time ago.

Blacki-Suede

 

Okay, my confession,

I read about it in the past year. Somebody came on RFTP looking for answers, and we had a time finding them.

 

Gang,
Just for fun, here are copies of some photos I took in college, circa 1972. As a first year photo student I spent just about every Friday eve at the Marion County Speedway in Southern Illinois. It was a family track, owned and run by the Poe's, and it had a pretty good bank. They ran sprint cars and modifieds (of sorts). These images were scanned from small 4x6 sized prints, so they are a little soft. I don't know if it will be worth it, but some time this year I plan to get a good film scanner and get the whole series reproduced. They aren't typical racing photos, in that they are more documentary. For this project I was more interested in the overall view, and the people. My trusty Nikormatt and Tri-X. What think? Gary

 

Thanks Brian for the comment on the Super. The car has lots of CAMRA history ( Canadian American Modified Racing Association ) and was driven by many greats from the Northwest. The car is still pretty much as it was when parked after being raced for the last time in the late 70s.

 

Hello, I would hate to of swapped ends and hit the wall!
Not much between him and the wall.
That’s what I call hanging it out there.
Wild car.

 

Had a test run with the Rasmussen sprint roadster two weeks ago and last weekend I took to a car show in Clovis with the Watson type body on it that I built.

 

The car show in Clovis I was at honored Fred DeOrian. Fred worked with the Gerhardt family over many years here in Fresno. Sometime ago I saw this photo of Tom York in this roadster modified, and to my eye this car could be the Indy roadster DeOrian with the help of Lujie Lesovsky built. Does anyone know anything about this car?

 

I already scheduled off work for friday.. I am there!

 

Hi Sir,
What are you asking for the car? Wynns#1

 

I,will take off your hands seeing it needs alot of work !!

 

I use to sit in this car all the time whenI was in High School and worked at the IMS museum, It was the only way I could clean the dash, Yea that was it, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

I believe you - without a doubt. When you were cleaning the steering wheel, did you lean your head to the left - four times a lap?

 

As I recall that car did end up in the first turn wall backwards, or am I having a senior moment?

 

I could be wrong but I don't believe that the track will be officially open to the public until Saturday. You can still come in for free and watch from the infield mounds and the stand near the museum but I believe the rest of the grandstands will be closed on Friday. Maybe someone else here knows for sure.

 

Bobby Johns backed it into the wall on the last day of qualifying.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HAL-...9560222?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cb7ac4d1e

1938 "Jack Benson Special"

 

Thanks Rootie! I'm not losing my marbles!

 

I always wonder how Rootie comes up with these pictures so quick and I think I figured it out. I think he actually built a time machine and just goes back and snaps pictures while the event we are talking about takes place. It is the ONLY way he could have this much information at his fingertips.

 

Actually I'm still working on my time machine, just having a hard time finding a flux capacitor Truth is, being retired and kinda gimped up, I have way more time than money and have indulgded in my hobby of 50s/60s racing history. I've scanned about a gazillion pics, of that era, from a multitude of sources and keep them in my files. (I'm pretty sure I've heard my puter actually groan when I turn on the scanner )

 

Make sure you back them up!

 

Hey Josh, you are right on what's planned for the vintage cars..I'll be there with Akin's 3 cars and the latest is we will run 2:30 to 2:50PM Friday the 13th (post war roadster era) then at 3:00PM the rear engine cars will run their 20 minute session. We think and I emphasize think that a tent area will be provided for the cars after driving session for overnight storage to eliminate loading and returning the cars on Sat., etc. Again we think the vintage race cars will be displayed on Saturday in the Plaza area behind the Pagoda. I know you guys appreciate the "definite" planning that goes on at IMS!! One big thing we better be all praying for is NO RAIN. It is forecast 70% Friday and 60% Saturday...It's a lot of damn work and expense to drag these cars up there - so sure hope it doesn't rain out especially the driving session as it did in 2008...See ya there....Joe