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

Welds first USAC car was the former Willie Davis C-T Auto car.

 

Yep, that's it. When Bill Hoback had this car in IMCA, Dad said it was one the best prepared and well built cars he had ever seen. On my jobsites, if the very first person involved is very neat and has strong attention to detail, it seems to carry on throughout the life of the project and on into the home ownership. It seems that way with some racecars, too. It seems certain cars were clean, neat, and successful from the very beginning and continued that way no matter who owned them or drove them.

 

Denny, I don't know. Rootie may know. I remember Rollie in the black #5 (C.R. Gill?) car coming to Midvale, OH back in the early 60's and putting a whoopin' on everybody. Karl Busson was one of my favorite drivers. He always seemed to run alone - even in the pits he stayed to himself. It didn't seem to matter if it was asphalt or dirt, high banked or flat, Karl was always up front - or on his way there.

 

Unless he has died quite recently, Rollie Beal is still alive. Not sure about Busson though.

 

If we could get Karl and or Rollie on this site what a wealth of info and stories. Denny Z

 

As a side note, J.R. took his first actual USAC (non-IMCA provisional) sprint car ride in Davis's #52. C-T car.

 

That was the second roadster spin in 45 years. Someone I know spun an original Watson roadster after loosing the left rear wheel at a Phoenix (PIR) HCICA event on January 31, 2004. The wheel came off in the dogleg -- car looped twice and came to a stop a foot from the wall, facing backwards, in turn three. The memory is quite vivid...

 

Clem Tebow (the T in C-T automotive) aboard a early Ardun powered sprint car. I suspect Willie Davis may have had a hand in this rig.

 

and to progress further, someone 'I' know ran over that guy 'you know's' knock-off, flattened a tire and spun to the infield.

 

http://mcvcg.exposuremanager.com/p/2011-07-09_millers_at_milwaukee/imgp9264_2_20

 

On the #16 car. Willie Davis built it for Greg Weld as the #92. Greg finished second in USAC to Johnny Rutherford by 2-1/2 points in 1965 in this car. Greg sold it to Bill Hoback when he started running the Mechanical Rabbit that Don Brown built for him in 1966. Greg won the USAC Sprint Championship in 1967 in the Dunseth Car.

 

On second thought, Willie may have sold Greg the car, not built it for him, not sure. What a great car though!

 

Davis went to work for A.J. Watson in 64 and the C-T car was sold to Weld. He didn't build another one for a couple of years and that was the one Gary B. had so much success with.

 

Larry its less than 45 years since your #99 Joe Hunt car flipped. At the last vintage show at Tampa fair grounds, Vic Yerardi put it on its side in the second turn. I have a picture somewhere of a Lobitz Catering ad painted on the bottom. If I ever find it I will make sure you get a copy.

 

Thanks, Stan. I'll collect that photo at your next party! My memory of the Watson incident at PIR is crystal clear -- I was sitting in the cockpit. I've seen Bill Chapin's photos of #99 going over. Vic was lucky it wasn't worse...

 

KK500 helping me at Calistoga with my lowly sprinter, Jim will you ever talk to me again !!!

 

I could stoop to your level if NEED be.........
Cancel that, it would be more appropriate if at least I had MY OWN CAR up and running............you have two, Steve!
Thx for call tonite
Jim

'Carl s' thanks for the link.
Doug Begley, thanks for not publishing the roadster sideways, I did see you guys there.
OK here is the smoking gun...............

 

Easter,
The pic 'on-trailer' was the car's first race just prior to '65 L500. Sandusky May '65.
Little 500 1965 was Benny's #14 CAE first IMCA race.
On pole for L500 and of course was "Rookie of the Year" as a result.
It still has that original pearl white/candy red scallops. Only the left side of the tail has been repainted, and the nose replaced several times. Benny had his own horizontal louvred grills cast locally.
The black/white pic was taken at Illiana Motor Speedway, Schererville IN 1967.
The color pic is from Ray's Racing Photos, Grand Rapids MI. Venue unknown.

Code:

 

Calistoga 2010

 

FWIW

May 8 1971.
Don't know where.

 

Not sure about Busson either but Rollie is around, he always shows at the Toledo silver crown race, this year it's in October with the ARCA boys. Last year it was a tribute to Rollie and they had one of his old champ cars there.

 

For KK 500,
Jim, the more shots you turn up of the Benny Rapp car the more I am convinced you are the right guy to have it .
I never thought you would kick such a goal from such a simple handball!!
The Curtis is nearing completion and we are in contact with Dee Jones' daughter Debbie and will be lettering it with his name and in the livery he took his Indy Rookie test in Feb '69.
She went to the museum at Indy with her sister and found a heap of 8"x10" shots
including ones on the trailer.
Interesting thing was after it was painted "hoodoo green" it had more hits than Elvis so we are doing it in the pearl white.
Debbie said in a mail that her Mum never bought any of the girls (Dee only had daughters) anything green in the way of clothes in case they inadvertantly wore them to the track when they were playing hookey to watch Dee.
We have sanded, scratched and picked every bit of green off of that car, inside and out from every crevis and from under every bit of top coat paint.
I will post shots as things progress.
Churchy,Clarky, Matty and Big say Hi!!
Cheers Smithy

 

I remember the car showing up and looking different - it looked "more expensive". I'll bet it was at Tampa, because everybody showed up with their cleaned up cars getting ready for another season. I think the car went from pure white to a kind of cream color and the pearl was really pronounced. Anyway, that's a long time ago and I was just a kid, but I remember a significant change in the car's appearance and it looked like Benny had just won the lottery.

 

Hopefully, you are not talking about the black marks against the outside wall!

 

I'll bet those aren't the only "skid" marks after that slide!!!

 

Cool old IMCA video,in case someone here hasn't seen this one.
Courtesy of Bri Bri...

‪BARNSTORMING WITH THE I M C A!!!!!!!!!!!!‬‏ - YouTube

BC

 

Neat seeing Woolley in the Weinberger "hoodoo" wagon. Unlike some others, it treated him well, winning 9 races and the championship in the 2nd half of the season.

 

Good reason to show this photo. In 2002 when I was going back to Wis. to pick up the Thomas sprint roadster I broke down in Newton Iowa. I had made plans to stop and see Tom Schmeh at the National Sprint Car Museum. Not knowing where I was I called Tom to cancel our visit, he asked where I was and he said he would pick me up in twenty min. I had broken down at the rest stop before Newton and the exit to Knoxville. Now that is freeky. Tom picked me up and as we were pulling into the Museum Gordon Woolley and his wife were arriving for a vintage event that weekend. For the next three days as my van was being fixed I spent at the track and the museum. I slept in my tent next to the Woolleys, took a half day trip for lunch to Pella with Tom, Gordon and wife. Of all my time around racing these three days stand out because of the Tom's hospitality and two of the nicest people I have ever met, the Woolleys.

 

Lucky you! I can't think of a too much a better way to spend 3 days, than hangin' with a ol' leadfoot like G.W.