Register now to get rid of these ads!

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

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Joshua Shaw, Jan 17, 2008.

  1. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    I agree, good to see you back, Bill!

    While we're on Don Gillette, a few weeks back I was asking the board if anyone knew about his Chevy powered car in 1964, as I had a tentative note saying that it was the former Beal/Traylor car, but couldn't remember from where I had that information. I really don't know, because I have never seen a picture of it, but I always felt it may as well have been the Leitenberger with a new engine. Now I see you stating that the Leitenberger indeed got a Chevy, do you know if he still had that car in '64? Thanks.

    As for Pontiac-engined Sprints, also Clyde Creech (Creach?) ran one on the West Coast in the late fifties, and Bills Gamester and Painter in the Midwest, early sixties.
     
  2. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Sled? That's a compliment. I think "Tank" was closer. Really a scarey looking big car. Dad ran some at Huntington, I'll see if I can find the photos to see the background. To call anything rear engined a sprint doesn't seem right.

    As for the other photo, the guy in the Deuce sure sits up like Scratch Daniels. Looks like Pratt and Shakleford are hooked up and Daniels in loose. Really good info from you.
     
  3. PK
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 192

    PK
    Member
    from Ohio

    I think it's 1964. Honore took the Offy out after the '63 season and replaced it with a Chevy. Scratch Daniels drove the car in '64, and Gordon Wooley drove the car in '65.
    PK
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2011
  4. Dadburgess
    Joined: Nov 9, 2010
    Posts: 27

    Dadburgess
    Member

    Josh - the pictures of the cars and the shop you posted are fascinating - you guys have got so much neat stuff crammed on the shelves and stacked around the cars. Can amuse myself figuring out what some of those pieces are, for hours!
     
  5. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Yep.

    1953 - '58 (Sep) Bobby Grim
    1954 (Jun/Jul) Don Branson (during the time Grim convalesced after his Belleville crash)
    1958 (Oct) - '63 Pete Folse
    1964 Scratch Daniels
    1965 Gordon Woolley
    1965 (Aug) Harold Leep (Woolley was also injured at Belleville)
    1966 Bill Puterbaugh
    1967 Jim Moughan, Itch Daniels (from Aug)

    What happened then? Car retired?

    I count 244 wins (Grim 128 IMCA & 8 CSRA, Branson 3, Folse 88, Scratch 6, Woolley 4, Puterbaugh 2, Moughan 1 and Itch 2), and at least 80 other top three finishes during that time. Beat that!
     
  6. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Curley Boyd drove the car in 1967, too. That's him in the pic on the left next to my dad.
     
  7. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    I believe Scratch didn't feel comfortable on pavement, and didn't do very well. Later, he won a few at Winchester, no less, but at this stage of his career he was a dirt track driver! :cool:
     
  8. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Thanks, didn't know that. Is that Winchester, and your dad in the Howell car?
     
  9. LittleFauss
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 272

    LittleFauss

    ...'Wow. Michael Ferner to the rescue, AGAIN! I still remember when you went through and rattled off all of the names of the cars, drivers and tracks in the video, "Open Wheel Tribute." 'Nice little history lesson for the rest of us. Thank you, Michael Ferner!



    <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px">


    <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q_r5hY49jLM?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="360" width="640"></object>











    [​IMG]





    [​IMG]
     
  10. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Yep and Yep. This photo was taken by Armin Kreuger at the start of the fast heat during the July 1967 IMCA race at Winchester. There are other photos of this race on this thread (I bought a couple off of e-bay). A few weeks earlier, IMCA was also at Winchester and Darl Harrison had set a World Record in a 10 lap heat race. According to the announcer, Dad broke that record in this race. However, at the end of the year, the IMCA yearbook didn't list it that way - it kept the Harrison record. Dad was crushed (as was I), but it could be worse. Dad was running 2nd to Karl Busson in the feature this day, but was separated by a group of lapped cars. One of them blew an engine coming off of 4 and covered the main straight with oil. Cars went every where. Dad hit the turn 1 wall just beyond the bridge and slid back down the track. As he was waving he was OK, Curley Boyd turned backwards and drilled Dad's car (it was a UPI photo). Busson went on to win. Bob King was in the wreck and a web on the steering wheel split his hand between his fingers. He signed my autograph book (and left a little blood on the book - how cool is that?) while standing at the pay window, drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. My Godfather up in Buffalo has that entire day on super 8 film. Sorry for rambling, but it was a big day for the Easter's.
     
  11. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    If I remember correctly, in "Open Wheel Tribute", the yellow sprint jumping the wall is Bob Sweikert at Dayton. I can't watch it anymore. Maybe it's Salem. Doesn't really matter anymore, I just can't watch it.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2011
  12. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    On the recent Pots and Pans, here is a picture from way back on this thread. Interesting group in picture, 2 500 winners not to mention AJ himself!

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    Not sure of the exact years - late sixties or ealry seventies - but I remember Chuck Weyant running the car a few times at Paragon and Kokomo, Indiana in the weekly shows.

    After that a Duke DeRosa ran it in that same geographical area plus Illinois for awhile.

    I'm not sure where the car went after that until it turned up restored in Don Smith's collection.
     
  14. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member


    Thanks for the info. Am I correct in guessing that Hector had sold the car by then? I'd guess he got out of racing in '67?

    And thanks to Easter junior for the Winchester story. I'm sure I read that when you posted it first, but my memory not being what it used to be (was it ever? :rolleyes:), and this thread being t h a t l o n g . . .

    [My gosh... 16,000 plus and STILL going STRONG!!!]
     
  15. carl s
    Joined: Mar 22, 2008
    Posts: 745

    carl s
    Member
    from Indio, CA

    And he's no slouch behind the wheel either!
    [​IMG]


     
  16. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member


    Thanks! Your only about 2 hours away.. come amuse yourself in person ANYTIME.

    J Shaw

    ----

    On that note, I was glad to give our own FRENCH TOWN FLYER a full .50 cent tour of Zakira's as he passed through Cincinnati last Friday, and then sent him to my old Roomate's Tyler Hiltons' family collection of 20 - 30 Front engine dragsters, Funny cars and Fuel Altereds from the 70's and back..

    Nice to see ya !

    J Shaw
     
  17. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    I think you are correct in assuming that Hector had sold the car by then, but I'm not sure who did own it.
     
  18. PK
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 192

    PK
    Member
    from Ohio

    Honore sold the car to Weyant in '67. I've seen a "restored" :eek: pic [not sure who did the work] of the Deuce taken in '75 at the Tampa Fairgrounds. It was the last time Pete sat behind the wheel before he died. I'm so pleased Don Smith restored it to it's former glory. In the '75 pic it looked pitiful with a Chevy motor, headers painted white, and a roll cage painted to match.
     
  19. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    Smith's restoration was done by the guys who do the cars for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum.
     
  20. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    I was at Tampa that Day. Pete was very sick with cancer, and somehow mustered up enough strength to crawl in and run a few laps. Was sad to see him in that state. Anybody have the car /driver rundown from that day? ALL the big dogs were there! John S. p.s. The gent who took me to Florida for the races was a fellow by the name of J.R."Whitey" Hollowood. Anybody remember him?;)
     
  21. racer5c
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 2,218

    racer5c
    Member

    Josh, Jay is one of my best friends and was my Mechanic on my midget for a few years, I am hoping I can get him to go to a few vintage meets next summer, I'm sure you will meet him, you two set it up and I will bring Jay over to Cincy

     
  22. monkaz
    Joined: Oct 6, 2011
    Posts: 203

    monkaz
    Member
    from gilbert,AZ


    It does matter! Bob Sweikert was killed at Salem on June 17, 1956.
     
  23. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Does it matter that Bob Sweikert was killed? Hell yes. Does it matter where? Not to me. Every time I see that car turn right and ride up over that guard rail, I get tears in my eyes. I feel like I'm standing right there inside that turn. Everyone on this thread has seen racing horror, but that one really gets to me. I wish I could meet him at a vintage show instead of seeing that film. Please don't think I don't care.
     
  24. Butch Evans
    Joined: Nov 9, 2008
    Posts: 115

    Butch Evans
    Member

    J D if you're out there cime in. He's in charge of history, I'm just the panel beater putting back together for him.
     
  25. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Some of those so-called old sleds put on great IMCA shows. The #45 sure looks a lot more like a real race car than that silly lookin #92 thing.
     
  26. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    It should not be legal to put a cage on that #2 Honore car !!!!
     
  27. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    You're right. Some guys would show up with a car that didn't look like anything else in the pits. It looked old, heavy, clunky, and dangerous. And, they'd go out and qualify in the top 5. Everybody took a second and different look at the car then. That #45 car in the pic above looks like it weighs about 5000 lbs and pushes like a dump truck. I'll bet it was a lot louder than that little rear engine car, too. But, at the moment of the photo, if he wasn't getting lapped, he was leading!
     
  28. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Do you remember the coupe body they put on Jerry Richert's car? The nerve.
     
  29. gearguy
    Joined: Jan 27, 2010
    Posts: 286

    gearguy
    Member

    Is it possible that the photo is Trenton in 1963? The Lotus-Fords competed at Milwaukee and Trenton that year as part of the development program [based upon my reading; I was 10 years old then]. When were the 1963 Lotus chassis sold to American teams? Didn't both PJ & Bobby Marshman end up with the 1963 cars for use with 4 cam motors in 1964?
     
  30. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Marshman had the 1963 car wrecked by Gurney for the 64 season. Jones and Foyt stepped into the 64 models for Milwaukee 200 and Trenton 200 races.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.