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

Since we like "first hand accounts": Roy, I was the PR guy, marketing guy, in today’s terms "media relations" guy for Hoffman Auto Racing at the time of Smiley’s fatal accident. I do not doubt that Pancho was the first driver to qualify after Smiley’s accident and I remember Whittington taking a few laps to check out the "Groove". But my recollection after that is: The track was opened for practice, as no one was in line to qualify, and why would they be? I believe any driver, including a skilled, brave, veteran like Pancho would want to take some laps through the area of the crash before attempting to qualify. With the track going to practice I was sent to the garage to ask our driver, Jerry Sneva, if he was ready to take some practice laps. I remember Jerry sitting in the corner of the garage, head between his hands, staring at the floor, it was a surreal situation. Making it even more difficult was the fact that the Hoffman car was not handling well, thus we needed the practice laps. Again, I believe Jerry was the first to go out in that practice session. Pancho might have then got in the qualifying line. The thing I remember most about that day is the odor that filled the air for hours after that accident. That day is impossible to erase from my memory.

Blacki-Suede
Bzneil's Dad

 

You bet! Thanks!!

Couldn't EVER do it without you guys!

J Shaw

 

The 1957 "fence buster" race where Jimmy Bryan, who was leading the race on his way to another National championship was sent through a hole in the wood-rail fence by Jim Rathmann, who was actually leading the point chase coming into this last race of the season after finishing 2nd to now retired Sam Hanks in the Indy 500 (in those days points were determined by the length of the race 2 points per mile, Indy earned the winner 1,000 points) but deep in the field and getting lapped on the 96th lap of the 100-miler. Bryan turned the car around smashed through the fence and chased down race leader Pat O'Connor, passed him just before the white flag and won the race and the championship. O'Connor said afterwards, "I could hear him coming and if he wanted it that bad the sonofabitch could have it." Promoter Ernie Mohammed (left), Bryan, Clint Brawner and Phoenix Gazette Sports Editor Bob Allison (kneeling) are pictured. In Rathmann's defense he was at Phoenix in attempt to win the National Championship and was not known as a "dirt track driver" in an ill-handling car and a treacherous race track. There was no ill-intent on what happened, but it still made for a legend that lives on. It was Bryan's last win driving for Dean Van Lines and Brawner and ended one of the most incredible winning streak in racing annals.

 

Noresore, thanks for today's posting of the Jimmy Bryan Clint Brawner photo. I'm gonna pass it on to Kenny Surabian (one of our many non-computer vets) who fabricated for Clint from about 1968-early 80s.

And your past post -below- discussing the Gabe and Tilly Ford and Billy Shuman-who went to great lengths to restore it-
here's a photo of it from our Feb event at Havasu City Speedway
and a link to more photos:
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/Havasu Feb 2012/?start=all

and of Billy -in red-
http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/Havasu Feb 2012/IMG_7439.jpg?t=1330112769

 

New "indy roadster" on the table at mac millers garage in INDY.
This one will be going to Bonneville with a 270 OFFY.

 

Dang Mac! Just when I shake the urge to start a roadster project, you put some really cool pics up to spark my interest again!!

Looks like it will be a great build.

 

Something addictive about those roadsters. Gregg Kishline is currently building THREE of them; 1/2 scale replicas true but probably more work than a full size car since he has to make every single part by hand.
Any truth to the report that there are currently more roadsters [real & replicas] in existence than there were in the "glory days?"

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

PS: Had I won a share of the Mega Millions there would be a new Turbo Offy Roadster under construction.

 

I'm sitting here typing this NEXT TO the 270 Engine that's going in that beautiful radster Mac! Looking great!

 

Bill Mackey​

Clay Corbitt​

Our camera, in June of 1947, was an inexpensive model, but the photos show Sprint Car Racing as it was on "Opening Day" at the Salem Speedway, where Madison's Bill Cantrell raced with those shown in our photos.

Clay Corbitt was a "Hot Shoe" -
The title given to Drivers who stood-on-the-gas in Racing Cars from an early and dangerous era. Madison, Indiana Drivers, Jon Peddie & Bill Cantrell (each) earned "Hot Shoe" titles.

A note about Clay Corbitt -
This photo was taken at the line-up of the first Heat Race ever run at Salem, and on the first lap Clay Corbitt, from Cincinnati, Ohio, went over Salem's high bank and did not survive.

This info came from madisoncamerunning.com

 

Here's the official record of the events of that day from the press release that was given out to all media members. This is word for word what was given out by the Speedway in the press room and is taken from a copy of the 1982 IMS Media Trackside Report for the First Day of Time Trials.


<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:time Hour="12" Minute="15">"12:15 PM--</st1:time> #35 Gordon Smiley, 33, Grapevine, TX
Intermedics Innovator March/Cosworth

Crash in Turn 3 on second warm-up lap. IMS announced at <st1:time Hour="12" Minute="30">12:30 PM</st1:time> that Smiley died instantly of massive head injuries, according to Dr. Henry Bock, <st1:City><st1lace>Speedway</st1lace></st1:City> medical director. The report was that Smiley lost control, overcorrected into a reverse slide, sideways to the right for 280 feet to the wall, got airborne for 50 feet, disintegrated into three major portions, with the engine, one wheel continuing 480 feet onward.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Track was shut down until <st1:time Hour="14" Minute="32">2:32 PM</st1:time> for cleanup of Smiley accident in Turn-3 and north short chute. At that time, Jerry Sneva in #69 and Don Whittington in #95 went out to test the track patching at the request of officials.
<o></o>
<st1:time Hour="15" Minute="17">3:17 PM</st1:time> Track opens for qualifications.
<st1:time Hour="15" Minute="20">3:20PM--</st1:time> #3 Pancho Carter, 31, <st1lace><st1:City>Brownsburg</st1:City>, <st1:State>IN</st1:State></st1lace>
Alex Foods March/Cosworth
<o></o>
QA-12 1&#8212;45.17---199.247
2---45.27---198.807
3---45.21---199.071
4---45.30---198.675
________________
T&#8212;3:00.95-198.950"


The next qualifier out after Pancho Carter was Mario Andretti.

BTW, Exactly one week earlier I was in on a conversation between Dick Ferguson and Gordon Smiley when someone came up to us and told us that Gilles Villeneuve had just been killed in qualifying at the Belgium Grand Prix which upset both drivers since they both thought highly of Villeneuve. Also, although Smiley's age was listed as 33 in reality he was near 40 years old. And because he had also listed this false age on his life insurance policy his widow was denied any death benefit.

 

Steve, Did you run that roadster at Calif. speedway?

 

The info we have is that Gordon, had just turned 36. That's too bad if Barbara received no insurance money.

 

Love your work!

 

Thank you.

 

I was impressed the night Toby Tobias was killed at Flemington in 1978 and the way the rest of USAC thunder and lightning drivers just kept racing.

As an old car owner I knew said, "the only weight that is important in a race car is between the drivers legs!"

 

Pat,
If the car does not sell I will run the car with you guys with the hard tops here in the central valley this summer and I plan on going to Fontana in the middle of June and Calistoga late summer. We have had 2,388 hits on eBay and 125 watchers. Auction ends Mon. 7:00 PM, PST

 

jmcintosh,
Jimmy Sampson was leading the first lap of that heat race and got the red flag, but he got credit for leading the first racing lap ever at Salem. He was friends with my Dad and me untill he passed. He was from the same town that Charlie Masters is from and that is how Charlie got into racing.
Bill Cantrell was from Louisville, Ky [drove my Dad's sprint car for several years] and after he quit driving cars moved to Detroit to drive and build unlimited hydros and when he retired he moved to Madison. The city adopted him and after he passed the put a bronze bust of him close to the river bank. He and Graham Heath had a shop together and ran an unlimited for a few years.
Jon Petty drove sprints for several years [he drove my TQ a few times when I was on vacation] and ended up driving the Miss Madison. He still lives in Madison.
Jim Graybeal

 

The driver of the Iddings Spl. is Johnny Shackleford, I believe. Bill Mackey didn't drive Sprint Cars for another two years.

That should be Jackie Holmes in the #25 Dreyer "house car" in the background - Holmes finished second behind Tommy Hinnershitz that day, as a Sprint Car rookie! He also won the first heat, becoming the first ever winner at Salem Speedway.

The spider and webb on the cowl of the Johnston Offy are for its regular driver, Spider Webb. Webb was not available because he drove owner Fred Johnston's Champ Car (the former Sparks-Weirick two-man car) at Langhorne the same day. It was not a good day for the Johnston team, as Spider was hurt when a mechanic pushed the car over his foot - ouch! Buster Warke drove instead, but retired early, as Bill Holland took his second consecutive win.

 

Design on Helmet appears to be similar:
One year later

photo from Dayton Speedway

 

BTW, Exactly one week earlier I was in on a conversation between Dick Ferguson and Gordon Smiley when someone came up to us and told us that Gilles Villeneuve had just been killed in qualifying at the Belgium Grand Prix which upset both drivers since they both thought highly of Villeneuve. Also, although Smiley's age was listed as 33 in reality he was near 40 years old. And because he had also listed this false age on his life insurance policy his widow was denied any death benefit.

[/QUOTE]
You mentioned Dick Ferguson, he replaced Jerry Sneva in the Hoffman #69, deal was if he could get the car to, I believe 189-190, MPH Dick Hoffman would pay for his USAC license. Whitewalled the tires coming out of four, but got the speed. Eventually got the car to low end of qualifyng speeds, but was left in line in the rain on the final day of qualifying. Everybody liked Dick.

 

A really nice piece on sale there Steve, good luck with the sale...hope there's another project in the wings. You do a nice job of those sprint car and midget restorations.

Jim

 

Michael you never cease to amaze me!

 

Check out item #320882737241 on ebay, Punky Grosso's Gilmore Lion Head Special. 270 Offy powered. Punky did a beautiful job restoring the car. I have a picture of him on the wall in my garage sliding it around the dirt track at Indian Dunes that Walt James built. Punky was one of the original founders of the WRA. owned the bunker at Burbank airport were every Sat. after working on the race cars some of the early members would go to Don's place a great burger beer joint in Burbank Then back to the Bunker for some bench racing. I was there the night at Sagus that Punky got killed in his midget. Great guy, with out Punky I don't think there would of been a WRA.

 

Hey Josh, Could you post a photo of that OFFY ??? I would like to check out the configuration of the rear end of that crankcase where it bolt to the motor plate.

Thanks! mac miller in INDY

 

Jim Thanks for the good words, and if I can sell the roadster there are two cars I would like to restore. Where they are, I will never tell. Up to 3,052 hits on the listing

 

The followintg contract was passed out at a luncheon in Indianapolis. It was not part of the Bench Racing Weekend program, but was a program put on by Race Chaser, a luncheon group of race fans. It was said that someone was going through old Bowes Seal Fast business files and found this.

 

28 Dryer,
funny AJ didn't finish the 61 season with that car.

 

Sad thing is, the "contract" between Flemington and USAC called for a certain amount of races that night. USAC had a short field. Promoter insisted on USAC running the amount of races they had signed for, so they ran what could be called a "consi", maybe? It was in that race that Toby was fatally injured. Sometimes fate changes history and not for the better.

 

Happy Easter from an Easter everybody. You don't get to hear that often.

 

Happy Easter to you Bob, and your family. Happy Easter to everyone on the thread... may God bless you richly.
PK