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

Some late nite work on Jud Larson's Zink Watson, to no avail, 1957.

 

Rodger Ward, Hoosier 100 1962.

Shorty Templeman, Indy 1956.

 

info says 1969 leroy felty owner/driver ????? b. bessie
mlight9

 

Rathman and Ward, Daytona 1959

 

Watson built two roadsters for the 1959 racing season -- Ward's #5 and Jim Rathmann's #16. Right out of the box, Jim won both Daytona races, setting a world closed course race speed record (170.261MPH). Six weeks later Rodger won the 500 with Jim finishing second. A very good year for AJ!

 

If nothing else Basement Bessie was versatile, from 2 1/2 mile Indy to 1/2 mile dirt to the IRP roadcourse. Here's Gary Congdon taking a "spin" at IRP 1965:

 

Gary Congdon was a all around athlete in his own right while growing up. He also had a brother that played professional basketball in both the NBA and ABA.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/congdje01.html

And notice in the photos that Congdon appears to be wearing only a Sam Browne belt even though double over the shoulder harnesses had been required for several years by 1965. I guess USAC needed all of the cars that they could get for their first road course race.

 

Larry should know. The Rathman car is in his collection. Larry, for several years compiled the information and published "The Roadster Roster" a detailed list of surviving Indy Roadsters. Good to hear from you Larry.

Mike McCurdy.

 

Jean Marcenac and the NOVI.

 

Not sure if this is true or not, but I remember hearing a story that Bessie broke in half at the firewall at one of the miles when Congdon was driving it and that he just unbuckled and walked out the open front.

 

That looks like an Offy engine - to the best of my knowledge, Felty drove only Central Pennsy Super Sprints that year, Offies not eligible!!

 

Ted Horn outside of the Ross Page 1948 not sure where.

 

Great picture! Looks like Du Quoin...

 

For those who might be in Indiana:

Susannah Stapp is putting on a fundraiser to benefit the Racers at Rest group. Specifically, she wants to raise enough money to purchase a headstone for riding mechanic Lawson Harris who was killed during a tire test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1939.

Her grandfather, Babe Stapp, was the driver that day and he somehow escaped with relatively minor injuries.

For some reason Harris was buried in an unmarked grave at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis so Susannah wants to finally mark his resting place.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is the sponsor of this event since they have also worked to provide grave markers for drivers in the past and have the contacts to help make that possible.

This event is a spaghetti dinner and will be held on Thursday, May 5th at the American Legion Post at 1926 North Georgetown Road alongside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The dinner is at 6:30PM and the program with Pancho Carter and Steve Stapp starts at 7:30PM.

Make your reservations at $20 per person through the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (they are set up to accept credit cards) at 1-800-874-4488. You can also contact Tom Schmeh at the Hall of Fame by e-mail at [email protected]

Please RSVP by 12 Noon on Monday, May 2nd so that an accurate head count can be made for food preparation.

 

Sessions, Branson and McElreath keeping the faith at Atlanta 65.

Taking louver punching and pit road sartorial standards to the next level is the Hamilton Harris Spl. with Ralph Hepburn up 1939.

 

Paul Russo observes repairs to his NOVI after the first lap NE accident 1958.

 

Arnie Knepper, Hoosier 100 1964

Pa. racer Byron Horne had a bad crash while taking his rookie test, 1949. Though badly hurt he did survive. Put quite a hurt on Andy G's old race car too,

 

On the Russo fix, they tried to use tar from the concrete seams to plug the radiator. It didn't work as one would suspect.

 

what ever became of the Konstant Hot Volsted car??

 

Bruce Homeyer, who originally owned the Konstant Hot cars, was killed in a plane crash. Tassi Vattis bought the cars and the Konstant Hot business. I don't remember the time frame however.

 

was that the day Ted was killed ? We know that was the champ car he was killed in. I believe it was the Oct. race 1948.

 

The #14 Konstant Hot Spl. is currently owned by Dano Davis of Jacksonville, Fl..(Brumos Racing)...it's at Indy each year during the vintage event and will be in 2016...Joe

 

I believe that is the Sept. labor day race and Hal Robson was driving the Ross Page car. It appears that the R/P car wasn't entered in the Oct. race.

 

Horn died 10 Oct 1948 at Duquion.

Wasn't Robson killed at Atlanta right after winning Indy?

 

George Robson was the 1946 Indy winner. I believe Hal was his younger brother.

 

Interesting oil tank treatment on Eddie Johnson's Trevis, 1962.

 

Ted Horn and Hal Robson DuQuoin 1948

 

Jim Rathman receives service before going out to resume battle with Ward and Thomson, 1960. Man there is a lot going on in this picture. Smokey is looking down at a gloved hand that appears to be wiping the top of the sump tank or perhaps that is the air hose attachment as I seem to see it right at smokeys left thigh. I believe that is "Chickie" pointing the extinguisher at Rathman. The fuel hose is back over the wall so why does the guy have his hand on the filler? The left rear seems a little late, perhaps they delayed the left rear until the fuel was in, looks like he is going for the mallet at this point.

 

I'm not sure about just why he has his hand on the fuel cap but that crew member looks like it might be Ronnie Kaplan who went to work for Chickie after missing the show with his own Lujie laydown driven by Jack Turner. Maybe he was the one that actually shut the cap after the hose was removed.

As for the left rear tire that was sometimes the toughest tire to change. A Bowes crew member who changed left rear told me that he was in a constant fight with refueler Frank Catania during pit stops with Frank either leaning against him or banging him with the stiff hose. He said that it was sometimes tough to get an accurate swing with the wheel hammer.