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

Manny Ayulo in the Estes car with the original flathead at Williams Grove 1948.

A couple years later with the Ardun conversion and Joe James up.

 

The car alongside Manny appears to be a Big Car (Sprint Car) and not a Championship car. Since I don't believe there was any Championship race at Williams Grove in 1948 it makes you wonder if this was a case of needing cars to fill out a field or something?

By 1950 the car certainly looks totally different. And IIRC James was the 2nd Alternate Starter after being bumped.

 

I couldn't come up with any more info on exactly where and when of that 1st pic but it sure looks like Williams Grove and 1948 would be most likely. Apparently they rebodied it when they converted to the Ardun heads.

 

Rookie,
I don't see any mention of Manny or James ever driving a flathead or Ardun for Bob Estes. All their rides say watson Offy that I can see on Ultimate racing site.

It does look like Williams Grove (turn 2) but for some reason there were no races at Williams Grove after July in 1948.

These data bases have lots of errors though. And the pictures don't lie.

Interesting though.

 

Champ Car Stats lists Ayulo in a Weidel entry with a Mercury engine at Indy in 1948. And the Ardun conversion was also on a Mercury which is how the James 1950 entry is listed with no mention of Ardun.

I'll have to see if I can find some period entry lists to see how the car was really entered.

 

I have George Amick driving the Estes Special at Williams Grove on Sep 12, 1948, and Ayulo was in the East a month later for the Langhorne Midget 100-miler, so he could've driven the car at the Grove on Oct 10 or 24. Neither finished in the money, though, Amick was only mentioned because he crashed in the consy. #77 could be Larry Smith of New Jersey in his V8-60. By the way, that's a young Jud Phillips talking to James in the 1950 pic.

 

East coast modified legend Frankie Schneider in a, well used, NASCAR Speedway Div. car, Langhorne circa 1952.

 

Frankie just celebrated his 90th!

 

West coast shoe Buck Whitmer, Oakland Stadium circa 1948.

 

Pfrommer Offy, Trenton 63.

 

Rootie, I think it may still have been the H.O.W. car in the second photo. That's Parnelli getting ready to run the car while Elmer George (in the crew cut) helps. That would have been in early 1963. Jones finished second that day after his own car lost its driveline in Practice.

 

You can see Elmer George leaning into the cockpit and Parnelli looking on. Was the April race.

The top picture was the 150 miler in July. First race w/ Pfrommer as owner.

 

Not sure if anyone has posted this, 1950 indy race, color. Vacuum cleaners used to clean the track.

 

Job security

 

It was an advertising thing for Filter Queen vacuums.

 

Pa. driver Mel Weidner and his 6 cyl. Ford powered ride 1954.

 

Excellent film which I don't believe I've ever seen.

Note that at about the 7:15 mark there is footage of the rear engine Rounds Rocket going down the front straight on the last day of Time Trials after the track has dried. I can't be sure but that just might be a then relatively unknown Bill Vukovich in the car. At any rate it's the first time I've ever seen film of the Rounds Rocket actually moving on the track.

 

No idea of this cars history. I think it's for sale, around the 50k mark. Gorgeous thing.
Looking like its having a great holiday on Pendine sands.

 

Mike Nazaruk, circa 1952.

 

Michigan racer/carbuilder Johnny Wohlfeil 1930s.

 

Rootie Kazootie : Where do you get all these great Pictures? In your collection do you have any of IMCA driver Herb(or H.O.) Manges? &/or the Franklin "Stagger-Valve" Fronty(usually #69)? Thanks!

 

Herb Manges, unknown track, mid 30s I suspect.

 

Thanks Rootie!! Jamie Franklin still has this car(different bodywork) in the Tampa,FL area

 

Jack McGrath, Milwaukee 1953.

 

Pitside, Indy 52. In the foreground is Bob Scott saddled up in the Morris Spl. In the background is Jud Phillips, A.J. Watson and Jim Rigsby and his rookie ride, the Estes 29.

 

We had the Roadster at Milwaukee this Summer.

 

Rootie : re;24402 That must be 1939- early 1940, as they didn't have the Staggervalve motor until sometime in 1939, & Herb Manges was killed at Tiffen,Ohio on Mother's day 1940 in this car.

 

Before signing on to wrench Lee Elkins stable of cars, Charlie Sczkendy was a pretty fair wheelman in his own right. Here he is in Hector Honore's City of Roses #2.

 

Don Branson leads Rodger Ward, Du Quoin 1961.

 

Rootie, it looks like Watson was running both a coilover front suspension as well as a 4-bar setup at various times during the 1961 season on the Leader Card dirt car. And that right front spring almost looks coil bound in your photo.
He also used the coilover setup on his roadsters in 1961 for both Ward and Johnny Boyd with less than spectacular results although Ward did manage to get a win at Milwaukee. The non adjustable shocks of the day likely weren't up to the task. At any rate Watson was back to torsion bars in 1962 although his later dirt cars did use coilovers again.