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

Parnelli, Sacto 1960.

 

Jimmy Davies had an even more serious flip than Parsons earlier in that same race and in just about the same place. Davies was injured and I believe ended up missing several races.

 

Charles Crawford and the Duesenberg powered Pat Murphy Spl. Indy 1947.

 

IIRC, the flips were attributed to a rut in the track that resulted from Duane Carter's flip during a 100 miler the Saturday before Labor Day. The Monday event was scheduled for 200 miles, but called just past 100 by rain.

 

Jimmy Davies was in the Army at the time and he had a superior who was a fan and would give Jimmy "leave" to run the Champ car races. I believe that he was sent to Korea as soon as his injuries healed. He was on top of his game during this period. He would become my stepfather 2 years later. Can anyone verify that the cool looking guy next to the above Kurtis photos submitted by Rootie is my father Johnny McDowell. Jimmy was leading the 500 that year until a set of gears gave out as they were apparently miss-matched. Johnny Paul was the car builder and mechanic and verified this in a later print report. Johnny Paul built that 'Parks Offy' in just months before the 500.

 

Welcome Johnny Mc, not sure what pic you're refering to but here's a couple of shots of him in the Federal Eng. Kurtis he drove in 51.

 

Thanks Rootie.
The photo I was referring to was the top photo shown and the gent with his arms crossed looks to be him. The fellow on the right may be Ted Halibrand. The third photo of the man leaning over the cowl may also be my dad. The top photo shows a car with similar front suspension to the Wolcott 31 he built at Kurtis in the fall on 1951. Thanks for all your fantastic photos.

 

I blew the pic up some but the quality isn't that good. Then I blew up one of him and one of Ted Halibrand from around the same time period. I'll let you decide.

 

That's my dad and probably Ted as well.
Thanks again

 

Hi, John. Glad to see you are participating on this thread!

It might be Ted Halibrand in the photo but it's pretty hard to tell.

However, it's worth noting that Frank Kurtis used Conze running gear, especially spindles and hubs, almost exclusively into the 1960s on his Indianapolis cars. The only exception seems to be when a customer specified using Halibrand parts. Some 1950s Kurtis cars were a mix of the two brands.

For example, the Keck/Vukovich roadster used Conze hubs and spindles but also had a Halibrand rear end. After the steering failure in 1952 the Keck car showed up in 1953 with Conze steering and it's still on the car today.

 

Herk, 1960/62/65/67.

 

Here is a serious trivia question about Watson Roadsters. I have been studying every single detail about them and have a question. The front torsion arms have an I-beam shape to them. At first I thought they were machined this way to shave a little wight and add a little twist resistance but after studying a few I think they are forged like a ford front axle. The centers have a rough texture and the top and bottom are rounded slightly for draft angle. Any body have any ideas where these came from? They are not in any of the Halibrand catalogs either. Watson did not seem the type to have these forged as he built everything else on the cars. Any Thoughts?

 

You might a call the new owner of ' Ed Pink Racing Engines ' as he has a few of those cars restored, just might get you on track about the arms

I think his name is Malloy as has a biz building scaffolding

DND

 

Probably got them from Gorden Schroeder along with the torsion bars.

 

Andrew 'Honey' Purick circa 1938.

 

Actually Tom's company does trench shoring; http://trenchshoring.com/our-company
I met him at the first SVRA vintage race at Indy and he seems like a cool dude (plus he owns the Sarkes Tarzian #21 that I did some of the restoration work on.)

Roo

 

That picture of the right front hub brings back memories of always having to grind the caliper/lobster to clear the inside diameter of the wheel.

 

yea, and when we started switching from 16 inch right rears to 15's more filing and grinding!best tool I found for filing calipers was a rasp made for trimming horses hooves.another joy was stuffing 4 new pucks in a hot halibrand caliper between the heat and feature

 

amen old tom!

 

Jim Daywalt dings up the Helse Spl. Indy 57.

 

Gene Force in Fred Sclavi's Tiz-So #17, 1960.

 

Does anyone remember an Indianapolis roadster from the mid 50's that maybe was black with gold leaf scallops maybe gold lettering and numbers with red pinstripe edging. I am still wondering if this aluminum bodied roadster half midget didn't have a connection to a real Indianapolis roadster ? I know, I am a dreamer!

 

Perhaps one of Smokey Yunick's roadsters?

I don't remember much half-midget activity around Indy, but in the late 50's and early 60's there was a tendency toward tribute and/or duplicate paint jobs among the quartermidget crowd.

 

Sure it's not a 1/4 midget? Sure looks a lot like Danny Caruthers' Viking Craft built by he father, Doug Caruthers. Doug owned an Indy roadster driven by Don Edmunds. The "Eight Ball" was painted red.

 

It might be a 1/4 midget. I always thought it was a little long? The engine is in the front with a drive shaft and a small differential gear box on this one. The front torsion bars cross similar to this roadster.

 

Can anyone tell me who these guys are and where the picture was taken? I think it's Parnelli with the hammer but may be wrong. Thanks.

 

The driver appears to be Deb Syder. Not sure who that is with the hammer, but it's not Parnelli Jones.

 

Yes, definitely Deb Snyder, and definitely not Parnelli Jones!

 

I am interested in making contact with anyone who may have helped build, maintain, crewed on, owned or drove this Tassi Vattis owned Champ Dirt car.
I have spoken with Johnny Parsons Jr.
Decedents of Tassi Vattis, John Hubbard or Ben Cook?
Tom Findley?
Respectfully, Paul Martens [email protected] (580) 750-0230

 

Can anyone date this pic, and the body's builder? Search turned up it being a Hillegas.
I have a rail frame body with a head rest like this, and want to put together a re-creation sprinter with an Alexander OHV.
Any other pics of the car?
Thanks!

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