Great Oregon Racers

Well there can't be two of these. My Dad (Harold Davis) bought the car in early 1971 in Portland. We rebuilt the motor and trans and installed a narrowed 8.75 mopar posi running 4:56's. We also had to beef up the suspension and steering to handle the radical horsepower. The car was capable of low 10's, but a real handful. My Dad drove the car on the street in Portland until about 1978 and then sold it (against my wishes) to a kid in Yakima. I loved that car. Dad was just looking out for me, or so he thought, but I paid him back later by piloting Sprint Cars for a few years. I was later told the kid traded it for a Triumph motorcycle. We have never heard of it since.

I just stumbled on this site, now the wife is nervous I might be getting that feeling again. Thank you Marty and Gary for all you do here, this is a treasure chest! I will never be able fill the shoes of my parents or contribute what they have to the history of racing here, but I can share some pictures, if I figure out how you load them here.

 

Welcome Alan, Your parents, Harold and Dorothy, were certainly very competitive in the 60's drag racing scene around here. I can still see your mom driving their black 62 Dodge 413 convertible, making mince meat out of all comers, that were all men at that time. I mailed your Dad a picture of you, sitting in the A/A Roadster around 1964, you were probably 10 at the time. Many years later, you are wheeling a beautiful blue Winged Sprint Car at Cottage Grove. It was always fun to visit Harold and you at the swap meet ! If you have any pictures, please post them !

 

OK I don't want you to think I'm freeloading on ya so I'll add a picture. I was lucky enough to grow up in a dream world, where both parents (Harold and Dorothy) raced. I first realized how lucky I was when they bought a new 59 Catalina 389 Tri Power 3 speed stick converted to the floor. They would take us three little kids with them and hit the burger joints looking for races where Dad would throw out the bait "I'll even let the wife drive". Been to the 82nd strip and Delta Park many times when we were little. That was a very fast Pontiac, and I have to laugh a little every time I hear someone say the GTO was the first supercar. After that came a 60 Chev 348 Tri Power that Lowell Newby painted,but in 62 came the wicked 413 Dodge Dart convertible and every weekend at the drags. The competition was very stout in those days with Ladeen, Furakawa, Ireland and many many others. If you have seen the video, then you've seen the trophies on the hood of that 62, Mom won her share and us kids couldn't have been more proud. There were other very fast women out there, two of which were Dorothy Fry and Bev Ladeen. We used to love stopping for dinner after the races and talking to other racers there. What a great way to grow up. I would not change a thing.

 

Alan, Welcome to the HAMB!
Thanks for the picture and the kind words!
HEY OREGONIANS!
Let's keep this thread ALIVE!

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I had to wait for my son to walk me through the steps to add an image. My 2 year old grandson has more computer skills than I do, really. OK the first picture is from Woodburn Dragstrip. Dorothy Davis vs Chuck Poole, the crowd went wild over this one.

 

Down track view of Dorothy Davis vs Chuck Poole. The Chuckwagon leaves the line hard but doesn't have the top end of the Factory Lightweight Hemi. Notice the two hemi engines. I got to do more than just spectate. My Dad worked construction out of town a lot so I got to pull the pan so mom could check the bearings and I would help her change plugs and set the valves. I hope a little of their talent rubbed off on me.

 

Too bad they're gone. We used to drive from The Dalles [and later Redmond] to buy hot rod parts at Radkey's...good times in the 60s.

 

Yeah it was sad to hear of his passing, his brother died not too long before he did as well. You could always count on seeing him run around in the 31 model a during the summer.

 

McMinnville, OR 1964 Towing the Rose City Dodge 426 powered A/Altered with the 413 Super Stocker, is this not normal? We lived in West Linn at that time but spent a lot of long hours in Bob Gibsons' shop in Newberg building this Altered. Very lightweight and innovative car, round tube frame, tube axle, valvesprings for front suspension, hard mounted mopar posi rear. Most Altereds of this era were square frame and cross spring front end. Bob was a hard worker, great craftsman, and great friend. We miss him dearly! Neither family had a lot of money but made up for it with desire and determination, no limits. Seems to be common traits among the racers of that time. They all have my utmost respect. This car ran consistently right on the national record.

 

Wild Wild West at Ron Tonkin Chevrolet Day Woodburn Dragstrip, Super Stock Eliminator winner. Lets just say Ron was not pleased. I have to give Ron credit though, he sponsored a lot of cars and did a lot for racing. Mom won the trophy, the money, and the Ron Tonkin Chevrolet jacket which she promptly sewed a Mopar patch on. Who knew he would have a Dodge dealership later on.

 

Alan, in the mid 70's a friend of mine,Tom Turk, was racing a roadster with a small block. He had me install a 3 point roll cage, I remembered the front suspension having a rocker arm and valve spring arrangement. Years later, I figured out that it was the Rose City Dodge A/A that your family raced.

 

Alan
If I remember correctly the name Sonny Wells had a connection to your family, I just can't remember the details, could you elaborate.

 

I remember that car, I watched it run many times. I too remember the name Sonny Wells being connected to this car.

 

Can't be too many Sonny Wells around here, the reason I bring it up is Sonny lived down the street from me when I was in my late teens, he had a funny car named "Sonnys Funny".
You'd hear them fire it up at any time day or night.
Just curious.

 

Hey Alan,
Do you happen to know if your dad bought the Austin Healey from a Roy Weisenberger? That's who my dad sold it to. I spoke with Roy and I distinctly remember him telling me that he had installed two small hood scoops on the hood, like is shown in your picture. I can't imagine there were two 426 max wedge powered Austin Healey's around the northwest at the same time.. here's another photo of it early on. That's my oldest sister at the wheel.

 

I have always wondered what happened to all of our old race cars. Have never heard about any of them.
Sonny Wells owned the Wild Wild West. He ran in the 13's with it and asked my Dad to tune it for him. My Dad tuned it and Mom demonstrated the car could run in the low 11's. Sonny didn't want to drive it anymore. The deal was if we campaigned the car successfully, we would be half owners. Sonny would show up to watch it race and once let me race his 68 Hemi RoadRunner in SuperStock Eliminator. I finished runner up to you know who, yah Mom hurt my feelings. I had just turned 15. Mom did very well for 3 years until the Hemi Darts and Cudas debuted in the same class SS/BA. It was very difficult to compete with them, after a year the writing was on the wall. Sonny came and picked the car up and we never saw it again. A lot of great memories with that car. Sonny was a character, only picture I have of him. I never saw this car run and don't know the history of it.

 

I do remember the yellow painted motor. I don't know the name of the guy my Dad bought the Healey from. It cost me my 64 Dodge Dart 273 4 speed that I had built up, as part trade. I was suppose to keep my grades up to have a car. Got kicked out of auto mechanics class for calling the teacher a butcher, then suspended for drag racing in front of the school. Dad traded the car and money for the Healey. He warned me.

 

I certainly remember the Dodge, I posted a pic of it I took umpteen pages back.
AH, the Woodburn of the 1960'!
Safety? Wall? just run fast.
What FUN that was. I' was just a kid, a teen, but MAN!

 

This last discussion sure brings back memories! Especially the mention of street racing on 82nd and at Delta Park before PIR was there! Loved the video Alan Davis posted too!

 

Found out my next door neighbor who's in her early 70's used to drag race. Haven't yet set down to chew the fat on that one. I think that's very cool.

 

Portland International Raceway, June 5, 1976. The far car is the Lidtke & Zeller car from CA. I can't read the near car. The second pic is from 1972. From https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/?s=race&submit=Search

 

A nice article about Jack Corley. https://ironandsteele.com/blogs/news/you-dont-know-jack

 

Just a bump to my old thread!
if you live in the northwest, start at page one THE POST SOME MORE PICTURES!

 

Some great footage of McMinnville from 62, I was no doubt there, watching as a 13 year old.

 

Picked up this cool photo, this is an enlarged copy, at a local estate sale. The coupe says Medford Oregon on it, I have no idea who is driving or where it was taken. Does anyone have any info?

 

Great picture! The car has 'ZOMBIE' painted on the top. Perhaps the car's name or the driver's nickname.
Google says The 21 Club was in business at least 1957 - 1960.
I found this pic when researching. From http://truwe.sohs.org/files/childhoods.html
Ralph Twight, Medford, OR

 

It COULD be the Southern Oregon Wheelers car, The Zombie 1,,,, before the club bought it. I became a member right after they had sold it and started on the rail, the Zombie 2,,,,,, check with a "Bub" Hewitt who was a member at the time,,,,,, he drove a Salmon colored '56 Ford p/u,,,,, he was the driver and the main cigar smoker in the club back in the early '60s,,,,,,

 

Another name comes up also,,, a Gary Croucher who I think was the Pres. at the time,,,, memories, memories,memories,,,,,,,,,

 

Annnnnnnnd , Brian Watson,,,,, " and the starter at the Camp White "strip" "Barney Oilcan " !