Great Oregon Racers

I think that shot was taken at Oakland, Ca, this one is from Portland Meadows, 1 mile horse track. Not sure who the driver is, a young guy named Mike Moore, lost his life in that car around 1949. Another of Cliff's drivers was Jack "Crash" Timmings.

 

I stopped by Briz's this morning, yes this photo was the Oakland, Ca. track.

 

Nobody so far has been able to identify the driver in this picture. The man at the rear of the car is Cliff Nelson the cars original builder and owner. The holes for the original flathead exhaust are still in the frame rails. Briz mentioned that possibly it may be time for a new caretaker for the car if someone is interested, P.M. me for contact info.

 

Would this car have been on display at the WAAM Museum in Hood River Oregon back several years ago ? I remember a Ranger powered car in one of the rooms with a rather extensive scrapbook with it during my last visit. Those old Ranger engine cars certainly interesting. I ran my midget in a vintage event in Iowa back in the late1980's and Gene Cunningham had his Ranger there on the dirt. They certainly get your attention.

 

I met this guy (Earl Veeder Jr) on a construction job. He could tell stories non-stop about dirt racing. He told me stories about a Ranger Sprinter and gave me that Pic. I didn't even know what a sprint car was. I went with him to watch a race and that was it. I tell the wife I don't want one, I need one! I buy a chassis in Cal and build a motor. The wife takes one look in the cockpit and is horrified, they are not for everybody, but just sitting in the car I felt at home, and so it started.

 

Yeah, Earl could tell stories, made me look like a piker !

 

Yes, that car was on display at the WAAM Museum in Hood River.

 

Al Slinker 1948
I would give anything to hear some of his racing stories, yes I know I'm a little late.

 

Well the one story I wish he didn't tell me was the one where he said " If you can't avoid contact with another car make sure you stand on the gas, that way he will take the brunt of the impact". That was the night I set the altitude record at Chico,Ca. The car landed outside the track in the campground. The only thing we could salvage was the Rodeck 410 and the seat, the seat had to be repaired. The wife wasn't there that night so I did the only thing logical, I hid the remains in the trailer until I could put enough pieces back on it with zip ties, duct tape and wire to at least make it look like a sprint car again. Well I got caught and it took some smooth talking but was in the back up car the next weekend. New chassis ordered (25k), that was an expensive lesson in physics.

 

Jack Corley could share a few stories, has LOTS of trivia info.

located in Gresham, Oregon

 

Al Slinker and Johnny Key
#404 Hisso
I hear the name Jack Corley a lot and would love to hear some of his stories.

 

Jack would be a good one for you to talk to, don't wait too long he isn't getting any younger. If you need his number, P.M. me.

 

Thanks for the pic of Earl. He was a good friend of mine.
I met him at one of the first WCVR races.

 

Earl Veeder Jr Jantzen Beach 1961
OK one of my adventures with Earl. In 1987 he found a guy in Bakersfield that would trade an old Tognotti Sprint Car chassis and trailer for Earl's old ski boat. Earl didn't have a truck so I offered to take him and tow the boat down and bring the sprinter home over the weekend. Friday after work we headed towards Cal, I had a bad cold so I couldn't even talk, but life is not about excuses and friends are important. We drove straight through to Bakersfield, Saturday afternoon made the trade, turned around and headed back to Oregon. We were riding in my 79 Chev 4X4 and Earl said and I quote "I hereby christen you Teddy Roosevelt you rough riding SOB", that's Earl. We made it home nonstop Sunday and Earl was a happy camper, he had his sprint car and I got to be a part of it. I had a cold and couldn't talk, Earl never stopped talking the whole trip, it kept me awake on the long drive. I heard every racing story from the 50s through the 70s. All precious memories now.

 

Flat Track Motorcycle Racer Gary Davis' 34 Ford Roadster in 1958
I took my wife to Sidewinders on our second date, she passed that test and all the others.
I figured it to be an act of treason when they closed Sidewinders. My parents used to take us kids there when we were young.

 

Gary is a good guy, he lives about 12 miles from me, I see him at our Chinese restaurant in Banks. After he quite racing, he put some of the best riders on his bikes. His '34 his owned by one of the Schnell Brothers, Tim, I think.

 

Speaking of Sidewinders; those Donaca fellas have some history there.
A few years before my time so I never did get out there to watch but I've heard Mr. Donaca (father) was the flagman there.

 

Bill Sr. was one of the original members who built the track, and all 4 of his boys raced, pretty well I might add ! Bill, Dan, John and Dick. John raced Sprint Cars with Alan.

 

McMinnville Drags 1962
A/Street Roadster
I think this is the Schnell roadster and it sure looks like the one Gary had. It was featured in Hot Rod about 7 years ago.

 

That 34 roadster looks very much like one I saw that a spectator had driven into the "Oldies but Goodies" drags @ Woodburn about 6 years ago. It had the same roll bar and was running a flathead. The car was all original and as he said, had been in his barn for years. He lived or lives in the Hopewell area south of Dayton. Somewhere I have his name and #. He indicated he had "other" cars in his barn and if we were in the area to drop by.

- EM

 

You are thinking of Mel Sperling's 33 roadster. It ran C/SR against Johnny Hart in the early 60's. He is in Hopewell.

 

Doesn't it have chrome cycle fenders on the front now ?

 

I wonder what became of this one ? Very competitive car, out of Schnell's shop.

 

In the Hot Rod article the Schnell 34 had cycle fenders.
Marty funny you should ask, we borrowed the stroker small block for a few races in about 66, Don Roberts even drove it a couple times. This is where we began experimenting with the 4 speed using 3rd and 4th. In the end the idea didn't have anything over a torqueflite and we got tired of changing clutches every race. It wasn't very consistent, nor was it faster than the 426. This is not a burnout, this is on a run at Woodburn. The year after this we went to the Rat motor and 4 speed. Then the next year we went to the Hemi and Torqueflite, then sold it and went Super Stock racing with the Wild Wild West.

 

Now you might be able to see where Gary Davis and Sidewinders had a little influence on me when I was a teenager. This 68 Triumph Bonneville was my first dual sport bike (street and trail). Now some might say you need lights, turn signals, and mufflers to ride on the street. That's all the stuff I took off and put in a box to make the bike right. Besides when does a teenager ever listen to anyone.

 

Alan, I had no idea you were a Triumph man ! You must have looked at Lonnie Gilbertson's 65 T120 C at P-Trans. BTW, I have a 66 T-120 that was bought new by Tom Haverstick, a Sidewinders racer.

 

Yes, I've been riding Triumphs since 1955.
That's my Mom's Triumph, see even there I was already breakin the rules, no helmet.
And yes Lonnie Gilbertson's Triumph is beautiful, and sounds very healthy.
I wish I still had mine, but nobody can keep everything, well except maybe Marty. I was lucky enough to live next to Kenny Drier for 22 years, so I got to see a lot of nice restored Triumphs and Nortons.

 

Seeing those old Triumph's brings back a lot of memories of cams.
The big deal was to put the 67-357 and 67-358 BSA grinds on the Triumph cams to make them go fast.
Used to do 8 or 10 a week back then.
I rode a Ducati.

 

Pete, did you know Pat Connolly ? He was the motorcycle cam guru in Portland, did a lot of Triumph and Honda cams, sold plenty for the type 1, 250 and 305's.

 

Yes, I met Pat. Didn't really know him though.