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Hot Rods Pictures of your Early Oval Track Race Cars.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by lothiandon1940, Oct 29, 2020.

  1. If you raced on dirt or asphalt back in the late 40's, through the 50's, and even early 60's (keep it HAMB friendly please) post up pics that you might still have of your car(s). Stories would be great as well along with which tracks you may have raced at. Thanks, Don.
     
  2. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,917

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've posted this before, but I can't miss this opportunity Thurmer Brothers #102.jpg 102side.jpg

    And one from back in the day.
    . 102 from Roadsir.png

    A "Monkey Wards" and a "Coast to Coast" store? Now that's traditional! Not to mention the tow vehicle.:eek:
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2020
  3. Love it! Thanks tubman. What tracks did it compete on? Is there particular significance to the number 102?
     
  4. olcurmdgeon
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 2,289

    olcurmdgeon
    Member

    I remember my inlaws taking me to Riverside Raceway, Agawam, MA and seeing this guy, Rene Charland.
    [​IMG]
     

  5. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,917

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The car ran out of Jackson, Minnesota, built and sponsored by the Thurmer Brothers Body Shop. It was the last of a series of cars the brother built and raced. The car was Minnesota State Stock Car Champion in 1966, as well as Track Champion at Fairmont Minnesota. In addition to Jackson and Fairmont, the car raced at just about every dirt track in southern Minnesota and Iowa for several years. When I vintage raced it in the late 90's and early 2000's, there were literally dozens of people at just about every track I raced at that were familiar with the car. It had been driven in it's glory days by a "gentleman" named Jack McCorkell out of Wabasso (and later Redwood Falls), MN. Word has it that he was a very aggressive driver, on the track and even behind the grandstand after the races. He later raced sprints against the likes of Doug Wolfgang and Jan Opperman and gave as well as he got. I was able to meet and talk with one of the brothers who was in his eighties one time in Jackson. He had a lot of stories, as did his nephews, who were also race drivers in their own right. I had them drive the races in Jackson when I had the car there for the opening of their "Hall of Fame". (Interestingly, at the time, the track in Jackson was managed by Jon McCorkell, Jack's son.) Over the years, I have been able to collect a stack of documentation 6" tall on the car, including a feature article in the Jackson paper from 1966. The car was so famous that a plastic model of it was offered about 20 years ago. The color and the number were close, but, alas, the rest of the model is not very accurate, being a generic version they had. I have some pictures of it somewhere; I'll add them to this thread if I can find them. Found one.

    Model2.JPG

    The number? Back when the car was built, Jackson was still using a switchboard based telephone system that did not have dial phones. You picked up the receiver and told the operator the number you wanted to call. The phone number of the Thurmer Bros. Body Shop was "102".
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2020
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  6. Pete1
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,254

    Pete1
    Member
    from Wa.

    This is the car that helped me through college. (mid 50's) It was a consistent B main winner. Conversion body from sprint to roadster. 248 GMC engine.

    Tubman mentioned a name I recognized. Jan Opperman. A good friend that we did engine machine work for.
    As a sideline he had a drug rehab ranch for kids in Montana.

    PETE1.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 29, 2020
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  7. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,917

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    A couple of more pieces of ephemera. The year after the car won the state championship. the American Legion (who helped sponsor the track) sold these buttons that were good for admission for the races that year. Sorry for the sideways picture, but if you look carefully, that's an accurate depiction of the car with the proper 102 number.
    PinBack.JPG
    Here's one of the many "Standing Sheets" I have showing the car in first place in the point standings. This is just one of the miscellaneous ones; the important ones are permanently mounted in a large display poster I have.
    img017.jpg
    I'll bet some of the older guys from southern Minnesota and Iowa will recognize a few more names on that list.
     
  8. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    This is my first sprint car when Wibb Spaulding had it. This is from a USAC show at Terre Hautte in the early 60's. I still have that grille. SD11bw.jpg
     
  9. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    My first driver in the famous Black Duece. "Gentleman Jim" Moughan in the seat and car owner Hector Honore. Honore won many IMCA championships with this car. I believe they won the feature this day. Notice the knobby tire on the right rear. The car still exists with an Offy in it. I believe it is in the Speedway Motors Museum. https://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/blackdeuce.html Jim-BLduece win.jpg
     
  10. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 894

    tractorguy
    Member

    I was very blessed to have watched Jan Opperman.......with Doug Wolfgang and many, many others race at Knoxville Iowa back in the glory days. I also followed his injuries, illnesses, family etc. Truly left his mark on racing and many, many people who followed him and his outlook on life and the afterlife. RIP
     
  11. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 894

    tractorguy
    Member

    That shot truly captures what sprint car racing was all about in the 1950's-1970's........on the cushion.......chassis twisted .......LF off the ground......dirt flying........nose pointed at the infield.......cranking the wheel.......eyes way ahead on the upcoming straightaway. I get goosebumps just looking at at !!
     
  12. In 1934 this was the first Ford flathead powered car to finish an Indy 500 race.

    More recently it has competed at Lime Rock, Laguna Seca and Road America many times. A couple friends own and race it in the pre war class of SVRA. I believe these photos are on the Indy road course at the Indy 100 anniversary weekend.

    I've worked on it some. When the body is removed it looks like a hot rod ready to receive a 34 Roadster body.

    IMG_2038.jpg
    IMG_3456.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2020
  13. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    The "deuce" is in Speedy Bill's museum. It had been in the Don Smith collection in Indiana and was sold at auction after Don died.

    Don had the crew at the IMS museum do the restoration which was a bit overdone for my taste.
     
  14. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,041

    gene-koning
    Member

    We didn't start racing until the early 70s (right out of high school), and those cars were all off topic. My coupe (my avatar is the coupe in the Rocky Mountain National Park on May 29, 2016) is a factious race car that represents something that may have been run on local dirt tracks in the 50s and early 60s, we have driven it in 13 different states. It always brings back pleasant memories of racing past with people that see it. We have heard many wonderful stories of the cars from back in the days. Gene
     
  15. Off topic winged sprints. Would have liked to have driven a few of the single loop champ cars, but after clearing a few catch fences and landing on my lid, I did appreciate the added crumple zone those wings provided.
     
  16. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    Chuck Weyant sold it to Jack Barrick out of Lincoln, Il. He used to still run it at Little Springfield in the mid 70's before he sold it to Don Smith.
     
  17. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    Hudson RobBean n DanaBarlow built an raced.jpg 4.jpg 14.jpg LouWhite312DanaBarlow.jpg postcard made by Ronnie.jpg Mel  at Hollywood.jpg Maybe not every one that goes to races.
    Comes away with the ringing in the head; Of "I'm going to build n race car like that !!!!!!"
    I had been hearing story's from my Uncle Erving,after WW2 about his race car. He owned with another guy.It was 39 V8 Ford sedan he ran in up state NY late 1940s. But we lived in Miami Fla.
    So didn't get to go see racing tell very early 50s,we had gone up to NY one summer to visit. Dad took me to a dirt race oval out side of Syracuse. It was the same one the story's about,an Dad had gone there before joining the Navy.
    Dad was always saving $ some how,so we go down some dirt roads an park next to a farm fence,get out, can hear race cars screaming,but can't see nothing. Dad said follow me an don't step in them brown paddys,over the hill as we top it,is a great view of the speedway,but we're kind of above the back straight"VIP cow paddy seats for cheapass's".
    Great races. Sedans n Coupes,but fastest was the Roadster class. I picked a car # in each class to root for ! #X sedan an a Roadster #4< 4 being my fav. number anyway.
    Well #4 won,but #X got crashed an we got hot dogs on the way home 1951.
    Now the seed is there,and by mid 1950s we go to races in south east Fla. a lot.
    Medley Speedways about 30min. away,Hialeah Speedway 40 min.,Hollywood Speedway 50 min. away from home.
    My Hero racer was Mel Payne #30, his house was a short pedal bike ride,and us kids would go over to see him work on his #30 Super Modified. Ask too many "Q"s,but he'd give "A"s.
    Fact was Mel was only 5 years older then us,but when your 14 n 15,that's a old really smart guy.
    Us kids grow some an finally started racing too,got a used up old race car Ply coupe 6cyl Sportsman{not good} after that we built a Hudson.#57.
    From that point,for the next 40 years there was a lot of racecars, #4 being the # I used,an if it was taken in a class I tried to race. Would just use one that could be 4= #3+1(31) or if driving for owner,use there #. $ for racing would come n go,an type class raced showed it.
    In the 70s I drove for Lou White,Bobby Allison had been his driver before goin up to Alabama. So I was #312 for a few years. Tell Lou retired an sold 312 off.
    40+ years of racing,so I'll only put one of my last Late Model Mod pics. Did both open wheel, black top an dirt. Plus raced and built sportscars. Lumping all types of racing together,I won some were over 200 events. between early 1960s to 2001.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2021
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  18. rusty rocket
    Joined: Oct 30, 2011
    Posts: 5,053

    rusty rocket
    Member

    Oh hell yeah! That photo is the shit!
     
  19. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    Out of curiosity, did Chuck buy the car from Hector or were there other owners before he got It?

    I remember the car showing up in central Indiana on occasion with Chuck in the seat. Later on into the early seventies it continued to race in Indiana on an off and on basis with Duke DeRosa at the wheel. Word on the street was that Derosa was Chuck's nephew.
     
  20. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    If that's the grill I'm thinking of, I ran a car with that same grill. There was a guy in the Anderson, Indiana area who had the mold for the nose that went with it.
     
  21. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,055

    wicarnut
    Member

  22. Not mine or even a relative, but my childhood racing hero, L.D. Ottinger, Newport, Tennessee. I grew up watching him on the dirt track at the Tennessee-Carolina Speedway. He went on to the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series, the Busch Series and a few starts in the then Winston Cup Series. 2-time National Champion in the touring Late Model Sportsman Series. L. D. (2).jpg 333348-1318885076-636a4451195be7a4f6b3a17ae8548a61.jpg
     
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  23. Saved these clippings from the Newport, Tennessee Plain Talk newspaper from 1962.
     
  24. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    Yes, Chuck bought it from Hector. I'm pretty sure there is a family connection to Duke.
     
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  25. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    How about Foyt in a sprint car. I think this may be Terre Haute. AJ 11.jpg
     
  26. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    An early Jim Moughan ride. He won a lot of races in this little red and white coupe.
    jim moughan.jpg
     
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  27. speedshifter
    Joined: Mar 3, 2008
    Posts: 312

    speedshifter
    Member

    102 was built by the Thurmer bros of Jackson,Minn. Always had an early Olds.
     
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  28. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,055

    wicarnut
    Member

    IMG_0546.JPG IMG_0547.JPG IMG_0573.JPG Dad's car 1949, Johnny Dietz driver, this car updated I drove 70 through 74, start of a great 21 year adventure. I'm in process of restoring to early 50's configuration,Ford V8 60, Tomshe quick change gear box, franklin steering, Dad built this car after WW2, Navy Veteran, first ran 1948. Parts from Grancor, Tomshe, Otto Hamburger (local machinist, racer) Kurtis body stampings.[​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2020
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