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Hot Rods Racing in the 60's dirt track

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by birdman1, May 9, 2021.

  1. birdman1
    Joined: Dec 6, 2012
    Posts: 1,591

    birdman1
    Member

    Back in the mid 60's, my 3 brothers and I raced the local dirt tracks. Didn't have a pickup, so we used my 1964 Merc Monterey to pull the home made trailer. Couldn't get in to much of a hurry or it would whip like hell. Getting the car to the track was more dangerous than racing it. Down to 2 of us now. Have fun while you can fellas.
     
  2. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Sorry for your lossed. Keeping the memories alive when you were all together and and raising H377 helps you get thru the inevitable bad days. I raced modifieds up here in the NE as owner/builder/mechanic and my best friends are mostly gone now also. On the days when I'm feeling low about something, I try to recall the fun stuff, like you pulling the trailer being more dangerous than the racing.

    Tell us some stories about the car and racing, and if you have pictures, post them.
     
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  3. Glenn Thoreson
    Joined: Aug 13, 2010
    Posts: 928

    Glenn Thoreson
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Whip like hell, eh? Not enough tongue weight.
     
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  4. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    In Iowa in the 60's you should have had a lot of dirt tracks to choose from.
     

  5. mickeyc
    Joined: Jul 8, 2008
    Posts: 1,363

    mickeyc
    Member

    I remember leaving our local short track after a Sunday afternoons
    racing. while crossing a railroad track one of the axles our the trailer broke. The weight of the 55 Chevy sedan race car caused wheel to rub
    the fender on the trailer. We unloaded the Chevy fired it up and drove it
    the 5 or so miles back to the garage. I stopped for a red light and a local
    Police Officer rolled up in the lane next to me. The guys were behind me with the damaged trailer. The officer looked and gave me a whats up kind of
    look. I just pointed back at truck and trailer and gave him the broke kind of sign. He nodded and when the light changed just motored on his way. Really
    nothing unusual thats just the way South Louisiana was in the sixties.
    Another time some friends had a beautiful Talledaga edition Mercury
    Hard top sporting a 427 Big block. We had taken it up to Hattisburg Mississippi to race at the drags there. Towing the big Merc with a tow bar behind my 65 Chevy pick up proved to be to be too much for the little
    Chevy six. On the way back it began to over heat and leak from the water pump. We were still 60 miles or so from New Orleans. The owner was riding in the Merc to use his brakes to supplement
    the trucks meager binders. After a road side consultation with one
    another it was decided to fire up Merc and push the truck and it occupants
    back to the house. It worked out well but was quite a trip with him rowing
    gears and the headers wailing out those lovely 427 Ford tunes for 60 miles
    at a most rapid clip. With his 4.11 gears we had to make a gas stop on the way. A local Mississippi Cop in the station sauntered over and wanted to know "What the Hell boys?" After an explanation he just grinned and walked away. Man the South was great in those days!
     
  6. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    I never raced a dirt track car. That will change when I finish this trio of tow car, race car, and trailer.
     

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  7. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Looks like you're in for a ton of fun! I never drove until I was over 60 and was never any good, but it was a blast!

    Thurmer Brothers #102.jpg
     
  8. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    I'll pitch in.........
    My best-bud and his son decided to get into dirt track racing in the Greenville SC area. They bought a car (74 Nova) sight unseen off of flea bay!!!:confused:
    They recruited me to build the engine because........I could ...and they never had! He told me.......just order what we need and I'll pay for it.
    Got it built....ran pretty good....we 'cheated' a little and most of the rest cheated a lot! (why anybody would put 7-8 thousand dollars in an engine and setup for a $300 prize STILL makes me scratch-my-head!!)
    My buddy was a CEO of a good sized company but a good-old-boy-get-down-throw-down-red-neck at heart.
    We were on the way to the track one Friday...fighting bumper-to-bumper-traffic, with a trailer in tow behind us....my buddy is driving...swapping lanes....and closing a deal in Belgium all at the same time!!:eek::eek: After about a 20 minute conversation where he threatened to fire somebody if they didn't do their job .....he hangs up and yells....open me a beer and let's-go-rac'in!!!!!;)
    We met his son/driver at the track and came in first that night!! YEEEEE-Haw!:cool:
    6sally6
     
  9. bigdog
    Joined: Oct 30, 2002
    Posts: 761

    bigdog
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I raced at West Liberty and Columbus Junction (Iowa) back in the '70s. Won by a bumper the first night out, coming off the fourth turn three wide with me in the middle. I was only 16 years old, my parents had to sign a release so I could drive. That was the first and last race that my mom came to watch, made her too nervous.

    (edit) Guess I should mention that was also pretty much the high point of my racing career. Only feature I ever won. I raced with underfunded , outdated garbage for about 8 years and was doing really well if I got a top five finish. But it was fun.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2021
  10. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,407

    alchemy
    Member

    My 70 year old machinist buddy still races dirt tracks here in Iowa. He races Marshalltown, and sometimes Boone. He races hobby stock, and used to build his own engines until the lenient crate-motor rules frustrated him too much. He also used to race asphalt in Cedar Rapids, but the dirt is more fun for him.
     
  11. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "Dirt's for racin'; asphalt is for gettin' there".
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2021
  12. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    I'llsee your coach and raiseyou another! IMG_0901.JPG This was my 37 Chevy coach. That's Jim Langenback my friend/mentor/driver. 1975
     
  13. Corn Fed
    Joined: May 16, 2002
    Posts: 3,278

    Corn Fed
    Member

    Did any of you Iowa guys used to race at Tunis in Waterloo in the early 60's? If so, did you know the Feckers family? My brother has the remains of the 32 coupe they ran there.
     
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  14. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    Bought my first sprint car with a buddy who backed out when he had to cough up some money. I managed to get all the money on my own. He was supposed to be the driver, but had dislocated his shoulder. The guy I bought the car from, Jim Moughan, agreed to drive for me since he said the car was a good one. Ran mainly at Springfield, IL but also ran some races at Macon, Granite City and other Illinois tracks. Jim drove for me for 3 years and won a lot of races; then I started driving. There just isn't anything quite like a sprint car on a dirt track. I drove for 9 years and had a blast. Never won a feature, but I was out there trying.

    Here's a picture of Jim at Springfield where he won the track championship the first year he drove for me. A great slick track driver.
    11inMud.jpg
     
  15. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Spent my first 43 years going to dirt tracks as my Dad was a lifelong Midget race car owner 1948-1986 his passing. My Dad was also a race fan, we were from Milwaukee WI. there we had the modifieds that ran 4/5 nights a week into 70's and all the races at state fair park so I was born/indoctrinated into racing. I started driving Dad's car 1970 through 75, got hurt in 75, took a few years off, came back as a car owner had a few 15 minutes of fame, went back to driving, hurt again 81, took a few years off, decided to switch to wing Sprint cars, Midget deal bit my butt real hard 2X, raced Sprint cars 5 more years, no crash house visits, tons of fun, moderate success, should have switched to Sprint cars after 75 crash, retired from racing/sold out and came back to cars/hot rods, still playing with cars. Several pictures in my albums, attached a few, first car and last car I drove I would not trade the memories/experiences for anything, strapping one on was the most fun/exciting thing in my world, done lots of other adrenaline deals but racing was the pinnacle for me, still miss it, but every racer knows when it's time to stop, for me it came early at 44.
     

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    Last edited: May 11, 2021
  16. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 4,755

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    When I was in the Army in the early '70's there was a dirt track in Susanville, Ca about 40 miles north of the Army Depot I was stationed at. We spent many a Saturday night watching the roundy rounds run. Still remember that the guy who ran the local Texaco station who was an owner/driver. He was not shall we say a fan favorite. Good times.
     
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  17. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    There's dirt, and the there's DIRT. Look at the difference in the track surfaces in the picture of my Mod and "jarace"'s sprint car! The surface will change that much during a night of racing.. You have to be prepared for anything.
     
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  18. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,041

    gene-koning
    Member

    They quit racing the old coupes at our local track when I was 10 or 11. My racing "carrier" started in the mid 70s (right out of high school) in the hobby stock class. A couple of us guys that hung together in high school decided we needed to race on dirt, so we built a car, one of the other guys drove. The other guys sort of dropped off over the next couple of years, but I was not that smart. I discovered during that time frame that I was never going to be a driver, but I knew how to get the car around the track and was very good at explaining how the car worked and giving driving instructions. The next 15 or so years I found myself as a car owner and builder. I also found myself teaching a lot of new drivers how to drive race cars. At more then one point, 5 or more of the guys driving in the late model class at our home track (Freeport IL) in any given year, started their driving carriers in my cars. After driving my cars, they went out and built (or bought) their own cars. I helped each of them get their cars to work the best they could. For me, it was all about growing the sport. Many of my drivers went on to be pretty good racers.

    Our hobby class always had a large number of cars. My cars were always underfunded, and often ran with brand new drivers every year, despite all that, my junk always ended the seasons in the top 10 in point standings for our class. In all those years, my drivers only won 4 features for me, but we could give any of the others a run for their money, we were always competitive.

    It was a fun time I will never forget, but racing is a big addiction. Since I retired from racing many years ago, I seldom go to more that one or two races a year. I'm afraid the addiction would kick in again, and its a lot more expensive now then it was back when I quit. I quit back then because it was too expensive. Gene
     
  19. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    One of the old timers I used to race with said that "Racing is the process of turning money into noise".
     
  20. Yup.....how to make a small fortune racing cars......start with a large fortune
     
  21. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Hmmmmm Addiction ? Best comment I heard from a fellow racer was when he was bolting on many new parts so they could roll it back into trailer after a flip, I said to him, This racing is such a passion with compassion, His answer, Passion ! This shit is a F****en OBSESSION ! This from a 25 year veteran who was totally PO at himself for making a foolish mistake, I know better, he stated. I've "Been There, Done That" ! I used to have a sign on my race shop door. "CAUTION Through this door is a sickness/addiction that there is no known cure" Interest/Passion/Obsession are the progression of said decease. I took the cure at age 44, lifelong deal from birth on for me. I walked away and didn't look back for years. Went to my first racer reunion 5 years ago and am going this year, most everyone I raced with and knew are all gone, RIP
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2021
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  22. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    Really cool to watch the Late-models and Super sportsman race on the dirt.
    IF they are any good at all they will carry the left front tire out of the 4th turn and 1/2 way down the front chute!! ON DIRT!! Talk about hook'in-up!
    6sally6
     
  23. Dad and his crew raced at Brookings, Madison and Husets South Dakota back then. They had to do an engine swap after a problem on Saturday night and were running outta time. Dad and another guy finished up the swap wrenching on the trailer during the 50 mile drive down. they were just buttoning it up as they rolled through the gate at Husets
     
  24. doug schriener
    Joined: Oct 12, 2008
    Posts: 61

    doug schriener
    Member

    Hi-Isn't that the old Thurmer Bros. Body Shop car from Jackson,Minn.?Great car from a great racetrack.Keep the racing stories coming guys-Fabulous!!!!!!
     
  25. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,503

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    1975-1979 stock class at Kasson Mn. Enjoyed it all from building to driving. Was at Arlington Mn for the season opener last Saturday night. 42 years after my last race I sit in the stands and think I could still kick ass out on the track, lol.
     
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  26. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yep, sure is. There was no engine in it when I got it, so I put the Chrysler in it because I had it. Later, when I was at a vintage race in Jackson about 1992, I found out about the background of the car from one of the Thurmer nephews and met Bob Thurmer himself. Mr. Thurmer was a great guy and gave me permission to use his colors and numbers on the car. A few years later, I also met Jack McCorkell (who drove the car during it's championship years). While he was a great driver, he wasn't near as pleasant as old Mr. Thurmer, and he was still mad that they (The Thurmer Bros.) wouldn't switch from an Oldsmobile to a SBC, which were winning all the races by then.

    Speaking of Oldsmobile's, I have a built early Rocket all set to go back into the car. Alas, advancing age and infirmities will probably prevent it from getting done. I even have the Offenhauser tri-power manifold that they ran on the car during it's glory days. After I found out about the car and it's success in southern Minnesota and Iowa I started collecting information (old race programs, newspaper articles, and other miscellaneous stuff) and have quite a bit at the present time. This car was a big time winner and even in the 1990's and early 2000's, people remembered it whenever we ran it.

    Thanks for the comment; it allowed me to take this trip down memory lane.:)
     
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  27. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,041

    gene-koning
    Member

    I put an old Plymouth (performance era car) on the track, it was the 2nd season for the car. The driver from the year before had built a new car and was racing in the same class. My wife's younger brother Ed, wanted to try racing, so I put Ed in the car. Ed got off to a pretty rough start, he managed to get into a wreck the old Plymouth pretty much every race. The fans loved him, but the car was getting pretty rough by mid season. Every time Ed pulled the car onto the track, the announcer would say "We know this is going to be an exciting race, Ed "The Crash" Snyder is in this race."

    Every one in the class was pretty well matched, all of us were running pretty much stock drive trains (as the rules called for). We had some great racing, nearly any driver could be battling for the win. About mid season, we got a new competitor, he had a much different view of the rule book then any of us had, so suddenly, he was kicking everyone's butt. In his opinion, a stock Chevy motor meant any part he could buy from the Chevy dealership. It took a couple of weeks for the rest of us to buy and install the new factory offered performance cams.

    Like the rest of them, I installed a cam in our factory big block Mopar, but I had this book that gave me the best cam for a big block Mopar on a 1/2 mile track, which our track was. Lets say that cam worked very well, but the poor old beat up Plymouth couldn't handle the extra power very well. I think you probably could have altered the camber if you kicked a front tire hard enough, it was pretty badly bent up.

    We started out features by luck of the draw, you drew a number out of the hat, and that was where you started the feature at. That 1st week with the new cam, Ed drew #1 out of the hat, front row, pole position. The new guy with all the power and the trick chassis drew a starting position near the back, 14th or 15 in the field.

    Ed took off and it looked like he was cruising the track, nice and smooth, and pulling away. We were about 3/4 of the way through the race when the new guy got past the guy that was running second, and they were a full straightaway behind us. In less then a lap, the guy caught Ed, coming off the #4 turn. Ed must have heard him coming, the Plymouth really took off, Ed and the new guy ran side by side down the front straight. I think maybe Ed was even a little faster. Unfortunately, the old wore out Plymouth couldn't hang through the #1 turn very well. By turn 2, Ed was up in the marbles and had the back bumper of the old Plymouth against the wall, and the wall was keeping him from spinning out.

    At our track, the cement wall begins at a low tapper before turn 3 and only has a small opening to let the cars onto the track just before the flag stand on the beginning of the front straight, then it continues around to about the end of turn 2 where it tappers back down to nothing. There is no wall on the back straight, nothing back there except a corn or bean field.

    So Ed was flying around turns 1 & 2 in the marbles with the back bumper throwing sparks off the wall, with the gas pedal pasted to the floor. All was well until that wall was no longer there. Once the wall that was keeping the car from spinning out was no longer present, Ed spun out. Unfortunately, about the time he was coming across the track heading for the infield, the two cars that were racing each other for 3rd & 4th place didn't notice Ed up along the wall, and they also didn't notice him coming off the wall and heading across the track until he was directly in front of both of them. Both cars hit Ed on the driver side, one at the firewall/door, and the other in the rear quarter panel. The impact was so hard, both of the other cars were stopped pretty much dead in their tracks. The old Plymouth did a 1 1/4 spin and stopped where the driver side was clearly visible from the stands and the pits. This stock bodied Plymouth with 12" wide tires was bent so bad, you could clearly see the driver door and rear edge of the front fender cleared the entire tire and wheel. Everyone thought Ed was going to be in really bad shape. Before the ambulance got to the back straight (and they weren't wasting any time getting there), Ed was out of the car checking to see if the guy that hit his door was OK! The Ambulance crew took all 3 guys to the hospital, but none of them were much more then shook up from the crash.

    The cage on the old Plymouth had 4 bars in the driver door, and the cage posts were cut into the rockers and welded on both the top and the bottom of the rockers at all 4 posts. The seat and belts were mounted to a plate that was attached to the cage. The car had an automatic trans with a floor mounted shifter. The seat plate sheared the shifter off the floor as it moved across the trans tunnel. The car had a 15" bow towards the passenger side caused by the cage pulling both rockers and the floor pan with is as it moved in the car. Everything did its job, I don't believe I salvaged much off the old Plymouth, but it saved my brother in law. He still talks about the great fun he had driving that race car. I guess the big crash that ended our season a couple weeks early didn't bother him much.

    One side note, the old Plymouth Ed killed was one my wife had before we got married. I actually sold the car 10 years before to pay for our wedding. The guy that drove it the first year found it someplace and bought it to build a race car from. Until he showed up with it at my garage, I had no idea the car was still even around. Gene
     
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  28. I had one of those for awhile, I got it out of Mo. but couldn't bring myself to cut it so I sold it to a guy from Maryland that was going to restore it.

    20200508_192649.jpg
     
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  29. Dirt track racing from the 1960s?
    This is in car of the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modifieds (My club not me driving) last Saturday (05-08-21) night at Fonda Speedway (Fonda NY)

    Vintage Antique Class- Must run Stock Vintage Frames and speed equipment modern safety.

     
  30. doug schriener
    Joined: Oct 12, 2008
    Posts: 61

    doug schriener
    Member

    Cool-I have heard at one point the Thurmers had a FI setup on the car-Fairmont Speedway in Minnesota has a bunch of pics from back in the day and more than a few Jackson drivers are there-really great viewing.Don't stop with the stories-ain't nuthin better than old racin stories.. Doug Schriener
     

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