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

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WOW! I usually just lurk here but that car needs comment....
If there is something better looking out there I havn't seen it!
Just, WOW!

ZOOOM

 

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="Large Heading TopPadSmall" valign="bottom" width="55%">Danny Kladis Obit

Danny Kladis</td> <td width="1%">
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</td></tr> <tr> <td class="Notice TopPadSmall" colspan="3">Age 92 late of New Lenox passed away Sunday, April 26, 2009 at Salem Village, Joliet. Born in Crystal City, MO living in New Lenox for over 30 years. He is survived by his to his loving family; his sons, George (Donna), Christopher (Judy), Danny (Suzie) and Mike Kladis; his daughters, Joanne (James) Davis, Carole (the late Danny) Lockard and Cecelia (Jerry) English, numerous grandchildren; great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jean (nee Allen); and his parents, George and Mary Kladis. George was a New Lenox police officer, a member of Landmark Masonic Lodge #422, he was the oldest living starter of the Indy 500 and the last living driver of the 1946 race. He was Andy Granatalli's "Rookie Driver". Family will receive friends at the Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 102 E. Francis Rd., New Lenox, on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 3-8 PM and again on Thursday April 30, 2009 from 3-8 PM. Services Friday, May 1, 2009 with prayers at 9:15 AM in the funeral home chapel following to at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, Joliet for a Funeral Service at 10:00AM. Entombment Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville, IN. </td></tr></tbody></table>

 

great looking car that don brown built!

 

I was wondering who built that beauty.

Don sure had a way of building some very clean machinery.

 

racing pigeons!

 

your old car got tired!

 

Indy Big John, yes, any info you can shed as to driver or car/owners I.D.'s would be welcomed. As they used to say, "Inquiring Minds Want to Know". Thanks, mlight9.

 

Roy-
I just saw the following on GMP site. Jimmy was amazing!

 

Wynn's # 1, re your post #5550, if you care to, I would love to see the history of that car. Is this the car McCluskey flipped @ Reading ??? mlight9.

 

Were these pics taken at Del Mar back in 96 when the silver crown cars ran there?

 

Philly,
those pics took my breath away...that car is stunning, absolutely beautiful.

 

Hi Ned,
The car will be lettered on Monday, just in time for Loudon! Thanks for asking.

 

Hi Mlight9,
Wally sold the car to Doug Lang for Mickey Shaw to drive. Doug sold it to Harold Stanley with Johnny Capels doing most of the driving. Geo. Bignotti bought it next and later sold it to Bob Stanley [Harolds brother]. The car then went to Ohio for Myron Dinnen. The aging car went thru 4 more owners before I bought it last year.

 

Hi Mlight9,
Sorry that I did not answer your question about McCluskey. Roger was driving The Competition Eng. car that was the Urgo built car that Wally bought. Wally built my car for J. Rutherford in 1966, broke his arms and the rest is history. I will reunite Johnny with the car at Loudon next week. I hope he has forgiven the car!

 

mlight9--- Wynns#1-- has it right-- Don Urgo who raced under the name of Don O' Reilly designed cut and tacked together the #9 car . Eddie Kuzma was to finish weld it. Wally ended up with the car some time in 1963. Aj Foyt, Bobby Marshman and Roger McClusky spent time in the car. Roger broke his arm in it at Reading in1964. Good guy Johnny Rutherford drove the car to USAC 1965 Championship. The winter of 1965/1966 they built the new #1 car.they had trouble the first time out and second time out Johnny broke his arms .The repaired car was taken over by Andretti and finished second in USAC point . Dick Atkins finished 12th in points in the #9 car . At Ascot Dick lost his life in the car ,in same crash that took the life of Don Brason. Wally built 5 Urgo(Type) cars not counting the first #9. All the rest were Lefflers based off the #9 car. The car That Greg Wld won 1967 Championship in was a new Wally car.

 

mlight9, I'm sending old bill a CD with a bunch of Dennis' photos on it. I can't do much for you in the ID department except for some that I'm sure you know. Get him to send you a copy.

 

.may be right !!! I, got smart to old. Oh ya i, for got drivers all ways say its the car !!!

 

Jim Nise, a couple of questions. I was just on the Vint. Racer site & went back over your all your pix, which by the way are excellent.

Under the heading '59 - '63 Open Wheel Legends;
If you remember, I. D. the car shown w/Bobby Baughman blue
" w/Don Davis white & blue
" w/R. Duman rose #7 & is man next to him a driver???

Thanks, mlight9.

 

You, say your racing horses , I say your to heavy for that , stick to cars !!!

 

Wynn's #1 & Ned Fry, thanks much for the info on the Urgo/Meskowski/Leffler saga. It is much appreciated. mlight9.

 

Was the blue and white #26 which TED P. drove at Duquoin the car later called the Ankeney Offy? Really good looking car, in my opinion.
I was kinds surprised to see it running drum brakes on a mile track, tho!
My first car, the Peters Offy also had drums; that car may as well had no brakes!
How many of the tube frame, cross spring front cars had a kinda space frame design? My Hillegass had one larger main tube frame.
The frames like the Wally #1 were, to me, smaller shallow space frames. is that what you guys would call them?
Thanks for any help or opinions.

 

I hope you'll share the pics of that reunion...
PK

 

mlight9, I don't have any info on your questions from my pictures. I do not believe that is or was a driver standing next to Duman.

If I dig anything up I'll circle back.

Jim

By the way Baugham is spelled wrong over on the site.

 

Spike-Yes, that did eventually become the Ankeney Offy. It's much better known as the Malloy Offy (previously Agajanian Offy in 1948 and 1949) driven by Troy Ruttman in 1949. Then sold to Duane Carter in 1952. Carter (and many other drivers) raced until 1955. Sold to G.T. Watterson in 1956, driven by Dick Leisure, Jim Packard, Bruce Jacobi, others until 1963. Sold to John Ankeney 1964; campaigned at least through 1969, in later years mostly in URC. Probably built by Roy Richter (or Clyde Adams later) in 1936, upgraded by Bob Pankratz in 1949. Restored as Carter's car. Last I heard it was at Indy Speedway Museum, seldon seen.

 

...

 

Thanks OldBill, i knew it was pretty old in the 60s, but didnt realize it went back to the 30s. An old friend, Chuck Arnold, drove it several times; in fact i think he may have won a feature at Cumberland, MD. in it. I did see Chuck give it a great ride one night at Reading. Very classy car!

 

Rootie-
Thanks for the pics of that classy old rail job!

 

Carter in the m/p #7, Sweikert #2, Elisian #6-T/H 1954.

 

I believe somewhere in there that Marvin Pfeifer owned the Ankeney car.

 

Not a pre 69 picture, but a track that will hold a place in my heart forever.