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

Here ya go:USAC Sprint Car race
Ascot Park, Gardena, CA
November 12, 1966
30 laps on 0.5 mile dirt oval; 15 miles

<TABLE border=1><STYLE type=text/css> table { border-collapse: separate;empty-cells: show } </STYLE><TBODY><TR><TH>Fin <TH>St <TH>Driver <TH># <TH>Owner <TH>Car <TH>Laps <TH>Money <TH>Status <TH>Laps Led <TR><TD align=right>1 <TD align=right> <TD> Roger McCluskey <TD align=middle> 51 <TD> Clarence Anderson <TD> <TD align=right>30 <TD align=right> 964 <TD align=right> running <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>2 <TD align=right> <TD> Frank Secrist <TD align=middle> <TD> <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>3 <TD align=right> <TD> Hal Minyard <TD align=middle> 3X <TD> Gene Lehotsky <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>4 <TD align=right> <TD> Larry Dickson <TD align=middle> 29 <TD> George Nesler <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>5 <TD align=right> <TD> Dick Fries <TD align=middle> <TD> Robertson <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>9 <TD align=right> <TD> Mario Andretti <TD align=middle> 1 <TD> Walter Meskowski <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>10 <TD align=right> <TD> A.J. Foyt <TD align=middle> 5 <TD> Morales Brothers <TD> <TD align=right>16 <TD align=right> <TD align=right> engine <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD> Don Branson <TD align=middle> 6 <TD> Jud Phillips <TD> <TD align=right>4 <TD align=right> <TD align=right> accident <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD> Dick Atkins <TD align=middle> <TD> Walter Meskowski <TD> <TD align=right>4 <TD align=right> <TD align=right> accident <TD align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD> George Snider <TD align=middle> <TD> <TD> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> <TD align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- footer -->

Notes: Dick Atkins and Don Branson were killed in an accident on the 5th lap of the race.
Roger McCluskey was the fast qualifier.
Race Purse: $ 5,000
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'Thanks, Rootie. And my apologies to our friend JimNise for me questioning his recollection. And, love those stat's, too. Hey, and no wonder Foyt drove Wally's car at Altamont the next day; he probably fired Andretti after finishing 9th!

 

No problem, I think Mario ran a Can Am race at L.V. the next day. But he made up for the 9th place by winning at Manzy 2 weeks later.

Jim, it appears the Lehosky car was a Hank Henry creation:

 

Bad ass picture!

Funny, look at the four women/girls in the picture. They look SO happy to be there!! ha ha!

------

 

I found a few notes and pictures of quarter midget race cars here from time to time and am wondering if anybody out there can help me with information? I am restoring a rough condition Mantz car and am in need of pictures and information. I am near to a stop and wish for any information to aid the assembly and construction of bent, broken, and missing parts. If anybody has a car and could photgraph a few details for me I would be greately appreciative.

 

Yeah, that's one of Dennis Unger's collection with Roger and Mutt, I think.

 

PM me. One of the best rebuilders and "artisans" with QM is right under your nose right there in Wisconsin...Gregg Kishlein.

 

Rootie
First, Thanks for welcoming me to this site. As your last entry, here is a classic example of if it is printed it must be the truth. Don Thomas was the 1966 CRA champion in a car he built from most parts off the his sprint roadster that I have. Don had a CAE body on it in 65, 66. That winter He and Hank Henry built a beautiful body for the car. It is now in the Woodland colection.

 

So then is the Lehosky #3x, in that pic, the Thomas built car you refer to?

 

Rootie
I Know nothing about the Lehosky #3x. These are two different cars. I was saying that because some thing is published does'nt make it true as who was CRA champion in 66.

 

Steve
OK I understand, being that Minyard was the 65 champ it probably was just a typo. Thanks

 

Minyard was champion in 64 and 65

 

Quite true, which by the way, do you know anything about the Surdam car he drove during those yrs? My info says it was a cut down champ car from the 50s presumably the ex- Elmer George car, but I don't know that for sure.

 

Wow,
The How spl. has been restored by Tom Malloy, and it was found in a back yard, I think in Indio Ca. They had to lift it out with a crane because of all the junk around it. This car had been made into a sprint car. You can still see where the Chevy fuel injection tubes were before being welded and covered up. ????

 

Steve
I have seen where it has been restored, but didn't find a lot of history on it after it left George, other than the following. What you have stated makes this more plausible. Thanks!

 

Rootie,
My understanding is the HOW spl. is a Watson. There is a photo Of Malloy and Watson standing with the car at Indy as part of the vintage display. The Watson type rollbar was still on the car when found in that backyard.
Steve

 

Want me to ask Hal? He lives on the IMS property in a house on Georgetown Rd.

 

Steve,
This was discussed some here a while back, and kind of made me curious.
As near as I can tell, the HOW spl. started life as the Springfield Welding Kurtis Indy Car, that parts of which, were used by Watson to build the HOW car. It seems that the Springfield car has also been restored as it was in the early 50s. So apparently there was enough parts remaining, after all the years, to use to rebuild two cars.

 

The Lehotsky & Singh #3 (pretty sure is was a Hank Henry car) could have been the CRA championship CAR in 1966 and Minyard not the Championship DRIVER, because Ned Spath drove the car, winning at Ascot on July 13th, until he got sacked after the race at Whiteman Airpark on July 16th. I know this because I was there on my 14th birthday and saw the events that led to his firing. I lived in Ojai, CA and was good friends with Ned's stepson John. Part of what I am writing is from my first-hand witnessing of the events, and the details were filled in from a conversation between my Mom and Ned's wife a couple of days later in our grocery store.
Bruce Walkup jostled Ned in the banked first turn in their heat, dropping Ned out of a transfer spot. After they pulled into the infield, Ned stormed over from his pit, trailing an ever-growing crowd of onlookers. Walkup was still unbuckling and Ned reached in and "helped" him out of his car by his Sam Brown belt (Bruce was a little guy, and Ned had him by several inches and pounds). His wife told my Mom that he said to Bruce, "You've been after me all season, now I'm after you", then he set Bruce down, turned on his heel and marched back to his pit.
In the main, (Ned transferred out of the Semi) Ned was running behind Walkup when he ran really deep into the flat turn three, slid up and took out several cars, including Walkup in what looked like it might have been a deliberate slide-job. In the ensuing melee, Stan Macelrath went over the wall in a very scary flip.
Lehotsky fired Ned on the spot for what looked like a pay-back on Walkup, but Ned's wife told my Mom that when he went for the brakes the pedal was dead. Sounds plausible to me, the way he shot up the inside looked from the stands like he was trying to miss Bruce, not take him out.
Didn't hurt Ned's career much, either. He landed with Carl Alleman, won twice more that year and twice in '68.

 

Thanks, always interesting to hear "inside" information. Sounds like Lehotsky was one of the 'old school' owners.

Spath, in good form, at El Centro circa 1964 in the Hansen Chevy:

 

That pic looks a little weird to me. Is that an18" on the right front?

 

I didnt know the tire companies ever built an 18" rib tire?

 

Looks like a 15 in. and a16 in. wheel , but check the front axle got to many bends !!! may be an old dodge ???

 

That sounds more possible; i sometimes ran a 15 LF, and a 16 RF.

 

No, just a 16 with a 5.50 on the right front and a 15" on the left. Count the ribs. 16"s always have 4 ribs and 15 ALWAYS have 5. Plus 15"s are a little "rounder" than 16"s.. like a Motorcycle tire.

 

I believe the axle on the Hanson car is a mid/ late thirties plymouth . Does anyone have a photo of A.J. in Wallys car at altamont that day in 1966? No one has seen one. I have been told it was a somber day and very few people were shooting.
Thanks!

 

This is my second attempt to respond as I am to old to figure out these newfangled computers. I started reading these pages the first of June and just finished yesterday. I must say it is the most enlightening and entertaining read I have ever seen. You guys are simply amazing at your knowledge and presentation of historical fact. I witnessed my first automoibile race, a midget race, in 1946 and have followed the sport since. I have never driven a race car, wrenched a race car or owned a race car but I did spend some time writing, announcing and other PR flings and have always considered myself an above average historian. But after reading these pages the last three months I now know that I do not even rate a blip on your radar screen. The historical lore and photos are priceless. I am long retired and most of my current racing activites are confined to either the TV or other internet sources. Since I found this site however all of you have brought a little sunshine to an old man of another era.

 

Welcome 'old age' I agree, I'm constantly amazed at the knowledge and experience of those who frequent this thread. If you're a historic openwheel racing fan this is definitly the place to be.

 

Welcome to the HAMB Old Age! I really enjoy seeing all the facts and information about cars, drivers, and races posted here. We all seam to have a few pieces to the puzzles and seeing these bits come together can only happen here.