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

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Joshua Shaw, Jan 17, 2008.

  1. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Langhorne 1959-
    Jud Larson #4 Elmer George #21
    Chuck Weyant #76 Bob Veith #17 Rex Easton #78
    Don Freeland #52 Van Johnson
    Dempsey Wilson #81 Dick Rathman #25
     

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  2. Four Banger
    Joined: Jan 6, 2009
    Posts: 214

    Four Banger
    Member

    The #34 Yellow Sprint Car did in fact come from Nampa Idaho. It IS a Kurtis Kraft, and was raced here in the Boise valley from the late 60s to the mid 70s by Al Russell, a local Yamaha dealer. The car sat in storage for a number of years, and was bought by Don Milburn of Nampa. He raced it for 2 seasons as I recall, in the "Super Six division at Meridian Speedway. He traded the car to an old guy in California who collected old race cars....I can't recall his name. According to him, it was one of only a handfull of actual sprinters built by Kurtis. The cars origional cage (as Russell bought the car) was damaged and replaced. Then Milburn was hit from behind by a flying car that bent THAT cage. Milburns step father Jerry Pinkston built a new cage for the car, but it was never raced again.
     
  3. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Well there ya go, the power of the HAMB Sprint Car thread. Sounds like it would be worth pursuing the history, could be a $ignificant piece.
     
  4. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    I think the #81 finished its career here in Western Pa. as a Dick Cotterman driven #81 caged sprinter! John S.
     
  5. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    The Central Excavating Spl. A lot of history with that one, Bettenhausen, Sutton, Crowe and others all drove it. Crowe wadded it up pretty good at the Hoosier Hundred one year and a couple years later Bill Horstmeyer bought it to try the USAC champ trail and was killed in it in his first race at Springfield, it was torn up pretty bad.
     
  6. Karrera
    Joined: Jan 19, 2008
    Posts: 184

    Karrera
    Member

    My dad's first car was a Ford powered midget that my Grandfather imported to Panama in order to start a racing series on the horse ovals in the Canal Zone just prior to WWII breaking out. Grandad drove Millers in Pennsylavania and New Jersey during the late 1920's until my grandmother made him quit driving. He continued in the sport as a car owner. He moved the family to the Zone for the Depression and ran the movie theater and radio station from around 1932 until 1947. His name was G.H. Walter (George Howard but everybody called him GH). These two shots were taken at their house on Balboa Heights in 1943 - that's my dad sitting in the car.

    He used to give girls rides with them sitting on the boat tail with their legs in the cockpit and their hands on his shoulders (or around his neck). He used to tear around the Zone in this car with the commanding Generals dughter on the back. They eventually took the car away from him when he drove it through the side of a barn.
     

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  7. Zartman456
    Joined: Jul 11, 2008
    Posts: 37

    Zartman456
    Member

    Here is my contribution. Charlie Hills sprint car:
    [​IMG]
     
  8. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Rootie, I don't think the car wadded up by Crowe and Horstmeyer is the same Kuzma as in that picture. This Kuzma had wins with Bettenhausen, Sutton Art Bisch and George Amick I believe. Seems to me Pete Salami up graded to a newer car in 1962, I believe it was a 4 bar car that was campaigned as the Gabriel shock car in a white/orange livery as well as the blue Central ex car with Bobby Marvin. My Wallen book shows two different cars, both built by Kuzma though.
     
  9. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Yeah, I did noticed that both the Crowe and Horstmeyer cars had headrest tails on them, but just figured it was just updated bodywork and not a new car. Thanks Jim.
     
  10. pavementends
    Joined: Mar 25, 2009
    Posts: 42

    pavementends
    Member
    from Utah

    Seems to me that someone in Idaho could tell you some history on that car. I suggest you call Kenny Hamilton or his brother Jim Hamilton in Boise or Meridian Idaho. They are nice guys and they have been involved in racing there for ever. They will at least tell you who the car belonged to.
    Gary
     
  11. designs that work
    Joined: Aug 29, 2005
    Posts: 411

    designs that work
    Member

    The yellow car was bought from the old collector in California. He did say that in Boisie it was considered a Kurtis Kraft. I am really hesitant to make a statement like that with out proof. There is supposed to be proof in Idaho. The reason we are having it sand blasted is to look in the two spots Kurtis Stamped his Midgets. We scraped the frame with knives and did not see any numbers. Yes this is a really interesting car. Steven Bonsteele has talked to Alen Kurtis in Bakersfield and I have talked to VanCraft who worked for George Shilala who took over Kurtis Sprintcars in the Mid 1950's.
    Again thanks for all the imput.
    The plot does thicken. D.T
     
  12. SteveE, just wondering, I have an article from "Vintage Mtrsprt, 2001, #5" that explains the history of the Reid car ( Engle re-blt with new KK frame purch from D. Carter + pieces from old car; orig frame discarded).
    Then in the 90's, the 2nd car(O'Connor) was restored USING THE ONCE DISCARDED FRAME !!!!!
    The article shows both a red #4 & a red #3(now owned by Jr. Dreyer, as of 2001).
    The author is L. Spencer Riggs. I certainly don't know who did what or when, just what the article said. I am assuming there are holes in the above info. Your post was direct & to the point.
    mlight9.
     
  13. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

  14. Al Consoli
    Joined: Mar 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,793

    Al Consoli
    Member

    Glad to see a picture of that car. I remember Bobby Allen driving it, and Bobby Gerhart once told me that was the fastest car he ever drove.
     
  15. SteveE
    Joined: Feb 16, 2008
    Posts: 74

    SteveE
    Member
    from Ohio

    M. Light, we bought Charlie's entire inventory . Charlie and my dad were close friends and we actually owned the Crockett car for the last year it ran ( Wynns Friction Proofing #31, Bobby Black drove it a couple of times, while Charlie wrenched it.). The car was then brought home, dismantled with the Chevy motor, steering,wheels, rear end fuel tank, front and rear hubs used in the construction of another car.The frame and body was then sold to Paul Fortney then went to Anderson, Ind. Chuck Davis at one point called me to verify the car.
    As far as the Engle Stanko car, what wasn't destroyed was cut up. There was nothing left at all !! If someone is portraying that as the Engle Stanko car it is not so. There never was a discarded frame. Fortunately I know what truly happened to the cars as I was involved through my father and Charlie.
    We even got what was left of Charlie's offy parts, some went to Jack Clevenger and some went to Jack Layton. There was no complete Offy left.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2009
  16. 90kworth
    Joined: Jan 25, 2009
    Posts: 3

    90kworth
    Member
    from modesto

    I'm very thrilled to see Marv Faw's name mentioned in this forum! Marv was one heck of a fabricator! In the 60's & 70's we were all neighbors. (Hayward CA) Marv was married to Hank Hanestad sister. Marv also drove Sprints for Hank and was 1963 NARC Champ in his own car. I grew up with Darrell Hanestad & Marv's son Gary. We still keep in touch. Give me a few days and I'll find out about the Roadster/Ranger. I'll get back to you.
     
  17. SteveE, thank you very much. Being an eyewitness, as you were, certainly clarifies things.
    mlight9.
     
  18. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Opp, in a Hanestad Ranger powered rig around 68 or so (IIRC)
     

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  19. SteveE
    Joined: Feb 16, 2008
    Posts: 74

    SteveE
    Member
    from Ohio

    M Light , here is the photo of our car at New Bremen. Although not the best, you can clearly see the Chevy in it. It is the #31 on the pole. I had to do some searching in my photos to find this. It is Bobby Black driving, we owned the car by this time and Charlie took care of it. Not long after this ( he despised the Chevy motors, said they were for hot rods) he decided he had had enough. That's when we brought the car home. We stayed very close to Charlie and had even visited him the day before he was killed. There is no possible way this car was found with the original running gear or the original Offy motor, when all we sold was the body and chassis, the rest we kept
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  20. SteveE, thanks for the info & pic. You can't be any more definite then that. Had you ever heard stories of possible restorations of the Engle cars??
    By the way, there is a pic on the Vintage Racer website, under the photo's of Dennis Unger, '63 Duquoin, USAC sprint cars. As you stated, the car is red & yellow.
    mlight9.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  21. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    A very significant car of the USAC "glory years" was the Colvin/Shepard K.E.Y. machine. A former Elmer George car that was wheeled by some of the best through the years, among them:
    Gordon Wooley, in it's second race under new ownership, at El Centro 1963.
    J.R. at IRP 1964.
    Bobby Unser at T/H-64
    Unser at Reading-64
    Scratch Daniels at T/H-68--I think this is the same car with updates, but not sure.
    Later in early 1970 Jim Malloy drove the 55 car but I lost track of it after that. Does anyone know what became of it ?
     

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  22. designs that work
    Joined: Aug 29, 2005
    Posts: 411

    designs that work
    Member

    Is this the Kurtis Kraft that Mari H. George purchased new?
     
  23. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I'm not 100% sure of its heritage with E. George, but I believe it is this car that McCluskey drove in 61 with a Offy and then, updated, in 62 with a Chevy. (?)
     

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  24. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    That's right Rootie. In 1962 Mari/Elmer had 2 sprinters, a Black with white trim #21 driven by Elmer, and a white with black trim #12 driven by Cotton Farmer, both with chevies, The 21 car became the KEY car driven by Wooley, Marshman, Unser et al over the next several years.
     
  25. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Jim, do you have any idea what became of the Colvin/ K.E.Y. car?
     
  26. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Rootie;
    I assume that the driver of the HOW #4 did not believe in shoulder belts. I would have thought that USAC would have had something to say about that.
     
  27. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Spike,
    no rule to that effect in 1961. McCluskey got on his head at IRP in that car two days before the 500, got tossed around pretty well to, but raced in the 500.

    Shoulder belts were a 1962 thing I think?????
     
  28. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Rootie, I haven't the slightest clue. Sorry
    jn
     
  29. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Yeah, not even a sam brown belt:eek: pretty hard core!
     

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  30. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I've never seen any reference to it ever being found or restored either. I figure it may be in the Don Smith collection, but have never seen a picture of it there. Of course I'm sure he has a bunch of stuff nobody has seen.
     

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