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

1977 Hulman Hundred beginning with an early Jackie Howerton interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwY4lMzWgDk&feature=PlayList&p=ACE8408F75EBE34E&index=0&playnext=1

 

You all need to spend more time posting on here. I come to this sight about 6 times a day to read all this great stuff. Some one tell me how to post pictures [email protected] I'll help out--- great job best sight ever found.

 

Here ya go, and you can disregard the 80kb warning as most of mine are way bigger than that.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65684

 

It's time again fella's..

CINCINNATI CAVALCADE INDOOR SHOW

If your interested in bringing a car and displaying, PM me, I'd love to have ya!

If you want to just come hang out, PLEASE DO!

JAN. 8 - 10 (set up nights Wed. Jan-6th and Thurs. Jan-7th)

My display this year consists of 55 Vintage Open wheel cars, Indy cars, Drag cars, and TRUE traditonal Hot Rods!

Here's a picture of the "SURVIVORS ALLEY" display last year taken by our own, HARLEY GENE.

 

I do not have any pictures og Cotton Farmer but I remember racing against him in 1966 in a USAC midget, finished right behind him in the heat race. Nice looking midget he had but what stuck out on it to me was the name on the hood. The car was named MARY'S MINK.
Jim Graybeal

 

This Dryer 1/4 midget was displayed at the WGOT in '87. It was reported to have been built for Ray Richwine Sr. in 1950.

 

Been a while since I showed some updates on my midget so here they are. I made some new birdcages with caliper mounts, a new Jacobs ladder, built a header, and made the buck for the hood mold. I have also been teaching myself how to tig weld. I am getting there but I still have a lot of practice to do!

The birdcages were laser cut from a file I sent to cadillacoffin here on the HAMB. He had them cut and in the mail the same day I emailed him and his prices are great. I highly recommend him.

 

Jim since you know most of the history of the Louisville area can you tell me who the mechanic on the Fetter Bros. cars was? Thank you for any help you can be.

 

jmcintosh,
I was not sure who the nechanic was so I called Charlie Masters and we both agree that it was Roger Coke. He was a good mechanic and machinest. He had his own car that he built for awhile in th eearly 60's. It was a black #77 that he ran USAC with. I do not know who all drove for him but I do know Dave Norris drove for him. Josh, Dave is Kerry's Dad. Charlie and I both think Roger Coke may have worked on the Wienburger car but are not sure. Hope this helps, maybe someone else knows more.
Jim Graybeal

 

At one time when Johnny White drove the Wienburger car Dick Etchison from Anderson Indiana worked on it.
Didn't White and Bob Coulter win the little 500 in that car??

 

Jimmy, I remember Roger Coke and his 77. After a bad crash one day he said, "Well, we learned what that Thunder and Lightning was all about."

Another time I noticed that there was a piece of what looked like channel iron bolted to one of the lower frame tubes. I asked what it was, and he said it was on there so they could run with the supermodifieds at Haubstadt (I think). He explained that the rules said the car had to have a modified stock frame, and that piece was from a '32 Ford, and added, "I told 'em I cut away everything else and bolted the new chassis on it."

 

SteveE: Thanks for posting the Dale Doty info. I didn't know that Dale built the C.R. Gill car. It was very quick, but ran mostly in local northwestern Ohio shows; only ran USAC once, I believe. Photos below: First two at Fremont in 1968. Third at Fremont in 1970.

In 1968 and 1969 Gill ran a second car, No. 6. Jim Linder drove No. 5; Al Beale (Rollie's brother) among others was in No. 6. Steve E, do you know if Dale also built the second car. It was sold in 1970 and raced by Dave Roe.

 

Yes, they won the 1963 race in that car.

 

There was an article about the very unusual hauler they had being recently restored .. Automobile Magazine maybe .. with pictures of the cars & the UNUSUAL hauler.

 

Hittin' it hard!

Drive train going in while I wait for parts from the Chrome shop...

 

Josh, you and Neil are both coming along well on your projects. I'm jealous of the craftsmanship, I hope I can match you guys. I am in Cincy for the Holidays and have been busy disassembling my Edmunds car. Hope to have it down to the bare frame by Christmas. I'll post some pics, as the rear suspension is a "half torsion bar" design. According to Edmunds, with Quinn Epperly's permission, he copied Epperly's half torsion design. It is a little different. Don says he only built 4 or 5 half torsion rear midgets. Easier to build cross torsion.

Blacki-Suede

 

Yes! Niel is doing a Phenominal job.. and I've seen your work Blacki, It'll be great as well!

 

Josh, that motor plate is beautiful! Almost a shame to put the motor in front of it.
You plannin' on havin it done for the Cavalcade in Jan?

 

The Travelon Trailer Spl.
The only champ car built by Geo. Shilala. Never a winner and often only ran a limited schedule but survived 15 yrs before being retired in 1970. It does have the distinction of breaking the track record at the one and only Champ car race held at Dayton Speedway 1956.

 

Yep! I love a good THRASH! 23 days...

 

Does anyone have any info about Al Miller.

At the '67 500 he replaced Lorenzo Bandini, after the fatal at Monaco weeks earlier, in the Wally Weir owned #32 Gerhardt-Ford and i know he drove this KK at one time along with many other famous names. I'm certain he had a drive in the Preston Tucker R/E car but what else did he drive?

 

The Al MIller who drove the Tucker Torpedo (nee Gulf-Miller) was a different guy. He drove at Indy from 1932-47. This Al Miller's last name was really Krulac. He ran Indy in 1963,65-67. '63 was in one of Mickey Thompson's roller skates, then twice in a Lotus, and finally the Gerhardt.

 

I believe you're thinking of 2 different Al Millers. There was a 30s-40s Al Miller and a 50s-60s Al Miller. The 50s-60s A.M. was sort of a 'journeyman' type driver and usually did'nt get the top rides and was known to drive cars others weren't too interested in, such as M/Ts early r/e car.

 

Ah ha. Didn't know there were two Millers'.

I thought something wasn't quite right when i did a search. Initially i thought he {Krulac} moved to another state later in his career. Also he would have been very young to be racing but i was reminded about Floyd Clymer's exploits at such a young age and i thought anything could be possible.

Thanks fellas.

 

Here you go Rootie, this is the accident you described. That's Al in the Blue uniform with the bald head [/url][/IMG]

 

Also JMG12, didn't Martin Cosat who got badly burnt at the Little 500, drive for Roger Coke?
Old Bill, I don't know who built that car but what I do know though is that the Gill's had another car built by Dave McPherson that never got on the track. It was a caged car and has since had the cage removed and it now runs with the vintage cars.

 

Martin Cosat drove for Roger Coke in six USAC shows in 1961 and four in 1962. Made only one feature (finished 11th) in those races. Also raced for Coke in IMCA in 1962.

 

Thanks, Dean..you are always on top of your game! Right now, debating on this red/yellow combo (also in their ads) bit also black (lower) with antique white upper which was on the test car that Mike Dreyer showed me in original 1954 8MM footage. According to Mike, Pop liked the Red/yellow combo a lot, but after seeing the black/antique white combo with the red wheels on the vintage film, kind of leaning that way. OPEN to suggestions!!!! Mike and his Dad, Junior, are recasting the original wheel "centers" for us and have been involved with the project. Lotta fun!
E

 

Guys, here is the Travelon Trailer Shilala Sprinter awaiting restoration in Melbourne.Originally Offy powered ,then Chev ( see Scalzo " The American Dirt Track Racer" page 126 in the background)and finally the "Vermiell Offy " having its last run in about 1974
Cheers to all and a Merry Christmas Greg

 

.....'trentesept, 'Now that is a real eye-opener. I knew Ernie Ruiz from Travelon Trailer in Modesto (CA) and I just talked to Stan and Dick Vermeil at the annual Louie Vermeil Classic out in Calistoga (CA) back in September. In case the guys don't know, Louie was the patriarch of the famous Vermeil family from Calistoga and ran the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) out in Northern California from the mid-50's up into the 1980's. His son, Stan ran midgets with BCRA and was the sprint car owner of the Vermeil Offy. Stan's brother is the Super Bowl winning coach of the St. Louis Rams (from 2000), Dick Vermeil. They have another brother, Al who was the strength and conditioning coach for the San Francisco 49ers back in their glory days of the 80's. I know I saw the car run as late as 1975 and I think that's when Stan decided to retire the car because of the oncoming 410 CID SBC's and the ultra-modern 4-bar chassis.' Please, keep us posted as to the progress of this famous car.