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

When I approved credentials at IRP, we required a "PHOTO" pass to venture out into the infield. Photographers were also required to stay behind the light pole line at the time. We thought about changing that when the inside wall was built, but the safety crew asked that we leave it in effect. Don't know what the procedure is now.

 

That was one of my favorite tracks- real long straightaways- tight turns had to run quite a bit of stagger to get er turned. I remember quite a bit of Border Patrol activity around there.

 

Yep that was a fun track. I know my family always just called it Chula Vista. Here's a pic from there I'm pretty sure, sorry it's a winged one. I think I still held the 8 lap track record there when they closed it.

 

Steve Howard, Dean Thompson, and Mike Shaw

I think the Atlas Wheels number 94 with Gary Howard driving was the first car in the 19 second club.

 

Some cars from the old Sky Valley Speedway, which was in Monroe, WA until 1978

 

You are correct, sir. In 1976 Gary Howard in the Glen Howard Atlas Engines #94 was the first car in the 19 second bracket at Ascot.
A side note on this Roger Beck built car. I got to drive it in 81, 82, and 83 after Glen Howard sold it to Paul Ferreira. I wrecked it pretty bad in 82 and we grafted the back half of Jack Gardner Jr.'s previously destroyed car to the intact (from the firewall forward) front half of our car. that was back when guys were still running cars for at least 5 years.

 

I found these while uploading negatives,From Syracuse, had to contribute,also I've got some early 70s action from USAC at Reading.....

 

Here's a few from Reading....

 

Awesome pics. Thanks for posting. They didn't have an Offy in the Bettenhausen/ Willy Davis car all season did they? I recall most of the old pics I saw it had a Chevy. Of course it has been 40 years????

 

Great photos Rabs!

What year did Gary B run the Offy in the sprinter,1969?


Opperman was my favorite when I was I kid. I was there the first day he raced at Williams Grove. He won the feature that day. April 4,1970. Saw many of his other wins as well.
I was in Jr high and we had a racing club at school. Jan gave a speech at one of our meetings. I was sent to go outside the school and bring Jan up to the classroom,etc. He signed photos for me which I still have in my collection. This was in 1970, the first year he raced in PA.

Anyway,I`d be glad to see more if you care to post them!

 

Gary B,Larry Dickson,Sheldon Kinser,three of my heroes.

I believe your Reading photos of Opperman and Kinser are 1973.

 

Thanks guys, I've got more to post, just need to upload them. Burned a few brain cells since then so the memory a little foggy to help with any info, Thanks Rich.

 

The color photo of # 16 is Bruce Walkup.At Reading.

The B&W #16 At Syracuse may be Johnny Parsons.

The Black #1 and the Yellow #1 are Larry Dickson.

In the crash photo I see Sammy Sessions-I guess driving the #83 and it looks like Don Nordhorn on the rt side of the photo to me.

I don`t recognize the #56 or #8,and can`t remember who was in the Dunseth Leffler #5....

 

.....'Wow! These photos that RABs32 posted are spectacular and ones that I've never seen. 'Will never be able to get enough of these! And Tony, very nice observation and clarification on the identity of the cars and drivers. I've never seen GB's Willie Davis/City of Syracuse New York Sprinter with an Offy engine? And was also wondering if the #16 Dunseth Sprinter that day eventually became the Don Siebert Olds car that Bruce Walkup and Chuck Gurney ran a few years later in USAC, also numbered 16? But, the best has got to be 'the guy wearing the floppy hat' that's right up against the wall in the Bogar car with the hammer down! 'Looks like the motors' startin' to beathe a little hard? Excellent pictures!

 

I don`t remember Gary with an Offy either! It Has to be 1969. By 1971 they were switching back and forth between SBC and Cammer.

In 70 I think they used Chevy exclusively. I wish I had my old USAC News from back then about now!

Wynn`s 1 And Sprinter 2 may be able to set us straight when they see these photos.

I was only 12 yrs old in 1969,I was really into racing,but my memory is a little fuzzy on some of the details of who was in what car which year.

Is the Dunseth #16 the car Jud was Killed in???

 

RABs32, fabulous pix, please post more.
The #8 was the Smith Speed Shop, the #5 might be Kunzman per USAC history,
mlight9.

 

What year is this mlight?-I`m thinking 1969.Maybe 70.

Do you remember Gary B in an Offy Sprinter City of Syracuse???

 

1969 Syracuse

 

Thanks!

That means the #56 in the wreck is Chuck Booth in #56. I can see "CB ' in large letters on his helmet now that I think of it.

Sessions Was in the #83 then. Probably Kunsman in the #5.

Greg Weld in the #6 photo on top rt Black and white set.

I can`t remember who was in the Smith`s Speed Shop car in 1969,maybe Al Smith?

Al drove a roadster at Dover in 1969 for Jack Steck.

I will be looking forward to more photos!

 

would that have been Chula Vista? I remember going there when I was a kid and seeing border patrol agents with illegals handcuffed behind the grandstands

 

Thanks again guys, I'll try to post some more tonight after I get home from work. I think i've got some from the Grove. also got some that include the Tobias fatal crash sequence and some crown cars from Flemington, just have find those discs after work....Rich

 

As good as all the Ascot pictures have been, those shots of cageless sprinters on the mile at Syracuse realy get your heart pumpin'. Is that a camera over the shoulder of Dickson in the second shot? I'd love to see THAT footage...

 

Racer5C, Chula Vista is near where the track was, but it is really located on Otay Mesa just passed Brown Field (an Airport built during WWII).

Chula Vista is a little more north and west of the track.

 

With San Diego, CA & surrounding area being my all time favorite place on this continent, plus by being familiar with it by going there more times than I can count over nearly 30 years .. I say that Jim is 100% correct (although I "think" that part of Chula Vista extends to the Pacific sea shore).

A far as Brown field .. today it's used mainly for cargo traffic (as far as commercial use), although it's been proposed many times that the very congested one runway only Linberg Field (that is now THE airport there) be closed and Brown Field be updated to also take care of the large volume (commercial) passenger traffic in & out of the San Diego area .. it's close proximity to the border of Mexico has been one of the stumbling blocks.

Just as a note .. the area surrounding Brown Field also hosts many of the area's auto junk/salvage yards. I've never seen so many (passenger) cars that have been upside down as I have in those salvage yards. It rains so infrequently there that LOTS of oil comes up from the road surface when it does, PLUS most locals just do NOT understand how to drive in the rain. Driving on the freeways there .. in the rain .. is an "EXPERIENCE" to say the least.

Up in the moutains .. Julian, etc. (east of the places mentioned) it sometimes snows. As soon as it does you MUST have chains on the drive wheels. Add to that, if they get an accumulation of 2 inches (or more) .. they actually CLOSE the roads down. That's because of no snow removal equipment or sand/salt spreaders, PLUS they just DO NOT know how to drive in the white stuff.

For the last few years Chula Vista has hosted the popular off road truck races. With the building of homes expanding in leaps & bounds in Chula Vista, I don't know how long that facility will last.

Being a recaimed desert (so to speak) by the sea, San Diego and the entire surrounding area (in my humble opinion) offers the BEST year round weather in the continental USA.

 

(Picture #1) Allentown - 8/2/1966 Dick Atkins, Bignotti, Al Unser.

(Picture #2 ) 6/29/1962 Emmett Shelly, McElreath, Marshman

 

El Centro Dick Wallen vid! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW96aphV9-A

 

Don Nordhorn in the Smith #8 and Willey had the Offy in just for the mile, one time.

 

Buildy, I remember the "City of Syracuse" & the Chev. & the cammer but
not an Offy. I loved the cammer. Would sure like to hear that sound now.
Yes, that would be the same car Larson drove.
mlight9.

 

"Don Nordhorn in the Smith #8 and Willey had the Offy in just for the mile, one time.'


So I did ID Nordhorn,I wasn`t sure which car he was in though.

No wonder I don`t remember the City of Syracuse Offy Sprinter. Only one race.

That Ford cammer they ran in `71 sent chills up my spine with Gary B working the throttle!

 

Just got registered on this site. This is some great stuff. I'm just wanting to see how pics from my place will look on here. Hope to add to this great site in the future.

Random midget pic from the Milwaukee area.