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

Hi guys! Please check out the Dirt Track Sprint Car I have listed in the classifieds. If you know anyone that might be interested please see if you can hook us up. I just can't see keeping it in a warehouse under-appreciated anymore!

 

QUOTE SPIKE RUTH Hi Denny Z; I hope everything is going well for you also. I often think of all the cars back in the day with URC. That black 59 was a good lookin Sprinter.

QUOTE=Denny Zimmerman;5789846]Spike, Ya it was a neat sprinter it treated me well. It now lives in Urbana Ohio. Bob Mconnell restored it to original AJ Watson/ AJ Foyt livery. Denny Z[/QUOTE]

A couple of pictures I borrowed from different places.

 

Greg, Remember seeing the car for sale, Nice car!!! I know one of the Whiteman sons and some one else who might know some history on Floyd Demmit and the #89 Shilala car, will look into it and let you know what I find out, Check out old speedway site www.Xtremesport.org/oldtracks for some movies of the track showing turn 1 and two banking, Pat

 

Fairly recently, I discovered that Riverside Raceway had a oval track incorperated in the roadcourse and seems that the CRA raced there 8-10 times during the 60s. Not real familier with how RIR was so I'm not sure what part of the track they used. A few pics can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14568&id=113049012046564&ref=mf

 

Rootie,

Not sure if this was posted already,but a lot of interesting stuff on his facebook home page!

I love the color shots of Jimmy Oskie,Dick Atkins,etc.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/WHEN-WHERE-WHO/113049012046564

 

Yeah, that's the site I linked to. Didn't realize they raced at RIR until I came across that site a while back. I always figured any listings for Riverside I've come across before, were for a independant track.

 

It has been reported by Superduke on another site that Sonny Ates has passed.

 

Sorry to hear that. Condolences to his family and friends.

Sonny was a good driver and a classy guy as well.

 

1967

 

Sorry to hear about Sonny Ates, anyone know an address where I can send a card? Denny Z

 

Here are photos from Don Thomas' photo collection of him running at the Riverside 1/2 mile. I can remember going to the NASCAR races in the 80s and just south of the garages was kind of an incline and kind of sweeping to the road the race cars got to the track. This road must have been the north turn of the 1/2 mile. I to never knew they raced at Riverside until I met Don.

 

Thanks Steve, very interesting.

 

I should be getting an address where you can send a card to Sonny's wife and two kids. There will be no service. I will post it as soon as I get it. He was a great person and mentor to me. Indy Big John if you get it before me you post it.
Jim Graybeal

 

re: sprint cars (and midgets) at Riverside
fwiw From my readings, following Rodger Ward's midget success at Lime Rock there was added emphasis to incorporate road races into the USAC Sched.
Here's some photos and data from the 1958 USAC midget and sprint car races on the RIR road course.
There was a USAc Midget Race on Jan 19, 1958 and then a triple header (midget, sprint cars and stock cars) in May
scroll down to RIR
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/motorsports/?start=all



In prep for the May 30th sprint car race at RIR 'Jiggler Joe' Gemsa purchased the Clark Gable Spl (To Please A Lady) from the back storage lots of MGM, hired Bud Rose to drive (Bud also was a stand in driver in the movie) and won the race - using some 'pit board' shennanigans to help psych out the lead driver during the closing stages of the race.
That car is now owned by Tom Malloy who restored it to its original Indy configuration as the Don Lee Special - the car was at the recent Millers at Milwaukee Meet-
(btw: MGM threatened to sue Jiggler Joe for using the reference to their movie)

Frank Sheffield collected more data on the RIR midget/sprint car races.
http://home.roadrunner.com/~fsheff/rirmidg2.htm

 

Johnnie Tolan won the race and it looks like Aggie gave him a lamp for his troubles.

 

lol
and it looks like a mantle clock to boot

thanks for sharing the photo compadre

 

thanks to all for helping:

got this note from Clint Curtis in Nome, Alaska

Check out the Elma, Washington area. Unless I am totally mistaken, my recollection of the car was that it was purchased in Indiana back in the early 80s, made its way out to Washington (where it continued to win races), running at Skagit and with the Northwest Sprint Cars and was even towed back Indiana and ran Kokomo, Paragon, and Putnamville for a few weeks. Car was eventually sold to some guys down in Elma, where it raced for several more years. I forget who ended up with it...but KevMcj may have some useful contacts there. ​

 

Greg, Talked with a friend had a little info on the Floyd Demmit Shilala sprinter, he said it was at Ascot a couple of times but had engine problems both time and did not make the main, also talked with Todd Whiteman and he will see whad his dad knows about the car. Did you see the V8 Supercars at Surfers last weekend? my nephew (Patrick Long) was 2nd of all the international drivers, let you know what I find out, Pat

 

I remember going to a few CRA races there in 1965. This was before they reconfigured turn 9 I think in the 70's.

 

Judy Ates
8780 E.McKellips Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Judy would like to hear from all of Sonny's friends.
Jim Graybeal

 

Thanks, Jimmy. I was off line early yesterday and just got back on and was going to the bottom to post it. I knew Paula had sent it to you, too.

 

Sorry to hear about Sonny.. Here's a short overview of his extraordinary life.

Charles "Sonny" Ates (born March 28, 1935, Sellersburg, Indiana)



Ates raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1968-1970 seasons, with 15 career starts, including the 1969 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1968 at Brooklyn. Sonny was one of the best Sprint Car racers during the 1960's and 1970's. He held the world speed record for a sprint car by being the fastest at the famed Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana. He would often help new drivers find the right "grove" at that track.

 

Sonny Ates started racing flat track motorcycles. Then moved to TQ"S. He was the TQ Champion in one of the old TQ clubs in Indiana [the 2 clubs joined in 1961 to form UMRA]. He also won the Natioal Championship race in 64?, I think the race was in Florida[correct me IndyBigJohn]. Then USAC midgets where he won more than 1 feature. Then to USAC sprints where he won 3 features in 7 days[all on the high banks]. He is considered to have been one of the best ever on the high banks. He then went on to Indy cars. He always stood on the gas!
Jim
I will be off here for about a week, going to Florida for the winter.

 

I can't remember where that national championship race was, Jimmy. I know we had one of them at the Fairgrounds in Louisville. FYI, I did my "Driven to the Past" column on Frontstretch.com for this Friday about Sonny.

 

I often see old sprint cars with the live rear axle wrapped with what appears to be black electrical tape. Why? What does it do? I have an idea but it's always good to ask more knowledgeable folks like found on this thread.

 

and comments from Michael Ferner:
"Campbell was from Bates City, Mo., but his car was not the Malloy, that was still with Morcroft then. The Campbell car was built for Sid Street in 1952, and first driven by Walt Faulkner. Street was also from Missouri, and a boat racer I think. "

Rootie,
Tom Malloy asked me to forward his reply to you and the others participating in this thread:


"Rootie,
Bob Pankratz built two champ cars. The first car was for Sid Street that appeared at Indy in 1951 and 1952 but did not qualify either year – this is the car you are talking about that Buzz Barton drove.

The second car (which is the one I am looking for), Bob started building in 1952 (it looked exactly like the Sid Street car). It showed up for the first time in the 1953 at Indy but failed to qualify. It returned in 1954 to qualify 7<SUP>th</SUP> and finished 17<SUP>th</SUP>. It returned again in 1955 to qualify 15th and finished 33<SUP>rd</SUP>. Jimmy Reece drove it both times as the Malloy Special. I hope this information clears-up thing referencing the two car and which we are looking for." Tom Malloy
<!-- end of AOLMsgPart_2_6f6bf1cd-7f16-4c6b-84ef-bbccaf6bd3ce -->
Some additional data from Tom, Marc and Jeanne:
"Carl,
The Sid Street car is the one that went to the Pacific NW. That is the sister car to the one we are looking for.
The Malloy Special was sold to Morcroft and became the Morcroft Special car #88 driven by Gene Hartley and car #3 with Jimmy Davies and #27 with Tony Bettenhousen.
Jeanne
For Tom Malloy
original post #12031
Looking for the current whereabouts of the 1954 Malloy Special.

Tom Malloy (Emmett's son) and Marc Hart (Malloy Motorsports Collection Honcho) are looking for the current whereabouts of the 1954 Bob Pankratz built Malloy Special. They believe it may be in the Mid-West and was last run as a Chevy Powered sprinter.
Please respond in this thread with any leads. I voluntered to post this message and pass on to them any info garnered.
Here's some data on the car:

Jimmy Reece - 1954 start 7th finish 17th - Bob Pankratz built car, Offy power owned and entered by Emmett J. Malloy, black, red, white #25 (edit)
photos by Mitch G at AutoRacingMemories.com M.Hart"Thank you Mitch. I have a little more info. The car was sold by Malloy in 1955. It then became the Morcroft Special driven by Jimmy Davies 1956 #3 then driven by Gene Hartley in 57-58 #88, Eddie Johnson in 1955 #5. I will post some pictures of the car when it was last seen. It is thought to be in the midwest. It has a Chevy in it with a roll cage. It is #63 In the photo, the car still has the long brake handle on the left side. Thank you again.

Reece in the "Malloy Spl", Pankratz now on the dirt , Langhorne, PA in 1954

George Amick in the Pankratz, races Andy Linden at Milwaukee, WI in 1955

Malloy Spl last seen 2 (edit)
The car was sold by Malloy in 1955. It then became the Morcroft Special driven by Jimmy Davies 1956 #3 then driven by Gene Hartley in 57-58 #88, Eddie Johnson in 1955 #5. I will post some pictures of the car when it was last seen. It is thought to be in the midwest. It has a Chevy in it with a roll cage. It is #63 In the photo, the car still has the long brake handle on the left side

Malloy Spl last seen

 

A friend of mine Emailed me these two photos of some car part art he picked off another site.....Rich

 

Thanks Carl/Tom. Makes me wonder if the Sid Street car has ever been tracked down?

 

Why not Call Ernest Lowe,In Akron to ask for info?