60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Possibly George Rettew at West Haven

 

I've owned this modified for a number of years and would like to track down some history. I've read through this entire fantastic thread, and hope this might be the place to find what I'm lookin' for!

 

It's just awesome to see all these pics and history here. We're still trying to find some of the old Jalopy's for upcoming NorCal KnockOut # 2.
There has been alot of great racing history here in Vallejo, and all around NorCal. We wanna high light that as much as possible!!
They are after all hot rod heroes in a sence.

 

First we lose Danbury, now we lose the cars? I saw the restored 77 at a show. A properly restored car, really , really nice. Why anyone would even think of repainting it is beyond me. Too bad it went overseas.

You can't explain Danbury. I was very small when my dad brought me in the late 60's and 70's. At 45, my dream is still to drive a modified. It all started since seeing the 39 Foshay and 3 Smith cars and all the other guys. Then buying the black and white photo's in the souvenier shop and staring at them from Sunday to the next Sat. Also those little plastic coupes. I have one left.

for a little kid it was just exciting. All the big statues around, the grounds, the giant American flag, and so on. Even leaving the track was fun seeing the airport runway lights. And i was home in a 1/2 hour.

 

Hey there Alan.Thanks for the notariety lol Just a little note, we're comin' good on the car. I gotta get over to Ray's to do some tin work this week & most of the body wll be done. I also gotta get down to Craigs to see if my bugsy car is done. You will wanna see the set when it's done.

 

Say there Bullfather, Would you happen to have a picture of I beleive it was Bobby Vee's coupe? The 1 w/full fenders? I think it was white, but I can"t remember the # of it. That was a beautiful coupe for sure

 

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In response to JChimbolo's post above he hits it right on the head. What kids remember adults sometimes overlook. It's the little things that attract the children. If you can mix a solid, quick moving program with just a dash of something for the kiddies you've got a winner (most times). Promoters should never forget that.

Just thinking back to the days when I was a kid and waving to the haulers coming up I-91 headed to Stafford (I lived right next to the highway) and the craziness of Seymour the Clown and the mini-midgets at Stafford, I realized that's how you get kids hooked on racing.

 

Flan69...

I would agree with you for the most part about hooking young kids forever, but this is a different time these days. I'm going to get a little long winded here, but I think it's necessary to prove a point.

I started going to the races when I was 9 years old in '72. We had a clown at the track in those days too. He was Alfie the Clown in the Central NY area. We also had 2 divisions - Late Models and Modifieds, and once a year there were kiddie rides. And you could identify all of the different car bodies in those days. Each one was not only a race car, but a work of art. I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I used to imagine me being 16 years old and driving a Gremlin or Vega as my first car because they looked cool as hell on the track. Today's kids can't identify race cars with street cars. And try stuffing kids into todays dirt modifieds or late models. Ain't happening. Even if you could, their sue happy parents would have a field day if junior got burned from the exhaust.

My mom and dad both worked. Most of my friends parents had stay at home moms. That's another thing that's rare these days. Both parents need to work to afford all the toys they've mortgaged. Drive through any urban neighborhood and see what todays families have parked in their driveways. 2 new cars, some sort of RV, motorcycles, snowmobiles, jet ski's and some sort of hot rod. Any free time away from work is spent attending junior's school sporting events. Schools today can't earn state funding for the new gym or athletic fields if their students don't use them, so they push sports on kids like they are requirements.

There was no such thing as video games when I was a kid. Today they carry laptops, cell phones, iPods and portable video games. I built model cars for entertainment. I never had to learn algebra until the 7th grade. My kids were doing it by the 4th grade. Quality time with my dad was spent hunting, fishing and going to the races. Quality time with todays dads involves a pro basketball, football or baseball game or school sporting events.

I just know this... I am as happy as I can be that I was born in 1963 rather than 1993. I have no clue where the next generation of fans is going to come from because with all of the distractions, racing 10 years from now is going to be in a bad way. About all I can do is what I've been doing every year for the last decade. I make it a point to bring a virgin to the races with the hopes that he'll like what he sees and want to bring his kids. Promoters need to start working with their local schools and develop programs that generate interest because the parents aren't doing it. If not, we're doomed.

 

Eddie Flemke

 

A little different racing at Nazareth

 

Leon Manchester

 

Will Cagle

 

Leadfoot4,
I meant no disrespect to Dave Nichols at all. He was a great guy & he & Stan May built some great looking & fast cars. Loved how that Camaro looked, but it just didn't turn out to be one of their faster cars.

Bullfather (or anyone else),
Post #8011 is a pic of Moose Hewitt in a very low #19 coupe. I noticed that the wheel openings were well up into the rear deck area. The project I'm building will look very similar and I was wondering if anyone has a shot of that car from the back. I'd like to compare, if anyone can help out.
Bill

 

Re: #19 - Moose Hewitt in post 8011....might it have looked from the rear like this?

 

Man, I completely identify. I was born in 1966. I do remember Alfie the Clown with his mini vw bus, doing wheelies. I remember the kiddie rides. My first ride was in Don Beagell's pinto. I loved the Late Models. The early 70's ruled for Modifieds. You'd watch a heat race, and there'd be a couple coaches, a couple coupes, a pinto, a gremlin, a vega. I still have most of my racing programs. By 1980, I only have a couple programs, and after 1985 I only have three programs. I started loosing intrest after they dropped the Late Model division at Weedsport, and totally lost interest when all the cars started looking the same. If anything, I wish I was born a few years earlier. My parents started taking me to the races (Brewerton, Weedsport) when I was 3. I just don't remember much of those early days. Unfortunately, I don't think kids will ever feel the magic we felt. It's a shame.

 

I beleive Norm Holden is on the outside pole. George Murray drove the Nova body car before he went to the Vega body. I beleive this photo was from 1971.

 

Well said Ken and Half Fast Bob. Denny Z

 

Haha. Stormin' Norman with the handlebar moustache. Ummm..1971 I was 11 yrs old. I remember the small configuration barely. I do remember they widened one straight away for one season, and the other straight away the next year.

 

Bill, I understand completely. That Camaro appears to be something that was built for Lancaster's "Series 70" modified class, and running "full tin", yet getting the cars to work, didn't help too many of the cars back then, at least from what I heard. I'm sure that the shape of the Camaro body trapped WAY too much air in the "back seat" area of the body, and created a lot of drag and/or turbulance.

 

sweet ride