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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. Well, Bob Baker from the museum told me that accident resulted in big changes to roll bar safety, so I wouldn't be surprised.
     
  2. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    This is crazy, but I remember one of the biggest complaints drivers were making about adding cages to their sprints was: "When you flip you'll break your arms on the roll cage!" You did see a lot of photos of sprints flipping with drivers arms sticking up and out of the cage like they were signalling a touchdown. I believe it's one of the reasons they came up with arm restraints.
     
  3. cg5
    Joined: Feb 22, 2008
    Posts: 57

    cg5
    Member

    If i remember right in 69 you could run a cage if it was chrome plated,and then only if they decided on race day. It was the same in 70 but after the Neb. fair deal it was not enforced and cages became mandetory in 71 or 72.

    Curt Grogan
     
  4. cg5
    Joined: Feb 22, 2008
    Posts: 57

    cg5
    Member

    Greg Weld battled USAC over the use of a cage on the "mech rabbit" in 1968. He had it on when he crashed at Winchester. The flip and upsidedown slide damaged the cage bad enough it had to be replaced. Greg always said without the cage he didn't think he'd survived that wreck.

    Curt Grogan
     
  5. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Good input Curt, thanks.
     
  6. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    What's the first thing to "go"???:eek:
     
  7. wilburshawfan
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 27

    wilburshawfan
    Member
    from Indiana

    Here it is friday and I have no Speed Sport News to read. Sad.................
     
  8. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    Funny how the next generation can't figure out how to "downsize" when the going gets tough. Internet gets blamed,but one national tire distributor still uses print to get the word out monthly,and they are the "monster" and the are usually one of the lowest wholesalers,as well! You gotta have "THE FIRE" to wanna do it. Just like racing!!! John S.:(
     
  9. jimg12
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 307

    jimg12
    Member

    I do not know if Greg flipped at Winchester or not but I do know he flipped all the way down the front straight at Salem and walked away. I think he had the only cage there and he was in the roadster.
     
  10. cg5
    Joined: Feb 22, 2008
    Posts: 57

    cg5
    Member

    You are correct it was Salem, sorry.

    Curt Grogan
     
  11. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Salem, 69
     

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  12. indyrjc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2008
    Posts: 985

    indyrjc
    Member
    from Indiana

    And Weld's crash was on a false start where some cars were still going fast while others were slowing down after not getting the green flag. Johnny Shipman was the starter and took some heat at the time but I've also heard that the drivers were in a pretty ragged formation as well. Maybe someone here actually saw the crash.
     
  13. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    I know some flagmen to avoid this sort of thing, will go ahead and give the green, but throw the caution after the cars get over to the backstretch. I wasn't at this Salem wreck, but have seen it happen too many times.
     
  14. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    Saw Bobby Diettrich suffer a broken neck at Heidelberg back about 1958 in an ARDC show in a Hespel Midget on a starting "hiccup" over a wheel. Was ugly! He survived . Wonder whatever became of him. Anybody know? Gus Linder wants to know!:confused:John S.
     
  15. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Interesting little project you have there! Engine and tranny are? Ford? Gary
     
  16. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Wow... what a crazy build! I really enjoyed your build photos and the other cars on the Yahoo site. Thanx for letting me peek inside. Gary
     
  17. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    When I was a kid in the mid '60s, Dad raced at Parkersburg, Marietta, and Athens - mainly. Dad (Luke Easter), Frank Burriss, Larry Dickson, Tommy Dickson, Mac Clingan, Wayne McGuire, Del Schmedlin, J. D. Leas, Paul Barnes, Bill Dotson, Saw Ervin, plus dozens of others, used to have some incredible races on those little dirt tracks. But, every once in a while, I'd see this hauler come in with a black #69 sprint car: Gus Linder. Oh yea! It was show time. I think he was running a 289 Ford at the time. Man that thing would scream. There were other tracks we raced at such as: Heidelberg, Dobbies, Debo, St. Clairsville, Findlay, Millstream, Pennsboro, Hunnington, etc., but I will always remember when Gus would pull into Parkersburg - everyone knew it was really going to be a fun night and you could hear that black car clear back to Pittsburg.
     
  18. Butch Evans
    Joined: Nov 9, 2008
    Posts: 115

    Butch Evans
    Member

    Hey Easter, Howya doin. I was working on Frank Burriss' Dils Ford "Duece" around that time and I was just a teenager. When Linder came to town he was ALWAYS tough to beat in the #69 Trevis. I was impressed that Mickey Banas was the owner and chief wrench at such a young age. That 289 was lighter than the Chevys and Gus was a gasser.
    Butch
     
  19. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    I'll tell something else that was tough to beat - the looks of Frank's two daughters: Yvonne and Cheryl!!
     
  20. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    And where are they now???:D
     
  21. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    They, their kids. their dogs. and a few personal items are all packed into an old Dodge mini-van and heading to Bethel Park, PA.
     
  22. LEE GREENAWALT
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 322

    LEE GREENAWALT
    Member

    2010 at Winchester Speedway Oldtimer weekend. I thought I'd get you all in the mood for the Indy 500. enjoy! :D

    [​IMG]
     
  23. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Lee - I can't imagine bouncing over the bricks for 500 miles in this thing! Blisters, bruises, cramps, vision problems, hearing problems, breathing problems: these are the best things you could hope for. Everything else would be worse. True pioneers.
     
  24. LEE GREENAWALT
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 322

    LEE GREENAWALT
    Member

    You said it. :D
     
  25. Butch Evans
    Joined: Nov 9, 2008
    Posts: 115

    Butch Evans
    Member

    Frank always came by himself to the races. I really don't remember the daughters but they would have been younger than me.
    I finally got to talk to Frank just a couple a wks ago. I got his ph. # at the ohio valley old fart get together.
    E-mail me and I give you his #. He's in NE ohio now
    [email protected]
     
  26. Bob Cicconi
    Joined: Nov 29, 2010
    Posts: 107

    Bob Cicconi
    Member

    Speaking of false starts- At a USAC sprint car race at Reading in the late 60's Nick Fornoro Sr. was the flag man. In one of the heats, on a single-file restart, Nick didn't like the way the cars were coming down for the flag, so he crossed his arms and walked towards the stands in his flagstand. The first car checked up, and two or three cars flipped. I think two of the cars were Bill Vukovich II and Jerry Poland, but I'm not sure. No one got hurt, but the guys that flipped were pissed, and one of them actually started to climb up the flagstand ladder to get a piece of Nick Fornoro. I forget what the outcome was, but I'll never forget that.
     
  27. baldtireman
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 378

    baldtireman
    Member

    No Dodge mini vans:D!!!The rest we can handle!:eek:
     
  28. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    I can't remember.
     
  29. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Open wheel drivers have always been some of the nicest people on the planet. However, I've never known any that would hesitate to "interact" with an official. I also remember a couple occasions when a flagman would red flag the race and climb down out of the stand to go directly to the driver's car and personally invite him to load and leave. Ah, these were all good times.
     
  30. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    I saw it all happen and it was a pretty ragged formation.
     

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