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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. Denny Zimmerman
    Joined: Jan 8, 2010
    Posts: 504

    Denny Zimmerman
    Member

    baldtireman, Skip said that was the Allyn Tool Special and yes Donny Kreitz Sr. was driving. PS Happy New Year to everyone. Denny Z.
     
  2. fuel pump
    Joined: Nov 4, 2001
    Posts: 3,620

    fuel pump
    Member Emeritus
    from Caro,MI

    Thanks Spike. I remembered URC running at there but forgot the USAC involvement.
     
  3. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Same to you Denny Z.
     
  4. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Sorry about my mistake. I knew they went to roll bars sometime in the 50s.
     
  5. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    This thread has meant a lot to me. I'm not sure how I discovered it, but I'm glad I did. I've learned, remembered, and relived. Thank you to everyone that's part of this for allowing me to take part as well. I'd like to think that at last night's driver's meeting at the Heaven Half Mile, God (in his yellow jacket and little white cap) said: "Good news boys; the folks back home remember you and more and more are learning about you everyday. They respect your skills and thrills and give thanks for your bravery. Let's have a good show tonight." Of course two drivers still complained that Opp's car was too light and that Sachs was sandbagging in qualifying due to the inverted start for the main. It made God mad, so he gave them a rainout. Our old heros will never change. Happy New Year Everybody! Bob Easter
     
  6. Buildy
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,521

    Buildy
    Member

    Last edited: Dec 31, 2011
  7. Well said and a neat piece of journalism. Along the same lines I would like to thank all of you for allowing me to eavesdrop on your expertise and enjoy the knowledge all of you have shared with an old man. Happy New Year to one and all and I hope I can say the same a year from now.
     
  8. napp
    Joined: Dec 31, 2011
    Posts: 10

    napp
    Member
    from Georgia

    Hi Guys,

    I just registered a few minutes ago. I've lurked around here for a few months; but this thread is the one that really sucked me in. I was going to wait until I read it all before posting. I have read everything through page 250 so it's possible that my question has already been answered in some of the posts I haven't read yet. If so, I apologize in advance; but I just couldn't wait any longer.

    I attended my first sprint car race in 1947 at the Tampa Fairgrounds when I was ten years of age. That's where my love of racing began. Most of my fondest memories of the sport are related to The Fairgrounds and, later, Speedway Park in Oldsmar, FL.

    Perhaps, it is because you guys are younger than me (hell, most people are); but I haven't seen much mentioned about the old Tampa racers that were my early heroes...nor have I seen pictures (with a couple of exceptions) of the cars I remember from that period.

    Some of the regulars from 1947-1952 were Frank Luptow, Harry King, Pete Folse, Iggy Katona, Al Keller, Jimmy Mays, Al "Speed" Funderburk, "Red" Redmond, Eddy Adams, Pancho Alverez, and Buzz Barton. When the Fair circuit came through we would also see Jimmy Wilburn, Emory Collins, Bill Schindler, and Deb Snyder.

    Some pictures of Frank Luptow's "Black Panther" Offy have already been shown. I think there was also one picture of the Bud Sherk Offy that Harry King drove toward the end of the period mentioned. If anyone has pictures of some of the other cars, I would sure love to see them. Red Redmond drove a Hal (#69). A fella named Pop Hukle owned 4 Ranger powered cars (#96,97, 98, 99). There was another car called the Libby Ranger (#C-10). I would really like to know if any of these cars are survivors.

    Just one more bit of trivia and I will shut up. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance on the day that Frank Luptow made his switch from his Hal to what would later become The Black Panther Offy. I say "later become" because the first day he brought the new car to the track it was unpainted. The body shell was still bare sheet metal and the number 9 was black tape. It didn't seem to slow him down any...as I recall, he won his heat race and the feature going away.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2012
  9. Bill Chadbourne
    Joined: Nov 28, 2011
    Posts: 71

    Bill Chadbourne
    Member
    from Sonora Ca.


    Hi Easter! You have a hell of an imagination. Happy New Year to all. Bill
     
  10. Buildy
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,521

    Buildy
    Member

    Welcome, Napp!

    I hope someone can come through for you with the photos you mentioned.
     
  11. wynns #1
    Joined: Feb 1, 2009
    Posts: 206

    wynns #1
    Member

    Happy New Year to all,
    Regarding the front bumper of the #78, the flat plate attached acommodates and aligns the starter.
    If I recall, URC sanctioned the Bob Wilkey memorial at Reading in about 1969. As always, its a privilege to enjoy all the comments and photos on this site. Keep them coming.
     
  12. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Looksn to be the holder for the starter shaft; only thing is, the grill has no opening for the shaft.
     
  13. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Hanging from front bumper, you mean.
     
  14. Note the hole in lower grill shell.
     

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  15. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Hey Spike - You may be right, but we called all of the "bumpers" "nerf bars" - Rear Nerf, Side Nerf, etc. I guess it's French for "Tendon or Ligament" that relates to "Force". Dad would say: "I gave him a little nerf just before the start to get his attention."
     
  16. 1955 OkC Midget winner, around August or September.

    Anybody know this guy? George Amick ?

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Spike Ruth
    Joined: Aug 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    Spike Ruth
    Member

    Amick was one of the best in midgets and Champ Cars until losing his life when the Champ Cars ran at Daytona. Might have been in 1959.
     
  18. monkaz
    Joined: Oct 6, 2011
    Posts: 203

    monkaz
    Member
    from gilbert,AZ

    George Amick lost his life at Daytona in a 100 mile Champ car race on Apr. 4, 1959.
     
  19. So, is this George Amick in the photo?
     
  20. This is.
     

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  21. jimg12
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 307

    jimg12
    Member

    napp,
    The Hal that Luptow put the OFFY in and made it the Black Panther I am almost sure that at one time was the Jewell Hal. Can anyone tell me I am right on this?
    Jim Graybeal
     
  22. jshell5151
    Joined: Dec 30, 2011
    Posts: 3

    jshell5151
    Member

    My father is a car collector and he has 1948 Hillegas sprint car. It has #4 still painted on it. We found a folder under the seat with two photos of the car in the 50's. It has the name Jim Smolinski written on it. It looks like he car was running a Hudson engine. Does anyone know about this car?
     
  23. monkaz
    Joined: Oct 6, 2011
    Posts: 203

    monkaz
    Member
    from gilbert,AZ

    That is definitely George Amick.
     
  24. napp
    Joined: Dec 31, 2011
    Posts: 10

    napp
    Member
    from Georgia

    Yes, I have read that the Jewell Hal was the basis for the original Offy car that Luptow started driving in 1949. I believe that he used the Essex frame, steering box, and some other components from the Hal when he had the original Black Panther built. The switch was much more than just an engine change, though. The entire appearance of the car was changed with new sheet metal as shown in the pictures I have attached. At the time he changed his ride, I was only twelve years old and thought that the entire car was new. I suspect that feeling was fostered when he originally showed up at the track with an unpainted car. In my twelve year old mind, a car that had not yet been painted had to be totally new.
     

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  25. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Hello napp, and welcome!

    I don't have pictures, and I don't know if any of the cars survived, but I have come across a lot of those names during my research. The #69 Hal of Red Redmond would've been the Jimmy Frankland/Hal - Wayne "Speed" Wynn (another name you may remember) won a race at Tampa as late as 1953 with it.

    You may also remember the "Blue Boy" sprinters of Charlie Pittman and Tom Earle. They used Menasco and Ranger aircraft engines, then finally an Offy. I don't know if it was always the same car, I suspect not. I believe Al Keller took this car north to run a few AAA events, and darn nearly won at Williams Grove!
     
  26. napp
    Joined: Dec 31, 2011
    Posts: 10

    napp
    Member
    from Georgia

    Thanks for the welcome.

    You are right about Redmond's car being the Frankland Hal. During this period, "Speed" Wynn was driving one of the Pop Hukle Rangers. The gold & black #99...if I recall correctly.

    I don't know why I failed to mention the "Blue Boy" cars in my earlier post. I lived in Clearwater; and the P&E Machine Shop was only about two miles from my house. I actually have one of their "Blue Boys" sitting outside in my shed as I write this. Sadly, it isn't one of their sprinters, though. Rather, it is one of the very heavy duty, over-engineered Blue Boy power lawn mowers they manufactured in the forties and fifties. I'm pretty sure the sale of these mowers paid a lot of their racing bills. It was tucked away in a corner of my Dad's garage when he died; and I couldn't bring myself to let it go.

    I remember Al Keller as the primary driver of the Blue Boy Special; but I also remember from time to time that Eddy Adams would get seat time in the car. Eddy had a driving style that always unnerved me. He liked to hang out the rear and drive very high through the turns. My Dad always said that most of the black marks on the outer walls at the Tampa Fairgrounds were caused by the right rear tire of the cars driven by Eddy Adams.
     
  27. MickeyD
    Joined: Feb 8, 2009
    Posts: 45

    MickeyD
    Member

    I know this is a sprint car thread, but hope you don't mind. This is from the November 19, 1961 Champ Car race in Phoenix. The photo is obviously from the grandstand, but in the middle of the photo is the car that was driven by Al Keller. He just set fast time that day and is taking off his gloves to the left-front of the car. Al tragically lost his life in the race, won by Parnelli Jones.
     

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  28. Buildy
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,521

    Buildy
    Member

    We discuss the cage-less Champ cars in this thread,along with the sprints.
     

  29. Fella,s
    What size would the frame rails of this car be and what size would a sprint car from the early 50,s frame size be, please.
     

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  30. TommyA19
    Joined: Dec 3, 2010
    Posts: 240

    TommyA19
    Member

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