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

Oh man, I WANT that #14! Just perfect...

 

There is a picture of Big Al Unser in the Johnny Lightning #2 in MarioFan post 17669. Saw at the old Sacramento Mile two or three years in a row. Al put on a great show. One of the memories that you take to the grave. Huge hole in turn one, Al would drive right through the center.

 

I get to do some.. and get trained on some.. but MOST are all done here in house by shop foreman JIM HEMELSBACH. He's awesome!

J Shaw

 

The Van Craft, Goug Craig, Guy in Ohio, Fred Gerhardt, Dave Masterman, Jim Allen bodied, Kevin Stevenson painted, Bonesteel restored, Dick Woodland Parnelli Jones tribute midget roadster is finished!!!

 

Bravo compadre!
Let's see it!

 

Here are the photos

 

We had a Open House last Sunday to show off the midget roadster before I take it over to Woodland's museum. The best moment was when Don Thomas and Frank Secrest saw each other after 40 some years. Thanks to all.

 

Does anyone know the names of the individuals in this photo (except for Jerry and Scratch)? Is one of them Bill McDonald? (This is for you Dave) Thanks.

 

.123

 

Mariofankri did....on post #17644. his first post.

 

I have a few helmets that I would like to further identify. The first is a Bill Felts Bell Star that I believe is from the 1960's. This could be the helmet that is pictured in the last photo(thanks to Augie Schultz. Augie, I will remove pic if you do not approve of me using it). The second is a Felts Bell helmet from 1975 and the third is a Bell from Ace Noffsinger dated 1970. Any info on these helmets and/or racers is appreciated! Thanks in advance! Bill

 

...'pullmyfinger, Billy Felts and Ace Noffsinger were prominent names in southern California midget and sprint car racing in the 1960's-1980's. Ace Noffsinger was a midget and sprint car driver in the 60's and early 70's and when he retired from driving, Billy Felts was one of his midget drivers on the Ram Race Cars South Team. Ace obviously had some type of agreement with the Ram Race Car's owner and founder, Jerry ("Ram") Day from Renton, WA. (incidentally-Jerry Day: one of the nicest guys in racing)

Ace was also the father of well-known race car driver Brad Noffsinger, as well as Brad's brothers, Bart and the late Todd, who lost his life in a sprint car accident at Ascot Park in a CRA race in 1983.

Billy Felts drove midgets in USRC and USAC competition and sprint cars with the CRA in the 70's and 80's; I'm pretty sure Billy was too young to have driven in the 60's. The photo you've posted (I can't confirm that it's Billy;not important) is the #54 CRA sprint car of T. Willie Hutchins, who worked for, among others, Ed Iskendarian at Isky Cams for years and last I heard was in the Carson City area of Nevada.

 

Jim, that's what please me with this thread, seeing what people who have lived the events can say about it . Chuck Rodee was the winner that day.

Strangely, Mario began the year (1966) not making the show in Fort Wayne and then, later in the year, won his lone USAC midget race in Berlin aboard the Caves #1.

This car (the Caves 1) I have never seen a picture with Mario, does someone here have a link ?

PK, I gave the link where I found the Tampa pic of the Wagner team, here it is : http://www.wirphotos.net/photos/thumbnails.php?album=141
There are more Tampa pics ...
and to please you here's one from coastal181, Lou Blaney (Doug Haack photo)

Wynn's, I owe you much thanks for the identification of the car, even the date and the place, would you have the results ?
In fact I've got nearly no informations on Mario's results racing URC sprints and ARDC midgets ... if you can help me with these, well, it would be so GREAT !!!

the legend on www.coastal181.com says :
Elfreida Macs, known as “World’s Champion Woman Driver,” was ridin’ high in the summer of 1934. Just married, she was a big-time attraction. It all ended at the Alabama State Fair on September 26. She died ramming a car through a board wall of flames.

Easter, I just knew because it has been discussed on this thread. A lot of my little knowledge come from you all ...

here's a pic of an hand painted print from Ken Coles, google picture

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And to everyone, a link with pics from the USAC sprints in Dayton in April 1969 : http://wthompson4.sports.officelive.com/1969USACSprints.aspx
There are also some pages with pics from 1976 and 1979 Dayton USAC races on the same site

 

Billy Felts can be found at MJB Plating, 236 South Riverside Ave. Rialto, CA 92376, 909-875-1910

Mike.

 

"In fact I've got nearly no informations on Mario's results racing URC sprints and ARDC midgets ... if you can help me with these, well, it would be so GREAT " Mariofankri

You are doing a good job with your research-don't forget to attribute the photos and info to their original sources when you can.
And as far as Mario's ARDC Midget record a good starting point would be to google Mataka Brothers Kurtis midget which a 23 y/o Mario drove to 3 ARDC victories in one day. The car number was changed to 3n1.

 

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by sm66p
Mario fankri, can you please give photo credits for pics you have copied. Thank you.
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well, I give the link when I think about it, but most of the time the sites don't give the credits. Often, the pics I post are some I googlized, so I just have the picture ...

But since it seems to bore the others, I will only post links now and not upload the pics, hoping everyone to be happy

 

"]Can someone tell me more about these pics Rootie posted on page 5 (post # 87).

The second one seems to be from 1965, Gapco # 3 but where ?

 

Allentown PA (almost in Mario's back yard)....photo was taken by Ray Masser.

 

Mario Fan I think the photo of Mario in the # 41 Midget was at Duquoin Ill.

 

Thanks Al & Buildy, would you have a little more about the 41 ?

Al, I want to tell you, I saw your work on the web and it's WOW remarkable, thanks for sharing the pics

 

Sorry I don`t have anything more about the 41 Midget. I`m sure some of the older guys on here would know something about the car.

 

Looking through the records (Mike O'Leary' book) :

with USAC, Mario ran the midgets as follows :

1964, 3 races withe Jake Vargo's # 17 and a single race with Bob Nowicke's # 4
1965, 1 race each with the Bob Weaver # 32 and the Bob Nagle # 56
1966, Fort Wayne with the Higman #64 and then 3 races with the Caves #1
1967, Turkey Night # 98 Vel Miletich
1968, no midget race
1969, Houston Astrodome, # 61Kenyon brothers

Could what seems a # 41 be a number 4i ?

 

It looks to me like there were two #4 cars at the same race. When that happens one of the cars is assigned another number. As can be seen the 1 on the 41 was added using tape.

This might be the Nowicke #4. It is a USAC race. Looks to me like the Bob Nowicke #6 is parked next to Mario,and It looks like there is a #4 car at the far rt side of the photo.

Also on Mario`s hood I can faintly make out Bob Special The word Nowicki is in glare can`t be seen.

Pretty sure I saw that photo in Open Wheel Magazine years ago.



So this is more than likely Mario Andretti at Duquoin in 1964 in the Bob Nowicke #4 .

 

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?51861-Photographer-greats

 

MarioFanKri,

You wanted to see a picture of Mario Andretti in Myron Caves Offy. This is a picture of him at Allentown on 8/6/1966.

 

Sorry, but that's not Elfrieda Mais (correct spelling). Frieda was the sister* of the prominent racing driver Johnny Mais from Indianapolis, and she raced for a at least a couple of decades before she perished in 1934. She was quite a bit older than this young girl by 1926/7 when this picture was taken.

I'm not sure who this is, but I seem to recall that she was the wife (or girlfriend) of Frank "Dizzy" Hefling of Illinois, who built and raced this early Midget.

* Some accounts say she was Johnny's wife, but in 1932 she was reportedly married to another driver, Ray La Plante of Newark (NJ). Maybe she and Johnny divorced.

 

Nifty car and resto. In the dumb ? department, what is that black tank / box to the right of the engine for? A foot well? Thanx, Gary

 

I agree ...

 

YESSSSS !!!
Thanks a lot, Monkaz, it's a really good quality photo.
If you've got others, please do not hesitate ...

 

Thanks Michael for the precisions, you seem to have great great knowledge about earliest auto racing. Your posts are always full of things to learn. I think remembering you posted on another thread about the 1946 Champ Car season, it was very interresting ...