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

Jaguar

 

Name where this pic was taken.

 

Actually its his own personal, very rare Jag XKSS, Sixteen of them were built before a fire at the factory destroyed some partially completed cars and the production tooling. Further production was canceled.

 

Yep, it was their street version of the racing D-type.

 

Rootie, I'm taking a WAG and gonna say Ensenada.

 

No, actually it, for us, is more of a sprint car venue.

 

Ascot?

 

Since there seems to be knowledge spilling into the Road Racing arena here, let me bring this back to On-topic status.

In the late 50's and early 60's, USAC ventured into road racing and even earlier and later, some USAC open wheel drivers were competing in non USAC events.

How many can you name without making this into a research project and what interesting stories might you know of that were associated with these forays?

 

Yep, Roger Mears, McQueen,James Garner,unknown at Ascot Sprint Buggy races, around the late 60s-early 70s.

 

LLoyd Ruby, Rodger Ward, Jim Rathman, Len Sutton to name a few.

 

Brian,I don`t remember any one saying kenney`s rabbit copy was a " Don Brown " rabbit. Kenny copied it from Gregs and brought it to Bedford Pa. for Don Rice Ford. Don raced Fords not Chevies . The showroom photo I have has Owner Don Rice Ford Inc. on the hood. The story goes that when Don ran out of Ford engines Weld put HIS chev. in and won at Port Royal and was fired after the race. This happened in 1968 so what car did he sell after 1970 ? I live in Bedford and would love to know.

 

FWIW- Here's what the fellow in the NW posted a couple yrs. back.

 

Rootie,The point I`m trying to make is the ownership side where Don sells his car in N.Y. for Oswego and Weld builds another car The 1969 car show photo shows some changes here and there.

 

I just posted that for general info. not saying anyone is right or wrong. Though I didn't know that he built 2 roadsters, that would explain a lot.

 

The "unknown" is Vic Hickey, SCTA, CRA and the largest off-road supplier, Hickey Enterprises. A truly "good guy" and a terrific friend. I miss him!

DON VANCE

 

Thanx, also as I look more at that pic, that may not be Roger Mears in the seat. Although he resembles a older Roger Mears, in that time frame Roger would have looked much younger I think, not really sure who it is. Anyhoo, McQueen raced this Jeep thingy on occasion on the Ascot TT track back in that time frame.

 

.....not been too busy on the car over the last few weeks,the weather has changed for the bad,and did not fancy staying too long in the garage.....I was feeling a bit down and stuck in a rut over the build.Then these arrived today...my mate Froggy came up with the Bohnalite Piston Spl....Dwaynes Auto Wrecking and Superoyl Piston Ring Special......they were the ideal '' pick me up ''......hope they give you a smile.....

Have a great Holiday,thanks for your support .....see you next year

 

Since you are into old race car pictures I have one for you. Who are the drivers of these famous cars, track and date. I believe I know the answers but as you know I have been wrong before.

 

My guess would be Gus Schrader-5 Emory Collins-7 Winchester (?) couldn't say what date but would guess aprox. 1932 (?)

 

The #5 Iddings car was built in the winter of 1937 by Roy Richter and the yellow car is the Riverside Tire Spl. This may help.

 

How about the name of his weapon?

 

I just have to know, what exactly is a mechanical rabbit? Chassis by a specific builder, a style of car, sprint or champ car? Could anyone provide a quick primer or link? Thanx, Gary

 

If you dig back through the thread there is more info but basically a roadster style sprint car that legendary fabricator Don Brown (aka the Prince of Darkness) built three of back when innovation was not frowned on or legislated against.

Roo

 

Just a nickname, Don Brown, the builder of the 3 roadsters (offset drivelines) thought a race car should stick to the track like the mechanical rabbit does on the rail at the dog track. Hence, the nickname.

 

It should be noted that Brown is the only one who called his car the mechanical rabbit as he liked to give his own cars a nickname. Weld and Saldana didn't much care about stuff like that.

 

Thanx guys... I'm going to make my mental notes for them as being rare, offset sprinters (and therefore having the cockpit on the right roadster style) and experimental if not controversial in nature. Were they banned because they worked too well? Showed little real advantage over conventional cars and not developed further? Or what? Gary

 

Not really rare but short track roadsters were generally used more on asphalt. The prevailing wisdom then was that offset roadsters really didn't work well on dirt and that was probably true. Essentially the Mech. Rabbit(s) weren't much different than any other roadster, Indy or otherwise. What set them apart and made them work well on dirt was the use of torque arms, power steering, steering linkage that eliminated bump steer etc. They were never outright banned though USAC did put weight restrictions on roadsters in later years IIRC.

 

Mares Laig....a cut down from a Winchester 1892 lever action carbine

 

Well here,s a fellow reading his Racing Wheels in his favorite seat and she,s an off set, western girl this one.

 

Tony Bettenhausen in the #5 Iddings and Tony Willman in the #7 Dreyer, year 1941, track Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Ind. They ran there four times that year, May 25, June 29, August 10 and September 21. As the last three races were all won by Duke Nalon in 'Poison Lil', I'm guessing this is the Inaugural, won by Willman.