60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

Back in the day before the "manufactured" cars, there was nobody better on dirt than Dutch Hoag. Dutch was from NY and he beat all the PA / Jersey boys 3 times on dirt at Langhorne...and then another two after it was paved just for good measure!

 

hahaha hey, I just post photos that are in my files in order, right now it is Islip. I liked what Oakley said hahahah

 

Yes it's the track in Rumney located at the back of the (Lions?) Fairgrounds the last time I went up there were many changes to the track including the expansion to a 1/4 mile inside and the track was turned with the front section becoming turns 3/4 didn't go last season so I haven't seen the dog leg I went up spring of the year before.I wonder Why Normand and Wayne weren't allowed to do the upgrades that Mike Rivers has?I was told that's why they went and bought the other track.

 

Yep Rumney or Wentworth depending on who you ask because it's real close to the town line. It's out behind the American Legion. They have changed names a bunch of times since Wayne left. 2-3 years ago it was Legion Speedway. We started racing there back when the oval went the other way then a few years ago they turned the whole track 90 degrees from the way it was, redid the pits, built new stands and added a snackbar. I wasn't aware it was ever a fairground though. I know the track in Canaan is at the old Canaan Fairgrounds though. Been going to both tracks for over 20 years. If any of you have been going there as long as I have you'll remember the name Moses. The whole family was & is good friends of mine and a couple of them drove my cars off and on. The wifes dad was the flagman at Bear Ridge in VT for awhile as well. Funny story from Rumney. One night when we were running a dirt modified my regular driver didn't show up. Well Billy Moses was a good friend and had driven cars of mine in the past and I knew he was in the stands. He had "retired" a couple years before. So I go over and ask Billy to drive the car and he says no "you know I'm retired" I told him I had a $100 bill that said his helmet & firesuit were out in his truck & if it was he had to drive but if it wasn't I'd give him the 100. He won the feature that night...

 

okay not Islip hahah but an Islip driver lol

 

Stafford Speedway is celebrating 40 years, each week they will reminisce on the past with stories on their website. www.staffordmotorspeedway.com, look on the left side of the home page, starting this week.

 

Bullfather, Will you be posting any photos from the New London Waterford Speedbowl from the 60's and 70's?

 

if you go back in history...or through all the pages, we've posted lots of stuff from Waterford.

 

with the demise of so many race tracks I was surprised to find out that one in New Hampshire has been completely Rebuilt in 2009!The story is here.
Welcome to Big Daddys Speedbowl!
This track was known by several different names I haven't been to this newest version but it looks like it's going to be a great NEW facility and very family friendly kids 12 to 17 1$ to get in under 12 free Seniors Active Military 8$ and general adult 10$ per pass!

 

If I had to "guess" I would say a live axle similar to / the same as the sprint cars he built.

Don Edmunds has a Web Site .. http://donedmunds.com/ .. where there are copies of plans available for some of the cars he built ($45.00 USD).

You can also eMail the 79 year old at .. [email protected] .. and I'm sure he'll answer you.

 

Awsome news. Been going there for over 20 years since the Norway Pines days. "BA" the guy who runs the American Legion and has overseen things at the track for the last few years is an old friend of mine and is taking a much needed break from it all. I'll definately be there to check out the improvements although as a spectator these days. This is one of the few tracks that's never had a problem filling the stands all these years and I think it's because it's very family friendly and affordable. If it stays that way they'll do fine.

 

Wow ,Bullfather, I haven't seen that Buick Special bodied number one since 1965. George Brunnhoelzl Sr. won the Trenton qualifier at Freeport and that was the car that got painted up in his colors and number. I heard Casper borrowed the car from an Islip team just for the Trenton race event. It was at Freeport one Friday night taking laps during intermission getting alot of hype. Also the Ace Of Spades Falcon bodied car had it's last horrah at Weissglass ,a green number X31 driven by Doug Hatton from Queens. Thanks for posting,George.

 

Gary Reichert at Oswego (NY) Speedway, 1974. Don Kranz photo.


Maynard Troyer at Oswego (NY) Speedway, 1972 or 1973. Don Kranz photo.


Geoff Bodine at Daytona, 1974. (Photog unknown.)


Gerry Chamberlain at Reading, Pa., 1972. (Photog unknown.)

 

Nice picture of Al DeAngelo And the restored 7-11.

 

couple more, Silas with the Flaming 7,Teddy Baronosky and Charlie J down the front straight. at Riverhead.

 

Richie Evans' victory photo after winning the Aug. 21, 1971 Modified feature at Lancaster (NY) Speedway. Gordon Reinig photo.

 

I agree that the Indy cars (roadster era, etc.) were so strong & rigid that many either suffered serious injury &/or died because of that .. but that wasn't the cause of their demise. The rear engine cars had proven themselves to be faster & handled better. BUT the earlier ones were no safer .. maybe less so. Why? .... Well the early ones were liteally bathtubs of fuel. Tanks on BOTH sides of the driver, PLUS many also had an additional tank in back of the drivers seat & another right over his legs.

Thankfully, that all has since changed .. plus!!!

 

I've purposely waited to reply to this. .. I was waiting to see if other would.

I'll give you my thoughts between the lines below.

Me thinks that the Jarzombek family certainly took advantage of the rules of the day and were not only innovative with that car .. incorporating their own excellent shade tree ideas as it was built & probably continually modified it as they campaingned it .. but they were also aware & smart enough to take advantage of many proven things .. including (but not only) something that was most obvious and that was the advantage of having the weight of the engine on the left side .. as the Indy roadsters did. Left side weight is (of course) still important, but approached differently today.

I don't think you could take a 40 year old Indy car, sprint car, midget, Cup car (Grand National), Nationwide car (Sportsman), Late Model, etc., etc., etc.. .. bolt on todays tires, use todays set up knowledge and have it accomplish what the Jarzombek offset coupe has for the last few years.

I think Harold Seaman has every right to be proud of the very special (yet old) machine he owns & loves to "rapidly" show off & that Ricky Jarzombek can be even prouder re his part in designing & building it.

 

HELP NEEDED !!!!

We recently spoke here of the Jarzombek car that Peggy Smith owned & campained for awhile.

Peggy sold it to someone from the Bohemia, NY area.

Who ever that was sold it to Mike Gallo of Riverhead, NY. .. It was then sold to Cliff Polacick who had Boots Jakonski restore it to the Jarzombek livery. Harold Seaman lettered it. (That was 1997.)

It is now in the race shop on the Jarzombek farm.

MIke Gallo has since seen the guy he bought the car from .. at a racing swap meet or maybe a Marty Himes annual get together in Farmingdale, NY.

Does anyone here know who it was (from the Bohemia, NY area I "THINK") who bought the car from Peggy Smith &/or how to get a hold of him.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!