Great Oregon Racers

Figured this belonged in this thread...Rodding and Re-styling...Jan 1960...great thread by the way....

 

I remember the Wellborn/Payne Ardun car well. They used to leave it in my Uncles show room at his ""E A Mock and Sons" Used cars at 10th and Charnalton in Eugene. It was kinda a "Sea Foam" green and Donn Varner had went nuts striping the car. Don't know about Payne, heard he is still around Eugene but Paul passed a few months back. He bored my 56 Olds block .060 over for my 37 Ford, later to my 34 Ford which I still have.

 

Thank you for the history lesson. I've been anxious to learn more of my newly adopted state's hotrodding history. This is perfect.

Do you know anything of the white A roadster Mr. ModelT?

 

Don't have any pics but it is alive and well in Eugene, now owned by Kirk Pruett (Dave's son, Dave had a 40 Willys Gasser that Kirk now owns and restored to street use) and driven by his wife Kelly. Last I knew it had a Grant BBC in it. All the Pruett kids race in OR and WA. The Green 30/31 Roadster belonged to Dave's Father in law and had an early Dodge Hemi in it I think. Car is still in the Family owned by his Son, Dan, Dave's former bro in law. Its in the Sutherland area I think, last I knew it has been untouched.

 

Hotrd32,
Thanks for posting the article, I have been wondering when they stopped running at Scapoose. I am going to do some homework on the years they ran at Aurora, McMinnville ran from 59-66, Woodburn opened in 1961 as an 1/8 mi and switched to 1/4 in 64, lots of memories at Mac, Woodburn, and Madras for me.

 

Here are a couple pics of the "Gypsy", built by Twig Zeigler when he worked at Coletti. Evidently it held a few records for its class at the time. The action shot is from 1971, and then how the car sits today. Enjoy.

 

Sadly I don't I really don't know much about many of these cars. Some I recognize and have pieced together info from other old club members, but some cars are lost in time.

If anybody does recognize or have any info on some or all of these cars, please let me know!

 

Clayton....amazing pictures there man...Thanks!

 

Thanks for the article on Scappose! Since it closed when I was 9 yrs. old, I never did see it, and only heard stories of what it was like.

 

That article on Scappose is the only history other than what I've read in a few books that mentioned it I've seen. Thanks for posting it.

 

I wonder if it's raining up there? BUMP.

 

Cats and dogs! But we're looking at a sunny low 70's weekend!

 

It never quits raining here----so I'm told.

 

This Bantam belonged to Terry Mills, I think he was from the Lake Oswego area. Used to watch it run at McMinnville, one of my favorites. The body is still around.

 

He passed away about 20 years ago. My dad bought his 40 mercury convertible from the estate. He had a airplane crash recovery business in redmond,Oregon.

 

I grew up in Hillsboro, we had a 5/8 dirt track at the Washington County Fairgrounds. It was built as a 5 furlong horse track, that closed sometime in the 40's. In about 1953, they started racing Hardtops there and ran through 1959. In the one pic the guy on the left is Jake Roth, and the other is Marion Hoff. The big trophy has to be from the 57 championship. The other pic is from their 56 championship. My old racing partner Bobby Mead is Marion's nephew. Bobby and I considered Jake to be the J.C. Agajanian of Washington County, as he Owned two 32 Ford coupe race cars, his business was "Valley Tire". The sign is the original and it hangs on my shop wall. Great memories! BTW I weighed the trophy and it is 12 pounds!

 

This shot was taken at "Portland Speedway", I would guess in the later 50's. That would make quite a Hotrod today, just like it is. Anyone know who it is?

 

This is Salem's own "Clarence Everett". This photo was taken in 1968. My old pal Jack Greiner was a good friend of Clarence, Jack said the 1 year old Camaro was a recovered theft, that Clarence pulled out the 396 and installed his trusty Flathead. I saw it run at Woodburn once. The kid in the picture is Jack's son Scott. Scott now has one of the nicest "big Block" Fairlanes around.

 

Thought I read a few years backs that Edmunds (can't remember his first name) of intake manifold & cylinder head fame, started his castings business in Portland.

 

His name was Eddie Edmunds, and yes he started in Portland, I think there is a thread on here with his entire story. The heads I have on my Flathead have SF stamped on the water necks, I take that to be San Francisco.

 

Man that takes me back, grew up on Rosedale Rd, about 1/4 miles west of the "green line" in Hazeldale. Neighborhood hoodlum had a old coupe he raced @ Hillberry, drove it on the country roads, remember it had dual tires, like a dually pickup on the right side, guess that was before real racin' tires were in the budget. Used to make the little kids cry it was so loud, pissed the grandmothers off. This would have been about 57/58. That hoodlums name was Harold Hoffman.

 

Mike, I knew a guy named Harold Hoffman, he was a dump truck driver from around Aloha, my brother did some welding and fab work for him in the 60's.

 

This is Wayne Trowbridge from Salem, 450" Packard powered! circa 1965, the car had quite a long racing career, many owners, many different engine combinations, including SBC and 440 Mopar. I installed a six point cage on it in the 80's. It was named the "Screamin Yellow Zonker" at one time.

 

A couple of my favorite 55's, Krausse and Willey and Gary Parham, Gary was a tough competitor in "Street Eliminator".

 

Okay Marty...............time to break out a picture of the Over The Wall Gang. They were inmates at Salem and raced a roundy round car in the '70's. They even traveled up to Washington.
Mike

 

I knew Ernie Hall wow we do miss him

 

My dad turned wrench on the Coletti Team. in Hillsboro.....I can remember their shop well..............wow what a flash back

 

I use to sit in this car in their shop when i was about 6 or 7 years old.....LOL...

 

Ernie Halls shop is the Old fire-truck building company in Cornelius, Oregon, where he lived.While repacking the parachute on his dragster in the pit area, he collapsed with a heart attack August 4, 1989

 

Cool. Gary Parham is still around, he looks at the HAMB. I e mail him every so often. This looks to be around 65? It sure looks like the old Woodburn.
Keep 'em coming1 This is previously unseen Oregon history!