If you Missed Jungle Park you didn't miss much

Just a bunch of old guys that have forgot more than most of us will ever know, The only problem was that you could usually hear five of them talking around you and you wanted to listen to them all. Oh yea you missed big cars with Hisso's, Offy's, Millers with centrifigal superchargers, Midgets with everything from Elto outboards to Offy's and everything in between. Oh and last but surely not least a Model T Speedster with a Gemsa dohc head on a T block that has been banned from hillclimb competion because it "is to fast to be safe"
here are a few Pictures


http://www.flickr.com/photos/racer5c/

 

I have heard about this show for several years.. A little far for me to travel. For those who dont know this show is held on what was the front staightaway of the jungle park race track. It has been closed many years. Nice car always at this gettogether. I have a question. What is the deal with the roadster on the roof of saftey glass?? It has to have a great story.......... Thank You... Bobby

 

Thanks for sharing the pics,looks like a great show.

 

Don't know much about the Safety Auto Glass car but, it does hold a unique Indy record. The Jones & Maley #51 completed the most laps ever [74] to finish 33rd place in 1954. Its been up there as long as I can remember. Racer 5C may well know much more.

 

I have a magazine somewhere that gave the whole history of the "Safety Auto Glass Car" I will dig it up if you want. The old building that is falling down was the Boyle Race Shop, Boyle was a union boss and rumor has it a gangster from Chicago, pretty famous guy back in the day, had some Masseratti and Miller Indy cars, was very succesful. Jungle Park was a race track from the 20's until the late 50's it is on US 41 west of Indy about an hour or so, in it's heyday they would get over 10 thousand spectators. It was an outlaw track, but a lot of the big name guys ran there under alias names. The place has such an aura about it, I really hope that someday someone buys the place and builds a race car museum and uses the grounds ind of like The Latimore Valley Fairgrounds where they have the Jalopy Showdown at, it would be perfect for that.

 

What, no cookiecutter race cars with wings and bodywork covering up the cockpit? You're right, didn't miss a thing. Seriously, great pics and thanks.

 

GoKatGo caught at Jungle park

 

Thanks for the coverage,well done. My favorite cars are Champ and Sprints of the 50/60s era with artful aluminum work and colorful paint,many with scallops or graphics to complement the lines,and often gold leaf lettering and number.As visually exciting as a full body front engine dragster.All are form and function in its highest degree. I also would like to see more of the 31 hiboy. That thing is KILLER.

 

Did you post the pics of the event last year, too? I loved that Miller-powered car then, love it still. Looks like such a cool event and location. Thanks for posting.

Cris

 

Thanks for the pictures Roy!

 

As I remember, Greg Weld (Weld Wheels) drove this to the USAC National Sprint Car title.

Do they get any prettier than this ?

Thanks, Roy !!

 

Johnny,

Greg Weld was there walking around, he didn't look to good not sure if he has some health issues or not. My step Dad drove the black Stapp Spl a couple times at Eldora

 

No they don't get any nicer than that! Thanks for the great pictures.

 

This is my favorite Jungle Park pic.
It's Billy Earl taking his last lap at Jungle Park a couple of years ago,as he drives past Chuck Faulkner on the front straight.

 

Doc Bowles Hisso at Jungle Park around 1937 or so

 

Here's a pic of Faulkner and a car I built (white 4) running at an oldtimers' meet a few years ago.

 

This pic is last year a Jungle Park.
This is Chuck Faulkners replica Watson Indy Roadster.
I didn't see Chuck this year, I hope he is doing O.K.
Check out the cool Cromwel Helmet.

 

thanks for the great pics.

 

Here's Greg Weld standing alongside the Dunseth sprinter.

 

Great stuff - I just may have to attend this one next year!

 

Billy Earl lived for many years about a mile from me. I met him about 15 years ago when I answered an ad for some hotrod parts he was selling. Till that meeting, I'd never heard of him. Once I knew who he was, we talked for a good while about his racing days and his cars. I wish I could remember more of our chat but he rambled around alot and changed subjects with little or no warning.
He built his cars in a small 2 car concrete block garage at home. When it was time to build a new car Billy just cut up steel to fit the dimentions of the full size frame pattern, painted right on the garage floor. He showed me some of the jigs and tools he had made to build his cars. He wanted to sell me a huge vice he had made into a moveable floor model. I was interested but we counldn't agree on a price, and I had no way to haul something that heavy then.
His wife was very sick and he was trying to sell everything they had to move to Florida. I'd Guess they never made it, cause for years I saw his red white and blue homemade tow vehicle usually at the local Hardees. Sadly I haven't seen it for a least a couple years. I've gone by his house several times and never found anyone home, although the truck was there and hadn't moved for months. It appears the house has now been sold and everything is gone.

 

Harry, he passed away this year.

Roy

 

This is Billy Earl at Jungle Park In 2004.

We Miss yah Billy

 

I figured, but I wasn't sure and didn't want to assume he had.