History So all Stockcars were crudely built junk? You better think again!

I agree, most guys that intentionally took people out usually didn't last long before they were taught some tough lessons. At our local track, guys that did that too often that didn't get the message from the track management soon found several guys that would educate them on the track every chance they got, until the offender changed his way, or didn't come back.

Our track had figured out a way to make those "take you out" guys start near the rear of the pack for every race. You might take someone out a time or two, but when you have to get past them, and their friends, every week it usually didn't take long to get the message that "taking someone out" wasn't the proper method of racing there. We didn't have many "take you out" racers at our track that stayed very long, if they didn't change their way, for some reason.

Most racers are friends and are willing to help each other out if they can. They may race each other hard on the track, but everyone wants to go home after the races with their family, and have a car left to race next week, as often as possible.

 

Leo Cleary- Note the use of silver and gold leaf for the numbers.

 

Leo had a sign on his dash "PUT ON A GOOD SHOW... DRIVE DIRTY".

 

Some of us old racers were talking figure-8 cars the other day. Some added weight to the left rear of the car, on the frame rail. We saw enough lead cast into Chevy valve covers, but a couple of guys used sections or rail road track, of course totally fabbed up with nothing but a torch.

 

I had seen a picture of a Harry Gant modified, looked like a Mason's Garage #45. It may have had a Chevy Citation rear body 1/2 on it, looked insanely clean.

 

Wally Campbell

 

More proof there is/was a direct connection between hot rod/drag racing and stock cars is the undisputed king of the NASCAR modified division Richie Evans! Nine time National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985.

Richie started out as a street racer/drag racer.

Richie's 53 Ford A/Gasser NASCAR, yes NASCAR drags!

 

I guess I shouldn't be shocked that stock cars/oval track cars don't get any respect, historic drag car don't get any respect either!

Cutting Up a historic racecar to build a trailer for your luggage?!? Total Dipshitness!!!

 

I don't understand why (my guess is for cooling), weird yes, but they are evenly laid out and fairly symmetrical.

 

Cooling for sure... it does appeal to my OCD however...

 

Richie Evans... the Dick Trickle of modifieds

 

With one qualifer: asphalt modifieds. On the dirt, from that era, Rene Charland, Doug Garrison, Lou Lazzaro, too many from all of the dirt tracks to keep listing. DD "Rebel " Harris, Dick Tobias, and more...

Pete Corey, the Reutimen brothers, oh man I can't pick just one. I know Robert has opinions as well. We could go on forever

 

They were good on dirt and asphalt as were Jerry Cook and Dave Lape, Malta (asphalt) on Friday nights, Fonda (dirt) on Saturday nights, and Utica-Rome (asphalt) on Sunday afternoon, and whatever mid-week shows that could find!

 

And we both forgot Gerry Chamberlain. Bill Wilson down Middletown way. And Will Cagle, anywhere he raced.

 

Only if he got appearance money.

 

Charland was a practical joker. When they had to pick starting positions out of a hat, he would slip a loaded mouse trap in. Bad news for the next guy. He smoked cigars while he raced and came close to choking on one when he was in a crash. I believe he was the guy who taped a round mirror to the back of his hand when mirrors were outlawed.

 

I used to run into Cagle for some reason. I was in a fast food place when he was there, close to Nazareth. He was sipping a strawberry shake. Another time I was having breakfast at Ho Jo's in Middletown the day of a big race and sat at the next table from him. He was a nice guy to talk to.

 

All the names you guys mention, never got to watch them in person but remember the headlines and reading about them in the old Speed Sport News

 

Frankie Schneider! Forgot him somehow... 1 of the winningest drivers on the East coast. Red and white #2s. Coupes, coaches, last one I think was a Gremlin.

When he showed up at the Valley, everyone else was racing for second.

 

Pete Corey lost a leg in a wreck. His wooden leg was hollowed out and he put a transistor radio in it.

 

I somehow faked my way onto the track at OCFS for the 1986 Eastern States race, as the cars were lined up. I took a bunch of pictures that I have to find. One was Frankie Schneider, Barefoot Bob, Will Cagle with his Sam Browne seatbelt.

 

Bill Roese a late model drive friend of my dad’s befriended Cagle, Cagle would often drive Bill’s car in the big late model races, Bill learn a lot about chassis from Will Cage.

However Roese had 5 point belts in the car Cagle wouldn’t use them and they had to put a Sam Brown set up in for him.

 

Tommy Corellis at the Valley used an odd seatbelt arrangement also. 2 lap belts, one in the normal location, the 2nd around his chest, but no shoulder strap of any kind. One to hold him down, one to hold him back.

 

Beautiful # 9 Purple and white 37 Ford coupe with hood sides still in place pictured here. I remember in 1952 one car. A 37 Ford coupe that ran the hood sides. Built by Chief Auto Body, Madison Wisconsin. [ Midget racers.] Most likely was driven by Dave Whitehorse. Later got killed in a USAC sprint car. After a heat race Miles Mouse Melius Came running to peek in the engine compartment through the hood sides to see what was in that car. It must have been fast because the Mouse was the man to beat in midgets, hard tops and modifieds!

 

Richie purchased a coil-over front stub from me about 1978. He came to Wisconsin to pick it up. His wife was from Sheboygan Wis. He was telling me about some new type rear suspension he was going to build. I was thinking. What for? You are going to kick ass with the old proven stuff.

 

I think of what we did around 1980 with some really crude tools. Bench grinder, hack saw, torch, angle grinder, garbage picked drill press. Yet everything we did looked decent. We ran against guys with real shops that had brakes, shears and talented help.

 

Ron Quackenbush with the Paul Dwyer-built, former Pete Corey #3 coupe, driven by Corey during the 1965 season. Note the dropped cowl which provided a much-larger-than-stock windshield opening. (Kurt Gebhardt collection.)
Text by Chas Hertica