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

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Joshua Shaw, Jan 17, 2008.

  1. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

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  2. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

  3. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

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  4. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Rootie, I thought Wally's first 4bar dirt car was built in 1959. Sachs won twice (Syracuse and Trenton fall) in it then it became the Bill Forbes car.
     
  5. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Jim, this is from M. Ferners site and his chronical of Wally M. cars. Of course we're talking 50 + y.o. history here so I don't consider anything written in stone. :confused:
     

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  6. hopkins1
    Joined: Jul 7, 2009
    Posts: 72

    hopkins1
    Member
    from bedford pa

    Rootie,I have been told for years the Glessner car was the first 4 bar Meskowski. Also that Joe Silnas did the body. Silnas did the Wyndott Tool car a little later and both are listed in Wallens books as Silnas chassis. The Hopkins Meskowski was bodied by Kuzma and is listed as a Kuzma.The books are wrong. Mr. Ferners list skips the Hopkins completly.
     
  7. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Yep, there's so few of the oldtimers left nowdays to set the records staight we're often left to rely on the written word, warts and all.
     
  8. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Don Branson on the inside is in the hoover car that supposedly became the Glessner car.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Yes, that's right - apologies, somebody mentioned it to me (was it you?), but I simply hadn't found the time yet to make revisions to that page.

    The way I understand it, Wally built the early four-bar dirt cars, and had other people finish them - Joe Silnes on the Hoover/Glessner and Sclavi cars, and Eddie Kuzma on the Hopkins. There are minor errors on that page, and a few things missing that I have learned since, but overall the info should be (close to) correct.
     
  10. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Great picture, Jim!
     
  11. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    It was the Williams Grove Champ car race 1958

    Branson, Sutton, Turner(?), Foyt and Buzz Barton.

    Best race I ever saw.
     
  12. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    FWIW-The new Hoover dirt car made it's debut at Langhorne 58. This is from a race report and while it doesn't address anything specifically, I suspect the 'novel' new suspension is refering to Wallys T-bars.
     

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  13. When I first joined this celebrated site some nine years ago I thought I would be able to add to most of the discussions as I am an OLD man and been around racing for over 65 years, but I must admit I am not even a ranking amateur compared to you guys. I have learned more about old open wheel cars on this site than anything other source since I was old enough to wear long pants and read to myself. You guys are incredible and an absolute joy to me and I will continue to read and absorb and, if it falls into my realm, I might add something from time to time.
     
    feynmanfan likes this.
  14. Sorry, I meant 3 years ago in '09
     
  15. easter
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 554

    easter
    Member

    Jim, That Champ Car photo is one of the best I've ever seen. I just sat there and studied it for several minutes. I sent it to some friends and said: "Those guys had balls so big I'm surprised they could sit down." Thanks for posting. The last couple weeks has really been interesting on here.
     
  16. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    I found this shot on Jimmies Old Time Racing, and thought it was pretty interesting. The #3 of Bobby Courtright, with those unequal length headers from back in the day, and an Offy powered car on the right. But the laydown roadster in the background on the left was what really got my attention. Any ID on this one? Sorry for the thumbnail, I don't know how to post full-size pics yet. The location is Hamburg, NY.
     

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    Last edited: Nov 28, 2012
  17. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Looks a lot like the Rose Trucking Lesovsky Indy car. Dont know if they might have dropped a sbc in it and went dirt racing, or what. :confused: Edit- by the tires on the 3 car I'm guessing Hamburg was actually a pavement track
     

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  18. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Couple of color shots.
     

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  19. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Yes Rootie, perhaps a small block Chevy, and it looks like it is tilted to the left a tad. Thanks. :D Looks like the same color scheme and #27. Thanks again.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2012
  20. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I'm about 99% sure that is the Racing Associates (Herb Porter/Rocky Phillip)Rose sponsored car from 62. I suspect there could be a interesting story behind that picture. Like- What was the 4th place finishing car of the 62 Indy doing at a URC (?) race at a relitivley obscure upstate N.Y. short track with a Chebby motor in it :confused: Maybe one our right coast/URC afficianados can enlighten us.
     
  21. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Dick Swartzlander put a SBC in the 1959 pole winning Lesovsky. He raced in Pa with it. It was still painted as it had raced in 1962 at Indy. Don Davis drove it to fourth place. There was a copy made by Porter/Phillips. That is the #86 in pink and black colors. The pink on the 86 is often confused with the Johnny Thomson pole sitter which was all pink.
     
  22. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Gonna hazard a guess here, that we are looking at mid to late '60's, and the car was considered outdated by then. Especially since it is a laydown. I have always loved recycled Indy roadsters, even though some consider it sacreligous to be converted into a supermodified. Thanks Jim. I have seen pics of Dick Swartzlander in a roadster, have to go searching now.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2012
  23. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Easter, that photo was on about page 75 in this thread. The original is in Wallen's fab 50's book.
     
  24. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Found it. Thanks gentlemen.
     

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  25. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Thanks Jim, makes sense now. Guess if your gonna shell out for Indy roadster your paying for a top shelf paint/lettering job too. Might as well keep it. :D
     
  26. Denny Zimmerman
    Joined: Jan 8, 2010
    Posts: 504

    Denny Zimmerman
    Member

    Looks like around my time in URC and when we ran Hamberg NY it was dirt, dusty dirt, normal fairgrounds type. I remember the name Swartzlander but not the roadster, but then my brain no remember too good anymore. Denny Z.
     
  27. deuce354
    Joined: Feb 9, 2005
    Posts: 304

    deuce354
    Member

    The roadster in the picture was driven by Dick Schwartzlander, the car was owned by Don Martin the founder of Lererville Speedway. They ran the car a few years in URC . The car was the pink car that Johnnie Thompson sat on the pole at Indy. The car has been restored back to the pink # 3 by Bob McCoy.t talked to Dick a few weeks ago at retired drivers lunchen. He told me he flipped that car at Flemington Yes it had a Chevy in it.
     
  28. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    I always thought that, at least, they got to keep racing as God intended. Looks like the URC let them keep their wheelbase too.
     
  29. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    When Champ Car racing was real racing.
     
  30. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    September 5 in 1966.
     

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