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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. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

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  2. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

    7856547022_590839b04a_b.jpg
    img817.jpg
    Can anyone identify these cars? Thanks.
     
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  3. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,156

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

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

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    The #46 was called "the red rooster" built by Herb Porter and Rocky Phillip and was one of the earliest sbc powered champ cars. Do a search on this forum as it has been discussed several times over the years.

    Capture rooster.JPG
     
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  5. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

    Thanks Rootie. The search revealed 16 responses!
    I think Porter & Phillip were "Racing Associates", is that right? Did they build roadsters as well?
     
  6. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Yes they did. BTW- The other day, in the roadster thread, a picture of a red and black roadster out of Pa. that raced dirt was posted and is this car after it was sold off.

    Capture assc.JPG
     
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  7. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Yes, Dick Swartzlander ran the car as a sprint car at Williams Grove and other places. The wheel base was shortened and a chevy under the hood. The car sat on the pole at Indy in 1959, finished 3rd in 59, 5th in 1960 and 4th in 1962.
     
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  8. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    Was there more than one of these cars?

    One of the Porter roadsters ended up with a guy in Arizona - can't think of his name at the moment, an old age thing - who ran a few champ car races with it in the sixties and several years later converted in into a steam powered Bonneville streamliner. I remember some magazine articles about the car after the conversion.
     
  9. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Skip Hedrich, who worked for Porter at R/A, is his name, don't know about a steam powered car but in recent years he has run the American Eagle streamliner at B'ville.
     
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  10. Jim Nise
    Joined: Oct 31, 2008
    Posts: 1,210

    Jim Nise
    Member

    To clarify things, I misspoke. The 86 in the picture was a knockoff built by Phillips. The original that I documented earlier was built by Luigi Lesovski which had the finishes mentioned above.

    That car was what Swartlander drove. It was black and red, driven by Don Davis to 4th place at Indy.

    Ebb Rose the driver in the picture of the pink and black 86 was the owner of both at that time.
     
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  11. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,333

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Yes, the paint on Swartzlander's car 8s the same paint that was on it in 1962 when Don Davis drove it at Indy. It was the pole sitter in 1959, painted Racing Associates pink and driven by Johnny Thomson.
     
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  12. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

    Thanks guys for the great history! Complicated but really interesting. just like everything else in real life.
     
  13. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

    edmunds Sprint Car-1.jpg
    Low resolution copy of this great cutaway by David Kimble. Maybe someone can come up with something better.
    Thanks
     
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  14. Dirt Circles
    Joined: Mar 1, 2019
    Posts: 1

    Dirt Circles

    No they are not Gary Stanton frames, they're Tognotti-Ferkel frames. In fact one or possibly both of the
    Jack Maggs cars pictured were Ozzy copies of the Sacramento manufactured originals.
    That's the one & only Garry Rush pictured along with McCubbin.[/QUOTE]

    I'm pretty sure Garry Rush's car was the copy, and Mc Cubbins was the Original. Rush's car had been sold and that was an original Ferkel. It was the No 1 car at the time. The good old days.
     
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  15. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,333

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    And the late Ferkel-Tognotti cars, if not all, have the motor out a couple inches farther than a Trostle chassis, which they were almost a carbon copy of. 40 inches vs 38 is the number that is stuck in my brain.
     
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  16. Speedwrench
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 1,032

    Speedwrench
    Member

    Didn't Trostle build the first production run of Tognottis or was it Gambler ?
     
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  17. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,333

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Tognotti was selling Trostle chassis, and had purchased 6 of them to sell, so yes, Bob did build the first few. Tognotti took one and went to California Cycle Works and had them copy it. Rick Ferkel, sponsored by Kear's, who had a deal to sell Tognottis, got to give some input that was put to use, one item being the motor plate location. Rick divulged that detail in an Open Wheel article, from 1980 or 81 if memory serves correctly. I have heard that CK Spurlock was also selling Trostle chassis, and the first Gamblers were also Trostle copies. Corrections welcome.
     
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  18. Need some help with this sprint that is being restored. It was raced in the north east. We are to the point now of trying to ID the names of the owner, driver, mechanic on the side of the cowl. Can anyone help with this?
    IMG_20190309_0001.jpg
     
  19. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    I think the owner is Dick Morris of Arlington/VA, and the driver probably Danny Daniels of Batavia/NY. Sorry, no idea about the mechanic. Based on the number, the year is probably 1960, and the track looks like Shangri-La in Owego/NY. This car usually ran the URC circuit, from 1957 to '63 or thereabouts. Has probably a prior history, but I have no clues as to what it could have been.
     
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  20. Received an email from the owner of the #8 today. He asked if I would post his comments in the hope that it might jog the memory of other readers. So, here is the copy:


    As @vtwhead has said, we are restoring the Dick Morris Chevy # 8 and would like to get the names of the, we suspect, owner – driver- and mechanic correct as painted on the side of the body. More importantly, we would like to make contact with Mr. Morris or his Family or anyone else who could shed some light on this early owner. There was a Richard Morris, listed as being from Arlington,VA, who placed 13th in 1952, and 11th in 1953 in the Owner Point Standings with the N.A.R.A. A Dick Morris placed 33rd as an Owner with N.A.R.A. in 1954. Can we assume this was the same man?

    The car is rather distinctive in that it is right hand steer, meaning the draglink is on the right hand side of the car. The car has been further confused with the Ellis Brothers #8
    that raced about the same time and was also black or dark blue and sometimes also piloted by Danny Daniels of Batavia, NY who seems to have been a favorite driver of Mr. Morris as well.

    Under the U.R.C., Dick Morris placed 9th in the Car Owner Standings in 1957, 9th again in 1958, 8th in 1959 and 7th in 1960.

    The photo of #8 that begins this thread was loaned to us by the man who took it, Lou Ensworth of Allegany, NY, on June 2nd, 1963 at Shangri-La Speedway in Owego, NY.
    I assume that Mr. Morris is standing and that Mr. Daniels is the Driver. As for the names painted on the side of the car, under magnification it appears that they might all begin with “M”, one might be a “Jr” and the third is totally unknown. Was it a family operation?

    If you are lucky enough to have a copy of “Tow Money” Vol. 1, there is an interesting story and photo of Bill Holland driving the Dick Morris Buick, a power plant he presumably
    tried before settling on the Chevrolet. see page 105. It is 1958 at Flemington NJ and the car is, again, a #8 but with left hand steering. A wholly different car? Who knows.....

    In the same book on page 99 Mr. Morris is pictured with a group of other well known URC personnel. He seems to be wearing a bandage on his forehead and a very nice embroidered shirt with the “Morris” logo. The gentleman obviously took his machinery and persona seriously.

    Now it seems to me that an owner who did as well as Mr. Morris, over such a stretch of time, hasn’t just evaporated from memory. We have fragmentary evidence that he once listed Falls Church VA as home earlier in his career, but more often is associated with Arlington, VA as home.

    Is there not someone who could help lead us to the Morris or Daniels families? Yes, I know, I was only 11 years old when that picture was taken, but there is a good chance I was at that race and since the car has survived relatively intact I would sure like to honor those three names on the side of this pretty U.R.C. Sprinter.

    Thanks for your help,
    Jim Mead
     
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  21. blueprint2002
    Joined: Dec 25, 2018
    Posts: 235

    blueprint2002

    Not sure if I'm doing this right, as this is the first time for me.
    Received an e-mail in response to my post #25111 of January, and am replying here on the HAMB, according to my understanding of the rules:
    Thank you "unassembled" for your informative response, which should put me on the right track. For a start, I will be trying to get in touch with Bob Connell as you have suggested. Much appreciate your help.
     
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  22. DONALD J WILSON
    Joined: Jul 7, 2019
    Posts: 2

    DONALD J WILSON

    Hello everyone, Needing some assistance on the open wheel car Fritz Wilson drove to second place at Pikes Peak in 1965. Color and Number most helpful. A picture would be a treasure. Thanks in advance for any help at all.
     
  23. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Fritz Wilson didn't compete in the open-wheel class in 1965, and finished only fifth in the stock car class, driving a 1964 Ford. Wrong year?
     
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  24. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,350

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

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  25. DONALD J WILSON
    Joined: Jul 7, 2019
    Posts: 2

    DONALD J WILSON

    OK, Thanks. Really having a hard time finding any info at all on uncle Fritz's run up Pikes Peak. Cousin Scott (Fritz'z son) says he raced a 65 Plymouth Belllevedere he got from Richard Petty. You don't have any otherideas on the Ford do you?
     
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  26. Michael Ferner
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 813

    Michael Ferner
    Member

    Sorry, I'm no use on cars with a roof!
     
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  27. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,706

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

    When the driver is sitting in the seat in a real racecar, he(or she…) is able to see all four wheels(or at least the tires...) Hey, I finally found the right site for this!!!!
     
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  28. blackout78666
    Joined: Jul 3, 2009
    Posts: 582

    blackout78666
    Member

    88525EE7-C71D-4669-AC2E-E19BEA0C6162.jpeg Been a while since I’ve posted. Almost to the end of my 65 Watson sprint car build. Car is done, ready to fire off soon. Down to paint and lettering. Can’t wait to meet dirt here in a month or so.
     

    Attached Files:

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

    Jim Nise
    Member

    Looks tremendous Black!
     
  30. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 890

    tractorguy
    Member

    I have some books on Pikes Peak and some old results. I will try to find them in the basement and see what I can find.
     
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