[robert gatten]

I'm 6ft6, 210 lbs and 29.....but i remember hearing about these guys.

[CRA91]

I'll be 50 in a month and a half,and even though I was just a small tyke I was probably at quite a few of those races in the 60's.My father used to run stock cars at Dayton,Winchester,Eldora,Bryan,New Bremen and Baer Field during the mid to late 60's.We lived in Roanoke In. the home of Ted and Gene Hartley,I remember my father taking me to their garage and they used to let me sit in their midgets and play race car driver while my father visited with them.My grandfather's sister was married to a first cousin of Jerry Poland's and my grandfather was very good friends with Bob and Frankie Sweikert.So I might not be old enough to really remember the races to much, but I have ties to that era and really enjoy your posts giving the results of those races.So thanks Marv for posting those results from the day when men were men and the children were in the grandstands and not on the track.

[EBookerFan]

I grew up as a teenager riding to basketball practices with Bob Pratt. He was a couple years ahead of me. He was a wild boy then but became a really good sprint car driver especially on the high banks. At Winchester late in the sixties his dad had a stopwatch on him qualifing and a new track record was going to happen. Then he entered the north turn, hit the famous hump/bump and slowed him just enough to miss the record that day. Keep these posts coming.

[wallbanger II]

marv thank you keep em coming

[indybigjohn]

Originally Posted by cecil98 BTW.... I'm 59 and my dad took me to my first USAC sprint car race at IRP in 1961....Parnelli tore'em up in the Fike Plumbing car and I was addicted to him and sprint car racing from that day forward...

If I'm not mistaken, Parnelli and that Fike car won all three sprint car races that year after the track was paved. Foyt won the first one on the dirt. Yeah, I was there, too.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by indybigjohn If I'm not mistaken, Parnelli and that Fike car won all three sprint car races that year after the track was paved. Foyt won the first one on the dirt. Yeah, I was there, too.

I believe you're right! I know Parnelli won once in the orange #44 Hoover Motor Express car but, I don't remember if it was 1961, or later. The Fike car had lost an engine that day and Parnelli was offered the Hoover Car.

[Midget 89]

Originally Posted by FishBurger Yeah Danny, I've thought about that. Maybe the younger folks aren't as interested in events that predate their time in racing as we are in the 40's, 50's, and so forth. I can't get enough history pics and reading concerning Mauri Rose, Wilbur Shaw, Bill Holland and later Sam Hanks, Jimmy Bryan, Pat Flaherty, et al, all of whom were out of action before I started attending events. I have previously posted a few retro results from the early 90's. I got lazy and quit recording results about then so that's the most recent stuff I have. I get the idea that some of the old codgers like yourself enjoy these off-season looks back in time. Maybe someone else will step up and do some more recent stuff.

Love these visits to the past. Brings back great memories.

[indybigjohn]

Originally Posted by cecil98 I believe you're right! I know Parnelli won once in the orange #44 Hoover Motor Express car but, I don't remember if it was 1961, or later. The Fike car had lost an engine that day and Parnelli was offered the Hoover Car.

Not sure, but you could be right. The records I have just show Parnelli winning three in a row that year.

I recall in the 90s, when Mike Bliss had won two in a row, I told Glen Niebel that he could be the first car owner since Harlan Fike to win three sprint car races in a row at IRP. He did it.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by indybigjohn Not sure, but you could be right. The records I have just show Parnelli winning three in a row that year. I recall in the 90s, when Mike Bliss had won two in a row, I told Glen Niebel that he could be the first car owner since Harlan Fike to win three sprint car races in a row at IRP. He did it.

Niebel's cars were dominant on pavement for several years with several different drivers (Frey, Bliss & Stewart??). I owned and drove one of his dirt cars in the mid 80's (Kerry Norris' car).

[Al Consoli]

19......Well you did mean my age when the race happened, didn't you?