Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks

Midwest Connection · 3/12/10, 10:34 AM

Hello IOW friends,

This photo I took at Oswego Speedway Classic back in 1965. If anyone can positively ID these two cars and drivers I would greatly appreciate it.

My initial thoughts were #81 Ray Wright from Indiana and the supermodified on the left of the #81 was Mort Anderson from Michigan. But, there have been other opinions on the drivers in this photo. Enough so to make me investigate these cars and drivers a little more.

NOTE: You can hardly see the number of the supermodified on the ramp to the left of the front of the push truck, but that is the #77supermodified of Herman Wise from Georgia - the 1971 Little 500 winner.

Bottom line: The driver ID's I am not sure, but confused I am.

Midwest Connection
Have a good day...see you at the races
Rich - Arnold, Missouri

IndyBound · 3/12/10, 12:12 PM

Hi Rich, sorry I am no help. I know there is at least one box of old Oswego programs at my brothers house. I will be back in N. Y. at the end of the month and check to see if the programs go back to that era.

See you at the races this summer,

Patti

racephoto1 · 3/12/10, 10:49 PM

This sight may help. It is an encyclopedia of Supermodified racing.

http://www.retrorockets.org/

D.O. · 3/13/10, 12:23 AM

81 Nolan Johncock???

coxie bowman · 3/13/10, 12:53 PM

Before your time FATBOY, Nolan was Gordy's cousin. Raced for the DOWKERS of Charlotte, MI.

AustinSprinter · 3/13/10, 1:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coxie bowman

Before your time FATBOY, Nolan was Gordy's cousin. Raced for the DOWKERS of Charlotte, MI.

Wow!!...C.B.,you two(FB) must be Bud's!!..eh!!.......
______________
Brucer'

D.O. · 3/13/10, 3:06 PM

I know that FB2. But at least I made a guess. Didn't he run Oswego some? He ran a few USAC races too ???

coxie bowman · 3/13/10, 8:28 PM

Yeh, he ran for Dallas Varney from Muskegon several times, plus others I fail to remember. He was pretty good but had a few problems making the USAC shows back then. It was different times as you well know. I think he was killed at Sandusky in a Dowker car.

IndyBound · 3/14/10, 11:48 AM

I had the pleasure of growing up watching both Nolan and Gordie Johncock race at Oswego, part of what I always called the mid-west invasion era at Oswego. Some of the best years of racing at Oswego, Art Bennett, Wayne Landon, Sammy Sessions, Nolan and Gordie were just some of the great drivers to make the long haul to Oswego. I remember Nolan being involved in a nasty crash at Oswego, just don't remember all the details. Max Dowker is a name I haven't heard in a long time time. Rich with this thread has spiked my interest to get back to Oswego and dig out that box of all programs at my brothers.

Patti

IndyBound · 3/14/10, 2:08 PM

I took a little trip down memory lane this morning by pulling out my book on the First 50 Years of Oswego History. Max Dowkers cars were numbered 7, Jim Gresley also drove for Max at Oswego. The bad crash I was remembering involving Nolan was during a Saturday morning practice session for the 1967 classic. The throttle stuck on Nolan's car, he climbed the wall backwards going out of the track and hitting the sign under the lap counter in the first turn. Even though Nolan sustained a slight arm injury in that crash, he climbed behind the wheel of Persh Pollock's super and finished fourth in the 1967 classic driving with one hand.

On May 30th 1970 Nolan took a wild flip at Oswego in Max's #7, history shows Nolan was running under the driver alias of "Jack James" to protect his USAC driver status.

Leon Wieske, Nelly " Bingo" Ward, Dave Paul, Tom York, Gordon Dukes, Nick Rowe, Joe Martinic, Todd Gibson and John Benson Sr. should be added to the list of drivers I had the pleasure of seeing win at Oswego. Many of these mid-west stars making the long haul to Oswego on a weekly basis along with Canadian stars Norm Mackereth, Johhny Spencer, Warren Coniam, Andy Brown,, Gary Witter and Joe Hlywka. An of course three names that wrote Oswego Speedway history Nolan Swift, Bentley Warren and Jimmy Shampine, all of these stars and many more made the 60's era at Oswego Speedway a remarkable time too be a fan of supermodified racing. It was a time when the racers you watched run at your local track could go to Indy and many did, something we all wish could happend for our USAC stars of today.

Rich, your original question still escapes me, Gordie Johncock ran #85 and Wayne Landon #83, I didn't find any pictures of the car you are questioning in the book. Will go through the programs at my brothers next month.

Patti

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3/12/10, 10:34 AM	#1 Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
Midwest Connection Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 577	Hello IOW friends, This photo I took at Oswego Speedway Classic back in 1965. If anyone can positively ID these two cars and drivers I would greatly appreciate it. My initial thoughts were #81 Ray Wright from Indiana and the supermodified on the left of the #81 was Mort Anderson from Michigan. But, there have been other opinions on the drivers in this photo. Enough so to make me investigate these cars and drivers a little more. NOTE: You can hardly see the number of the supermodified on the ramp to the left of the front of the push truck, but that is the #77supermodified of Herman Wise from Georgia - the 1971 Little 500 winner. Bottom line: The driver ID's I am not sure, but confused I am. Midwest Connection Have a good day...see you at the races Rich - Arnold, Missouri

3/12/10, 12:12 PM	#2 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
IndyBound Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,626	Hi Rich, sorry I am no help. I know there is at least one box of old Oswego programs at my brothers house. I will be back in N. Y. at the end of the month and check to see if the programs go back to that era. See you at the races this summer, Patti

3/12/10, 10:49 PM	#3 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
racephoto1 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 4,253	This sight may help. It is an encyclopedia of Supermodified racing. http://www.retrorockets.org/

3/13/10, 12:23 AM	#4 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
D.O. Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,915	81 Nolan Johncock???

3/13/10, 12:53 PM	#5 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
coxie bowman Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 117	Before your time FATBOY, Nolan was Gordy's cousin. Raced for the DOWKERS of Charlotte, MI.

3/13/10, 8:28 PM	#8 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
coxie bowman Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 117	Yeh, he ran for Dallas Varney from Muskegon several times, plus others I fail to remember. He was pretty good but had a few problems making the USAC shows back then. It was different times as you well know. I think he was killed at Sandusky in a Dowker car.

3/14/10, 11:48 AM	#9 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
IndyBound Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,626	I had the pleasure of growing up watching both Nolan and Gordie Johncock race at Oswego, part of what I always called the mid-west invasion era at Oswego. Some of the best years of racing at Oswego, Art Bennett, Wayne Landon, Sammy Sessions, Nolan and Gordie were just some of the great drivers to make the long haul to Oswego. I remember Nolan being involved in a nasty crash at Oswego, just don't remember all the details. Max Dowker is a name I haven't heard in a long time time. Rich with this thread has spiked my interest to get back to Oswego and dig out that box of all programs at my brothers. Patti

3/14/10, 2:08 PM	#10 Re: Midwest Connection - HELP! Can someone ID these two supermodifieds? Thanks
IndyBound Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,626	I took a little trip down memory lane this morning by pulling out my book on the First 50 Years of Oswego History. Max Dowkers cars were numbered 7, Jim Gresley also drove for Max at Oswego. The bad crash I was remembering involving Nolan was during a Saturday morning practice session for the 1967 classic. The throttle stuck on Nolan's car, he climbed the wall backwards going out of the track and hitting the sign under the lap counter in the first turn. Even though Nolan sustained a slight arm injury in that crash, he climbed behind the wheel of Persh Pollock's super and finished fourth in the 1967 classic driving with one hand. On May 30th 1970 Nolan took a wild flip at Oswego in Max's #7, history shows Nolan was running under the driver alias of "Jack James" to protect his USAC driver status. Leon Wieske, Nelly " Bingo" Ward, Dave Paul, Tom York, Gordon Dukes, Nick Rowe, Joe Martinic, Todd Gibson and John Benson Sr. should be added to the list of drivers I had the pleasure of seeing win at Oswego. Many of these mid-west stars making the long haul to Oswego on a weekly basis along with Canadian stars Norm Mackereth, Johhny Spencer, Warren Coniam, Andy Brown,, Gary Witter and Joe Hlywka. An of course three names that wrote Oswego Speedway history Nolan Swift, Bentley Warren and Jimmy Shampine, all of these stars and many more made the 60's era at Oswego Speedway a remarkable time too be a fan of supermodified racing. It was a time when the racers you watched run at your local track could go to Indy and many did, something we all wish could happend for our USAC stars of today. Rich, your original question still escapes me, Gordie Johncock ran #85 and Wayne Landon #83, I didn't find any pictures of the car you are questioning in the book. Will go through the programs at my brothers next month. Patti