Open Wheel History:

Midwest Connection · 2/16/15, 12:00 PM

Hello IOW Friends,

A car builder, a racer, a friend - Art Braithwaite.

Have a good day...see you at the races,

Rich

team3521 · 2/17/15, 12:11 AM

Art was a good man! I still miss talking to him. He was a historian of sprint car and midget racing.
Thanks for sharing these photos!

Bad Dad 54 · 2/17/15, 12:47 AM

Haven't been to Butler in a while but when I was there I always paused at the spot Art used to park say, Hello ol friend I miss you

fish · 2/17/15, 2:07 AM

A true racing hero and friend.

FYI: His daughter was the first woman to win a sprint car race at Butler Speedway.

oljonesy · 2/17/15, 3:03 AM

and she was the first woman to start a little 500.kelly sue was it?

fish · 2/19/15, 4:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljonesy

and she was the first woman to start a little 500.kelly sue was it?

Yep

RichH · 2/19/15, 10:10 PM

I remember talking to him at Eldora. good guy. He told me the story of the star of David on the front, but I can't recall it ( old fart) Can anyone refresh?

fish · 2/20/15, 1:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichH

I remember talking to him at Eldora. good guy. He told me the story of the star of David on the front, but I can't recall it ( old fart) Can anyone refresh?

If I remember the story correctly, it was there when they bought the car, they thought it was cool and left in on the car. The same with the #7. It stayed and went on to become the 'family' number on later sprint cars.

Art took up photography in his later years and was pretty good at it. Wasn't scared of much.

Speedwrench · 2/20/15, 11:17 PM

To expand on Fish's explanation.

The car started life as an Indy roadster. It was the car Norm Hall lost his foot in when he got upside down on the guardrail on Raceway Park during a champ car road race. Not sure of the year.

One of the hangers-on at that time was a Jewish guy who had stooged for several teams who everyone called Einstein. Einstein bought the remains and took them to Van the body man who converted the roadster into a sprinter, which ,at the time, was one of the most beautiful cars I had ever seen. Einstein tried running the car three or four times , scared himself silly, and parked it.

I'm not sure how long it sat, but it reappeared in the late sixties with Art as owner/driver and has been in the family ever since.

RichH · 2/21/15, 1:58 AM

that's it! thanks for the memory jogger.
Things like that are what makes this such a great site!😄😄😄