Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

nonwing,

Amen,,,and Amen,,,on the bit about the tooo cool sound of running the headers clear back behind the rear wheels. For the younger gen fans they don't know what a throaty sound a v-8 can have! Sprint cars today sound like popcorn poppers after hearing the ol 3 1/2 inch full length headers. Ya suppose we could talk USAC and WOO into mandating full length/behind the rear axle, headers for '10?,,,:) I'm thinking this would attract a whole new fan base!,,,:)
Here ya go,,one of the first to run a 4x4 400ci/w full length headers,,,,,sweeetttt! soundin,:
Gotta get Back in Time::::,,,

http://www.eazylivin.net/blundy-florida.jpg

Take Care,
BC

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

we are talking usac and imca sprint car racing!:14:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I agree with SuperDuke, Mac, and Dave Weir. 60's Usac & Imca, what an era.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Is there a prize? I was just a baby, do I have to remember it?

OOOh oooh :8:What do I win?!

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Minnesota State Fair - 1958 - 1963, couldn't tell you which were USAC or IMCA.
Dad took me to my first in 1958, they paved the track after the '63 race, we went in '64 but left after 20 laps. Dad never went to another Fair race again.

I had alot more fun when Dad was buying. :8:
It's way more expensive now that I have to cough up the bucks for my own family! :15:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I'm only old enough to remember some usac at Little Springfield in the 70's. Plenty of midgets, but some sprints too. Also saw some sprint car races on the Springfield Mile, but I don't know if they were sactioned by anyone. Could you imagine sprints on a mile today?

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

What most fans of today don't realize is how much FUN was had in that period (60-70's) When the checkered flag dropped, racers (drivers, owners & fans) hung out & partied together. I'll never forget Sonny Beck (Dayton, Ohio-Beck Construction Car) telling the stories of how Jud Larson, Don Branson, Bud Tinglestad, etc. would come by their garage a day or two before the races (Eldora, New Bremen, Dayton, Winchester) to hang out, drink some beer. tell some tales, and have good times. When's the last time any race fans of current days experienced that?

The days of Sunday Afternoon Shows, Fried Chicken, Cold Beer, and Great ********'n sessions are over!!! I only regret that the younger race fans never had the same chance to live it!!!!

I still attend races...BUT they are not the same!!!!!!

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I saw my first IMCA race on September 1, 1956, Bobby Grim won in the Black Deuce.

later,

Bob Mays

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Thanks for the shout out Barry.

I admired and idolized in the 50's and 60's the likes of Tommy Henner$hitz, Bob Sweikert, Eddie Sachs, Foyt, McCluskey, Don Branson, and Jud Larson. But my favorite as a youngster was always Hurtubise.

Some of my early tracks I went to that are gone are Cincinnati Race Bowl (my first midget race in '55), Dayton, New Bremen, Glen Este Speedway, and the original 16th Street Speedway.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Seadog is being modest. He's been around forever. He was actually the chief designer of the famous "first" mirror on Ray Harroun's Marmon Wasp. :9:
ps...Dave Weir and the gang are right, it was a lot of fun in those days. Especially if you were a kid. (see avatar).
David.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

David, in my case, it's not modesty but senility.:10:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Been going to races since 1947 . I, remember when sex was safe and racing was dangerous . :32::32::32: watched Rex Mays , Ted Horn, Myron Fore, Paul Russo , Marcheese bros. Danny Claytis , Potsi Gaoucher ,and more , all be for FOYT, AND PARNELLI AND THE REST .

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

there is a prize! :8:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Nothing sounds as good as a OFFY not even a chevy with long pipes. I, was in the stands when Ralphy the racer ran Milwaukee and it was dirt !!! Some years later he drove my sprint car, he must be close to 90 now, wonder if he still looking for a ride ? remember AAA no its not about drinking ! If you think that you also think a torision bar is a place to get a beer !!:10:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

did you ever go to the torision bar on no.main in dayton? Dickson was the star there!

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

your right about a offy! But long pipes with mega bells was sweet! :8::6:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

According to Wiki, Ralphie was born October 10, 1926 which makes him 82 years old.

By the way, the Iddings #93 car with the Chevy and the cackle pipes sounded awesome (and loud) back in the day. I'm sure that contributed to some of my hearing loss:). And there were some fine shoes in that car too over the years.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Another early memory. One of those shoes was Jimmy Hemmings, who knew my dad. I barely recall meeting Jimmy once with my dad. I think, but am not sure, that my dad worked with Jim's mom for several years. And for more silly trivia not directly related to USAC/IMCA, I delivered mail to Mrs. Hemmings for awhile. But then in this town, there are several in the open wheel race community that I delivered bills, I mean mail, to.

Just how far east did IMCA run? I always associated USAC in those days with this side of the big river, for the most part, and IMCA running from the river west to the Rockies, or the Great Plains states.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I was about 98% a USAC guy back then with maybe 1% CSRA and 1% IMCA thrown in. So my retention of IMCA knowledge is quite limited. I do recall that USAC was "king" and IMCA was for the lack of a better term the USAC "feeder series" way back when.

I remember Jim in the Iddings car, but for some reason I always associated Sellersburg's Sonny Ates driving that car.

Talkin' old times sure feels good.:6: So many memories. So little time.:(

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I watched USAC champ, sprint, and midgets (even USAC stock cars at DuQuoin) back in the '50s. Also saw quite a few IMCA sprint car races during that same timeframe. Even watched A. J. Foyt drive his first USAC champ car event back then. My wife asked him about that specific event a couple years ago at an IRL event, and A. J. said, "yup, he's right. That was my first champ car race."
Hey, she didn't need to ask him -- I knew I was right :)
I don't recall when I first saw Super Duke drive, but I do remember him shutting up Louie Liguino (sp?) one time at the Indy mile. Louie was taking care of Tim Delrose's champ dirt car at the time, and was giving Duke a bunch of crap about how "the kid working with me" could drive better than Duke. It came down to Louie wanting to bet Duke that "the kid" (midget driver Tom Mislich) could outrun Duke in their street vehicles right there on that track. Duke's response which shut up Louie was, "OK, you're on, but you have to have your fat a$$ sitting right there in the seat next to me".

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

For the record the quote, "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross" Sinclair Lewis's book "It Can't Happen Here" 1935

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

Ates was breathtakingly fast in that car on the high banks, especially at Dayton. I got to see some great pavement racing in the late 60's featuring Ates, Dickson, Weld, Sessions, and occasionally Mike Mosley among others. Another notable #93 chauffeur was Allen Crowe. He was killed at New Bremen on 6/2/63 in the 8th race of a 24 race schedule that season. Yet, he still finished 7th in the 1963 driver point standings. He was off to a great start and had won the previous feature at Eldora. Those were exciting years but too often stained by tragedy.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

imca and csra big cars ran in ny. Pa.ga. Tenn. Fla. Ala. La. Ohio in. Mich ky ill wis minn. Iowa nb.ok tx mo ks ak imca raced that. salem. winchester. ft wayne. little 500. SO.BEND. ILIANNA. DAYTON eldora powell springfield ohio celina ohio toledo tri county SANDUSKY. GREENVILLE. BEDFORD. and in canada! At one time both where bigger then aaa and usac

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

I watched my first USAC sprint car race either 68-69, It was twin fiftys on the mile at Syracuse.:6:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

To the best of my recollection, my first USAC sprint car race was the 1967 Joe James - Pat O'Connor Memorial 100 lapper at Salem. I didn't start keeping records of races attended until 1970, but I do remember that race as being my first USAC sprint race. My first USAC race ever was the 1964 Yankee 300 stock car race on the IRP road course and I first saw USAC Silver Crown cars at DuQuoin in 1965. Don't believe I ever saw an IMCA race.

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

don branson bobby marshman sammy session chuck engle drove the iddings car often!

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Marshman even drove it in the champ car configuration and got upside down at Trenton I believe. The gouge is still in the roll bar.

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Erie County Fairgrounds; Hamburg, NY in the 60's.

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really! I still have 2 track records there!

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

WELL I GLAD THERE ARE SOME OF US THAT GOT TO BE PART OF THE BEST TIME OF SPRINT CAR RACING IN THE 50 60 70s WHEN THE BEST CAME TOGETHER AT ONE TRACK! :6::22:

Re: Oldtimers race fans poll!
 

i was able to attend the final race at the reading fairgrounds, i believe Greg Leffler won that race. also attended final race at Langhorne, i think it was a modified show. best race tracks back in the day were Winchester & Eldora hands down. i miss the days when the supers would take on the sprints @ Salem & Winchester. More often than not Rich Vogler would run roughshod over everyone. i agree, alot of things today do not resemble what went on years ago. i miss the good ole'days! have a great weekend folks!