The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

I finally got a scanner and can start posting all these pictures and news articles that my Mom has saved. Many drivers in these pictures and I am sure they will bring back some memories for some of you. My Dad's career spanned from the late 50's through 1977. There are about 50 pictures and probably more than a 100 articles mostly from NSSN. If I know anything about the pictures I will add that also. This first picture I have no idea where it came from but my Mom had it in the book. I thought it was my Dad but Kevin Briscoe corrected me and now that I look at it, he's right. Those wings didn't come about until the 80's. My Dad said he did drive for Richard a few times. Oh well, an old school Briscoe photo from the 80's is still a good one to put up.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Larry Miller , Cliff Cockrum , Sheldon Kinser

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Upside down at Paragon and that fence didn't enter the cockpit or I might not be here. 2nd Pic is with the former owners of Paragon. I rode in that golf cart a few times when I would head to the pits to sell NSSN (my first racing job,HA). I would sell them in the stands for Don Vandeventer and then go to the pits and had to be out before hotlaps because I wasn't suppose to be in the pits. It was fun. They were .50 cents and I got .05 cents for each copy I sold and I would try to make $2 so I could get me one of those big tenderloins that were twice the size of the bun(didn't want Mom's bologna sandwich) and buy a picture of Dad.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Left to right Jerry "Oz" Stepner owner of the Gold Duece #2, Bubby Jones, Norman Compton(helped "Oz"),Larry Miller and Butch Wilkerson this would be mid 70's.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

A great picture of Bob Kinser who was never without a beer when the racing was over.

We have Bottom Left to Right Frank Hollingsworth, Johnny Krebbs
Top L to R Chet Johnson, Larry Miller, Bobby Black, Allan Barr, Bob Kinser, Ed Sheppard Jr and Rusty

Thanks Doug VanD for identifying all these guys.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Thanks for sharing:thumb

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/...2af2e0.jpg?v=0

Larry Miller in the Karl Kinser #22 asphalt/dirt car. late 60's


F-800 Fleetwood car

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Thanks for sharing aceace, I really love seeing older photos like that, Keep em coming!! Dave

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

These pictures were taken at the Dayton,OH track, this would be asphalt. Mom said that Dad won the feature that day and it was a big race.The first pic is Mom and I. It appears I might be upset about something. The second picture is Mary Jenkins my Mom's aunt. She was an Outlaw (kinda) In the early 1930's she dated John Dillinger for about a year and went to the Chicago Worlds Fair with him. My Mom has a dress that John bought Mary. If you ever read a Dillinger book her name at the time was Mary Longnaker. I Like the car in the background 57 Chevy.

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One of my favorites from Haubstadt, check out the trophy girl. This was the #43 car that was owned by M.A.Brown of Memphis,TN. Dad ran some USAC races with this car. M.A. was a big fan of racing and owned a big trucking company. He never worked on the car always hired someone to run it for him. He had to quit because he went to jail for tax evasion. Rumor was that the IRS seized it. Probably not the first car ever seized. The second car is the Larry Curtis(?) owned #4. Dad said that the Gold Deuce got crashed at Paragon and Curtis let him drive the 4 at Haubstadt so he could maintain his points lead. They went out and won the feature that night.

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

We have Bottom Left to Right Frank Hollingsworth, Johnny Krebbs
Top L to R Chet Johnson, Larry Miller, Bobby Black, Allan Barr, Bob Kinser, Ed Sheppard Jr and Rusty

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

My dad said that this was the fastest, best handling car he ever drove. The 14j owned by John McDaniel this was a new J&J chassis they won 11 out of their first 12 features at Paragon and Haubstadt when it was debuted in June 1977. I was going to the pits by then. We were standing in line to sign into the pits at Haubstadt and Dad was talking to Chuck Amati. Chuck asked him about the car and Dad said it was the best car he had ever set in. Chuck just dropped his head and stared at the ground. I guess he knew that winning was going to be tough that night.

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The last Banquet he went too, HARF. Got plaques for winning the track championship at Paragon and Haubstat, he's the face standing behind Dick Gaines. Some pretty good drivers in this picture. Sorry it's hard to see. What the article says:

HARF'S GUESTS - Honored at the recent 26th annual banquet in Indianapolis were: Bill Donella (MC) Allen Barr, Ron Eden, Bill Englehart (for Mel Kenyon), Larry Dickson, Tom Sneva. (Standing: ) Lonnie Breedlove, Bubby Jones, Danny Smith, Dick Gaines, Larry Miller, Sheldon Kinser, Bill Lipkey, Dennis O'Neal,(for his father), Tom Hays for Larry Rice, Rick Meyer, Tom Bigelow, Paul Feldner, Jim Fox

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Some great pictures. I can remember your dad racing he was a great driver. That Mcdaniel car was always fast. I like the old heavy jack in the back ground I can remember dragging those around. The picture of our car I think is actually me in 1986 I had a blue uniform with gold stripe. Caribbean sun came on as a sponsor my rookie year and I think it is on the hood above the Briscoe Homes. Great pics keep them coming but some are not showing up on my computer.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

I corrected the 1st post Kevin, do you have this picture? If not, I can probably let you have it. No idea where it came from? It was in book

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

VERY COOL!!!! thanks for posting :8::6:

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The Gold Deuce owned by Jerry "Oz" Stepter. Most of these are from Tri-State Speedway. Yes, that's me in 2 of them. Third picture down was a new Nance car.

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Danny Smith when he was about 19yoa driving for Mike Smith I believe.

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---------- Post added at 02:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:03 PM ----------

The F800 car at Paragon.

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The next 3 pictures I believe was Karl Kinsers first sprint car, with Larry Miller driving.

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3351/...a58dc7e9_m.jpg

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Larry Miller is one driver that never seems to get his just due, when you hear today's sprint fans talking about the heyday of the sport, in this part of the country. I was lucky enough to have grown up at tracks that were the stomping grounds for greats like Dick Gaines, Bob Kinser, Chuck Amati, Butch Wilkerson, Sheldon Kinser, Allan Barr and Cliff Cockrum. I remember many a night when the driver from Oolitic was the one who took home the trophy.:8:

Jerry

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

I know what you are saying. It's almost like he was an unknown. He won between 15-20 track championships total, 6 at Haubstadt alone, 1968 through 1971 and also in 1976 & 1977, 4 at Paragon and 2 at Bloomington and also some in Benton,IL and Williamson Co Speedway near Marion,IL. One year he was racing 4 nights a week Thursday thru Sunday. We guessed that he won somewhere around 300 features total about half of them driving for Karl Kinser (over 40 in one year alone). In 1969 he won 15 of the 16 features at Haubstadt. My Mom said that towards the end of the season every time he won he would get booed. Here's Big Bertha that ran the 427 chevy and probably won more sprint features than any car ever built. It had a nice 5 year run.NOTE: I was told that Keith Ford still owned this car as of 2001.

Bertha without a wing

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Bertha w/wing

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

great pics. i sure remember big bertha. we raced against larry a few times (gilstrap, red #19) mostly at haubstadt.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

I have been trying to post some of the old articles from NSSN and newspapers. There's just no way that they will show up in enough detail to be able to read. If any of you want these articles I can send you the full size scans in which you can open them with Windows Media Center and zoom a little and read all of it easily. Send me your email in a PM and I will send it when I get done. There will be about 20 or so.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Some more pictures. The first one Karl, Mickey and Larry Kinser with my Dad after winning twin 50's at Haubstadt.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/...95cd192e_m.jpg

#14j owned by John McDaniel

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/...086c6676_m.jpg

#43 owned by M.A. Brown

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Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

These are just great! Thanks so much for taking the trouble to share them.

Frank Daigh

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Not sure if you are interested in identifying all the people in the photos, but the flagman in this photo is Frank Knight, the picture is probably from a Bloomington win.

Very interesting to see all the old cars.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Great pictures!! My Dad (Cliff Cockrum) always thought the world of Larry. I've heard so many stories about all of the guys, and guys like , bubby, sheldon, amati, Bob Kinser, larry, The flying eyeball, and all the rest. You gotta admit, those guys probably inspired alot of people in their day and has given many families lots of joy and frustration from giving them the racing bug. lol


Thanks for sharing those


Shane Cockrum Motorsports
#14c Powri Midget:32:

If I get a chance, I'll start posting alot of very interesting old pics i have

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

What a pleasure to find this sight. It was like moving time back some forty years. From about 1967 to 1980 I was track photographer at the Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana. I guess I photographed most of the best sprint cars and driver to come through the mid-west. Most of the photographs of Larry Miller that are posted here were taken by me. Larry was probably the quietest driver I ever met until he strapped on that sprint car. Then there was no question as to who he was. I think the best sprint car race I ever saw was at Haubstadt between Larry and Larry "boom boom" Cannon. Miller in Karl's big block cuttin diamonds around the top and Cannon in a small block scooting around the bottom. What a race! It was so good I can't even remember who won it. It didn't matter they were both winners.

To Shane Cockrum your dad was a speacial friend and all round good guy. The one picture I remember was him sitting in an unmounted tire with a steering wheel in his hands playing racecar driver. Not an important picture but he was having fun.

To the administrators of this site, THANKS for giving an old man a refresher on more youthful days

Don








































































1

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Don,

I remember you quite well. You did great work and were always so friendly with the fans. I also vividly remember your bright yellow Chevy sedan delivery vehicle which was based on a passenger car. I believe it was a 1960 model. It would be worth a large sum today. Glad to see you found this website.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

don, do you have any pics of gilstrap in the #19 car.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Ron, it seems I remember your name. Did you work at Central machine??? There's a lot of water under the bridge.

As far as pictures of Calvin's #19, I'm sorry I don't. Our basement flood at one time and I lost thousands of negatives and after I went into business full time a guy from Indianapolis called and bought every racetrack negative I had. Wish I would of kept them......

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Don and Jerry, I appreciate the kind words! I have that exact picture your talking about and like I said before, I'm gonna start posting them soon. Luckily, Dad and Mom(mostly Mom) were pretty good about preserving the past by keeping lots of photos, (alot yours I'm sure) and not only of him but everyone he raced with that meant alot to him. So be on the lookout here in the next week or so, I'll see what I can come up with


Thanks, Shane Cockrum

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aceace,
I grew up in S. Indiana and went to Haubstadt fairly regularly. Your Dad was one of my heros, along with Cliff Cockrum, Calvin Gilstrap and many others.

If I'm not mistaken, a group of fans put a "bounty" on your Dad after he won 10 features in 1969 at Haubstadt, which the track matched after he got two more wins. My memory is a little hazy after 40 years, but I believe one of West Memphis invaders (Hooker Hood?) ended up claiming the bounty on him.

Your dad was a great driver and a joy to watch! Thanks for the pictures and the memories!!

Steve

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Don,

I doubt if I ever introduced myself to you back then. I talked to you during intermission back in the day when we still were allowed in the infield. No, I didn't work at Central Machine, I was a teacher in the EVSC.

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Thanks for posting all of the great pictures. I remember watching your dad win a lot of races. I was a friend of Bob Black and Butch Wilkerson and went everywhere thay ran in this area. It is easy to tell who was doing most of the talking in this photo.

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Classic typical Butch. :5:

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Thank you aceace for posting this pics. My sister in law was the trophy girl in 71 or 72. She was Miss Sterling Edge, Sheila Johnson Clark. I'm like Don Hardesty as I too lost my stuff in a basement flood. I would love to find a photo of Sheila with a feature winner to give to her son. Sheila died in 1975 at the age of 32 with a massive heart attack.
aceace, I remember one night when your dad was in Big Bertha at Haubstadt and he got up on another sprinters back wheel and left the track in turn one. He just clipped a step on a wooden light pole and bent it. When they brought the car back into the pits that were in the infield at that time, the announcer said "Well folks, that cars a total." Well lo and behold it was there the next Sunday night and we knew it was the same car because of that chrome roll cage. There has been many a driver to pilot the old yellow # 22 with the chrome roll cage "Big Bertha" but your dad was the first and probably the best to ever drive it. Larry Miller, my hero even after he started driving the Gold Deuce.
Fred Farber

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

thanks for getting these pic'c of larry out for everyone to see. larry picked me up when I was about 4 or 5 and put me in the gold duce He told jerry and glen (my grampaw who rode with freddy & jerry all the time) that boy's going to kick the wheels off this car.

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Any relation to another Larry Miller who raced winged & non-winged sprinters around the midwest in the 1980's & 1990's?

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I remember the gold duce I fell in love with sprints after seeing that car It was Beautiful Your dad was one hellofa driver thanks for shareing :8:

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

Shane I remember your dad racing a hundred lapper in a sprint car and winning serveral of them getting out of it and jumping in to a Jesse Ladd stock car and giveing the best stock car racers around a dam hard time God I miss those days Good luck with your midget :8:

Re: The Larry Miller thread (back in the day)
 

It is so cool to look at the old pictures, makes me want to go get the old photo albums out again.

I thought that was Jerry Miller. He ran with us in the old Hoosier Sprint Association.

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