The Last Offy
 

This photo is of the last Offy powered sprint car I saw run. It was in 1973 or '74 at Reading, and it was not a USAC show but an open sprint show. The driver was from Connecticut, and first name John, I think. Somewhere in my stack of stuff, I know I still have the newspaper clipping with all the info, but I haven't located it yet. A 5 or 6 shot sequence ran over the AP wire service at the time.

Hey Duke - Who is it?

http://www.pbase.com/image/94628396.jpg

Re: The Last Offy
 

Might it have been John Hanscom from Rhode Island?

Re: The Last Offy
 

That's it!! I was close...had John and CT is close enough to R.I.:rolling

It would be interesting (but not useful :D) to know exactly when the last Offy powered sprinter ran competitively.

I could write a book with all the stuff I don't know!!:doh:

Re: The Last Offy
 

Driver from Connecticut? I thought everyone from Connecticut was a banker or a stockbroker. :wink

I was going to guess Johnny Hubbard again, since Dwight said I was wrong on him in the Charles Chariot,.......but then I remembered that Hubbard is from Pennsylvania. :doh:

Re: The Last Offy
 

I know Calistoga 1/2 mile it was Stan Vermeil's #65. Its last raced in 1968? It had a roll cage. Stan, is the brother of the Football coach Dick Vermeil. One of Stan's sons or both had race at the Burg! for a couple years.
Joe R.:applaud:

Re: The Last Offy
 

No. I thought they all sold insurance.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Thanks Joe. I was right...interesting but not useful. :rolling

Re: The Last Offy
 

Al, Had you ever been to Calistoga?
Joe R.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Take it easy on the Nutmeg State.:O:...It has produced Joe Csiki, Joe Fiore, Ed Flemke, Bill Slater, Gene Bergin, Denny Zimmerman, and a host of other notable racers and car owners. Not to mention two of this country's finest asphalt tracks in Stafford and Thompson.:D

Re: The Last Offy
 

I DROVE FOR AJ WATSON AND SO DID THE LATE MEL CORNETT IN THE 70s

Re: The Last Offy
 

I've never been to a race west of IL, at least not that I remember. CA is too far to drive. I hate to fly (those darn wings ya know), so I only go as far as I think I can stand the drive.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Duke, Duke, Duke.....he said competivily! LOL:applaud:

Re: The Last Offy
 

Right! I Set The Worlds Record For A 255ci. Offy At Winchester That Day!

Re: The Last Offy
 

I think he can let go of the hand brake. It doesn't seem to help as much once the tires leave the ground.

The last Offy Midget I saw race in competition was a restored car that Roy Caruthers drove for someone at the Speedrome. He ran it a few nights. It was either the Mid 80's or early 90's. I forget how he finished with it, but he did run a feature in it I believe.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Just have someone enter an Offy in an event, run one lap, and pull off. That way everyone knows when an Offy last ran.

Connecticut apparently had some good midget tracks by the shore in the 30s and 40s. Candlelight Stadium and West Haven Speedway I believe were two. Jeep Colkitt died at Candlelight in 1948. My great-grandfather used to race there. Ive just never been able to find results from that far back.

Re: The Last Offy
 

O.M.G.!!! They paved Stafford? Next thing you'll be telling me they don't run quarter midgets in Meridan and Manchester, or that the coupes are gone from Riverside two nights a week any more.

Re: The Last Offy
 

As far as I know my father Roger Branson drove the last Midget offy in competition as late as 89 or 90. A car owned first by Les Harshbarger from Fairfield IL and then later his son Jack. It was a black and whit number 5jr. sponsored by Gain Wire Line & service co. Loved the sound of that old car. If memory serves me correct Mr. Gain still has the car and restored it into a street show car.

Chad Branson #71

Re: The Last Offy
 

The last Offy sprinter I remember seeing was at the Springfield mile in, (I think) 1977 or 78 I can't tell you who it was, but I remember Butch Wilkerson won that day, his pupils were as big as half dollars!
:eek:

I remember seeing him at the payoff window and he couldn't even stand still! Must have been the adrenalin from running on the mile!
:rolleyes:

But I can still hear that offy going down the front stretch if I close my eyes.........sweet!
:thumb

Re: The Last Offy
 

:O:...Yes, they paved it. But I have a Stafford program from 1949 when it was still a Fairgrounds dirt 1/2 mile.:D

Re: The Last Offy
 

Stan and Dick Vermeil are the sons of the late NARC President Lou Vermeil. This year the traditional sprint cars (USAC/CRA) will be running a two-day show at the famed Calistoga half-mile in honor of Lou Vermeil, who I believe was one of the founders of the Northern California race club and served as its president for several years. I believe that both Stan and Dick are very heavily involved in the promotion of this race as is Steve Howard of SoCal Performance in Downey, CA. Its been something like 25 years since non-wing sprinters have run at this historic track. Should be a great Labor Day weekend.

Re: The Last Offy
 

The March 2008 issue of Sprint Car & Midget has a John Mahoney photo of Watson's Offy at Terre Haute in 1973. Mel Cornett is shown winning what I would guess was the last USAC sprint car race won by an Offy. I believe this may have been his only USAC sprint car win although he had more success in the midgets. Mel Cornett passed away in Jan. at the age of 71.:checkered:

Vern Plotts

Re: The Last Offy
 

Here's the last offy In Northern California, the forementioned Stan Vermiel Offy, the last offy to win a NARC sprint car race:
http://images14.fotki.com/v363/photo...6NARC19-vi.jpgHosted on Fotki
http://images110.fotki.com/v1112/pho...6NARC74-vi.jpgHosted on Fotki

Re: The Last Offy
 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2038/...f9784bf998.jpg

Here is Mel Cornett at Williams Grove in 1973.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Rich Gentes indeed drove my father's Vermeil Offy sprinter for a NARC victory at Calistoga speedway in 1974- As reported on Hammerdownusa.com:

It was the last feature race won by an Offenhauser engine. Offenhauser was once the king of power for sprints and midgets. Gentes was driving the "Vermeil Offy". # 65. He had the lead in the feature for a while until the much more powerful Chevy of Lem Tolliver passed him. Then with about 5 laps to go Lem had car trouble and dropped out. Gentes then took the win. ...The last sprint car Main Event won by an Offy in the United States? ...37 cars, quick-time to Van Conett, dash to Andreetta, Heats to Bob Bloom, Don Melvin, Phil Pedlar, and Tolliver. ...KNBR radio personality, Mike Clary handled the trackside microphone.

Dad's car was the Travelon Trailer Special sprinter- a Shilala chassis with a 270 offy. Will post a pic soon-

Cya
Troy V

Re: The Last Offy
 

Chad, if you can find out the exact date I would like to know, I know for a fact I am the last one to make a USAC feature in an offy, but would like to know if your dad made a feature with a different association after that. It was 1990 for me in Duke Edwards offy, I ran it later than that at IRP in I believe a namars show. The engine in the car as the one that Bob Wente used when he won the USAC Midget title

Roy

Re: The Last Offy
 

Im pretty sure Johnny Heydenreich used an Offy in a Turkey Night Grand Prix in either the late 80's or early 90's.

Re: The Last Offy
 

:)Roy, Looking through old results the last feature that my dad ran in the offy before changing over to the cosworth I believe was St. Charles Mo, in early 1989. He ran for Harshbarger a few more years but they replaced the offy with one of Kneppers Cosworths. I could be wrong on the dates because I know the change took place right in there somewhere and they kept the same number so the results still show the harshbarger 5jr. with MARA.

Re: The Last Offy
 

Mr. Consoli, thanks again for sharing some of your tremendous pictures. Just when I think I am getting decent I see one of your shots and return to reality. I'm convinced you were born good!!

Re: The Last Offy
 

I wonder if the 270 or 318 offy could be somewhat competitive in todays racing?? from the research I have done, it looks like the normally aspirated 270 made about 400 to 450 horsepower I would assume the 318 makes more. I know that today the sprint cars make north of 800hp. So I'm going to say no on that.

But what about a midget at the chili bowl????? I know the rules are more open there, and how badaZZ would it be to hear an offy screaming inside of that place?!!!!!?

Re: The Last Offy
 

3 laps

Re: The Last Offy
 

1988 USAC national race the car belonged to Duke Edwards, it was an Edmunds chassis, the engine was out of the car that Bob Wente won the USAC national championship with

Re: The Last Offy
 

Holy Cow- That's the first time I've heard of a sprint car driver from Rhode island besides me!

I am Jack Harshbarger’s grandson. We still have the offy we ran in the 5 car.

Re: The Last Offy
 

There used to be PLENTY of factory workers until the factories all left or shut down in the 1970s:7:

Re: The Last Offy
 

Nowadays its mostly yuppies & out of work people on opioids: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/25-people-...opstories.html :7: