No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Anyone remember this car and drivers...........My wife's uncle, Bill Powers (Powers Welding) and his partner Bill King (Kings Custom Machine) campaigned this car on the USAC circuit back in the day...........First pic is Eddie Leavitt, but I think second pic is Cliff Cockrum? Is this correct? Any good stories out there on these hot dogs? I think a lot of top drivers piloted these cars.


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...0/101_0960.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B...0/101_0957.jpg

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

I believe Blackie Fortune with Kenny Schrader as the driver had a King car (#39). That was one of the cars to have back in the day. If memory serves correct Rich Vogler tried to win warm ups one afternoon at Terre Haute in the King 51 and rode up over the back of Steve Kinser...took a vicious ride.
David Nearpass

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Larry Martin drove it for awhile.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Jack Hewitt drove the Powers #51...1983??? There was also a young man named Keith Campbell who had a King chassis...a white #53.
David Nearpass

Believe Jack hewitt got his first usac sprint win in it a Terre haute

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Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Larry Gates was the first guy I saw in this car. He tangled with Ferkel in a non wing WoO ,(Yes WoO used to be wings optional,tracks choice) race at Kokomo. That , to this day, is the highest I've ever seen a car go.

The car had tremendous horsepower, but had real reliability
problems. I saw it blow a motor saw big at Terre Haute one day, with Leavitt driving, that they kicked pieces of the motor off the track.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

buckweat had a usac race won and it ran out of fuel. may have been at the indy fairgrounds. he was always fast in it...

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

1985 Eldora

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...AVITTS1985.jpg

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

I believe that was in a fast car dash and Larry broke his leg.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Originally Posted by racephoto1:
Larry Gates was the first guy I saw in this car. He tangled with Ferkel in a non wing WoO ,(Yes WoO used to be wings optional,tracks choice) race at Kokomo. That , to this day, is the highest I've ever seen a car go.

The car had tremendous horsepower, but had real reliability
problems. I saw it blow a motor saw big at Terre Haute one day, with Leavitt driving, that they kicked pieces of the motor off the track.

Powers always made a point to tell me that his "Sam Jones" Big Motors had more Titanium in them than any other car in the day.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Bob,

Didn't know your wife was related to Bill Powers. His daughter, Debbie, was my student at Cedar Hall.
Yes, that second picture is Cliff Cockrum. Eddie Leavitt and Jesse James shared the same hometown, Kearney, MO.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Originally Posted by ronmil:
Bob,

Didn't know your wife was related to Bill Powers. His daughter, Debbie, was my student at Cedar Hall.
Yes, that second picture is Cliff Cockrum. Eddie Leavitt and Jesse James shared the same hometown, Kearney, MO.

Ron,
I never put it together that you taught right down the street from the welding shop. Yes. Deb was her cousin and Bill is her Uncle. Small world.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

I think it was at Terre Haute for the Hulman Classic where Gates was leading and ran out of fuel.
In the early 1980s, Gates would run the car at Haubstadt on Sunday nights.

Yes,that second picture is my father . He campaigned that car a few times . Always said that car drove ahead of its time, great picture,one I hadn't seen before. Thank You!!

Shane Cockrum

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Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

When Buckwheat broke his leg at Kokomo, they put him in a cast. Three days later(I think) he knocked it off, and tied on one he made of leather, so he could drive. That people is TOUGH.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

The drivers that I am aware of for the #51 car in USAC are Eddie Leavitt, Larry Martin, Larry "Buckwheat" Gates, Rich Vogler, Cliff Cockrum,and (I believe) Steve Kinser. If I remember correctly (and it has been awhile!) I believe Kinser stepped in to the car for an August race at Terre Haute after Vogler had broken his leg the week before. There may have been others that ran the car at Tri-State.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

A few crappy snaps from my youth......

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps9b1116b9.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps2fbe6976.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps212e1f6f.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...psea0f5d4a.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps00f5a144.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps907388b0.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...pscdfd9990.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ps4a53a658.jpg

Gates turn a car over before it was ever off the jig in the shop! I don't believe any of the Kinser ever drove for them.

Ryan McDonald (Bill King's grandson)

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Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

buckweat tore up a few cars. lol but at the end of his career he was driving as good as anyone. granny always said if someone would just take a ball bat and shake it at him in the turns he would be ok.:3: this was when we were running at tri state in 1975-76.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Going through some old posts and found this one. I saw this car many times in my youth and is what drove my love for sprint car racing. My stepfather Sam Jones built the engines for the King/Powers 51, was always a fast car. Can recall watching Leavitt, Hewitt, Vogler and others drive it.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Originally Posted by Rpracing1:
Powers always made a point to tell me that his "Sam Jones" Big Motors had more Titanium in them than any other car in the day.

The Connecting Rods in those motors were actually aluminum, which is even lighter than titanium (although not as strong).

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Here are two photos I took of Rich Vogler exiting over the turn 1-2 wall at Terre Haute in I THINK 1983 (definitely NOT sure of the year) in the King/Powers car during hot laps. Vogler and Steve Kinser in the #37 had been "competing" in hot laps for several laps, each trying to out brave the other in to turn 1. The previous lap, Kinser had bicycled a bit in the corner, but still drove by Vogler, so everyone KNEW Vogler was going to really haul it in next time by. He did, it bicycled and we were all ready with cameras. If I'm not mistaken, Vogler suffered a wrist or arm injury in this accident.

https://i.postimg.cc/85WfSyMf/fullsizeoutput-b3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/brhDNQ9C/fullsizeoutput-d.jpg

Yes he did came through turn four left front over guardrail and ended up in parking lot. Broke his collar bone i beleive.

Re: No. 51 Sprinter Driver pics (1970's)
 

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1:
Here are two photos I took of Rich Vogler exiting over the turn 1-2 wall at Terre Haute in I THINK 1983 (definitely NOT sure of the year) in the King/Powers car during hot laps. Vogler and Steve Kinser in the #37 had been "competing" in hot laps for several laps, each trying to out brave the other in to turn 1. The previous lap, Kinser had bicycled a bit in the corner, but still drove by Vogler, so everyone KNEW Vogler was going to really haul it in next time by. He did, it bicycled and we were all ready with cameras. If I'm not mistaken, Vogler suffered a wrist or arm injury in this accident.

https://i.postimg.cc/85WfSyMf/fullsizeoutput-b3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/brhDNQ9C/fullsizeoutput-d.jpg

Great pics. I was in the stands that day. I believe it was 1982. Gates drive it in 79 and 80, Leavitt drove it in 81, Vogler most of 82, Hewitt most of 83.............I think. Cockrum and Martin drive it a few races in there as well.

Originally Posted by Dougherty20:
Great pics. I was in the stands that day. I believe it was 1982. Gates drive it in 79 and 80, Leavitt drove it in 81, Vogler most of 82, Hewitt most of 83.............I think. Cockrum and Martin drive it a few races in there as well.

Thanks!! You may very well be right. Like I said, I’m not sure as to the year, and that was some time ago. I got lucky with the shots. Right place, right time.

Originally Posted by racephoto1:
When Buckwheat broke his leg at Kokomo, they put him in a cast. Three days later(I think) he knocked it off, and tied on one he made of leather, so he could drive. That people is TOUGH.

I would imagine some chemical bravery was involved. Lol

Gates just bought the old trophy shop on Morgan Ave between Weinbach and Hwy 41 in Evansville.He’d love to have you stop by and bs if your in the area.