Grant King Champ car pics?
 

IMO, the best looking dirt cars ever built were from Grant King. Anybody got pics to share?:9:

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

something like this from Syracuse 1974?

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...4/10420019.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...4/10420029.jpg

Too bad those guys didn't make anything of their careers :-)

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Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

That is pure poetry in motion! Thanks!:6:

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

How 'bout this. Same car just a newer picture.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

this is from Indy Museum April 2012,

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...2012/265-7.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...012/1995-7.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...012/1975-7.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...012/1965-7.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...012/1955-7.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...2012/125-7.jpg

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Wow!!!!!! What great memories I have of watching those two cars run!!! My favorite race of all-time was the 1974 Hoosier 100 when journeyman Jackie Howerton beat Al Sr and Mario, driving the Viceroy cars, in the Bignotti turbo-offy STP car. You could just about throw a blanket over the three cars at the finish line...

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

here's a couple from 1985! at Eldora!

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...ELDSSC1985.jpg

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...NSONSC1985.jpg

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

and from Eldora 1986!

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v.../1986006-1.jpg

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

This is the most beautiful racecar I've ever laid eye's on.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Gurney's Plastic Express is a Watson, just as nice as Grant's cars.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Sorry 'bout gettin' a little off track posting the Watson but with all those other beautiful Champ Cars posted I thought I'd throw Junior Kurtz' beauty into the mix.

That car was dern near unbeatable with Chuck Gurney behind the wheel at Springfield. I think that car/driver combination won the Bettenhausen Memorial 100 something like 5 times!

Was the Kurtz Watson car the one that got wadded up in a nasty tumble at the Hoosier Hundred in 1991? I might be off on the year but I think it was '91.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Did any one notice that the triangulation on the roll cage of the two Viceroy cars (in the photos posted here) is different?

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

I was pretty young back in the days when these cars were racing and winning just about every race they ran.

Given that as it is I read a while back that all they had to do to was to relocate the heads from one bank to the other to get the exhaust pointed towards the ground. That eliminated the nest of snakes that those cammers had on top of the engine that went to the turbo when used in the rear engine asphalt cars.

Watched a Ford cammer engine strapped to a wooden pallet sell for $35,000.00 at Smokey Yunick's auction at his shop in Holly Hill, Florida back in '88 or '89.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

My favorite sound in all of my auto racing history/experience was the sound of the 4 cammer with the "spaghetti" exhaust on top of the motor. They were incredibly loud and they simply screamed. The very first time I heard them was, as a 10 yr old, on the first lap of the 1964 500 sitting in Stand J! WOW!!!!

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

They sounded sweet with the hammer down on the miles as well :22:

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Bruce, both the Cammers and Offys sounded sweet on the miles. The cars were beautiful, and looked like a race car, not a door stop.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

The reason the triangulation was different is that both cars were built in different years.

Al Unser's 1 was built in 1969, the cage is an add on and you can see that car in the Speedway museum as part of the Parnelli Jones collection that has found it's way there. Yes, that is (per Jones) the Johnny Lightning car.

The Andretti car is newer (73 I believe) and ran with the Viceroy team through 75. It later ended up in the hands of none other than Junior Kurtz and was driven by Rutherford, Gurney and Chassey. It has been restored to it's 1974 livery.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Good catch. Now that I look at it, there are multiple things different on those 2 chassis'. Is it possible that only one is a Grant King?

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Absolutely Bruce! but, they did have a "slightly" deeper exhaust pitch in the dirt format. However, either way, there's been no sound like it in racing since.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Either that or, they were built at different times. Maybe one is older than the other??

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Man I love those cars, I did some digging, just photographic evidence. Seems to me, the Al Unser car used in the 2 car Viceroy team, may have been the ex Rislone car from 1969 then the Johnny Lightning car from 1970 and 71. Had a cage added for 72 and 73. Appears to me Al is in a new Grant King car for 74 along with Mario's King built car. 1975 Al is in #3 but I think Mario was out of the dirt cars by then.
These photo's are from Crucean and Mahoney's "Sprint car Pictorial 1975" and Dick Wallens USAC 50 year history book.
The photo from 1974 (Crucean and Mahoney's book) both cars have Grant King roll cage's, the trademark "X" behind the drivers head. Is it possible the car in the Unser Museum in New Mexico is original Johnny Lightning car, restored to it's 1970 livery? The #1 car in the Indy Museum looks like a car that was built with a cage originally, not an add on. Anybody know which car is which, for sure?
Mitch G.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

From the Unser Museum Facebook page, here's the Johnny Lightning car, is this the car with the odd roll cage in 1972 and 73'?
Mitch G.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Took him about 1/2 of the race but, Big Al finally ran him down!! I absolutely love that Johnny Lightning car and, your pictures, Al. You do great work!!!

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

Look at Foyt, he looks like he's on a Sunday drive.Just out for a cruise.

Al Consoli, nice to see you here. Hope you come out a little this year.

Re: Grant King Champ car pics?
 

WOW,These were the days of real racing. Then the non racing Idiots took over racing(MONEY)?