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Speedwrench (Offline)
  #21 12/5/08 10:53 PM
Originally Posted by cecil98:
One of the cars that Rollie drove (and won with at Eldora in '66) was as ugly as a sprint car gets. It had kind of a square'ish hood and nose and, an equally square (or rectagular) and very tall rollbar on it. Anyone remember any of the details of that car?
The car you mentioned was an Altfater. They were quite popular in the late sixties and early seventies, especially in Ohio and western pennsy.

Not sure it you were around southern Indiana in the late sixies, but the team car that Don Nordhorn drove for the Foxes was an Altfater and I think later ended up being Randy Kinser's first sprint ride.
ColoradoFan (Offline)
  #22 12/6/08 1:33 AM
On the title page of the first section of John Mahoney's book "Full Tilt" is the car in question. This was Kenny Lay's "Lay's Transmission Spl." that Rollie drove and it was indeed one of Charlie Alfater's creations. When Rollie left Lay to drive for Ron Kilman he wanted a new car since he had crashed and broken his leg in the Alfater and wasn't interested in driving another one. That was when he started to drive the Ron Ward car. Karl Busson also drove an Alfater in USAC for his father-in-law, the Bernie Cedoz #95.
cecil98 (Offline)
  #23 12/6/08 9:57 AM
Thanks for the info guys. That car was FAST but, Dang, it was ugly! lol
racephoto1 (Offline)
  #24 12/6/08 12:12 PM
As for what happened to Jeff Thickston, I will just repeat what Lil Joe Saldana said in Victory lane. "Boys this place isn't a quarter or half mile.You just can't bang wheels here."
Butch47265 (Offline)
  #25 12/6/08 12:23 PM
Originally Posted by cecil98:
Thanks for the info guys. That car was FAST but, Dang, it was ugly! lol
The Charlie car that Jim Waltz bought for me to drive in 69 was fast. Dang it was UGLY but it was fast we won 12/ 13 races that summer. This car #21 is the Charlie car Randy Kinser started with. Butch Wilkerson
Speedwrench (Offline)
  #26 12/6/08 12:56 PM
Originally Posted by Butch47265:
The Charlie car that Jim Waltz bought for me to drive in 69 was fast. Dang it was UGLY but it was fast we won 12/ 13 races that summer. This car #21 is the Charlie car Randy Kinser started with. Butch Wilkerson
I always thought that the 21 was the car that Nordhorn ran with different paint job. Was not aware that they were two seperate cars.

Wonder what happened to the 52 car?

Is Jim still around?

Smokey
racephoto1 (Offline)
  #27 12/6/08 3:40 PM
Does anyone remember the wingless WoO show in 79 I think? I will never forget that big white Lincoln hitting everything he could , while beating the track from the rain. The feature was fast, the mile was HEEEEEEAVY after the rain.
Butch47265 (Offline)
  #28 12/7/08 12:27 AM
Originally Posted by Speedwrench:
I always thought that the 21 was the car that Nordhorn ran with different paint job. Was not aware that they were two seperate cars.

Wonder what happened to the 52 car?

Is Jim still around?

Smokey
Jim passed away 2yrs ago I think he was a good man. If you get with Galen Fox he probably knows where it went. Butch Wilkerson
Pat O'Connor Fan (Offline)
  #29 12/7/08 6:58 PM
Originally Posted by ColoradoFan:
Karl Busson also drove an Alfater in USAC for his father-in-law, the Bernie Cedoz #95.
Karl went "out of the park" somewhere in that car (my fuzzy old memory seems to be trying to tell me it was in Iowa). The next time I saw them at a race, I asked Bernie which bothered him more, seeing his car, or his son-in-law, sail over the fence. I got no verbal answer, but I did have a good laugh at his smile/smirk. I feel privileged to have watched Karl rim-riding in that white 95 quite a few times.
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