[ByronMack]

Originally Posted by rdzsprint I really enjoyed your story about Cecil Beavers gassing it in 1960. I certainly didn't find it boring at all. Those days interest me more than todays' stuff anytime. Wish I would have copied it off before it went away! A lady friend of mine is a good friend of Cecil's daughter and I was going to get her a copy of your response as I'm sure she would have enjoyed it, but I was too slow on the draw. My bad. If you saved the original you could pm it to me if you would? I gave her copies of what few pictures I have of Cecil. Trying to find anything I can for my own scrapbooks and for her as well as she has very few momentos of her father. Cecil was always colorful and exciting to watch. Fans usually perked up when he hit the track, nothing bland or boring about him. He reminded me a lot of Jim Hurtubise, pretty wild/wide open and didn't care much for pavement. I have 2 photos of Cecil at Terre Haute running a USAC show, in one he's side by side with Foyt and the other he's wheel to wheel with McCluskey. I wasn't there that day but a friend of mine was and said Cecil gave the big boys all they could handle until engine overheating took him out. I have Terre Haute race results from 6-15-1952 up to 5-5-1973. It only lists the top 3 from each race but Cecil's name shows up a few times. He won the USAC sprint car semi-feature over Johnny Thomson on 8-21-1960. On 6-11-1961 he was runner-up in the USAC semi. On 7-16-1961 in an IMCA race he ran second in his heat and second in the feature to Pete Folse who scored his 60th win on that day. On 8-13-1961 he ran 3rd to Don Branson and Bobby Marshman in the USAC semi. The last time his name appears in the top three was a USAC show on 8-12-1962 when ran 3rd in his heat behind Elmer George and Don Branson I was just a kid then and not old enough to drive, only got to go when Dad could afford to take us. Wish I could have seen more than I got to but am thankful for the ones I did see. Wish they had video cameras back then, would be great to have films/sounds of those days including the famous F-800/Bobby Kinser duo.. I was standing right beside Cecil talking to him and helped push Calvin Gilstrap to the staging area to be pushed off for his final ride at Bloomington on July 30, 1976. Understandably,...Cecil was really upset and I can still vividly remember Bobby Black telling me 'don't go look at that car'. Bad day.

If you're looking for info on Cecil and Calvin, the pawn shop in Orleans used to have a lot of pictures from Mitchell speedway. Don't know if it's still open or not.




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[rdzsprint]

Originally Posted by ronmil I have heard of this incident several times, and, supposedly Butch Wilkerson was the regular chauffeur but he chose to deliver a load of cattle to Decatur, IL that evening instead of racing. Maybe Butch will see this and verify its' validity.

I 'think' Cecil Beavers drove his car himself earlier in the year at Lawrenceburg? I know he drove it at Bloomington the prior week on July 23rd, (Calvin crashed on the 30th). I was there both nights and have the OKI Auto Racing news paper that has Cecil's picture as one of the heat race winners. Along with his heat race win he finished 3rd in the feature that night with Mike Johnson winning. On the next page of this paper is a photo dated July 24th of Butch in the car the following night at Lawrenceburg where he won the feature in Cecil's car.I was in the pits with Cecil the following week (30th) at Bloomington when he told Calvin he didn't want to drive that night and would he drive. Don't know if Cecil ever drove again after the July 23 or not?

Got this photo of Cecil after the heat race win scanned into my computer, will try to attach it but I'm no computer whiz. May not go through? Hope it does?

[rdzsprint]

Originally Posted by ByronMack If you're looking for info on Cecil and Calvin, the pawn shop in Orleans used to have a lot of pictures from Mitchell speedway. Don't know if it's still open or not. Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks a lot. Will definitely check on that. Orleans pawn shop location makes perfect sense. According to my USAC book Cecils' car owner of the red #57 back in the 60's was Leroy Foutch and lists his home as Orleans, In.

[rwbeavers]

Cecil was my uncle. As I recall the events that you are referring to Cecil bringing his car late in the season to Bloomington was because Steve Kinser who was leading the points championship had mechanical failure on his race car (believe it was owned by a guy named Shields). Cecil's car had been rebuilt since Calvins fatal crash in July but had not been raced. Cecil offered to go home (Bedford) and bring the car back for Steve to drive so he would have a car for the feature event. As you stated, he started on the tail of the feature and ended up winning the race. This was before Steve started driving for Karl. Steve ran Cecil's black #57 several more times before the end of the 76 year. In addition, let me share this, the car that Calvin got killed in and Steve later drove was a brand new Hill chassis out of Tennesse which was a prelude to what became Gambler Chassis Company. At least that is what I have been told as far as the Gambler Chassis. The car had an engine built by O'Clarey Automotive out of Louiseville, KY. Cecil had over $10,000 invested in that car he told me. This was a lot of money in 1976 for a locally run sprint car. It had the best of anything Cecil could buy for the car. It is mistakenly believed that Calvin was killed in Cecil's old sprint car which was not the case. This was a brand new car for the 1976 season.

[Butch47265]

I drove the 57 car on sat week before at the burg & won went to haubstadt next nite got rained out, I was going to drive 57 at bloomington that friday, I was offered the trip to Moline, Ill, it payed me 375.00, if we won the race that nite it paid 300.00 to win I got 40% so I called Cecil he said ok see you sat at the Burg, Didnot make it, rip both. Butch Wilkerson

[mscs20]

QUOTE=rwbeavers;246185]Cecil was my uncle. As I recall the events that you are referring to Cecil bringing his car late in the season to Bloomington was because Steve Kinser who was leading the points championship had mechanical failure on his race car (believe it was owned by a guy named Shields). Cecil's car had been rebuilt since Calvins fatal crash in July but had not been raced. Cecil offered to go home (Bedford) and bring the car back for Steve to drive so he would have a car for the feature event. As you stated, he started on the tail of the feature and ended up winning the race. This was before Steve started driving for Karl. Steve ran Cecil's black #57 several more times before the end of the 76 year. In addition, let me share this, the car that Calvin got killed in and Steve later drove was a brand new Hill chassis out of Tennesse which was a prelude to what became Gambler Chassis Company. At least that is what I have been told as far as the Gambler Chassis. The car had an engine built by O'Clarey Automotive out of Louiseville, KY. Cecil had over $10,000 invested in that car he told me. This was a lot of money in 1976 for a locally run sprint car. It had the best of anything Cecil could buy for the car. It is mistakenly believed that Calvin was killed in Cecil's old sprint car which was not the case. This was a brand new car for the 1976 season.[/QUOTE]

The Hill chassis was "Hill-Bilt" which was ownesd by Jack Elam and is now J&J. In 76 and 77 CK Spurlock had 2 cars that were the "Loretta Lynn Specials" that Charlie Swartz drove. One of them was a Hill-Bilt. In 78 he started Gambler and that frame looked nothing like Elams. Cecil was one cool dude...and so was Butch :-)
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[Dirtfan]

(believe it was owned by a guy named Shields)

Jerry Shields I believe was the owner.

[jim goerge]

I had heard the Hill chassis;s turned in to J&J not that it matters any.

[brc]

just to clear up a couple items here. does not really pertain to the good story of Cecil and Calvin.
The first two cars C K Spurlock owned in reagrds to getting into the sprint car racing thing ,were Bob Trostle built cars. C K used to show up at a few races at this time towing the car himself. At this point Kenny Rogers was one of C K's prime "clients' and $$ makers...needless to say. Hence CK Spurlock was flying high,,and could afford pretty much anything in regards to fielding a sprint car operation.
Les Hill built the Hill-Bilt cars out of Greenfield TN,,which at that time a young Jack Elam was a welder for Les. They were a sleek looking sprint car and somewhat ahead of it's time,,,at the time,,,A few short years later Les Hill became uninterested ( which many people have told me,,was a very smart gentleman) in racing and at this point Jack took over the sprint car building business and wound up moving it to McKenzie,TN .J&J Enterprises,,then J&J Auto Racing.
Gambler Chassis company referenced here ,the last few years operated,, become a custom motorcycle frame building shop,and in fact sold quite a few custom frames,,,similar to Orange County Choppers type stuff,,,and ceased to exist,,,somewere around 2002-2005? Tommy Sanders that worked as the manager for Gambler Cahissis Company last I knew was a sales rep for Wirtgen America,in Nashville.
This is more info than most care to know,,I know. Just clarifying a few things in this discussion,,is all...

BC

remember going with my dad to bloomington and watfching beavers and kinser running , and he quit taking me to the track after cecil beavers broke his back racing , didn't get to go till I was a young man on my own. Still remember those cars . Was some great racing back then.