Wib Spalding #401 Sprint car

1/31/09, 3:40 PM

I have looked all over the internet trying to find a picture and owner info of the #401 sprint car Wib drove in the late 60's at Try-City Speedway. Does anyone have a pic and car owner information they could post???

Thanks...

Mud Packer · 1/31/09, 4:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtInMyBeer

I have looked all over the internet trying to find a picture and owner info of the #401 sprint car Wib drove in the late 60's at Try-City Speedway. Does anyone have a pic and car owner information they could post???

Thanks...

If you go to www.dirtfans.com/WibSpalding.html you can get a picture of him as well as his sprint car. Sorry, but I am not great with the computer so I don't know how to link that website on here.:doh: I hope that helps.

I remember him racing from my days in Illinois growing up. Always a yellow car with red numbers from what I recall.

cecil98 · 1/31/09, 5:08 PM

I saw Wib race several times and it, indeed, was a yellow car with red #'s and trim. I believe the # at one point was 444. I last saw him race at the opening pavement show at New Bremen. AJ was in Mutt's car, Rutherford was in the #45 (Weinberger Homes Spl???) and I'm pretty sure Al Smith won the feature (in the Vivian Buick Spl????). Oh! and Jim Bob Luebbert was there in a Blue #69.

Mud Packer · 1/31/09, 5:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cecil98

I saw Wib race several times and it, indeed, was a yellow car with red #'s and trim. I believe the # at one point was 444. I last saw him race at the opening pavement show at New Bremen. AJ was in Mutt's car, Rutherford was in the #45 (Weinberger Homes Spl???) and I'm pretty sure Al Smith won the feature (in the Vivian Buick Spl????). Oh! and Jim Bob Luebbert was there in a Blue #69.

From what I remember, his normal ride was #444. One of the more versatile racers back in the St. Louis area in the late 60's and early 70's.

4wheelsinthekoosh · 1/31/09, 6:07 PM

The car was owned by a man named Tom Murry from Granite City, Ill. It was sponsered by Green Construction. Tom and Web framed houses for that co. Usac made them change the number from 444 to 401 because the 444 look to outlaw'ish. Tom Murry was my first crew chief and wrenched the car to my first Usac win.

2/1/09, 2:36 PM

Thanks for the replies guy's.
I had no idea Tom Murray owned that car. I used to date his daughter Pam back in the day. The last I heard Tom was living in Indiana but thats been a while back. Wib went from the #401 to #56. The first couple of years it was silver and red and didn't run very well. Then Wib talked the owner in to letting Tom wrench it, and started to win everything at Try-City. I remember a stretch where Wib won both the sprint and late model features 4 weeks in a row. They also changed the colors to yellow and red with white #'s. In the top of the #56 was a small #444.

Mudpacker thanks for the dirtfans site but I'm actually the guy that sent in those photos of Wib.

1/31/09, 3:40 PM	#1 Wib Spalding #401 Sprint car
DirtInMyBeer Posts: n/a	I have looked all over the internet trying to find a picture and owner info of the #401 sprint car Wib drove in the late 60's at Try-City Speedway. Does anyone have a pic and car owner information they could post??? Thanks...

1/31/09, 5:08 PM	#3 Re: Wib Spalding #401 Sprint car
cecil98 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,399	I saw Wib race several times and it, indeed, was a yellow car with red #'s and trim. I believe the # at one point was 444. I last saw him race at the opening pavement show at New Bremen. AJ was in Mutt's car, Rutherford was in the #45 (Weinberger Homes Spl???) and I'm pretty sure Al Smith won the feature (in the Vivian Buick Spl????). Oh! and Jim Bob Luebbert was there in a Blue #69.

1/31/09, 6:07 PM	#5 Re: Wib Spalding #401 Sprint car
4wheelsinthekoosh Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 316	The car was owned by a man named Tom Murry from Granite City, Ill. It was sponsered by Green Construction. Tom and Web framed houses for that co. Usac made them change the number from 444 to 401 because the 444 look to outlaw'ish. Tom Murry was my first crew chief and wrenched the car to my first Usac win.

2/1/09, 2:36 PM	#6 Re: Wib Spalding #401 Sprint car
DirtInMyBeer Posts: n/a	Thanks for the replies guy's. I had no idea Tom Murray owned that car. I used to date his daughter Pam back in the day. The last I heard Tom was living in Indiana but thats been a while back. Wib went from the #401 to #56. The first couple of years it was silver and red and didn't run very well. Then Wib talked the owner in to letting Tom wrench it, and started to win everything at Try-City. I remember a stretch where Wib won both the sprint and late model features 4 weeks in a row. They also changed the colors to yellow and red with white #'s. In the top of the #56 was a small #444. Mudpacker thanks for the dirtfans site but I'm actually the guy that sent in those photos of Wib.