History of nostalgia racecars need help!!!

HardyBoysRacing · 7/15/10, 2:29 PM

Hey yall. My dad owns 2 old race cars and i need help with the history of them, and any info as far as pictures, or anything would help. The first car we bought is roughly and 1980's Stepp sprint car that was supposedly a 1 of 2 car and the brother car to it was Sheldon Kinzer's black #2 car. Jack Hewitt has seen our car and claims that it is that car because he remembers racing it numerous times. The other car we own is roughly a 2002-2004 USAC silver crown car that was run by Johnny Heydenreich on asphalt and Tony Stewart's dad Nelson Stewart ran it 3 times on dirt and crashed it at the Hoosier Hundred. It's white, black, and red and is #15. What's neat bout it is that it looks like and old school champcar with a new chassis. We just started running nostalgia cars last year but my whole family has had a blast with them considering my dad is 70 years old and has raced for more than 50 years. Im only 21,but it is very exciting to drive these 700-800 horsepower rocketships considering the last time i raced was when i was 11 running quarter midgets. Currently are putting together a new silver crown car to be run next year and it should be a blast to be part of the team! Any info or pics of the cars would help! THANKS!!-greg

TQ29m · 7/16/10, 8:25 AM

A fellow by the name of John Larson? was the last owner of the SC car that Nelson drove, to my recollection, and I'm not sure of the spelling of his last name, but he still lives in Indy, was in the construction business I believe. Good luck! Bob

Ovalmeister · 7/16/10, 10:23 AM

Have you contacted Steve Stapp in Indy yet about the sprinter?
David.

HardyBoysRacing · 7/16/10, 3:47 PM

-I've recently heard that John Larson or Lawson, however you spell it, built the silver crown car like you said TQ29M i actually got a picture of Nelson at the race in Indy wearing his driver's suit, but have yet to come up with any pictures of it running.
-The sprinter is actually a Stepp car and not a Stapp that i do know for sure because the car was owned by a fellow named Tom Smith out of Ohio but he passed away a while back, but he did know a little information on the car.

kinser · 7/22/10, 11:26 PM

The sprinter is probably a Jack Steck car.
Posted via Mobile Device

HardyBoysRacing · 7/23/10, 12:08 PM

Jack Steck, where is he from? I guess the car was 1 of 2 that were built for Grant King, but i don't know much other than that.

kinser · 7/23/10, 2:38 PM

Jack is from Ohio, Dayton area I believe. Is one of the cars that Benny Leyba owned ? If it is I believe that Grant King built it.
Posted via Mobile Device

HardyBoysRacing · 7/26/10, 2:39 PM

I'm not 100% sure, but i don't think so. We got the car from a member of MOVRCC named Tom Smith out of Ohio, but to my own knowledge i'd say the car has almost never been raced because the frame is almost perfect and Mr.Smith is passed now, but he did say for sure it was built for Grant King and not built by him. The only problem with these cars we have is it is almost impossible to prove any history on them either way. We have never known who drove this car if anyone, but it is known to be a 1 of 2 car. Supposedly, Sheldon Kinser totalled the brother car to this so we're considering turning this car into a Kinser replica but have yet to find any pictures of it.

SC12 · 8/15/10, 10:40 AM

I've tried to poast a photo of the Stewart Car as it ran in 2004

I was under the impression that Lawson built the car and if memory is right they labeled it a shark chassis.

HardyBoysRacing · 8/15/10, 5:14 PM

SC12 thank you so much!!! This is GREAT!!!

7/16/10, 8:25 AM	#2 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,677	A fellow by the name of John Larson? was the last owner of the SC car that Nelson drove, to my recollection, and I'm not sure of the spelling of his last name, but he still lives in Indy, was in the construction business I believe. Good luck! Bob __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

7/15/10, 2:29 PM	#1 History of nostalgia racecars need help!!!
HardyBoysRacing Senior Member Race Count Last Year: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 284	Hey yall. My dad owns 2 old race cars and i need help with the history of them, and any info as far as pictures, or anything would help. The first car we bought is roughly and 1980's Stepp sprint car that was supposedly a 1 of 2 car and the brother car to it was Sheldon Kinzer's black #2 car. Jack Hewitt has seen our car and claims that it is that car because he remembers racing it numerous times. The other car we own is roughly a 2002-2004 USAC silver crown car that was run by Johnny Heydenreich on asphalt and Tony Stewart's dad Nelson Stewart ran it 3 times on dirt and crashed it at the Hoosier Hundred. It's white, black, and red and is #15. What's neat bout it is that it looks like and old school champcar with a new chassis. We just started running nostalgia cars last year but my whole family has had a blast with them considering my dad is 70 years old and has raced for more than 50 years. Im only 21,but it is very exciting to drive these 700-800 horsepower rocketships considering the last time i raced was when i was 11 running quarter midgets. Currently are putting together a new silver crown car to be run next year and it should be a blast to be part of the team! Any info or pics of the cars would help! THANKS!!-greg

7/16/10, 10:23 AM	#3 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
Ovalmeister Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 806	Have you contacted Steve Stapp in Indy yet about the sprinter? David.

7/16/10, 3:47 PM	#4 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
HardyBoysRacing Senior Member Race Count Last Year: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 284	-I've recently heard that John Larson or Lawson, however you spell it, built the silver crown car like you said TQ29M i actually got a picture of Nelson at the race in Indy wearing his driver's suit, but have yet to come up with any pictures of it running. -The sprinter is actually a Stepp car and not a Stapp that i do know for sure because the car was owned by a fellow named Tom Smith out of Ohio but he passed away a while back, but he did know a little information on the car.

7/22/10, 11:26 PM	#5
kinser Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 488	The sprinter is probably a Jack Steck car. Posted via Mobile Device

7/23/10, 12:08 PM	#6 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
HardyBoysRacing Senior Member Race Count Last Year: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 284	Jack Steck, where is he from? I guess the car was 1 of 2 that were built for Grant King, but i don't know much other than that.

7/23/10, 2:38 PM	#7
kinser Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 488	Jack is from Ohio, Dayton area I believe. Is one of the cars that Benny Leyba owned ? If it is I believe that Grant King built it. Posted via Mobile Device

7/26/10, 2:39 PM	#8 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
HardyBoysRacing Senior Member Race Count Last Year: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 284	I'm not 100% sure, but i don't think so. We got the car from a member of MOVRCC named Tom Smith out of Ohio, but to my own knowledge i'd say the car has almost never been raced because the frame is almost perfect and Mr.Smith is passed now, but he did say for sure it was built for Grant King and not built by him. The only problem with these cars we have is it is almost impossible to prove any history on them either way. We have never known who drove this car if anyone, but it is known to be a 1 of 2 car. Supposedly, Sheldon Kinser totalled the brother car to this so we're considering turning this car into a Kinser replica but have yet to find any pictures of it.

8/15/10, 5:14 PM	#10 Re: History of nostalgia racecars need help!!
HardyBoysRacing Senior Member Race Count Last Year: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 284	SC12 thank you so much!!! This is GREAT!!!