Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Gather together in front of your computer screen your moms and dads, grand-fathers and grand-mothers, Aunts and Uncles, Friends and Neighbors, Crew Chiefs and Pit Crews and anyone else you can think of who might help. I am about to post a photo from Old Pan American Speedway (Austin Highway) from 1964. There are 26 Drivers in the photo. I need your help identifying them. I have id'd a few of them, but most are unidentified. It would be such a shame if even one of them were forgotten, I feel we will have failed this group of magnificent men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 budman asked me to post this. I already know of one that is special to me. #14 that be my old man Norman Butler. He drove for Charlie Holden back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Papa, Thanks for your help. My photo resizing software seems to have gone south on me, tonight of all nights. I will download some new software later this evening, and try and get a better copy of this up tonight or tomorrow. This copy is the Numbered copy I set up to help in identifying the drivers. In another post, I will list the drivers I have identities of so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 The Drivers in the photo are as follows: 1. Unknown 2. Unknown 3. Unknown 4. Unknown 5. Unknown 6. Joe Shafer 7. Harold Pieper 8. Jim Schumaker 9. Unknown 10. Jerry Mann 11. Unknown 12. Unknown 13. Don Fowler 14. Norman Butler 15. Unknown 16. Jim Hurtubise 17. Waldo Harper 18. Eddie Waltersdorf 19. Bubba Storbeck 20. Johnny Doyle 21. Buddy Jerkins 22. Ricci Ware 23. Buddy Yantis 24. Unknown 25. George McMullin 26. E.J. Weeks (?) (Possibly in Photo, but not yet identified: Bill Watts) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Until budman can get a better photo up Ill break it into 4 parts. That will help. Here is the first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 second Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Third Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 >>>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 forth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 >>>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 >>>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Thanks again Papa, but tell us something. How is it that out of all 26 of those drivers, Ol' Norman Butler is the most handsome? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 because you cant see all of his face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 What makes this particular group of drivers so special? Well, they're pretty special in their own right. But, on the particular evening this photo was taken, I've been told, they donated their entire purse for a special cause! More on this later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oatey220 Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 PAPA Is #26 EJ Weeks(sp) ????? just a guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 I bet Paul Jett and Bill White are in here.I just cant place them. That was a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Been out of town today, up in the country. Papa, I talked with Rodlea. He said Paul wasn't there that night. I'll take a closer look to see if I can spot Bill. Hadn't thought to look for him in the picture. I do know back then, he did a lot of Saturday racing at Meyer in Houston, and also on the dirt at the Devils Bowl in Dallas. Oatey220, I will put E.J. Weeks on the list as a definite maybe. Thanks so much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 There were two other guys I can think of just off the top of my head that raced during that period from San Antonio. Problem is, I never actually met them, so don't know exactly what they looked like. Their names were Alan Dillard and Jerry Smith. Anybody have any idea if they are in the photo? Oh, and how could I forget. What about Johnny Doyle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROMRD Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 This picture was taken the night of a special race to help raise money fo Jim Hurtibise who was burned at Indy that year. Terry Barden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 That one driver looks like a very young Jack Sandefur. I think it is #16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Thanks Terry and Kathy. Kathy , no #16 isn't Jack. Terry, your right about the race. There's certainly nothing new about drivers helping other drivers. In 1964, Jim Hurtubise finished 14th in the Indianapolis 500. He dropped out early with mechanical problems. The following weekend was the next champ car race of the season. It was at Milwaukee. There, about mid way through the race, it was led by Roger Ward, with Foyt hot on his heals. Hurtubise (Herk, as his friends called him) ran 3rd a short distance back. Coming down the front straight, Ward's rear-end locked up. Ward and Foyt tangled. Hurtubise tried high to avoid them. But, in the classic open-wheel type accident, his left front rode up over Foyt's right rear. This sent him careening into the wall at high speed. Jim was knocked unconscious by the impact, broken ribs punctured both lungs, and the car burst into flames, in a horrific crash. Jim was removed from the car and rushed to the hospital in Milwaukee, with his chances of survival very much in doubt. Jim was burned over 40%, his hands being most severely burned. Jim did survive though. As soon as he could be moved, he was flown where else? The burn unit at Brooke Army Medical center at San Antonio, Texas. Having recovered from the head and rib/lung injuries, he began the long months of treatment of burn and rehabilitation therapy at Brooke. While there, he was befriended by members of the San Antonio racing community. Jim's condition improved throughout the summer of '64, as treatments continued. Then, late in the '64 race season at Pan American, they decided to hold a benefit race for Jim. I am told he was quite literally smuggled out of BAMC by a "committee" of drivers that night and taken to Pan Am. All the drivers posed together with Jim for a group picture that night. That is what you see above. Jim is number 16 in the picture. If you look closely you can see how badly his hands are burned, even though this is months after the accident. I am told the entire purse, the gate, the concession and the proceeds from helmets being passed through the crowd and the pits were given to Jim at the end of the evening. Though it was very much in doubt at the time of this photo, Jim did go on to race again. In fact, he even qualified for the '65 Indy 500. In 1966, he would win the Atlanta 500 in Nascar. Life long friendships were forged from his long stay in San Antonio though. Jim was originally from upper New York state. Jim passed away in 1989, in his adopted home state of Texas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Jim Hurtubise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
see86go Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Bill Watts must be in that photo somewhere. He was a former neighbor of mine and used to tell stories about running in that race. I'm trying to imagine him with more hair but I just can't place him in the photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Craig, I'm kind of like you. I think #18 might be Johnny Doyle, but I'm just not sure. Heck, that was only about 42 years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Although he is not in the picture, Im sure one of the best "Wrenchs"at the time was off to the side. His name is Lynn Moore. He worked on my dads car as well as others in that era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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