Budman Posted March 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Racer61, As you can see from the pic of the blue #2 above, the left fronts on those cars spent relatively little time on the ground. Under acceleration they would torque up off the ground, and served little more than to just hold the left front corner of the car up off the ground under braking/deceleration. Those guys would just throw on about any old street tire they could find for the L front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Those guys would just throw on about any old street tire they could find for the L front. That wasn't only true for the old modifieds. Although they didn't lift the wheels, if you look at the old Pan Am Super Stock photos you will see the left front was often nothing special. The car I crewed on ran the same G-60 street tire on the LF for a couple of seasons, as I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 The first Photo is I think Charles Schild (Left) and certainly Bill White (Center) and don't know who the man on the rigth is. I'd bet Bill could tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Posted at the request of Mr. Barnes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Okay... I just got back after a nice talk with Bill. I took him prints of Mark's pictures. He really appreciated them. Here's what he said .. Left is Murray Kelley, middle is Bill, and on the right is Burl Macon. In the car picture, he said if the car on the right is #3, it was Blackie Lothringer. Kind of hard to make out the number. It may be #5 ?? While I was there, I talked with Ron Babbitt, who put me in touch with Don Anderson, who has lots of Playland photos. He invited me to come by his place in Waller sometime, and he would show them to me. Hopefully, I can get some copies to post here. I do have some great photos that Archie Lacy's grandson sent to me. I will be posting those as soon as can get them sized and uploaded. Some of you may remember Archie as a car builder in Houston back in the Arrowhead, Playland, and Meyer Speedways era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 We look forward to seeing those T-bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastracker Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Wow how exciting to see a forum that is talking about " My Hero" That is Bill White. I went to my first auto race in April 1970 @ Heart O' Texas Speedway. I was 10 years old but it seems like yesterday. My brother and I were trying to pick the winner before each race. I can still remember us bickering with each other because we both wanted the same car in the Modified class, a little blue coupe with an Harley Davidson style #1 one the side. That night I learned who Bill White was! I haven't gotten over it yet! It was also the beginning of a car and driver combination that would dominate dirt modified racing in Texas for over 3 years, really 4 that was due to the Track Promoter outlawing the car after winning 3 consecutive track titles from 70-72. In 72 Bill won an amazing 17 out of 22 A-Mains. They placed a bounty on hm in 72, offering ab extra $50.00 to anyone who could beat him. Driving the Joe Smith 34 ford, with a 289 C.I.D. snd mounted two 2 barrel carburetor's. Oh, did I mention the final gear ratio? 8:42! And if Bill was hard on equipment it was before this, in fact he had won those 3 Championships and had never given the csr all it had. The little coupe only came apart once in those 3 years, and that was on an 1/2 mile track in La. After the 72 season the rule stated that any stright axel frame must run a six cyliner, thus "Outlawing" the csr for the 73 season. I have much more say about this car and driver combstation, enough for now. Maybe that will arouse some ones taste bud's, because that's not the end of the story, Later, Kenny Kemp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Hey Kenny, Good to hear from you. What a cool pic! Look forward to hearing more from you about Bill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastracker Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Budman, This car and driver combination was possibly the most dominant Dirt Modified ever! I not kidding! The car was built mid-season 69, by Joe and his father Cilffard Smith, with the intention that Joe would drive it. Bill was racing Sprints and Supers all over the country at that time. Before it's completion Joe received word that Bill was tired of the travel and was coming home. Joe call Bill and told him he could have the seat as long as he wished. It was on, and they ran about the last quarter of 69 at the Waco Speedway. They furnished 3rd in points! running only the last quarter of the season. the little coupe set out the do to the obvious rule change to stop their dominance. At the end of the 73 season about 7 to 10 track pull there resource's together and created the 1st Texas State Modified Championship Race. The purse was huge for that time period, $800.00 to win and a dollar for every lap lead. Cars from all over the state came and a few from Oklahoma and La.. They would time in and qualify one week and the next week would be a 50 lap A-Main ran in two 25 lap segments. It was open competition but there was one rule. The wheel base must be 114" or longer. This was a deliberate attempt to keep the little Ford out of the race, knowing that they were all 112". Therefore Joe spliced a 2" piece into the frame, but they didn't show that car on the qualifying night. Bill drove a car owned by Eddie Green. I think Bill was to start about 13th. The next weekend the old #1 appeared. Bill remember had never given the car all it had, but not so this night. Bill was in front in about 3 laps. The track record in a Modified at that time was about 14.90, with the stopwatch on Bill he was constantly in the 13's!!! Blowing away everything, no one was even close in the first segment. Starting the second segment Eddie Scott a Crandall "Thunderbird Speedway" hot shoe, spun Bill out. On the restart Bill put on a driving clinic like you've never seen! Bill quickly moving from the rear of the field he began lapping the field! with just a few laps to go Bill was lapping the 3rd place car, (that correct, the 3rd place car from the rear of the field!!) when the 3rd place car took a shot at the left rear and cut it down. Bill limped into to the pits and Joe Studivant wins the race. I was sick for days! They had soon much to prove after being "outlawed" and Bill was doing it in big fashion. I must remind you that this car was built in mid-season 69 this is September 73! and hes was lapping the whole field. Wow have you ever know or heard of this kind of dominance? They had protest that car many times the first two year and never found anything! Joe would even tell people it's the gear and stroke combination, of course having the best driver in the state helped some! They even Drag raced the car at Little River once. Bill was speed shifting the awkward looking dirt car, and beat all but one car. An Anglia with a blower! Pic's are from the Autorama 3/07. The temp gauge was boobs that glowed red when hot and it did always ran hot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Its cars like this is why some tracks need a museum, so folks could come early on race day and go through the museum and see some of these old cars. THEY are very much a part of our racing heritage and they are SOOOOO COOL! They would also give some of those guys out there the motivation to finally restore some of these old cars that are still sitting around. Thanks TTracker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Here's another #1. I took this picture of a couple of years ago at San Antonio. This restored racer ran at Old Pan American Speedway in San Antonio in the 1950's. It was driven by Buddy Jerkins of San Antonio. Bill and Buddy did a lot of racing together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I finally got these three identified Murray Kelley, Bill White, and BJ Macon. BJ Macon just died April 7th 2007. Guess I should have read Tbird's post first, anyway I was in contact with BJ Macon's daughter and she identified them also. .+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky161 Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 For anyone that hasn't already checked this site out, it has a number of texas supers, mostly from a later period than this. Mostly NCRA types racingfromthepast.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Hey Budman, I'm trying to figure out who is in the midget with "Houston Texas" on the hood. Looks like it might be number 9 but there may be another number behind the 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Jakdad, That is Sonny McDaniel in Adolf Rommels #91 Offy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Jakdad, That is Sonny McDaniel in Adolf Rommels #91 Offy. Is that the same car that sonny has at his house today? I saw a thread in here that said Sonny still had an old Offy at home. Thanks, I didn't know sonny was still racing then. I think I can ID the three cars in the Meyer Speedway photo. The 2 of course is Bill, And that looks like Charlie shields in the 1 and the blue car looks like Billy Peran in Red Garner's 3 car. Red lives down the street from me and still has the old 3 car as well as the new 3 which only ran 1 or 2 races. The old 3 is a championship car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Jakdad, Sonny was still racing till about 1980 at Big H. That is not the same car he has at the house. The one he has is the Edmonds with an Offy that replaced that one. The car in the picture is the same car as the # 9 that can be seen in the Midgets in Texas section further down the list of this section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Is this the same 9 car in the background? I thought that might be Billy Griswold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Is this the same 9 car in the background? I thought that might be Billy Griswold. I would bet it is the great Billy Griswold. I do believe he raced midgets and I understand he got upside down in one at Arrowhead Speedway in the early/mid 50s. In any event, a nice number for any race car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Removed by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastracker Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Bubman, I would give almost anything to get a copy of the above mentioned DVD of Bill. Or an other material you have on him for that matter. E-Mail me kenneth_kemp@sbcglobal.net Thanks, Kenny Here is some material that might be of intrest, copied from March 1986 Open Wheel. (read close P.49) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Kinney, here's a little something for ya ............ (got it from Rodlea who posts on here) ............ its a 1963 clipping from the Austin paper, I think ......... enjoy ............ [resized by Nick Holt, 11/14/07] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastracker Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Thanks Buddy, here is a pic for you. It's Bill in 1967 @ Mobile Alabama (SuperModified) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 June 1968 Hi-Po Cars magazine cover. Short article on Meyer Speedway. Sorry for the quality. I didn't attempt to resize pics in order to read the print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Is this the same 9 car in the background? I thought that might be Billy Griswold. I would bet it is the great Billy Griswold. I do believe he raced midgets and I understand he got upside down in one at Arrowhead Speedway in the early/mid 50s. In any event, a nice number for any race car. Yep, believe it or not, thet's the same number I had on the doors of the old black 49 Chevy I raced at Northside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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