tommyo Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I'm back again, with the last of "the visitors" plus some odds and ends (I didn't have as many visitor photos left over as I'd thought)... Pensacola's Skip Manning brought this Super-Modified to Houston in 1970 (Sorry, no Skip here)... But Ronnie Chumley did the driving - apparently the car only had a number on the right side... I posted a couple photos of Ikey Jerome in the last visitor post in his rear-engined car - he brought this standard front-engine super in 1970... San Antonio's Clarence Lovell ontrack in 1972 in his beautiful 1966 Chevelle... Notice that Hobbie driver Mike Mitchell's car in this photo has '55 Chevy front fenders, coupled with '56 Chevy rear quarter-panels... and in this photo with #77 Eddie Vogt, it's totally a '57 Chevy - photo from 1972 Hobbies again, Vernon Schroeder and Gary Cowart ontrack together, from 1972 Hobbies again, or as I was recently corrected, LIMITED Sportsman cars - this is Jim Armstrong in the #69 and Richard Rowe in the #00 (1972) I have Ed Sczeck as being from Austin, but have been corrected - He's from San Antonio - He and fellow Late-Model Sportsman driver Ed Trahan together, from 1972 And another one of Mack's great photos from 1966 - Red Upton's nice yellow coupe, with driver Sonny Upton I find myself unexpectedly off work today in the rain, and I'm already bored, so I may be back later with an additional post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 SUPER-MODIFIEDS!! Tommy Willis of Pasadena showed up at Meyer in 1972 with this tiny super-modified - good thing I got this color photo early on! As I'd said before, many of my Meyer memories are not so much fading away as they're merging together - but I remember this evening as if it were yesterday... APril 22, 1972 - I was standing by pit road by the 4th turn, and I noticed that every time Tommy came out of 4, he was mere inches from the outside wall - It was only a matter of time! Everytime the mods went out for practice, I positioned myself near that spot and just waited. Well, I'd gone back across the track to check on my ex-wife at our sales stand by the main gate, and I'd gotten caught up with a customer's special order. Moments later I heard a loud crash, followed by 3 or 4 smaller crashes and I knew immediately what I'd missed. I ran over the access gate by the flag-stand and there was Tommy's little car sorta splatted all over the frontstretch. Tommy seems totally unhurt as he looks over the damage - in the final photo the 2 wreckers are preparing to remove the car from the track - I never saw that little car at the track again - Incidently, even if I'd been standing there it probably would happened so quickly I would have missed it anyway! I show Harold Harris as the driver of this stange-looking car - I have photos of the same car, numbered #41 with Butch Harris as the driver... Another photo of Lee Cade's #92, this time on the crazy-8 track, 1971 And there's no doubt who he sold that car to. Page Reynolds ontrack in 1972... This is Von Carpenter's little rear-engined car, which I believe only came to Meyer this one time. It did not have a V8 engine in it and wasn't nearly as fast as the other cars on the track - I believe it had a Volkswagon engine in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Okay according to Lee Cade they are same cars so to speak. Lee drove the car for Murray Kelly, and after he moved on to other things Bill got ahold of the car, took it to Temple and cut the entire front clip off, shortened the wheel base six inches and tracked the axle left just a shade, lowered the ride height a little and dropped the 427 Chevy in it. Bill had quite a bit more success with it than Lee according to the man himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 That's for sure!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I'm back again, with the last of "the visitors" plus some odds and ends (I didn't have as many visitor photos left over as I'd thought)... Pensacola's Skip Manning brought this Super-Modified to Houston in 1970 (Sorry, no Skip here)... But Ronnie Chumley did the driving - apparently the car only had a number on the right side... I posted a couple photos of Ikey Jerome in the last visitor post in his rear-engined car - he brought this standard front-engine super in 1970... San Antonio's Clarence Lovell ontrack in 1972 in his beautiful 1966 Chevelle... Notice that Hobbie driver Mike Mitchell's car in this photo has '55 Chevy front fenders, coupled with '56 Chevy rear quarter-panels... and in this photo with #77 Eddie Vogt, it's totally a '57 Chevy - photo from 1972 Hobbies again, Vernon Schroeder and Gary Cowart ontrack together, from 1972 Hobbies again, or as I was recently corrected, LIMITED Sportsman cars - this is Jim Armstrong in the #69 and Richard Rowe in the #00 (1972) I have Ed Sczeck as being from Austin, but have been corrected - He's from San Antonio - He and fellow Late-Model Sportsman driver Ed Trahan together, from 1972 And another one of Mack's great photos from 1966 - Red Upton's nice yellow coupe, with driver Sonny Upton I find myself unexpectedly off work today in the rain, and I'm already bored, so I may be back later with an additional post... Is that Sid Hoover in the photo with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 On request, for Papa - It was either put up these photos of John Rezek or take a nap - for now, the photos won... John in his Hobby car, ontrack in 1971 - Is it just a coincidence that this car looks just like Munson's Bronco from 1964? John taking the checkers, June 12, 1971 John has a bad night - July 10, 1971 - nice pants, John! on the trailer, July 10, 1971... John's LMS on pit road, early 1972 John and Butch Harris #33, 1972 John ontrack 1972 Smile John, you're on candid camera, May 28, 1972 John blows an engine between turns 1 and 2... and pulls onto the crazy-8 track on the backstretch Color shot of John ontrack, waiting to go My couch is calling me now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I knew the engine builder in the top photo................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thank you so much Tom. Those photos are VERY special to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Earl passed away back in Sept 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yes, I saw the obit> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 I don't remember the altered Chevelle. I wonder how long that roof/windshield was allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Most of the modifieds ran injectors but the #39 of Tommy Willis is a stange looking setup. Can someone tell me what it was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Okay according to Lee Cade they are same cars so to speak. Lee drove the car for Murray Kelly, and after he moved on to other things Bill got ahold of the car, took it to Temple and cut the entire front clip off, shortened the wheel base six inches and tracked the axle left just a shade, lowered the ride height a little and dropped the 427 Chevy in it. Bill had quite a bit more success with it than Lee according to the man himself. That's for sure!! Now if Mark told us what that coupe body was before it was a Modified, he would have recieved an A+ on this assignment. But, that story does make sense as to the difference between very similiar appearing unique Modified Stock Cars. I just wish I understood why I thought the #2 version predated the #52 version. I guess my rear view mirror must have been upside down. But, that matches other posting regarding the #52 that became the Macon-Kelly #2 that was driven by Bill White. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 What can I say guys....told you so?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 I thought it looked shorter. What I did notice as a reference point is that the mount for the front radius rod appears closer to the body in the second picture by, not coincidentally as it turns out, about six inches. Lacking an explanation, I thought maybe the body had been put on a different frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Most of the modifieds ran injectors but the #39 of Tommy Willis is a stange looking setup. Can someone tell me what it was? Three two-barrels with funky air cleaners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 What can I say guys....told you so?? Do you recall the first four words of the Kenny Rogers version of "Just Dropped In"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Most of the modifieds ran injectors but the #39 of Tommy Willis is a stange looking setup. Can someone tell me what it was? Three two-barrels with funky air cleaners? I have no recall of Tommy Willis or the pictured car and incident, but I would hope he had considerable racing experience before attempting to bring a Supermodified Race Car up to speed on a half-mile speedway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Regarding post #64 I wonder if there is any history regarding the modified '38 Chevy Coupe Modified #53? My recall has it being one of, if not the first, modified '37/'38 Chevrolet Coupe Modifieds that began racing at Houston's Meyer Spdwy in '61. And, I believe it began the '61 race season as the #55 Car, driven by Buddy Evans, and very fast. At mid season, for the July 4th event, it became the #53 Car, driven by Billy Wade. For the rest of the '61 season, that car and driver combination was just about unbeatable. The '37-'40 full bodied Ford Coupe Modifieds of MJ Burton, Buddy Rackley, George Nash, and Billy Perran were fast, but the full size, and possibly the Ford chassis seemed to be at a disadvantage. But, shortly before the end of '61, another modified '38 Chevy Coupe Modified #55 showed up being driven by Buddy Evans, and it was also fast. That #55 Car had the body shortened in front of the door post, and it was left in. That #55 Car was also raced by Buddy Evans in '62, but I don't remember it after that. So, any knowledge regarding the construction of the #55 Car that became the #53 Car, and the second #55 Car from '61/'62 would be interesting, at least to me. And, hopefully, what I do remember is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Regarding post #170, with the photo of the crashed #91 Chevelle LMS, driven by Freddy Fryar, and post #195, with the photo of the #7 Chevelle LMS, driven by Larry Schild that is loaded on the trailer with severe crash damage, I believe that is the same crash results exiting turn four during a Qualifying Race prior to the 200 Lap National LMS Race. The #7 Car, and the #58 Chevelle LMS driven by L J Honeycut, ended up against the inside/pit wall/guardrail. The posts indicated July 31, 1971, which would be, if correct, the time frame for the national event. My recall has the crash involving the three mentioned drivers, as being in '71. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 Good memory RETrott - that was the 1st annual Permatex 200, which was won by Ronnie Chumley - For some unknown reason, I do not have any photos of the #58 car from that accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 The NASCAR National LMS 200 also was held in '70, although possibly not sponsored by Permatex. During the '70 event, the #5 Chevelle driven by Tracy Trotter was helped into the inside/pit wall by the one and only George England. In the '71 Qualifying Race turn four exit crash, the #7 Schild car LF coil spring went over the pit wall/guardrail and struck crewmember George Billetdeaux(sp). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 OUCH!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 tony barcelona and his whole gang rick hardy harold what a crew i got to know tony when i worked for phil cronin thanks for the good old days at meyers tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 Is that Sid Hoover in the photo with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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