RETrott Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 RETrott - it's interesting that you should mention that Tony's 'ol red was a former GN car - that's the way I remembered it anyway. I had been told (way back then) that it had been a former Cup car, I believe a Holman-Moody car. When I was track photographer at Meyer in 1971-72, I was there every Friday and Saturday night. In '73 I was burning out on the whole thing and I was attending only the Super-modified races. I wasn't there when Tony wrapped the car around the light pole. Was that in '73 or possibly later? Tommyo Tommyo, I'm guessing '70. There were a few full sized LMS early on that had ran previously as NASCAR GN/Cup and/or IMCA and/or ARCA Late Models when they were "younger". When HB Bailey's right-rear quarter panel collided with George England's left-front fender/bumper, HB was in a '64 Pontiac Bonneville. It appeared that Tony was trying to avoid a blocked track and took a hard left and went sideways into the infield, hitting the light pole. I'm thinking by '73, the vast majority of LMS racing in Houston were Chevelles, with a Ford Fairlane/Torino or two and Mercury Comet that I recall. There was also a '66 Dodge Charger, that ran at least during the '70 season, but I don't recall if it had been raced previously or was a new-build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Good to know - The pics I posted of Tony were definately from '70, '71 & "72, so he must have rebuilt the car - as far as the other "larger" LMS cars, I have photos from 1970 of Phil Cronin's yellow #2 '63 Ford Galaxie, a #13 Dodge Charger ('67 I believe) driven by Leroy Farmer, sponsered by Pasadena Dodge. Also a #111 '65 Ford Fairlane driven by Frank Hill - Frank Hill came back with a #14 '68 Torino in 1971, owned by Gary Osburn, that looked very much like the #17 Torino that had been driven by David Pearson. Also have photo of Ray Withrow's #46 '65 Fairlaine from 1970. Those were the cars you mentioned, and yes, many, many Chevelles met their end during that period at Meyer!! Leroy Farmer raced his '67 Dodge Charger in '71 & '72 also, but with different numbers each year. I was attending (Most) of the LMS races in '70, but I must have missed that night! Still don't know if it was a new car or rebuilt one in the later photos!!?? By the way, you wouldn't be any relation to former LMS driver Tracy Trotter, would you?? tommyo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GINGERBREADMAN Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 OK, I attended most Meyer races from 1962, and all of them between 1963 and about mid 1965. The Broncos came along in 1963, and they were great local racing. In 1969 Meyer became a NASCAR track and that brought the LMS cars. I left there in about mid 1973, so I don't know what happened after that. From what I've gathered off The Zone, it seems they may have brought back the Broncos sometime after that. Does anyone remember when they raced the Late Models (Not LMS) cars at Meyer in 1965? There wern't many of them and the idea didn't go over very well - it didn't last long. But me, my dad and my "uncle" fielded a 1960 Ford Tudor #91 for a few weeks. I remember Phil Cronin being there with, I believe, a perhaps 1963 Ford Galaxie (#2 Maybe) , possibly the same one he raced there in 1970 briefly. I think Tony Barcelona had a car then too, but not certain about that. I will get the photos of "our" #91 car and the #2 of Phil posted soon. Anyone remember any of this?? tommyo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Frank Hill's #14 '68 Torino was a Banjo Matthews/Holman-Moody car, if I remember correctly. Joe Plowman had a Torino as well that came from that shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byron Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hello Tommy O I remember those cars, #91 Jack McConnell, Phil Cronin's car was a 1962 Ford, red and yellow #2, this car won one of the races at Darlington in 1962, blue #66, then it went to a midwesterner named Lenny Funk who painted it in the colors Cronin raced it. Cronin raced it as is in some IMCA races and at Meyer. Tony Barcelona's car was a hybrid, originally a 1961 Ford it was updated with 1963 Galaxie rear quarter panels. Its to bad the late models didn't take off, there were some classic cars in that class. thanks Byron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks much, that's interesting Byron. The photo I have of Phil's Ford from 1970 - the car is yellow and red, though the pic is black and white. It sounds like the same car! Interesting! As for the #91 car, the driver was Jack O'Connell, not McConnell - if you got that name from an old program, it was mis-spelled. I'll definately get these pics posted soon. Anyone else remember these cars and the early attempt at Late Models at Meyer?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byron Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Right Tommy my program has McConnell in it. The 1970 photo of Cronin is probably the 1962 car updated with 1963 sheet metal. I believe it was done for the 1967 season to extend the life of the car for the IMCA and ARCA series races. Cronin first painted it red and silver and went to the yellow with red flames after the 1969 season. thanks Byron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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RETrott Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks much, that's interesting Byron. The photo I have of Phil's Ford from 1970 - the car is yellow and red, though the pic is black and white. It sounds like the same car! Interesting! As for the #91 car, the driver was Jack O'Connell, not McConnell - if you got that name from an old program, it was mis-spelled. I'll definately get these pics posted soon. Anyone else remember these cars and the early attempt at Late Models at Meyer?? Tommyo, My memory has the year '66, when an attempt was made to start a Late Model Class, as an upgrade from the '60s era Bronco Stocks. Jack Witt had an old IMCA car also, and Mel Newkirk had a '57 Chevy, #4. Car counts were a little slow building up, and on one night when they were added to the show, two cars were heavily damaged in a warm-up/practice session. The Late Models and Broncos shared the same practice periods, and when the #80 LM spun exiting turn two, it was struck by the #57 Bronco, missed by the #9 Bronco, and hit by the #25 LM. I wonder if there was a full moon that night, there was a multi car crash in the Bronco Feature as well. There was a Super Bronco event in '65, but I don't know why that wasn't done again in '66, using what LMs were available along with souped up Super Stocks/Broncos. In '65, it was a 100 Lap Super Bronco Stock Feature and a Crazy 8 Special Event, the night before the July 4th Liberty Bell 300 Super Modified race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Tommyo, You mentioned the Broncos being brought back in the 70s, but actually that was a totally different class. I believe they started in '75, stock American made passenger cars with factory matching L6s, sorta stock, and I believe limited to 250 cid. The cars of choice were Camaros/Firebirds, Chevy IIs, Mustangs/Cougars, and Falcons, for the most part. There were a few Chevelles, and similiar GM cars as well, along with a Fairlane and Comet or two, as I recall. The "Bronco" name was, apparently, used as a means of identification that could be related to. Maybe a little less horsepower than the '60s era V8 powered Bronco Stock Cars, but with a lot less weight and lower center of gravity, their lap times were very similiar to the V8s. And, a lot less traffic, with 20+ car counts, instead of 40+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Byron - appreciate the photos and the info about the "new" Broncos of the 1970's. As I'd said, I'd miss all that, but I had picked up a bit of information here and there here on the Zone. About all I previously knew was they had brought back the Broncos, but with no details at all. As promised, here are 2 previously unposted Late Model photos and one other - The first was "our" #91 1960 Ford driven by my father, Jack O'Connell. I am on the left, my "Uncle" is in the center and my father on the right. My "uncle" was not really an uncle - as it turns out, both he and my father had both been married to the same woman (not at the same time!). They were both carpenters and I guess their friendship gave them something in common to talk about!! As you can tell by the printing on the front fender, I was the mechanic and my "uncle" Lee was supposed to be the driver - but his new wife wouldn't let him drive it when it came right down to it. I actually built the engine in Auto Mechanics Shop at Sam Houston High School. I ended up joining the Navy in August of that year (1965), and Lee bought out my father's interest in the car and took it with him when he left Texas. The car was destroyed in a garage fire a couple of years later, but he later showed me a photo of our fire-engine red Ford on the banks of Daytona, where he had entered some Late Model race there. I don't remember the details now, but it was nice to see the car in the big leagues! The second photo is me with Super Modified driver Louis Spurgeon, taken in very late 1969 or very early in the 1970 season. Louis didn't actually have a crew and my father and I helped him out at the track. This final picture is of Phil Cronin's 61-62-63 (whatever) Ford from early 1970. Obviously the same car you posted. Do you know when that color photo was taken? Oh yeah, who was in the #11 car and the #3 car - I don't remember them at all!! tommyo Ans: '63 Ford pictured above.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Next up, on request, is Austin sprinter, Jimmy Finger - sorry to say I don't have much to offer on Jimmy - total of 4 photos over 4 years, and only 1 of Jimmy in the car - but here they are: Jimmy's #111 sprinter, owned by Waldo Harper, late in the season, 1969 Jimmy's #14 sprinter, owned by Waldo Harper, disassembled on the crazy 8 track, sometime in 1970 Jimmy's #19 sprinter sometime in 1972 - no record who the owner was, but probbly Waldo again Jimmy waiting for a push start, 1972 No pictures from 1971, and only a few over the other years - I don't remember much about him, but it appears he wasn't really a regular at Meyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 OK, up next, on request will be Larry Schild, followed by his younger brother Jerry - But first, giving credit where credit is due, Charlie Schild - the boys got their driving ability from Charlie like Kyle got his from Richard and Dale Jr got his from Dale - but wait, that analogy doesn't really work here, does it? Kyle never was Richard, and Dale Jr will never be Dale Sr! (Sorry, I had to get that in about the Master, Dale Earnhardt Sr.) Charlie and his beautiful #1 car in 1964 Charlie with his #1 car again, this time in 1966- He had been the Meyer Modified Champion in 1965 - this picture has already been posted, but I can't get enough of these old coupes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 ]Next up, on request: Larry Schild Part One Larry's #1 Modified on the trailer, late 1969 - Charlie in the background - this was one of the last cut-down modifieds at Meyer - does anyone know what it started out as? Larry in the #42 LMS, 1970 - Either my memory is worse than I thought, or Larry didn't drive this car for long - I don't know who owned it - obviously before the appearance of the orange #7 owned by Charles Ray... Larry ontrack in the #7 owned by Charles Ray, 1970 - previously posted pic - looks like before A.J. Foyt Chevrolet-sponsorship Larry with a win in the Macon & Kelly deuce modified, 1971, with trophy-girl Linda Stewart Larry with a win in the #44 of Red Upton, 1971 - Sonny must have been on vacation or out sick Larry's #7 LMS sitting on the crazy-8 track, sometime in 1971 Larry's #7 LMS sitting on the crazy-8 track again, 1971 - note different paint scheme Larry ontrack in the #7 LMS, 1971, probably taken before the previous two photos, perhaps before A.J. Foyt Chevrolet-sponsorship (?) Charles supervising the loading of the wrecked #7, July 10, 1971 Two photos of the #7 wrecked again, both from July 31, 1971 - note that the car had not yet been painted from the previous wreck - Larry was definately going thru a bad period! Much more of Larry to come and also his little brother Jerry to follow!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 OK, Larry Schild, Part Two coming up... Larry on track 1972 Larry on crazy-8 track, ready to roll, 1972 Larry's #2 on the crazy-8 track, 1972 Three nice photos of Larry ontrack again, 1972 Larry with a win, exact date unknown, 1972 Bobby Allison leading Larry in heat race, June 24, 1972 Larry's feature win, June 24, 1972 - Bobby Allison, Phil Cronin, L.J. Honeycutt and Larry all ran up front in the feature, but Bobby and Phil wrecked out, leaving Larry the win Larry and his family, later in the evening on June 24, 1972 Larry on track once again, 1972 Larry on the crazy-8 track again, with Charles making finishing touches Larry and Little Brother Jerry ontrack, sometime in 1972 All my remaining photos of Larry are of his Permatex 200 win, July 29, 1972 - they will be posted soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Scary thought guys - Larry's little daughter in this (and other as yet unposted photos) is nearing middle-age now - what does that make the rest of us??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmoves 99 Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Great pictures Tommyo!! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellk54 Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Just old Tommy just old....LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Don't I know it darrell - I just didn't need you to remind me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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