Austin Speed-O-Rama

[79Wusterhausen]

Austin Speed-Orama was opened in 1960 by my cousins A.B and his son Louis Wusterhausen. My Cousin Louis wis killed at Texas World Speedway on October 8th 1972. I am in search of any info about my cousins accident and pictures of the car he may have been driving. All I know is the car he was killed in was a 1971 Camaro. Also any info at all about their involvement with racing. I have been racing for 8 years and would like to build a 71 camaro replica in memory of Lous. Any help is apreciated. Thanks Stephen Wusterhausen.

[Budman]

79W,

 

If you can find or figure out how to get hold of Jimmy Finger he might be able to help you.

 

On the web there is this site ........ go to www.motorsportmemorial.org

at the bottom of the page in the box, type in "wusterhausen" and click "submit".

[RETrott]

Buddy,

Was there a structural integrity issue regarding the side/door bars on Louis Wusterhausen's car? I didn't attend the TWS event when the accident occured, but I seem to recall a question about the bars. I remember seeing Louis Wusterhausen a short time before his crash, most likely at Meyer Spdwy/Houston. But, as I recall, in '72 the NASCAR LMS rules did not allow Camaros/Firebirds or Mustangs, and for that reason I don't think he would have been racing the same car in Houston, although I remember a Camaro bodied Stock Car. Maybe some oldtimer's memory merge, but I definitely remember Louis, and he seemed to be a nice guy.

[rodlea]

Hi Steve,

If you have email I could put you in contact with someone who was in the Royal Triton 300 race on Oct 8, 1972. I'll email you his phone number. He raced Speed O Rama starting with first race in 1960. I also have the results of that race that mentions Louis Wusterhausen's death.

Rodney

[darrellk54]

Buddy,

I was at the race at TWS the day Louis died, along with a family friend Joe Foster. Although I never met Louis, Joe did know him and said he was a really nice guy. As far as the accident I was in the pits that day and if I recall Louis either lost control on the back strech or maybe got tangled with another car. Anyway his car spun up the 3rd turn banking and was struck in the passenger side of the car by if I remember a 71 or 72 model Ford Torino or Mercury at about 170 mph. Unfortunately Louis never had a chance. I remember when they brough his car into the pits. Larry was right about the structural integrity. The big Ford hit squarely between the front and rear wheels. It pushed the side of the car in all the way to the drivers seat. The only thing I seem to remember the car being a 69 Camero not 71 but it was a long time ago and I have slept since then and maybe forgot. I also remember looking at the Ford in the pits when they brought it in and the damage to the front end was almost minimal compared to the Camaro. Anyway I wish I could have met Louis, he sounded like a really nice guy.

 

Darrell Koebelen

[79Wusterhausen]

I also believe his car may have not been built corectly because a few years ago I spoke to someone that said he overheard Lois bragging about how nobody could figure out why his car was so light. He said that after his accident they discovered that the roll cage was made out of pipe almost equivelent as exhaust pipe and it just folded up around him. Now he may be my cousin but that is just stupid. Until now the person that told me that was the only time I have ever heard about it, it sounds like that may be true? I read on another website that there was another car involved in the wreck but it didn't say what happend. I always believed he just got bumped and slamed into the wall. The other car that was involved also had no laps in just like loius, so if he was hit in the side like one of you said that would make more sinse in why both cars were out of the race. Does anyone have any pictures or other info?

[302cominthru]

That's not the first time I've heard of exhaust tubing used to make a roll cage. I was only 8 years old at the time and even I recall hearing something of that nature. It's an awful shame someone would do that, much less brag about it.

[txtom]

I read on another website that there was another car involved in the wreck but it didn't say what happend. I always believed he just got bumped and slamed into the wall. The other car that was involved also had no laps in just like loius, so if he was hit in the side like one of you said that would make more sinse in why both cars were out of the race. Does anyone have any pictures or other info?

 

Louis was t-boned in the right side of the car, directly between the front and back tires. At some point, the front end of the Camaro hit something as it is also pushed in, but I don't know any specifics.

 

The car basically ended up looking like you put the right door against a big pillar and pulled the front and back around it, to the point that the right door skin was over four feet to the left of where it should have been. Add the tubing, interior sheetnetal, etc, and all that was pushed in on Louis. It had very thin wall roll bar tubing, much like muffler pipe.

Interestingly enough, while the chassis was obviously scrapped, almost all of it's suspension and other usable parts were re-used on other cars. According to Lee Machen, one of the Schwabe Camaros had some of this stuff; it was not the camaro he won all the races with, that ended up with Leroy Brooks, it was the yellow, and later brown car that Dwight Hamilton ended up with.

 

To Stephen Wusterhausen, I am sending you an email concerning a picture of the car.

[KenBertelson]

I WAS AT THE RACE. HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR IN TURN 3 AND THE CAR WENT HEAD ON INTO THE WALL. THE IMPACT MUST HAVE KNOCKED HIM OUT AND THE CAR ROLLED BACK DOWN THE HILL AND HE WAS T-BONED IN THE PASSENGER DOOR.

[wuzthere]

I was there that day as a spectator. Arrived just after the accident. Only heard that it was a T-Bone. Was there in San Antonio with the USAF from late '71 to Jan. 73. Was able to get to races there and Austin. They know how to race in The Lone Star state.