Jump to content

Historic Oval Car Meet


txtom

Recommended Posts

There is an event planned for the weekend of November 13-15 at Texas World Speedway to display several Historic and vintage oval cars to include Indy/Champ cars, Midgets, Sprinters, and Modifieds.

Several of the cars are slated to take demonstration laps around the 2 mile oval.

Will be an excellent chance to get up close and personal with the cars that are part of our history. Virtualy all the cars that were at Manifolds on Main in Irving last week have agreed to make the trip, and several others are committed, also.

There are also negotiations going on to have one or more cars brought from the Zink Ranch Museum in Tulsa. This private museum has several of the cars that were campagned by Jack Zink. He was also was the winning owner in the 1955 and 1956 Indy 500's. San Antonio is home to Bill Jones who was a member ot the Zink crew during this time, and Jones is the owner of the Checkerboard Offy and also what may the most original and correct Kurtis Offy Midget in existence.

 

This will be held in conjunction with the Vintage Fall Festival put on by the CVAR Group (Corinthian Vintage Auto Racing). The CVAR will be racing their various classes on the road course.

The CVAR group has graciously allowed the Historical group to be a part of their weekend. They also have several historic cars that run with them.

 

The two groups involved are as follows:

Indy Champ Cars

 

CVAR:CVAR

 

If you want to see a sampling of some of the cars that will be there, click this link:MoM2009

 

This pic is my Grandson getting seat time in a car belonging to a CVAR Member, who will also be at TWS.

post-21-1254451142.jpg

 

 

Here is Michael trying on a 1967 Vintage Edmunds Midget belonging to Ray Arnold of Weatherford, Texas. Ray's Dad Chuck was a Veteran East Coast racer who also competed at Indy. This car is currently active in Vintage Midget racing, and that paint, if you can believe it, is 10 years old.

post-21-1254451211.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Latest news on this show next week at TWS is there are currently 11 vintage Indy Roadsters who are planning to making the trip. Several of these will make demonstration laps around the 2 mile oval.

There are also several midgets, sprint, and champ cars that have committed to being there for display.

If you like oval or open wheel history, this is you chance to see some beautiful cars. Listen to an Offy run down those long straights, and you will be hooked.

 

For you Dallas old timers, the Midget known as the South Dallas Battery Special is coming to TWS from it's home in Utah. It will be on display, then it wil come to San Antonio for a complete restoration by Bill Jones. Bill will also be displaying his Checkerboard Dreyer Offy. If you have not seen this car in person, here is your chance. The workmanship will amaze you.

 

I know of several on this board who plan to be there, will be a great gathering of cars, stories, and memories. All the owners of these cars I talked to at TWS in July and at Irving in Spetember enjoy talking about their cars, and are appreciative of the attention their cars get.

 

Here is the South Dallas Battery Special in 1949:

post-21-1257705357.jpg

 

As it currently looks:

post-21-1257705516.jpg

 

The Checkerboard Dreyer Offy that resides in San Antonio:

post-21-1257705373.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tom,

 

The # 4 Midget really represents an awesome view and memory of the Mid -Century racers!

 

I plan to be at Texas World Speedway if all goes well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got back from TWS. Spent the afternoon down there. There are going to be some absolutely awesome pics coming up on here from that. Hope everybody made the trip back home safe and sound. Long day though, 300 mile round trip. Had a great time though. What fun! :)

 

 

This car was there, and ran some pretty hot laps.

 

post-1274-1258263110.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A fantastic showing of Vintage race cars. There were about 8 Indy Roadsters; some midgets, a couple sprint cars. Bill Jones had his Checkerboard Offy there, and Pat St Cricq brought his '39 Albert Offy and his current midget next to each other to show how they have evolved over 70 years.

All the owners of the cars, as well as the drivers, were most accomodating, and went out of their way to talk about their rides and the history behind them.

Was great to meet up with you, Bobby and share some stories. We talked at length about Harold Oatman and the #81 Chevelle out of the Special Automotive shops that had so much success with Jerry Grant a driver; Harold built the initial cage and bars, and Bobby knew about that car before we got it. Also got in a few stories about Donald Oatman and Tech Inspection!

 

The South Dallas Battery Car came from it's home in Idaho, and the owner was there, also. He got to meet with Les Butler JR and Les III; Les Sr originally built the car from a Kurtis Kit, and they had not seen the car for several decades. They came from Dallas with a bunch of pictures, especially from the Dallas Fairgrounds Speedway. Didn't think I would get my Dad away from those, as he went for years to that track with his Father.

 

Buddy, I got the story on that #1 Roadster you posted the pic of, it is actually a Watson replica that was measured off a car in the Indy Museum that was a Monza Winner. It is based in Salina, Kansas, and the Hilton was for a company called Hilton Oil. It is currently owned by Rich Morrison of Salina.

 

Some pics:

 

The Hilton Oil car from Salina, Kansas

 

post-21-1258302462.jpg

 

post-21-1258302492.jpg

 

The Checkerboard '35 Dreyer Offy

post-21-1258302516.jpg

 

My Dad and my grandson Michael pose with old friend Bill Jones, owner of the Checkerboard.

post-21-1258302565.jpg

 

Dad talks with Les Butler III and Tom Stevens about old Dallas Area racing. Don Menard of Lakeway, owner of the #8 Scrapper, is in the background talking with Les Butler JR.

post-21-1258302595.jpg

 

'27 Bowles Special from California. Owner is based in California, but the car was in Winchester, Indiana geting some stuff done. Owner drove to Indiana to pick it up, then to Texas to show it.

post-21-1258302644.jpg

 

1960 Dowgard Special. Driven by Tony Bettenhausen in the 1960 Indy 500.

post-21-1258302620.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, Buddy, Here some more-------------

 

Michael get to try on the Dowgard Special. Several of the owners walked up to him and asked if he wanted a pic in their car. Super nice folks all around.

post-21-1258304767.jpg

 

This is a replica of the Foyt 1964 Indy winning car, the original is in the Indy Museum.

post-21-1258304796.jpg

 

Michael in the Foyt Replica. (They had a booster seat in it for him)

post-21-1258304827.jpg

 

Dad gets some seat time. He was in a time-warp this weekend.

post-21-1258304850.jpg

 

The 1959 Simoniz Special driven to a 2nd place finish by Jim Rathmann.

post-21-1258304877.jpg

 

A 60's vintage west coast sprinter. That is a Buick Nailhead engine in it.

post-21-1258304906.jpg

 

Now, this is old school. The trailer they haul the sprinter on.

post-21-1258304926.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few more---

 

The South Dallas Battery Special that will spend the next several months in San Antonio undergoing a full restoration by Bill Jones.

post-21-1258306104.jpg

 

The Hank Henry Scrapper Sprinter owned by Don Menard of Lakeway, Texas.

post-21-1258306090.jpg

 

The 1960 Schmidt Special built by Wally Meskowski and driven by Bob Veith to an 8th place finish in the 1960 500.

post-21-1258306137.jpg

 

Front view of the Schmidt Special. In the background is the #28 Elder Roadster owned by Bruce Revenaugh of Marble Falls.

post-21-1258306154.jpg

 

THe cockpit of the Meskowski/Veith car. Some kind of cramped in there.

post-21-1258306172.jpg

 

Michael in Pat St Cricq's Contemporary Midget as driven by Ronnie Burke JR of Houston. Michael wasn't sure where to place his feet in there. My Dad watched St Cricq's Dad race in Dallas in the 40's and 50's.

post-21-1258306215.jpg

 

A gathering of history. Bill Jones on the left, the owners from Idaho of the South Dallas Battery Special in the blue shirts, Les Butler III next to Jones, Don Menard of Lakeway in the white shirt, Les Butler Jr in the red jacket with the black hat, his son in law Tom Stevens in the background, and in the right foreground are Drew Williams and Pat St Cricq.

post-21-1258306248.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"some kinda cramped in there" is an understatement. look at what is right next to your left knee! talk about biting you if something goes wrong! those guys had B-LLS the size of a small continent.

 

-amazing stuff. thanX for sharing everybody.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an extra added bonus, there were lots of SCCA type cars on hand Saturday. I took a few pics of those as well. I graduated from high school in '67. These cars were modern KINGS of the streets back in that day. Talk about my "YOUTH REVISITED" ............... These were really cool to watch, now AND then.

 

 

post-1274-1258649708.jpg

 

post-1274-1258649775.jpg

 

post-1274-1258649833.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...