30 replies to this topic

[WGD706]

Anyone know what ever happened to Oscar and his Auto World store? I drove from NYC to western Pennsylvania to visit his store to purchase my first set of nomex overalls,Bell helmet, gloves,etc. I know he entered some CanAm races for awhile, but he seems to have faded into history.
Warren

[dretceterini]

I belive Oscar has passed away. His son was dealing in antique automotive memorabilia a few years ago, but I haven't heard or seen anything about him in at least the last 4 or 5 years...

[jm70]

Oscar was the life of the party at the Elkhart Lake Vintage races probably 3 years ago. The time Jim Hall brought out all the Chapparalls. They had about 6 or 8 ex Can-Am drivers signing autographs, and Oscar was having the most fun!

[Frank S]

Originally posted by WGD706
Anyone know what ever happened to Oscar and his Auto World store? I drove from NYC to western Pennsylvania to visit his store to purchase my first set of nomex overalls,Bell helmet, gloves,etc. I know he entered some CanAm races for awhile, but he seems to have faded into history.
Warren

I'm afraid I can't add much about Oscar's recent history. He was one of the most dynamic of the SCCA-linked people, seemed to know everyone and everyone's activities and interests. No telling where he would show up; at a minor, non-SCCA slalom in San Diego, late 60s I think, I turned around and there he was, smiling and nodding and obviously enjoying himself.



Of course everyone enjoyed him and his good humor. See the PRDA card? Polish Racing Drivers of America, membership restricted to Polish racing drivers, non-Polish racing drivers, Polish non-racing drivers, and non-polish non-racing drivers. Pretty exclusive.



I acquired the McLaren model from an eBay seller. I was the only bidder.





The Riverside International Raceway esses photo is one of a batch of slides from another eBay auction that included dozens. The seller had no inkling of how to describe the subject matter. He called all the Riverside pictures "NASCAR", and the Long Beach 1976 F-1 slides as "others." Many of the latter are undistinguished too-wide angle on-track photos, but there are several of the giants demo-lapping in their glory-year cars: Moss (I think), Fangio, "others."


I went to Vilem B. Haan in Beverly Hills to get my Nomex, etc. I wonder what happened to him.

[Mike Argetsinger]

Oscar remains in great form. I talked to him just two weeks ago at Watkins Glen. Outrageous as ever - still a great guy.

[dmj]

Now when Frank brought PRDA into this thread I'd like to know more about their activities (if there were any). Only thing I knew so far about Kovaleski and PRDA was that they were a trigger that started (in)famous Cannonbal Runs. They were only ones to challenge Brock Yates and IIRC lost the first race to him and Dan Gurney. Were there any other events of significance created or participated by PRDA? Who were members, besides Kovaleski and "Sheffieldski"?

[theunions]

It believe his wife, who was heavily involved (if not the actual founder of?) in Auto World, passed away a few months ago (recall seeing an obit in AutoWeek).

[Frank S]

Originally posted by dmj
Now when Frank brought PRDA into this thread I'd like to know more about their activities (if there were any). Only thing I knew so far about Kovaleski and PRDA was that they were a trigger that started (in)famous Cannonbal Runs. They were only ones to challenge Brock Yates and IIRC lost the first race to him and Dan Gurney. Were there any other events of significance created or participated by PRDA? Who were members, besides Kovaleski and "Sheffieldski"?

Uh-oh. I think I may have violated a security or confidentiality statute. M lps r sld.

[Don Capps]

It is my delight and honor to wear TNF Badge No. 54, the Oscar Kovaleski Badge. Whether or not Mike deliberately sent it to me or not, I could not have been happier when I turned my badge over and saw the number "54" staring at me!!!

I wonder if Oscar kept a roster of the PRDA since I think mine was for that well-known Southern scribe, "Don Capozinwski"....

[Mike Argetsinger]

Don - it was very deliberate! When I received that initial batch from Barry I naturally looked through the numbers to see where I could make an association. I knew if anyone would appreciate the significance of that number (and enjoy having it for that reason) it would be you.

Which reminds me that, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I have a fair number of badges remaining in my possession from the second batch Barry sent me. So if anyone has been wanting one, please drop me a note.

[dbw]

i used to get stuff thru rod carveth's retail outlet in los altos....several raydot mirrors amongst other things....

kind of wonder what happened to "honest charley" and his infamous speed shop......

[Indy501]

There is an interview with him on www.slotcarillustrated.com

[Dennis Hockenbury]

Originally posted by Mike Argetsinger
Oscar remains in great form. I talked to him just two weeks ago at Watkins Glen. Outrageous as ever - still a great guy.

I'm pleased to hear that Oscar is doing well. I have not thought of Auto World in so many years, as they were such a part of my early years. I remember purchasing my Cox Chapparal slot car from Auto World. Now that is Nostalgia indeed.

Originally posted by Frank S
I went to Vilem B. Haan in Beverly Hills to get my Nomex, etc. I wonder what happened to him.

I had almost forgotten about Haan. They had such wonderful stuff in the 60's. One of only a few companies that catered to the sports cars guys in those days. I purchased a luggage rack for my MGA 1600 Twin Cam from Haan.

[Keir]

Got all my racing gear from Oscar, a true icon of the sport!

[WGD706]

Does anyone remember a photo of Oscar wearing a helmet with a wing mounted on it?
Warren

[Mike Argetsinger]

And while we are honoring the marvelous Oscar - who remembers the equally one-of-a-kind (and somewhat better known) Alfonso Kovaleski? And, of course, we all know him as . . . . ?

[Tim Murray]

. . . one of the best-known racing mechanics ever. I read his autobiography (written with Peter Lewis) at a very early age. It was one of the books that really got me hooked on motor sport.

[conjohn]

Originally posted by WGD706
Does anyone remember a photo of Oscar wearing a helmet with a wing mounted on it?
Warren

I seem to recall such a photo; could it have been in Autoweek....from a Can-Am race, early 70s?

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Tim Murray
. . . one of the best-known racing mechanics ever. I read his autobiography (written with Peter Lewis) at a very early age. It was one of the books that really got me hooked on motor sport.

I think I've got it!

[DREW]

Originally posted by Frank S

Wow..does this bring back memories of Car Model magazine...To newbies: If you look carefully by the front number 54, you'll see a "stripe" that ran the perimeter of the car...you can catch a glimpse of it under the rear wing, too. Anyway, that simulated a slot car track, and I've read that they put scale model cars on the "track" while the car was in the pits.

Anybody got a better photo of that?

I STILL remember the day my order from Auto World arrived, more than 3 decades ago. Thanx for the trip back to my late childhood.

DREW

[Dennis David]

Some of us have never left our childhood hobby.

[WGD706]

Originally posted by DREW


Wow..does this bring back memories of Car Model magazine...To newbies: If you look carefully by the front number 54, you'll see a "stripe" that ran the perimeter of the car...you can catch a glimpse of it under the rear wing, too. Anyway, that simulated a slot car track, and I've read that they put scale model cars on the "track" while the car was in the pits.

Anybody got a better photo of that?

I STILL remember the day my order from Auto World arrived, more than 3 decades ago. Thanx for the trip back to my late childhood.

DREW

Not the real thing, but a slot car version of the car is at
http://www.slotracer...m/mgv/ca51.html

Also GMP has made an Oscar Kovaleski McLaren M8B #54 1969 low wing version 1:18 scale on Sale: $98.96 at http://www.autofanat...larm8b54ko.html

[Viss1]

Who were members, besides Kovaleski and "Sheffieldski"?
I don't know if a membership list exists, but according to Brock Yates' Cannonball! World's greatest Outlaw Road race," Kovaleski, the aforementioned Tony Adamowicz, and PR man Brad Niemcek were the founders.

Only thing I knew so far about Kovaleski and PRDA was that they were a trigger that started (in)famous Cannonbal Runs.
They ran a Chevy van with a 300 gallon fuel tank in the first running. They finished in 2nd. and had to make 1 fuel stop along the way. They requested the "pole" position in the first race and were granted it in every race thereafter.

[Engineguy]

I bought a lot of slot car and display model stuff from Auto World in my youth, and some real car stuff later on. Loved those catalogs!

After returning Saturday from PRI in Indy (Performance Racing Industry Trade Show... anybody who hasn't been to it probably cannot comprehend how large an industry it is) I was looking through the exhibitors list and saw Oscar's name... he was apparently there hawking a current venture aimed at training future race drivers very, very young. See www.kidracer.com

[ggnagy]

A copy of the sought after spoiler helmet can be found here.

I have also read that the AW name is making a comeback with Oscars blessing.

Now, to the Kovaleski/TNF type question.

AW sold a rectangular roundel and numbers that were the same as used on the Kovaleski Can Am car. They were quite popular with SCCA club racing in the 70s. Did the numbers originate there, or were they modelled after someone elses design? Does anyone know if reproductions are available, or if there is a computer font in that style?

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Oscar at the Can Am Reunion. Very much alive. Oscar is involved with an electric type race car trying to teach youngsters how to race. He is trying to make a type of car that will be the go-kart of the future for youngsters. You can see what Oscar is doing by going to his great site at http://www.kidracers.com

[CRX Lee 2]

I am travelling on business without my TNF password so I had to reregister with a version 2 of my name.

Originally posted by ggnagy
AW sold a rectangular roundel and numbers that were the same as used on the Kovaleski Can Am car. They were quite popular with SCCA club racing in the 70s. Did the numbers originate there, or were they modelled after someone elses design? Does anyone know if reproductions are available, or if there is a computer font in that style? [/B]

I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Oscar K. at the SCCA National Convention a few years ago and can confirm that he is alive, kicking and full of spunk.

I told him that too much of my childhood newspaper route earnings were spent on slot car parts from Auto World and was sad to hear that the company closed down in the 1980s I think. I told Oscar that as a kid growing up in the paddocks of SCCA club racing in the 1970s, his AW number font and rectangular number backgrounds were seen everywhere and could be considered an icon of amateur motorsports of that era. I thought that although it tended to be very much of a grassroots flavor, I thought that some vintage racers today might have an interest in his numbers and panels to be era appropriate on their club racing level cars. He told me that he had never really given it much thought. Fast forward a few weeks and a cardboard tube showed up in my mail. It turns out that Oscar had stumbled across the very last of his rectangular number panels that had hung around his home or office and had sent them to me! I am not currently a vintage racer and don't have the right car at this time to put them on. Maybe one day but not yet.

I do not want to part with them yet and would not sell them and profit on something that was given to me but I would be more than happy to loan then to someone if they would like to copy them and return the originals. If you were to consider reproducing and selling them, I would insist that you contact Oscar for his blessing. I do not have any of the numbers and do not know the font but you are welcome to use these last remaining originals to create some of your own reproductions for personal use.

[T54]

Oscar regularly shows up at various venues in SoCal such as the "Fabulous Fifties" meetings, the LBGP etc., promoting his children's electric cars. He is always a riot with great and fun stories. He will have a chapter in the soon to be published new book about the history of slot car racing in America in the 1960's, in which he played a significant part, being a co-founder of "Car Model" along with Jose Rodriguez Jr., as well as being the force behind Auto World in Scranton, PA.

Auto World catalogues, especially from the "Golden Era" of slot car racing (1966-67) are highly sought after by collectors and bring pretty decent money on E-Pay.

Oscar drove several "Car # 54" (a pun on the old "Highway Patrol" TV series) including a Ferrari Monza fitted with a Chevrolet engine. This car was modeled as a slot car by the Pactra company.
His McLaren's were self-sponsored, the first ex-works M8A having the famous slot car track painted around its top, while a later M8C and M12 had "Jerobee" sponsorship, that being of the company run by Bob Rule, formerly the proprietor of the Champion slot car company of Chamblee, GA, defected to radio-control racing using .049CI Cox gas engines.
Oscar is an A-OK fellow and in apparenly excellent physical condition.

[JB Miltonian]

I still have my 1970 Edition of the Auto World catalog - "Anything for Racing"!

I also still have a bunch of old Vilem Haan and MG Mitten catalogs. Never throw anything away.

[CJE]

http://www.a2zracer.com/page53.html

http://www.a2zracer.com/img449.jpg

http://www.a2zracer.com/img507.jpg

[David M. Kane]

The world needs a few more million Oscar K's...the sun sure would be brighter!

I hope he's at the Zippo!