224 replies to this topic

[Michael Ferner]

CSRA Central Savannah River Area
CSRA Child Support Recovery Act
CSRA Center for Survey Research and Analysis (University of Connecticut)
CSRA Canadian Street Rod Association
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CSRA Connecticut Street Rod Association
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CSRA Civil Service Rainbow Alliance
CSRA Chicago Suburban Radio Association
CSRA ...


How in the world did you find us?

[lcbulldog]

I know, there's lots of trees in that forest! Glad I found TNF.

[Rob Semmeling]

Can anyone tell me a little about the races in Ocean Shores, Washington in the late 1960s? What kind of circuit was used and how many races were held there?

[Terry Walker]

Probably an airport circuit. Ocean Shores Municipal Airport. The areas a canal development now, but the airport is still there. Maybe a navy airbase once?

[Rob Semmeling]

That airfield looks very small, Terry, so if the races took place there it can't have been a very interesting course. However, as I understand, Ocean Shores was not an airfield course but a street circuit.

I reckon the answer is in Martin Rudow's book "Weekends of Glory", but unfortunately I only have its predecessor "Long Straights and Hairpin Turns". Maybe someone who has the book can have a look.

[Bob Riebe]

Out of curiosity, it seems that, that furinner M. Ferner seems to have more info on U.S. sprint car racing than people born and raised in the country that spawned these fine vehicles-- Mr. Ferner, as I was going through a book I have on the URC, Unitied Racing Club, it seems that big-mile or so- tracks were once common on some sprint car circuits.

Do you have any idea of what tracks were used and how many of those still exist?

The H.A.M.B. has a lot of info, but that site needs some sort of organization- BADLY.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 18 September 2011 - 21:16.

[raceannouncer2003]

Can anyone tell me a little about the races in Ocean Shores, Washington in the late 1960s? What kind of circuit was used and how many races were held there?

According to Martin, "...on largely empty city streets that had been laid down in preparation for an anticipated housing boom...A flat course just over two miles with 14 turns..." Lot of problems with sand. Just one event there, in 1968.

Vince H.

[Rob Semmeling]

Thanks for that Vince! The date for the one-off event should be October 19-20, 1968, is that correct? Does Martin give any more details about this meeting?

[Allen Brown]

Garden City, Kansas Airport runways not used, just the roads of what had once been living quarters area

Phil, do you have a circuit map of Garden City or anything that might pinpoint where it was? The track was opened in October 1962 with the support of Garden City Shrine and was described in late 1963 as "Shrine Raceway Track", "ten miles east of Garden City, just east of the Municipal Airport". The SCCA listed it as a 1.86-mile track and a SCCA National was held there as late as 1966.

I can't see anything on Google Maps that looks like the remnants of a race track. Can you give me any more clues?

[etceterini.com]

Phil: Thanks for your great input
And then there was Longview, where the Texas Region held its Roundup Races on May 1, 1960. A 2.88-mile track was laid out at Gregg County Airport and Jim Hall's Birdcage won the Feature over Hap Sharp's Cooper/Maserati. The location turned out to be unpopular because of the gravelly track surface and frequent interruptions by air traffic. The Region soon found an alternative in nearby Green Valley.


all research: Willem Oosthoek

I have just found today an old scan of an ariticle on the Longview race with results:





cliff reuter

[pdgodwin99]

Phil, do you have a circuit map of Garden City or anything that might pinpoint where it was? The track was opened in October 1962 with the support of Garden City Shrine and was described in late 1963 as "Shrine Raceway Track", "ten miles east of Garden City, just east of the Municipal Airport". The SCCA listed it as a 1.86-mile track and a SCCA National was held there as late as 1966.

I can't see anything on Google Maps that looks like the remnants of a race track. Can you give me any more clues?

Allan, I'm sorry I don't have anything which shows the track layout. I suspect most of the roads have been plowed under and replaced with new, like the runways on the airport apparently have. The original track was narrow two lane asphalt and it began breaking up the first year we ran there. In fact they had to patch several turns where the bigger cars tore out large chunks of pavement creating instant potholes. As I recall the only part of the track added for us was a couple of short sections and a hairpin. The configuration was pretty much standard street course with right angle turns connected by straight sections. I do seem to remember a dogleg leading onto the pit straight. There were remnants of concrete foundation pads, which came in handy one year when it rained heavily and turned the pits into a quagmire.
All-in-all not a great course, but the people of Garden City were first class and treated us like visiting royalty.

Phil

[Aero426]

The old Lynndale Farms (Pewaukee Wisconsin) tech barn was repainted a nice gray years ago, but the 1964 vintage advertisement is slowly coming back with the passage of time. I took this photo today.

Edited by Aero426, 06 October 2011 - 20:59.

[E1pix]

Aero, that is fantastic. If they try to paint it again, please stop them.

I well recall that barn though I was 7 when the track closed. Very nostalgic, and Thanks for posting it. That's enough to get me for a look next time I go "home" to Oconomowoc (and maybe why they painted it ).

[Aero426]

Here is the barn before the new wore off. This is from a SCCA National in 1964.

[E1pix]

Oh, My, that sure brings back memories, awesome. Thanks! Putting that against the new shot is really something.

Are the grid spots still on the subdivision pavement, or paved over? [assuming the latter by now!]

Is there a story behind the photo?

Surely you know of the Meadowdale book.... Pretty incredible anyone would do a book about that wonderful circuit 40-odd years later. I'll never forget the Monza Wall:
http://www.aleopubli...eadowdale_.html

[Aero426]

The grid spots are long gone. But there are a couple of remnants of the circuit remaining. There is a concrete foundation for a spectator bridge and also a 1/8 mile section of original pavement that terminates on each end. It's in a section of land that was dedicated for park or rec use when the subdivision was built. As you know, a lot of the track layout was used for the streets of the subdivision, so you can still drive part of the circuit. I'm sure that most locals who reside there have no idea...

The gentleman in the photo was a South Bend Region member. He and his brother often did tech at Road America in those days. He told me about driving to RA in those days on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago and taking the two lanes once into Wisconsin. It must have been a slow go.

The Meadowdale book came out very nice, and I also recommend it.

Edited by Aero426, 07 October 2011 - 14:08.

[E1pix]

Thank You, Aero, I appreciate all your info!

[Terry Walker]

From Google Map comes these three images of Lynndale:

[Graham Clayton]

I have a couple of operatives - including a CART diehard who lives about 3 blocks away - ready to check out ARP.

As for other tracks for Pete to document...how about Dillingham Field on Oahu?

TheUnions,

Here is a 1947 aerial photo of Dillingham:

http://hiavps.com/Ai.....047 small.jpg

I presume that the track used the runway plus the loop at the top of the picture?
The track length is listed as

The front cover of the program for the April 1957 Hawaii International Sports Car Speed Week:

http://www.progcover...field570421.jpg

Entry list for the May 1958 Hawaii Intrernational Sports Car Week:

http://www.racingspo...1958-05-11e.jpg

A complete list of all races in Hawaii:

http://www.racingspo...ive/Hawaii.html

Were all of these held at Dillingham Field?

[Aero426]

Lynndale Farms SCCA National poster 8/64

[E1pix]

Aero, that is awesome.... and I was probably at that race. The art looks vaguely familiar.

Thanks for another view back to a childhood track.

[Rupertlt1]

I attended the SCCA race at Rattlesnake with my folks. Dad and I were members of the PanAm Region Flagging and Communications Team and worked corners at races in the SW (Tucson, Ft. Sumner, Deming, Bottomless Lakes, Juarez, Midland Airpark, and the Las Cruces Airport). Fortunately we were not working the Rattlesnake races because it was so cold and we could get into the car to warm up. We toured the Chaparral shop on Saturday and one of the things I remember most was the Chevy engines sitting on the shop floor. The driver of an Elva MkVI let me warm up the engine while he attended the Sunday morning drivers' meeting; pretty cool stuff for a 15 year old kid! There was a Chevy engined, pontoon fendered Ferrari Testa Rossa. Does anyone remember who the owner and driver were? It still had the original exhaust which gave it a unique sound.
Mark Stevenson

 

Deming Municipal Airport races, Luna County, New Mexico, Pan American Region of the SCCA, 25-26 May 1963

(first to be held in the area since the 1960 race held in El Paso.)

Race 1, 5 laps — Taylor

Hohlonkamp, AC-Bristol; James

Nechero, Chevrolet Corvette; Pete Ponder,

Lotus 7-1500. 9 entries

Race 2, 5 laps — Juan Jacquez,

Triumph TR-3; Gerry Sanders,

Triumph TR-3; Clyde Sebastian,

Austin Healey Sprite. 6 entries

Race 3, 5 laps — James Moison,

Lotus Jr; Charles McKevitt,

Triumph TR-4; Bill Blatt, Lotus 18.

10 entries

Race 4, 5 laps — Glen Kelty,

Lotus Super 7; Bill Blackburn,

Lotus Super 7; James Nechero,

Corvette. 5 entries

Race 5, 5 laps — Bob Montana,

Cooper Monaco, Joe Starkey,

BMC Sr.; Pete Ponder, Lotus 7-1500.

6 entries

Race 6, 5 laps — Bill Blatt,

Lotus; James Moison, Lotus Jr;

Glen Kelty, Lotus Super 7 

17 entries

Race 7, 5 laps — Bill Obenour,

Triumph TR-4; Paul McGinley,

Triumph TR-3; Neal Genda, MGA-TC.

12 entries

Race 8, 25 laps — Bob Montana,

Cooper Monaco; Bill Blatt, Lotus 18;

Lee Adams, Chevrolet Corvette.

16 entries

Race 9, 25 laps — Charles McKevitt,

Triumph TR-4; Bill Obenour,

Triumph TR-4; Ken Adams,

Austin Healey 3000.

12 entries

Race 10. A Challenge Race —

"No report."

 

Deming Municipal Airport races, New Mexico, regional championship, 26-27 October 1963

Sponsored by Deming Lions Club in co-operation with the Pan American Region of the SCCA.

"Placings in the four 50-mile races held Sunday afternoon follow:"

Race 12

1st Gerald Sanders, Triumph TR3, F-Prod

2nd Don Hill, Triumph TR3, F-Prod

3rd Jack Miller, Fiat 1500, G-Prod

4th John Herbert, Austin Healy Sprite, H-Prod

5th Lewis Russell, Triumph Spitfire, G-Prod

6th Herbert Trotzky, MGA, F-Prod

7th Les Mogge, Abarth 750, H-Prod

8th George Weidner, Triumph TR3, F-Prod

DNF Charles Weaver, Formula V, F/V

Race 13, E-Production

1st Alois Jobst, Porsche

2nd Bill Blackburn, Austin Healey

3rd Bill Obenour, Porsche

4th Louis Werthmuller, Porsche

5th Don Johnson, Porsche

6th Owen Oates, MGA

7th Lynn Stevens, Porsche

8th Claude Gilmore, #51 Porsche

DNF Charles Bruce, Austin Healey; Jack Rowe, Austin Healey

Race 14

1st Glenn Keitz, Lotus S7, B/P

2nd Charles McKevett, TR4, D/P

3rd Norman Steward, TR4, D/P

4th Don McGaffee, TR4, D/P

5th Boyd McLeod, Alfa Spider, D/P

6th Fritz Taylor, AC Bristol, C/P

7th Merrill Kenyon, Alfa, D/M

DNF Ken Haynes, Alfa Veloce, D/P

Race 15

1st Bill Blatt, Lotus 18, Formula Junior

2nd Tracy Bird, Tucson, Arizona, Maserati Type 61, D/M

3rd Jim Moisen, Lotus 18, Formula Junior

4th Joe Starkey, Roswell, N.M., BMC-Jr, Formula Junior

5th Barry Oneto, Cassidy Special, F/M

6th Don Kundick, Elva, G/M

7th Ned Alderman, Lotus 7, G/M

8th John Herbert, Bristol-Chev, C/M

DNF N. R. White, Elva F/Jr; Wayne Jones, Cooper Jr., Formula Junior 

"Next race in the Southwest will be Nov. 2 and 3 when the regional races of the Alamo Region are held in Seguin, Tex."

See: https://forums.autos...p/#entry8208384

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 11 April 2023 - 06:34.

[lcbulldog]

Thanks Rupert.  These were the 2 races Dad and I worked flagging and communications at Deming.

 

May, 1963, Race 2: Gerry Sanders was from El Paso, TX and had a very fast TR3.  He was able to qualify for the ARRC Runoffs despite the PanAm Region being moved to the Southern Pacific Division and racing against the Cal Club hotshoes.

Race 5: Joe Starkey's "BMC Sr." was a rear engined formula junior that was fitted with an Alfa engine and classed in Formula Libre if not at this race then the Alfa was installed soon after.  The next year we saw Starkey and the car was at Ft. Sumner, NM in the spring and the RR suspension failed on our corner.  The car was sold to an Alfa racer named Harry Cecil of El Paso.  Starkey moved on to his Elva Mk.7

Races 7 & 9:  Bill Obenour in a TR4, very rare since he mainly raced a Porsche.

Race 8: Bill Blatt and James Moison raced identical Lotus 18 Formula Juniors. One or both of these guys were from Tucson, AZ. I am pretty sure that this is the race I remember well because Moison is not listed a a finisher.  These two put on a great race with many passes and re-passes until Moison pulled off the track and coasted to a stop at our corner station (corner 2). I walked over to the car and he was yelling something that I really couldn't understand because he still had his helmet on and a bandana across his mouth.  Once they were removed it was clear he was grinning and laughing about how much fun he had been having.  Tracy Bird was entered in his ex-Jack Hinkle Maserati 200S #9, but I don't see him listed.  I also remember Hap Sharp racing his bobtail Cooper Monaco #95.

October, 1963:  Race 13:  Bill Obenour back in his Porsche where he belonged.  

Race 14:  Unfortunately Ken Haynes would later lose his life at a race at Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, NM in 1965 I think it was.

Race 15: Tracy Bird in the beautiful ex-Hinkle Birdcage Maserati.  Bird later would buy Hinkle's Cooper-Ferrari.

The Cassidy Special was a beautiful Borgward powered homebuilt from El Paso.

John Herbert's Bristol-Chevy was actually an Arnolt Bristol-Chevy.  Ron Hunter was entered in a Chevy powered OSCA MT-8(?).

And finally, there was a Lotus 23 entered but I am not 100% sure who was driving.  I think it was Edna Sherman from Colorado. I have a photo but it's too far away and partially hidden behind a stack of tires to see much detail.

 

Thanks for the memories,

Mark

[Rupertlt1]

Deer Park, Spokane, 4 September 1960, 2.75-mile course

First Race

Novices—1. Jim Sturgeon, Trail, B.C., Austin Healey;

2. Carol Michael, Richland, Triumph TR-3;

3. Zelma Moore, Vancouver, B.C., Lotus.

Second Race

Class G—1. Glen Evans, Spokane, MGA;

2. John Hall, Vancouver, B.C., Porsche;

3. Bob McLean, Vancouver, B.C., MGA.

Class H—1. Paul Jaremko, Spokane, A-H Sprite;

2. Mike Proctor, Vancouver, B.C., A-H Sprite;

3. Lester Ludwigson, Kent, A-H Sprite.

Class I—1. Manfred Laubach, Port Coquitlam, B.C., DKW;

2. Lloyd Messersmith, Wenatchee, Morgan;

3. Terry Rosenquist, Spokane, Renault.

Third Race

Class A—1. Starr Calvert, Seattle, Chevrolet Corvette;

Class C—Dave Tatom, Vancouver, B.C., Porsche;

Class D—Ralph Livermore, Alfa Romeo;

Class E—Milt Davis, Porsche; Robert Michael,

Richland, Triumph TR-3;

Class F—Dave Anderson, Spokane, MGA.

Fourth Race

Modifieds—1. Jerry Grant, Seattle, Ferrari;

2. Tom Veness, Renton, Veness Special;

3. Ron Lee, Seattle, Lotus.

Fifth Race

Ladies—1. Carol Michael, Richland, Triumph TR-3;

2. Zelma Moore, Vancouver, B.C., Lotus;

3. Mrs. B. Ray, Austin Healey

Sixth Race

Formula Libre—1. Jerry Grant, Seattle, Ferrari;

2. Stan Burnett, Burnett special;

3. Jim Rattenbury, Porsche special.

The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington, Monday, 5 September 1960

 

RGDS RLT

[Rupertlt1]

This thread started by reminiscing about the birdcage Maserati, here driven by Bob Drake:

 

"Drake is no clown. This Spring, he took Joe Lubin’s Birdcage Maserati and put on a fantastic show in a very tough league. Of eight races entered, he won five, failed to finish two and in the eighth was forced back to second in the final laps when the oil fell out of the rear end. The car had changed owners before the eighth event and it changed drivers afterwards. Just for kicks, Drake drove Max Balchowsky’s Old Yaller II in a race in which the new owner-new driver Birdcage was entered. Drake was leading the Saturday event by such a healthy margin that the Birdcage was prudently withdrawn from both that and the Sunday feature."

 

"Drake displays his customary good humor as he wheels the Birdcage Maser to another win at Vaca Valley. That’s a prancing donkey on his crash hat."

Sports Cars Illustrated, January 1961, Pages 42-43

 

Second at Riverside, wins at Palm Springs, Willow Springs (near Rosamond, California), Phoenix, Vaca Valley, Santa Barbara. Car was sold to Stanley C. Sugarman, of Phoenix, Jim Connor, driver.

 

Vaca Valley, 30 April-1 May 1960, California Sports Car Club

Pomona? Santa Maria?

 

Drake seen here at Laguna Seca, in the corkscrew: https://library.revs...una-seca/412751

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 21 April 2023 - 07:53.