Thread: Roadster show

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A crummy cold and rainy day here, then to top it off, I went to the accountant with my taxes . This called for some fun so I went to the Saratoga Auto Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY. The current display is Romance of the Roadster. These are some of the photos I took:

The '32 is called the Ricky Nelson Deuce
1926 Packard
1931 Auburn
Indy roadster
Indy Roadster wheel

Sounds like a great alternative to the tax man! Great Pics as always!

And a few more:

Mercedes 300
Jag SS100
Nerf Bar
'17 Model T
'26 Pontiac

That Ricky Nelson car was always one of my favs in the old magazines. Really well done '60's style ride.

Nice looking cars, all of them. Thanks for posting.


Don

Can't tell if it's a sprint car or a champ car, but the single hoop roll bar racer is way kewl.... I remember watching them as a kid at the State Fair!!! After Indy, all the USAC drivers put away the asphalt tires, put on the dirt tires and travelled the circuit. Watching guys like Foyt, Rutherford, Andretti, Johncock and all the rest was the biggest thrill of the summer for a kid.... Also had the misfortune of watching one of the last ever single hoop roll bar sprint races around here when Jerry Blundy got killed..... USAC mandated full cages the next season. All the old guys complained cuz they just didn't look like sprint cars when they had to run the full cage....just like the guys of my generation bitched when they put wings on sprint cars..... When you're young and invincible, safety is really not an issue!!!!

\Thanks for the pics Dave!!!!! As for the accountant and taxes deal, my appointment is next week....yuck!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Can't tell if it's a sprint car or a champ car, but the single hoop roll bar racer is way kewl.... I remember watching them as a kid at the State Fair!!! After Indy, all the USAC drivers put away the asphalt tires, put on the dirt tires and travelled the circuit. Watching guys like Foyt, Rutherford, Andretti, Johncock and all the rest was the biggest thrill of the summer for a kid.... Also had the misfortune of watching one of the last ever single hoop roll bar sprint races around here when Jerry Blundy got killed..... USAC mandated full cages the next season. All the old guys complained cuz they just didn't look like sprint cars when they had to run the full cage....just like the guys of my generation bitched when they put wings on sprint cars..... When you're young and invincible, safety is really not an issue!!!!

\Thanks for the pics Dave!!!!! As for the accountant and taxes deal, my appointment is next week....yuck!!!!!

Dave,
It is an Offy powered USAC Dirt Champ Car - and was driven by the likes of Lloyd Ruby and Jim Hurtibise among the listed drivers according to the spec sheet that was with it - I should have taken a picture of that sheet as well - ya know - CRS strikes again!! I'll take a picture of that sheet the next time - and I got asked and might even start volunteering to work there later this year.

As far as the taxes - he just got the paperwork, but since I don't 'work' shouldn't be too bad as one of my investments tanked.

Originally Posted by IC2

Dave,
It is an Offy powered USAC Dirt Champ Car - and was driven by the likes of Lloyd Ruby and Jim Hurtibise among the listed drivers according to the spec sheet that was with it - I should have taken a picture of that sheet as well - ya know - CRS strikes again!! I'll take a picture of that sheet the next time - and I got asked and might even start volunteering to work there later this year.

As far as the taxes - he just got the paperwork, but since I don't 'work' shouldn't be too bad as one of my investments tanked.

Thanks a bunch Dave!!! I'd really like to get more information on the car!!!! I'd kill to actually own one of these cars some day!!!! When I was a kid and racing Karts, aspiring to drive one of the "big cars" was everyone's dream!!!! The progression went from Karts, to midgets, to sprints, to champ cars, then to Indy.... Very few ever made it all the way up the ladder, but those who did earned their way and didn't just have a sponsor buy them a ride!!!!

I'm one of those who think Indy Car racing died when they moved the engine to the back of the car!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'm one of those who think Indy Car racing died when they moved the engine to the back of the car!!!!

A good friend used to have a couple of midgets, one of which was a former Indy winner Lee Wallard car (a local guy) that I used to crew for in the nostalgia races. I would have driven, but at 6'4" couldn't get my legs in it. My circle track experiences ended after I ended up on my head a couple of times - then went back to being a spectator. I agree - with you that moving the Indy cars engine to the rear killed a lot of the mystique and the iron man driver, with a couple of exceptions disappeared. But - the roadsters were man killers with the rigid frames, no real safe cockpit or roll cage. Heck, I think winged sprints and midgets should be dumped as not spectator friendly - but we only see 'em once a year around here when the WoO makes their swing by - and I seldom see.

I just love that Auburn! If I had it, I'd run it just as it is. What a beauty.
Boat tail Auburns and coffin nose Cords are two of my fav's.

Dave,

I used to watch the same guys run the Indy cars on the dirt track at Springfield, IL. Plus Vukovich, Bettenhausen, Sachs, etc. I remember that Vukovich was killed at Indianapolis the year after I saw him at Springfield.

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Dave,

I used to watch the same guys run the Indy cars on the dirt track at Springfield, IL. Plus Vukovich, Bettenhausen, Sachs, etc. I remember that Vukovich was killed at Indianapolis the year after I saw him at Springfield.

Yup, all those guys used to show up at a lot of the USAC sponsored State Fair races. They even ran the "big cars" on some of the old mile horse tracks. The whole month of May was always a great time to be in Indy, big time sprint and champ car races all over!!!! Wasn't unusual to see a lot of the Indy drivers show up at the local tracks around Indy. The weekend before Indy used the be a big USAC points race at Terra Haute.... caught that one a few times, the times we were there Foyt pretty much owned the place! Watched Foyt, Jim Hurtibese, and Gary Bettenhausen bangin' wheels for the entire 50 lap A Main. Foyt won it, but you could of covered all three cars with a blanket at the checkers!!!! Sure do miss seeing them, wingless sprinters are still wildest cars to race, whether you're driving or watching!!!!

nice pics dave..

Hey Dave, next time you're back there tell them you know an old geezer type ex-sprint car driver who would eagerly volunteer to drive old #35, the Enterprise Machine Special, at some vintage shows this summer!!!!!!! I've already been on my head countless times, so they don't have to worry about me getting hurt!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hey Dave, next time you're back there tell them you know an old geezer type ex-sprint car driver who would eagerly volunteer to drive old #35, the Enterprise Machine Special, at some vintage shows this summer!!!!!!! I've already been on my head countless times, so they don't have to worry about me getting hurt!!!!!!

Dave,
I have a feeling that if they put that car out for offers you would have a major scramble of many OF'S trying for that one-more-ride. And I'd be there to watch the fun. Around my neck of the woods we had Syracuse (Foyt won), Trenton and Langhorne. My faves were Langhorne with Syracuse second (Trenton was a paved track - that they seemed to pussy foot around)

Originally Posted by IC2

Dave,
I have a feeling that if they put that car out for offers you would have a major scramble of many OF'S trying for that one-more-ride. And I'd be there to watch the fun. Around my neck of the woods we had Syracuse (Foyt won), Trenton and Langhorne. My faves were Langhorne with Syracuse second (Trenton was a paved track - that they seemed to pussy foot around)

Ah, the mile at Syracuse!!!! Scary place!! Takes a guy like Foyt to go fast there!!!! Know what you mean on the paved tracks, taking it easy and saving tires sometimes leads to a boring race on pavement. Unless you're a "pavement rookie" and use up your tires in the first 30 laps, then spend the last 20 sliding all over!!!!!! (please don't ask how I know this!!!)