1950's - 1960's...

     Racing legend Curtis Turner takes the Barney's Body Shop Ford through the Dayton Speedway banking.  Truner wasn't the only driver to pilot the Barney's car.  Joy Fairr, Homer Newland, Chuck McWilliams, and Todd Gibson all drove the car at one time or another.

----Photo courtesy former official MARC/ARCA photographer Tom Davidson

     This photo, provided by Jerry Wahl (jlwahl1@hotmail.com), shows the Jim Welty (jimwelty60@aol.com) 1960 Plymouth at Eldora Speedway.  But the car has a Dayton Speedway link as Jim explained in this note to Jerry:

     Hi Jerry,

     Thanks for the picture.  I only have a few of that 1960 Plymouth. This is originally the car that Harold Smith drove at Daytona and other MARC races. I bought the car from Jack Price and ran it with the Ohio-Indiana Semi-Late Models. (a class, and organization, that had disappeared by 1964) .

     Marcum let me run two MARC races (unofficially) when his car count was low--as the Plymouth was one year too old by the rules.  I won the first late model sportsman race ever run at the great West Virginia International Speedway( which only was in business actively for about two seasons.) It was at Huntington, WV and a beautiful 5/8 mile pavement track with an imported castle high on a hill.

     Sometime I will tell you, and prove that the first time the ARCA name was used (by Marcum) was in 1963 at WVIS---not the 1964 Daytona race as the "ARCA historians" (who were not around at the WV race) like to tell.

Incidentally, that was my old 1956 Ford truck behind the car. It was one of the best trucks I have ever owned!!!

     Thanks again.

     Jim

     This Sportsman Chevrolet was my first race car and is shown here at Dayton in its second season around 1966.  This is the car that we used to very nearly kill Earl Baltes during practice at Dayton Speedway.  Shown left to right are crewmen Larry Kier, Bob Leibold, Skip Blommel, driver Gerry Lantz, and a much, much younger me, Mickey Thompson.

     Mickey

     March 1, 2009

     We're pretty sure that this is Troy Ruttman sitting in the Estes Special at Dayton Speedway.  Beyond that, we don't know much more.  If you have an opinion as to exactly who this is and the date of the event, please contact me here.

   ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     Here's the legendary Briar Johnson in a photo provided by FODS Gene Ingram (harleygene@comcast.net).  This is as basic a racing stock car as you will ever find.  It's not a particularly beautiful race car, but it does have vintage appeal.

     Legendary driver Jim Cushman pushes his #95 down the backstretch at Dayton Speedway sometime in the early '60s.

     ---Photo courtesy Brian Norton

     Iggy Katona was a regular competitor at Dayton Speedway.  He's shown here in his #30 Ford boasting 410 horsepower.  Notice that Iggy was running without a major sponsor.

     ---Photo courtesy of Brian Norton

     From a 1950s Dayton Speedway program.

     With a huge field of stock cars lined up on the Dayton Speedway front stretch for the start of a 1954 feature event, drivers gather around the pace car for last minute instructions.

                                                                                                                    ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     NASCAR driver Marshall Teague was a Dayton visitor with his Hudson Hornet in the 1950s.  The Hudson was the car to beat in that era thanks to its "stepdown frame."  This innovation resulted in a lower center of gravity and that, combined with the powerful Hudson engine, made the Hudsons a threat at any track they visited.

                                                                                                                             ----Photo from the collection of Bill Holder

     This 1958 pace lap shows a field that includes five convertibles, not counting the snazzy Cadillac convertible pace car, heading onto the backstretch at Dayton Speedway.  Given that most of these race cars are less than two years old, it's possible that this is an early MARC/ARCA event.

                                                                                                    ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     In this photo showing the start of a 1950's sprint car program, the drivers from left to right are Prosser #39, Burton #54, Larry Crockett #98, and Pat O'Connor #11.

                                                                                                                                       ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

      We're still working on the caption for this photo.  FODS Steven N. Levinson remembers that the #73 was the MacNamara car usually driven by Mike Nazaruk.  As far as we can tell, Nazaruk was not involved in the Jim Rigsby/Gene Force fatal accident and is shown in the results as having won the feature on the day that Rigsby was killed, August 31, 1952.  It's hard to imagine that the pit crew was able to get this car fixed so that Nazaruk could race and win the feature, so we have to presume that this photo dates from some other race meet at Dayton.

                                                                                                                                ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     Sure, I know that he went on to star in NASCAR Cup racing, and became the National Champion, and I know that he drove the King's Row Chevrolet to several important wins, and then after he retired he was a broadcast star and eventually he owned a vinyard, I know all that.  But it makes no difference.  For many of us, this is the way we will always remember Benny Parsons, the ARCA champ in a bright yellow Ford.  Parsons once did me an enormous favor.  My partners and I had decided that we were going to go ARCA racing and, wanting to start with the best equipment we could get our hands on, I called Benny to see if he would sell us one of his #98 Fords.  I explained what we wanted to do and Parsons thought about it for a minute or two and then said, "Boys, let me tell you; when I'm done with a car, you don't want it."

                                                                                                                                ---Photo from the collection of John Potts

     The five photos below are from the collection of the Gilberg family.  You know Bob G. as the President of the SoCal Chapter of FODS, and his brother Rich G. as the Piqua resident who has archive responsibility for the Gilberg family's collection of racing photos.

     These photos were taken sometime in the '60s at Dayton Speedway and we could use some help identifying the date/car/driver.  We know something about several of the photos already of course.  The first photo below of the #93 is the ride that Sonny Ates made famous on the Dayton high-banks, the Iddings Special.

     The #92 roadster is the car driven by Greg Weld with such success.

     The last photo in line shows (we think) one of the legendary Johnny Parsons/Bruce Walkup battles at the Dayton track.

     Do you have some information that will add to our understanding and identification of these photos?  Please contact me here!

     Mickey -- December 4, 2008

     UPDATE:  The Gilberg Brothers, Bob (rgilberg@san.rr.com) and Rich (fgilberg@woh.rr.com) have checked in with updated information about the photos they provided earlier.  First, from Rich:

     "The white #93 is the Iddings car of Sonny Ates fame (and also sadly the car in which Allen Crowe lost his life at New Bremen).  You can see Steve Stapp [white pants, peach colored shirt] walking behind the #92 Greg Weld roadster; that's probably Stapp's car on the trailer.  The #26 Vivian Buick wa owned by Dale Doty and often driven by Bob Pratt and Al Smith amonth others.  -- Rich Gilberg"

...and now from Bob:

     "Hi Foggy!

     No. 26 is the Vivian Buick car driven by Al Smith on whatever day that shot was taken. Supposedly this car was owned by Dale Doty, which begs the obvious question: any relationship to Brad Doty? Bob Pratt also drove the car frequently, and is the person who mentioned Doty's ownership to my brother, Richard at an old-timer's event at Winchester.

     The No. 18 sprinter is the Klincher Locknut Spcl. driven by Aldo

Andretti ( believe it or not ) in the photo! We believe this is the car

Aldo was seriously injured in at a later date.

     Steve Stapp is visible in the background of the Weld roadster photo, with his black beauty No. 2 still on the trailer.

     The notes on the back of the Dunseth car racing against another

sprinter does say "Walkup, Parsons".

     All photo dates unknown. Photo credits to Rich Gilberg and his Argus C3 viewfinder 35 MM camera!  --Bob Gilberg"

(Above) Dan Wylie, owner of Miami Trailer Sales, poses with wife Shirley and one of the two '38 Ford stock cars he owned and sponsored.  The list of drivers who wheeled the #37 and #37 Jr. included Dick Arnold, Jack Perkins, Dick Dunlevy Sr, Tex Shackleford, Oda Green, Tom and Jack Bowsher, and Red Harvey.

(Below)  The Miami Trailer Sales coupes traveled in style as they raced track to track seven days a week.  These snappy looking trucks were used to tow the race cars and at the track served as push trucks.  The four men in the photo are (from left to right) Dan Wylie, John Leopard, "Tadpole" and "Buck."

                                       ---Photo from the collection of Bob McCray

     This racy looking 1955 Oldsmobile was driven by Jim Romine on the Midwest Auto Racing Circuit (MARC), the forerunner of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) series.  Romine was the very first MARC champion, taking that title in 1953.

                                        ---Photo from the collection of Ron Pollock

     Things didn't always go smoothly for Jim Romine at Dayton Speedway. This is the #17 Hudson he rolled in 1954.

                                         ---Photo from the collection of Ron Pollock

     If you were heading into the Dayton Speedway pits in 1954, this would be your view as you started down the steep drive into the infield.

                                       ---Photo from the collection of Ron Pollock

     The MARC stock cars circle the track in this 1954 photo.  You can't help but notice the skid marks pointing into the unprotected pit area and wonder if the pit crews in those days were more nimble than today's crewmen.

                                            ---Photo from the collection of Ron Pollock

     This photo from the same 1954 MARC stock car event as the photos above is perhaps the best photo on the DSL site showing the pedestrian crossover bridge.  Remarkably, it appears that there is absolutely no guardrail or other protection for the vertical supports making this bridge equally hazardous to pedestrians and competitors.

                                       ---Photo from the collection of Ron Pollock

     Don Branson holds court following a tough sprint car event at Dayton Speedway July 17, 1960.

                                                   ---Photo by Steven N. Levinson

     Ed Elisian (born Edward Gulberg Elisian December 9, 1926, Oakland CA) shows the strain of an afternoon of high-speed sprint car action at the 1955 Dayton 100.  When Elisian died in a crash during a 200 mile race at the Milwaukee Mile, he may well have been the most disliked driver of his era.  His fall from grace in the eyes of the racing community was quite remarkable.

     Consider this: in 1955 Ed Elisian stopped his car on the track during the running of the Indianapolis 500 to try to help the fatally injured Bill Vukovich who had crashed.  To this day, Elisian stands as the only driver in the history of the race to stop an undamaged car in an effort to help another driver.  For this selfless act Elisian received a sportsmanship award.

        But the 1958 running of the Indy 500 would be different.  All month long Elisian and Dick Rathmann had battled each other in practice.  Rathmann qualified on the pole; Elisian took the second spot.  Going into the 3rd turn on the first lap of the race Elisian lost control trying to run under Rathmann.  Their two cars slammed together and collected Jimmy Reese who had started on the outside of the first row.  Pat O'Connor, left with no place to go, hit Reese.  The O'Connor car flew through the air and crashed upside down, then burst into flames.  O'Connor burned to death; Elisian was blamed and shunned by the racing community..

     It didn't help that a rumor spread that Elisian was trying to lead the first lap of the race in order to pay gambling debts owed to a syndicate.  In any event, USAC suspended Elisian's competition license, but returned it to him a few days later.

     Less than a month later Elisian was involved in a multi-car accident during a sprint race at New Bremen.  Driver Jim Davis was killed in the wreck.  Even though Elisian was absolved of any official responsibility, his unpopularity deepened.

     In August, 1959, car owner Ernie Ruiz entered Elisian in his Watson-style roadster for the running of a 200 mile race at the Milwaukee Mile.  On lap 29 Elisian spun in oil from the blown engine of A.J.Foyt.  The metallic green Ruiz car spun, hit the wall, flipped upside down and burst into flames.  Elisian burned to death in the fire.

     It took nine full minute to extinguish the flames.  Some said that the other drivers wouldn't slow down so as to keep the firefighters from being able to get to the wreck.  That seems unlikely, but the record does show that the red flag was not displayed until the car, and Elisian, were fully involved in flames.

                                               ---Photo taken by Steven N. Levinson

     Eddie Sachs, shown here in a pith helmet, won the 1955 Dayton 100 but later lost his life in a fiery crash at Indianapolis.

                                              ---Photo taken by Steven N. Levinson

     A young Jim Hurtibise signs an autograph for a fan in the infield at Dayton Speedway following sprint car event July 17, 1960.  That event was memorable for the race fans, and certainly for Herk; during his qualifying attempt, his car spun, hooked the fence and went over.  it may well have been the most gentle ride ever taken by a race driver crashing out of the track.  The car went over the rail very smoothly and, according to reports from folks who were there, Hurtibise's car landed in a tree which bent over and slowly lowered his car to the ground.

     After the car was returned to the speedway surface (no easy task according to one man who was on the wrecker crew), Hurtibise intended to race it.  The USAC officials had other ideas.  They considered it very possible that the car had suffered some severe unseen damage to suspension and other components, and were unwilling to risk injury to Herk or to the other drivers.  In the absence of any Magnaflux or other testing it was impossible to say for sure that the car was safe.

     So they ordered the car parked for the day.  Hurtibise, being Hurtibise, filed an official protest.

                                          ---Photo taken by Steven N. Levinson

     An exhausted Roger McCluskey discusses his car's performance with a mechanic following the July 17, 1960 sprint race at Dayton.

                                        ---Photo taken by Steven N. Levinson

     Feature winner Parnelli Jones gulps refreshment in the middle of a chaotic victory lane celebration.  Jones won several feature events at Dayton during his career.  This photo was taken July 17, 1960.

                                          ---Photo taken by Steven N. Levinson

Eddie Zuluki poses with the Dayton Iddings car.

                                     ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

Roy Hancock poses in the #5 car on a day when the Dayton Speedway track was particularly heavy.

                                     ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     This is the cover of a 1950/1960-era Dayton Speedway program.  It's possible that there has never been a less appealing auto racing program cover in the entire history of the sport.                                 -                                                    --From an ad found on the web

     This is a picture of the Bob King #17 track roadster taken around 1950.

                           ----Photo from the collection of Dale Fairfax

     Bob Sweikert at Dayton Speedway early in the 1950's.

                                    ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     Bill Brown is pictured in a sprint car at Dayton.  Notice that the speedway banking behind Brown has been striped for some reason.  Can anyone tell us why they did that?

                                    ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     This 1950 photograph shows Jim McWithey in the Connor #42.

                                 ---Photo from the collection of Dale Fairfax

     It's encouraging to know that the cost of attending a local racing event hasn't changed all that much in the 54 years that have passed since the Big Car races at Dayton Speedway.  Those reserved box seats would cost the equivalent of $30 in today's money.  The reserved grandstand seats would cost the equivalent of approximately $23, and the general admission tickets would cost about $20 today.

                                      ---Item from the collection of Gene Ingram

     The five photos below come to us courtesy of FODS Craig Shaw (crudbro20@yahoo.com) and show racing action at Dayton Speedway from the early '50s.

     If you have additional information about any of the photos shown here, please contact me here.

     Thanks Craig!

     Mickey

     January 28, 2009

     The four photos below were taken by Charlie Haerr (echaerr@aol.com)  in 1960 when the USAC sprints visited Dayton Speedway.

     ---Photos from the collection of Charlie Haerr

     ARCA visted the Dayton Speedway in 1960 and legendary Paul Goldsmith was there.  Legendary FODS Charlie Haerr (echaerr@aol.com) was also there and took the three photos below.  If Charlie had leaned any farther out over the fence to take these photos he might have ended up a riding mechanic for one of the competitors!  We believe that Goldsmith is driving the maroon Pontiac leading the field in the first two photos.  Goldsmith himself is shown in the bottom photo.

     ---Photos from the collection of Charlie Haerr

     The two photos below were taken by Charlie Haerr (cehaerr@aol.com) at a 1979 USAC sprint show at Dayton Speedway.

     ----Photos from the collection of Charlie Haerr

     Walker Motor Sales in Dayton provided the 1954 season Dayton Speedway pace car, a flashy 1954 Mercury convertible.

                                              ---From an ad found on the web

     The Bolheimer car at Dayton Speedway.

                                 ---Photo from the collection of Dale Fairfax

     Carl Coates in the "Big Bertha" sprint car at Dayton.

                                ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     Larry Crockett in the #98 Jr. at Dayton Speedway.  In the background the sweep between the third and fourth turns of the 1/4 mile infield track is visible.  One can't help but wonder whether Crockett scraped the guardrail, leaving his right rear tire white.  Given that the outside guardrail at the track at this time was single strand of wood, that would have been something to see.

                                  ---Photo from the collection of Dale Fairfax

     Joe Barzda in the #33.  Notice that Dayton Speedway was drawing such enormous crowds in the early '50s that seating had to be added at both ends of the covered grandstand.

                                ---Photo from the collection of Gene Ingram

     This is the mailer that was distributed to race fans so that they could return the card reserving their seats for the "Big 100" event at Dayton Speedway. (The reverse of the mailer portion can be seen in the left hand column.)  Auto racing has always been a blood sport, and that was particularly true for this era.  Consider this: of the five racing stars used in the Dayton Speedway promotion above, only one would survive to see old age.  Larry Crockett was dead just six months after the Dayton event, killed at 28 years of age at Langhorne on March 20, 1955.  Scarcely 30 days later, on May 1, Mike Nazurick, age 33, died at the same track.  Bob Sweikert was killed at Salem Speedway June 17, 1956, and Pat O'Connor died at Indianapolis during the running of the 1958 500. Only Duane Carter survived.

                                  ---Item from the collection of Gene Ingram