Non-Chevy sprint cars

[Bob Riebe]

Mr. Capps, if you are still out there.
Are there any sites that list the finishing order of some sprint car races especially from about 1950-1976?

I picked up a book on the URC sprint cars up to 1977, and see out there while Chevy still dominated there were other U.S. makes winning at times.
It would be interesting to see, not just the winners, but say top three to see how much competition Chevy had at points in time.

The so call ultimate racing history site is horribly lacking despite its name.
Bill Wentz Sr. is not even in it directory and he drove the Scats Anfuso Ford.

[Don Capps]

Bob,

Unfortunately, the record for Sprint Car results whether on the internet or in print is spotty at best. While Buzz Rose and a few others have touched on aspects of the history of Spint Car racing, the coverage provided of the results has been generally sparse. Even the coverage of the USAC Sprint Car series leaves much to be desired, although the establishment of the Silver Crown Series in 1981 did help matters somewhat.

That there have been so many organizations promoting the various Sprint Car series is a part of the problem. This makes for a tremendous challenge facing any automotive historian wishing to even attempt to make a record of all these events. Just matching dates and venues can be difficult at times, much less anything beyond the top three or so of the main, much less the heats and so forth.

Out there, somewhere, a few hardy souls have attempted to build something approximating as complete a record of Sprint Car racing as possible, but few if any have produced their results for others to use. There are a number of seasons of the AAA Sprint Car payout sheets that are on microfilm -- I have some of them. They are usually hand-written and while most are quite legible and complete, some are not. Just delving into one season, 1946, was a challenge.

The "Ultimate Racing History" site, as you suggest, leaves much to be desired; another indication that hyperbole in the title of a site is an indication of inflated expectations of the owner.

Sorry, but other than digging through the Buzz Rose books and perhaps a few other sources to trace the rise of the Chevrolet engine in Sprint Car series, this might wind up as a "do-it-yourself" project. With access to enough issues of National Speed Sport News and/or Illustrated Speedway News, it might be possible to at least build a basic framework; however, it would be very, very time-consuming to say the least.

Having said all this, someone such as Jim O'Keefe might have this information, but not willing to place it on the Web or have it printed.

[Bob Riebe]

Don:
Thank you, very, very much.
I got your note also.

It is sad, that the type/types (One cannot forget the mod./super-mod. dirt cars that also gave so many thousands wonderful memories) that made life in the U.S. so great will probably never have printed journals for following generations to be able to see why so many speak of the "Good Old Days" as they do.

Some years back, well over thirty actually, while reading a book on U.S. racing motorcycles, only then did I even get a first glimpse at the scope of what racing once was and the myriad of tracks, in remote places that no longer exist that made it possible, well before good roads existed, for the general public to experience the thrill of motorsports.
There once was a two-mile dirt oval in Neb. I do not know if autos ever raced there but motorcycles did.

I finally got down to the American Museum of Speed in Lincoln, Neb. last year and looking at his collection of engines on display, took me back to my days as a yout, going to the fair with dad and seeing a Buick Straight Eight, which I thought was the coolest racer in the world at that time.
I am temped to call the museum and see if one can get a private look at the non-dispalyed engine room which is jammed with incredible pieces of auto history.

When you get your project finished I will be one of the first to stand in-line to get one.

Bob

[Don Capps]

Bob,

After the Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup events left Savannah, motorcycle racing replaced cars and there were events for several years, with some of the races having distances of hundreds of miles. Cars returned in 1920 for a Thanksgiving race on a three mile road course, but that was that.

I have no explanation for the relative paucity of in-depth material on Sprint Cars. Given the number and depth of enthusiasm and interest in that form of racing one would expect far, far more than seems to be available. Another sign of the many problems with automotive competition history in my view, especially on the American end.

Oh well, sorry I could not be much help.

HDC