Vintage Race cars

[dgdrls]

A good friend sent me this link.
Scanned Kodachrome's, of Vintage Race cars of all type

You might recognize a few  folks who shaped auto racing in there

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=21791.0

DGDrls

[samandothers]

Nice photos!  Really cool.  I liked the one with the 3 split window coupes lined up next to each other, but I am partial to the midyear vettes.

[sawguy21]

Great gallery. Those people and cars fueled the dreams of us car crazy kids in the 60's.

[WmFritz]

Thanks for sharing this. This is a great photo collection. I saw Smokey Yunick in a couple shots. I looked for my FIL who had a factory backed Ford (Thunderbolt) in the mid sixties. Didn't find him, but I saw at least a few of his competitors from back then.

[Qweaver]

My first race car was a Strangulini F3 (sp)  I sold it for $500.  It would be worth a mint as a historic racer today.

[dgdrls]

Thanks for sharing this. This is a great photo collection. I saw Smokey Yunick in a couple shots. I looked for my FIL who had a factory backed Ford (Thunderbolt) in the mid sixties. Didn't find him, but I saw at least a few of his competitors from back then.

Who was your FIL and what T'bolt was he running?

DGDrls

[WmFritz]

Sorry dgdrls... I missed this post.
My FIL was Don Leddy. (We lost him in 2011). He ran a '64 Thunderbolt the same year.  I should have chosen my words more carefully about the factory backing. The support he received was through the Ford race department with direct help from the engineers and parts. My MIL said it seemed like she was driving to Dearborn every week that season to swap out for some new head design or a new cam profile.  Telephone calls were exchanged a few times during the week. Dorothy said what drove the engineers crazy was they had a car set up with all the same components as Don's car, but Don's was consistently beating them.  He figured something  out in the chassis and told no one.  :D

He was offered a sponsorship to run the entire National circuit in '65, but it meant leaving the family home, which he wasn't willing to do and declined. He took that year off and came back in '66 with a Mustang. He shoe-horned one of the high powered Ford motor's that they had  back then into it. Maybe it was an extra motor from his T-Bolt, I never could keep them straight. I think it was a 427, but could've been a 428 or 429. My BIL knows better. I think it was his last year. Funny cars were coming in to the race scene and he gave up drag cars. 

His primary sponsor was Delta Ford.




 

Don got an invitation to the 45th Thunderbolt anniversary in '09. It was a nice event held at the Ford test track in Dearborn. We went down there with him and he was in his glory. I'm really glad he made that event. We talked to a friend of the person that owns the car now. The car was almost finished with its restoration, but couldn't get done for the event.  I believe he may have told him his little secret to the cars success.  ;) I've seen photo's of it now and they left all decals on the car including his name on the door and his nickname, ''The Flying Farmer.''

[samandothers]

Bill
Neat Story!

[thecfarm]

Yes,a very nice story,memories.

[dgdrls]

Great story.  I met a guy in the early '80's who was a 50's holdover.  He had any and all sorts
of Ford BB parts.  He also had a Factory Thunderbolt.

DGDrls

[hardtailjohn]

God I miss my Willys!!!!!!!!!
I like that ice racer too!!
John

[giant splinter]

Those photos bring back memories, thanks for sharing

[Al_Smith]

  I saw Smokey Yunick in a couple shots.

There was a taped interview on one of the TV shows taken decades ago with Smokey .I got the biggest kick of his shop where they reworked cylinders heads  with an old model M Bridgeport mill exactly like the one I own .