Thread: US Nationals at Indy!!!!!

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Rspears,
Thanks for the gentle rebuke. Gee I thought one of those Weaver sisters might be C. Force running 4.049 at 317.27 mph (Amazing!) in a red 1910 T Speedster and I thought I would provide some eye candy while you guys are waiting until next week (it was sunny in Ashland!). Yes I have been working way too hard this summer teaching 25 college seniors two semesters of Physical Chemistry in only nine weeks. If I could figure out how to start a new thread on this new system I would but so far I am just glad I was able to figure out how to upload the pictures! Actually I doubt that there are enough pre-1915 cars to justify a thread but if someone else wants to set up a Pre-1915 thread that would be great but I only have one or two more pictures in this category anyway and I am not really interested in the ancient touring cars. It was only the ancient red Speedster that caught my eye. On the other hand it seemed profound to me that cars over 100 years old were running on the street, although not at 317 mph!

Best Wishes,
Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder

Don---while in Indy, We went to The Indy 500 Speedway Museum also---lots of cars there around those vintage years you posted--I took several pics of interesting things there that I'll hopefully get posted someday-------

seems every time i want to upload anything its different or won't load---I have resized the 867 pics from the weedend trip twice and have only gotten 3 uploaded here but have been able to email them with no problems

Jerry,
For those of us who did not get to Indy I sure would like to see some pictures of the funny cars with the body "up". For pictures which I have figured out how to post here I use an old Canon Powershot A20 which only has 2.1 megapixels resolution and so far I do not have to resize the pictures. My wife favors cameras with 7 or even 10 megapixels but then you have to resize them to post here or send by e-mail. Two years ago some funny cars from the Virginia South Side Speedway were brought to the VCU campus (maybe for the new Engineering program?) and they posed with the "body up" to show the engine details and I recall one aluminum block hemi which was really fantastic. Anyway the best part of Hot Rod Magazine over the years was the photography of pit crews and between-run-teardown-rebuilds. I find this sort of photography of pit crews doing major reconstruction just between runs revives whatever adrenaline rush my body can muster at my age. So if anyone has pictures of the funny cars with the body-hoods in the up position and maybe a photo of C. Force herself that would really add to this thread in my view. Sorry to intrude with an ancient speedster but I was amazed to see the two Weaver sisters driving around with only that small oval windscreen on the drivers side. I would like to see a thread that would feature early Indy racers and special early engines like Riley and Rajo heads on 4 cyl blocks. Hey real photos of Ardun setups would also be neat, but I don't think you can use a year cutoff for these special innovations so maybe it should just be called something like "Antique Rodding"? Soooo, maybe this is the time/place to ask someone for a tutorial on how to start a new thread on the present system? Dave seems to have it down pat so maybe he can tell us how to start a new thread?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don---I took 867 photos at Indy-----I have several with body up---I have some of Courtneys #1 qualifying run (think I shot it at 6 frames /second!)

have several close ups of the cars in Pedregons shop that show details of engines pretty well plus dozens of old gassers and then many from Indy 500 museum-----tonight I'll work on uploading---------you'd better go get a six pack or two----------

under body picsIMG_2496 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2508 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2500 (683x1024).jpg

What's an AN fitting?IMG_2502 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2458 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2457 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2499 (683x1024).jpgIMG_2501 (1024x683).jpg

Jerry,

Thanks for the detail pictures. That is a LOT of high tech, high buck equipment! I like the dual MSD setup! Did your camera freeze any of the 317 mph Courtney Force run?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Courtney against Mike Neff in first round qualifierIMG_2847 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2849 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2851 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2850 (1024x683).jpgIMG_2848 (1024x683).jpg

Cortney 4.085/311.56
Neff 4.089/306.53

Number 1 and 2 at this time (first round Qualifier)

Almost like being there! Thanks Jerry.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder

I don't think these loaded in the proper order, but I tryed about 5 times so will settle for how ever they come outAttachment 55634Attachment 55635Attachment 55636Attachment 55637Attachment 55638IMG_3259 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3260 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3257 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3256 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3258 (1024x683).jpg

the last 3 hope they are in order---this is the 317 runIMG_3263 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3262 (1024x683).jpgIMG_3261 (1024x683).jpg

Courtney 4.049/317.27
Beckman 4.051?310.70

Number 1 and 2---

Jerry, That last frame should be copyrighted and sold to one of several magazines. It meets the adrenaline standard for me, wow(!) what a great shot! I paid your price of admission with Yuengling.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder

Jerry, can you tell us some of the history of the California Challenger? I came across a site that shows it repainted and raced in Finland with a reference to racing in Norway before that. See 70s Funny Cars - Where Are They Now? Did you go to a lot of trouble to repaint it as original after they had a simpler design on it? That site seems to be from about 2003-2005 and then you bought it back? The original blue/white scheme was beautiful but intricate. Probably some funny cars have more money in the paint job than the cost of a family car?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don, we had 3 funny cars---Pinto, Mustang and then the Firebird------

the pinto went to Hawaii, Mustang to Canada and back, the Firebird to Norway/Finland---------

Cruz and Tony Pedregon lived about a block from the shop and they were around 9-10 years old and hid in the back of our trailer and snuk into the races when the firebird was new!!!!!!!!!!!!Cruz called me over a year ago and asked permission to build a replica of it that he could run at the nostalgic races/reunions----

It is a all new build to as close as the original as they could do except for some required roll cage updates and safty items.
They did a super job and I feel that John Keeling and Neil Leffler are looking out those front eyes lites---------

Also about copy right on the photo---need to get releases from all the orange jacketed obstuctions to a clear view for anyone in the stands---at one time I counted 19 photogs on our side of the track with about the same number on the otherside

Didn't go back for the week end as weather was severe t storms all nite and cooler today---yep, right choice--temp 65 while it was forecast to be 69, they had 2 + inches rain, everything still flooded, plus 15-20 mph winds---