17 replies to this topic

[riggenracer]

The latest RiggenHO Newsletter is out. There is more stuff from Pat "Mr. TycoPro" Dennis and his private collection.

http://www.riggenho.com/issue8.htm

Thanks,

TF

[chaparrAL]

Hey Keith were you the at the big race at Parma raceway winter of 72 or so on the banked 1/24 style track ? Gary Rider won with a Riggen beating Aurora factory racer Tony Porcelli .Steve Medanic finished i think abuot 7 th and i finished 1 spot behind Steve. This race was a big deal back then with if i remember at least 40 entries .Also how about the big race at AJs ? Id love to find records of. these races. I also want to find out who it was who brought a large magnet to a Mi HOPRA race holding it under the track with wild results [Hoyt , Mcgee?]. My 1st report , HO HISTORY ;TWENTY YEARS AGO Is now on Planet of speed and soon will find its way here also with more stuff from back in the day, including some of your work . It seems no one else has taken on documenting what happened so with a little help from my frends maybe we can do so here. thanks AL

[Adam Friedman]

Hi all,

I was at the race and I think I qualified pretty well but broke. I believe it was the MAR Miniature Auto Racing Nats. and I am not sure if it was the Ryder winning year or the Following where jan Limpach won with a stunning pink Porsche.

I believe there is MAR Newspaper with a race report.

It was a great place and a cool race.

[chaparrAL]

Hey Adam Its good to hear from someone who was there .I seem to recall this was kind of an annual event and something about Jan winning one . The year i was there Jan was not. He always made it a good time. I am seeking out information on the early days for a web site on HO History.

[TSR]

Al,
We have all the MAR issues as well as all the Car Model, Model Car Science magazines and would be pleased to scan any of these articles for you if someone tells us the issues numbers and the pages to scan because i cannot do the research at this itme, too busy with the LASCM website in construction.
Gary Ryder and Gary Beedle were indeed the aces then, along with Tony Porcelli and other HO luminaries...
Regards,

[chaparrAL]

Thanks Phillipe . I traded all my old Car Model & model car science mags to a friend who kept them for safe keeping in a cardboard box on the basement floor . Sure ,It flooded with worst of the worst ,sewage! Hey just so you know Planet of speed may be going away if someone dont pick it up. If you like maybe slotblog can be where these racers can go .Let me know if i can help.

[Pat McGee]

Oh my gosh..... someone remembers the "magnet incident"...... and it would be Al!! Yes, that would be true, at a Michigan HOPRA race in the 70's, as the "magnet cars", with extra handling magnets, were being developed, we did the dirty. Most of us in Michigan were die-hard pan car guys, hated the magnets, they took the driver out of the equation (right, Teddy??). Anyway, at the race, which I believe was on the Westland "Pipewrench", I brought a HUGE horseshoe magnet along, and, I believe it was Mike Garrett, held it under the esses during a practice session. If my foggy memory serves me correctly it was K&K's Randy Kemp that got the first taste.... he came storming into the esses, and, instead of his car stopping dead, it took off, straight up into the air!! That happened a few more times, before we were busted. The Indiana guys (at least Randy) were totally pissed, I think the rest of us were about to wet ourselves. Ah, yes, the good old days. I've got a million great memories floating around, I will post a few from time to time. Al, (or any of you old HOPRA geeks), contact me @ ruralradio@yahoo.com .

[chaparrAL]

So Keith , you like the trains down the middle of the freeway in chi town ! It,s the only way to get around in the city of wind. Try to get a parking space near Wrigley field .Then again i,m from the south side and the SOX are king , they even have a parking lot . We have a saying where i,m from ,Cuck the Fubs ! So now we have Pat here to dredge up some serious HO history from one of the great characters of HO racing . When we roomed together at the 76 nats , we were the designated party room. I brought my stereo & records and we must listened to Firesign Theater 10 times . Shoes For Industy , Pat!!!

[Pat McGee]

Hey Al........ More Sugar!!!!! Now I have to dig that stuff out and get my Porgy Tirebiter fix........

[chaparrAL]

Nick Danger Third Eye ! Out of the fog into the smog !

[Slotgeezer]

" Hey, Bunkie... President gonna buy you a new pair of shoes ??"


Jeff Easterly

[John Stezelecki]

Al,
Does anyone know were I can obtain some photos of the 1972 Car Model Tub Track that was used at Ken McDowell's Raceway? The track was used for the 72 MAR- PARMA -HOPRA Nationals. The only photo of this track that I have seen is on the Riggen's site.

I'm presently rebuilding a Car Model fiberglass tubbie ( Not an Aurora). It's six lanes, I'll be using new track. The original track was made of wood and copper tape for rails. I believe that the Ken McDowells was 8 lanes but only the middle six were drivable. The gutters were too close to the fiberglass walls.

It would be great to have some history and photos of these tracks. Thanks
Stez

[mike s]

post pics of the tubby your doing..There is a web site that sells tubbys.I will try to find it.

[John Stezelecki]

Mike, send me your e-mail. I'll send you the photos. You can decide if you want to popst them or not. Thanks Stez
stez1970@yahoo.com

[sidejobjon]

What was the differance between car model tubby & aurora tubby? Can someone post pictures?

[John Stezelecki]

What was the differance between car model tubby & aurora tubby? Can someone post pictures?

John,
The Car Model fiberglass tub track was a Engleman design track. The track itself was made of wood. The rail was copper tape or braided. If you e-mail me, I'll forward you a few photos of the actual fiberglass car model tub. If you check out the Car Model magazine issues around June, July, August, September of 1970 around page 3 you'll see photos of the complete track and advertisement. It first appeared as an ALTEC track around July 1967 0r 1968 in Car Model magazine but I think the sides of the track were made out of painted orange fiberboard much like the Parma track of 1972
Stez1970@yahoo.com
www.infinitevideo.net/nuvolariweb/

[sidejobjon]

I just emailed you. So the 72 Parma track is the one on Riggen .com & Car Model was differant?
Thanks John

[John Stezelecki]

John,
The Car Model track and the 72 Parma track are very close. They are just in the reverse direction and the Parma track has fiberboard sides and the Parma track had fiberglass. The Parma was 8 lanes and the Car Model had 6 lanes. The original Car Model Track was made by Alltech ( I may have that spelled wrong.)and to the best of my knowledge had fiberboard sides and 8 lanes.It was advertised in Car Model magazine around July 1967 if I'm not mistaken. Stan Engleman worked for Alltech.

In 1970 the track reappeared in fiberglass and six lanes instead of the original 8 and used fiberglass instead of fiberboard. It was made by none other than Stan Engleman for Car Model magazine. It first appeared in late spring of 1970 car Model magazine in one version and then again in June to I think November 1970 in Car Model magazine in a slightly different (fiberglass only)version. It is believed that the Parma track was one of the Alltech tracks which later was cut back to 6 lanes and fiberglass. As we all know the 72 Parma track did not use all six lanes in the Main event because the car could swing out an strike the side walls. We believe that Stan Engleman realized this problem and made the fiberglass tub track only in six lanes.

Terry Tustan who presently owns the Parma track was shocked when he saw photos of the Car Model track. He kept on telling me it's the same track but just in the reverse direction and fiberglass. Same dimensions. The parma track is presently in storage at Terri's friend's Greg house. Greg needs to take out a set of stairs to get the track down into his basement.

We have basicly concluded that Alltech/Engleman and Car Model/Engleman were pretty much one in the same company. The original design Alltech track and type construction were almost identicle except the the Parma track base was fiberglass. We believe that Alltech made the tracks in slight variations. It would be great if someone could post the Car Model ads of the track from around July 1967 and then print the two versions in the magazine lets say May 70 and then the other slight version July- October or November 1970. I hope the photos that I sent you will give you some idea of this track configuration. Now let's see if some can post those advertisments.

Ps, it should be noted that many of the drivers who attended the 72 Parma race were told that the track was a Car Model Track. This was confirmed by Rob Hayes who was one of the top six drivers in that race.