39 replies to this topic

[MSwiss]

I'll get a lot more pics up in the future.

[TSR]

Nice!
Tell Tom that whenever he gets tired of them, there is a museum on the Left Coast!

[MSwiss]

Is this stuff of any value?

The piano wire on the chassis isn't even round.

[TSR]

Only in the eye of very few, but for these few, yes, it has historical value as Mike Staskie was a top-notch racer in 1968-1969.
And hopefully, that history will be preserved for future generations.

[MSwiss]

Just goofin' with you.

I know who Mike Staskie and Dave Bloom were.

I saw both of them race at Hinsdale.

[TSR]

Both were great guys...

[MSwiss]

According to real estate records on the 'net, Staskie lived about 25-30 minutes from both my past and current raceway location.

He apparently sold his house a little bit before the Retro craze hit.

Despite some help from a local racer providing possible phone#'s, I could never locate him.

He was known as a source for used Pantera parts.

Another late 60's local racer, Don Goode had tracked him down in the mid 90's.
According to Don, at that time, Mike was tooling around in a Ferrari 308
he had rebuilt from a wreck, and despite some prodding, didn't seem to have
much interest in checking out slot racing.

[MSwiss]

Earlier non-Bloom body painted and detailed by Tom.


Used Bloom Elfin body


Unused Dave Bloom Champion Lola T-163


Top view of the T-163.


Unused Bloom Marcos Mantis

[MSwiss]

Unused Dave Bloom stocker body.


Staskie stocker chassis.


Staskie square wire chassis w/infamous Team Nutley drop arm.


John Nelson(?) chassis with square wire and Arcolite axle.


Bottom view.

This car had been on my track unbeknownst to me, 2 or 3 years ago, hence the modern spur and rear tires.

[MSwiss]

Bottom of Staskie stocker chassis w/ Cobra drop arm.


Used Bloom body on stocker.


B can w/ db(?) engraving on stack.

[MSwiss]

Link to Rick Thigpen post that shows Mike Staskie taking the 69 Hinsdale Manufacturers race over Bob Emott and Howie Ursaner

[don.siegel]

I went to Tri-State Raceway at the Illinois border a couple times in 67-68 and remember hearing about Mike Staskie as the local top-gun... In fact, that F1 car looks a lot like what I remember the top guys running at the raceway, but they were mostly using 26D motors: just two lengths of piano wire, o-ring fronts, steamroller U-Go type rears and no drop arm... A little Thingie-ish for my taste, but very fast, especially in the eyes of a non-expert 15 year old kid! Any chance of seeing a closer shot of that F1 chassis Mike?

Don

PS: didn't Mike run for Team Certus for awhile?

[MSwiss]

I have a few pics of the chassis, I haven't unloaded, back at the raceway.

Tom built it himself. It has a Champion 507 in it.

Mike was probably Certus's #1 driver for a few year's, certainly at least
#2 behind Lee Gilbert.

IMHO, he was the best racer from around Chicago in the "golden age".

Check out who he beat in that 69 MCJ article.

[Lone Wolf]

Mike,
Thanks for sharing.

Man, those Bloom bodies really are pieces of modern art, just beautiful.

I love those star thingies or whatever you call them where the lines and dots shoot out from the center .

[MSwiss]

I went to Tri-State Raceway at the Illinois border a couple times in 67-68 and remember hearing about Mike Staskie as the local top-gun... In fact, that F1 car looks a lot like what I remember the top guys running at the raceway, but they were mostly using 26D motors: just two lengths of piano wire, o-ring fronts, steamroller U-Go type rears and no drop arm... A little Thingie-ish for my taste, but very fast, especially in the eyes of a non-expert 15 year old kid! Any chance of seeing a closer shot of that F1 chassis Mike?

Don

After checking out the huge weekly Friday night Hot Rod show in Downtown Downers Grove,
Sano Dave came by to get a Dairy Queen, a few doors down,
in my plaza, and must of smelled the Bloom paint and Staskie solder.

The moral of the story:
"You can't go wrong, goin' for ice cream". LOL

[MSwiss]

The stocker chassis.

Maybe PDL can chime in, but this is the first time I ever noticed
the chassis used as a ground on a car from "back in the day".

[MSwiss]

I love the square wire.

[MSwiss]

Last one for awhile.

A close-up of the Bloom lettering.

Back to work.

[MSwiss]

Back to work.

I lied. LOL

Thanks to Rick Thigpen for the below.

Whenever I recount the story of Steube "tearing up" the track during qualifying,
I also mention Tom W. as the guy on the pole, until Steube cut him, despite
the come-off.

It never made 100% sense to me because Tom was a Semi-pro.

The MCJ article and Tom himself, cleared up my confusion last night.

Mike Staskie was the "current" pole sitter that Mike Steube cut.(too many Mike S's)

My confusion with Tom was due to him being the unnamed 2 minute Hinsdale Raceway
record holder that Steube would of cut if he didn't come off.

Tom had set the record in a weekly race.

He said last night;
"I still remember shaking the whole last minute when I set the record".

[TSR]

Maybe PDL can chime in, but this is the first time I ever noticed
the chassis
used as a ground on a car from "back in the
day".

Mike, not sure what you mean. Do you mean one built with flat wire?

[MSwiss]

Mike, not sure what you mean. Do you mean one built with flat wire?

Sorry for the confusion.

Not ground chassis rails.

One lead wire soldered/grounded to the chassis, in lieu of snaking it back to the
back brush hood tab.

[don.siegel]

Mike,

It took me a minute too, but I finally saw what you meant. In fact, grounding one of the wires to the chassis was pretty common back in the rail racing era (and on the first Scalextric tinplate slot cars), but I don't remember ever seeing something like that in more modern slot car - and especially not a pro type slot car!

Thanks for the photos of the F1 chassis, it's a lot more sophisticated than I had thought, and more so than the chassis I remember from Tri-State! Is that a front wheel suspension effect, or just an extra piano wire reinforcing arm?

Don

[TSR]

Understood!

We used to do that but not very often as the chassis could short out when the tires wore out, and we began placing masking tape under the cars.

Interestingly, I built an experimental, ultra-light King-track retro car a couple of years ago using the chassis as negative lead to save weight, so the old saying that nothing is new comes true again!

In any case my experimental car was a toad and would not turn.

So when are these nice cars going to join the LASCM collection?

[MSwiss]

So when are these nice cars going to join the LASCM collection?

I mentioned in another thread, Tom was a real good friend, and later
long time 1/8th gas racing partner of Dave Bloom.

He didn't seem interested in parting with them.

[MSwiss]

Thanks for the photos of the F1 chassis, it's a lot more sophisticated than I had thought, and more so than the chassis I remember from Tri-State! Is that a front wheel suspension effect, or just an extra piano wire reinforcing arm?

I didn't have time to study the cars that closely.

His brother was here with a group of guys that were anxious to get the racing started for the
cars below.

Sano Dave had more time to check them out.
He might have some insight.