Moonshadow,you sure struck a note with me.My first stock car was a 52 Hornet with Twin H-power.It was a 17,000 mile perfect car that I bought at an estate sale for $6.25 and butchered it up into a stock car.Over the following 35 or so years,I drove all kinds of dirt cars,but I had more fun and more success with that Hudson than anything else I ever drove.I still love flathead sixes and straight eights,but not quite as much as Y-blocks.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

Even then Y-Blocks were my passion. The car we ran was a tube chassis with a model A 2 dr sedan body that was cut off at the back of the doors. Then the rear half was split and narrowed so there was just enough room for the cage and driver. Along with a highly modified Hudson flathead it ran an in/out box and quick change rear. Quite an advanced car for the late 50's. We ran in modified until the overhead V8's came in and they created the sportsman class for the flatheads and 6 or 8 cylinder inlines. Those were real race cars and real racing. No cookie cutter engines and bodies. Everything was homemade designs and modified by the seat of our pants. We raced the same tracks with the Weld family (later became Weld wheels) and were friends with them. They were among the fastest modified drivers in USAC when it was first formed. I remember the debate as to whether the local tracks would be independant or go with USAC or another new outfit called NASCAR. We didn't think those asphalt boys would give us a fair shake and besides they were all from the southeast. We ran at Olympic stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Riverside in Riverside, Kansas, Marshall, Mo. and other small tracks in the area. Back then you could race 5 nights in a week if you wanted to. Lots of little 1/8th mile tracks scattered around and a few 1/2 mile.

Riverside was the same track that had a TV series a couple years ago about late model dirt racing. In the 60's they paved the track and went asphalt racing. A few years ago someone saw the light, dug up the pavement and went back to dirt. They are going strong again. Olympic was turned into a junk yard and most of the other small tracks just faded away.

Those were the days of first drink, first drunk, first girl, first race and first just about everything else! What a great time I dearly miss it. The closest track that runs modifieds and sprints on dirt up here is two hours away. I just dont feel like driving that far spending the evening at the track and driving back late at night. Too much hassle at my age. I'd love to get back on a pit crew but would have to be on a local track. Problem is we don't have one! Oh well my wife hated being a race track widow anyway. That kind of thing will take up all of your time if you let it. Chuck in NH

Found this UTube shot. At the begining the second car, number 36 is our Hudson in its early 1960 trim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKlvdWwV88Y&feature=player_embedded

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck, you did it, part of the pathway we left growing up and as you said" rightly miss it". would be good to go back a bit and do some more of the things we loved a little bit longer. We can all still enjoy our past daydreaming. its good for us! plus thats all i can still remember. ha,ha.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Reading this thread has been fun. The GM inline six was used in boats for years and was always my favorite, it was soooo smooth, hated it when they replaced it with the 3.8 V6. Tim the old flatheads appeal to me more and more especially the inline 6 and 8s, guess I just love the simplicity of them and the smoothness of their operation.

1956 Fairlane Victoria (ORREO)

 

Overlooking Beautiful Rimrock AZ

I envy those of you that got to see the golden age of racing. I was born a little late but was further hampered by growing up on Guam (a little island in the middle of the pacific) and later Flagstaff where the closest racing was 150 miles away in Phoenix ( I understand there used to be a track in Winslow but I never made it there). Any way it's great to hear about some of the old tracks on here as well as from friends that grew up in Southern California.

1956 Fairlane Victoria (ORREO)

 

Overlooking Beautiful Rimrock AZ

52 lincoln on ebay, edmunds intake and valve covers.

 lincoln/merc. y-blocks &mel's                                                               bucyrus, ohio.

58 mercury super maurader.

 lincoln/merc. y-blocks &mel's                                                               bucyrus, ohio.

Never having seen the fabulous merc setup and aircleaner before, i came across one at hershey/carlisle swap in 1990 and was attracted by it but not sure so passed by it, after some thinking i went back to buy it but could never find it! it may have sold but have regretted that day since, it was $500.00 and now realise how scarce they are.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Moonshadow.......It sounds like you and I went about the same route back then.I started in stocks with the Hudson and two years later got into super modifieds and sprints.This was 59 when there was about every kind of engine you could think of being used.Many straight eight Buicks and Hudson sixes,Desoto hemis,Cadillac,Olds and Studebaker V-8s and of course Y-blocks.I ran Y-blocks until about 62 when the weight advantage of the SBC just became too much to overcome.Like you we could run 5-6 days a week,living in east central Illinois.We ran Champaign,Danville,Charleston and Macon Illinois and Terre Haute and Boswell Indiana.

After moving to Missouri in 76,we ran late models and sportsman cars mostly at Sedalia,the half and the mile,and at Adrian,Holts Summit and Warrensburg.I finally gave it up about ten years ago when the costs just got completely out of hand and all my family started telling me I was too old to be racing anymore.It had gotten so it wasn't as much fun any more anyway.

You hit the nail on the head.Those early days were absolutely some of the best days of my life.Lots of fun,beer,girls and racing friends.

Dirt's for racing.......Pavement is for getting there!!!!!!

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

We used to run the Sedalia state fair meet in the late 50's early 60's. It was neat seeing other competitors from around the midwest. Even made it to the Knoxville Nationals one year. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire