The Corvair Late Model

[Mitch G.]

I was looking for this photo to post on Big West, when Ray Flannigan passed away, but couldn't find it till now. So from a 1973 Lakeside Speedway program, the featured team was the Flanagan, Cuminnings, Turner team and the cool Chevy Corvair Late Model. The photo was not well captioned, but I know that's Ray Flanagan on the far left, maybe Chuck Flanagan next, and I don't know the other two guys, maybe Russ Cuminnings and Dick Turner ? I wrote times and results in this program, Don Wilson won the late model main in Rudy Proctor's #66, Cuminnings was 3rd. Joe James Jr. had late model quick time 13:41. As for the CARC coupes, Jack Graham was quick in Pachello's #19 at 13:13, main event finish: Bob Herring won, Butch Wallace 2nd, Terry Danials 3rd, Blu Plemmons 4th. Hey Chris Ertler, Jim Moore timed in with a 13:57, 9th quick out of 27 coupes that night, 15 late models on hand.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=34&pictureid=409

[lakeside #29]

The Flanagan Corvair was really a neat car. If I remember it was blue and white. Russ Cummings was a pretty fair hand driving it. I'm sure it must have bugged the the Englewood guys that came to Lakeside to have to run against a lightweight like the little Corviar. They had a weight limit at Englewood, Lakeside didn't.

The Flanagan brothers were dyed in the wool Chevy guys going back to the Chevy 6 banger modifieds they ran. Ray was a great driver, he drove the wheels off midgets and sprint cars. Chuck was a pretty good driver as well. Jim was a good mechanic, he totally understood stovebolt 6's.

Mitch, thanks for the shout out about #93, we just missed the dash that night. While Jim was driving he put the car in the dash several times. I think our best time when he was driving was the high 13:30's to mid 13:40's.
Thanks again.

Chris Ertler

[superstroke]

Was this car a mid engine? I can remember the Flanagans loading the spare tires, gasoline, tools etc., into the Corvair and driving it home. Sounds crazy, but they lived across the parking lot from Lakesides Speedway. This car was ahead of its time, and could flat put it to you.

Rick Losh

[Mitch G.]

Rick, according to the feature in the program, the car was "rear engined", for the first year they ran it, then they put the engine up front. This is what was reported in the program.

[lakeside #29]

At the time of this photo the little Corvair had the engine up front. It was a smallblock, but I don't know what cubic inch. It would really get with it. Look at the size of the Goodyears they ran. My guess is that they're 15" wide. We ran them the next year, they were the best tire we ever ran.

Chris Ertler

[VintageBuzz]

Herb Renz (Ft. Collins, CO) ran a clean little V-8 front-engine Corvair at Intermountain Speedway in Cheyenne, WY back in the late 60's / early '70s. Does any out there have photos of "Horrible Herbie's" #54 Corvair? ~VB

[Olen McGuire]

(Photo by J. L. McGuire)
“I took this snap-shot of Dwight Hoelscher’s Corvair Late Model battling Dale Curtis in Windy Winholz’s #101 during a heat race at Englewood Speedway in 1977. The late ‘60’sCorvair bodied racer featured the engine in the front and the driver’s seat in the middle of where the backseat would normally be. It seems to me that Joe Lehman drove this car for a few weeks later in the season. Dig that crazy “cheese grater” in the back window.”---Jerry Lee

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=63&pictureid=436

[Jerry Lee]

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2427
(J.L. McGuire collection) Here’s an action shot of the Flanagan’s Corvair Late Model at Lakeside Speedway.

[parrot]

(Photo by J. L. McGuire)
“I took this snap-shot of Dwight Hoelscher’s Corvair Late Model battling Dale Curtis in Windy Winholz’s #101 during a heat race at Englewood Speedway in 1977. The late ‘60’sCorvair bodied racer featured the engine in the front and the driver’s seat in the middle of where the backseat would normally be. It seems to me that Joe Lehman drove this car for a few weeks later in the season. Dig that crazy “cheese grater” in the back window.”---Jerry Lee

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=63&pictureid=436

Always wondered if there was a connection between that purple/lavender #101 of Windy Winholz' and a like colored & numbered '34 coupe at Lakeside during the fifties. Anyone out there who goes back that far remember? Maybe just one of those odd coincidences.

[vintagemodman]

Fuzzy Fassbender had a cool looking modified in 1964 and 65

[Jerry Lee]

Fuzzy Fassbender had a cool looking modified in 1964 and 65

V-modman,
Man is that cool! Would loved to see Fuzzy's car run. I wonder what the rear end looked like all cut down like that. Thanks for sharing!

[schafer1]

Rick, according to the feature in the program, the car was "rear engined", for the first year they ran it, then they put the engine up front. This is what was reported in the program.

the original corvair was red with white numbers and was a rear engined small block, any body else remember larry Dechants baby blue snafu corvair? with the 427 chevy engine? 1969/1970

[frosty]

Russ Cummings currently owns the #34 CARC Mod Coupe driven by Bryan Gossel. Come see him at the racetrack, he'll be happy to talk about the Corvair

[Hot Rod Angel]

Woohoo! Yay for Corvairs! I really have nothing interesting to add to this thread, other than the fact that I have a 1965 Corvair Monza Convertible...

That is all....:wave:

[rapid30]

Sadly Russ Cummings, the driver of the #47 Corvair and current CARC #34 Modified owner passed away on friday 8/13.
RIP Russ
rapid30

[dirtman]

I remember Fuzzy's purple machine very well! That thing flew. In those days it was Fuzzy, Mouse, Gaeden, Wagner and a few others that were the big dogs. I was running Sportsman cars during that same era at the same tracks.

[JHasenbalg]

My dad, Randy Hasenbalg, Ray Flanagans nephew, used to always talk about this corvair they built with the engine in the rear. He said it was wicked fast. Love seeing these old photos. Have the same photo in a scrapbook here. I do believe it is Ray and Chuck Flanagan, and Russ Cummings. Not sure about the man on the far right.