1980's California Racing Association

[Mitch G.]

A great shot of CRA legend Dean Thompson in Bruce Bromme's sprinter with Eddie Wirth just behind, Ascot park in 1981. Maybe not real vintage but nearly 30 years ago!! I have fond memories of this era of CRA sprint car racing.

[nitro4dave]

you bet it qualifies as vintage!!!! no garage doors on top or phony aero panels on cage.:applaud:

[webby]

A great shot of CRA legend Dean Thompson in Bruce Bromme's sprinter with Eddie Wirth just behind, Ascot park in 1981. Maybe not real vintage but nearly 30 years ago!! I have fond memories of this era of CRA sprint car racing.
Oh yeah baby! Now THAT is racing!

I think I only made it to Ascot once when I was a little kid but that place was most certainly "da bomb"!!

[JRHud]

A great shot of CRA legend Dean Thompson in Bruce Bromme's sprinter with Eddie Wirth just behind, Ascot park in 1981. Maybe not real vintage but nearly 30 years ago!! I have fond memories of this era of CRA sprint car racing.

I was fortunate enough to get to race with these two in the early 80's. Dean retired in I think 85 and Eddie continued on till Ascot closed in '90 and maybe a little after.

[MickeyD]

Here's one of Dean Thompson qualifying at the California Midwinter Fairgrounds in Imperial during 1983 CRA action. Not as sweet of a shot as Mitch posted, but the best I could do from my seat in the grandstand;)

[Quick Time]

Nice shot MickeyD and welcome to a great site.....I hope you enjoy being here as much as the rest of us. It's a good bunch of folks with plenty of history!! I remember Dean from Ascot CRA shows.

Welcome,

Chuck

[MickeyD]

Thanks Chuck! I AM enjoying this site and look forward to talking old school racing. Here is another from the same day. Bubby Jones in the Gas Chem car. I have more if you'd like seeing them. I know they are far away, but still brings back good memories:)

[Quick Time]

By all means post some more. This site is a tremendous resource and history of years gone by......Thanks

Chuck

[Mitch G.]

MickeyD, I love those type of photo's, the one I posted was either a Mike Arthur, or Jim Chini shot, not sure who the photographer was, but it was published in "Open Wheel Magazine". Post all you can, I am a huge CRA fan.

[MickeyD]

Here ya go, then. Jeff Heywood in the Steve Davis #3.

[MickeyD]

I agree with you Mitch. I believe the first photo you have of Eddie Wirth and Dean Thompson may be Mike Arthur's. He is truly an artist with the camera, as is Jim Chini. This humble offering of mine is of Brad Doty in his only race outing at Imperial.

[Mitch G.]

Another one I scanned from "Open Wheel Magazine", I don't know who the driver is, I did not write it down, and I did not note the photographer. But it is the beautiful Morales Brothers "Tamale Wagon" at Chula Vista in 1980.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=4343
I may have posted this before, but it never hurts to see it again!

[MickeyD]

Here is Chuck Gurney qualifying Quintin Bammer's sprinter in 1983. Chuck won 3 of the final 4 features, including the final one on the 1/2 mile track in Imperial. The Rim Rider was always fast!

[Mitch G.]

Here's one I purchased from Mike Arthur, I never liked "Down Bar" chassis, Rip Williams usual ride had been wrecked, so he drove Don Urgo's car at the "Pacific Coast Open", or maybe it was the "Peabody Classic", in 1989, Ascot of course. I liked this Rick Stewart built sprinter, and Rip is one of my favorite drivers, so I ordered a 11x14, and in 1990 Rip signed it in the pits at the last sprint car race at Ascot. He led the feature till the last two laps and Ron Shuman just got by him for the win, Rip was 2nd.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=5042

[MickeyD]

Another from the 1983 CRA Imperial races. Steve Kinser in the Gary Stanton #75.

[MickeyD]

Another from the 1983 CRA Imperial Fair races, Tim Green.

[MickeyD]

A couple of 11's from the 1983 CRA Sprint Car Races at the California Midwinter Fair in Imperial. Danny Lewis in the #11 and Duane Feduska in the #011.

[Mitch G.]

Paging MickeyD and JRHud, check out this link, can you answer the question?
http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=56141

[MickeyD]

Paging MickeyD and JRHud, check out this link, can you answer the question?
http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=56141

They beat me to it, Eddie Wirth! The Super K cars were built by the Bromme's, if I remember correctly. Jerry can correct me if I'm wrong. They always looked sensational:)

Here's Eddie in his own #77, 1983 at the California Midwinter Fair.

[Mitch G.]

MickyD, your photo's are great, it's interesting to see photo's from the grandstands, add's a different perspective. Bromme's cars were unique, I don't believe they ever built a "down bar" car. The #391 on Indiana Open Wheel is built by the Gardners, I think. Bromme's ran a Nance built car for a couple of years also after they quit building their own.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=4344
This is one of the Bromme creation. I'm no west coast expert, as I lived in Denver, but I am a huge CRA fan.

[MickeyD]

MickyD, your photo's are great, it's interesting to see photo's from the grandstands, add's a different perspective. Bromme's cars were unique, I don't believe they ever built a "down bar" car. The #391 on Indiana Open Wheel is built by the Gardners, I think. Bromme's ran a Nance built car for a couple of years also after they quit building their own.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=4344
This is one of the Bromme creation. I'm no west coast expert, as I lived in Denver, but I am a huge CRA fan.

You're right, Mitch. The IndianOpenWheel photo does look more like one of the Gardner-built cars from that time frame. It seems to me when Joe Kasparoff first got in to sprint cars (Early 80's), they mentioned the Bromme's built the Super K cars. Maybe erroneous info by way of the announcer...or maybe my memory going wacky:) You're right about the Bromme's campaigning Nance's. Here's one in 1987 with Hall of Famer Bubby Jones behind the wheel.

[MickeyD]

MickyD, your photo's are great, it's interesting to see photo's from the grandstands, add's a different perspective. Bromme's cars were unique, I don't believe they ever built a "down bar" car. The #391 on Indiana Open Wheel is built by the Gardners, I think. Bromme's ran a Nance built car for a couple of years also after they quit building their own.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=4344
This is one of the Bromme creation. I'm no west coast expert, as I lived in Denver, but I am a huge CRA fan.

Here are the cars I was thinking of, Mitch. This is from 1982 with the Super K #391 in front of the Dean Thompson's #1, both built by the Bromme's. Prior to downtubes. I sure like the looks of these cars:)

[Mitch G.]

MickyD, no, you are correct, the earlier "Super K" cars were Bromme built, I loved those cars as well because, not only did they work as good or better than most other factory cars, they still had a "rounded" windshield area on the hood, and stuck with the Edmunds style roll cage without the bars trailing from the top of the cage to the rear torsion tubes (See, Gambler, Stanton, Nance etc.). I don't know how many cars Bromme built, but several owners had them in the late 70's early 80's. I'll dig up some reference photo's as soon as I can. Simply beautiful race cars.

[denise urgo]

my dad was don urgo his car was sold when joes garage closed does anyone know where his car is now?

[denise urgo]

Here's one I purchased from Mike Arthur, I never liked "Down Bar" chassis, Rip Williams usual ride had been wrecked, so he drove Don Urgo's car at the "Pacific Coast Open", or maybe it was the "Peabody Classic", in 1989, Ascot of course. I liked this Rick Stewart built sprinter, and Rip is one of my favorite drivers, so I ordered a 11x14, and in 1990 Rip signed it in the pits at the last sprint car race at Ascot. He led the feature till the last two laps and Ron Shuman just got by him for the win, Rip was 2nd.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=318&pictureid=5042 THIS IS MY DADS CAR I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS PICTURE IN A LONG TIME THANKS FOR SHARING