Lakeside Compacts/Late Models

[Jerry Lee]

In the late ‘60’s, the C.A.R.C. came up with a Compact car division to run at Lakeside Speedway. This division later became the Late Model class.


Here’s a look at some of those cool cars which you Lakeside guys can help identify and discuss……..



http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2426
(Pete Brandenburg collection) Pete Brandenburg #9 leads the pack around Lakeside’s South
turn. This may not be a pic of the late ‘60’s Compact class as the ‘49/’50 Fords and old
“CR9-4851” phone number on #118 suggest it might be from 1964 or earlier. Also note that
the multi-level open grandstands in turn 1 have yet to be built. A special Late Model race?
Or maybe a rare shot of Lakeside’s short lived Figure 8 class from 1964? Anyone know what
year those turn 1 stands were built?



http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2425
(CARC Archives)




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2424
(CARC Archives) This Compact slid to a stop on it’s side in front of the awestruck crowd in
the uncovered East stands.




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2423
(CARC Archives) The name “Vern” seemed to be a popular sponsor name on this Late Model.
Also note the Goodyear and Firestone Tire stores almost next door to each other along
W. 44th Ave. in the background.




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2422
(CARC Archives) I’m guessing these guys and the #25G towed out from Greeley.




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2421
(CARC Archives) Anyone know about the “Milk Powered” #2 or the #102 parked in the
background?





http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2420
(CARC Archives)




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2419
(CARC Archives) John Hochmiller’s #63 and more cool Compacts in the pits. If you look
closely to the right of the picture, the old Lakeside Shopping Center sign once located
at the South/East entrance to the complex can be seen in the background.




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2427
(CARC Archives) The Flanagan Bros. Corvair Compact is discussed in another great thread
here on ARM.

[rapid30]

Jerry,
I think that I can help you out with most of the pictures.
The #37 Doge is none other than Clarence "Tiger" Krieger

I think the #5 on it's side is Rich Perry

The #4 55 Chevy is Gerry Shilling of Ft. Collins, Gerry and his brother Stan(#94) raced at Cheyenne on Sat. nights and at Lakeside on Sun. nights.

The #25 is Raymond Siedler of Greeley? area who's father Arnold owned some of the Late Model's Tiger drove, maybe the #37 above. Raymond and Clarence also raced at Cheyenne on Sat. nights and at Lakeside on Sun. nights.

The #2 is Ray Dechant, I think he was Larry's brother.

The #47 Corvair is Russ Cummings and I think the car behind him is the #86 of Craig Cooley.

Hope this helps Bruce

[jack thornton]

I was the driver of car 102 jack thornton the owner was ron marcullis

[jack thornton]

the driver of number 2 was ray dechant

[Jerry Lee]

Thanks for the input guys!

Maybe if 'Professor Coupe' sees this thread he could become 'Professor Compact' for just a minute. Chris, I wonder if you could give a little insight on when the Compact class became the Late Models if you know. Did they just change the name of the division or was there a rule change so that more cars from all over could compete as well?

BTW, if it wasn't for Mr. Ertler I wouldn't have all these cool CARC images to share. Thanks for letting me copy that big envelope of photos during your tenure as President 15 years ago.

[lakeside #29]

Hi Jerry Lee, sorry I was late to respond to this post, we've been really busy this past week.
The CARC started running compacts in 1967. The modified car counts were starting to fall and with Englewood running late models it was felt that compacts would be better suited to Lakeside's small oval. They didn't have a big car count at first. Pat Petrie had one of the first, a bright orange #12 '64 Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6. Gradually more cars showed up, Ford Falcons, a couple more Valiants, a Corvair with rear engine. Tom Pryor built a Valiant for Bob Harrington, Ed Mailo built a Dodge Lancer, which was the same as a Valiant. Then Mike Wooley showed up with his Studebaker Lark with a 327 Chevy engine. It was legal because Studebaker ran Chevy engines the last few years of production. In 1968 the Camaros and Novas, still technicaly compacts, showed up. By 1970 they were late models and you saw cars from Englewood and Cheyenne competing regularly. Wisely the CARC opened up the rules so it pretty much was "Run whatcha brung". They couldn't have a weight rule because there wasn't a scale at Lakeside.

In the first photo that may have been a Lakeside figure 8 race. On the right of the shot is a '55-6 Ford that looks like Arnie Kautz car. Didn't he and Lee Stogsdill run #18 and #118?

The second photo is from 1971. It's hard to imagine Clarence in a Dodge, but it was purple and ran pretty good.

In the third photo, I'm not sure if this was Rich Perry as Bruce pointed out or Tom Drotar who ran #5 in 1968.

Bruce nailed the rest of the photos, I know Larrt Dechant has a brother Adam, I've met him several times. I don't know if Ray was a brother, but they surely were related.

The photo of #47 '55 Chevy was from 1970 and belonged to Larry Watts.
These old late models and compacts were really fun to watch, especially the cars that showed imagination like Wooley's Stude, Bob Land's Ford Falcon, Larry Dechants Corvair/Gremlin, the Flanagan's Corvair, I think Clarence Krieger ran a Corvair for awhile. Butch Wallace even got in the act with a Maverick late model on a modified chassis.

Jerry Lee I hope I helped out.

[parrot]

Ah! Yes! Some very good info from everyone. I was sending in stories to Cavalcade of Auto Racing that first year (1967) and remember when Pat Petrie 'popped' that slant six going into turn 3 one night. Some interesting memories in these photos. Heck, I'm even having fun looking past the compacts at the modifieds in the background!

[Thomas E]

In the late ‘60’s, the C.A.R.C. came up with a Compact car division to run at Lakeside Speedway. This division later became the Late Model class.

Here’s a look at some of those cool cars which you Lakeside guys can help identify and discuss……..

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2426
(Pete Brandenburg collection) Pete Brandenburg #9 leads the pack around Lakeside’s South turn. This may not be a pic of the late ‘60’s Compact class as the ‘49/’50 Fords and old “CR9-4851” phone number on #118 suggest it might be from 1964 or earlier. Also note that the multi-level open grandstands in turn 1 have yet to be built. A special Late Model race?
Or maybe a rare shot of Lakeside’s short lived Figure 8 class from 1964? Anyone know what year those turn 1 stands were built?



Looking back - Lakeside Figure Eights (http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236) ~ Thomas E.


Hi Jerry Lee, sorry I was late to respond to this post . . .

In the first photo that may have been a Lakeside figure 8 race. On the right of the shot is a '55-6 Ford that looks like Arnie Kautz car. Didn't he and Lee Stogsdill run #18 and #118?

Jerry Lee I hope I helped out.

From ARM photo album - Lee Stogsdill (http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/album.php?albumid=94&pictureid=659). Note the "GB Auto Salvage" on #118. In the above photo, I wonder if Lee Stogsdill #118 was a Englewood visitor?

[Jerry Lee]

I always wondered if that was a Stogsdill car in the first photo, but just wasn't sure. I'll have to jog Pete's memory about that pic. Interestingly enough, I've just recently learned that there was some sort of Late Model division at Lakeside in the '50's. Not sure how often they ran though.

[rapid30]

On rare occasions even Wayne Stallsworth would show up at Lakeside on Sunday to run with the Late Models.
rapid30

[Jerry Lee]

I had heard from a few that there was possibly a Late Model class at Lakeside as far back as the ‘50’s. This could explain the first Pete Brandenburg photo in this thread. The photo below is even more proof of the division in that time period.




http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=301&pictureid=2578
(Stallsworth collection) Wayne Stallsworth (right) and his Late Model in the pits at Lakeside
Speedway in 1955. Note all the Late Model cars lined up along the fence in the background.
Man, that looks like one big racing seat!

Would love to know more about these cars during that time if any of you Lakeside guys still have any old ‘50’s programs.

[lakeside #29]

Jerry Lee,
Back in the mid-'80's when I was on the CARC board of directors, I read board meeting minutes from 1954 that mentioned late models. I don't know if they ran in '54 but I have a couple of late model programs from 1955.

Here is a roster compiled from 2 programs:
#1 Morris "Moose" Jackson driver.....Dick Wooten owner...'51 Olds 88 2 dr
#2 Blu Plemons driver and owner..................................'49 Olds 98 2 dr
#4 Gordon Herring driver and owner..............................'53 Dodge hardtop
#5 Stub Cook driver and owner
#6 Fritz Willson driver and owner..................................'51 Olds 88 2 dr
#8 Bob Balzano driver... Four Fine Fellows owners
#9 Bob Haase driver...............Charles Wisherd...owner....'49 Plymouth coupe
#10 Jim Younkin driver and owner..................................'49 Ford 6 4 dr
#11 John Miller driver and owner....................................'49 Olds 88 4 dr
#13 Bill Lacy driver and owner
#14 Bob Busheff driver... Widmayer and Smithan owners
#15 James Pagett
#17 Norm Engblom driver................Jack Torpy...owner.....'55 Chev V-8 2dr
#22 Sonny Coleman driver and owner..............................'50 Ford 2 dr
#24 Wayne Stalllswoth
#25 Ralph Acierno driver..... Frank Malzetti owner
#27 Marv Rowley...........................Bob Walsh owner
#44 Gus Thomas driver and owner
#45 Keith Lane driver........owner Folker's Motors Longmont.'49 Plymouth cpe
#47 Vance Blevins driver and owner................................'53 Hudson 2 dr
#50 Tobey Cooksey driver.............Major Cooksey owner...'55 Chev V-8 4 dr
#53 Ed Jackson driver and owner
#55 Willie Roberts driver and owner
#56 Merle Burrow driver and owner.................................'49 Hudson 6 4 dr
#61 Tom Barton driver and owner...................................'50 Ford 2 dr
#62 Tedo Spano driver and owner...................................'49 Ford 2 dr
#63 Bill Starks driver and owner
#69 Floyd Ruth driver....Floyd Ruth/ Jack Payne owners
#80 Jay Saxton driver and owner
#81 Rheinhold Naeb driver.. and owner ..........................'49 Plymouth 6 2 dr
#85 Deloy Naeb driver..Deloy Naeb/Tony Onorato owners....'55 Chev V-8
#88 Frank Crater driver and owner..................................'50 Olds 88 4 dr

The programs I have only feature one photo and that is of Toby Cooksey.
I remember seeing a late model exhibition a time or two in conjunction with regular Sunday stock cars show. I'm taking a wild guess but I think it was in '64 or '65. As I recall the cars were early '50's iron. They were supposed to run on Friday nights. The one time I showed up on a Friday the races were cancelled. I think this was before they tried figure 8's.

[racer99]

I remember going to some of those Friday nite Late Model races at Lakeside. Why they didn't last, I don't recall. Possibily due to the popularity of the Sunday nite Modified Stock Car races. But, I do remember that '55 Chevy #50 of the Cooksey brothers and how fast it was. My friends and I, ( of course, being teenage kids), commented that this V-8 Chevy was the future of stock car racing. And look what has happened!

[parrot]

Thanks JL and "Professor Coupe" for that great bit of history. Knew that 'late models' were tried at Lakeside during the mid fifties, but had no idea that the field was that large. I think most of us drove those kinds of cars during our teen years. They made good mild customs, but just didn't get my interest as race cars nearly as much as the early coupes/sedans.

[Jerry Lee]

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=287&pictureid=2585
(Eddie Biondi collection) A friend sent me this image recently. I’m unsure of the year it ran in the paper.

[Jerry Lee]

From 1955 here's Fritz Wilson's '51 Olds Late Model entry at Lakeside.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=257&pictureid=3645
(Scott & Cindy Wilson collection)


http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=257&pictureid=3644
(Scott & Cindy Wilson collection)

[iSeeMore56]

Classic oldschool photography like this is the best. Really captures the essence of that time period

[webby]

Classic oldschool photography like this is the best. Really captures the essence of that time periodAren't you going to drop a link pretty soon?