High Speed sprint cars - Auto Racing Memories

Mitch G. · 04-18-2013, 02:55 PM

A Steve Ellis photo from "Open Wheel Magazine", Aug. 1993, the shot is from the famous Winchester Speedway (1/2 mile paved oval) in Indiana, from a USAC sprint car race in 1974. Bill Engelhart in #51(gotta love the open face helmet), Joe Saldana in #10, Sam Sessions in #5 on the 31 degree high banks of Winchester. Oh yeah, hauling into the corner at about 115 m.p.h. Neat photo eh?

Quick Time · 04-19-2013, 07:57 AM

Mitch,

Great photo as they are coming right at you!!!! Always liked the open face helmet but know how much better the new designs protect.

Chuck

Old Sprinter · 04-21-2013, 06:07 AM

That's cool looking. I wore an open face helmet with a leather mask my first year racing. The full face helmet felt like I was in a sedan when I switched, the following year. I love the way those sprint cars looked back then as conpared to the bridges on wheels of today. But the new guys are much safer and faster so can't complain much.

VintageBuzz · 04-21-2013, 07:26 PM

Winchester and Salem are two wicked-fast race tracks with lots of great open wheel sprint car history.

Remember those Saturday Night Thunder and Thursday Night Thunder TV broadcasts with Dave DeSpain and Larry Rice callin them? ~VB

1990 USAC Sprints at Winchester (Saturday Night Thunder):

1990 USAC Sprints at Winchester (Saturday Night Thunder) - YouTube

1992 Tony Stewart Sprint Car Crash at Salem:

1992 Tony Stewart Sprint Car Crash at Salem - YouTube

04-19-2013, 07:57 AM	#2
Quick Time Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Northern CA Age: 74 Posts: 327	Re: High Speed sprint cars Mitch, Great photo as they are coming right at you!!!! Always liked the open face helmet but know how much better the new designs protect. Chuck

04-21-2013, 06:07 AM	#3
Old Sprinter Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tucson, Arizona Age: 73 Posts: 63	Re: High Speed sprint cars That's cool looking. I wore an open face helmet with a leather mask my first year racing. The full face helmet felt like I was in a sedan when I switched, the following year. I love the way those sprint cars looked back then as conpared to the bridges on wheels of today. But the new guys are much safer and faster so can't complain much.

04-18-2013, 02:55 PM	#1
Mitch G. Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Age: 60 Posts: 1,106	High Speed sprint cars A Steve Ellis photo from "Open Wheel Magazine", Aug. 1993, the shot is from the famous Winchester Speedway (1/2 mile paved oval) in Indiana, from a USAC sprint car race in 1974. Bill Engelhart in #51(gotta love the open face helmet), Joe Saldana in #10, Sam Sessions in #5 on the 31 degree high banks of Winchester. Oh yeah, hauling into the corner at about 115 m.p.h. Neat photo eh?