History
This picture is Johnny Nusom. In the years since, I learned that many drivers of the era used a pseudonym. I think Nusom was not this driver's real last name. I used to think this accident was at Lincoln, but I saw something at York County Racing Club that now leads me to believe it might have been Reading.
This photo is Russ Ruppert. Russ had a rather brief driving career prior to his military service but quickly was a winner. Upon return, Russ gave up the driving in favor of a long tenure as a car owner, car builder and engine builder. He experienced great success with URC and particularly USAC. Some of his best years were when he teamed with the great Dick "Toby" Tobias. USAC competitors feared when this team showed up. I knew of Russ' reputation and he didn't live far from my childhood home. When I started racing, I decided I needed to meet Russ Ruppert. I found his address, walked up, knocked on the door and introduced myself. That was the beginning of an enduring friendship that remains very close even now. Up until recently, every motor I ever raced in my car was a Ruppert built motor. Russ mentored me, taught me many skills I needed to know, and kept me on the track many times when I otherwise would have been sitting out. I rarely had the funds to pay what everything really cost, but, Russ allowed me to barter for services.
This photo is Neil Height. I never met Neil, but did become acquainted with this son, Dave.
Johnny Mackison was one of my two favorite drivers.
Gene Goodling drove this #3 car. Gene's brother, Bobby, had many great seasons in the Eater-Starz #61 late model. Gene sustained serious injuries later in his career driving the Appler #77.
Johnny Mackison was a top feature winner everywhere he raced. The potent Yorkshire Garage #1080 was wrenched by the famous Davey Brown who still turns winning wrenches today. The checkered flags on the door represented feature wins for a season. This car would make quite a classic vintage car. If it still exists, nobody is talking . . . .
Johnny Mackison winners circle
This is a rare occurrence, a Studebaker in Victory Lane! I didn't make a note of the driver's name.
This is Sam Krout. He and his brother, Gene, competed as a team for many years. Both are my Dad's cousins on my Grandmother's side.
I have this driver as Buzzy Richardson. I believe Jerry Burkett is the car owner.
The 47 of Bobby Hersh spins and collects Rich Christine.
Frankie Thompson picks up a win, now in the #88.
Joe Davis takes a checkered flag in the #999.
I have the driver of the 64 as Goon Crowl. My memory tells me he was a relation of the neighbors that lived across the street.
Paul Miller always had cool looking cars. Here is one of his coach #133s. Paul was one of the original founders of the York County Racing Club and is the ONLY President the organization has ever had!
Pee Wee Pobletts in the #46. Later, Pee Wee had a dynamite cut-down with a 421 c.i. Pontiac. You can see this restored car regularly at shows.
I'm not sure how I got this photo, because the #79 is Johnny Dubendorf, a Port Royal Regular. I believe we did make an infrequent trip there; maybe I just got it from the photographer.
This is recorded as Clair Stough. I recall Clair as a hard-luck driver. I believe he ran almost exclusively at Susquehanna. I remember a time, and I'm pretty sure it was him, that a car caught fire on the back stretch at Susky. It burnt to a crisp - the driver escaped - it was Clair's #7.
For the longest time I never had a clue who this driver was, or at what Speedway. Which makes me wonder why I had the photo. But, I saw something, again at YCRC, that leads me to believe it may have been Ray Tilley, and likely at Silver Springs.
This is Kemp Beaumont - not sure of the spelling at all. In the years since, I've learned that he started out at Bowling Green Speedway, which operated only in the early Fifties, in Southern York County. Check out the Bowling Green Speedway Preservation Society. I believe he was from nearby Parkton, MD. I remember seeing this car at Susquehanna regularly, and recall that he frequently had a problem with something breaking that made the car sag.
The 60's represented a transition in local racing. Up to this point, the cars were almost the same wherever you went. But change was coming as represented by this #79, being run as Pete Swarmer's #89 at Port Royal. First came the Cut-Downs. Basically they took the stock cars they were running and literally cut them down - narrower, shorter, lower - often using the same frame as before, but also modified. Yankee ingenuity was hard at work! It was a creative, golden era. The one picture of Bobby Abel's #2, earlier, was a Cut-Down.
Now this one I do have as Ray Tilley
After the Cut-Downs, we had the Bug Modifieds. I think this photo of Roger Sower's car on display at the Harrisburg Farm Show Arena was somewhere in between. I don't recall Roger having a long career, but I do recall he tried a rear-engine car at one point. I think that one may have been just prior to this car. The Abel car, on which I did a small amount of the restoration work, was a Bug Modified. The bodies looked similar to the Stock Cars, but were fully fabricated . . . as were the frames. During this period, tracks had to declare if they were going to stick with the Stock Cars, or follow the evolution. You could no longer take your car to any track and be legal to race. Reading stayed with the Stock Cars - that later evolved into the current day Modifieds - led by the evolution started by Kenny Weld. Bug Modifieds eventually had to compete against outright Sprint Cars brought in from the Mid-West. Abel's Four Bar car was an attempt to keep the Bug Modifieds competitive with the Sprint Cars. The Sprint Cars won out, ultimately.
As a kid, Denny built some model cars to look like cars that he saw regularly at
Lincoln and Susquehanna Speedways. On Saturday, August 1, 2015, Denny was happy to
present his model of Gary Wolford's #199, to his friend at Gary's shop in Brogue, PA.