Forum Activity for @will-cronkrite

Spartanburg Downtown Racers Disply

Stock Car Racing History

I was invited to attend a function held at theChapman Cultural Center in downtown Spartanburg yesterday and ahad a VERY good time. It was a display of race cars outside and drew attention to the permanent inside display honoring the racers in Spartanburg County.

A good friend of mine, Cotton Eubanks, had a complete original 1918 (?) race car on display. The cars original owner was from Spartanburg. Therer were two rooms of photos, drivers uniforms and trophy's, etc. upstairs in the Cultural Center.

Outside were several period race cars, midgets and coups, etc. similar to what Billy B. restores. There was also a contempory dragster and one of Bud Mooers cars that Geoff Bodine drove for him there.

I spent time with Bud and Greg Moore, Gene Fultonand others chasing and dancing among the memories as best we could recall. The most fun was spent with Joe Frasson. We spent the best part of an hour recollecting all the 'stuff' we went thru, the least funny of which was the big wreck in Talladega. Dave Marcus drove a full lap under the caution and some how managed to get off the track onto the grass where he backed into Joe's drivers door. Joe was injured quite badly in his left arm, receiving 88 stitches. There was a picture in the upstairs display with Joe laying on the ground, with his wide open left arm on his stomach, his head on the balnket that we used to cover the tires, and my leggs in the background. I could tell it was my legs from the way I taped my shoe strings to prevent them from getting tangled while changing tires.

I thanked Bud Moore for his service to our country and for the good job he did in providing the car for the Willy T. Ribbs fiasco that eventually ended up being the car that Dale got started in. He gave us the good heads and the correct gear for running Charlotte. They were both rare and expensive items, but he put them anyway.Good guy!

I also met Racers Reunion's own Ms. Rhonda Beck, a talanted writer and a very pleasant lady.

It sure brought back lots of memories. I spent a lot of time early in my career in Spartanburg, and I saw a lot of folks that I met during that time.

updated by @will-cronkrite: 08/25/18 06:42:14AM

Restoration Article prompted by PattyKay

General

Thanks you both for the kind words.

I have updated the website, adding some of the pictures from the Oshkosh meet. There are some photos of the people taking phots for a magazine article and they are some showing airplanes at the airport where the meet was being held.

I have added pages 9 and 10 to the restoration pages.

Would some one be so kind as to guide me thru the manner in which I can make the photos appear on the post?

I too, am becoming a fan of Billy's projects.

Restoration Article prompted by PattyKay

General

I have hesitated to post this on this site because it is not a race car restoration, but Patty's article about Billy Bisco really got my attention and she invited me to post something, so here it is.

I have been working on this 1930 panel Delivery truck for almost seven years now, ever since I entered a wide bed pick up into a MARC National event in 2005. The Model A Restorers Club (MARC) holds a competition each year. It is an International event, always in the US and usually in a different state each year, and the rule book is about 2" thick.They get most entries from the US of cource, but some will show up from Canada with an occassional entry from Britain, Australia or New Zealand. They are VERY oriented toward authenticity, down to matching the cross hatch marks on the lockwashers and the correct ejection pin marks on the heads of original bolts. A completely different approach from stock cars, but I grew to be quite interested because of the difficulty.

The MARC meet was in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and we followed that with an event held by another NATIONAL MOdel A car club, MAFCA (the Model a Ford Club of America) that was only one week later in Marquette, Michigan.

At Oshkosh we had 14 out of 23 segments of the judging standards with perfect scores. We ended up with 491 out of 500 points ganering us the coveted 'Henry Ford" award. By getting more than 400 points we got the MARC of Excellence award and because it was a commercial vehicle we received the Raymond Matthews award. It was all the 'stuff' you can get at the MARC meets. They have only had 6 entries over 490 points from over 7200 entries.

We spent two days at a new friends house on the southern shore of Lake Superior, updating some of the issues we learned about in Oshkosh, before heading to the MAFCA event in Marquette. On the morning of their impounding the cars in the judging dome, we could not find the keys and in the ensuing commotion, I misprinted the buid date on the trucks windshield and that cost me severely. When it was all over, I had received only 483 points due to my printing error. But I sioon figured out the problem and quickly asked the judges to review the score sheets with me and they/we determined that I lossed 11.4 points due to my mistake. Furthur review noted a 2.4 point judging error in the Undercarriage section. If I had been a little bit more alert, and the stars had been a litlle bit more in alignment I may have score 497 points.

Here is a link to a page on my website that chronicles some of the restorationprocess. The website has not been updated since my return, but will give an idea of what was involved.

http://www.mantiquesresto.com/Projects/DropFloorPD/dfpd01.html

this set of pages shows what I started with and if you click the center box, it will take you to the restoration pictures. I will be adding pictures from the meets in the next few days.

updated by @will-cronkrite: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

#3 Poised for Return to Cup Circuit?

Stock Car Racing History

I agree with you all on this one.

While Dale was the most visable driver of the number #3, It is a Richard Childress number and to use it as a 'family' number is admirable.

In Your Opinion....The Best Looking Paint Scheme From the 80's

Stock Car Racing History

Soory, I am not able to make these pictures appear with the post.

Here is another car that we did that was refered to in some above photos.

Also attached is what I liked best of our personal race car. It was understated from a 'flashy' standpoint, but I really liked it.

We did this car for Buddy, I loved the numbers.

In Your Opinion....The Best Looking Paint Scheme From the 80's

Stock Car Racing History

I agree with Cody regarding the Bill Elliot cars. We did a lot of work for Bill in the '80's and I thought that his cars looks very nice, even before adding the 'artwork'. The first photo is one of his leavingour shop. One is in the Henry Ford Museum. There is a different one before delivery to Bill.

Goin’ 90 miles an hour down a dead end street

Stock Car Racing History

Nice work!

I enjoyed reading it.

I like it better this way!

Administrative

Thanks for having it this way. I like it as well.

Prayers for Dale and Mary Inman

-RacersReunion® OUTREACH

Dale was always very kind to me. Add my condolences to them both in this time of trials.

Cheating No Longer Funny Opines Long-time Racing Writer Larry Woody

Current NASCAR

Dave, I appreciate your taking the time to respond.

From my perspective we each were only offering OUR opinion of another persons perspective.

I am puzzled about some one writing about some on else's revelation of information. I am not complaining, just puzzled.

The following are just thoughts, not directed in any manner.

I have revealed here before that I am making notes, as I recall themin the event that I take a turn at writing some day, and it is often revealed to me that a writer is expected to do their own research and derive emperical information regarding their contribution.

It just seems contrary to that when some one takes another's information and writes about it, and offers an opinion. I do not say that it is wrong, only that I do not understand it. I am additionaly puzzled as to why no one notices and writes about a huge number of good achievements, but is willing to pounce on a perceived 'problem' issue.

These are just my thoughts concerning this specific area about NASCAR competition and the effort involved. I duly respect your contribution to the sport and recognize that you have a long history of involvement and I would not attempt to write an article about the type of thingsthat you have accomplished because I not at all familiar with them.

Others on this site have skills that I will never have and I applaud them for it.

I was only trying to express my viewpoint that regarding car building, preparation, 'grey area' investigating andthe tactical skills required during the race are almost impossible to describe by those that have actually been involved, and (from my perspective) it seems hard to 'swallow' what is presented some times.

I have tried to explain it to my Dad, Mother, sisters, a few wives, assorted girlfriendsand a few close friends, and they just look at me. I have to this point been unable to select the right words to describe it. Billy B and others here know exactly what I am talking about, and I would venture to say they have difficulty explaining it as well. It is not a learnedskill set.

I guess I would describe it as a skillset with (10) layers, and when I read what others say in attempting to descibe it, only the top 2 or 3 layers are ever referred to.

That's just my opinion. I offer no apologies and have no excuses. That is just how I feel. I do not wish to infer anything negative to anyone.