Some Old New Smyrna Photos 1967-68

[ancrdave]

These are from the Roger Epps Collection... His dad "Doc" Epps was one of the first to promote at New Smyrna Speedway...

1) Action from the first race on asphalt held Labor Day weekend in 1967... as you can see there was still a lot of dirt too... the track broke up pretty bad and the LM race was won by dirt track specialist Larry Flynn... #51 is Lindberg Howard... The last engine Lindberg used before he retired is still in Donnie Lewis' E-Modified which will race Friday night at OSW with Brandon Thomson driving...

2) Donnie Tanner - 1968

3) Supermodified race - October 1967 - #V-8 Ellis Palassini from Mississipi won the race...

4) Early Model 6-cyl action from 1968 - #45 was Elbert Lane from Orlando...

5) The great Harry Pullen in 1968... this car won a ton of races all over...

[ModelCarMan]

Great old pictures Dave!

[Jimmy McKinley]

Tanner's '57 Ford looks pretty sweet. Dave, do you have any color shots of that car?

[Lurkin]

Ellis still has the V8 and still brings it out to pace the field or make a few laps every once in awhile at 5 Flags and/or Mobile.

[Darrell 76]

#88

isn't # 88 a 1956 ??

[ocalasp76]

isn't # 88 a 1956 ??

55 or 56... Not a 57..
-JIM-

[OldSchool+]

I see Harry Pullen's #19 has considerable front end damage.

Probably somebody backed into the poor guy in the pits.

[OldSchool+]

Re: #88, yep, not a '57.

Although I am a GM guy (and was more so back in the day {the volt--say what??}), the Ernie Bass/Amick #7 '57 Ford was a beautiful racecar, and Ernie had a fair share of success in it.

[gene davis]

The grill in Donnie's car is from a 56, but that doesn't mean a whole lot

[egspeedway]

Harry's cars were never known for their beauty they all just ran like hell. He built a pretty coupe for Eau Gallie painted gold with a professional 19 painted on it. The first night out he had to stuff it in the fence when a driver got out of his wreck in Harrys path. The other nice looking car he had was a chevelle that was sponsored by Eau Gallie speedway and was entered in the Gov. cup at Golden Gate. As I recall it was painted blue and white not typical colors for Harry. He was a maestro at fuel concoctions some that even smelled like shoe polish. As for the car in the picture, he may have built it that way as looks meant nothing.

[OldSchool+]

EG--Wow, I cannot recall ever seeing Harry in anything but flat black.

He was a rat rodder way before his time.

Regarding the front end, well, let's just say I would bet on Harry in a grudge match with "Big E" anytime!

[egspeedway]

Flat black was the color of choice by far. The coupe he wrecked was an oddity and while the chevelle was #19 I am not sure it was his. I never in my years saw Harry have even a questionable dirty move. I do know he never backed down and would go to the outside or dive deeper in the corner without hesitation. A match race would have been a good one they have virtual war virtual sex why not a good virtual race that would give the computer a real value

[OldSchool+]

Well, let me begin by saying that sometimes I forget things that happened and makeup things that did not, but I am as honest as my memory lets me be...

My recollection of Harry was not that he would spin someone out for advantage, but he somehow was always in the middle of something that turned into a feud. Henry & Charlie were calmer, but not much.

Rarely did the black chevelle get loaded in one piece.

I vaguely remember him crossing the infield at Orlando Speedway to nail someone.

But, as mentioned, it might have been Don L. Burkhalter or Dumont Smith...

[egspeedway]

As for memory I am sure we are in the same boat. I present what I recall not what I know. Charley Pullen was a gentle giant one look at him and you knew to be civil in his presence. Henry was the quiet one who let his driving skill speak for him.Harry was the flamboyant one who would push the envelope. As for his cars I am not sure if they arrived at the track in one piece. I was a frequent but not regular at Orlando as I lived in Eau Gallie and generally went to Orlando with Happy Stiegel when Jim ran. I can think of one driver that Harry or probably any other driver would cut across an infield to get to and that was Robby Ashton. Why Ernie Bass didn't go to prison because of him is a mystery to me. I last saw Robby at Thunderbowl Speedway in Valdosta. I was with my ex-wife and they announced a new driver form Orlando named Bill Wise. I told her it was Robby and went and upgraded my ticket to a pit pass and sure enough it was him. Said he had a child support issue back home. Bill Wise was his frequent bondsman and sometimes sponsor. One of my more fun memories from the grand old days.

[OldSchool+]

I would love to hear the Robbie Ashton/Ernie Bass story if you would like to tell it!