For Ronabneysr

[Jim Fenton]

Hey Ron –

I thought you might enjoy seeing this
Oscar Norton photo and caption of
Don Abney in his #6 Nova Early
Model at the Gate back in 1977.

I ran across this in a GG Program while
looking for something else.

What I want to know is;
what the he!! is that on the roof??



Here is the cover of that program highlighting
ol’ Cousin Leroy who was taking the Late Model
boys to the woodshed that year in Old Blue 7.

[BVS40FL]

Got an idea ?

Was Don Abney the guy who had a light bulb on the roof of his car ?

I remember Kip Pierce had a Trolley bell.

And Dick Pratt had a giant milk carton.

And an Enduro driver at Sunshine with the TAXI sign.

[ronabneysr]

that was a light bulb and it worked also

bob nix who owned bobs ele motors downtown tampa was involved in racing for many years that was his idea was a marine light bulb

thanks for pictures we use to have a lot got destroyed in a tornado i use to have a hudson with a falstaft beer can on roof don ask why it was not bud i didn't drink falstaft see ya

[Jim Fenton]

"that was a light bulb and it worked also"

Well, wha-da-ya know.
I learn something new every day around here.

As long as we’re talking weird stuff on the roof,
did somebody mention a Taxi?

(Note: the following pics are all circa early 60’s
at Sunshine Speedway)

Here’s ol’ Cush Revette in the #7 car and
Kenny Walters in the #12 but I have no clue
who that is sandwiched in the middle in the Taxi.




Here’s another one.

I’m thinkin Paul at Paul’s Body Shop has a lot of work ahead
of him here on his Jalopy but at least he didn’t hurt the flag.

Which I’m sorry to say good thing he wasn’t trying to
fly that piece of history in this day in time cause the
PC Police, the ACLU and the UALWW (United Association
of Left-Wing Weenies) would’ve boycotted the racetrack
and made everyone’s life miserable.




Here’s the Clyde’s #77 in what I believe was called
the ‘B’ Sportsman class back then.

I don’t know who the driver is here so if any of you
Sunshine Speedway historians could help me out on
this I’d appreciate it.

So anyway, back to what’s on the roof, I’m open for
suggestions on this one.

It’s too small to be a light isn’t it?

Maybe an antenna for an AM radio?
(too early for FM isn’t it?) LOL.




O.K., your guess is as good as mine for this thing
on top of Larry’s Sinclair #43-A Jalopy.

I know it makes no sense at all but it sure looks
like a water bottle to me.

The problem with that is; weren’t water bottles
made out of glass back then?

Like I said, I haven’t a clue here.

A footnote on this driver, I know it says ‘Frank’ on
the door but it sure looks like Billy Hancock to me.

If that ain’t Billy, it’s his twin brother.



Speaking of Kippy, here he is before the cowbell appeared.

[ronabneysr]

fenton four were do you get all these pictures

i have tried to find some of older hollywood - and some of other old race tracks and back in 60's at gate can't find any my brother don abney's wife before she died had a million but now they gone

oscar -and bobby day had lot but they gone also

remind me next time i see you to tell you about the trip in old days me - oscar norton - john darvue - dick nelson - jack brady two speed sports news writers went to darlington speedway from east bay one night after races in big coach me driving see ya ron abney sr

[ancrdave]

The old "light bulb" cars were the Early Model cars #2-5 and #5-2... Fred Weiss, Tom Boyer and Bobby Alexander were among the drivers...

[Jane]

Dumb question but did the light bulbs light up. I know you can run a marine light bulb off your battery so were they battery connected and lite up while you raced. If so, that would have been really cool. Kindof like the cop cars that use to race many years ago with their lights a blazing. That was really fun to watch. But thanks Jim for the old photos.

Jane

[Joe Winchell]

Ron Abney sr

Ron is that the Jack Brady that raced at the gate if so he lives on my street. Do you or my buddy big jim have any pics.

[ancrdave]

Yes Jane, the light bulbs were installed in the roof and the driver would turn them on when the green flag came out...

Here's Fred Weiss in the #2-5 lopping in front of George Hill and Vernon Hart... from around 1969-70...

[dd38]

The #6 in the 1st photo looks like a Ford Mavrick body.

[ronabneysr]

there are some sharp people out there

yes dd38 it is a maverick had a 240 ford in it my brother don abney drove it

anouncer dave fred wise did drive for bob nix the 2-5 but look in the car that is don abney again that was the third night he started driving for bob nix from bob's ele motors


goe winchell yes jack brady drove # 74 at golden gate and yes he was mine and don buddy - bob - bill oneal josh huskey - jim jrace when you see him ask him about the van of hippies that turned over in front of us they rolled over about 10 times in front of motor home i was driving me and jack was sitting in front about asleep ask him what was in van i don't know if i have any pictures of him or not

and yes the light bulbs look just like regular lite bulb except they are 12 volt marine bulbs good for speck fishing or in home for storm with 12 volt car battery don't try to screw in regular light socket 110 they will not work

let me tell you one more seceret about bob nix - don abney and the first streaker at gate

bob like beer don liked whiskey - and i didn't care what i dranked back then but it was not much but i liked a good joke and liked to have fun

so we talked this guy to take off all his clothes and hide in back of my brother dons car he had more room in back than i did back then the fuel tank was off to side but headers came out tru rear under rear end


so we put the streaker in trunk and he layed across the x braces cross frame and we only put hood pin on front top and left rear ones off well we were soppose to pull out on front straight a way and they would line us up call out our names and start the race

well when we came out of pits back in old days we would take little nip to settle dry mouth or what ever before we came out of pits

well when we came out of pits johnny hicks the flag man threw the green flag to give us some laps to get tires working big tires back then

well after about 8 laps we all stopped on front straight a way my brother had for got about the streaker let me tell you when that long hair red headed boy got that trunk kicked off and jumped out he looked like a lobster from front straight away he started running and he was stepping high when he went over the fence at turn four he cleared it they had a car waiting on him

if you don't believe me i bet there are people alive today that was there