Sprint Cars from back in the...
Sprint Cars from back in the day featured taller 8x31-inch rear tires. These dirt track monsters were driven off the right rear tire.
There was a time in racing when almost everything that hit the track was home built or sourced from a junkyard. It was a time before turnkey race cars could be bought from a company that built them exclusively. Race cars began life as pieces of tubing scattered on the shop floor. Parts and pieces were fabricated by hand. Creativity in the name of speed was king.
In the '60s, as Sprint Cars were being hand-assembled in the middle of the country, NASCAR race cars where nothing more than gutted production cars with rollcages. For both types of racing machines, production engines were many times modified with the likes of multiple carbs, hotter cams, and headers. Often, race cars were one-of-kind-creations. Many of the ideas born then have given way to innovation and progress, but some remain today.
As we enter a time of change for the oval track racing industry, Circle Track is taking a look back at innovations from the past, this article will be the first in a series of stories on technology from days gone by.
The first race car to be examined is this beautiful home-built 1963 Sprint Car owned by Kenneth Keiholz and crewed by Joshua Shaw. It carries the typical rounded body lines of the period, lines that old-timers will tell you are, "The shape an Open Wheel race car should have." The sheetmetal is held in place by about five-dozen Dzus fittings. It weighs about 300-400 pounds more than its modern brethren. History of the car and parts is a little vague because it was found completely in pieces.
This head-on shot provides...
This head-on shot provides a look of the trim body and the multitude of bars and rods that comprise the suspension, as well as the low-slung windshield, made out of plexiglass for the restoration.
The shape of a Sprint Car...
The shape of a Sprint Car body has changed a lot from the '60s. Today, the cars are much more angular in shape with much of the cockpit shielded by sheetmetal. Also note that the exhaust stretches to the rear of the car, much longer than on the modern machines.
One of the neat characteristics...
One of the neat characteristics of these cars was the custom-designed grilles. This example carries a nifty black horizontal bar design. Also, there was usually a letter or two up front identifying either the chassis builder or owner.
The details of the right front...
The details of the right front suspension are clearly shown here. Note the two solid steel torsion arms and stops, and the canted, liquid-filled shock and front axle.
This view of the right front...
This view of the right front shows the steering rod passing through from the left side and attaching to the steering arm, which in turn is attached to the right wheel. This steering design is basically the same today.
The car sports Halibrand single-pad...
The car sports Halibrand single-pad (puck) disc brakes in the front and dual pad units on the rear.
A close-up view of the torque...
A close-up view of the torque arms and stops.
That small scoop on the car's...
That small scoop on the car's left side might appear to have some type of an aerodynamic purpose, but it's actually there to cool the driver's feet! It was definitely needed.
The key to steering the car...
The key to steering the car is the so-called Pitman arm. It's pushed forward and backward by movement of the steering wheel which translates to turning the front wheels. All steering parts were home built out of steel on this car. It's identical to the technique used today.