Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

I'm bringing a friend who used to go back in the '60's. Remember when the roadster burned to the ground (basically)? A lot of my friends used to go to the Bowl back then - but that turned many of them off. I'm trying to get some of them back.

i was there back in the day, i saw that. It appeared Wayne McNally got bumped in the rear and spun. the car sat there then the fuel lit up and burned back to the car as Wayne climbed out and ran to the in field. the car went up really big in flames, they finally had to hook onto the front bumper and pull it off the track and let it burn out while they finished the race. i was just a kid, Tommy Johnson came back in it a year or two later and won a double feature in it while starting dead last in one of them because he jumped the start.Corky Harris was the flagman and came down and shook his hand after the win.

Once again - we really need to support the Spring Nationals March 23 & 24 @ the Devil's Bowl. It is always a great weekend of racing, expecially since so many Northern cars come down for the "warm weather". I just checked the schedule - and the rumor I heard is evidently true. No real weekly racing this year - but the schedule is filled with a lot of special races... so racing most weekends. I know the economy is bad - but when possible - let's support our local tracks.

Old pennies just keep showing up... this string...

For the record - it was then sprint car driver Benito Greenlee who took the hook out to the burning roadster so it could be pulled out of the pool of burning fuel. I'll never forget that car being dragged down the front straight - the mag wheels still burning - not turning - just burning.

I doubt that was the same car that Tommy Johnson had. He bought all of the molds for the roadster body - later sold all of the roadster stuff, I believe. That double feature win night was really great as he had to start at the back and the track was still really wet - and the roadster was only supposed to work on a dry track. That was a great fun night.

Trust me it was the same car. I worked on that car that night, and went into Baylor hospital the next day for back surgery. Bob Marshall Wayne McNally and crew rebuilt that car in the six weeks I was in the hospital. When I was able to return I worked on it till Wayne and Bob split. We ran it at several dirt and asphalt tracks in the south. It worked really well on the asphalt.

Another tid bit of information, the night that car burnt the 99 car that hit Wayne and started the fire was owned by Wayne Mcnally and Bill Ramey,they had a split and Golden Richards was in the car that night. The car that came up and knocked the 99 car out of the fire was the #9 of Shady McWhorter, Wayne McNally, Dick Manning and Walter Maynard bought the #9 from Shady the next year and Bobby Marshall Bob"s son ran it till Wayne and Bob Marshall split, and that was the birth of M Squad Racing.

Wow - thanks for the additional information about the roadster, etc. I just figured that a frame that went through a fire like that wouldn't be good. I guess in some ways it just "heat treated" all of the components.

Now you have tweaked my interest in who you are. I have been a big fan for years (even at the "ld Bowl" and know most of the folks you are talking about. I also helped Tom, John & Frank with the roadster from time to time (misc. things - parts chasing & using that ancient pop rivet "gun".

I was also at the Sportsdrome the night that Bobby Marshall first drove a sprint car - and won his heat race. Fun night.