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

Does Gambler Chassis Company still exist? I haven't seen a new Gambler in quite awhile.

"The cry has been that when war is declared, all 
opposition should be hushed. A sentiment more 
unworthy of a free country could hardly be 
propagated."

~William Ellery Channing

You are right. I really don't recall any teams in Central Pa currently running a Gambler chassis. It is a shame because they were the first company to build a chassis with the current down tubes which you now see in everything from to a Micro Sprint to a Dirt Champ car. Are they still in business????

I was on there web site sometime ago. They are building motorcycle now but i think they still do some sprint car. There web site is gamblermotorcycles.net

Had a 98 Gambler called them to get some rear arms and the guy informed me they make a few small parts for sprint cars and that was all ,like the post above says they now build bikes , said they can make more off of one custom bike than they could off of 2 or 3 sprint chassis, guy was nice enough to run off sheets for set up and also for measurements of Rad. rods and Rear arms offsets and stuff.

I remember when they came through Lawton, Ok in 1982. Until my Mom realized Kenny Rogers didn't travel with the team, she was a racing fan!

Did Gambler cease operation in 2004 and then was sold to another entity?  What would be the current status of Gambler Chassis Co .and rights be?

I believe someone  was running a gambler at the short track nationals a few weeks back

roughly2000, 2001and 2002 lots of guys started getting away from Gamblers, they just weren't performing like the other cars, most of the Speed Shops did the same.

do it in the dirt

seemed like their non downtube cars were popular in the early to mid 90's but everything just faded

do it in the dirt

Gambler was the first to come out with downtubes.   If memory serves me correctly I think it was actually Karl Kinser's idea and innovation, but of course Gambler was his chassis builder then.    At least I'm pretty sure I remember them appearing on the #11 first!    Too bad they don't feel like they can make decent money building sprint cars any more.  

I believe the downtube chassis was invented by Bob Trostle several years before Gambler came out with it.  The idea just didn't take off at the time. 

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

I remember Dirt Champ cars having bolt-on down tubes in the mid-70's.

Dale

Now that you mention it, I remember seeing pictures of dirt champ cars like that.   And I wasn't aware that Trostle had done down tubes, so I definetly stand corrected.   

Gambler was the first modern downtube car driven by Steve Kinser at WoO on the final night of a 3 day show at the San Jose fairgrounds in fall of 86, i believe. He won with it the first night out.

Picture is from Ascot, after the SJ Speedway debut. 

I don't have any photo examples but I recall seeing them on early 60's home built Supermodifieds.  The idea had been tried in the past before they became popular on Sprint Cars.

Stan Meissner

I know for sure it was debuted on the San Jose half mile and it won the first night out. It's the year that I want to say was 1987 though. Seems to me that the downtube version was sold as the '88 Gambler. A lot of teams had them in '88. The San Jose half mile was last run 1986 & 1987 so it has to be one of those years.