Studebaker Powered
"Big Car"
MG Special
Unidentified
1955 Chevy Late
Model
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The
Press Release from New Hampshire International Speedway promised the
largest vintage racing competition in the United States with 334
pre-registered competitors. Vintage oval track racers on Wednesday
and Thursday, July 31st and August 1st; then road racers and motorcycles
on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the Concours de Elegance and open car
show on Sunday, August 4th.
Having
only been able to get to the first day of this event last year, and
missing out on the car show, I made certain that would not be the case
this time around.
Wednesday
morning was bright, sunny, and just about a perfect day to head out to
any kind of race track, (Isn't any day just about a perfect day to
head out to a race track?), so it was grab the camera bag and notebook,
call a friend and make arrangements to meet him in the media center, and
the short trip down route 106 to NHIS; spend a few minutes chatting with
a couple of the old timers at the driver registration office
and the first good news of the day, Gordon White is signed in and Bob Valpey
is here with two of his Studebaker Indy cars and of more interest
to me, he's also brought that wonderful old Maserati again.
(More on the Maserati later.) So on down into the infield, a
quick stop in the media center for the lists of entrants, a chat with
Fred Neergaart, the PR manager, and then out into the garages and
parking lots where the cars were at.
Man,
this place is full, the garages which normally are used for the Winston
Cup teams are overflowing with open wheel cars of every size, type, and
from the earliest days of auto racing on up to a couple of fairly late
rear engine cars with (gasp!!!) wings.
On
the other side of the yard, the Busch garages are full of all sorts of
modifieds, they've overflowed into the parking lot and onto the grass of
the infield.
And
this is still early in the day!
First
order of business is try and locate either Bob Valpey or Gordon White.
I've been communicating with Gordon by computer and on the phone for a
couple of years now and just missed him at this meet last year. The
first gentleman that I ask does indeed know Gordon, is kind
enough to point him out down at the other end of the garage and I'm
fortunate enough to catch up to him, introduce myself and spend a few
minutes chatting. A
delightful way to start the morning; thanks for your time Gordon, and I
will get that photo of the old Bryar track into the mail for you.
Now
back down the length of the garage to the area with those gorgeous
Studebaker Indy Cars of Bob Valpey's, (and the Maserati). This
time Bob is there, another introduction, some serious discussion about
his cars, take a ton of pictures and it's time for them to take the cars
out onto the track. Bob himself climbs into
the Maserati and fires it up.
And
now here's a bit of the story:
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