Big Car Racing Association & Hall of Fame, LLC BCRA ESTABLISHED 1958, COLORADO SPRINGS CO

January-February-March 2017

BCRA Staff. Dave Tyson(Mo) Ray Cunningham(Ks)Boyd Adams(Tx)Bruce Budy(C0)Gerr y Miller(Tx) Tom Davey(Co)Wayne Panter(Tx)Gary Wolfe(Ne)

Welcome to the Big Car Racing Association and Hall of team also won two BCRA races in 1972 with Sutcliffe at Fame first Newsletter for 2017. We continue to expand Belleville, and Doniphan, NE. finishing up in the points, while the BCRA web site at bcrasprints.com. We hope everyone also finishing in the top 5 in IMCA. is enjoying the content on line. There have been many In the late 1970's this power team would split up as Van Patten would promote and announce races for National Speedways, a contributors to this project over the last 15 plus years and successor to IMCA while Trostle would win over 40 races in we hope we have given credit to those individuals and 1977 with Doug Wolfgang and winning the Knoxville organizations who have in the past, and continue to share Nationals. information. Pikes Peak and its competitors continue to be an interesting addition to the BCRA history as we go forward. Bios of prospective Inductees are included here.

Dan Morgan leads Roy Walker .1958 Dan Morgan. Born in 1931at Pueblo Co, Dan Morgan’s interest in racing was inevitable. Danny’s father John was a Big Car driver in his younger days and partnered with Gene Pacheco. Pikes Peak 1968 Carl Mismach and Pro-Wrestler, Everitt Marshall in Cornbelt Racing building the Melon Bowl and Pueblo Speedway. Dan Dave Van Patten. Owner promoter announcer. Bob Morgan built his first car, a Roadster in 1945 when the Trostle, Builder- formed Cornbelt Racing in the 70’s with IMCA came to Colorado Springs and with a short field drivers Ron Perkins, Dick Sutcliffe and Roger Larson and Morgan was allowed to run. In1948 Dan took over driving won races in the IMCA,BCRA and Super Mods. In the early 1970's a promoter, owner, and former racer, teamed his fathers “Old Ironsides” Midget that was powered by up with an up and coming owner, builder and mechanic. This a”Morganhauser” powerplant. Morgan suffered serious twosome, Bob Trostle and Dave Van Patten, would be known injuries in a ‘53 Midget race at Brush Co and was out of as Cornbelt Racing, and would be a top sprint car team in the competition until 1954 when he raced the AAA stock race 1970's in BCRA, IMCA, and the outlaw ranks. Cornbelt Racing at Pueblo. He crashed the Ford but had it repaired in time had the best of everything outside the cockpit with Bob and for the Mexican Road Race . He ran with the leaders until Dave, and inside with Dick Sutcliffe, Ron Perkins, and Roger a broken axel sidelined him. Carl Mismach was his Larson. traveling pit crew. In 1955 Dan ran Modified Stock cars In IMCA the Cornbelt team won several races, and also the and this year was Danny’s first of nine attempts at Pikes track title at Midwest Speedway with Sutcliffe. The Cornbelt Peak’ driving for Chuck Mauro. Morgan finished 6th in the Stock Cars in ’56 and in 1957, Dan drove the Bill Grover Special to a 6th place behind Finney, Roberts, B. Unser, Paul Klienschmidt, Louis Unser and Charlie Lowderman. In the Sports Car class in 1958 Dan finished 2nd behind Ak Miller and 2nd again in ’66. Later he bought a Shilila, while working in California for Peter DePaolo and Babe Stapp, came to Colorado and won the September BCRA feature at Pueblo, before going to Indiana and USAC. He later sold this car to Burt Blanot. Charlie Gottschalck Born in North Denver in 1936 Charlie was a race fan at In 1973 while pitting for Tommy Rice, Charlie was Lakeside Speedway in Denver. In 1957 he bought a Rail approached by BCRA Secretary Andy Anderson and was chassis with a Hercules engine from Sammy Koutch . It offered a position with the BCRA as Pit Steward, working has been noted that the memory that stands out most of the with Merle Holbrook, A position he held until the demise first season of competition occurred while testing the car. of the BCRA in 1977. Charlie later purchased the Danny A test drive down the street included accidently ramming Morgan Built V-8 60 which he had driven when Weiland a parked Buick and Charlie received a host of tickets owned it, and restored it. Charlie was a competitor with including no title, no headlights, improper brakes, no the CVOR for a number of years and member of the wipers, and in the words of the dramatises, for the color of CVOR since its inception in 1986. gum he was chewing.

Forty Year legacy By R. Cunningham In 1977 a youthful Sammy Swindell strapped into the "Bobby Davis Electric" Sprint Car to drive in a two day BCRA show at Erie, Colorado. No one competing that weekend knew that this would be the last time the Colorado based club would race. Over the previous three decades the BCRA had excited fans across a six state area. From dirt to pavement and from the tiniest bull ring in Englewood, to the super fast half mile in Belleville, cars and drivers from across America had come to challenge the competition in one of America's greatest sprint car clubs of the era. And this final weekend would be no exception as Swindell and Bobby Unser Jr. would duel it out in a epic battle that would leave the 21 year old Swindell the last man standing in victory lane. Forty years later the BCRA's legacy is still reverberating throughout open cockpit racing even though the club and most of the men originally involved in it have long since gone to the Golden Speedway in the sky. In 1958 Charlie Brown started driving for Marty Weiland It all starts however with some of the players who were so in his fast V-8 60. He did very well and began traveling prominent back then, and amazingly enough are still just as out of town to compete and won his first trophy dash at relevant today. The before mentioned Swindell 40 years later is Pueblo . In1959 Charlie drove the Jim Steele-Bill Hill still one of the best in sprint car racing. Last summer he made owned V- 8 60 built by Ade Butler, at Englewood the Knoxville Nationals A main. But it was his performance Speedway. Charlie retired from driving in ‘59 when the 42 there the week before where he really shined! The rail birds are car was sold. He continued in racing as a steward for the still talking about that one as he won the Knoxville 360 Colorado Racing Club, as a Pitman for Tommy Rice and Nationals over a stellar field of competitors. Slammin' Sammy also won at Knoxville in 410 competition earlier in the summer an official with the RMMRA until he was transferred with when he was victorious after a last lap pass that gave him his Black and Decker to Phoenix Az. While in Phoenix, 50th win at the Iowa oval all-time! Charlie held similar positions with the Arizona Racing Association midgets. On his return to Colorado, Gottschalck would work with Mitch Miller in the AIMS and SWIMS Midget Associations and was pit steward of the Belleville High Banks Midget Nationals. 2

Swindell 1977 Sammy's son Kevin had also established himself as a top open wheel star over the last decade. His four year reign at the Chili Bowl, 2010-2013 has only been exceeded overall by his father a five time winner of this prestigious event. However a accident at the Knoxville Nationals in 2015 left him with some paralysis. Chris and Junior Parkinson. Fans and family He has gained almost all of the use of his legs back since that The team with sponsorship from Linda Weld, (daughter of the point. But has changed his emphasis to being a owner since late Jerry Weld) and Nina Gennetten, (wife of the late Gene then. Gennetten) have further enhanced the #65 teams legacy as a Speaking of Knoxville and the Nationals, Kansas Cities Ted remembrance to the grand old days of sprint car racing. Nina's Hall built, wrenched, and owned the winning car in 1966 that son Beaver and grandson Ayrton also have become a top race Jay Woodside won both the BCRA and Knoxville Nationals team in the Micro division, and now have a sprint car of their title with that year. Last summer Ted had one of his greatest in own to compete with. Beaver was a top competitor in the open that capacity again as his grand kids Cody Baker and Casey wheel ranks when he was younger as well. Tribble terrorized the dirt tracks around KC in both winged and non winged sprint car action racing for Ted.

Ted Hall, Casey Tribble and Cody Baker Ayrton and Steve Gennetten

Cody won 9 features at Valley Speedway, 8 in non winged, and Other racing families that were prominent in the BCRA era that 1 in ASCS Winged Warrior action. His sister Casey had a great are still going strong include the Smith Family of Lincoln,NE. season in her own right as she had several top five finishes and the Shapel Family of Wichita, KS. Back in the day the while narrowly losing to Wyatt Burks on the final night of non Smith's had purple #44 Sprint Cars. This race team was owned wing racing at the Grain Valley, Missouri, oval. by Ed Smith originally, with assistance from his sons Ed Jr. and Texas Natives Ralph Parkinson, and his son Ralph Parkinson Jr. Skip. Though Ed passed many years back, Skip and his son We're two of the finest to ever drive on the BCRA and IMCA Casey have continued on the family racing legacy with their circuits back in the day. The duo were the the only father and Fun Racing #44 Midget driven by Don Droud Jr. whose father son combo to both win BCRA features. Ralph has since passed Don Sr. was a regular competitor in BCRA. after a battle with Pancreatic Cancer, but the Parkinson legacy lives on with Junior and his son Chris who have been one of the top non winged sprint car teams in the Kansas City area for the last several years. 3

Novotny “Bumblebee” and Olds Hauler. early1950’s

Skip Smith, Don Droud Jr and Casey Smith

Meanwhile the Shapel family run their midget against the Smith's on occasion as they race with clubs including POWRi and the Allstar Series. Father Phil who raced for several years in the midget ranks himself has now turned over the wheel to his son Shaun "Curly" Shapel to drive their #84 midget. The number is in honor of Phil's grandfather Ernest "Red" Forshee. The late Forshee was the all-time winningest owner in BCRA competition and a two time car owner Champ.

Speedway 4x Roadster

Curly Shapel Sammy Swindell, Ted Hall, Ralph and Junior Parkinson, Gene

Gennetten, Ed Smith, Don Droud Sr. and Red Forshee are all Speedy Bill, Todd White and Gordon Woolley. Speedway 2007 enshrined in the BCRA HOF. And their legacy as well as the BCRA's legacy still lives on through their family's racing endeavors. A lasting tribute to the BCRA who ran its last race 40 years ago this summer.

4 hairpin curves and deep rocky canyons. 1949 was Paul’s first trip up the Pikes Peak Road with a buddy in a ’29 Model A Roadster and it wasn’t long before he was working for top competitor, Herb Bryers. Bryers started at Pikes Peak in 1948 driving for Bill Groves and was runner-up to Al Rogers in the Coniff Special Offy. In 1949 Herb ran a McDowell powered #7 to a tenth place finish. Breyers would run the Peak 9 times with 4 top five finishes. During this time Kleinschmidt would begin in the Jalopies at the old Gold Cycle Mill track in Colorado Springs and ran Midgets and later Jalopies at Pikes Peak Speedway near Colorado Springs. In 1950 Paul drove for Jim Goodwin in a Stock Car race at the Colorado State Fairgrounds. His 2nd place finish reportedly paid more than enough to buy a new washing machine, which was The amazing Gordon Woolley In the Sid Wienberger Chevy.1963 needed with the birth of his first daughter. In 1951, Kleinscmidt suffered a broken back in the Fred Weiss midget at the Pikes Peak Speedway. But it wasn’t long and he was back at it. By 1952 Paul took the “Kleins Special”, # 4 to 4th place at the Peak, behind winner George Hammond, Louie Unser and Al Rogers. At the 1954 Hill Climb, Kleinschmidt #4 “Coors Special” finished in 5th at the Hill behind the likes of Keith Andrews and Bob Finney. The 1957 Hill climb was showcased with two Frenzel Lincoln’s that finished 1st and 2nd(first ever finish by the same owner), followed by Bob Unser and Paul Kleinschmidt. With the Big Car Racing Association 1958 Paul would finish 5th in Owner points behind Roy Walker, Jack Hahn, Curt Stockwell and Ray Koch. Kleinchmidt would continue in competition at Pikes Peak until 1968 with numerous top five finishes, his best finish was in 1963 when he finished 18 seconds behind the winner Bob Unser Paul Klienschmidt was born in1926 at Calhan Colorado. By 1935, at age 9 he began his driving career. Paul’s father would set him in the seat of a Massey Harris tractor on the family farm. The family later moved to town and Paul joined the Army in 1943 and seen action in France, Belgium and Germany in the latter stages of WWII with the 97th Division. This division was originally trained for Amphibious assaults in the Pacific Theater but was pulled to infantry in 1944, when severe casualties in Europe needed to be replaced. Paul was a mechanic but later was selected to drive Lt Harold Hanes, Kleinschmidt had a way to get him where he needed to be in an expeditious way. The two were together through the remainder of WWII. Upon his Dicharge Paul returned to Colorado Springs and went to work for Standard Supply and was trained as a Machinist through the GI Bill. The towering Pikes Peak Paul Klienschmidt in the #4 Coors Special and the Hill Climb drew Kleinschmidt to its steep inclines, 5 shortly after Al challenged him in the Quarter Midgets at the Inaugural race of the newly formed,”National Quarter Midgets Of America Association” in San Fernando California. During this time, fabricating and racing was his passion. He toured the Eastern States Midget circuits racing at Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, St.Louis, Indianapolis, South Bend, New York and Philadelphia. He ran the Greenwich New York track in 1934 driving a Clyde Adams built #24 “Elto”, having driven the Bill Beteridge built, Speed Boardman owned, Boardman-Goddard #32 Elto at Santa Monica Municipal Stadium. He also drove the Debell Offy which later found its way to Roy Warfield and driver Sam Hoffman in Iowa with 85 and 100 inch Offy motors.

Jerry Ford, Charlie Gottschalk, Gene Pastor, Gerry Miller, Mike Davey, sitting Mitch Miller and Tom Davey Many Competitors came to run with the Big Car Racing Al would drive Charlie Allens new Offy powered Midget which became known as the, “Jewell Box” at the Chicago Association during it’s two decade tenure in the Midwest. Midget Stadium. He would race against such Eastern Drivers and Owners such as Jack Rounds, Cotton Farmer, Midget ace’s in Ray Richards, Paul Russo, Bob Bruce, Jerry Weld, Hector Honore, Jimmy Moughan, Eddie Tony Nardi, Wally Zale, Ray McClary and Ted Tetterton. McVay, Les Butler, Gordon Woolley and others found themselves running with the BCRA. One such competitor had been racing and building Midgets from the Mid- 1920’s and ran coast to coast. He chauffeured several Sprint cars in the 50’s up through the 70’s with his home based, California Racing Association. He came to the Colorado State Fair in 1958, but this was not Al Sherman’s first time on the Midwest Dirt Track,”Bull Rings”. Al Sherman was born in Jones County in Eastern Iowa in 1910. The family moved to Los Angeles California in 1923. His father was a Mechanic and Al started learning the trade at this time. It is generally believed Al began in the Midgets and probably ran a Roadster or two, but the Midgets became his Forte. It is reported he was building, Sherman in the DeBell Offy. Mid 30’s and driving Midgets beginning in High school. One of Al’s first Midgets was powered with a Ford Ferguson 4 Cyl Flathead. Father. John Henry, passed away in 1931, 6 Al Married Pasadena Ca. native Maxine Balinger in 1936 and Daughter Shirley was born in 1938. He then went to work at Lockheed Aircraft in 1939 and soon became a “Final Assembly Inspector”. A son, Richard(Dickie) was born in1942 at Van Nuys. Sherman shows membership in the California “United Racing Association” in 1945 and raced the first race at Talberts, “Carrot Patch” Track in 1946(later becoming Hunting Beach Speedway). He raced frequently at Ascot in Los Angeles. Long time friend Charlie Allen, passed during WWII and Al bought the Jewell box Midget he had driven in Chicago in the late ‘30’s. He raced in Colorado with the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association in 1948. Sometime around 1954-55 Sherman stretched the car and ran Saugus in California, joined the International Motor Contest Association in (’54) and ran in Minnesota in ’57. The #88 at Des Moines, Iowa Sherman came to one of the Premier Midwest Sprint

Association’s Gala events at the Colorado State Fairgrounds at Pueblo on August 19th, 1958. Rain cut the Big Car Racing Association’s (BCRA) program short on the first day Main Event ,with Sherman leading a pack of topnotch competitors from 8 states. The second day show was won by Wayne Wieler of Phoenix driving his home built, Fike Plumbing Chevy. Al Sherman made an impression on the BCRA, driving the stretched ,“Jewell Box” , he had competed in before modifying the Chassis, body and adding a Chevy V-8. Sherman would return to the Midwest at Des Moines and Belleville in 1960. Information received includes Bonneville National Speed . Trials Safety Inspection Sticker in 1959 with the Southern Sherman reunited with the Kurtis built, Allen, “Jewell Box”. 1942 California Timing Association.

The Jewell Box at Colorado State Fair.1958(Byers) Sherman and Wieler “Duke” it out at Pueblo. ‘58*(Byers)

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At Belleville. Jerry Shumaker #69 and #88 Al Sherman. 1960 Al Sherman 1968. CRA’s oldest driver and oldest car.

Sherman pushed off with the IMCA at Lincoln. 1960 (Les Domina) Al was active in racing until 1975 as an owner, unless the driver didn’t show as happened in ’75 when Al strapped in again (according to one account) and put the #85 in Feature . What ever happened to the Jewell Box? Latest word has it the 1975 Photo. Note suggests it was taken at El Centro or Otay Ca. car is retired and basking in the comfort of a Route 66 Web Site at bcrasprints.com Museum. ..

Big Car Racing Association and Hall of Fame 306 Montrose Ave Bertrand Ne 68927

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