Mar 4 2012


Full Throttle
The Life and Fast Times Of NASCAR Legend Curtis Turner
by aXe
Here is one I missed when it came out in 2005. there are probably a few still around but you will have to search for them.
This book was written by Robert Edelstein. It is compri
sed of 330 pages
with some very nice photos thrown in to show Curtis through out his life. There is also a picture of Charlotte Motor Speedway in its building stage, where they had to remove a half million
yard
s of solid granite, that almost brought the speedway construction to a halt! The Engineering goof up that said there were boulders just below the surface sure turned out to be wrong. Half a Million Yards of solid Granite and $70,000.00 worth of Dynamite later they got the speedway built. Although they go into detail of a myriad of problems that beset Curtis’ in the ownership position of that speedway.
One example of many putting you back there with Him through out this book.. Curtis says, “I never kept books on Charlotte Motor Speedway, or other places. I just figured we’d sit down one day and figure it all out”. now does that sound just like He was right there talking to you?
The whole book has excerpts like that in it from Curtis and many other folks from the NASCAR ranks back then. One of the internets most favored writers and photographers is quoted in the book in several places. That is none other than Dick Ralstin. Now not to long ago Dick passed on so it was a nice surprise to see Quotes from him in the book.
Another one quoted and I have seen this quote in his book also, Smokey Yunick said, “I don’t want to build the car that kills Curtis Turner”.
Biggest thing going on after the races spoke of through out the book, “If you don’t like this Party, Stick around there will be another party started in fifteen minutes.” Yes Curtis was a Party animal ! And could surely drink most under the table, another thing brought up through out the book. Another big part of his life was in the air, He was one of the first to use air planes to get to the races quick as He could, He was His own pilot. Also using it in his Real Estate business. That part (Flying) was what took him out of here so early in his life just after He started what was looking to be a great come back driving in NASCARS Grand National division.
aXe
Mar 5 2011
SOLD OUT!
History of San Jose Auto Racing book

For brochure: Email your address to – dmattish@sbcglobal.net
If you live in the San Jose area, save shipping cost by stopping by to pick up a copy.
Email me at dmattish@sbcglobal.net or call (408) 316-8595 to set up a time.
Coming sometime between 2012 & 2015
Book two of three on the history of Bay Area race tracks
Tracks covered
Watsonville–Ocean–Palm Beach
Fremont–Baylands
Salinas
San Jose revisited
Gilroy
Looking for photos on these tracks. This is your chance to be part of history and see your name on a photo credit.
Please contact me if you have a good clear photo of your favorite driver.
dmattish@sbcglobal.net or call (408) 316-8595

Feb 3 2010
Dennis Mattish pictured below with Joe Leonard who wrote the forward to the book

Overhauling a 97 to 107cui OFFY engine

Did you ever wonder what it took to overhaul one of the most used “racing” engines in the last 75 years?
Well now thanks to one Harry Stryker you can get a Manual to satisfy those questions.
Harry has owned and or overhauled a close to 200 of those OFFY midget engines, and now has put together a Manual to tell you just how to go about doing that.
I wrote that above about 9 years ago just after Harry came out with His “Offy Overhaul Manual”
The book tells you how He was mentored by Jack London who was mentored By George Bignotti in this process.
Both of these Gentlemen did the offy overhauls as good or better than most, their records speak for themselves in this regard.
Harry Stryker Sr.
1931-2009

“Harry had a soft spot for midget racing. He started going to the races in the 40s as a young boy in Oakland, California. His hands were into race cars all of his life. His metal crafting skills were second to none. He would never have had anyone do the work on his cars. He did it all on his own and he was a perfectionist in his work. Harry enjoyed spending his time restoring or building race cars. I can’t count how many cars he built or repaired for himself, his sons or many of the vintage enthusiast. He got to do this until the day he died. He truly enjoyed helping other people. He wrote this book because he wanted the Offy legacy to go on forever.”
The Quote part above was written by his son, Mike Stryker
Harry this past July 5th passed on.
Now Mike has decided to release the book again.
The book is probably the only one ever produced to take you through the overhauling steps of this Mighty Midget engine, with complete disassembly and reassembly instructions of those Mighty midget engines.

Inside you will find 20 color pictures like those above of the process and the specifications are on more than one page.
There is also a page devoted to the Hilborn injectors. Even a page with all the tools you need for the overhaul.
Right down to the address for buying the Gasgacinch part #444-A. sealer. Nothing was left out!
The most important “minor?” parts are embolded so they wouldn’t be missed. You miss on any of these and say good bye to that overhaul.
One of the most intriguing parts of an Offy overhaul that always astounded me was the Crankshaft seating in the case.
I was always told if you run an offy for to many laps on less than 4 cyls odds are you will have a cracked Crankshaft! That said now in the assembly of the Crank to the Case, the case is heated to around 425 degrees, then the crank is inserted into it and bolted in, You then have to pick up the case and drop it on the cranks flange to seat the crank? And I thought that was a testy step if those cranks were prone to cracking? Shows you how much I knew.
If you are mechanically inclined and need more engine reding materials or just might have a wish to actually over haul one of these mighty midget engines, I highly recommend this book.
To get your copy
Cost
$85.00 Shipping included to the mainland 48 US states.
contact
Mike Stryker,
15574 Space Murals Lane
Las Cruces, NM 88011.
e-mail
mstryker58@gmail.com
Phone
575 571-1390
Smoke Sand & Rubber!

By Mel Anthony
I read a lot in winter and I found out about this book through a friend last winter.
Mel Anthony is the author and also The one who had it printed up. Him and I are both members of a Racing History site. So I ordered one from Him.
Last Wednesday evening My Book came,
“Smoke Sand and Rubber” by Mel Anthony.
I opened it up and thought I’d just scan through it, Well let Me tell you the next morning it was finished. I started it and just couldn’t put it down. Great stories and pictures to go with most.
If you ever wanted to know how tough things were for racers back in the mid thirties and on up through the mid fifties you will find out about it in this book. Mel pulls no punches tells it like it was. His accounts of before He even had a drivers license were terrific. Even the part where He knocked over their out house!
He goes on telling about the first time He got upside down in a midget.
He also covers some of the greats from the Pacific North West with their Statistics and Racing adventures, Like Shorty Templeman, Allen Heath & Len Sutton to name just three of the many he covers in the book. You will enjoy the part about Shorty’s Hay Fever acting up on a trip back from the races with Mel driving Him home with the air conditioning at work full blast, This was a 4-55 air conditioner, 4 windows open at 55mph. It took a whole box of Kleenex to get Shorty dried up after following a hay truck for lot of miles.
This racing history of Mel’s starts out in the State of Washington where He was Born in 1923.
It goes through the Family history of converting a Chicken House into a metal products Co. where they were making products for Sears and Roebuck, Let Me stop here. Oh yea You have to read it to find out where that title, “Smoke Sand and Rubber” came from
There is just more interesting stuff in this book than was in the last three books I read, That was why I read it almost the whole night right after I opened it up for the first time. Some stories were, hilarious some very sad and some about some great racing.
This book would make a wonderful Christmas present for any Racer, Vintage, Modern or for anyone who just likes to read.
There aren’t many books left I was told so if you want to read some great Racing history from The Midgets beginnings up in the North West And the Ones who started it all up there along with Mel’s autobiography you had better get an order in to Mel before He runs out of them.
You can contact Mel here to order one,
He will surely get a copy to you if He doesn’t run out of them first?
If you are older than 50 that name needs no explanation.
by aXe
For those of us younger than that, Well it is from one of the Greatest Families that put out race car drivers this country ever had the pleasure of watching drive race cars..
“Vukie” one of the Very best or possible "THE" Very best to run at the Indianapolis 500. He came oh so close to winning it 4 straight times. From 1952 until 1955 He raced there and didnt have much competition.
Only to be stopped for his first win by a faulty steering problem. Also his winning of His last race there stopped only by the losing of his life there while leading! This after lapping all but 6 cars in the first 57 laps!
If You wanted to know the inside out story of this great racing family you have to have this Book, By Bob Gates, “Vukovich”.
It takes you to their very beginnings and doesn’t leave out much of the early problems beset this family. But Hard work and dedication paid off for them only to have it taken away to soon by Vukies death in the 500. Then the resurrection of the family in the racing world by his Son Billy Jr. and Grandson Billy III.
This is a very hard book to put down once you start reading it. From the heat baked fields of Central California to the small Midget bull rings also out west to the Greatest Spectacle in racing The Indianapolis 500, It is covered in the book.
Bill Jr now has a few copies left.
If You would like one give “Vukie” a call at 317 409 7141.
I am sure He will personally autograph a copy for You. They would also make the perfect gift for the racing enthusiast in your family .