The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing near York Springs, Pa., opened its restored Latimore Valley Fairgrounds race track to antique and vintage race cars Saturday as part of the annual Latimore Valley Fair. About 30 sprint cars, stocks, modifieds, roadsters, midgets, and others took part. Here are some highlights.
Three modifieds of varying vintages come out of the fourth turn.
This vintage modified has been restored to look like the car driven by racing great Frankie Schneider.
How long ago do you think it was that you went to the track to see races with cars looking like this (only with more dents).
Former sprint car standout Van May spent months restoring this sprinter and brought it out to the track for the first time since its racing days.
You’re liable to see a little of everything at Latimore, including this MGBGT.
An area television reporter stopped by and was rewarded with a ride in this recreation of a racer from an era probably before even her parents were born.
This restored racer actually raced more than 90 years ago.
Sometimes the day doesn’t end the way you’d like.
This beautiful Chevy was a lower-division racer (called extreme stocks hereabouts) and is now fully street legal.
A couple of decades (at least) separated the eras of these two sprint cars.
This #1 car ran in the USAC Silver Crown series.
Here are a couple of Central Pennsylvania classics: the Maynard Boops #1 as driven by Lynn Paxton, and the Walt Dyer “brickmobile” as driven by Billy Stief (another restored #461 was on hand, painted as when Lance Dewease drove the car).
Roadsters were the “in” form of weekly racing in many areas for maybe 10 years after World War II, and a contingent of mostly Reading-area EMMR stalwarts have recreated these cars and the excitement they brought.
Instead of track time for the old racers, Sunday brought a classic car show to the speedway pit area.
“Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed. . . .” A fan favorite at the fair was this recreation of the truck that – in TV Land – carried the Beverly Hillbillies from West Virginia to Beverly Hills.
Today the track at Latimore Valley features cars going at carefully controlled lower speeds, but in its original life, this was Latimore Speedway with auto races drawing fans from throughout the area between Harrisburg and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, as this 1938 newspaper ad shows.
Always enjoy seeing photos of cars of yesteryear back on the track. The MGBGT harkened back to the little Austin Cooper we watched mix it up with Mustangs, Camaros & Firebirds on the Richmond dirt in 1968, the first year of the NASCAR GT division.
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Always enjoy seeing photos of cars of yesteryear back on the track. The MGBGT harkened back to the little Austin Cooper we watched mix it up with Mustangs, Camaros & Firebirds on the Richmond dirt in 1968, the first year of the NASCAR GT division.
Definitely remember that one. Not sure of the back story here, but it’s a cool little car.
Photos are great. Thank you for sharing. That white and red #77 reminds me of my mentor, Dick, and his ‘Lil Pogo ‘ car.