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Topic: Al Hamilton - magazine made him hero to us who don't know him Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
Page 1 of 1   of  18 replies
madsen
July 05, 2011 at 11:41:37 AM
Joined: 10/09/2010
Posts: 404
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Just read the lengthy story in SprintCar &Midget magazine about legendary sprint owner Al Hamilton. Having lived in the midwest my entire life, I had never heard of him. Good grief, the drivers who have driven for him, and each seemed to drive for 4 or 5 years at a time: Lynn Paxton,Mitch Smith, Keith Kauffman, Stevie Smith & Fred Rahmer were discussed by Mr. Hamilton. I have began to appreciate car owners more and more, the lifeblood of motorsports, especially those who love racing, have the money, or 'just enough' money, to build/buy a car, the equipment needed and hire a driver and crew. What a deal. My new heros: car owners. The only car owner I know who as far as I knew who hired drivers to drive his sprints was Doug Howells here in the Midwest. HOF driver Don Mack being most notable, but Howells is still putting drivers in his cars.


 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.


laudarevsonhunt
July 05, 2011 at 11:49:42 AM
Joined: 12/02/2004
Posts: 1116
Reply

Never heard of him?? Lived in the midwest of where?



chilly
July 05, 2011 at 12:06:09 PM
Joined: 12/01/2004
Posts: 975
Reply

no kiddin' ... must be 15 yrs old? If you went to any WoO show in the midwest in the late 80s through the mid-90's, you would/should know all about the red #77. Stevie should've won the Nationals for Al in '93, damn rain...




DJW
July 05, 2011 at 12:23:26 PM
Joined: 08/03/2005
Posts: 253
Reply

If my memory serves me right, there was a young long-haired kid out of Sioux Falls, SD that drove for the Howell's, also - Wolf something, I think - as time went on, he may have become at least partially as notable as Mr. Mack. wink

 



slideguy
July 05, 2011 at 12:25:00 PM
Joined: 12/03/2004
Posts: 414
Reply

Remember that the Hamilton 77 has been out for 3(?) years now, and hasn't toured since 97(?). Madsen is probably from North Dakota region, so it is likely that the 77 hasn't been in that part of the country in the past 15 years. That is loooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg time.

 

By the way, there are a ton of fans today who couldn't tell you who Bob Weikert was either...



MSPN
July 06, 2011 at 10:35:33 AM
Joined: 11/23/2004
Posts: 3943
Reply

Throw Bob Stewart and Walt Dyer into that conversation also and you have 4 of the greatest Posse owners of all-time, all sadly missed....




kart91
July 06, 2011 at 12:04:37 PM
Joined: 12/01/2004
Posts: 278
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: MSPN on July 06 2011 at 10:35:33 AM

Throw Bob Stewart and Walt Dyer into that conversation also and you have 4 of the greatest Posse owners of all-time, all sadly missed....



and Joe Harz



David Smith Jr
MyWebsite
July 06, 2011 at 02:53:00 PM
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 9152
Reply

My mouth is shut wide open speechless.

Not knowing who Al Hamilton was or not mentioning Doug Wolfgang with the Howell's #4 has me first thinking "are you kidding me?"

But then to mention the last time for Al Hamilton touring with a driver as 1997 - 14 freaking years ago showed me two things: 1) We have some young, new sprint car fans who were probably still in diapers in 1997 and 2) I am getting freaking old!


David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

bbqking
July 06, 2011 at 05:04:44 PM
Joined: 04/24/2010
Posts: 145
Reply

Any mention of Pa owners is incomplete with out Bob Weikert.




BigGMan
July 06, 2011 at 06:14:51 PM
Joined: 06/02/2008
Posts: 252
Reply

Don't be too hard on the guy. A lot of us never stop to think about the guy(s) and gal(s) who own the cars. We tend to think only of the driver and the look of the car. Wasn't until the last five or six years that I started paying more attention to the car owners and I still can't name many, although I would recognize many names if someone else says it first.

They have become my new hero's as well now that I've gotten to know a couple of them a little bit. I doubt that any owner has ever made money putting a car on the track unless he has a mega bucks sponsor. I which I had the means to do it, but that will never be.



wolfie2985
July 06, 2011 at 07:23:24 PM
Joined: 07/29/2010
Posts: 759
Reply
This message was edited on July 06, 2011 at 07:42:48 PM by wolfie2985
Reply to:
Posted By: BigGMan on July 06 2011 at 06:14:51 PM

Don't be too hard on the guy. A lot of us never stop to think about the guy(s) and gal(s) who own the cars. We tend to think only of the driver and the look of the car. Wasn't until the last five or six years that I started paying more attention to the car owners and I still can't name many, although I would recognize many names if someone else says it first.

They have become my new hero's as well now that I've gotten to know a couple of them a little bit. I doubt that any owner has ever made money putting a car on the track unless he has a mega bucks sponsor. I which I had the means to do it, but that will never be.



Hey, at least 50% of the replies are non-negative...

No list of great car owners is complete without Mr. Karl Kinser.

The sport is not the same since any of them departed.



Dirthawk
MyWebsite
July 06, 2011 at 07:58:20 PM
Joined: 04/11/2010
Posts: 1315
Reply

Al Hamilton is fielding a car this season, Aaron Ott is the driver. Although there is speculation about how much $$$ Al is putting behind the 77.

They haven't left the porch yet this season, because quite honestly Aaron isn't ready.




David Smith Jr
MyWebsite
July 06, 2011 at 08:39:19 PM
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 9152
Reply

I am in now way bashing as I just stopped and took a look at just how long some of these car owners have been out of the racing scene on a national basis and how there is a influx of new, young racing fans.


David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

madsen
July 06, 2011 at 09:33:50 PM
Joined: 10/09/2010
Posts: 404
Reply

I'm also getting old. I truly did not know that Doug Wolfgang drove for Howells and I've been following sprint car racing in the midwest for a long long time. I certainly know a lot about Wolfgang, one of the 2 or 3 best ever, or I'll just say top 5 of all time to not offend anyone.

To correct myself, "the most notable driver who drove for Howells was Doug Wolfgang". But, also correct is the fact that Don Mack had a very long and win-filled career with the #4 in the midwest and in Florida, winning one time what was called back then, the "Little Indy 500". 33 cars always started that big race and I think it was only a 3/8 mile track. Also, many don't know that they campaigned a Plymouth/Dodge 383 motor very successfully, actually as successfully as the Chevy, but parts were always hard to come by when you needed them quickly.


 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.

chilly
July 07, 2011 at 09:35:34 AM
Joined: 12/01/2004
Posts: 975
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: madsen on July 06 2011 at 09:33:50 PM

I'm also getting old. I truly did not know that Doug Wolfgang drove for Howells and I've been following sprint car racing in the midwest for a long long time. I certainly know a lot about Wolfgang, one of the 2 or 3 best ever, or I'll just say top 5 of all time to not offend anyone.

To correct myself, "the most notable driver who drove for Howells was Doug Wolfgang". But, also correct is the fact that Don Mack had a very long and win-filled career with the #4 in the midwest and in Florida, winning one time what was called back then, the "Little Indy 500". 33 cars always started that big race and I think it was only a 3/8 mile track. Also, many don't know that they campaigned a Plymouth/Dodge 383 motor very successfully, actually as successfully as the Chevy, but parts were always hard to come by when you needed them quickly.



haha... I'll try to go easy on you... but this "Little Indy 500" is still going strong at Anderson Speedway (http://www.andersonspeedway.com/little_500.htm) -- this year was the 63rd annual and paid $20k to the winner (Chris Windom). It's a high-banked 1/4 mile. Don Mack sort of won the race in 1978 -- Curt Kelley drove for him in relief the final 185 laps. Not knocking Don though, that is a tough race and every driver who runs it is a little crazy! 11 second laps, 500 times... brutal! You're right though.... Don Mack won a lot of races for Doug Howells.




petey
July 07, 2011 at 12:35:39 PM
Joined: 12/03/2004
Posts: 822
Reply

I'm puzzled as well that you had never heard of Hamilton but I think everyone else has spoken for me. One of the few Pa. teams that ever went on the road fulltime and they had a lot of success.. I well remember when Stevie drove the car but didn't know of the car's history until a few years later. Also I have a Fred Rahmer #77 shirt from 2000 in my collection.



David Smith Jr
MyWebsite
July 07, 2011 at 04:32:26 PM
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 9152
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: on at


Which is why after the demise of Open Wheel I no longer took Sprint Car n Midget and Flat Out. Always looked forward to reading John Sawyers work every issue when he submitted his work. Would like to get me a copy of the Al Hamilton read, what is on the cover and what month?


David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

HoldenCaulfield
July 07, 2011 at 07:49:09 PM
Joined: 03/22/2008
Posts: 2434
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: kart91 on July 06 2011 at 12:04:37 PM

and Joe Harz



and John and Pee Wee Zemaitus, and Gary and Patty Beam


A


madsen
July 07, 2011 at 08:56:37 PM
Joined: 10/09/2010
Posts: 404
Reply

I just got it as my first issue a couple weeks ago, the cover is Jac Haudenschild red # 6 at Eldora Speedway May 6th competing with the Outlaws, this year I think, Aesthetic Finishers on the top wing & Armor Coat on side of hood.

Must be the most recent issue of this magazine. Also has a long article on Haud's life w/lots of pictures. And a first of 3 part series, a question and answer session with Boby Allen, article called Ol' Bob with pictures of Super mods (old old super mods too) up to modern sprints.


 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.



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