Vintage Racing?

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Superb post, Eddie, as always. Honestly, I was not aware of several of the cause of death accidents and the resultant solutions that bettered the safety of all drivers (Billy Wade and Jim Hickman incidents).

I have often pointed out to people that racing has developed numerous mandatory safety innovations and efficiency improvements. One of my favorites was used on the inaugural 1911 Indianapolis 500 winning car, The Marmon Wasp-----the first rear view mirror.

---Brian Powell

Thanks, Brian. The Jim Hickman story came from Dr. Steve Olvey's book. Olvey mentioned repeatedly in his book that NASCAR was a donkey series safety-wise right up until Earnhardt's death in 2001. In the 1970s, the doctors staffing some NASCAR tracks were so sketchy that A.J. Foyt paid out of his own pocket to have Dr. Olvey in his pit area whenever Foyt ran a NASCAR race and Dr. Olvey was available. Basically, the main requirement for being a doctor staffing a NASCAR race in the 1970s was that the doctor would work for free.

At some 1970s Cup races, the most qualified doctor servicing the race would sometimes be an optometrist or other doctor woefully unqualified to deal with any type of traumatic injury should the need arise. Foyt was terrified of being critically injured at a NASCAR race and having an eye doctor decide whether or not an arm or a leg needed to be amputated.

Olvey also related a story about Foyt's pathological fear of the color green (like many old school racers). Olvey talked about accompanying Foyt to a 1970s Cup race and Olvey stopping at a local convenience store the morning of the race to purchase a cooler and some sodas for the day's event. Naturally, the cooler was green. Shortly after arriving at the track, Olvey heard Foyt ranting and raving and swearing before taking a tire iron to the unattended cooler that had suddenly appeared in his pit area. When asked by Foyt if he knew whose green cooler that was, Olvey simply shrugged and said he did not have any idea.

Here is are several different articles in this link that talk about Billy Wade's crash and how it led to modern racing seatbelts.

http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Billy_Wade.htm

[bnorth]

I picked up 33 of these Fleer AHRA cards from a member in a trade. I know very little about them but when I saw them I knew they had to be mine. Brought back many memories of watching drag racing as a kid.

Great thread guys, a big thank you to everyone that posted, awesome info.

[Beansballcardblog]

Picked up some more cards for my T36 set!

Rolling 7s.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by wvu_class_of_2001

Picked up some more cards for my T36 set!

Rolling 7s.

Congratulations, Kin. Sweet blog---well done. ---Brian Powell

[Bored5000]

I finally had time to scan my Foyt Marhoefer card. The lot I won at Sterling are my first Marhoefer cards. The cards are thick, rigid cardboard; that makes sense since most of the cards were using as a backing for packs of wieners.

Cards do exist that were never placed in product packages, but all the cards in the lot I won were definitely inserted in packages. The cards may not be the nicest, but a Foyt Marhoefer is tough to come by in any condition.

If anyone in this thread in interested in a type card sample other than A.J. Foyt, I would sell an example for $20 net delivered.

[Beansballcardblog]

Congrats on picking up that AJ. It's certainly in the top 10 of cards I want. I don't have any of the Marhoefer cards yet. I also really want the Lloyd Ruby. I've read a couple of books on him and have become a fan even though I never saw him race.

-kin

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I finally had time to scan my Foyt Marhoefer card. The lot I won at Sterling are my first Marhoefer cards. The cards are thick, rigid cardboard; that makes sense since most of the cards were using as a backing for packs of wieners.

Cards do exist that were never placed in product packages, but all the cards in the lot I won were definitely inserted in packages. The cards may not be the nicest, but a Foyt Marhoefer is tough to come by in any condition.

If anyone in this thread in interested in a type card sample other than A.J. Foyt, I would sell an example for $20 net delivered.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by wvu_class_of_2001

Congrats on picking up that AJ. It's certainly in the top 10 of cards I want. I don't have any of the Marhoefer cards yet. I also really want the Lloyd Ruby. I've read a couple of books on him and have become a fan even though I never saw him race.

-kin

Thanks, Kin. Congrats on your recent T36 pick ups as well. I enjoy the write-ups you do about each card on your blog. Nice to see your blog has some other followers, based on the people who left comments about your T36s.

I would like to pick up a Eddie Sachs Marhoefer card if I ever saw one at auction (he lived and is buried only about 45 minutes from me). Sachs is such a sad figure in racing history. He was leading the Indy 500 with three laps to go in 1961, but decided to pit out of the lead when he felt a tire coming apart. He ultimately finished second to Foyt that year. The Sachs quote after deciding to give up the lead with three laps to go in the '61 race was made all the more eerie after he was killed with Dave MacDonald in the Indy inferno three years later:

"I'd sooner finish second than be dead," Sachs said after the '61 race.