Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Ed,

I was into (Olds-powered) Gassers at that time, but he was MY hero (Bob Creitz) because, like Porter/Reis and Ratican/Safford/Gaide, he continued to use Oldsmobile engines in T/F when everyone else in the world had caved in and switched to Chrysler (and De Soto) Hemis.


I was in his shop one day in about 1963, and saw a '60 Olds (394) head that he'd sawed the exhaust port off as far back as he could and had taken that last 90-degree (down) turn out of it, and inserted a tube so that the exhaust exited the head straight out (horizontally) like a small block Chevy!

I thought, "Why didn't ~I~ think of that???"

I decided that it's because guys like Bob Creitz always get ahead by thinking outside the box, while people like me just watch in amazement... usually, from behind.

Too bad he never had an A/GS car... It woulda been BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!! :)

Maybe he helped Ray Lollar with his???

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

I was working tech at the Tulsa track the year he switched to a Chrysler. Can't remember if it was 1964 or '65. Mike Sizemore and a couple others were calling him "8-oh" because he was stuck in the 8.0s. with the Olds. The week Bob showed up with his new Chrysler they quit that. Kids can't seem to imagine what it was like when we had top fuel cars at weekly shows. Bi-weekly here, 1st and 3rd Sundays. Fun times.

Did you know about Bob deciding to build an airplane? Built it, flew it to Oshcosh WI for some big air show and won an award. He restores old motor scooters now. Does not act or look his age. The guy can do anything, and do it well.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Ed, I have eight pictures taken at Tulsa in June of '62 but don't know any of the cars pictured. Send me a Pm with your address and I'll send them to you. One of the pictures is of the "Modern Signs Special" B/MR. I ran quite a bit at Okla City in the early sixties and have some newspaper clippings of the class winners for the summer of '61 when I won my first trophies. Some of the winners from Tulsa were: Roger Takas, A/Sports, Jerry Weidiman, A/GS, Moody-Fritz, A/MR who ran 149.10 MPH on 6-15-61. I also raced at Cushing a few times during that period. I remember one year they have a divisional at Cushing and everyone was setting records until they remeasured the track and it was short by a 100' or so.

Jimmy Parker

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Ed,

No, I didn't know about the airplane deal because in '64, I moved twice; first to Colorado Springs (in June) and to Des Moines, Iowa in October. They're both a ways from Tulsa.

My times in Tulsa were always as a visitor. I had a friend (Sonny Gray) who ran a coffee house/nightclub out on Lewis, and they had great music by the "house band," of which he was the leader. I lived in Little Rock at that time (272 miles away), but had a cousin in Tulsa I could stay with, so, I'd pack up my guitar and amp, and head for Tulsa for the weekend. Sonny usually invited me to sit in with the group. We even did a "live" radio show from the club.

He was staff photographer for the SCCA, and his drop-dead gorgeous wife, Susan, was the club's vocalist.

I was honored to play there. The next morning I'd trek out to one or the other of Tulsa's TWO local drag strips (one was actually an airport), and enjoy a day of spectating before driving back to Little Rock, that night.

Moving to Colorado Springs and then to Des Moines ended all that, and, it turned out I missed hanging around Bob Creitz's shop more than anything else... He WAS the WIZARD... sorry, Bennie... LOL!

Bill

Rock falls raceway eau claire,wis. Oct.1978
 

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Bill, you mentioned Ray Lollar, I guess you knew he and Jerry Enerline (probably mis-spelled both last names, sorry) are the two guys that built the new Tulsa track? Mike Edward's (Local Pro Stock hero, or mine anyway) Dad built the round timing tower. He's told me how he did it and about the size blocks he used to make it round. Mr Edwards doesn't get to the races much anymore.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Jimmy, I raced at Cushing also. First night races I ever knew about were there. Racing in the dark. The guy at the finish line used his turn signals to show which lane won, instead of the usual flag. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. 16 years old, had a '48 Plymouth with a '54 Dodge Hemi in it. All valve covers, something like 336"? Looked big anyway. I thought I was bad-fast. :D

My address is:
Ed Wright Automotive
1114 west 41st Street
Tulsa, Ok 74107


Thanks, Ed

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

The good ole days, got up and went.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Ed,

No, I wasn't aware of who had actually built that new track ay Tulsa. AlI I knew was when I went there in '67 for the Finals, it had covered bleachers, something I REALLY appreciated because JUST as soon and Bennie left the line on the T/F Final, the sky literally opened up, and I don't know of I've seen it rain that hard since. I was high and dry, about 40 feet off the starting line with a ROOF over my head!!!

The round tower was cool... :)

I had a '48 Plymouth business coupe with a 308 cid 1953 Hudson Hornet in in it. Flathead six.... but, it ran like a V8 with two 2-bbls and an Isky cam. The guy who built it (not me) said it ran high 15's...
I never got it on any clocks, but everyone who looked under the hood assumed it was a Plymouth flathead six and wanted to race... LOL!

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Amen!