Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Yep. Flat-towed the wagon all the way to Ramona and we blew the block apart in the first round. Second-worst engine explosion I've ever seen in a stocker.

Dave Kempton won the race.

Bruce, I'd really like to see that write-up some time. Any pictures?

c

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

C.
A bunch of pics but none of the wagon. Unless it's in the background somewhere. It has his name listed as Class winner. I 'll scan the list and put it up later, and get the name and month of the mag. And you're welcome to stop by and look at it. Must be a six page report. I'm still at the shop, but when I get home I'll get those yr/month specifics.

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

C.
It's July 1964 Car Craft. Seven pages of coverage. 13.11 at 106 in a big wagon in 1964? No wonder it blew up. ha! Seriously, that was hauling butt. Did he have 4:88's in it?

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Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

OTS
Hey Bruce, do you know anybody around our area that can set up my ladder bars? I can't get the truck to hook up and I can't get it free, its so stiff it almost seems like it's in a bind.

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Ramona was a very slow track partially due to the altitude. As I recall, it ran from east to west which would also put it at odds to the ocean breezes.

That's the earliest reference I've seen that identifies "Junior Stock" as an entity.

The line-up from that report was pretty much the way I remember it. The wagon ran mid-12s at Lions on a regular basis so we weren't terribly impressed with the times down in San Diego County. I don't think that altutude factors were used and I believed we were handicapped off the national record. Since we held the record it was no big deal. I remember that all class winners tore down at that race. A little different than modern Divisional races?

I recall a few other things about the Ramona race: That was the first event at which I can remember a christmas tree being used and the first at which I recall a handicapped start as we know it today. (At some point previously there had been handicapped starts using car-length spots.) Seemed pretty much like magic at the time. Note the presence of Mike Schmidt's Desert Motors B/FX Galaxie from Ridgecrest. Mike went on to win the national points championship in 1964 although Kempton gave him a run for the money through the early part of the season. The Hoefer cars (B/S and D/MP) were run by Bill Hoefer Sr., the father of Willy Hoefer (2006 Sportsman Bracket Eliminator National Champion) as well as Clarence and Alan Hoefer (current contenders in Super classes and Stock Eliminator). Bill Sr. finished the 1964 season as the National Champion in the Street Eliminator category. Unless memory fails me, Gas Ronda also did pretty well that year in his Thunderbolt although I don't recall if he won the national points chase.

Those were golden days.

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Floyd take it to Phil Mandella in Montclair, 4721 Arrow Hwy. Unit C Phone 909 621-5531

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Floyd:
I'd be happy to look at the truck. Would it be easier to bring it to my place or do you have a flat driveway or garage floor there?
Email me at IndyWinner@DSLextreme.com or call the shop - 909-370-0389 - If I miss you leave your number.

C.
Cool memories. So you won Class but toasted the engine?

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

"Toasted" isn't exactly the right word. The broken rod clipped the camshaft and the rearmost portion of the cam went out the back of the block and took the converter and transmission case with it. Let's just say that Graham L. would have had a field day totaling up the oil-down damages.

Winning class at a points meet even in 1964 wasn't all that big a deal. I don't even remember if there were any other cars in the class. We were all focused on the then-new concept of running all the stockers off against the national records for an eliminator title and the fact that there was an opportunity to win something other than a trophy. After you've flat-towed all the way from L.A. to Indy to win a trophy, a toolbox, and a jacket, the idea of prize money presented a startling concept. Within a few months the local tracks had installed christmas trees and bracket racing was given a starting point. Up to that time, we ran brackets such as, all cars between 12.60 and 12.90 running off heads up. Handicapping became a real innovative idea.

c

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Thanks, Tony, but I don't think I can afford Phil. He likes high dollar super stock stuff and my hay hauler just don't fit that category.

Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves
 

Hey Bruce,
Do you have a drive on 4 post lift? That would make it easiest.
Check your e-mail.