Mid-South ride, eat, and meet

[barryg]

Mid-Fifty’s Indy Race Cars

View attachment 53876
Indy race cars from the fifty’s. The purple one is a typical roadster of the era. The red streamliner not so typical.

 

[barryg]

The Streamliner Indy Race Car

Back in the mid-50’s, 3 different teams built steam liners. The other two cars were raced extensively. This streamliner was never finished, until our team gotta hold of it in the late 1980’s. It had a kinda of a sad strange history. It actually kinda got lost and forgotten, except for a small group of Indy history buffs. Where was it and what happened to it. The mystery Streamliner Indy race car.

 

[junkjohn]

View attachment 53876
Indy race cars from the fifty’s. The purple one is a typical roadster of the era. The red streamliner not so typical.

What is the bike in the back?

 

[barryg]

Harley Sportster or pre Sportster. Probably from the early 60's or late 50's. The boss owned over a 100 motorcycles at any one time. This was 25 to 30 years ago. My memory is fading. I'll try to post some more pics of the collection. I may ask Leo, he's better at remembering the bikes.

 

[junkjohn]

First Sportster was in 57. That is some cool toys.

 

[barryg]

Trying to remember. He had an HD XR1000 and a couple of KR750’s. Cool stuff. Leo helped him acquire some of these bikes. I know I’ve got pics somewhere.

 

[barryg]

Leo / Indy Streamliner

We received the Streamliner in a semi restored state. That’s another story. As was, the car was in perfect condition as a static museum piece. We took the car out to Memphis Motorsports Park. It would start and kinda run; just barely. The guy who done the work was not up to the task. The boss was disgusted. After about a month; it got down to Leo can U make it run at a vintage race. Leo answered, Yes; but it’s going to take a lot of work and a good bit of time. Leo got the OK to proceed. What transpired was a lot of work done by Leo, then a visit to Motorsports Race track. Back to the shop where Leo corrected one problem after another. He whittled the problems down to the point where the boss could reasonably get around the track. I thought it impossible. Leo, Proved me wrong. I never doubted his ability again. I can’t remember all the trips to the track to run the car. We got the routine down pat. Every time we went the car was getting better getting around the track. Leo knew what he was doing.

 

[barryg]

It wasn’t pretty or fun. But Leo slowly made progress

 

[barryg]

270 ci Offy Engine



The engine in the space frame

 

[barryg]

Leo had to address all the systems that made the car start, run, stop, turn. U name it, he fixed it. At the end of every session, Leo had a notebook full of notes. Fix this, address that. , call this guy, that guy. I was pretty much there for the whole ordeal. Slowly it came together. Leo was making progress, unbelievable.

 

[barryg]

And example of a problem Leo fixed. The car had a huge fuel tank designed to run a 500 mile race. This car in a vintage race might run 25 miles/example 10 laps. Leo correctly determined that we needed a tank in a tank; a surge tank. The fuel in the big tank was pumped to a small internal tank which housed the fuel pump. Now we only need the amount of fuel to run the short race and the car never starved for fuel being slossed around in the big tank. The small tank was fabbed up by Eddie Wilbanks. Eddie has been featured in this thread earlier.

 

[barryg]

Big Fuel Tank-Grey


The surge tank is under the round cover with the fuel lines.

 

[barryg]

Before install, gave me a demo of it’s operation. There were 3 or 4 pick up points at all corners of the big tank. No matter where the gas was pushed in the hard turns, it was picked up and sent to the small surge tank, where the fuel pump picked it up and sent it to the fuel injection system. It was cool to watch. That is pure genius Leo. U the man. Eddie, that little fuel tank was over the top, nice work.

 

[barryg]

Can’t remember all the trips to Motorsports Park. Probably at least 4 or 5. Get the Streamliner out, loaded, over to the tract, unload, get Leo in the car. He’s off and running the tract. Mostly all his big and small adjustments were slowly making the car go around the tract. Leo was smilin more than frowning. Time to Jimmy out for a real practice session.

 

[barryg]

Big Practice Day at Memphis Motorsports Park


How was it Leo? Leo had a smile from ear to ear. It’s presentable. Jimmy’s on his way over.

 

[barryg]

Pre run Instructions


Leo giving Jimmy all the info and instructions on operating the new and improved Streamliner. Jimmy was an astute and safe driver driver. He listened to Leo.

 

[barryg]

Jimmy A Great Practice Session. Finally




After the practice session, Jimmy was on the phone as usual. Leo and I were loading up the car on the trailer. Jimmy came over to the car hauler all smiles. Leo, You done good. Was just on the phone to to the guys at SVRA, got the car scheduled to race this summer. We’re having a team meeting at Mr. B’s Restaurant tomorrow for lunch; around of Celestial Porkchops. I’ve got us scheduled for another race and a 1000 mile car rally. We gotta get the Lincoln Panamericana and ‘Ol Yaller ready. Ya’ll are doing great guys. I’m looking at three more cars, Leo. Here’s what I’m thinking......

 

[barryg]

Yes, the car passed the shake down test. But more minor and major disasters loomed ahead.

 

[barryg]

Streamliner and Me


Even found one pic of me at Memphis Motorsports Park during the shakedown practice session. Believe me it was a lot of work just getting the car out of the shop and transported over to Motorsports Park. Unload the car at the park then reload, then back to the shop and unload. We had a lot of little ramps to facilitate loading and unloading the car. The car only had a couple of inches ground clearance. I couldn’t do the job now. This pic brought back some memories.

 

[barryg]

Back at the shop I spent most of my time cleaning and detailing the car; getting it ready for race week. This car was going to be centerpiece of the pre race car show. Then it going to be in a special race called Exhibition Class. Special rules like no passing in the curves and turns. After all the work Leo put into this car and all the money the boss spent; I was on pins and needles.