A Shawn Quiz

[Shawn Aro]

ok Neal here is one this is a good one what are these gues doing ????????????? name the year and who are they Brad and Randy excuded all the best Shawn these were taking by my Dad

[wingman]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

Hi Shawn -- I certainly have no idea. This must have been before my time. Those guys do look like they're having fun, and that sure is a big Caddy!

One thing I think is interesting is all those people camped in the distance on the course in the second shot. I do remember that, before RARA bought all that land. I have vivid memories (and pictures) of Mustangs no more than 75 feet above spectators' heads out there. An accident could easily have taken out a couple of hundred people...

Neal

[On Site Grafix]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

Beatin' up early '60s Cadillacs, '61 & '64 I think. I guess they did serve some purpose after all.

[Shawn Aro]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

it was 1977 shawn

[Apteryx]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

Pretty close to the crowd to be trading paint...

[51fixer]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

I will guess it to be Whittington's crew and/or Leeward's boys fighting for ramp space. There were some wild times in the 70's.
Rich

[HiredBitSlinger]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

My first Reno's were in 77 and 78. We went into the pits after the flying one day, Saturday or Sunday, I think. Several of the crews had old cars, I think they might have been Cadillacs, and they were racing them, sort of. They were having "pit stops". Changing tires and such. They used old bumper jacks, and lug nut wrenches. The jacks were pretty slow, so they would push the cars off the jacks. Also, a lot of beating of the lug nuts with wrenches. Did I mention there was beer, a lot of beer. On second thought it may have been Sunday. It was not the best example of A&P mechanics at work, but they sure were having fun.

Dan Plunkett

[Leo]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

What was the year Johnny Rutherford faked crushing the Whittingtons Caddy? Even mounted their cute flags on the fenders.
I miss the tug races too. Art Vance toppling his drop tank scooter on the turnarounds...
Anyone remember Levitz and the "Ramp Rat report"?
Maybe the levity had to go away for safety's sake, but it's missed.
The only crew that gets a chuckle out of me anymore is the "Lickety Split" group, the blow-up dolls and Fun-O-Meter.

Nice shots Shawn!

[ignomini]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

I'm not old enough to have witnessed the "good old days" of pit hijinks, so must be content with Airbisquit and his pile of oats.

[Leo]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

Or the pile of horse manure they piled under "Pegasus'" tail one year.
I get a kick out of some of the setups the pits have today. Tom Camp one year had his table and bar stools up before his Wildcat cooled. The Pardue pit area last year had a viewing aera against the ropes. They still have their fun but it's a lot less wild.

[Shawn Aro]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

Hey Leo this is for you Shawn

[Leo]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

All Right!
Some of the best memories over the years were the evenings in the pits. Too broke to spend the day there, we'd wander over from the camp after dinner and the guard would take pity on us and let us in. The parties, the tug races, the pranks. The crews were usually loosened up by then and there were few spectators so we got drug into some great times.
Thanks Shawn!

[speeddemon]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

I really miss the tug races. They really kind of died out about 10 years ago...but for a while, they WERE the Saturday night activity.

It was like when people started EXPECTING the tug races to happen, that was when the participants stopped playing.

[ShermB]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

And the Smoke Oil parties are a thing of the past.
Now the only good pit party is Warlock's.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: A Shawn Quiz

And the Smoke Oil parties are a thing of the past.
Now the only good pit party is Warlock's.

au contraire oh short one...

Last year, Jimmy Leeward threw a smoke oil party.. can't remember the night but it was, indeed, smoke oil! It was one of the REALLY cold evenings so hardly anyone showed but once you drank a bit of the oil.. you really didn't care much!