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Los Angeles, CA. - The fourth annual
Legends of Ascot luncheon and induction
ceremonies will take place this year on Saturday, October 21 from 11
a.m to 5 p.m at Perris Auto Speedway prior to the USAC-CRA sprint
car races at the track that night. The luncheon, in an 18,000 sq.
ft. tent with 25 tables, will have the usual raffles, gift
bags, awards, auctions, food and bench racing. Former open-wheel
USAC Midget driver/car owner Don Weaver is the founder and force
behind the Legends of Ascot program as usual. Hostess and
co-organizer is Belita Michnowicz, mother of driver Bobby Michnowicz,
a former CRA sprint car and current USAC Ford Focus Midget feature
winning driver. Nationally known as the premier half-mile clay track
on the West Coast, Ascot Park in Gardena operated for 33 years from
1957 through the USAC 100-lap Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix on
Thanksgiving 1990.
Special honoree at the "Legends" luncheon this year Glenn
Howard will receive a lifetime achievement award. Glenn is a former
driver, car owner, tire firm track rep, father of retired CRA
drivers Gary G and Steve Howard, and ex-SCRA president. The Legends
of Ascot 2006 honorees will be Jack & Wilda Kindoll, long-time
sprint car owners/champions and owners of JFK Co, Ed Donovan,
aluminum engine block builder, Walt James, a former driver and the
CRA and WRA president for many years, plus drivers Jack Brunner, the
winner of Ascot's first main in 1957, Jimmy Oskie, five-time CRA
champion, Wally Pankratz, a 1980s Ascot racing series midget
champion, Lealand McSpadden, the 1992 CRA champion, and special
guest/honoree Al Unser, Sr, the four-time Indy 500 winner.
A vintage race-car display is always part of the Legends of Ascot
format. Included this year will be the No. 2 Johnny
Lightning/Viceroy champ dirt car driven in 1970 by USAC National
Champion Al Unser, Sr and in which he will pace the October 21
USAC-CRA main event at Perris. Parnelli Jones (No. 27 Len Faas King
O'Lawn Chevy) and Jimmy Oskie (No. 1 Bruce Bromme Chevy) will drive
historic CRA sprint cars and pace the feature race as well. Prior to
the snacks, luncheon, raffle, presentation of plaques and silent
auction attendees have a chance to examine up close and personal
many open-wheel race-cars that competed at Ascot. Weaver uses an
outline of one such sprint car (No. 97) on his printed material and
intends to honor is the No. 97 Vel Miletich Ford sprint car in
the Legions of Ascot printed program. The late one-armed driver
Allen Heath drove that sprinter successfully at Ascot and other
tracks. Weaver called me for historical information and
accomplishments of the car. I searched my records and here is what I
discovered about the famous car.
The No. 97 sprint car began life as the No. 4 Omar Danielson Ford
T-Bird in 1962. The late Danielson owned a wrecking yard and
drive-shaft company in South Gate. He took money he had been saving
for the down payment of a house and ordered a new sprint car,
displeasing his wife tremendously. Car builder/driver Rip Erickson
constructed the new sprint car and driver Don Johns painted it
before he departed to the Midwest to drive in IMCA sprint car races.
The first race for the new sprinter was CRA's 13th race of 1962 on
May 30, 1962 at Ascot. The car carried No. 4 because Danielson ran a
car No. 26 Ford T-Bird sprinter during 1961. Erickson-built that ex-
SDRA modified that had its roof cut off to compete in CRA sprint car
races during 1961. Danielson's car finished fourth in final points
with 527, only 60 points behind the third place car. CRA awarded car
numbers in that era based upon car owner final points in the prior
year. His drivers in 1961 included Bob Hogle, Ray Douglas, Mike
Schmader and Don Johns.
The new Danielson No. 4 sprinter later became the No. 97 Vel
Miletich Ford T-Bird and during its brief two-years of racing it
compiled an impressive record. It posted fastest qualifying times on
five occasions and was second fastest 11 times. It won three trophy
dashes and five main events. The car had 13 top five feature
finishes. Persons involved with the No. 97 sprint car were Torrance
Ford dealership owner Miletich, one of his dealership mechanics,
Lynn Gauther, and the Weaver brothers-Don and Bob. The primary
drivers were two-time CRA champion Bob Hogle and one-armed Allen
Heath, who had four consecutive second place feature finishes in the
No. 97 Miletich sprinter during 1963. Other drivers included Ray
Douglas (twice) and Mack Terry (three times). According to
Hogle, Danielson's car used a 390 cu. in. Ford that was too heavy at
the front and had an oil pump problem at the top end range. He then
installed a 289 cu. in. Ford bored out to 302 cu. in. and a great
Lehman Pumps oil pump drive. The car had power and was able to
transfer it to the track.
A review of the subject sprint car record in CRA from 1962-64 under
first Danielson and later Miletich ownership reads as follows. The
debut race on 5/30/62 at Ascot was CRA's 13th race of a 31-race
season and was the annual Salute to the Indy 500. Hogle set second
fastest qualifying time in a field of 35. Suspecting a problem, he
started last and dropped out on lap 11. In the next race Hogle
finished fourth in a 30-lap main June 2 at the Clovis Fairgrounds
half-mile near Fresno. Hogle set second fastest qualifying time June
9 at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix and DNF the main. In CRA race 17
at Ascot on June 23
Hogle finished fifth in the feature. Ray Douglas drove the Danielson
No. 4 T-Bird for the next two races as Hogle moved to the No. 50
Kimball & Carter Chevy. On July 4 Douglas set fourth best
qualifying time and finished ninth in a 50-lap main. On July 14
Douglas finished 11th in the Ascot 30-lap run. Mack Terry drove the
car for the next three Ascot races-August 11, 18 and 25. His best
result was fourth in the August 18 30-lap feature.
Miletich's Vel's Ford of Torrance had been the sponsor of
Danielson's T-Bird and Vel offered to buy the car, which skipped
CRA's next two events. Danielson accepted a new car from Miletich
for his sprint car. When it reappeared for race 28 on September 15
at Ascot the car owner was Miletich and the driver for the first
time was Heath. He qualified ninth fastest of 32 drivers, started
first in the 30-lap main and finished third. In race 29 at Manzanita
in Phoenix on September 22 Heath set 14th quickest time in a field
of 22. He started 13th and won the feature, leading laps 24-30. In
race 30 on Sept. 29 at Ascot
Heath was second fastest of 43 drivers. He started and finish 11th
after spinning and losing three laps. In the final 1962 race on Oct.
27 Heath qualified second fastest of 45 drivers. The car had a
mechanical problem in the three-lap trophy dash for the four fastest
qualifiers that ended its night. The No. 4 Danielson-Miletich owned
car finished 23rd in 1962 car owner points that were awarded to 82
owners.
The 1963 season began on Jan. 6 at Ascot with Heath back as driver
of the now number 97 car. He set fastest qualifying time in a 47-car
field and finished third in the trophy dash. He started 12th in the
main and was third on lap 29 of 30 when he tapped the second place
car and spun, eventually placing seventh. Event two on Jan. 27 took
place on the Arizona State Fairgrounds mile dirt track in Phoenix.
Heath qualified the Miletich 97 sixth fastest of 39. He started
sixth and led the first 54 laps of 100. He then pitted with bruises
and cuts from flying dirt clods and was relieved by Hogle, the car's
first driver in 1962. Hogle sub-drove the car from lap 55 to the end
and finished third. In event three on Feb. 24 at Ascot Heath set
18th best time of 46 drivers. He started 14th and finished fourth in
a 30-lap main.
Rounds four and five took place on March 9-10 at El Centro. Heath
turned sixth best qualifying time in a 43-car field, started eighth
and finished third in the Saturday main. He was second in the
semi-main Sunday. Event six on April 13 at Ascot was a major success
for Heath and the Miletich 97. He set second fastest qualifying time
among 40 drivers, won the dash, started eighth and won the feature.
He led lap 9-30. He beat lap 5-8 leader Billy Cantrell (# 41 Maxson
& Jeffries Offy), Hogle (Morales Bros Offy) and lap 1-4 leader
Johnny Wood (Bromme Ofy). The April 21 race at West Capital Speedway
in West Sacramento was rained out following heat races. Heath and
#97 had fifth best time of 26
drivers.
On May 11 at Ascot Heath and 97 was fifth fastest of 36 qualifiers,
started ninth and finished third in a 30-lap main. A week later at
Ascot Heath posted second best qualifying time (36 cars), started
eighth and won the 30-lap main. He led the final 16 laps after
passing Gene Brown, the first 14-laps pacesetter in the S.O.W Chevy.
The tenth race of the year was the Ascot 100 on May 30. Heath had
ninth best time of 38 drivers in time trials. He started ninth and
was in sixth position on lap 51 when a rock punctured his radiator
and caused his engine to overheat. A return to Manzanita Speedway in
Phoenix on June 1 found Heath the fastest qualifier and runner-up in
the dash. He started the 97
ninth in the main and finished 11th after running up the crash-wall
on two wheels and almost flipping.
Back at Ascot on June 12 Heath set fast time (35 cars) and won the
dash. He started first and led lap 3-26, but finished second by two
lengths to 12th starter Hogle, the lap 27-30 leader in the Morales
Bros Offy. In the next race at Ascot Heath had fifth best time in a
34-car field but blew the engine on his second qualifying lap. A
week later with the 97 car not ready yet, Heath drove the No. 8
S.O.W Chevy, won the dash, started seventh and won the 30-lap
feature. Heath was back in Vel's 97 Ford for the July 4 Firecracker
50. He set third quickest time of 44 drivers, but his engine blew
again during his heat race.
On July 10 Heath set ninth best time in a field of 32 in Vel's 97.
He started second, led the first seven laps, but retired a lap later
with a broken drive-line.
A stretch of seven Wednesday night events at Ascot followed from
July 17 through Aug. 28. With fields of 25 to 32 cars present, Heath
and Vel's 97 Ford qualified 5, 2, 2, 5, 11, 1 and 7. He started 14th
and finished fifth on 7/17 and DNF a week later because of a bent
wheel. On 7/31 Heath won the dash, started tenth and finished second
to Bob McCoy in the 30-lap main after leading lap 13-20. On 8/7
Heath started first, led lap 1 and settled for second to McCoy, the
lap 2-30 leader. On 8/14 Heath started first in # 97, led the first
14 laps and finished second, a straight-away behind lap 15-30 leader
Hogle in Kenny Worth's Chevy. On 8/21 Heath started tenth and
finished second to Hogle's
Morales Offy. Heath and Vel's 97 had another big night 8/28 when he
started sixth, led lap 8-30 and won the feature by 30-yards. Round
25 was the Ascot 100 on Labor Day and Heath set second fastest
qualifying time but did not finish the main.
The final two Ascot Wednesday night races were 9/11and 9/25. Heath's
97 won the dash and his heat, started sixth and finished second by a
straight-away in the 9/11main. He led lap 3-18 and 21-22 in a race
won by Hogle's Morales Offy (the leader on lap 19-20 and 23-30. On
9/25 Heath had second best time of 31 drivers, won the dash and his
heat. He started seventh and finished in P 11. He bumped the turn
two crash-wall on lap three and after leading lap 15-17, and dropped
out on lap 18 with rear end problems. On Saturday, Oct. 26 for the
Ascot 100 Heath used a 285 cu. in. Ford Fairlane engine. Engine
damage did not allow him to compete. The final race (round 29) was
Sunday, Nov. 24 and Heath
set second fastest qualifying time of 29 drivers. He was second in
the dash, started ninth and won the 30-lap main, leading the final
17 laps after passing lap 1-13 leader Bob Coulter (Kenny Worth
Chevy). Heath finished third of 87 drivers with 1963 CRA points. The
white, red trim, gold number 97 Vel's Ford sprinter also finished
third among the 81 car owners who scored 1963 CRA points.
For 1964 Miletich was busy with his varied business interests and
Heath switched to the new Bruce Bromme Offy and later the Kenny
Worth Chevy. He also competed in the S.O.W Chevy at a June race in
Phoenix. In round 15 of 1964 Heath and the Miletich 97 reunited for
one final race together at Ascot on June 24. He qualified tenth
fastest of 31 drivers present. He started sixth and finished 12th
after dropping out with a mechanical problem while running sixth on
lap 18. That was the final race in CRA for both Heath and Miletich.
Heath placed 13th of 94 drivers in final 1964 CRA driver's points.
The Miletich 97 Ford scored only three points and finished 88th
among 91 owners with points.
Miletich sold the 97 car to a buyer in Utah according to former CRA
driver Fred Thomson and it raced in the Salt Lake Valley Racing
Association (SLVRA). The subsequent record of the Erickson-built
sprint car and its current whereabouts are unknown. Of course
Miletich was a partner of 1963 Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones in
retail Firestone stores, Indy Cars, and Formula One racing. They had
a super team of Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Sr and Joe Leonard and won
USAC National Championships. Miletich also was active in NASCAR
stock car racing on the West Coast and he was inducted several years
ago into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Miletich also owned
a No. 97 Offenhauser-powered midget that competed in USAC West Coast
races during 1964-65. More information about the No. 97 midget will
follow in a future column.
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