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Photo ID # d07.16.07_004_GRN_REA_0070_2
Car #: #4
Driver (s) : Mike Kelly?  Butch Green?
Location: Reading
Date: 1970's
Photographer: John Lucas
Photo provided by: John Lucas and John McCaughey
Comments: I don't know if I ever saw this car run, but it stood out to me as being so different that I used to look through my AARN every week looking for pictures of it!
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Comment:

05/24/07 Lenny Slemmer Jr. The clue to who it is, is parked next to him in the 2nd picture. It is Mike Kelly parked next to Dave Kelly.
07/18/07 Mike Shaub Has anyone taken notice that there is SNOW on the ground. Must have been an early March race at Reading. Just think that people today complain about it being cold and going to the races!! This car was fast, but always had mechanical problems.
07/18/07 Barry Miller I would like to give my opinion on who I think was in the 4 at this time. First off this picture was from '78 because if you look at the photos the car has mufflers on it. Reading went to mufflers in '78 trying to appease the residents who were complaining about the noise. That year was the beginning of the end. The mufflers were a joke, they did not make the cars much quieter and the rule was never enforced. John Blackley showed up on opening day that year with coffee cans on his car painted silver and no one ever said a thing.

Also, if you look at the cars they have small tires on the rear. In '78 Reading also went to DIRT rules, carbs and small tires. They tried that for a year and went right back to fuel injection and Drag tires the next year. Unfortunately they only ran till June of '79 and that was it I also know it was '78 because Dave Kelly ran a Gremlin in '78 because we ran against him at U.S. 13 when I helped out Ronnie Paulson.

Butch Green drove that car in '75-76 and I think that Francis Hardner drove that car at Reading in '78 on Sunday nights when they ran small blocks. They only ran modifieds on Friday nights in '78 and on Sunday nights they ran small blocks. I believe that '78 was the last year that car ran that I know of. I never read about it or heard about it after that.

The 4 was definitely ahead of its time and it was fast, it would be great to see it restored. On a side note I think that Mike Kelly drove a number 35 blue Gremlin in '78.
07/18/07 Barry Miller I looked at the picture again and it looks like it says Dave Kelly on the carburetor box. That picture was taken early in the year so maybe Dave Kelly was warming the car up for Larry Jacobs. I think that Larry Jacobs was part of Dave Kelly's pit crew at this time, maybe someone else could clarify that for me.
07/18/07 James Long I also remember Butch Green running this car at Grandview in the mid 70's if my memory serves me correctly.  It's a small block if you look closely at the headers on it
08/09/07 Andy Wummer In 78 Reading ran small blocks (the big blocks were called champ cars, and the small blocks called modifieds) on a Sunday night. Dave Kelly did run this car there, but I can't remember if it was for the full season.

I believe this picture was taken on a Saturday afternoon, which was opening weekend. I was working there chopping ice while the cars were coming into the pit area. Due to the track thawing out, it created a muddy mess on the track. The races were cancelled for the weekend.
07.03.09 James Silvius. According to my dad the car was owned by Larry Jacob "Chup" and Mike Kelly was the driver at this time. Larry still has a garage in Macungie, Pa. and last we heard Mike Kelly is an official, or tech at the Grandview Speedway. Nice pictures thanks...
10.11.09  Chuck Hassler The car was driven by all the drivers mentioned. At this time it was driven by Dave Kelly. As for a big block in this car it would never have fit. Mike Kelly built this car from trostle sprint car plans stretched by a blue print engineer at Mack trucks making it impossible to run any thing but a small block chevy. I once asked him about putting a 400 SB chevy in it and he told me the heads would have to put on after the block was in the car because of the higher deck height,
02.17.13 James Ritter

I knew “Chup” well.  Car ran from 1974 – 1981.  Many feature wins with Mike Kelly 1974 – 75 and Butch Green 1976-77.  The car’s last race was in Sept 1981.  Car flipped over the 1st turn wall at Grandview.  The driver (Francis Hardner) was ok.  I saw this car run its first race and its last race.  Thanks for the photos.  

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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