Photo ID # e11.06.08__P5_GRP_MID_0070_1
Car #: #P-5 and #10
Driver (s) : Not sure.... Whitney in the #10?
Location: Middletown, NY
Date: 1970's
Photographer: Paul Irving
Photo provided by: Paul Irving
Comments: .... just another great photo from Paul Irving of another great day at the races!

I'm probably off on this, but that orange #P5 reminds me of a car that I saw a few years back at a vintage event at Glen Gardner, NJ..  Same color, same tall side windows....  The little #20 has the same shape and stance as one of Buzzie's coupes, instead of a blue lid, its red.
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11/07/08 Robert Hanna This beautiful photo captures Middletown in the 70s - full stands, sun setting behind the stands, sportsman heat on the track with the next one lined up in the staging area. I can hear Ray Martin now.....

That's Bill Mingey (sp?) in the 6 I believe. I should know who's in the 77 but the name escapes me right now..

One of my favorite things about Middletown was watching the cars lineup in the staging area...and as the roar from the heat race died down, you heard the next one fire up and start pulling out on to the track.
11/07/08 Tom Berry That #77 looks like an ex Chamberlain coupe and the #6 Bill Mingey could be an ex Cagle #24.
11/07/08 Steve Kresge Didn't starter paul luft drive the P-5?
11/08/08 Harry Cella I am quite sure the P-5 is Paul Luft, The car to the right is an ex-Buzzie R. coupe driven by Bill Whitney, the 77 is an ex-Chamberlain car driven by Chris Swensen and the 6 is an ex- Will Cagle car driven by Bill Mingey.
11/08/08 Matt Mahoney The Middletown shot is beautiful...

Were you talking about the attached car? That's one of my shots from the GG show 2 years back.


11/08/08 3Wide That's the car I was thinking about Matt, but looking closely, I guess it's not the same.  Same color... same basic Pinto shape... white bumpers and nerf bars... one has white numbers with black outline and the other has black #"s with white outline...  but not the same.  I talked to the guy at the Glen Gardner show about the #38 and I don't think he had a lot of history on the car... 
11/09/08 Harry Cella I have to make a comment besides the cars and who was in what, how about those packed grandstands. And the drive-in section used to be just as crowded. I'm quite sure this was a regular Saturday night show and those stands were packed like that every Saturday nite. Intermission time you hardly had room to get through to the foodstands it was so crowded. Those were the days.
11/11/08 J.T. The 77 is in fact CHRIS SWENSEN--he bought the car from Johnny Owen [was orange #12 sportsman].  The 6 is Bill Mingey & is a former Cagle car.   The P5 is PAUL LUFT & the 10 is Bill Whithey, but this car is not a former REUTIMANN CAR.   This is a Plymouth coupe 1938-39.   Whitney did purchase a 00 car after this one and won a sportsman feature at OCFS with it.
11/23/08 COOKIE. THE MINGEY CAR WAS A CAGLE ROLLING CHASSIS , BUT WAS NEVER RACED BY CAGLE. MINGEY BOUGHT A WHITE CAR THAT CAGLE DID RACE
09.23.10 CHIP HELLO PROMOTORS SEE THE STANDS this is a regular Saturday night at Middletown back then, The Big shows don't even pack the stands.  Think for a Second,$15 a Person maybe 1000 people or try $10 and you might get 2000 people then..  I live 3miles from OCFS and I have not been there once.  You guys need to get USAC, the Out Laws and Late Models Its just not the same like it use to be when I was a kid...
09.23.10 3Wide ...Nothing is the same as it use to be.... Nothing
07.06.12 Jack Burroughs

You could go in the drive-in section on the back stretch for $6. a car full and watch about 100 sportsman and 50 Modifieds plus sometimes Street Stocks, At least 13 races, every Sat. nite.

12.30.12 Mike Traverse

"What a great shot. I remember going to the speedway about 2 in the afternoon and putting pillows to save my seats, then going to watch the cars check in. I can just about pick myself out sitting halfway up the aisle above Mingey's 6. Always sat on the end. Great memories of my early days of going to the races."

12.30.12 3-Wide Paul Irving definitely has the eye.  He caught a lot of pics that take in the entire moment, not just a single subject or focal point.  This is also a great photo because the direction of the cars at the bottom of the photo invites you to look at it, and then move your eye in the direction to the track... to the magnificent covered grandstand, and eventually to the suns final moments of the day.  It doesn't get any better than that.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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