| Photo ID # | 01.01.03_07A_CAS_EWS_0080_1 |
| Car #: | 7A |
| Driver (s) : | Chic Cossaboone |
| Location: | East Windsor, NJ |
| Date: | 1980's |
| Photographer: | Dave Pratt (dsp Photos) |
| Provided by: | Todd J |
| Comments: | Chic got it done at Bridgeport and East Windsor. He was unbeatable at times in the 80's. |
| Visitor's Comments | To add your comments about THIS PHOTO - Click Here | |
| Date: | Visitor's Name: | Comment: |
| 12/29/02 | Todd J | Chic Cossaboone in the C&J Hoffman, Betts,
and Ay Racing 7A! This was a former Jimmy Horton car... Chic twisted the teams
primary car the weekend before the July 4th Windsor doubleheader weekend and the team was
in need of a car ASAP. This was a Horton creation called Old Reliable. Jimmy set the car
up (word is he told them not to touch a bolt), the 7A gang dropped a motor in and they
showed up at EWS with S&H 85 colors and a duct taped 7A on the door. The intial voyage
was not that good as the car had motor woes. They were repaired and Chic won the next
race, which I believe was the Sunday night July 4th weekend show, still with the duct
taped 7A. The creation carried Chic to a very successful year and a half at East Windsor aboard Old Reliable.... The old gal hit the track once again a few years back numbered 11A and wheeled by Johnny Townsend, who also drove the Gizmo in sportsman action at Bridgeport. |
| 01/01/03 | Todd L | This was Gizmo the car that Jimmy Horton won Syracuse Miller 300 with in 1987 a car that was absolutely unbeatable- The car that was gizmo re appeared as a Sportsman #11a driven by Johnny Betts not Johnny Townsend |
| 01/02/03 | Todd J | The car pictured is the "Old
Reliable"car, it was even relettered with that name after the 7A colors were added.
Johnny Betts, the son of Tuckahoe Turf owner George, purchased "Gizmo" after
Chic and the team purchased this car (Betts ran Gizzy as a small block car). Johnny ran
Gizmo in it's traditional sheetmetal, with an 11A on the door. You may remember
Johnny and John Snook flipping down the front stretch at EWS at the season opener (not
sure on the year). John Townsend later used Gizmo in Sportsman action at Bridgeport and
then later used the Old Reliablecar, then he purchased a Troyer from Betts (Betts had
bought the Troyer off of the Overhead Doors Team). The car pictured is NOT Gizmo, it is
the OLD RELIABLE car. Believe me I know! Chic ran this car at the same time Johnny
ran the Gizmo 11A. Matter of fact, Johnny was messing around one night holding Chic up,
until he received a little move over warning that sent Bettsy sliding around the top of
the wooden guardrail in between 1 and 2 at Windsor.... Also, did Jimmy win the 300 in Gizmo? ... thought it was an Olsen... |
| 01/02/03 | Todd L | Come to think of it after a closer peek this looks like the S&S jet chassis that was a 7a and not Gizmo |
| 01/02/03 | Todd J | The S&S car replaced the
Old Reliable in 1989. This Dave Pratt photo is from 1988 (there was a different paint
scheme on the 1987 mmodel). After Ay and Earthwork split to form their 966 Modified and Econo Modified team for Delaware. The repaired Olsen 7AY was painted Mack Red and Bob Torecky drove it. A second 966 ran the econo class with Steve Ay. I have pics of the 7A S&S with their dirt style body. By the way the S&S 7A last saw action at Bridgeport driven by the Chance Family from Corbin City... |
| 01/02/03 | Bonnie | I have to agree with Todd J on this one... that was "Old Reliable." Besides, Todd J knows his stuff when it comes to Chic Cossaboone. |
| 01/02/03 | 3-Wide | I remember the 70's better than the 80's, so I can't offer a whole lot here. However, please check out the picture on pg 2 of the 80's and see if that helps or confuses things even more! Thanks |
| 06/15/05 | Steven | In 1987 when the Olsen 7a was wrecked, OLD RELIABLE was
purchased from Horton. It was Horton's own design that could use Olsen parts. This allowed
the team to use all of the spare parts (except nerfs and bumpers). I think the pic above is from 1987, after the car was painted 7a yellow. If you look close at the frame is still S&H blue. 1988 the frame was painted black. In 1987 Old Reliable had 6 wins and finished 2nd in points at EWS. In 1988 Jonny Betts bought the famed GIZMO from Horton. Gizmo and Old Reliable where of similar geometry with the exception of Old Reliable could use Olsen parts. When Old Reliable was sold it was bought by John Towsend in 1990 when the 7a bought a brand new S&S. The late Don Ay, owner of Earthwork, took the wrecked Olsen 7a went and had a new front clip put on. It ran under the 7AY at different tracks. In 1989 the teams seperated and the car ran at US 13 as the 966 which was driven by the late Bob Torkey, which collected one win and 11th in points. The car sat until 1992 when Steve Ay drove it twice at Bridgeport after his fathers passing. It was sold in 1992 to Johnny Wyers (2004 Jasper Sprint Champ) who then sold it to Pop Brennen of the Hemi powered #5. After that I do not know where the car went. The Olsen econo mod that was driven by Steve Ay was bought from Adam Schwegal in the fall of 1988. I was raced until 1992. Then it also ended up in the Brennen Hemi #5 stable. It was later sold to Nick Mason. |