Dan Hampton

One of the great Corvettes of all time: Larry Lombardo's "Buckshot". This car won the Indy Nationals as Top Stock Eliminator in the Summer of '68. He was 19 years old. The pics are courtesy of Roger Sinistri, Jr. whose father, Roger Sr., is pictured with Larry in the photos. He was a consumate engine builder/tuner who has been inducted into the NHRA Hall of Fame.

Lombardo went on to drive for Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, driving, among other things, a Pro Stock Vega. To me, Buckshot is what Corvettes will always be about. No offense to NCRS, but there are a lot of drive train component on this car that were far from original, even in '68. It was all about speed and winning. If I owned this car, you couldn't trade me a dozen Top Flight Z06s for it. This one has always rattled my cage.

The pic of Sinistri and Lombardo in front of the American Station is classic. Note the stacked oil cans in the window and the tire shed outside. Many of us can relate to that picture. The pic with Buckshot going head to head with Drag N Wagon was the final race at Indy where he won the National Championship. Note the size of the crowds.

Again, special thanks to Roger Sinistri, Jr.--a superb engine builder in his own right (genetics are a powerful force)--for sending me the pics. We are going to do an article on this car next spring or summer. Enjoy.

midyearvette

thanks.....

BLee

Great pics. I love any old drag car but especially Corvettes and Camaros.

BL

vetrod62

Thanks for posting. I am familiar with the Buckshot car. I love the early drag vettes and still race mine. I must have at least 100 pictures such cars. Jim Dillon also has quite a collection. Here is another of Buckshot.

1-2-b-67L89

Oh you hit a cord here Dan! Remember Buckshot well and saw it run many times since we lived in the York, PA area and had ol' York US30, Cecil County, 75-80, Maple Grove, etc....
In fact the 2nd pic down where Buckshot is running Grump's BB camaro was probably taken at Maple Grove or its a spitting image of how that track looked back then. There were quite a lot of young hot shoes during that time frame and Larry was one of them. And me too, would love to have a car like that
Thanks for bringing back so many memories.

Jim Dillon

Hopefully this will work, it will save me a bit of time reposting- I took the link from the thread on this car from sometime back. Great car. Also one of the very best was Carmen Rotunda's 61, the other car in the post by Vetrod.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...light=Buckshot

vettefred

Nice Dan.....Some sweet memories. I do think that one picture is from Maple Grove back in the day. Used to run there quite often following the "Money Trail" back in the early-mid seventies with my SS/HA Mustang 428 CJ.

Love those early Vettes in Stock/Super Stock. Got to know a guy named Ralph Feola from upstate NY who ran a competitive SS/L SS/M Corvette (C-1) He passed in a small plane crash.

Do we get any do-overs? lol.....those were some fun times.

Thanks for the post and sharing those pictures.

Fred

vetrod62

Hey Fred, Sorry for the Ford thing. But, I grew up in a Ford family and it took 1 year to see the corvette light.

Ahhhh yes. We, the North Jersy Outlaws, have been doing this for years. We race our cars several times a year. All solid axle vettes against each other. The most fun you can have. You should run with us one day.

bertbrown

Thanks for posting the pics of Buckshot, Dan. It is great to have Roger Sinistri posting over on HAMB about his dad's experiences!
Regards

bowtie racing

Thanks Dan again for great pics. Plese keep scanning those historical moments for us.

VetteRed1965

Thats what I'm talking about !

vettefred

Thanks for the invite.....might take you up on that. As an alumnus of Dover Dragstrip I might make it up to Island for the Second annual reunion this season. Shutdown used to be really short at Island...I can remember taking the left turn at about forty mph rubbing my slicks on the springs. lol. Great track and folks though.

Did you guys attend the Dover Reunion last year? More info at www.doverdragstip.com



Fred

vetrod62

That would cool if you can make it up here. The shut down is still just as short. But with disc brakes today, it is not a problem. With drums, you will only get one good stop. After that the transmission is your best bet.

We did not go to last years Dover Reunion. The guy with the green 61 had recent brain surgery at that time and the mood was not right. I have been racing him for 40+ years. We were planning to go this year.

John BX NY

"No offense to NCRS, but there are not a lot of drive train component on this car that were far from original, even in '68. It was all about speed and winning."

The NCRS doesn't exclude cars like this at all....it recognizes significant cars like this with the American Heritage award.....

Mark_Milner

I believe the key word is significant, and they decide what is and isn't.

In other words, John Greenwood's A/Prod would be. Your neighbor who had one wouldn't.

Grumpy Jenkins' Corvette would be. My co-worker's weekend drag car wouldn't.

If you weren't famous racing, or one of the factory race cars, or a billionaire race team owner, then too bad.

Jim Dillon

Dan, here is a you tube video with Buckshot winning Top Stock eliminator at Indy in 1968. Buckshot may have been my favorite "stocker" but Gianino's 57 injected small block Corvette (the Executioner)that ran D/G and D/A is one of my favorite gassers. in the video he follows Lombardo's run as he went on to win street eliminator. They said he was coming out at 9600. He was running out of Midwest and they were pretty famous for high revving Chevy engines (with Booth and Arons).-Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtotlbEMvY4

vetrod62

Jim, Great video. If I ever spun as much Lombardo, I would never win any thing. Amazing that he could still win after that. Gianino's 57 revved so high it sounded like an Indy car. Neat. And of course Bigs Now I feel like going to the garage to do some more work on my car.

Dan Hampton

Thanks, Jim. Those were great. Is there a video one of Indy '67? Here is a another link to the Lombardo Buckshot. A great sounding engine. Had to be the work of Roger Sinistri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHuti_ZItgE

Jim Dillon

Dan, I have not found a video of 1967 but will keep my eyes open. As much as I liked 1968 I liked the 67 Nats better. It may be my imagination but I thought there were more early Vettes in 67.

I could kick myself for being so short sighted and not taking photos during the day but the one thing that I have not found captured was the whole scene away from the track. The carnival atmosphere of Indy especially the motel parking lots where the guys were thrashing all night long getting the cars ready. Also this was before enclosed trailers so seeing the cars all over was almost as much fun as the racing itself.

Will keep looking-Jim

wmf62

there was a 57 Chev conv from a group i think was called 'Northtown' that ran at Detroit and Milan Michigan strips in the mid 60's that used to launch at 8,000.... i cringed every time i saw/heard it; BUT it was fascinating...
Bill