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1971 Oswego Supers
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Howard Purdy and Bob Hodgson laid out chalk lines on the floor of Howard's mother's garage for the frame in 1964!! They raced the car on and off at Oswego with Ken Fisher as the driver. Ron Lux came on board in late'64 and used the name Bob Hodgson as he had his USAC license. Back then, USAC would yank your license if you got caught running non-sanctioned races.Well,when 1965 rolled around, Lux won the first three features of the year at Oswego-using the Hodgson alias. Finally he said to hell with it and revealed his name... Ronnie Lux.Lux's complete domination of the 65' season will always be remembered. Although he didn't win the classic, he sat on the pole and the race was his until he blew a tire. When 1966 came,Lux once again gave USAC a shot. Rons good friend,Jim Hurtubise had a roadster that he let Lux drive. This car by the way was destined to run as a supermodified one day... owned and driven by Walt Riley! Ronnie ran at Trenton that year but the U.S.A.C. politicos said he needed more experience to race at Indy,so he hit the road on the U.S.A.C. sprint car circuit driving for Clyde Gutzwiler.
Unfortunatly,it all came to an end in Tulsa Oklahoma on July 14th 1966 when he was fatally injured in his heat race. A little side bar,the reason Ronnie could take so much time off from his job to race was because he had an understanding boss-John Casey!! of Casey Trucking.
After Lux's death,Purdy tried many drivers including Bob Smith,Ron Wallace,Jim Gresley and Art Bennett But it was the young New England driver that Ron Lux himself had recommended, Bentley Warren that had what it took to make the deuce a winner again. For the 1969 season, the deuce was re-worked with parts from an ex-Indy roadster that Jim Smoker from Buffalo once drove at Oswego. Smokers son Ron is now running USAC midgets. From that point on-Andy Brown, Warren Coniam and Jimmy Winks all drove it with Winks being the last. I read an article a couple of years ago that said the car to this day sits in the back of Howard Purdy's Ford dealership in Gowanda N.Y. He has been approched by the Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville about a complete restoration and permenant display. He says the car will never be sold. In the same article, Bentley Warren said and quote; "I think if Howard freshened the car up and brought it to Oswego,I could put it in the top 10. You know what ? I believe it!!
Hope you enjoy!! MIKETEE
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Ken Fisher tries to explain to Howard Purdy what happened to the Deuce!
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The 1965 Oswego Champ-Ron Lux
alway dug those STP coveralls |
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Ron Lux with a young Dick O'Brien
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Ron Lux was the first driver to DOMINATE the whole season in the supers at Oswego
At one point he had won eight out of ten features-a feat that stood untill 1968 when Todd Gibson broke all records. |
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COMING SOON-THE END OF A CAREER AND THE START OF ANOTHER
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