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Stapp-Chevrolet Sprint Car, 1973

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Stapp Enterprises
Description
Dirt oval tracks, speeds of 90 miles per hour or more, and the relatively light weight of sprint cars combined to produce a spectacular racing style. Drivers maintain top speeds on turns, letting the rear wheels slide while balancing throttle and steering. Stapp Enterprises built this car in Brownsburg, Indiana. It has a Chevrolet V-8 engine, spring front, and torsion bar rear suspension. The transmission has only one speed, but the rear axle contains a quick-change section that allowed the mechanic to change the final gear ratio in the pits. This car raced on dirt tracks, primarily in Ohio and Indiana but as far south as Florida and as far east as Pennsylvania. Its most successful driver was Duane “Pancho” Carter, who won the 1974 United States Auto Club (USAC) championship. Other drivers include Johnny Rutherford, Jackie Howerton, and Terry White.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Girft of Terry L. White
1973
ID Number
1981.0814.01
accession number
1981.0814
catalog number
1981.0814.01
Object Name
automobile, racing
Measurements
overall: 62 1/2 in x 72 in x 143 in; 158.75 cm x 182.88 cm x 363.22 cm
place made
United States: Indiana, Brownsburg
See more items in
Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
Sports & Leisure
Automobiles
Transportation
Road Transportation
National Museum of American History
Subject
Engineering
Record ID
nmah_1299490
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-cf9e-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Photograph of Duane 'Pancho' Carter, Jr. driving Stapp-Chevrolet sprint car, 1973
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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