a12.29.04_047_093_FLM_0060_1.jpg (63087 bytes)

Photo ID # a12.29.04_047_093_FLM_0060_1
Car #: #47 & #39
Driver (s) : Dick Havens and Al Tasnady
Location: Flemington
Date: 1968?
Photographer: Ace Lane Sr.
Photo provided by: Bob Barone
Comments: There's a lot of similarity with the 2 cars featured in this great Ace Lane Sr. photo.  Here you have 2 cars that were based out of Morrisville, Pa (Carberry #47 and the Piscopo #39)... You also have 2 cars that were lettered by Tom Backes....  And you have 2 of the great drivers of the day!  While Dick Havens may not have had nearly as many feature wins as Tas, he had one heck of a reputation for being able to drive clean, fast and always brought the car back in one piece!  In addition, those who worked with him will tell you that he was one of the greatest guys to crew for. 
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12/24/04 George Perkins Boy, what a great shot. Both these guys were big favorites of mine.   A lot of comments have been made throughout the Picture Vault about cars lettered by Tom Backes. 

I moved to Tennessee in the late sixties and soon after began a career as a commercial sign painter.   During that time I lettered around a thousand race cars.  One similarity I've noticed in cars lettered by Mr. Backes is not only his pretty numbers and nice brush styles, but his attention to contrast.

The numbers "pop" of of all his cars.  This comes from using outlines and shadows properly.  So many guys make the mistake of putting a black shadow on a white car. What happens with a black shadow is it looks good up close but at a distance the shadow overpowers the number. What you see is the shape of the shadow, which is a form our eyes don't easily recognize.   Mr. Backes used a light gray shadow, it enhanced the number but didn't overpower it... the numbers "popped" and the cars looked good no matter where they were on the race track.

01/10/05 John Levan Looking at the grandstand and seeing the crowd on its feet - Could this be the first win for Dick and the #47 at Flemington.
01/29/05 John Armbruster Classic shot.
03/02/05 Fred Voorhees What a great shot!!! This evokes some of my earliest memories of my attendance at Flemington. Man, this is when racing separated the men from the boys.   Al was my very first favorite driver and boy is that a big surprise with how he was feared every time he took to the track. If've said it once, I've said it a million times, " Man, those were the days!!!!"
     
     

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