d12.22.07_999_DON_UNK_0060_1.jpg (82152 bytes)

Photo ID # d12.22.07_999_DON_UNK_0060_1
Car #: #999
Driver (s) : Walt Donald
Location: not sure...
Date: 1960's
Photographer: Ace Lane Sr.
Photo provided by: Ace Lane Jr.
Comments: I know that Walt's name has come up on a couple of times in the Vault, so we thought we'd post this one too.  Looking at this photo reminds us of why they were once called "stock" cars....
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Comment:

12/21/07 Russ Dodge This is a great shot of Walter Donald's "Black Beauty" 999. Vineland Speedway records place the year at 1961 and an educated guess, the track Nazareth. Sonny Dornberger's cars carried the 999, and Walt used the number in place of the number 325 which he used before (and after) the 999.

Walt and Sonny, also built a coupe that was equal in beauty. The coupe was short lived but provides with a unique story. Walt was running at Vineland with the 999 sedan pictured.

Several weeks previous to bringing out the new coupe, Tommie Elliott had come down to Walt's 999 in the pits and climber under the car to look at the suspension set up. Sonny Dornberger was fed up with it, so when the new coupe was finished, he climbed under it and took a paint brush and white paint and painted "F...U, on the underside of the floor boards, so that when Tommie climbed under the car to look, he would see it!!

Walt brought the new coupe out at Vineland on a Friday night, and proceeded to dump it on its side during the warm-ups coming out of the 3rd turn. You guessed it, the bottom of the car faced the grandstand and displayed the new lettering under the car, for the spectators to see!! Needless to say the car was quickly up-righted!

Thanks for listening, Russ Dodge
12/22/07 Mike Shaub Now that's a REAL RACE CAR!!! One that has it's own style. Plus you can tell what kind of car it is. Brings back a lot of memories.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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