DO NOT PRINT, POST OR PUBLISH IMAGES APPEARING IN THE VAULT WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM PHOTOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER'S FAMILY OR PROVIDER
Photo ID # H02.26.11_031_KOZ_FLM_0070_1
Car #: #31
Driver (s) : John Kozak
Location: Flemington, NJ
Date: 1970's
Photographer: Paul Irving
Photo provided by: Paul Irving
Comments: What a great thing to do to a Pinto...  Here's Johnny Kozak in a very "Brightbill" looking racer.  Not sure if this particular car was ever a #19 but it sure looks like it either was, or was built using the same blueprints!  (Great angle of the #31 by photographer/artist Paul Irving - Thanks Paul!)
Visitor's Comments To add your comments about THIS PHOTO
 Click Here
Date: Visitor's  Name:

Comment:

02.27.11 StevPrcr The decal on the rear quarter might be a clue.
02.27.11 3Wide ... A clue to what?  We know that it say's Brightbill Kreitz on the car but that doesn't mean that this is a former #19, right?  I have read that at least one of the #31's that John drove was THE former Kenny Brightbill #19 Pinto, but don't know if this is it or not.
03.02.11 Mark Makuch If memory serves me correct, this WAS a former Brightbill car, but not driven by Kenny(Freddy perhaps??).Again I heard the story that when it was driven by Freddy(?) it was numbered 13, so when Johnny bought it, he just switched the numbers. dang I'm getting older!
03.06.11 Barry Miller This Johnny Kozak's #31 is Kenny Brightbill's first Pinto from '73. This car later went on to become Chris Reed's 29 that he ran as a small block at Big Diamond and Grandview in the early 80's. The last I heard Chris still had this car in his front yard, that might be worth looking into for someone's project. It has been a few years since I heard that so I do not know if it is still around or not..
03.08.11 Bill  Katinowsky I spoke with Johnny Kozak this morning (3/5) at the health club. This is the Pinto he bought from Brightbill. The story he told me is that it was actually on Kenny's "junk pile".

Johnny bought it for very little, cut off what he didn't want and rebuilt his 31. It turned into a winner for him. He won 6 at Reading and had other wins at Bridgeport and
Delaware. He also had a top 5 at Syracuse with the car.

He then sold it to a guy, Chris Reed, who ran it at Grandview. He sold it for quite a bit more than he paid for it. Between Kenny and Johnny, the car had a lot of wins.
02.22.13 Allen Urry John will always be a favorite of mine as he gave me my first "trip" around US 13 Speedway. Back in the 70's Delmar would run Twin 20's for the modifieds. After the features the winners would come down the front straight for a victory lane ceremony. I would often hitch a ride on the back of the car with some of the drivers (Dave Kelly, Bobby Walls, Haines Tull, Ronnie Paulson & John) back to the pit area. The usual route back to the pits was to turn around on the front straight and head back toward turn 4 towards the scales. One particular night after John won the first feature and I asked him for a ride back to the pits, he let me ride on the back of the 31 all the way around the track. I'll never forget that ride! Thanks again John, that will always be my favorite lap around a race track.   
02.22,13 3Wide Great story Allen - I never got to ride on the back of a car like that, but it was pretty cool when once in a while I got a chance to catch a ride on the back of the #A car trailer out of the pits at Flemington out to the parking lot behind the backstretch.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Back