RACING ‘ROUND THE VALLEY

By Dan Fleisher

Do you remember racing decals?

This article is totally offbeat compared to the regular ones appearing on VSP.com but I recently came across a slew of racing decals that brought back memories galore. Thought you’d like to see them.

When you were a kid, did you collect Baseball, Football and Basketball cards? Almost all boys did including me (no offense girls). As a matter of fact, some adults still partake because in recent years, selling and trading cards has become BIG BUSINESS.

But what about racing related decals? Have you ever collected or saved them? I’m not referring to current decals appearing on the back window of your pickup truck or mini-van, like the NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt popular #3 or Jeff Gordon #24 multicolored ones.

I’m referring to decals that pictured RACING CARS: Midgets, Big Cars, Track Roadsters, Indy Cars, Dragsters and even Land Speed racers. Most of these were used as advertising materials by affiliated sponsors or businesses.

Back in 1947, my Dad placed the following decal on the front windshield of the family’s 4-door Plymouth. It was really neat but after selling the car in 1950, I never saw the same decal until two weeks ago, some 59 years later. I went bonkers seeing it on e-bay and promptly gobbled it up for a whopping (sic) $4.99. It was more than a bargain folks, it was a gift. WOW, what a find!

Side Note: Rose Tire Company not only supplied tires for Midget racecars, they also had a small Tow Vehicle used to help start Midgets in those days. There were no “push” trucks, only pickup’s with a man sitting in the “bed” holding a quick release rope that was tied to the front axel of the racecar. After pulling the racer up to speed, the driver hit the magneto switch starting the unique sounding Offy or Elto engines (a Marine engine), then hand-signaled the man in the truck-bed to disengage the rope using the specially designed release. Primitive yet effective! I still don’t know (technically) how it worked.

During that era, I constantly looked at other passenger cars hoping to see racing decals. If I saw one, I knew we had something in common; the guy had to be a race fan right? Also, when attending races at Gilmore Stadium and other tracks in Los Angeles, I went through the parking lot looking to see who had what on their window and if I saw a decal I didn’t have, I asked Dad to get it for me. They were free for the asking if you found the sponsoring company because they loved the free advertising.

In later years, like most of us, I cleaned out the closets and garages, throwing out what I thought was “junk,” never realizing they might be “treasures” or worth some greenbacks 30, 40 or 50 years down the road. Too bad I didn’t have foresight. If nothing else, the junk would have served as memories for the next generations. I’ve often kicked myself in the rear but thank goodness for the internet and the ability to find almost anything from the past.

Take a look at some of the NEAT decals from bygone years, including the Bakersfield Drags image I’ve included for you “Valleyites.” They don’t make ‘um like they used to.



If you have a collection and would like to swap stories, or decals, feel free to contact me: danfleisher1@yahoo.com

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