Alex Morales Tamale Wagons

[frodo13]

I was eating lunch today and I began thinking about Alex Morales(I was eating tamales). Could someone give me information on what drivers occupied the cockpit of the Tamale Wagons the most?

[jandj]

For the Indycar Tamale Wagons, off the top of my head I’d guess Pancho Carter had the most starts.

[senorsoupe]

I know this one! I wrote the wikipedia entry lol!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Morales_Motorsports

Pancho Carter and Johnny Rutherford were the only drivers to win Indycar races for Morales but they also employed Jimmy Carruthers, Bobby Olivero, Bill Vukovich II, Mike Mosley, Al Holbert, Howdy Holmes and finally Roberto Guerrero when Morales ran the Alfa Romeo program

I admit I don't know much about the drivers of the Tamale Wagon sprint cars, but Chuck Hulse won a championship for them

[frodo13]

The sprint cars were what I was really having a problem with. I remember several drivers in the Wagons but I was thinking their was a predominant Tamale Wagon driver but I having a tough time finding anything. Thought it could be Bubby Jones or Ron Shuman but they don't seem right either.

[JThur1]

With the lack of compilation of sprint car stats, it's fairly impossible to know. The recently passed Bob Hogle is a good candidate though, as he spent quite a bit of time driving for the Morales Brothers.

I can only answer that Ray Pixley might have been the first driver of a Morales Tamale Wagon, back in the 1930s.

[JSJLW]

With the lack of compilation of sprint car stats, it's fairly impossible to know. The recently passed Bob Hogle is a good candidate though, as he spent quite a bit of time driving for the Morales Brothers.

I can only answer that Ray Pixley might have been the first driver of a Morales Tamale Wagon, back in the 1930s.

I know there are some websites that have Sprint Car Results, but there are so many Sprint Car Races especially from 20's-30's until like the 80's maybe early 90's probably a hundred or more EVERY weekend, you could possibly find a lot of the larger races and probably some of the smaller races, but it would be impossible to find results from ALL races.

Trivia Question: When & Where did AJ win his first Sprint Car Race...

*Not Champ Car/Indy Car, that would be simple to find out, talking about Local Short Track Sprint Car Race.

Then again try to find WHEN & Where Dale Earnhardt won his first Late Model Race...

You could find out the Where just by there hometowns, etc...But When might be difficult.

I could only guess that AJ probably won a Sprint Car Race maybe 56? somewhere in Houston?

I think Dale's first win was at Bowman-Gray possibly 72? 73?

[frodo13]

With the lack of compilation of sprint car stats, it's fairly impossible to know. The recently passed Bob Hogle is a good candidate though, as he spent quite a bit of time driving for the Morales Brothers.

I can only answer that Ray Pixley might have been the first driver of a Morales Tamale Wagon, back in the 1930s.

Thanks so much, I will continue to dig. It will give me a mission for Thanksgiving week. Yes, I remember Bob Hogle, I will look into his history more. Thanks So Much!!

[jandj]

Trivia Question: When & Where did AJ win his first Sprint Car Race...

August 25, 1956 driving Les Vaughn’s Offy.
An IMCA show at the Red River Fair in Fargo, N.D.

[jandj]

Then again try to find WHEN & Where Dale Earnhardt won his first Late Model Race...

That would be July 19, 1974 at Metrolina Speedway in Charlotte N.C. in a ‘64 Chevelle bought from Harry Gant.

[JSJLW]

That would be July 19, 1974 at Metrolina Speedway in Charlotte N.C. in a ‘64 Chevelle bought from Harry Gant.

WOW...You're Good...Come to think of it I think I heard something about him at that track.

[jandj]

Metrolina was pretty much Ralph and Dale’s home track.
It started out dirt, Dale began in the lower classes while Ralph was in the top class.
It was paved in the early 70’s, got a NASCAR sanction and started running Late Model Sportsman as the top division.
When that happened Dale moved up to LMS.

[4 Corner Fan]

August 25, 1956 driving Les Vaughn’s Offy.
An IMCA show at the Red River Fair in Fargo, N.D.

Wow. Less than two years later he is driving in the Indy 500.

[JSJLW]

August 25, 1956 driving Les Vaughn’s Offy.
An IMCA show at the Red River Fair in Fargo, N.D.

He started racing midgets in 53, was racing USAC by 56...Makes me wonder.

Yeah, his first major victory, his first victory that was probably Public Knowledge, but I am just saying people might miss something at some small track in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma.

I wondered how he went from Texas to North Dakota for his first win?

[jandj]

You have to remember that back then Midgets were the premiere division at local tracks, Sprint Cars being pretty much traveling circuits.
The IMCA Fair Circuit was just one notch below USAC.
Vaughn gave AJ his first Sprint Ride in ‘56, by ‘57 he was with USAC.
His win at Salem in ‘57 is pretty much what put him in the Dean Champ car in ‘58.
As for how he got to North Dakota, in his book he says Vaughn flew him up to race the day before at the Minnesota State Fair, they drove to Fargo afterward.

[KevMcNJ]

Just following along here but I don't know if Dale got many laps at Bowman Gray.

Maybe I'm wrong but it's not a place where his name comes up often.

Bowman Gray is more of a modified joint too which was not his forte'