A fellow out of the Columbus, Ohio had lots of vintage race pictures for sale on eBay a while back including some of the Len Immke race cars. There were at least 3 Buick GS cars advertised-a '68,a '70, and a '71. Most of the pictures were of the '71 and I was able to save about 6 in my folder of a size that should fit this sites allowable dimensions. I will post them now in replies. :3gears:
Len Immke cars continued What could have been better than driving a new Stage 1 that was sponsored by a dealer?
Brian, I saw those on eBay a while back...I saved the second one you posted to my desktop for "future use"....
This may well be a different car... This may well be a different '71 GS. I doubt it though. One of the pictures of the '71 with a vinyl top has these same wheels and the wagon in the background looks like a '73-'75. I think the car is the same one, a little later in life, less it's vinyl top, and sporting a different paint job, but still sponsored by Immke
Did anyone save? I wonder if any of these cars survived and if one of us may have one? Did anyone save the picture of the '70 with a large man standing next to it in the staging lanes? I don't have it but would like to have it. There was a really neat picture of the '70 on a trailer behind an old vintage Chevy truck but the quality of that photo was not good.
My excuse was a little better. My computer failed and I didn't have the chance for several months. I have three more pictures but they are to large including the '70 on the trailer. Does anyone want to volunteer to resize them? I'll need your email address please.
Those cars were raced by Dick Baker back in the 60's/70's in the Columbus area. Dick passed away a year or two ago and they were part of his estate, if I'm not mistaken. I think Dick was employed in some way with Immke's for awhile. He raced at National Trails for the most part (home track), site of the 1999 GS Nationals. A very nice person to be sure. An early Buick racer like "Pop" Kennedy (Kenne-Bell).
dick baker-len immke factoids i raced with dick baker in the len immke 71 car for a number of years when i lived in columbus and had an A/S 69 Chevelle. Dick was a drywall hanger and gerneral construction guy, great fun and a pretty good racer. and a very big man-that would be him next to the car in the one photo i think. I believe one of his sons stilll has the 71 with a blue/flame paint job in northern ohio somewhere and races it occasionally. as an interesting side note for those of you who think he had a cool deal-dick once told me Len Immke provided the car as a brand new unit to dick-but not another cent ever on any of his cars. Immke got all the ink, but dick spent all the money on the prep and maintenance and travel and when he was done and was going to a new car there was always a struggle over how the proceeds from the old one would be used. if it wasnt for dick being immkes nephew,and a diehard racer, it is unlikely the immke buicks would have ever existed. they were built by someone who loved drag racing and had a family connection to a dealership but the dealer principle wasnt all that interested in the cars as they were campaigned. A fellow named Jerry Schmolock used to help dick with turbo 400 building,differential work/repairs, and some engine work. in the early 90s i was offered the original 71 455 from the blue flamed car that had sat under a work bench in jerrys shop since it was pulled out, brand new, in favor of an already built race unit from the earlier car. it was cheap, i dont remember how much but less than a grand as i remember, this engine was complete from air cleaner to oil pan and had maybe 20 miles on it. i was in california and it was in columbus and i had no way or real desire to get into that shipping mess. wish i had, dont know who ever got it. dave benisek ahs shared some amusing stories about dick with me that i hadnt heard recently and it reminded me again of how much i enjoyed racing with him when cols was my hometown. :3gears:
Brad and Scott, Thanks for the information! On the larger photos you can clearly see Dick's name on the car. It is interesting to hear the '71 car is still out there and bad news as far as Dick's passing is concerned. I probably should have mentioned his name right from the start. Brett - the pictures are on the way.
Man ,Great story. I was wrong about the 71 car, but that doesn't matter. Buick history is being told here. It would be great if we could have section just for this type of history.