Not airplanes but round and round....

[jim gilmore]

Did anybody see storage wars where Barry Weiss got a vintage tether car ?
Where is that he was watching the guy run them ?

[Shawn Lenci]

I saw that and had to look it up as well.  Those look pretty cool.  Apparently it was filmed at the Whittier Narrows Recration Park in El Monte, CA.  After looking at the Knights of the Round Table website it appears to be next to the CL circles.

Shawn

[louie klein]

I saw it also, that is a neat find. I know there is one of those tracks somewhere on Long Island also. It would be cool to see if they do vintage racing like we do with planes. Happy New Year!!--LOUIE   

[jim ivey]

 I remember it he early 50s there was a teather track in Torrance cal and one in Griffith park. In Elysian park there was s track in a round wooden  kinda like a big barrel on its side with  with slots  you could hook  the cars on. I think it was called wall racing.  there  were 2 tracks inside to race 2 cars at once. 60 size McCoys and doolings mostly. They went well over an 100 mph as i recall. Anyone else remember these?    jim 

[Joe Mig]

I saw it also, that is a neat find. I know there is one of those tracks somewhere on Long Island also. It would be cool to see if they do vintage racing like we do with planes. Happy New Year!!--LOUIE   

Louie I have a friend that goes too a race once a year I think he said at Eisenhower park.  I put a link that showes a picture with a brief discription that might be at another park on LI.
 http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/tether-car-racing-on-long-island-1.3106733

[john e. holliday]

I think Anderson Ind. has a tether car track that is very active around NATS time.   I know I have seen some of the speed crowd there running their cars.  I know the track is south of Muncie anyway.

[Steven Kientz]

Doc you're right about Anderson, In. They have a pretty good turnout . My brother and I have talked about going to spectate, haven't made it yet.

[Dennis Moritz]

Dan Banjok is into tether cars. Yes. There is a track near Muncie that still hosts the serious speeders. These are sophisticated powerful models. Same as CL Speed ships. Dan has gone out there and observed. There is as well a functioning track out in LI. At least that is what I heard a number of years ago.

[Mike Palko]

From my experience Anderson is hit or miss. The year I was there only two or three cars ran over the course of the afternoon. Dan Banjock insists we were there on an off day.

I attached a picture of a tether car track about 5min from where I live. I was in touch with a tether car historian hoping he would know more about it, but he never got back to me. The track is in a public park and is is surprisingly good shape. A Saturdays worth of work and it could be up and running.



Mike

[Phil Hawkins]

Definitely Whittier Narrows...

[Paul Taylor]

http://www.amrca.com/tracks.htm

[Dennis Moritz]

Dany's been making us loose perfectly good flying time to assist and spectate as he manages  to make two 1/2 A tether cars kind of work. Definitely a mini Ringling Brothers spectacle in the parking lot. The Wen Mac powered car did two laps and broke a crank. Next week, with a new scavenged crank, it ran but didn't do more than a few laps. The thimble drone car did get trimmed out. Taped on lead weights. The car anchoring moved back and forth. Needlevalve setting monkeyed with. The car went round and round and round. Ran out the tank. The back hopping up and down, the sponge rubber rear tires, burning out, gaining traction, front end doing a wheelie, then repeat, a big water bug, drunk and mad, at impressive speed, forced to circle.

[Larry Renger]

The Whittier Narrows track is used about once a month.  I do not know the name of the group that uses it, but it is incredibly well set up with double wire fencing, electrical power, a storage container and electronic speed sensing system.  Probably more goodies than that, but I am not a racer, so couldn't tell you exactly what is there.

Speeds generally run 150 and up, but I have seen runs over 200mph.  You literally can not see the car, it is going too fast for the eye to register.  Amazing technology.  They all have these flow meters to set the needle and vary the diameter of the wheels to tune the gear ratio.  VERY high-tech ancient art!

They run old and new designs, tuned pipes and open exhaust, various displacements.  A race day is well worth taking in!

[Dennis Moritz]

Granted our parking lot asphalt is pocked and bumped. So the cars tend to hop for that reason alone. Nevertheless it was clear that the car itself, to work on any surface, needed plenty of tuning.There's plenty to adjust, feel out and trim. Took a lot of figuring to get the half-a thimble drone kid's car to run out a tank.

[louie klein]

Hi Joe, yes this is the story I recall about the tether cars on L.I. They realy look complex and you probably need a machine shop in your basement to be competitive! Thanks.---LOUIE 

[Phil Hawkins]

I have been at Whittier Narrows during a meet... those cars are so blasted loud, bring ear plugs and aspirin. Yer gonna need both!

[john e. holliday]

Naturally I am a little deaf, but I didn't think they were loud once they got going.   Also in Anderson the circle is in town in a park.   I didn't see anyone complaining.   Of course they cars are below a fence and not up in the air like model planes.

[Brian Massey]

It's been years since I watched tether cars at Whittier Narrows, but that sure looked like it.

Brian

[jim ivey]

google cameron rodzy