1933 Crack’n Riley Special
Sprint Car
Here is another race car from the 2020 AACA Hershey National Car Show held in Gettysburg PA. This 1933 Sprint Car, Crack’n Riley Special is a real through back to the days of dirt track racing.
This little rascal only weighs 1300 lbs. It is powered by a 210 cubic inch Mobel B Block with Winfield dual cab, full oil pressure, dry sump, Vertex magneto, Berber connecting rods and a four-port Riley head. Up front is a Model A leaf spring and in the rear is a 1929 Model A Ford. The brakes are hand operated mechanical rear drum only.
This was a time when race car drivers were real daredevils. There is no safety belts or other kind of restraints. No fire suits or even substantial helmets. In 1936, driver Walt Adler won the garden State Auto Racing Association’s Championship. In 1953, Bob Brown (Williams) drove the car to a second in points and Rookie of the Year honors in NARA. This car continued to be raced until 1963. Its restoration was completed between 1971 and 1973. It has gone on to wind many AACA awards and is shown every year since at Hershey.
