Author: tm500

by Steve Coniff and Tom Carnegie

It was the late 1960’s, and Joe was visiting relatives, who lived in Montana. While he was there, a bunch of T’s came roaring through Livingston. He had run into one of the local T races that were popular all around the state of Montana at that time. Joe was intrigued, so when he got back to his home in Rocky Ford Colorado, he contacted the Livingston Chamber of Commerce to find out about the event. They in turn got him connected with the president of the Montana Cross Country T Association.

He talked his friend, Ross Anderson, from Arlington Colorado into letting him use his T to run in the 1972 race out of Miles City. Joe and his racing buddy Ernie Woodring took turns driving Ross’s car to a 15th place overall finish. They were second in the cast iron division that year. By 1974 Joe and Ernie had their own car. They did not finish that year. In 1975 the gas shortage kept Joe home, but he was back in 1976 with his own car painted a bright NAPA yellow. He called his car the “Gold Hat Special”. He finished in 11th place that year. I remember in 1977 when he doled out gold hats (which we put to good use) to all the T drivers.He came back most every year until 1981, which was his last year to race. His best finish was in 1980 when he came in 8th. Joe now lives in the Denver area.

by Gillian Hensley

The Model T Racing Bug bit Bill in l960. He restored a 1925 Model T in the garage, painted it black and blue, and was off and running. His first competition was the 50-mile race Labor Day weekend in White Sulphur Springs, Mt. He placed 5th out of 27 starters and the racing bug had him good. Bill raced in the Cross Country T races from the beginning in 1961 until 1969. He helped form the Montana Cross Country T Association in 1962 and served several terms as a Director and was also President in 1965. He was also instrumental in forming the Bozeman Antique Auto Club in 1962.

Bill was a machinist for Montana Motor Supply in Bozeman, Mt. and worked on many “T” engines, grinding crankshafts, pouring babbitt bearings and basically kept the motors running for himself and many other racers. Summers for him and his children-David and Gillian (that’s me) were spent going to the shorter 50 mile races held throughout the State, and the 3-day Cross Country race. Winters were spent working on engines and formulating ideas to get them to run faster–but stay within the rules. Bill never won the Cross Country (his best finish was 3rd twice), but thoroughly enjoyed each and every one he participated in, and especially enjoyed all the friendships he formed with other racers and their families.

In addition to his 1925 Model T used for racing, Bill also completely restored a 1915 Model T Touring Car-doing so on the sly and bringing it out for it’s maiden trip during a Bozeman Jaycees Parade. He also restored a 1924 Model T Coupe which his daughter Gillian raced several times in the 50 mile Bozeman race.

(note, Bill Walters, who was a charter member of the MCCTA, passed away in 1991, ed.)

By Tom Carnegie

Bud Peters of Ledger, MT. first entered the Montana 500 in 1963 and didn’t miss many times after that. He ran every year from 1963 through 1994. 1998 was the last time Bud entered. In 1981 Bud got his first top five finish and finished in the top five most years after that. Bud won his first time in 1982. Between then and 1993, Bud won four more times, making him the only five time winner of the open division.

Bud spent most of his life in the Ledger area. During WWII, Bud was in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After his discharge he started working on farms around the Ledger area. When his parents retired, Bud began farming the Peter’s farm. I visited Bud this summer and one of the things he showed me was his first grain storage shed, which he hand made by nailing two-by-fours one on top of the other to make solid four-inch thick walls. There were now several metal storage bins to replace the hand made one. The hand made one was full of T parts (of course)

Most people who knew Bud knew him as a fun and funny, witty man. He also was a musician. He told me that he liked to go to the retirement home and play his accordion for his friend Dave Ratzburg. Bud had a huge impact on the Montana 500 and many of the policies and rules are the direct or indirect result of his input.

This March, Bud passed away. He will be missed very much by all of his friends.

Tillman Oblander grew up in Oklahoma. Later, he left home and moved to La Grange Park, Illinois, where he met Don and Clem Englmann. The Englmanns got Tillman interested in joining the Montana Cross Country T Association. Tillman Oblander first entered the Montana 500 in 1974. That year he placed fourth in the cast-iron division. In 1975 he returned, came in second in the cast-iron division, but was disqualified.

I talked to Tillman recently and asked him about his disqualification. He was a bit cagey, but did mumble something about their being “something wrong” with the carburetor. He was a little bit put out about coming all the way from LaGrange Park Illinois, only to be disqualified, and wondered if it was worth all the trouble to even come next year. Some of his friends from Montana talked to him and convinced him it was indeed worth the effort.

He came back in 1976 and finished 2nd in the cast iron division. In 1977 the cast iron class was eliminated. Tillman finished 27th out of 27 finishers that year. In 78 he was up to 5th out of 14. In 79, 80 and 81 he entered but did not finish. 1982 brought 2nd place, his best finish. He entered from 1983-85. He took off 86 and 87 but came back in 1988, 1992 and 1993 which was his last year. Tillman now lives in Ozark, Missouri

By Tom Carnegie with help from Bob Braun

Don Mc Carl was part of the group that came from Bozeman. He ran in 1965 and 1966, which were the largest races based on the number of drivers that entered. In 1965 there were 35 drivers and in 1966 there were 36. 1965 was the year that the route took the drivers up into Canada. It was also during this run

that Glenn Embree filmed most of the footage for his motion picture called Flying Flivvers. Apparently this excursion into Canada caused some interesting episodes with washed out roads and such like that.

Bob Braun, who was also from Bozeman, recently told me a little story about this situation. Because the roads had some problems, the drivers had adopted a signal (raising their hand above their head) to show when they were going to slow down for a bad spot. Don and Bob had a friendly rivalry going. Bob’s car was generally faster than Don’s but Don was always telling Bob, “I’m going to catch you on this leg”.

On one particular leg Don’s T was running well and it looked like he was going to catch Bob. Just as he was about to make his move, Bob raised his hand. Don apparently thought this a trick so he continued at speed. It wasn’t, as indeed there was a big bump in the road. As Don hit the bump he was thrown out of control and went off the road. Bob stopped to help him and both drivers were shaken but not hurt and continued on. Don was one of the few people that has run a touring car. Today this exact car can be found at the home of Mark Hutchinson. It still has the signs on the door!

by Tom Canegie

Perry Mathews was from Helena Mt. He was a voc-ed teacher teaching Diesel mechanics. He first raced a model T in the Montana 500 in 1969. At that time he ran in the cast iron division. In 1973 he won the cast iron division.

In 1976 he switched over to aluminum and came in fifth.

In 1980 his son Ted joined him in the endurance run. They both ran until 1982.

For 1983 the Association decided to try 11/16″ restrictor plates between the carburetor and the intake manifold on a one-year trial basis.

Perry Mathews won that year, so when they voted to make the use of restrictor plates permanent, Perry Mathews’ hand was the first one up.

In the fall of 1984 the sudden passing of Perry saddened us. While out hunting he suffered a fatal heart attack. Ted continued to run off and on until 1993.

Ted still lives in Helena.

by Tom Carnegie

Grant was quite involved in Model Ts as he owned the Antique Auto Ranch. In the late 1960s his friend of his named Dick Bergan decide to enter the Montana 500. Grant went along as pit crew. By 1970, Grant had his own car, but on the third day broke his crank and did not finish. He came back in 1971 and finished 14th in the aluminum division. That was the last year he raced, but that is not the end of the story. In 1972 his hired man built a car and came to Montana. In 1975 another one of his employees came over. Their names were Rick Carnegie and Tom Carnegie. That is not the end of the story. In 2000 his daughter Carla Carnegie came over and drove. The next year his grand-daughter Anna Marx took a stab at T racing. Grant still lives in Spokane and is active in the local Model T club.

By David Lingle

Evan was a born mechanic like his older brother Melvin, so he had a role model from the start. Fords were his favorite, starting with the model T’s. When Evan was 18, he went off to serve in WWII. When he returned he went to work for the Montana State Highway. Later, he went to work for Berg Ford Motor in Circle, MT. There he had the opportunity to do what he really enjoyed, working on cars.

Berg Motors sponsored him in the first Montana 500 race in 1961. He took first place. Evan with the help of his son John, took a 1922 touring, cut the back off, put on two coats of black paint and called her good. “Pretty doesn’t win races” Evan was heard to say. He was a terrific, but fair competitor. Many of the other drivers teased him (good naturedly) about the T using more oil than gas. It used 23 quarts of oil. At one point in the race, a Montana Highway Patrol officer clocked him at 72 miles per hour (this is according to my mother Ruby Lingle). He was featured on the cover of Hemmings Motor News shortly after the race.

He entered several shorter races around Montana, many of them sponsored by the VFW of Jordan, MT. I remember when he borrowed my dad’s (Melvin Lingle) T for the 1972 Montana 500. Over the years he received many trophies, which his daughter, LaWanna of Billings MT. still cherishes. He donated the last T he restored to the museum in Circle, MT. Evan passed away November 15, 1993.

by Tom Carnegie

Frank Iverson came from Ledger, Montana – or was it Conrad? In the past, drivers had signs on their cars to tell their hometown. Sometimes Frank was from Conrad and sometimes he was from Ledger.

Frank first entered the Montana 500 in 1965. That year he drove a black 23-5 roadster. He finished 18th that year. The last year he ran was in 1981. He came in 19th that year. The rest of the time his finishes were always in the top ten, and usually in the top five. In 1970 he won and was written up in both Road and Track and Rod and Custom magazines. I once heard a lady say that Frank had “movie star” good looks. That might be the case, but the real looker was his car. The “Roadrunner” was a beautiful 26-7 blue roadster. In 1975 my windshield stanchion broke and Frank offered to let me use his welder to fix it.

There in his shop was a one of his secrets to success. He had a Model A motor hooked to a stand that he would use to “run-in” his T motors. He called it “burnishing” the bearings.

The “Roadrunner” car now lives in Portland, Oregon. Frank still lives in Ledger – or is it Conrad?

Jim Halseth, of Dutton, MT first entered in 1977. He was driving a car that was in previous years by his dad (Bert Halseth, who with his partner Glenn Johnson raced 1966 to 1971) Nickol drives. When I first saw the car (in 1977) it was a black cut-off touring car. In later years Bud Peters converted it in to a proper Roadster. It is now the car that George Nickols drives.

In Jim’s first year of racing, he came in 23rd out of 30 drivers. In 1979 he finished 9th. In 1980 and 81 he finished 5th. Jim continued to enter every year, and in 1984 he won! For the next ten years he entered every race and consistently placed in the top 5.

In 1994 he came in first again. 1996 was the last run that he entered. Jim is now living in Australia.

by Rich Armstrong

John Foos was reared in Laurel, Montana, but now resides in Helena. John entered his first race in 1961. He competed in the last two days of the Missoula to Circle race promoting Highway 200 through Montana. After the Montana Cross-Country “T” Assoc. was organized, John joined and participated in thirteen races through the 1980’s.

John was a fierce competitor! His motto- “I CHEAT”. This was more bluff than anything, as his generosity was very evident in that he never refused to assist anyone-whether it is the need for a coil or EVEN the loan of a complete engine!

John served as President in 1966 and 1967. His wife, Donna, was Sec.-Treasurer.

Spontaneous response was one of John’s characteristics. During a race in the Flathead country, the weather was cold and very rainy. After two days of driving with no top on his roadster, and while stopped for coffee and trying to find shelter from the elements, a young man driving a Model A Sedan stopped. He leaned out the window and asked John if he would trade. John jumped up and said, “Get your junk out and you have a trade”. Five minutes later, John was a proud owner of the A. John’s comment when asked why he did it; “At least I’ll be dry”!

My Friend Jon De Vick
By Bob Mac Neil

Jon was full of fun. He was a very outgoing person, the kind that is very easy to get to know. In 1957, we were roommates in the Washington State College (now WSU) dorm. Jon loved girls, the coed type. We lived in Mc Allister Hall, and Jon took a job as houseboy in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. He made some good coed connections that way. At that time Jon (his real name was John, but he didn’t care for that spelling) drove a Model T sedan. It was a big attention getter, especially with the ladies. He was always running around with a Model T full of them.

Once on the way home from Pullman, Jon spotted a speedster in a farm building. He stopped and talked to the owner, and eventually made a deal for it. It was a very desirable Laurel speedster with all the original Laurel accessories.

We caught a crow and put it into a cage in our dorm room. Early in the morning, at sun up, that crow would do his calling. Jon thought the rest of the dorm needed to be annoyed along with us, so he rigged the intercom to broadcast the crow’s wake up call to all of the rooms in the dorm. The consequence of this little stunt was that I was not allowed to return to the dorm the next year!

Jon did not return to college the next year, and for a while I lost track of him. He got married, had a son and a daughter. He lived in the Seattle area and worked for Boeing. In addition to the Laurel speedster, Jon had a 1926 sedan and a 1919 coupe, which I believe is the car that he drove in the 1974 Montana 500. That was the only year that he entered, and he finished near the bottom of the pack.

I ran into Jon at the Puyallup swap meet in the 1990’s. He had a brain tumor, which had changed his personality. He was rather introverted and seemed to have some trouble remembering me. It was very sad to see someone as vibrant and full of life as Jon become so withdrawn and quiet.

Eventually the cancer took him. He passed away in 1999. His son still has his Model T’s.