(Words unless otherwise noted, Lee Hulse) – If you can believe it, this is one of the coolest stories that has ever appeared on BangShift. Why? Mostly because it cleared up most of the mystery behind one of the most famous American racing photos ever taken. This infamous snap with the driver and the crew guy flipping each other the bird has been the subject of fiery internet debate for decades and we’re blown away at the circumstances that lead us to this knowledge and even more impressed with the airtight credentials of the guy who wrote to tell us who is and isn’t…the subject’s son.
As best we know, this information isn’t hiding anywhere else on the internet, which rules. Want to know the story behind the story? Read the words below which were emailed to us by Lee Hulse, the son of the man that we believed was the star of the photo but who more truthfully would never have been found to be throwing “birds” at the race track or otherwise. This is so cool it hurts.
READ ON TO SEE WHO IS IN THE PHOTO AND WHO IS NOT –
I “stumbled” upon your web site and to a thread featuring a rather humorous photo what some thought to be a sprint car race. The photo shows an unidentified driver and crew member giving each other the finger. There were approx 15 reply’s regarding that photo all trying to solve the mystery of who the driver was and where it was taken. Some of the replies were close, and some were ridiculous. Nobody got it right and the comments were “closed”.
The reason I’m writing this is that one of the replies stated (not guessing, but stating) that the driver of the car was Chuck Hulse and it was at the Indiana State Fairgrounds track around 1962. The fairgrounds track was home to the “Hoosier Hundred”, a 100 mile dirt race featuring the USAC and Indy 500 drivers showing there skills on dirt. Chuck Hulse is my dad and I can assure you that it wasn’t him. My dad, who just turned 87, wasn’t your typical “hard living hard drinking” race driver of that era. Even this gesture, which is pretty mild for the drivers of that time was something my dad just wouldn’t do. I’m guessing, but I really don’t think my dad ever gave anyone “the finger”. He’s just not like that. In 87 years I think I’ve heard him swear twice. I’m not making this up. Now he really wouldn’t have an issue with the misidentified photo and neither do I but I did want to clear this up.
By the way, the driver in question was Ralph Ligouri (aka Ralphie the Racer) and it was indeed the Indiana State Fairgrounds in 1964. His qualifying speed was much to slow to make the field and this appears to be on his “cool down” lap. I don’t know for sure who the other man is. Also I’m not sure if the gesture was out of frustration for his qualifying performance or this was actually him and a friend who had pre-planned the photo. which wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Sincerely,
Lee Hulse
With all do respect, Robin Miller indicates the driver to Chuck Booth and the photographer to be Bud Jones. If you want Robin’s email address let me know and maybe you all can discuss it.
It would appear in the photo that not just one guy is flipping the driver off, leading one to believe the driver did something to provoke that jesture…
Help! Half the article is under the Atomic Air Add on the right of the screen!
The text is scrolling off the side of the screen for me too – looks like the formatting needs to be fixed.
Formatting fixed, guys…sorry about that.
I think it’s more amazing that he is sliding sideways with one hand on the wheel while flipping the bird!
The driver is Chuck Booth. The mechanic is Wally Meskowski. Picture taken on Sept. 7, 1968 at the “Hoosier Hundred” USAC Champ Car race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. End of story.
I seriously want a print of this
All ya gotta do is “right click” on it and “save” it then “print” it…
Richie’s post about Chuck Booth 1968 may be the end of the story, but I did some research when this ran originally (to no concrete conclusion) and feel I have a little skin in this game. I looked hard at this picture again. Anyone who’s ever been there knows this is the mile oval at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. That’s looked the same since before I was born (a long time ago). So what else do we see that could date this picture? A front engined roadster with a single hoop roll bar running a fuel injected V-8 on dirt? That could go back to the mid fifties, but that era was still dominated by Offys (on dirt and pavement). Open face helmet with goggles? Goes back to the forties. Nothing conclusive there, but wait. What is the man inside the fence wearing on his head? An adjustable band mesh baseball cap, which, according to Wikipedia, was first introduced in 1980. I know this picture seems older than 1980, but there is nothing else showing here that proves it to be older than 1980, is there? More research lead me to http://forums.autosport.com/topic/107797-the-meskowski-dirt-champ-cars/ where we find; Car 1, 1961 #44 Competition Engineering Special Meskowski-Offy – Bobby Marshman, Chuck Hulse, Jim Hurtubise. Hurtubise would sure as hell flip ya the bird, but our #44 is a V-8 so that’s not it. Next, Car ‘9’ : the “McDermott car” 1964 #44 McDermott Special Meskowski-Offy – Eddie Sachs, Jud Larson, Ralph Liguori, “Crash” coulda been the driver but, again, not an Offy. There’s a ton more of this type info on the web and I’ve given myself a headache, I hate it when I get all ate up over this shit. I’m sticking with the 1980 adjustable hat band theory and going to bed. Some other genius can prove me wrong, or find out who drove USAC #44 post 1980. Last hint and I’m done; Wally Meskowski died Jan. 3, 1980 at the age of 64.
Piston Pete. Your basing you detective work on the hat. Well, the hat in the picture is not a mesh snapback hat. It’s a cloth golf style hat from the day. I have hats from the 60’s and they are solid material with a leather adjustable strap. Golfers used them also.
Get a better monitor, Pete. The hat isn’t mesh, that’s a solid material. You did a hell of a job of digging for clues and researching them, you just went down a wrong trail. It happens. Roll with it and adjust your findings.
Hey Radio and Tedly, thanks for the critiques. I’m inclined to accept your observations, I’ve never been a hat man per se and it seems the snap back has been around forever (I’ve been married to the same woman since 1980 and that seems like forever) so I’ll go with the leather adjustment band theory. The car in the picture would have had to have been 12-15 years old even if it was 1980 (not too unusual for the time). And, yes I do need a new monitor. The best things that came from last evening’s obsession have been remembering being a 16 year old kid hanging out at Jim Hurtubise’s muffler shop on 16th St. in Speedway, marveling at his rear engine beer cooler car and hearing his stories. Hurk was one badass motherfucker and a good enough guy to treat a kid in off the street like a friend. The other was being reminded of the greatness of the one and only “Rapid” Rich Voegler, probably the best dirt wheelman in history (apologies to Ken Schrader, Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell), but kind of a jerk. Those were the days. I can’t wait for spring and the USAC Sprint and Midget shows at Putnamville, Lawrenceburg, Kokomo and my first trip to Eldora. See you there. One last thing I think we can all agree on is that we should all have a print of this picture hanging in our dens or garages, it’s all-time classic. I LOVE BANGSHIFT.COM ! ! !
http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/liguora01/1964/UO
This reference shows Ralph Liguori DNQ’ing in the #44 car at race 10 in Indianapolis 1964.
Is that who’s in the photo????
Sure seems to match Lee Hulse’s story though.
Chuck Booth drove the 44 in 1968. It’s been pretty well discussed and researched on several other websites throughout the years. It obviously can’t be 1980 because roll cages were made mandatory prior to the 1971 season. This car has no roll cage.
Again. It’s Chuck Booth in the driver’s seat on Sept. 7, 1968. No question about it.
Richie, you’ve convinced me. I was a little sketchy on the roll bar vs roll cage issue when I went for the 80 or later scenario anyway and even if it was an older car it would still have to meet current standards. I got to learn about Wally Meskowski and recall the stuff I mentioned earlier. Since I have nothing better to do at any given moment, I’m calling it an entertaining, if not particularly productive endeavor. It’s great that we can bat this stuff back and forth without anyone getting all bent outta shape.
Hmm. The man in the stands could possibly be my late grandfather, Don Peabody? Hmmm
Pretty sure Josh Shaw busted this one a LONG time ago. Must be a slow day or something….
It’s not from Sept 7, 1968. Booth was running an Offy that day.