This is Doc Shanebrook’s Offenhauser powered sprint car – with terrific history and in-period photos, and beatifully restored by Boyd Coddington! Offered by the Vault Classic Cars dealership, Fullerton, California

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That is a spectacular restoration of a well documented racing survivor! It has a 270 cubic inch Offenhauser,  quick change rear axle, transverse leaf springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, drum brakes, and in-out gearbox.

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Purposeful and powerful!

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Four into one exhaust.

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There’s Doc Shanebrook himself, driving his Offy Sprint car at the Dayton track.  Dr. John Adrain went to those races, and saw Doc Shanebrook in action!  And, later on, found this exact car and had it restored.  Take a look at the unusual and graceful grille, and front bumper bar – seen today on the restored car!

Shanebrook at Dayton, August 1951.  Doc Shanebrook was 6 feet 4 inches tall, an absolute giant for a sprint car driver!  John Adrain was a tall guy too – so when he bought the racer later in life, he knew he could fit inside the car!

John Adrain did some excellent research on the car, resulting in this footnoted history. Let’s have a look at it:

The Shanebrook “Big” Car

History by John Adrain.

Constructed winter 1948-’49

Owner built, owner driver, owner owned, owner wrenched

Dayton Track Record held by Shanebrook in the Shanebrook Offy:

1 Lap 6/4/50 till 7/9/50 (broken by Ruttman)

8 Laps 6/4/50 till May 13, 1951 (cracked by Daywalt) *(1)

Shoestring thin “Doc” Shanebrook, 64″ tall and minimally financed, forced to do it himself, harbored a fierce desire to race which enabled him to take on the west coast professional chauffeurs with their fancy factory-built Kurtis Krafts. These cars were completely equipped, with professional drivers, professional mechanics, big (for the time) sponsorship, appearance money and expense accounts. Crafty old “Doc” Shanebrook was still able to excel against these formidable opponents.

The Midwest AAA 1951 standings reveal: *₀₎

1. Ruttman, the California flash in the Agajanian No. 98 Jr. car. *(3)
2. Duane Carter, in Speed Age Magazine’s Mechanic of the Year ’51 Clay Smith’s car *(3)
3. Joe James in another California Special *(3)
4. Shanebrook Offy, self-built, self-maintained, self-financed, 1st midwestern car from a do-it-yourself operation from Gary, Indiana, was 4th in Midwest AAA standings 1951 against this formidable and professional opposition. This finish gave

Shanebrook the authority to carry the No. 4 designation throughout

the 1952 season. This is as it appeared in most photographs, with its familiar Gaelic numerical configuration. *(3)

After gaining a 12th in 1950, he was able to attain 4th place standing in 1951, a personal best. Shanebrook and the car dropped to 21st in 1952, and 31st in 1953. *(₁₎*₍₂₎

On July 1, 1951, at Winchester, Indiana, he showed the intestinal fortitude to take the car on the track after both Cecil Green and Bill Mackey were killed in time trials, pulling to an incredible 4th place, with Duane Carter winning. *(3) Again at Dayton on April 20, 1952, only 1.5 hours after the notorious 1st heat crash of Gordon Reid, which fatally injured three spectators and himself, Shanebrook went out again in the 2nd heat, capturing #2 spot after Gene Force. *(4)

Needless to say, Shanebrook was the local favorite of the Midwest farm boys, because this showed anyone with the will, drive, determination, even short of funds, could get on the track and run with the big money sponsored drivers from the west coast.

Later, as previously mentioned, Shanebrook dropped steadily in the point standings. Deferring to his age, he had other drivers run the No. 4 Offy, including such luminaries as Daywalt, Scott, Linden, Russo, and Vaulkner. *(6)

The last documentation found on the Shanebrook Offy competition record was St. Paul, 1959 running as the Baldauf Offy, with Mickey McCormick piloting the car. *₍5) It may have run longer.

In 1959 the Chevy-powered cars were beginning to make inroads on the Offys, and the Shanebrook Offy’s competitiveness was probably diminishing by this time.

After watching so many Dayton, Ohio, races in the early ’50’s, you can imagine my elation when I found the car in the late 60’s residing in the Don Edmunds collection 1/2 block from my business here in California. Reportedly, it had been obtained in a trade with Danny Frye, of St. Louis, on one of the new Edmunds sprinters, and after several years and ongoing negotiation, it became mine in the early ’70’s

Line of Ownership:

1. Doc Shanebrook, owner, builder, driver, Gary, Indiana

2. Frank Baldauf, (The Baldauf Offy)
3. Danny Frye, St. Louis, Missouri
4. Don Edmunds, Anaheim, California
5. John Adrain, Anaheim, California

The outstanding restoration was completed in less than 8 months of 1988 by Boyd Coddington.

– BIBLIOGRAPHY –

±(1) Official Publication of AAA Contest Board, Washington D.C., 1950, 1951 Driver Standings

(2) Official Publication of AAA Contest Board. Washington D.C.“Contest Board Activity and Press Reference” (Including International and National Track Records) 1952

(3) Speed Age Magazine – Motor Survey Issue 1951 “Sprints were great. . . but costly”, by Joe Stewart, Jr. Pg. 35 – 58, 59 – 61

(4) Open Wheel Magazine – 1987

“One Sunday in Dayton: Sorting out the Gordon Reid Catastrophe” by Terry Reed, pg. 72-73

(5) Dirt Track Legends – Lee O’Brien

Page #98 – Picture and caption, lower left corner

(6) Adrain Automotive Archives

Pictures of these drivers in Shanebrook car at various race locations.

Jimmy Daywalt driving the Shanebrook Offy

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Gene Vaulkner driving the Shanebrook offy at Terre Haute in 1953.

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And here it is, 35 years later, at Boyd Coddington’s shop in 1988. Take a look at some of those details pre-restoration – the grille and front bumper,  and the “box” in the left side hood by the carburetor openings.  Looks like this car survived very well.

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Boyd’s reputation for high quality work is validated when you see this car in person. The craftsmanship is excellent!

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Absolutely gorgeous!

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Detail of the hood.

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And we’re now 33 years after the restoration, the car still looks beautiful and fresh!

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A 270 Offenhauser engine – that looks beautiful!