McPherson sprint car

19tdave · 10/31/20, 1:53 PM

I was looking at a sprint car that the owner says its a McPherson can anyone give a short history of McPherson built cars - location, years etc.
How identify a McPherson
Thank you for your help

Speedwrench · 10/31/20, 2:31 PM

The car was built by Dave McPherson of Bellefontaine, Ohio.

He built several cars in the early to mid seventies but I'm not sure how many.

They were nice cars but were rather generic for their time period and didn't have any outstanding design features the would set them apart from any other car of the period visually.

Two of the cars he built that stand out in my mind are the car that Sammie Sessions drove for Mauri Amerling in USAC in 1976 and the car that Doc Dawson drove for Mac Klingan. Doc was killed in that car at the Springfield mile in 1976 in one of the nastiest crashes I've ever seen.

That's all I can come up with at this point.

19tdave · 10/31/20, 4:48 PM

Thank you so much - I real appreciate the info - Have a great weekend and stay healthy and safe my friend

19tdave · 11/2/20, 9:23 AM

Hello, are there any other members that might have some additional information on a McPherson sprint car?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

My findings to find McPherson built sprint car connected with Dave McPherson, Sam Sessions and Mauri Amerling. I can't prove any of this! It is what people have reported to me and if anybody can verify any of this it would be greatly appreciated.

1967 -Gil Hess drove a no. 31 car for Hoffmans I do not know what chassis it was.
1967 - Bill Johns bought the 31 and Gil Hess drove it for him
1968 - Mauri Amerling bought the Bill Johns car and Gil Hess drove it the no. 73 I do not know what chassis it was.
1969 - Gil Hess drove the 73 for Mauri
1970 - Gil Hess drove the 73 for Mauri until the bad accident at Salem
1971 - Don Nordhorn started with Amerling but switched to the Kinkle #7 and Lee Kunzman drove a #4 ( Grant King car) for Mauri. Lee confirmed the #4 was a Grant King car.
1972 - Sam Sessions drove #4 car for Mauri but there were two no. 4's one a Grant King the other a Ron Ward car. McPherson was the crew chief
1973 - Sam Sessions drove the #1 car for Mauri a Ron Ward car and D. McPherson as crew chief. The #1 ward car would be later restored by Jim Mann
1974 - Sam Sessions drove the #5 car for Mauri two cars available King and Ward car
1975 - Here is where I couldn't find much info Sam Sessions there were #5, #7 and #16 Amerling cars I do not know what chassis
1976 -1978 - I believe Joe Saldana started driving for Amerling in the #5,#7 or #16 cars they look like king cars but not sure.

So if anyone can shed some light on all this it would be helpful.
Thank you so much
Dave

Kinser11 · 12/14/20, 9:23 PM

If anyone has a contact number for Cy Fairchild, Dave was his wrench when he drove the Stahl Brother cars. One of the last cars Dave built was for a guy named Wilbur Werling, From Troy Ohio.

I will try to dig through some old pictures, if I did not give them to Cy, of the Stahl car. Cy is always at the Comfort inn, in Anderson little 500 weekend.

19tdave · 12/21/20, 9:58 AM

Thank you for the information on Dave's Last car - I appreciate that very much.

19tdave · 3/2/21, 7:28 PM

Hi, here is my update.
Looking for the name of the driver who drove Dave's last built sprint car for Wilbur Werling?
Info That I know about Dave McPherson now

* Started building and racing his own single tub Curtis type midgets with some success in the early 60's
* Teamed up with Duke Cook to drive them with great results after putting a Buick V6
* Rebuilt Gene Besecker's #99 for the 1965 season
* Stahl Brothers saw Dave's workmanship on the #99 and hired Dave to be their mechanic starting in 1965
* The Stahl team started to click 1965 and 1966 with Dave as their mechanic and Duke Cook driving
* 1967 the Stahl team started running USAC events
* 1968 the Stahl team with McPherson and Cy Fairchild finished 10th in USAC owner points
* 1969 the Stahl team with McPherson and Cy Fairchild finished 6th in USAC owner points
* Dave maintained the Stahl cars in his garage at his home
* 1970 was a Transition period for Dave he was still with Stahls but worked at Grant Kings shop.
* 1971 Dave was hired as mechanic for Mauri Amerling with Don Nordhorn driving the 1st half and Lee
Kunzman driving the second half and the team would finish 5th in USAC sprint owners points
* 1972 the Amerling/McPherson/Sammy Sessions won the USAC National sprint car title (story book season)
* 1973 The Amerling/McPherson/Sammy Sessions team finished 5th in USAC sprint owners points.
* 1974 The Amerling/McPherson/Sessions team finished 11th in USAC sprint owners points
* 1975 Amerling/McPherson now with Joe Saldana would finish 12th in USAC sprint owners points
* 1976 Amerling/McPherson/Saldana would finish 19th in USAC sprint owner points
* Dave built sprint cars for Mauri Amerling, Ralpha DePalma, Gill Brothers, Al Daugherty, Ray Smith, Mack Cingan, Wilbur Werling, rebuilt cars for Stahl Brothers and Gene Besecker. One of the cars he built for Daughtery was sold to Don Eckhardt with Harold McGilton won the 1975 All Star Super Sprint Championhip.
* Hall of fame drivers like Sam Sessions, Lee Kunzman, Joe Saldana, Rollie Beale, Kramer Williamson and Dave Blaney have all piloted sprint cares built by Dave.
* Dave's accomplishments for 11 years (1965 - 1976) resulted in One national sprint car title, five top tens',a 11th, 12th & 19th in USAC owner points. One of his cars won the 1975 All Stars Super Sprint Car Championship in 1975 a record that is hard to duplicate.

If anyone can provide additional information on cars he built or maintained I would appreciate that info.

Dave has also helped with the restoration of the Ted Horn and Ernie Triplett cars

Thanks
Dave

11/2/20, 9:23 AM	#4 Re: McPherson sprint car
19tdave Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 5	Hello, are there any other members that might have some additional information on a McPherson sprint car? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you My findings to find McPherson built sprint car connected with Dave McPherson, Sam Sessions and Mauri Amerling. I can't prove any of this! It is what people have reported to me and if anybody can verify any of this it would be greatly appreciated. 1967 -Gil Hess drove a no. 31 car for Hoffmans I do not know what chassis it was. 1967 - Bill Johns bought the 31 and Gil Hess drove it for him 1968 - Mauri Amerling bought the Bill Johns car and Gil Hess drove it the no. 73 I do not know what chassis it was. 1969 - Gil Hess drove the 73 for Mauri 1970 - Gil Hess drove the 73 for Mauri until the bad accident at Salem 1971 - Don Nordhorn started with Amerling but switched to the Kinkle #7 and Lee Kunzman drove a #4 ( Grant King car) for Mauri. Lee confirmed the #4 was a Grant King car. 1972 - Sam Sessions drove #4 car for Mauri but there were two no. 4's one a Grant King the other a Ron Ward car. McPherson was the crew chief 1973 - Sam Sessions drove the #1 car for Mauri a Ron Ward car and D. McPherson as crew chief. The #1 ward car would be later restored by Jim Mann 1974 - Sam Sessions drove the #5 car for Mauri two cars available King and Ward car 1975 - Here is where I couldn't find much info Sam Sessions there were #5, #7 and #16 Amerling cars I do not know what chassis 1976 -1978 - I believe Joe Saldana started driving for Amerling in the #5,#7 or #16 cars they look like king cars but not sure. So if anyone can shed some light on all this it would be helpful. Thank you so much Dave _________________________________________________ Last edited by 19tdave; 11/11/20 at 5:47 PM. Reason: Update my findings

10/31/20, 1:53 PM	#1 McPherson sprint car
19tdave Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 5	I was looking at a sprint car that the owner says its a McPherson can anyone give a short history of McPherson built cars - location, years etc. How identify a McPherson Thank you for your help

10/31/20, 2:31 PM	#2 Re: McPherson sprint car
Speedwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,047	The car was built by Dave McPherson of Bellefontaine, Ohio. He built several cars in the early to mid seventies but I'm not sure how many. They were nice cars but were rather generic for their time period and didn't have any outstanding design features the would set them apart from any other car of the period visually. Two of the cars he built that stand out in my mind are the car that Sammie Sessions drove for Mauri Amerling in USAC in 1976 and the car that Doc Dawson drove for Mac Klingan. Doc was killed in that car at the Springfield mile in 1976 in one of the nastiest crashes I've ever seen. That's all I can come up with at this point.

10/31/20, 4:48 PM	#3 Re: McPherson sprint car
19tdave Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 5	Thank you so much - I real appreciate the info - Have a great weekend and stay healthy and safe my friend

12/14/20, 9:23 PM	#5 Re: McPherson sprint car
Kinser11 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 456	If anyone has a contact number for Cy Fairchild, Dave was his wrench when he drove the Stahl Brother cars. One of the last cars Dave built was for a guy named Wilbur Werling, From Troy Ohio. I will try to dig through some old pictures, if I did not give them to Cy, of the Stahl car. Cy is always at the Comfort inn, in Anderson little 500 weekend.

12/21/20, 9:58 AM	#6 Re: McPherson sprint car
19tdave Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 5	Thank you for the information on Dave's Last car - I appreciate that very much.

3/2/21, 7:28 PM	#7 Re: McPherson sprint car
19tdave Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 5	Hi, here is my update. Looking for the name of the driver who drove Dave's last built sprint car for Wilbur Werling? Info That I know about Dave McPherson now * Started building and racing his own single tub Curtis type midgets with some success in the early 60's * Teamed up with Duke Cook to drive them with great results after putting a Buick V6 * Rebuilt Gene Besecker's #99 for the 1965 season * Stahl Brothers saw Dave's workmanship on the #99 and hired Dave to be their mechanic starting in 1965 * The Stahl team started to click 1965 and 1966 with Dave as their mechanic and Duke Cook driving * 1967 the Stahl team started running USAC events * 1968 the Stahl team with McPherson and Cy Fairchild finished 10th in USAC owner points * 1969 the Stahl team with McPherson and Cy Fairchild finished 6th in USAC owner points * Dave maintained the Stahl cars in his garage at his home * 1970 was a Transition period for Dave he was still with Stahls but worked at Grant Kings shop. * 1971 Dave was hired as mechanic for Mauri Amerling with Don Nordhorn driving the 1st half and Lee Kunzman driving the second half and the team would finish 5th in USAC sprint owners points * 1972 the Amerling/McPherson/Sammy Sessions won the USAC National sprint car title (story book season) * 1973 The Amerling/McPherson/Sammy Sessions team finished 5th in USAC sprint owners points. * 1974 The Amerling/McPherson/Sessions team finished 11th in USAC sprint owners points * 1975 Amerling/McPherson now with Joe Saldana would finish 12th in USAC sprint owners points * 1976 Amerling/McPherson/Saldana would finish 19th in USAC sprint owner points * Dave built sprint cars for Mauri Amerling, Ralpha DePalma, Gill Brothers, Al Daugherty, Ray Smith, Mack Cingan, Wilbur Werling, rebuilt cars for Stahl Brothers and Gene Besecker. One of the cars he built for Daughtery was sold to Don Eckhardt with Harold McGilton won the 1975 All Star Super Sprint Championhip. * Hall of fame drivers like Sam Sessions, Lee Kunzman, Joe Saldana, Rollie Beale, Kramer Williamson and Dave Blaney have all piloted sprint cares built by Dave. * Dave's accomplishments for 11 years (1965 - 1976) resulted in One national sprint car title, five top tens',a 11th, 12th & 19th in USAC owner points. One of his cars won the 1975 All Stars Super Sprint Car Championship in 1975 a record that is hard to duplicate. If anyone can provide additional information on cars he built or maintained I would appreciate that info. Dave has also helped with the restoration of the Ted Horn and Ernie Triplett cars Thanks Dave