Photos by (and of) Wayne Arteaga

I called Wayne a couple of months ago to ask if he would share some of his photos with the visitors to this website. Wayne hadn't seen the site before, so I asked him to take a look around and then let me know if he was interested in contributing some photos.  About a month or so later, having heard nothing from him, I was shocked to receive a package via UPS with 70+, 8x10 photos in it!

For those of you not familiar with Wayne, not only has he been racing longer than many of you have been around, he's also a photographer.  Great combo.  His place was also sort of a "Midwest Pit Stop" for some of the touring Gassers during the 60's.  Guys like KS Pittman, Stone, Woods & Cook, etc. used Wayne's place as sort of a home away from home when they were in the area.

If some of these photos seem familiar, it's probably because you've seen them in Don Montgomery's "Supercharged Gas Coupes" book, or maybe in one of a number of magazines like Rod & Custom, etc.

Thank you Wayne.  We really appreciate your efforts.
Below, you'll see a mix of photos ranging from Wayne's own race cars, including his well-known Henry J Altered from the late 50's and the equally well-known "Arteaga & Hellmuth" B/GS Willys of the early to late 60's.  In addition, there's many other photos of cars from the 50's up through the 90's.

As usual, click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
The Fifties
Olds 88 - Flagman Gene Wilcox at Smartt Field, St. Charles, MO.  Early Drags 1952?

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Smartt Field, 1952.  Wayne's hopped-up 41 Plymouth 6 - 2 carb - finned head - cam - headers

Photo by Robert F. Arteaga (Dad)
The grinning youngster, middle of front row, is me.  Won race with 371 Olds powered Henry J.  Late 50's.  1958?

Photographer Unknown
Cousin, Ernie Arteaga had a fascination with DeSoto engines.  He chose the powerplant and souped it up and dropped it into his '38 Plymouth.  Ran it at Parks Airport, Cahokia, Illinois in the late 50's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Jim Walls MilkWagon at Alton, IL in the late 50's.  Blown Chevy power.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Garland Tyler's B/A Olds powered at Terre Haute, IN  1958.  Ugly but strong.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Wayne's Olds powered Henry J at Alton, IL 1958?  Before blower.

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
A Potvin driven 6-71 for the 371" Olds-Henry J.  1959

Photo by Robert F. Arteaga
My Henry J race against Garland Tyler at Alton, IL in 1959?  Just installed front-driven 6-71 on 371" Olds.

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
The Sixties
My '33 Ford coupe.  Chain driven 4-71 blown Olds.  1960?

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
Wayne's A/GS - Original orange with black fenders - Must have been a Cab.  Early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Wayne's back-seat driven blown Olds powered B/A.  Sinage was mainly to hide bad body.  Painted it with hammertone paint.  Early 60's.

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
Bill Fitzgerald's blown Chevy powered Buick sedan.  Changed later to 2 blown Chevies

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Bill Fitzgerald's '55 Chevy.  Ran a blown Chevy and used 2 speeds of his stick-shift transmission. Sounds weird, but he was a smart racer and always in the thick of things locally and at National races.  He waded through all but Mike Marinoff of Milwaukee in the final at the World Series of Drag Racing one year.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Courageous

Gabby Bleeker of Chicago, IL at Union Grove, WI in the early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
The driver of this truck, Eugene Cialbella, had the nerve to beat our coupe at the 1964 NHRA Nationals.  I have a Willys Pickup now, with a Buick V6 under the hood.  It has no leg room.  I keep trying to figure out how Gene was able to pilot the Keith Martin C&O Hydro truck.

Photo by John Hellmuth
Dave Zeuschel talking things over with Big John Mazmanian's crew at Indy in the early 60's

Photo by John Hellmuth
1966, changed from Olds to 360inch blown Chrysler

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Alton, Illinois, 1967

Photographer Unknown
Our coupe at Union Grove, WI - Chrysler power - mid 60's

Photo by Tom Horace
The Mallicoat Brothers at Indy in the early 60's

Photo by John Hellmuth
Mike Marinoff of Milwaukee, WI with his Latham blown 55 at US 30 Dragstrip, IL in the early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Mike Marinoff's Willys B/GS in early 60's

Photo by Paul Wessell
Mike Marinoff's Willys B/GS.  Bill Reeves drove the screamer. - early 60's - Bad crash at US 30 in Indiana.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Moody & Jones of Washington, IN at the World Series at Cordova, IL in their blown, screaming Chevy in the Early 60's.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Al Pfeiffer's Cad powered Willys at Union Grove in 1964.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
KS Pittman working on the Pittman & Edwards Willys - Early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Pittman & Edwards Indy 1962?

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Jack Merkel and his 39 Willys Overland coupe B/GS - He was class winner at Indy

Photo by John Hellmuth
Ron Colson of Rockford, IL at the World Series, Cordova, IL in the early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Scheffler Brothers

Photo by John Hellmuth
Gordon Selkirk, Peoria, IL drove this blown Olds Powered '36 Willys coupe.  The Selkirk & Bork crossed our path a few times, and it got interesting.  Gordon, the brother of Jim Selkirk with the B/GSonce, that I'm aware of) put it on Ohio George at the Cordova Series.  He made a switch to Chrysler too, at one point, I'm quite sure. -  early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
One of our first outings with the blower at Alton, IL in the early 60's.  Jim Selkirk led the way.

Photo by Bob Rothenberg
Jim & Jamie Selkirk's blown Olds powered Willys against what I think is Gary Dyer's '34 Ford coupe.  World Series of Drag Racing, Cordova, IL  (1963)

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
It was  always great to see the SHAKER, from South Bend, Indiana, at the races.  Nice guys and a neat car that ran super.  Cordova, IL, early 60's

Photo by John Hellmuth
Doug Cook and blown Olds powered Willys A/GS at Indy 1962?

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
SWC at Arteaga & Hellmuth garage in St. Louis in the mid 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
John Hellmuth and Doug Cook at Arteaga & Hellmuth garage in St. Louis in the mid 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
KS Pittman, Wayne Arteaga, Doug Cook and Tiny Roberts at Waynes garage in St. Louis in the Mid 60's

Photo by Arteaga Photos
Garland Tyler's Willys against Ron Colson at Union Grove, WI in the early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
I used to run A/G with original black paint.  2/4 bbl. carbs on 394" Olds.  Chevy 3 speed stick shift.  Really needed a blower.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Maiden voyage for blown coupe.  Already broke but we're still ready for more.  Can still smile...most of us.

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
Olds powered early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Our coupe at match race at Nashville, IL with original '39 Willys Overland front end, blown Olds

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
At Wentzville running on Alky.

Photo by Bob Hegge
Union Grove Wisconsin Early 60's Blown Olds

Pirolo Photo
Ohio George doing magic to the Caddy powered '33 Willys at Great Lakes Dragway, Union Grove, Wisconsin, July 9, 1961

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Ohio George at Cordova, IL, ballooning top and all in the early 60's.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Ohio George Montgomery, Blown Cadillac, Union Grove, WI, early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
John Hellmuth and Wayne Arteaga.  First over 130 MPH run.  Union Grove, WI, 1964.

Photo by Tom Horace

L to R  

? - Junior Thompson - Wayne Arteaga

Late 60's

Photo bt Eldon Arteaga
Says "Fred J" on door, but we raced Palmer Lazarus of Chicago driving this car in the 60's.

Photo by John Hellmuth
Chicago's Palmer Lazarus' blown 56 Chevy.  A real runner.

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Palmer Lazarus of Chicago vs. Orange Crate at Union Grove, WI, early 60's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Wayne setting valves on our B/GS Chrysler powered Willys

Photo by John Hellmuth

Our coupe - late 60's - Chrysler power

Photos by Wayne Arteaga
The Seventies
Wayne working on 42 Willys pickup in late 70's.  Became Green stake truck, red pickup, then daughter Chris' blue truck

Photo by Eldon Arteaga
   
The Eighties
Wayne & Bernie Arteaga - LaVaun & KS Pittman, Milan, MI, late 80's

Photo by Chris Arteaga
KS Pittman and Johnny Rocca at Indy in the late 80's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
The Ninties
Wayne's Toro powered Willys truck at Mid-America Raceway Nostalgia Drags in Wentzville, MO 1990?

Photo by Bill Grossius
Ron Kilmer and Gary Hart, Indy early 90's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Kerry & Judene Lundberg's Willys at Indy in the Late 90's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
KS Pittman's '33 Willys - now in the NHRA Museum in Pomona, CA

Photo by LaVaun Pittman
Linda & Russ Bryant with Chris Arteaga.  Bryant's 40 pickup at Indy Goodguys

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Chuck & Marcella Lipka's coupe Before

Photo by Chuck Lipka
Chuck & Marcella Lipka with their coupe at St. Louis car show ('96 or '97)

Photo by Wayne Arteaga

Willys Roundup at Indy Goodguys in the early 90's

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Gateway Gasser Gathering June 1999
Dick Long from Harleysville, PA, had his Pittman & Edwards coupe at the GGG

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Christine Arteaga's truck at the Gateway Gasser Gathering

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Chris at the GGG

Photo by Wayne Arteaga
Big wheelie at GGG.  Dave Timoszyk driver

Photo by Wayne Arteaga