Retired CEO of a small international company. Was fortunate to be involved in automobile racing in the early 1950's as a pit crew member. Our crew finished second in the 1953 Indy 500 with the #16 Springfield Welding Clay Smith Special driven by Art Cross. Art and I remained friends until his death in 2005. The car was restored and brought back to the Speedway in 1953, the 50th anniversary of that race. I was the only member of the original crew to be there, all the others, except Art and I had passed on.
Jimmy Reece was originally scheduled to drive the car but he unable to get it up to qualifying speed so Art took over. Jim and I became close friends and often spent time together socially at the tracks and even while he lived in Indy. I last saw him at the Syracuse NY race in 1958 just a few weeks before his death. I do have a number of photos of Jim and the #16 car.
My wife and I live in south Texas during the winter months and travel in a motor home the rest of the year.

Retired CEO of a small international company. Was fortunate to be involved in automobile racing in the early 1950's as a pit crew member. Our crew finished second in the 1953 Indy 500 with the #16 Springfield Welding Clay Smith Special driven by Art Cross. Art and I remained friends until his death in 2005. The car was restored and brought back to the Speedway in 1953, the 50th anniversary of that race. I was the only member of the original crew to be there, all the others, except Art and I had passed on.
Jimmy Reece was originally scheduled to drive the car but he unable to get it up to qualifying speed so Art took over. Jim and I became close friends and often spent time together socially at the tracks and even while he lived in Indy. I last saw him at the Syracuse NY race in 1958 just a few weeks before his death. I do have a number of photos of Jim and the #16 car.
My wife and I live in south Texas during the winter months and travel in a motor home the rest of the year.