Who made the first suspended "springer" racer?

[Don]

Anybody know who was the first to build a suspended racer? The first one I remember was in the early 1970s and it was based on a MaxII chassis. In fact, the bottom half of the body was used from the MaxII, but no top half. Everybody called it simply "the Springer". Shortly after that, there was another similar racer (McKay's?) that they called "the Streaker". After that, they started showing up all over.

Just curious and thought someone may remember better than I.

[amphibious drew]

Come on Don. If you don't know the answer to this, how is any one else supposed to. I love the question and would think asking around at the races would find you the answer faster than one of the guys that go further back in the sport than you posting back. Please let us know what you find out there if you don't tell me when I see you, but I imagine it is one of those debatable questions several people lay claim to the title of. You may start the Hatfield McCoy battle back up if your not careful.

[Model Citizen]

[L.D.Bruce]

How was Whippers landing on that jump? I don't think I ever saw it just the in the air part

[Model Citizen]

[L.D.Bruce]

Seems like with the balloon tires you would bounce many feet in the air at landing

[whipper-ag]

[plott hound]

holy crap,whipper-knevil!

[L.D.Bruce]

THAT HURT!!!!!!!!

[LarryW]

Sweet! Thanks for the pictures whipper! I was trying to remember, I thought you walked away unharmed right? Or were you injured?

[Model Citizen]

[techfx]

Boy, Don, you had Whipper & I really trying to remember today. There were no springers at Grand Nationals in Monroe, MI in 1972. When Whipper jumped the 4 cars at Summer Nationals in Ashtabula in 1973 there still were none that we knew of. The first springer Whipper remembers is the Red Max, but he can't remember when. By fall of 1974 there were at least 6 different kinds and the first time we saw them racing together was in Erie, Pa at the Wattsburg Fairgrounds which is the footage we ended our racing dvd sets with. You were probably a teenager as old as Q then, snooping around the pits. You're suppose to remember these things.

Bridget

The Current Tru-Way springer is the rebuilt Red Max Springer after Dick Fait (think that's the correct name) took too big of a jump and broke up the body... I think Motion Industries was involved somewhere. Dad always says it was the first one built... not 100% sure if there was some other one out there, but he always claims that's true.

[Don]

I remember the machines, but just can't seem to think of who ran them! It was a long time ago, Bridget, even though none of us have aged. Thanks for the info, techfx. I knew Truway had an early one, but didn't know it was the first. Was it the McKays that ran the Streaker?

[trebmaster]

these are the early one's im aware of.

[fmints]

Thanks for the History lesson, gang! I enjoy reading about the beginning days of these machines the past that they hold…

That was some landing Whipper had,, Cool