# Interesting Willard... old Tuffy... MINRA decal... and who is Jimmy Spencer?



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

picked this up today...



















Wasn't MINRA a racing organization from like the '60s?










Original Tuffy chassis, as far as I can tell... seems the previous owner put the skinnies on to fit OUTSIDE the body...










i'm thinking that though the MINRA decal has to be old, the number decals look newer? and is Jimmy Spencer a real driver?

--rick


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## mahorsc (Mar 26, 2008)

decals are from a camel sponsored nascar stock car


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Spencer


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

He is Very real 

Keith


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

looks good. 

If I may make a suggestion. Try using the front rims from a Tuff ones chassis on all four wheels. They really look better that way, more like the original Marx Willard, plus... fatter tires work better.


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

MINRA, (Miniature International Racing Association) was an organization from the 1960's. (1963 to 1967) It was backed by Aurora. Secretly. Aurora put up $20,000.00 to launch the organization but left operations to the consultants. It was an attempt to set guidelines and standards for the new sport of slot car racing in all scales. There were numerous other organizations with different rules and the hope was to unify everything under one organization.

There was a news letter called "In The Groove" published. It covered all scales and manufactures and was fair in doing so. Even though it was secretly back by Aurora.

But the attempt failed in the end. I think the racers out there get with an organization or group and like the way it is. Just like in the 60's. MINRA did run for 4 years and people were members. 

Randy.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Ahh... Jimmy Spencer.

Good ol' boy.

Busch Whacker.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Looks in great shape as a candidate for a custom job! :thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## Slapshot64 (Nov 24, 2012)

*In the Groove*



A/FX Nut said:


> MINRA, (Miniature International Racing Association) was an organization from the 1960's. (1963 to 1967) It was backed by Aurora. Secretly. Aurora put up $20,000.00 to launch the organization but left operations to the consultants. It was an attempt to set guidelines and standards for the new sport of slot car racing in all scales. There were numerous other organizations with different rules and the hope was to unify everything under one organization.
> 
> There was a news letter called "In The Groove" published. It covered all scales and manufactures and was fair in doing so. Even though it was secretly back by Aurora.
> 
> ...


Randy, Im not entirely sure "In the Groove" was backed by Aurora. My father was the publisher and editor and I remember him almost going broke keeping it afloat! I could be wrong as I was only 8 or 9 years old at the time. Did you know Homer?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Rick, very cool car you found there :thumbsup: ....any that original MINRA decal is awesome, just wondered why they attached it upside down ? And OMG, you didn't know who Jimmy Spencer is ?! Not only is/was he a Nascar driver(up until fairly recently), but he used to run the local Pa. Dirttracks back in the late 70's and early 1980's !


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## smalltime (Jun 3, 2006)

AfxToo said:


> Ahh... Jimmy Spencer.
> 
> Good ol' boy.
> 
> Busch Whacker.


Mr. Excitement.
He did not care who he wrecked to get to the front. He's also the reason the NASCARS are weighed with the driver in them. He was .....um....Plump.

He's still on Speed, as an analist and commentator, he's the guy with the cigar.(and the big mouth)


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

He's also from Pa. I remember him racing Nascar in the early 90's. Neat hearing a nascar guy talk without that southern hick accent.


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## joeslotcar (Mar 12, 2003)

That looks lke an American Line Kit that was availabile from REH in the late 90's. It came with a repro Marx body ( Willard, Harvey, Tbird, Corvette, Rolls) and an Aurora Tuff Ones chassis with skinny Tjet wheels and tires.


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Cool !*



joeslotcar said:


> That looks lke an American Line Kit that was availabile from REH in the late 90's. It came with a repro Marx body ( Willard, Harvey, Tbird, Corvette, Rolls) and an Aurora Tuff Ones chassis with skinny Tjet wheels and tires.


 Wow- that's very interesting, thanks for sharing that info :thumbsup:


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Yeah- MR. EXCITEMENT !*



sethndaddy said:


> He's also from Pa. I remember him racing Nascar in the early 90's. Neat hearing a nascar guy talk without that southern hick accent.


 Yeah, he's originally from Berwick Pa, and I met him many times back in his dirt track racing days....he actually won his first feature race(in '76) at Port Royal Speedway, which is my local track. But the man Was(and still is) an ASSHAT !
If he wasn't slammin cars on the track, he was Slammin Drivers in the Pits !


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## Shadowracer (Sep 11, 2004)

Yeah, unfortunately for him, the Kurt Busch thing is about all he did in Cup that's half worth remembering.

I see that turkey, I change the channel. I can handle DW. Spencer....not so much. 

I don't know who's back he scratched to get on TV.


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

Slapshot64 said:


> Randy, Im not entirely sure "In the Groove" was backed by Aurora. My father was the publisher and editor and I remember him almost going broke keeping it afloat! I could be wrong as I was only 8 or 9 years old at the time. Did you know Homer?


No I didn't know Mr. Hleovas or Leovas as he spelled it for public purposes. My information came from "Greenberg's Guide To Aurora Slot Cars". The book mentions that Homer was named the Executive Director.

Randy.


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## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

For the record: Nascar was bigger and better when most of the drivers spoke with that "southern hick accent!"

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL


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