THE OLDER THE BETTER AT VINTAGE CAR RACE; ROSAMOND GEARS UP FOR HOLIDAY EVENT.

Byline: Karen Thacker Special to the Daily News

For those who believe older is better, a Thanksgiving weekend car race might be for them.

In the fifth annual Walt James Vintage Race Car Gathering, the average age of the cars is 50. The average age of the drivers is 65.

``It's just a fun deal for us old guys,'' said James, 75, who built the high-bank clay oval track at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park for just such occasions. ``This is the biggest old-car gathering west of the Mississippi.''

There are no big prizes and no modern engines.

Just no-nonsense, old-time race cars that kick up ``rooster tails'' of dust and make a lot of noise. The race is open to all spring cars, roadsters and midget racers built before 1970.

James will be driving a sprint car with parts of various ages. The Offenhauser engine was built in 1949. The steering gear is 60 years old.

``Last year we had over 60 old cars from as far away as Canada and Florida with guys in their 70s driving them,'' he said. ``They are not the modern-day engines, but for what we run they go fast.''

The racers are powered by hopped-up versions of Ford, Chevy and GMC passenger car engines and by the famous Offenhauser, which dominated the Indianapolis 500 for decades.

The cars have open cockpits - no roofs or doors - and most have brakes on only two wheels.

``These modern cars have a full protective cage over them,'' James said. ``In the old days you didn't have anything at all - the first thing that touched the ground when you turned over was your head.''

A professional race car driver in the 1940s and 1950s, the Agua Dulce resident was inducted into the National Spring Car Hall of Fame in 1993, specifically for his work for the California Racing Association.

During his 1950 to 1970 tenure as president, he helped make that organization the largest sprint car group in the Western United States.

He built several race tracks, some of which went the way of modern development. Among those were the Western and Ascot speedways, both in Gardena, and the Whiteman Stadium in Pacoima.

After he left the association, he built and operated the now-defunct 600-acre Indian Dunes motorcycle and off-road vehicle park for The Newhall Land and Farming Company. The park closed in 1985. After Indian Dunes closed, he built the clay oval - known as Walt James Stadium - as part of Willow Springs, west of Rosamond off Rosamond Boulevard.

Organizers of the Thanksgiving race expect about 75 cars and a couple of thousand spectators. The cars will run 10 or 15 at a time, grouped by type and going 15 to 18 laps.

Race days are Nov. 29 and 30, with racing from noon to 4:30 p.m. Gates open at 9 a.m. and hot laps start at 11 a.m. Spectators will be admitted free on Nov. 28.

Admission is $15 a day, or $25 a weekend. Parking and camping are free. Kids under age 10 will be admitted free.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1--color) Walt James, 75, of Acton gets behind the wheel of his 1964 Midget powered by a 1938 Ford V8.

(2) Walt James's Vintage Race Car Gathering will have cars averaging 50 years old, and drivers 65.

John Lazar/Special to the Daily News