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An original 6.5x5" vintage photo from the Marty Himes estate.
Provenance: This photograph comes directly from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection, assembled over decades by Marty Himes - racer, restorer, and lifelong archivist of American racing. Every piece he preserved tells part of the story of motorsport’s rise from dirt tracks to the spectacle of the Indy 500. We acquired the majority of his photo collection after his passing. Many of his photos are extremely rare or even one of a kind. Professionally packaged in a rigid mailer for safe delivery.
Photo Overview
Cookie Visconti hustles his battered no. 74 Amsoil-sponsored Late Model around Islip Speedway in Islip, New York on May 19, 1979, the car still carrying fresh damage as it powers through the turn during Modified heat race action. Shot from the outside of the oval, the photograph clearly shows the Buick-bodied stock car, prominent door number, hood and rear quarter panel ads, and Visconti visible through the window net at speed on the legendary Long Island short track, from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection.
Islip Speedway, a tight 1/5-mile oval that operated from 1947 until its closure in 1984, was famous for its Saturday night NASCAR-sanctioned racing and for hosting the original World Figure 8 Championships that often appeared on ABC Wide World of Sports. Local standout Cookie Visconti was a well known Long Island short track racer, and images of his Amsoil no. 74 from this period are sought after by vintage NASCAR and Northeast oval-track collectors. Genuine track-used photos from Islip are finite since the speedway is long gone, so adding this authentic Himes estate print to your collection today locks in a scarce piece of New York short track history before it disappears into another collection.
Print analysis:
Back carries a period Speedway Films Ltd. stamp and handwritten racing-note label dated 5/19/79, consistent with late 1970s track photography. The image is a gelatin silver print on photographic paper, not a postcard or later digital reproduction. Given the close dating on the caption and the professional origin, this is most likely a Type 1 original photo printed from the negative in 1979 or within a few years of the race.
Condition: Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo. Many of the photos in this collection are very old and have age related wear, chips, creases, curling, etc. Others are remarkably well maintained.
