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An original 7x5" 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
Al Holbert’s white #7 Buick Regal pirouettes across Turn 2 at Pocono International Raceway on July 30 1979 after contact with Roger Hamby’s #17 Chevy, while Mars-sponsored #20, #09, #55, #45 and #67 scramble to avoid the spinning pair. Thick dust hangs in the humid Pennsylvania air and a “Pennsylvania Bank” retaining-wall ad looms behind the chaos in this dramatic Pete Mammano trackside photograph from the Marty Himes Racing Museum collection.
A three-time IMSA champion, Al Holbert made limited NASCAR starts, yet his aggressive driving and engineering talent later guided Porsche’s 962 dynasty at Le Mans. The 1979 Coca-Cola 500 at Pocono proved a bruising Winston Cup race notorious for its mid-pack pile-ups, and original crash prints such as this are seldom seen outside archives. Add this authentic slice of stock-car history to your collection before another motorsports aficionado snaps it up.
Text Present
Back, upper left: “Pocono 7/30/79”
Back, upper center: “Pete Mammano Photo.”
Back, left center: “Series 30rl” (handwritten, unclear)
Back, right center: “#7 Al Holbert going hit by #17 Roger Hamby as cars try & get past”
Front, retaining wall: “Pennsylvania Bank”
Print analysis: Single-weight fiber photo, glossy finish, period handwriting by photographer, no later agency stamps; tonality and edge fade consistent with late-1970s darkroom work. Likely printed within weeks of the race from the original negative, qualifying as a Type 1 original.
Condition: In good to excellent condition. Marty Himes took great care of his collection. Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo.
