Racing tires are a specialized breed of rubber for the road or the track, and are different from street tires. This single, 1960s (?) Marsh Racing Slick would be a fantastic display piece, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Perry, Georgia, a state that knows a thing or two about racing. The seller is asking $100, here is the original listing, and thanks to PRA4SNW for the cool tire tip!
Made in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, the Marsh Company had a very unfortunate fire around 26 or 27 years ago that wiped out its business, inventory, and the whole shebang. That’s a crying shame, they really made some fantastic tires, mostly for racing and other autosports. In doing some research for this one, there are hardly any photos of Marsh’s tires online, and no ads or brochures that I could find. Maybe one of you would have better luck, and I know a few of you have heard of this company. Bob Hess, or any other racing enthusiasts?
I did run across various tire tread patterns, and one was a bit alarming: the American flag as a tire print. I don’t know what to think about driving over the flag every time your tire goes around; that seems like it wouldn’t be acceptable for the U.S. Flag Code to me. But crossed racing flags, that’s just cool. The twin red stripes are a killer touch, as is the checkerboard pattern above it. There isn’t one thing I don’t like about this tire design. If this were local, this ad would be long gone; I would have picked it up already.
Here’s another tire I found on the internet so you can see the detail of the tread, such that it can be called tread. These are racing slicks, some call them cheater slicks, so not great for everyday street use. They’re something you would see at the track or on a vintage hot rod or other non-daily-driver-type car. I can picture these on any number of 1960s muscle cars, and it’s a real shame that the factory burned and almost the whole inventory was reportedly lost. I wish Coker Tire would gear up to make these. Have any of you seen Marsh’s Racing Tires or any unique vintage tire tread patterns?
While I’ve never heard of them, the double red lines and the checkered flag worked into the rewad is really something. I’d very,very,very carefully take this off the rim, sandblast it, paint it an authentic 60’s color, ( is it GM or Ford? I don’t think its Chrysler) and mount it back on. But that’s me. Items like this, although not usable, definitely need to be saved.
I apologize that was supposed to say tread. I have no clue how rewad came out on my phone.
I understand the irony of someone who submits a toilet post can question why a “tire” is here, in fact I feel it’s a bit silly. Similar to the trucking world, having your tires “siped”, or additional grooves cut in the tread pattern, I thought it made the tires “squishy” handling, some say it improved traction, seemed like “snake oil” to me. In my life, I’ve rode on practically every tire known to man, I made my living on tires, and I can say without reservation, while some may have lasted a bit longer, they all have one thing in common, in the end, they all wear out.
Since this is a tire thread, when radials came out, they were clearly superior in every way, YET,,,the old man refused to buy them,,why? He said they always looked low on air to him. He continued to buy bias-ply until he couldn’t find them. I said, don’t you hate how bias-ply grab all the tar cracks, his reply, that was just driving to him.
Been racing something since I was 15 and never saw this kind of tire. If I had it would be on my garage wall. Pure art.
Never heard of this tire.
Wheel could’ve been used in any motorsport in the day.
Street TD?
Used to use them 225/50/15.
Switched to used Goodyear 6.00-15.
Hard to see that size without laughing.
6.00 15 treaded tire.
See the 1/2″ slits? That’s the tread.
Honey, come look at my new tire for the man cave!
It is cool as he||, though. It badly needs a Halibrand.
Radir sells checker flag cheaters with pie crust whitewalls-
http://www.radirwheels.com/slicks.htm
Correct, Radir has been making their cheater slicks with the crossed flags for a while now. They’re popular with the rat rod builders.
I vaguely remember the Marsh tires. My cousin was drag racing a 409 62 Impala from 63-65, and though he usually raced with Atlas Bucrons, I remember him having Marsh cheater slicks on it occasionally too.
For those who aren’t aware of why Marsh made these tires, or what “cheater slicks” were, they were made for use in the drag racing stock classes. Slicks weren’t allowed in the stock classes so companies came up with a slick that featured a marginal tread pattern to get around the no slicks rules.
That tire would make a pretty neat piece of wall art with the rim painted half and half black and white. Just like a lot of the stock class drag racers painted their rear wheels in the 60’s.
Didn’t the cheater slick also allow you to drive one the street?
Oh man, that’s a great find, Hinky! So much for my internet’ing skills, good grief. Thanks much!
Never heard of this tire.
Wheel could’ve been used in any motorsport in the day.
Very cool find. Appropriate for the man cave.
Used to run Goodyear stores in the late ’70s and early ’80s. And had “competition” customers. Although I was into autocross and ice racing at the time. I served roundy round guys, road racing guys and drag racers. Being in Northern Illinois (just south of the Wisconsin border) might have been a limiting distance factor in my ever seeing one of these tires. Very cool to see. One of the reasons many “roundy round” racers used whitewall tires was that it gave you a little additional sidewall thickness. A very important feature when you “run the rail” and get into the outer track barrier, or get into the guy your running with. And red stripe tires would serve the same purpose. I’ve seen sidewalls worn almost completely through from those antics.
This would be cool to have and im in Georgia. I bet could be moderately conditioned too to preserve it
Concerning the American flag tire print, since it’s now acceptable to autograph US flags and to wear them as shirts, I guess it would be okay to use them for tire treads. It’s the new patriotism.
6.00 15 treaded tire.
See the 1/2″ slits? That’s the tread.
Photo
A buddy gave me this cheater slick (one only) as a birthday gift about 20 years ago. It has the same flag design but the name cast in is Karsk Racing Tires. I mounted it on an American Racing polished 200 (“Daisy”) wheel. Good man cave/vintage speed shop display.
I also have a pair of Bruce branded recap cheater slicks that I got from a good friend/neighbor many years ago. They are 7.50 15 with about a 2 1/2 inch white wall. He told me he put one run on them in 1958. They are hard as rock, but I’d still trust the rubber more than a 5-6 year old current tire. I mounted them on reversed 49 Mercury wheels painted red to use on a vintage hot rod Model A.
My friend (now deceased-aged 92) wouldn’t sell them to me for years, but I eventually traded him a pair of NOS 56 Chevy dual tailpipes which he put on his low mile 56 wagon.
After rereading and expanding the photos, I think my tire is also a Marsh brand. (Eyes are getting old – thank God for being able to expand pictures!)
Wow, just wow, I never thought this one would get picked up and featured. I saw it and thought it was so cool.
So, many thanks to you, Scotty, for this very well researched article. It’s good to read all of the comments and first hand experience with this exact tire.
PRA4SNW, this was an awesome find!!! And Scotty, again, great write up too!!! I’m enjoying all the comments and pictures too.
garage swag
This might be one of those that the police department got all their wheels stolen the other night?
The next day they searched tirelessly to find them.
Unfortunately, someone also stole all their toilet seats. …………. So far they have nothing to go on.
I ran a pair of these on my 65 Chevelle Malibu Convertible for years. They were perfect for a ‘street’ car hitting the quarter mile on a Friday night, perfect enough to grip and lightly pull the front wheels, and totally street legal! I still have an unused pair that are stashed away at my parents house. Scotty, these are the true definition of a cheater slick. Smart technology, retreading tires with slick compound. I bought a total of two pairs brand new back in 1979 through the local speed shop.
I bought a set of these for my ‘64 Impala, but with street treads. These were recaps and pretty wide for the time ( lots cheaper than the wide oval tires of the time). Mounted on chrome reverse rallye wheels, $64 for a set of 4, was a sharp ride!
Back in the mid sixties my dads lifelong best friend and racing buddy were cleaning my dads 57 Chevy and his buddies A/Gas 35 Chevy Coupe for a indoor car show. As team mascot I was in charge of cleaning the tires, I was 6 at the time, a real gearhead and had responsibilities man! He didnt have any money but his coupe was the prettiest candy red coupe you ever saw. He bartered for everything and built everything else and this car was gorgeous, blown 327, candy red, car show white tuck and roll fender liners and front and rear to match the interior, trunk, roof insert, and running board covers, candy red and lettered cans in the trunk, all the car show finery. The slicks were like these but had the spade, club, diamond and hearts from playing cards in them like these. I believe these were recaps and they were oversized. I would give a part of my anatomy for a pair. PS, If already mentioned please ignore this but they said the reason they were called cheater slicks was that they recapped slicks wider than the class legal tire width and the tire showed the legal size still, viola a undetectable cheat.