denracer39
05-20-2009, 10:21 PM
My uncle, a member of the Throttle Jammers Hot Rod club of Cleveland, OH started taking me to his place of work, a body shop, when I was about 11 years old. As an avid reader of magazines like Hot Rod and Speed Age, I really liked race cars and hot rods. On my first trip to the body shop I saw a 32 chopped and channeled Ford coupe being readied for a run at Daytona, a number of other hot rods and/or customs and they were all really neat. Two things really caught my interest. A 1939 Ford Coupe, being finished off the racing at Sportsman Park in Bedford, OH and a V-8 60 Midget of known origin.
The Ford coupe painted blue and white and numbered 127 was what really interested me and I was all over that car. I came home begging my Dad and/or my uncle to take me to the races. The next time we went to the garage, the guys in the club also chipped in with their support and even offered me a "ladies pass" to get it. My Dad relented and he and my uncle took my young brother and I to Sportsman Park. I was immediately hooked by the cars, the noise, and the action. My Dad, Uncle and brother were not so excited. From that day until today, I've been attending races, owned race cars, promoted, written columns and practically everything else except to drive one. I made an attempt back in the 60s after returning from the Army, but my eyesight and lack of talent and bravery ended my driving career quickly. I was allowed to be "the rain driver" taking out the car to dry the track when the need arose.
I've been to races all over the country and in Europe. I have racing friends all of the country and we all either connect in person or by the internet about our racing experiences and I'm still active, working for a team in the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck series. I've worked for a couple of Indy drivers and I also helped sponsor an ARCA new car, now the RE/MAX series besides being a partner in a Late Model back in the 60s and 70s. I like dirt and pavement, fender cars and open wheelers, winged or non-winged and road racing, too.
I guess I'm still hooked.
The Ford coupe painted blue and white and numbered 127 was what really interested me and I was all over that car. I came home begging my Dad and/or my uncle to take me to the races. The next time we went to the garage, the guys in the club also chipped in with their support and even offered me a "ladies pass" to get it. My Dad relented and he and my uncle took my young brother and I to Sportsman Park. I was immediately hooked by the cars, the noise, and the action. My Dad, Uncle and brother were not so excited. From that day until today, I've been attending races, owned race cars, promoted, written columns and practically everything else except to drive one. I made an attempt back in the 60s after returning from the Army, but my eyesight and lack of talent and bravery ended my driving career quickly. I was allowed to be "the rain driver" taking out the car to dry the track when the need arose.
I've been to races all over the country and in Europe. I have racing friends all of the country and we all either connect in person or by the internet about our racing experiences and I'm still active, working for a team in the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck series. I've worked for a couple of Indy drivers and I also helped sponsor an ARCA new car, now the RE/MAX series besides being a partner in a Late Model back in the 60s and 70s. I like dirt and pavement, fender cars and open wheelers, winged or non-winged and road racing, too.
I guess I'm still hooked.