Jerry Lee
07-13-2009, 05:25 PM
The Martinez clan have deep roots within the local racing community which have branched out with a series of brothers, cousins, in-laws, and other relatives that over generations still race to this day. Some early links in this long chain of racers are identical twins Terry and Jerry, and their little brother Anthony.
I've combined this 1992 interview with Anthony and a 1997 conversation I had with Terry to give you a little insight on the early years of this vast racing family.
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AM: "The Martinez episode started with my father Benny in the mid-'60's in Figure 8's at Englewood Speedway."
TM: "He started driving the #110 in '66. He drove it one season and got hit in the X and didn't drive anymore. Then my brother Jerry and I started racing."
AM: "In '72 I was able to drive, and that's when I started. I was kind of an unknown then, but Jerry and Terry were doing pretty good."
TM: "At one point I had two brothers racing with me and a brother-in-law. All in the same races together. It was fun, but when you're on the track, you're on your own."
JL: "No brotherly love there, eh?"
TM: "No, there isn't. But you still try to drive like a human being. I remember many a time Xing out Anthony or Jerry for the win, but they won their share too. I can't take nothing away from them."
AM: "Back in '74 Terry hurt his arm pretty bad and drove the rest of the season with a cast on his arm. One handed! Which is pretty hard to do with both hands!"
TM: "I got hit in the X during hot laps and broke my arm. We put Jim Coffey in the car for a couple of weeks, but I got fed up and hopped in the car with a full arm cast."
JL: "And you're the only one I know of who's ever won a trophy dash wearing a full arm cast. Did you and Jerry ever have fun with being identical twins out at the race track?"
TM: "Well, there was this one guy who cut my tires three weeks in a row with his jagged bumpers. I finally had enough, so one night I got a knife and cut his tires out from under him. Well, he thought my twin brother Jerry done it. So ol' Jerry is walkin' through the pits with his hot dog and Coke, and he gets collared by this guy! The guy's beating the snot out of him and Jerry doesn't know what's going on! The next week Jerry came out with a t-shirt that said 'MY NAME IS JERRY, NOT TERRY. I DON'T OWE YOU A DAMN THING!."
JL: "Did any of you ever go a few rounds with Junior Reeder?"
AM: "I recall one time Terry Xing Junior Reeder out in hot laps, and he knocked him out. My dad ran out there to see how everybody was and Junior was out! Just OUT!"
TM: "Junior was just lying there with his tongue hanging out!"
AM: "My dad told Terry "Let's go before he wakes up!". Nobody hit Junior Reeder back then 'cause he was a wild guy!"
JL: "Do you miss those ol' Englewood days?"
AM: "Even now when I drive by West Oxford and South Federal where Englewood was located......it does something to you. You know what was there, you're heart was there, and there's nothing you can do about it."
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I've combined this 1992 interview with Anthony and a 1997 conversation I had with Terry to give you a little insight on the early years of this vast racing family.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AM: "The Martinez episode started with my father Benny in the mid-'60's in Figure 8's at Englewood Speedway."
TM: "He started driving the #110 in '66. He drove it one season and got hit in the X and didn't drive anymore. Then my brother Jerry and I started racing."
AM: "In '72 I was able to drive, and that's when I started. I was kind of an unknown then, but Jerry and Terry were doing pretty good."
TM: "At one point I had two brothers racing with me and a brother-in-law. All in the same races together. It was fun, but when you're on the track, you're on your own."
JL: "No brotherly love there, eh?"
TM: "No, there isn't. But you still try to drive like a human being. I remember many a time Xing out Anthony or Jerry for the win, but they won their share too. I can't take nothing away from them."
AM: "Back in '74 Terry hurt his arm pretty bad and drove the rest of the season with a cast on his arm. One handed! Which is pretty hard to do with both hands!"
TM: "I got hit in the X during hot laps and broke my arm. We put Jim Coffey in the car for a couple of weeks, but I got fed up and hopped in the car with a full arm cast."
JL: "And you're the only one I know of who's ever won a trophy dash wearing a full arm cast. Did you and Jerry ever have fun with being identical twins out at the race track?"
TM: "Well, there was this one guy who cut my tires three weeks in a row with his jagged bumpers. I finally had enough, so one night I got a knife and cut his tires out from under him. Well, he thought my twin brother Jerry done it. So ol' Jerry is walkin' through the pits with his hot dog and Coke, and he gets collared by this guy! The guy's beating the snot out of him and Jerry doesn't know what's going on! The next week Jerry came out with a t-shirt that said 'MY NAME IS JERRY, NOT TERRY. I DON'T OWE YOU A DAMN THING!."
JL: "Did any of you ever go a few rounds with Junior Reeder?"
AM: "I recall one time Terry Xing Junior Reeder out in hot laps, and he knocked him out. My dad ran out there to see how everybody was and Junior was out! Just OUT!"
TM: "Junior was just lying there with his tongue hanging out!"
AM: "My dad told Terry "Let's go before he wakes up!". Nobody hit Junior Reeder back then 'cause he was a wild guy!"
JL: "Do you miss those ol' Englewood days?"
AM: "Even now when I drive by West Oxford and South Federal where Englewood was located......it does something to you. You know what was there, you're heart was there, and there's nothing you can do about it."
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