Terry Boyle Ewood Figure 8 1974-75

[superstroke]

Here is a series of photos that were shot by none other than our own "Professor Coupe" Chris Ertler. The first shot shows Terrys creation, just after it was painted in 1974. The next shot shows the same car at the Sabres Auto Show sporting a Mike Young lettering job. Next, its 1975 and Terrys newest creation is unveiled in front of his home. From L TO R: Terrys Mom, Arcielle, Mike Colitti, and Bud Cost. Although the judges did not care for the Mike Young numerals on this particular car (probably hard for their old eyes to focus on), I liked them alot. The next shot shows Terry Boyle doing a TA-DA in front of his Figure 8'er at Colorados Englewood Speedway. According to Chris, this car was destroyed this same year, but Terry prevailed and won the ARA and ERA Championship that year. Some great photos and history from the Chris Ertler collection.

[lakeside #29]

Thank you Rick for posting these photos. They should be in pubkic view rather than collecting dust in an album.

In the first shot, from early 1974 Terry had just put the spray gun away when this shot was taken. He started out with a cherry "54 Ford business coupe that was still driveable. Terry let me pick out the colors, It was Lincoln silver and '73 Chevy truck red. A couple of days later Mike Young came over and performed his magic on it.

As Rick stated the second picture was taken at the Tri-State show. Terry was not to pleased to be judged in the same class as late models. The car showed well but didn't win. Another car that Terry painted was also in the same show. It was Darrell Chapman's Porsche powered Funco SS off-road buggy. It was yellow with blue stripes. I believe it won it's class.

The next photo is Terry after just coming in from hot lapping on hot lap day 1974. He was real happy with the red and silver car. It was fast straight out of the garage. He won the Englewood Racing Assocaition Sunday night championshiop in this car.

The next photo I took standing on Terry's front porch. We were getting ready to take off for Englewood on the first hot lap day in 1975. I had tagged along with him when he found this in a wrecking yard down in Louviers. It was very straight. When Terry was cutting out the trunk he discovered that at some time in the cars life the left rear quarter panel had been replaced. There was an original Ford part number tag still on it. The work had been done by an old school body man. The quarter had been removed with an air chisel and there was no bondo used, it had all been done in lead. Once again Terry let me pick out the paint color. He told me "Chris-o your modifieds were sharp, you decide."

It wound up '73 Vega light orange and '69 Camaro Hugger orange.
I also got to help build the roll cage on this car and other fabrication.
As Rick states the judges didn't like the numbers that Mike Young painted but Terry was not going to change them. Terry set the front end up with Stock Car products type springs and weight jacks. He didn't like the feel at all. He couldn't set up for the corner like he was used to. He even had fellow crew member Bud Cost hot lap it. Bud told Terry "There's nothing wrong with front, you need to get used to it."

In the final photo we have Terry clowning around in the pits. This car was destroyed when a guy pushed into Terry shoving him into the pit wall. the frame was wrinkled all the way back under the right door. Terry didn't feel to great either, he got a cracked sterum out of the wreck. The rear quarters of this wound up on Darrell Smith's pink #2 that Dave Tansey drove.Terry built a new car that was purple and yellow. He was tired of orange by then. I nicknamed the new car "The Raped Grape" as a play on the term "It runs like a raped ape". Terry won both the Arapahoe Racing Association Saturday night Championship and the Engelwood Racing Association Sunday night championship in 1975. It was quite a year.

Chris Ertler-"Professor Coupe"

[lakeside #29]

When talking about Terry Boyle's figure 8 cars the story is incomplete unless you include Terry's longtime crew chief Mike "The Greek'"Colitti. The moniker is funny since Mike is really Italian. Mike came to Colorado from his native Connecitcut in the early '70's and soon was helping Terry at Englewood. Mike earned his living as a mechanic and had prior experience with northeast modifieds. There wasn't a job Mike couldn't or wouldn't do. Mike's skill complimented Terry's and together formed one of the best figure 8 teams at Englewood. They also ventured into late models having their best sucess in Colorado Springs. Terry and Mike worked on my #29 modified in 1974 and with the driving ability of Ed Mailo perfected the car into a main event winner.


After Terry retired from racing Mike went on to help Ed Brunner with a sportsman and then they built a Trans Am bodied late model. Following Ed's cars Mike Helped me build my current #29 Lakeside coupe. With Butch Wallace behind the wheel and with Mike wrenching we were rewarded with the limited modified champioship in 1984. Mike is still at it, currently he is helping a fellow with an SCCA open cockpit car and driving the wheels off his '35 Ford street rod that he built.
Mike, thank you for all you've done for me over the years.

Chris Ertler-"professor coupe"

[nitro4dave]

:confused:so now professor coupe is a substitute educator of eights?:doh: neat stuff!

[nitro4dave]

correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't terry martinez buy the last version of this car and run it at lakeside in the 80's? didn't change number and didn't have to change drivers name. pretty shrewd investment i think!

[lakeside #29]

Hey Dave, You're correct Terry Martinez bought one two cars Mr. Boyle had left . John Hafemiester bought the other one. Actually Terry Martinez bought another car from Terry Boyle a couple of years earlier and if I remember Mr. Boyle also built a roll cage for Terry Martinez as well. Bennie Martinez, Terry's dad liked Terry Boyle's work a lot. I imagine that after Terry M. got a broken arm from getting T-boned in the "X" they wanted to have some really good equipment. If Terry Boyle built it, it was safe.

Chris Ertler-"professor coupe"