Jerry Lee
04-29-2009, 01:36 PM
Over the years I've interviewed many local racing legends for various shows, books, and articles, etc. I thought some of you might enjoy some excerpts from some of these old tapes which I'll post once in awhile as "The Two Minute Interview"
Here's part of an interview I did with the legendary multi-champion Pete Stringer from around 1999. The guy was so cool, he sent me a couple autographed photos of his cars from Englewood Speedway to boot!
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JL: "So you grew up at the local tracks?"
PS: "I grew up at Englewood and I'd do anything to get my Dad to take me to the races. I'd wash his car or mow the lawn, anything! And after the races I would go into the pits and look at every last dog, and he'd be sitting in the car, listening to the radio."
JL: "Who were some of your local favs at that time?"
PS: "John Pierce was like one of my idols, he was a very good driver and became a good friend. I became friends with Joe Lehman and he helped me with my first car. He always ran the #6, so I ran the #106 or #96 in tribute to him."
JL: "Lehman helped a lot of guys get a start."
PS: "He really did, and I learned everything I could from him. There's a funny story with Lehman and John Roddy when John was building this real oddball Modified one year when I was first starting out. Lehman and those guys sent me over there to kinda spy on him 'cause I was only 17, y'know? Roddy didn't think this kid knew much, so he let me check it out."
JL: "You were only 17 when you started racing at Englewood in 1962."
PS: "When I got out of high school I decided I was going to build a Modified. Joe Lehman was impressed and him and Sam Chavez, who was President of the club then, fixed it so that 18 year olds could race, and they just kinda shooed me in!"
JL: "Then over the years you raced almost every division the track had to offer."
PS: "Yeah, there was one year I tried to build a Figure 8, Late Model, and a Modified, but it was just too much for one person."
JL: "Tell me a little about those championship Chevelles you ran in the early '70's."
PS: "That first year we ran that small block Chevy engine and I won it by the skin of my teeth. We came back in '72 with the big block Chevy like them guys back East were running, and that's when it just went crazy! That car was just insanely fast!"
JL: "Did you ever have a beef with Junior Reeder?"
PS: "No, Junior Reeder was really a nice guy. I did run a grudge race with Al Unser, Sr. in the '60's though. (laughs)
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Post your Pete Stringer memories here!
Here's part of an interview I did with the legendary multi-champion Pete Stringer from around 1999. The guy was so cool, he sent me a couple autographed photos of his cars from Englewood Speedway to boot!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
JL: "So you grew up at the local tracks?"
PS: "I grew up at Englewood and I'd do anything to get my Dad to take me to the races. I'd wash his car or mow the lawn, anything! And after the races I would go into the pits and look at every last dog, and he'd be sitting in the car, listening to the radio."
JL: "Who were some of your local favs at that time?"
PS: "John Pierce was like one of my idols, he was a very good driver and became a good friend. I became friends with Joe Lehman and he helped me with my first car. He always ran the #6, so I ran the #106 or #96 in tribute to him."
JL: "Lehman helped a lot of guys get a start."
PS: "He really did, and I learned everything I could from him. There's a funny story with Lehman and John Roddy when John was building this real oddball Modified one year when I was first starting out. Lehman and those guys sent me over there to kinda spy on him 'cause I was only 17, y'know? Roddy didn't think this kid knew much, so he let me check it out."
JL: "You were only 17 when you started racing at Englewood in 1962."
PS: "When I got out of high school I decided I was going to build a Modified. Joe Lehman was impressed and him and Sam Chavez, who was President of the club then, fixed it so that 18 year olds could race, and they just kinda shooed me in!"
JL: "Then over the years you raced almost every division the track had to offer."
PS: "Yeah, there was one year I tried to build a Figure 8, Late Model, and a Modified, but it was just too much for one person."
JL: "Tell me a little about those championship Chevelles you ran in the early '70's."
PS: "That first year we ran that small block Chevy engine and I won it by the skin of my teeth. We came back in '72 with the big block Chevy like them guys back East were running, and that's when it just went crazy! That car was just insanely fast!"
JL: "Did you ever have a beef with Junior Reeder?"
PS: "No, Junior Reeder was really a nice guy. I did run a grudge race with Al Unser, Sr. in the '60's though. (laughs)
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Post your Pete Stringer memories here!