I've been away
for a bit. Sorry about that. It's late or early. You don't want to
know what time it is here, but I felt I needed to make a post. My mind
hasn't been on racing lately, and I'll admit that I've been so
unfocussed that I didn't even feel like posting one of the things I have
archived. There's a lot there too.
But I feel I needed to make a
point. If you're an Orland Speedbowl competitor, I'd like you to pay
close attention. It's been tough times for racing over the last
decade. You guys know this. Actually, one of the posts I've been
saving talks about that very fact. Many tracks have closed during the
last decade and most reopened, including Orland.
We've even gained a couple tracks, like Stockton 99 Dirt, Hayfork Speedway and Rocky Hill Speedway in Porterville.
Here's
the thing, Orland Speedbowl is a little gem that people tend to
forget. Racing in Orland goes back at least to the 70's, and this
particular track started in the late 80's from what I've been told. It
has endured several promoter changes as well as closings and reopenings
during that time.
The track's rep has been built on Mini Stocks
and Street & Hobby Stocks during the last 25 years, and it was the
first track in California as far as I know to feature the Mini Trucks.
In the late 1990's and on into the 2000's, the Turner family took the
track to new heights, including adding the Spec Sprints and holding some
big end of the year events.
In the end, the economy got the
Turners, and some people conveniently forgot all the good they had
done. After a dark year, the track reopened and has endured a few
promoter changes in the last five yeas. The show has managed to go on,
though the previous three seasons have seen maybe some things get less
attention than needed.
Lest you think I'm attacking anybody, I'm
not. I appreciate all who tried to promote this little race track and
keep it alive. It's just that the enthusiasm of the racers and the
desire to support the track has faded. Enter a man who had been
watching this place for several years, Mike McCann.
Let me tell
you something about Mike. I'm probably forgetting a lot, because he's
done so much in the sport through the years. He raced Super Modifieds
for years, among other divisions. And this Hardtop revival in
California was sparked by he and Chuck Prather.
Mike featured
that division at Sunset Speedway in Oregon and was so proud of it that
he brought the cars to California a little over a decade ago. I was at
Sacramento Raceway that weekend. The next stop for the guys was, you
guessed it, Orland. Prather started a class the next year and groups in
Northern and Central California started after that.
Mike was a
Promoter Of The Year award winner at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon in
the late 1980's. He's had a hand in building up programs in Eugene and
Banks, Oregon as well as Marysville. He came back because he wanted to
make a difference. He could have walked away, but he loves building
racing programs. It's what he's all about.
And, he wanted
Orland. It was his choice to go after this track. He looked at other
opportunities. He had a pretty good one with a rich tradition offered
to him last year. Where isn't important. What is important is he came
to Orland for one reason. He wanted to restore the glory to where it
was a decade ago and beyond.
But, this can't happen without the
racers. Mike has shied away from working series deals with other
tracks, mainly because he's trying to build up Orland's base first.
When that happens, BIG things will happen at this race track. He has a
Hunt Series Spec Sprint race this weekend, and the plan is to get more
in the future.
The problem I've noticed from afar is the drivers
were given no real incentive to come back in recent seasons. After the
Turners moved on, the closest track, Chico, gradually added more of what
Orland had that was unique to them. First it was Spec Sprints, then
Mini Stocks and then the Hobby Stocks. The tracks ran on opposite
nights, but drivers started choosing tracks.
This is not a knock
against Chico. In fact, who could blame any racer for wanting to
compete at that track? Adding to this problem was the fact that Orland
wasn't keeping points until last season. So for three years there were
no champions crowned. On this very blog, I did my own point race in
2010 to help hype this track.
I've been a fan of Orland
Speedbowl since the NCMA was booked to race there in 1989, and that
enthusiasm was heightened when they were the first track to follow
Antioch by adding Spec Sprints in 2001. The track is almost forgotten,
but it shouldn't be. There have been some good races and racers there
through the years.
Guys like Jimmy "The Jet" Pettit, Mario
Romano, Ken Lewis, Brad Ray, Zach Hackett, "Gentleman" Jerry Bartlett,
Josh Jacobo and Jake Van Tol come to mind, but there are many others.
Lots of history. Lots of great racing. Excitement and drama. It
happened on that little one-fifth mile dirt oval.
Mike McCann
wants to make it happen again. He's followed through on the things he
told the drivers he would do going into the season. He resurfaced the
race track and it's better than it's been in a long time. He's open to
suggestions on how to improve things further, and all options are on the
table.
But, he needs the drivers support. This is a new era in
Orland racing history, and it could become the best one yet if the
drivers come on board. There are several good racers already on board,
and the track will again crown champions at season's end. But, more
racers are needed and more support from the community in general.
This
doesn't mean everybody has to suddenly do all the work for the track.
It simply means spreading the word about the races. If you know of a
car that needs work, help if you can. Got a parked car? Consider
getting it out there. Going to watch? Bring a friend. A race track is
a community. This means it needs EVERYBODY to make it work.
I
think in many ways the track is going great. It had fallen on tough
times, so it's almost like it's at Square 1 at this point. I'm hoping
more momentum can be built as the season heads towards the stretch. I
think Mike has done some good things so far, but it can only get
better. More improvements can and will come if people rally behind the
track.
So come on everybody. This is your beloved Orland
Speedbowl we're talking about. Many great days are ahead if you give it
a chance. It's up to you!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Looking Back At The Mike Cecil 100
The Street Stock 100 lap race at Watsonville ran throughout most of the 1980's (it was a 50 lapper in 1987) and into the 1990's with various sponsors on the title of the race. This was the only regular 100 lap race for the Street Stock division in California. In 1995, track champion Mike Cecil scored his first of two consecutive wins in the race.
The son of Watsonville Speedway Hall Of Famer Jerry Cecil, Mike Cecil was one of the more popular and respected competitors among his peers. He loved to race and particularly enjoyed the special long distance events. In 1997, Mike lost his battle with Cancer. The following year, the track named the special 100 lap race in his honor as the Mike Cecil 100. When the track dropped Street Stocks from the program in 2006, the Dirt Modifieds competed in the special event, which has also been run as a 50 lapper.
Street Stock 100 Lap Winners
1984 Kim Beard
1985 Ken Morgan
1986 Todd Souza
1987 Lloyd Antonetti Jr. *
1988 Darryl Shirk
1989 Mike Brumit
1990 Bobby Large
1991 Kurt Slama
1992 Ron Parker
1993 Darrell Hughes
1994 Joe Antonetti
1995 Mike Cecil
1996 Mike Cecil
1997 Ralph Sampson
Mike Cecil Memorial Winners
1998 David Soito Jr.
1999 Tim Clark Sr.
2000 Dennis Pelphrey
2001 Steve Ewbank
2002 Dennis Pelphrey
2003 Mark Cooper
2004 Dennis Pelphrey
2005 Mark Cooper
2006 Bobby Hogge IV *
2007 Bobby Hogge IV
2008 Bobby Hogge IV
2009 Jim Pettit II
The son of Watsonville Speedway Hall Of Famer Jerry Cecil, Mike Cecil was one of the more popular and respected competitors among his peers. He loved to race and particularly enjoyed the special long distance events. In 1997, Mike lost his battle with Cancer. The following year, the track named the special 100 lap race in his honor as the Mike Cecil 100. When the track dropped Street Stocks from the program in 2006, the Dirt Modifieds competed in the special event, which has also been run as a 50 lapper.
Street Stock 100 Lap Winners
1984 Kim Beard
1985 Ken Morgan
1986 Todd Souza
1987 Lloyd Antonetti Jr. *
1988 Darryl Shirk
1989 Mike Brumit
1990 Bobby Large
1991 Kurt Slama
1992 Ron Parker
1993 Darrell Hughes
1994 Joe Antonetti
1995 Mike Cecil
1996 Mike Cecil
1997 Ralph Sampson
Mike Cecil Memorial Winners
1998 David Soito Jr.
1999 Tim Clark Sr.
2000 Dennis Pelphrey
2001 Steve Ewbank
2002 Dennis Pelphrey
2003 Mark Cooper
2004 Dennis Pelphrey
2005 Mark Cooper
2006 Bobby Hogge IV *
2007 Bobby Hogge IV
2008 Bobby Hogge IV
2009 Jim Pettit II
Looking Back At The Tim Williamson Classic
Tim Williamson (January 13, 1956 - January 12, 1980) raced the Sportsman division at Watsonville Speedway in the 70's and spent five consecutive seasons ranked inside the top 20 in points, four of those in the top ten and one in the top five. In 1978, he began running the Winston West Series and was a winner in that once that season. He also won a race in that series in 1979, while ranking second in the standings.
Tim seemed destined to make it to the Winston Cup Series. He managed to start some races in that series at Riverside Speedway and Ontario and had a top ten finish at Riverside. He was killed at Riverside International Raceway during the companion NASCAR Grand American event the day prior to the 1980 Winston Cup Series opener. In an attempt to pass competitor Glen Steurer through the esses (turns 2-5) early in the race, one side of Williamson's car left the track surface which then caused the car to slide out of control back across the track, as well as an additional run-off area before hitting a retaining wall. The driver's-side of the car hit the retaining wall broadside with enough force to careen the car back across the run-off area and onto the track surface where it came to rest just before turn six.
Since his death, there has been a Tim Williamson Classic memorial race held each year at Watsonville Speedway (now Ocean Speedway) in Watsonville, California. The first race in 1980 was a 100 lapper for the Sportsman division. The race became a Stock Car 100 lap event the next year and throughout that decade. At various times, the race's distance has been altered in the last 20 years, twice to run twin features to make up for rain outs as the drivers were competing for NASCAR Regional points and needed that makeup race.
In 1994, the race was moved to the Dirt Modified division, where it stayed until switching to the Street Stocks in 2004. Since 2006, the American Stock division has competed in the race that has become a tradition at Ocean Speedway.
Below is a listing of past winners of the Tim Williamson Classic winners:
1980 J.D. Willis *
1981 Ralph Beck **
1982 Dan Simkins
1983 Orval Burke
1984 Ray Morgan
1985 Doug McCoun
1986 Kevin Pylant
1987 Jim Pettit II
1988 Bobby Hogge III
1989 Jeff Silva
1990 Steve Hendren
1991 Jeff Silva
1992 Robert Miller & Jeff Silva
1993 Steve Hendren
1994 Jeff Botelho & Mike Brumit ***
1995 Bobby Hogge IV
1996 Bobby Hogge IV
1997 A.J. Kirkpatrick
1998 Jim Pettit II
1999 Eric Jacobsen
2000 Jim Pettit II
2001 Eric Jacobsen
2002 Bobby Scott
2003 Jim Pettit II
2004 Darrell Hughes ****
2005 Danny Scott
2006 Tim Clark Sr. *****
2007 Kyle Camperud
2008 Bill Sorg
2009 Tony Oliveira
* The Sportsman division competed in this race in 1980
** The Late Model Division began competing in this race in 1981
*** The Dirt Modifieds began competing in This Race in 1994
**** The Super Stocks began competing in this race in 2004
Tim seemed destined to make it to the Winston Cup Series. He managed to start some races in that series at Riverside Speedway and Ontario and had a top ten finish at Riverside. He was killed at Riverside International Raceway during the companion NASCAR Grand American event the day prior to the 1980 Winston Cup Series opener. In an attempt to pass competitor Glen Steurer through the esses (turns 2-5) early in the race, one side of Williamson's car left the track surface which then caused the car to slide out of control back across the track, as well as an additional run-off area before hitting a retaining wall. The driver's-side of the car hit the retaining wall broadside with enough force to careen the car back across the run-off area and onto the track surface where it came to rest just before turn six.
Since his death, there has been a Tim Williamson Classic memorial race held each year at Watsonville Speedway (now Ocean Speedway) in Watsonville, California. The first race in 1980 was a 100 lapper for the Sportsman division. The race became a Stock Car 100 lap event the next year and throughout that decade. At various times, the race's distance has been altered in the last 20 years, twice to run twin features to make up for rain outs as the drivers were competing for NASCAR Regional points and needed that makeup race.
In 1994, the race was moved to the Dirt Modified division, where it stayed until switching to the Street Stocks in 2004. Since 2006, the American Stock division has competed in the race that has become a tradition at Ocean Speedway.
Below is a listing of past winners of the Tim Williamson Classic winners:
1980 J.D. Willis *
1981 Ralph Beck **
1982 Dan Simkins
1983 Orval Burke
1984 Ray Morgan
1985 Doug McCoun
1986 Kevin Pylant
1987 Jim Pettit II
1988 Bobby Hogge III
1989 Jeff Silva
1990 Steve Hendren
1991 Jeff Silva
1992 Robert Miller & Jeff Silva
1993 Steve Hendren
1994 Jeff Botelho & Mike Brumit ***
1995 Bobby Hogge IV
1996 Bobby Hogge IV
1997 A.J. Kirkpatrick
1998 Jim Pettit II
1999 Eric Jacobsen
2000 Jim Pettit II
2001 Eric Jacobsen
2002 Bobby Scott
2003 Jim Pettit II
2004 Darrell Hughes ****
2005 Danny Scott
2006 Tim Clark Sr. *****
2007 Kyle Camperud
2008 Bill Sorg
2009 Tony Oliveira
* The Sportsman division competed in this race in 1980
** The Late Model Division began competing in this race in 1981
*** The Dirt Modifieds began competing in This Race in 1994
**** The Super Stocks began competing in this race in 2004
Looking Back At The Ted Stofle Classic
Perhaps the greatest stock car driver in Merced Speedway history, Ted Stofle won the track championship in that division an amazing six years in a row from 1975 through 1980. He also collected three state titles along the way. Wherever Ted went in his #89m car, Merced, Watsonville, Madera, Antioch or elsewhere, he was one of the drivers to beat that night. He was still a young man in his 20's when his died in a tragic hunting accident in 1980.
A year later, Merced Speedway began holding a race in his honor. The Ted Stofle Classic ran 89 laps as a tribute to the man. The Stofle family also had his last Stock Car on display every year for this event, and it also served as pace car for the race. Everybody wanted to win this race
Doug McCoun, who won two straight Regional titles (1985-1986) and a National title along the way won the first event in 1981. He was on his way to doing it again in 1985 when a last lap pass netted Ray Morgan his second of three straight Stofle Classic wins. Jeff Silva used a last lap pass on Steve Hendren to win the 1989 race, his second straight win in this race.
In 1990, Chris Shannon drove Mike Palmburg's Cal Mod to a feature win and then jumped into his Late Model and won the big race as well. After Hendren won this race and the Tri Track championship in 1991, the race was switched to the Street Stocks in 1992. In what is probably a good trivia question, Pure Stock graduate Tom Key won that race in 1992 as Dell Humbert spun from second in the final turn going for the win.
Ted Stofle Classic Winners
1981 Doug McCoun
1982 Rene Krumm
1983 Dewayne Blunt *
1984 Ray Morgan
1985 Ray Morgan
1986 Ray Morgan
1987 Kevin Pylant
1988 Jeff Silva
1989 Jeff Silva
1990 Chris Shannon
1991 Steve Hendren
1992 Tom Key
* My records don't have most of the 1983 season, but according to a thread on Racing West's forum from early 2010, a poster (Otis Gleason?) indicated Blunt won this race for the biggest win of his career. He was top ten in points that season. If this information is incorrect, I'd welcome the documentation with the correct information. The idea is to keep the memory of these great racers and events alive.
A year later, Merced Speedway began holding a race in his honor. The Ted Stofle Classic ran 89 laps as a tribute to the man. The Stofle family also had his last Stock Car on display every year for this event, and it also served as pace car for the race. Everybody wanted to win this race
Doug McCoun, who won two straight Regional titles (1985-1986) and a National title along the way won the first event in 1981. He was on his way to doing it again in 1985 when a last lap pass netted Ray Morgan his second of three straight Stofle Classic wins. Jeff Silva used a last lap pass on Steve Hendren to win the 1989 race, his second straight win in this race.
In 1990, Chris Shannon drove Mike Palmburg's Cal Mod to a feature win and then jumped into his Late Model and won the big race as well. After Hendren won this race and the Tri Track championship in 1991, the race was switched to the Street Stocks in 1992. In what is probably a good trivia question, Pure Stock graduate Tom Key won that race in 1992 as Dell Humbert spun from second in the final turn going for the win.
Ted Stofle Classic Winners
1981 Doug McCoun
1982 Rene Krumm
1983 Dewayne Blunt *
1984 Ray Morgan
1985 Ray Morgan
1986 Ray Morgan
1987 Kevin Pylant
1988 Jeff Silva
1989 Jeff Silva
1990 Chris Shannon
1991 Steve Hendren
1992 Tom Key
* My records don't have most of the 1983 season, but according to a thread on Racing West's forum from early 2010, a poster (Otis Gleason?) indicated Blunt won this race for the biggest win of his career. He was top ten in points that season. If this information is incorrect, I'd welcome the documentation with the correct information. The idea is to keep the memory of these great racers and events alive.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Remembering Gary Jacob
I don't recall writing much about Gary Jacob when he passed away. I hadn't started this blog yet. I had heard about it at the time and it was sad news to me. I knew what it meant to the sport when we lost him. I know of nobody else who devoted so much energy to covering the sport and giving the drivers the recognition they deserved. There wasn't anybody. My magazine grew by leaps and bounds thanks to him.
Just before I started my magazine, I was given copies of Racing Wheels in 1984 every week. I still have them in fact. I read his stories with great interest. Gary's descriptions of the races were so good that they took you there. I had to know what was going on at Merced and Watsonville, and thanks to Gary, I did.
Now, at that time, I was interested in statistics, I took pictures and I kept score independently of the officials. My score keeping made me popular with the racers who were able to use those results to get the official score changed, but it upset the score keepers. Also at that time, the local paper didn't cover the races as well as I thought it should and the track's souvenir program sucked.
So, it was in 1988, the second consecutive season for my magazine (took a year off in 1986 and did several magazines a year earlier) that I met Gary. Jim Pettit introduced me to him. Gary was thrilled to know that there was somebody out at Antioch with a passion for the track who was willing to write. I had started writing for Racing Wheels. The typewriter that I had just got broken, and Gary actually gave me his old typewriter. He wanted Antioch to have stories.
When I started mailing my magazine, Gary was on the mailing list and immediately began mailing me stories from Watsonville, Merced, Bakersfield and Porterville. Those were the ones I asked for, but of course that list doubled and then some very quickly. Being that I had no fax or computer, Gary worked out a system. There was a certain mail box, in Modesto I believe, that he used to send his stories on Monday that would show up in my mailbox on Tuesday almost every week.
By doing this, he enabled me to send my magazines with his stories on Tuesday afternoons sometimes, but otherwise Wednesday, and it reached people's mailboxes on Thursdays in many cases. I was beating Wheels with the stories. It took a lot of work to do this since my Pit Stops column required hours of tape recorder time just to get the quotes, but the magazine at that time was every bit as good as anything else out there, even Wheels.
Gary just wanted to cover the races and help this sport to the best of his ability. He devoted his life to it and was greatly respected by many, many people. During the years that followed, Gary came out to my place to take me to the races. If he was on his way to Petaluma or Ukiah or Lakeport, he was thoughtful enough to invite me. I enjoyed those times and talking to him and his father.
Then one day Gary suggested he could swing by and pick me up for a three race weekend. I ended up going to Santa Maria one weekend on Sunday and Monday to Grass Valley. Then, he's taking me back home from Grass Valley and then he has to drive an hour and a half or more back to Turlock. We did that trip on two of three occasions. We did a Steitz Show at San Jose once. He didn't have to do any of this, but that was the kind of guy he was.
At his house, I got to see his collection of Wheels Magazines and other racing magazines. He was even saving my magazines at that time for his records. The man was a fountain of information. He could reach back into the records and find what he needed for stories. Now, Gary even went so far as to let me borrow old programs so I could photo copy them, even copies of Wheels. He even provided me with the statistics I needed in my quest to gather history on some of my favorite tracks.
He never told me I was wrong for an opinion I wrote in the Editor's Viewpoint column, even if I'm sure he disagreed with things I wrote. I never really heard him bash a track. He may have had opinions, but he kept them respectful, even if critical. He stayed out of the politics, something I was too stupid or stubborn (maybe both?) to do.
He had the ear of many of the promoters. They called him and faxed him. They wanted him at their tracks. John Soares Sr. used to call him regularly hoping to lure him to Petaluma, and Gary always made sure to make some appearances there every year. Who could blame anybody for wanting him at their track? He was good for racing, plain and simple. Racing desperately needs more like him now more than ever.
Gary could make or brake a big show. That is no exaggeration. Before the age of computers and the internet, Gary was known to hand out fliers for the big shows at all of the tracks he visited, and drivers would respond by going to those shows. I know occasionally a promoter would be upset with him doing this at "their track", but he was only trying to help make these open shows bigger and better. He would do it for any track that asked him to.
One of the things I'm most proud of was back in 1999 or 2000, while announcing at Antioch Speedway, I knew Gary would be there that night. I had been doing the special awards for the track, and I had branched out to the DCRR State stuff and special Lifetime Achievement and Award Of Excellence plaques. I presented Gary with the Award Of Excellence that year for all he had done, not just in helping me but the sport as well.
In walking away like I did, there are some people that I missed not seeing, and he was one of them. He was one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, always respectful. It's a shame we didn't get the chance to have one more conversation and enjoy a race some place together. The one comfort that I have though is that I know he was still doing what he loved to do up until he passed away. He probably pushed himself harder than he should have, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
One thing I think about as I consider the lack of publicity at some places is that all it takes is somebody to step up, grab a pen and paper and start taking notes at the track. That's how Gary and I both started. We weren't part of the establishment at that point, but he wanted to help out. That's what it takes sometimes. Racing needs that. I don't want to sound preachy, but that's what Antioch needs now.
Gary started with one track before he ended up being a two and three night a week racing reporter. Anybody can step up and help a track in need. It sounds hard, but it's not. It takes a little effort, but once you get used to what you're doing, it's a snap.
I knew when he passed away that racing would never be the same. People would realize, and they have, just how much they miss him. I don't know if things will ever be the same, but it has to start somewhere. Somebody new can step up and follow in Gary's footsteps for the good of a track in need. And, the other thing is that this hype, this publicity at the track, has a way of generating lots of excitement and enthusiasm from racers and fans alike.
Anyway, I just wanted to give Gary some sort of tribute, because he deserves it. If he were still around, I have little doubt that he'd be writing stories for any track that needed him and going to as many races as possible.
Just before I started my magazine, I was given copies of Racing Wheels in 1984 every week. I still have them in fact. I read his stories with great interest. Gary's descriptions of the races were so good that they took you there. I had to know what was going on at Merced and Watsonville, and thanks to Gary, I did.
Now, at that time, I was interested in statistics, I took pictures and I kept score independently of the officials. My score keeping made me popular with the racers who were able to use those results to get the official score changed, but it upset the score keepers. Also at that time, the local paper didn't cover the races as well as I thought it should and the track's souvenir program sucked.
So, it was in 1988, the second consecutive season for my magazine (took a year off in 1986 and did several magazines a year earlier) that I met Gary. Jim Pettit introduced me to him. Gary was thrilled to know that there was somebody out at Antioch with a passion for the track who was willing to write. I had started writing for Racing Wheels. The typewriter that I had just got broken, and Gary actually gave me his old typewriter. He wanted Antioch to have stories.
When I started mailing my magazine, Gary was on the mailing list and immediately began mailing me stories from Watsonville, Merced, Bakersfield and Porterville. Those were the ones I asked for, but of course that list doubled and then some very quickly. Being that I had no fax or computer, Gary worked out a system. There was a certain mail box, in Modesto I believe, that he used to send his stories on Monday that would show up in my mailbox on Tuesday almost every week.
By doing this, he enabled me to send my magazines with his stories on Tuesday afternoons sometimes, but otherwise Wednesday, and it reached people's mailboxes on Thursdays in many cases. I was beating Wheels with the stories. It took a lot of work to do this since my Pit Stops column required hours of tape recorder time just to get the quotes, but the magazine at that time was every bit as good as anything else out there, even Wheels.
Gary just wanted to cover the races and help this sport to the best of his ability. He devoted his life to it and was greatly respected by many, many people. During the years that followed, Gary came out to my place to take me to the races. If he was on his way to Petaluma or Ukiah or Lakeport, he was thoughtful enough to invite me. I enjoyed those times and talking to him and his father.
Then one day Gary suggested he could swing by and pick me up for a three race weekend. I ended up going to Santa Maria one weekend on Sunday and Monday to Grass Valley. Then, he's taking me back home from Grass Valley and then he has to drive an hour and a half or more back to Turlock. We did that trip on two of three occasions. We did a Steitz Show at San Jose once. He didn't have to do any of this, but that was the kind of guy he was.
At his house, I got to see his collection of Wheels Magazines and other racing magazines. He was even saving my magazines at that time for his records. The man was a fountain of information. He could reach back into the records and find what he needed for stories. Now, Gary even went so far as to let me borrow old programs so I could photo copy them, even copies of Wheels. He even provided me with the statistics I needed in my quest to gather history on some of my favorite tracks.
He never told me I was wrong for an opinion I wrote in the Editor's Viewpoint column, even if I'm sure he disagreed with things I wrote. I never really heard him bash a track. He may have had opinions, but he kept them respectful, even if critical. He stayed out of the politics, something I was too stupid or stubborn (maybe both?) to do.
He had the ear of many of the promoters. They called him and faxed him. They wanted him at their tracks. John Soares Sr. used to call him regularly hoping to lure him to Petaluma, and Gary always made sure to make some appearances there every year. Who could blame anybody for wanting him at their track? He was good for racing, plain and simple. Racing desperately needs more like him now more than ever.
Gary could make or brake a big show. That is no exaggeration. Before the age of computers and the internet, Gary was known to hand out fliers for the big shows at all of the tracks he visited, and drivers would respond by going to those shows. I know occasionally a promoter would be upset with him doing this at "their track", but he was only trying to help make these open shows bigger and better. He would do it for any track that asked him to.
One of the things I'm most proud of was back in 1999 or 2000, while announcing at Antioch Speedway, I knew Gary would be there that night. I had been doing the special awards for the track, and I had branched out to the DCRR State stuff and special Lifetime Achievement and Award Of Excellence plaques. I presented Gary with the Award Of Excellence that year for all he had done, not just in helping me but the sport as well.
In walking away like I did, there are some people that I missed not seeing, and he was one of them. He was one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, always respectful. It's a shame we didn't get the chance to have one more conversation and enjoy a race some place together. The one comfort that I have though is that I know he was still doing what he loved to do up until he passed away. He probably pushed himself harder than he should have, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
One thing I think about as I consider the lack of publicity at some places is that all it takes is somebody to step up, grab a pen and paper and start taking notes at the track. That's how Gary and I both started. We weren't part of the establishment at that point, but he wanted to help out. That's what it takes sometimes. Racing needs that. I don't want to sound preachy, but that's what Antioch needs now.
Gary started with one track before he ended up being a two and three night a week racing reporter. Anybody can step up and help a track in need. It sounds hard, but it's not. It takes a little effort, but once you get used to what you're doing, it's a snap.
I knew when he passed away that racing would never be the same. People would realize, and they have, just how much they miss him. I don't know if things will ever be the same, but it has to start somewhere. Somebody new can step up and follow in Gary's footsteps for the good of a track in need. And, the other thing is that this hype, this publicity at the track, has a way of generating lots of excitement and enthusiasm from racers and fans alike.
Anyway, I just wanted to give Gary some sort of tribute, because he deserves it. If he were still around, I have little doubt that he'd be writing stories for any track that needed him and going to as many races as possible.
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