This past weekend was the Racer's Reunion- Hall of Fame Ceremony at the M-40 Speedway, plus the Old Timer's Night, 60th Anniversary, at the New Paris Speedway. Having two Old Timer shows on the same weekend I felt was going to hurt attendance, as many told me on the phone, they could make one, but not the other due to fuel costs with a limited budget. Then you throw in the weather, Friday, 85 degrees and high humidity, and Saturday, forecast for rain, and rain it did, and the counts were down from last year. This is a good lesson in life, no matter how much effort is put into something, an outside influence, can be the deciding factor whether an event is a success, or not.
For Friday, M-40 was the place for the 8th Annual Ceremony for the Hall of Fame inductions. Recieving plagues and a yearbook was Larry Allen, Jeff Bloom, DeWayne Dimit, 0zzie Osborn, Dave Sabaj, Fred Sibley, Dave True, and Dude Weaver. About each driver:
Larry Allen, was involved with Drag Racing and Local Stock Car Racing. He was a top notch mechanic, and the dragster ran in the Eliminator Class, and his exploits in the Oval racing scene was for the likes of Ernie Nash, Jeff Daughtery, Bobby Wroblewski, and other cars with the Kaley Motor Service sticker. Larry passes away a few years back, but his daughter accepted the award.
Jeff Bloom. Following his father's footsteps, Jeff has been racing since the late 1960's. He raced the Super Modifieds early on, and in the early 70's, had interest running in the Famed USAC Divisions. There, he ran in the Sprint Car, Stock Car, and Silver Crown { Champ}, and won atleast one feature in all 3 divisions. Many fans will remember Jeff piloting a Yellow #26 Sprinter called "Ole Yellar". This was pretty much a Super Modified built by G.E. "WOODY" Wood, who had built supers for Dude Weaver, Frank Demske, and Dave Roahrig. Since it had a roadster tail, the car was deemed legal to run in the Little 500, down at the Anderson Speedway. He started 22nd, but was the first to complete 500 laps, and the win. This was the first win by an area driver since Dick Good took the win in 1964. In 1977, driving the Lyle Roberts Roadster, he took his second win, and won again in 1991, in his own car. Jeff still competes to this day with the Auto Value Super Sprints and the HOSS Sprints. An expert qualifier, Jeff holds records at Delaware Speedway in Ontario, South Bend, Plymouth, and a hold your breath, 10.47 at the M-40 Speedway.
DeWayne Dimit. From the Fort Wayne area, DeWayne was a local at the Avilla Speedway and Baer Field Speedways. In the early 1970's, he formed a Track Safety Operation called PTS, Professional Track Services. The truck had trained safety officials, with extensive training to handle any type of incident at an area track. Their speed and organization saw them grow from Avilla and Baer Field, to Angola, Kalamazoo, Toledo, I.R.P., and to several traveling organizations including ASA, ARTGO, and MSPA. DeWayne was present with many family members to accept the award.
Dave Sabaj. From South Bend, Dave was a Flyer Stock {Late Model], from day one. He raced several makes including Studebakers, but his most success was in 1957 Chevies. He ran primarily at South Bend, New Paris, Plymouth, and Mottville. Always #70, he won 162 races, including several season Championships. He retired from racing in 1972, as his family got older. Still attending a few races a year, Dave can be seen with his Video Recorder taping racing, and other items that catches his eye.
Fred Sibley. Picture a guy about 6', with a year old cigar in his mouth, bib overhauls, and a hat, and that is Fred Sibley. He first ran stock cars in the area, before making a splash into drag racing, moreso, Jet Car drags. Fred, quite the handy man, would get surplus jets, very cheap, and convert them to run on framed race cars for the dragstrip. He and Art Arfons, teamed to break the land speed record at the Famed Bonneville Salt Flats in 1969. Their competitor at that time was Craig Breedlove. Fred's most famous dragster was the Bullet shaped USA 1. It was of course Red, White, and Blue. He owned another Dragster called the Maxi Taxi, another Jet Powered car. His current ride is a 1927 Beer Hauling Wagon, Jet powered of course. He can be seen throughout the country burning a car down to molten metal. He is currently working on a Lakester Land Speed Car. If all goes well, he could debut the car at my car show next spring at Concord Mall. That would be cool.
Ozzie, I can't think of anybody that doesn't know him. He looks like he did 40 years ago, don't know if that is good or bad. But, the Oz was another in Open Wheel and Drag Racing.
He ran the drag circuit, and in fact winning every race in the years 1960 and 1961. His hopes to move on did not happen, and Ozzie returned to the local racing scene. He ran at South Bend, Playland Park, New Paris, Fort Wayne, Angola, and Plymouth, running coupes, Modifieds, and onto Super Modifieds. When the local Super Mod class ceased, he would run with the TRISAC Open Wheel Organization, and later would become the club's President. Years later, 1980, he would spearhead the return of Super Modifieds to the South Bend Motor Speedway. They would run until the late 80's. Always one to arrive late, I thought that I could break him of that habit about a month ago. I was going to Plymouth, and he said he would go, too. Great. After several phone calls due to weather, I told him I would get him at 3:30. I told him I was collecting driver profiles, and that he HAS to be ready. He said no problem. I get there, and his coat is on his car. Hey, he may be ready to go. Well he had to feed the dogs. OK, A few minutes. Then he had to go back in to do this and that. That this and took time, and when we finally got going, it was about 4:30. God love him.
Dave True: Out of Dowagiac, Michigan, Dave said he used another name in his early years because he was too young. He ran some stock cars, but I remember him running a 6 Cylinder Super at South Bend, #93. He ran them for a couple years until they were dropped. He then ran Late Models, and I think he had an ex-Nyari car. He ran New Paris and in fact won a Feature there over Denny and Skiles. Dave also got a Grand Marque Car and ran that circuit, picking up a win at the West Chester Speedway {Queen City}, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He would also purchase an ex-Buck Cravens Super, and ran at South Bend, with several Feature wins. As son Doug got old enough to drive, Dave stepped out of the car, and is now heads the Doug True #93, on the ASA Circuit, plus weekly Late Model shows at M-40 Speedway
Dude Weaver: Dude was originally from Germany, racing there after WWII. He would return to Ohio, and raced Coupes there in the 1950's. After G.E. Wood, saw Dude race against Dick Good, Woody told Dude to move to Indiana as racing was pasying some good purses up this way. Dude took up on the offer. His #23 won many races at South Bend, New Paris, Plymouth, and other tracks. In 1967, after a nasty flip the week before, Woddy installed a wing on the #23, and Dude set a new track record, beating the old by almost a half a second. From that point, wings were allowed at South Bend. Dude raced, and picked up a mechanic by the name of Tom Jewell. Tom would later marry Dude's Daughter, Shirley, and race a Super #32 as well. Dude retired in 1975, and he can be seen at area tracks being a race fan. Though he is in his 70's, Dude can still tell a story or two.
There you have it, the class of 2008. Other Former Hall of Famers at the tracks this weekend were Stan Suski, Margie Miller, Oscar Faye, Sandy Westphal, Tom York, Jake Galloway, Nancy Galloway, Ernie Nash, George Lane, Jim Teske, Ron Koehler, and Ralph Yarborough.
Other Old Timers coming out were Leroy Shafer, Roger Sabaj, Gary Town, Walt Woodlee, Don Woolley, Ronnie McLean, Billy Jo Havens, Frank Higgins, Ray Chandler, John Witter, Cecil Breeden, Milt Karesh, John White, Vern Leatherman, Walt Anglemeyer, Jim York, Pat York, Chuck Hall, Craig Fisher, Harold Cripe, Don Carmicheal, Linda Bloom, Bob Carnes, Mike Zielinski, Bill Brown, Red Jones, Jim Baugh, Jeff Yeager, Snookie Fitz, Teresa Fitz, Roger Burton, Chuck Barnett, Chuck Ganus, Carl Cassity, Danny Zimmerman, Ray Metzger, Ron Schultz, Gary Freet, Carl Smith, Dan Cline, Donny Klotz, Donny Klotz JR, Dick Slagle, Rose Gilliam, Larry Grindle, Mike Albertson, Bill Justice, and Kenny Hayes. We may have had more, as this was my independent list.
A special note was that Ray Metzger was the first track champion at the Hampshire Oil Bowl {New Paris}, in 1948, first year, and in fact brought the trophy that he won. In a funny deal, not for Ray, was when I went up to talk about the show in the press box at New Paris. I took the trophy with me to show them in the press box what it looked like. Well, as I was talking about it, Ray took a glance where it was sitting, and saw it gone. He thought somebody stole his trophy and about had a heart attack. He was so glad to see me with that trophy minutes later. While I was talking he was waving at me, and I just waved back, not knowing he was about in a panic state. I bet he slept good that night.
For the races, at M-40, did not see much, but maybe 30 laps total. Just too busy doing other things with the Old Timers, and fans checking out the books. The $5 addmission brought in close to 1000-1200 to the show. Something that may need looked into is opening another concession line. The line was a constant all night, and I know a few missed feature races getting food. That I did see. Local cars took the Mains, and they were Ron Coburn, 17 Late Models, Mickey Cornwell over 18 Pro Stocks, and Matt Bainbridge, over 21 Pure Stocks. And we had 7 Vintage Cars including Dick Slagle, Carl Peavy, Jack Troyer, Pat York, Lou Caposy, Hector Belliveau, and Larry Fisher.
Saturday was the New Paris event. Gosh, another Saturday, and rain again. It's been like this almost evert Saturday. It looked like it was going to clear around 3, and it did. We set up, and lo and behold, a spot drizzle, so we put everything up again, and after 20 minutes, it stopped. Finally get all ready by 4:15, but the crowd was very low. The weather, recent layoffs, and economy all aided, with Weather the issue Saturday. It would have been real easy for Donny to cancel, but as he told me, he wanted to get the show since we were there, and I appreciated that. We had some vintage cars 2 plus hours away there as well. Closer to race time, fans starting pulling in. The heats ran, the Vintage cars had 2 sets of laps, and the Autograph session was going, but the rain returned. It rained pretty hard, really saturating the track. The races were called, and would you know it, the rain stopped. So next week, the New Paris show will be double features, with the Late Models going 77 laps for the Pat Riley Memorial, plus a regular feature, and the Streets and Minis run Double features. Also found out that for the Summer Sizzler, August 7th, that David Stremme has filed an entry. With $20,000 to win, other expected entries include Andy and Phil Bozell, Jeff Parr, Greg Parr, Jack Landis, Scott Hantz, Jeff Ganus, Jeff Vochaska, with others may include Steve Stacy, Rich Boal, Corey Pressler, Mike Shewchuk, Mike Zordan, Corey Ryman, Bobby Blount, J.R. and Tyler Roahrig, Brian and Scott Ross, Ronnie Maynard, and Mike Thayer, challenging New Paris stars Ty Hayes, Bobby Stremme, Donny Klotz, Craig Cassel, Rex Wert, Jason Bixler, Curtis Holt, Mike Tutino, Ed Paul, Charlie and Kenny Whitman, Travis Slabaugh, Tim Taylor, and Josh Taylor. More on this show, as info rolls in. Alot of names in this writeup.----------------------------------------------------