Our season high lites unfortunately, are not winning the points or winning a lot of features. We did win 6 races tying our best season. We didn’t win a feature in 79′ however we had a spectacular crash on the fornt chute that resulted in our first ever “End Over End” flip. That wreck was perhaps our worst in racing since 1969. In spite of that, we ended up in the top 10 at Flamboro and had another perfect attendance season. I think it’s tougher to have perfect attendacne than to win a feature…at least for our team it was. After 8 seaons in the Hobby’s we had 3 Feature wins and 4 Roll Overs.

    Quaker State was an excellent sponsor for me. They were not always my primary sponsor but they were always there.

    The Ramage and Nicholson family teamed up with Hydra Air to sponsor our Gold Cup series. Throughout the years many race teams liked the Hobby’s so much that they would get involved as a sponsor.

    Our gargage, though small, dim and without heat was enough to keep me racing for 15 years.

    We took the to car Harry Bow’s after dad patched some places. Harry had good welding equipment. One thing was certain we wouldn’t last very long before we would get into family feuding, and it wasn’t a case of if we’d get into it, it was more of, how soon will it happen. No matter what, I admit that the things he suggested were for the best, he learned a lot from Don Biederman and passed it on to me. The fights were a result of his delivery method.

    We were in not water, we only had a few days to get ready and when dad was at work I had to weld. Dad would inspect everything I did and redo what wasn’t right.

    The Hobby’s were on a treaded tire and in the back groud you can see Harry’s stack of tires from his Late Model. They ran a soft compoud and as it appears he went through a lot.

    This paper was dated May 2nd, only 3 days until opening day.

    Mike Middlebrook is in the car working away. The cage is painted and parts are going on.

    Well, after a lot of work for 3 days we were ready to go.

    Gord Holmes helped me in 74 and was away for a while and it was great to have him back. Shirley helps Gord push the car on.

    Harry jacks up the diff to set the cahssis. Mike helps. I think Harry is upset that I’m taking pictures instead of getting the car ready, but he had to know the pictures were to be used on web sites, something that wasn’t invented yet…..It was cold and eventually wet this day. We got rained out this night and the 12th of May.

    In the early 60’s when Martino Brothers had their grand opening they invited my uncle Carl, Gerald, Percy and dad with their band to play for their due. Landing this sponsor 15 years later was because of the reputaytion my family had with them.

    The girl that lettered my car was an expert on murals, but she tried her best. I could not leave the lettering on the side it didn’t work for me, and even she wasn’t sure. The mural was awesome.

    The lettering was very bad, other than the number (it was a little thin) but she did a good job on some graphics. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t use to lettering.

    As soon as I got home I removed all the lettering except the name on the trunk and the numbers, I had to leave the sponsors name on somewhere. I didn’t want to offend the girl so I did it at home. I have always been fussy about my car and this was one time it did not work.

    Gord checks something on the front end…..drums on the rear.

    Rich worked with Nonie at the Post Offcie in Toronto and one day he stopped by to see the race car. Shortly after he became a great member of my crew. Him and his wife Bev were tremendous supporters of our racing. We became very close friends.

    We were stuck this week end and my friend Roman towed us out with his tow truck…check out Ray with his trailer and pick up with a cap on the back to keep all his parts. His race program was in top form, mine was a work in prgress getting better every year or so.

    Nothing better than a hug from the one you love, especially at the races.

    We won 6 races this year but no features. David is seen her wearing a red OARC jacket that the club sold that year. Every once in a while the Hobby’s would celebrate with new jackets or shirts.

    George McLeod rebuilt many of my engines over the winter and occasionally during the race season. This was a 100% year for us and he helped by getting my engine ready by Friday night. Here it sits waiting to be put in. We did not have an engine cherry picker and the tow truck could not back up the driveway so we cot him to meet us near the street….there is a model of my car from a two years earlier sitting on the engine.

    We tried to do it as fast as possible so we wouldn’t block the little street or upset the neighbours. Of course the only way the neighbours (some) would not be upset is if the truck was a moving van.

    Getting the engine in is only the beginning, but it’s a very important start. The rest of the bolt on parts including the bell housing and trans had to be put on.

    Terry Dickinson showed me how to set the valves and after quite a few attempts I finally learned how to do it without calling him.

    This was a big day in racing. It would be the ever anticipated match race with Jr. Hanley and Don Biederman and the Hobby’s were there.

    This was a great day for any race fan, and the place was jammed. There was always this idea that Biederman was the best, or that Hanley was. The race was a 2 out of 3 format and Junior got inside for the first race and won it. He also won the 2nd from the outside. The track or friends made a huge cake with both cars on it. After the media interviewed each driver and we can’t print what Don said. He was clearly bitter but in his excuses he made the point that he had the skill and Junior had the equipment. The only thing with that statement was that we watched Don beat many Late Model drivers from the rear of a feature race. He would beat drivers with better eqwuipment. In this match race, Junior not only had better equipment but he was also just as good a driver as Don. However the 2 out of 3 Match Race didn’t sway loyal Biederman fans. They argued that to see who the best driver is would be to start them both at the rear of a feature and see who got through. The only problem with that theory was that many times they did do just that and would end up in a fist fight half way through the race. What a time to be a race fan when these two went at it anywhere. They were both super stars.

    Bob had a little business at the corner of Highway 5 and 6 on the north east corner. He was a terrific mechanic and got my truck ready. Gord kept Bob laughing.

    We got Southern Express Lines as a sponsor just before the Barrie race on August 7th. They gave me some cash, paid Norm to letter the car and gave me a job driving one of their trucks.

    We stayed over night in Barrie, and it must have been some kind of celebration, it wasn’t a birthday or wedding celebration, unless it was Bev and Richies anniversary, but I just can’t remember. I know we weren’t headed to the races.

    Les pulls into the pits. You can see #2 Joe MacDonald, #55 Jim English and the blue and red car was #60 Davey Jones.

    Jim won Rookie of the Year in 78 and was a great person. he worked hard for the club when he was in it. He always ran hard and broguht many people to the club. His son in laws and other relatives raced. Brian Book, Gerald Tong, Tim Winger just to mention a few, all got involved through Jim.

    Looks like John Hasselfeldt holding off Dave McKee on the outside, with Lee Jerome and Ray Hughes right behind.

    Joe MacDonald #2 with Tim Funk #76 and #38 is Gary Fetter (could be Wayne). This was the start of the feature as you can see the pace car just pulling off. I ended up 15th in this feature.

    Dave McKee leads this pack going into turn one, and I’m going to guess that he won this race.He is followed by #74 Don Ramage with Ron Jerome #58 on the inside, Brian Atkinson #10 and Ray. Harry Nicholson #14 then John Hasselfeldt #66 with Peter Ireland #26 beside him. I’m on the outside and Alf Ryckman #5 is under me with Lee Jerome #57 right behind Alf. Dave Mogford #39 is behind me.

    Alf Ryckman #5 is on the inside and I can say for sure that where I am, epecially at Barrie wasn’t a good thing. Lee is right behind and notice he isn’t following me.

    This was my worst wreck of many I had. It was in the feature and I was mid pack. On the restart of a caution someone hit Dick Remus #44 knocking him into the starters stand. He was hit again and then Bob Hosford hit him and Bob was right in front of me. When Bob hit Dick he flipped onto his side, and I coudn’t believe that I was right behind him when he flipped. I kept looking to the inside to get down but there was not way I could, everyone was flying by. The yellow flag was waving. Suddenly all the cars in my lane were either gone or wrecked and I was sliding towards Dick at high speed. I locked up my brakes, something I never do usually because usually I’m trying to get away from the wreck and it isn’t good to stop on a straight away with cars coming fast behind. Within a split second of seeing Dick in front of me and locking the brakes I was into his front bumper and climbing the front of his car…..it looks like Ray got caught up in it. He may have hit Hosford as Bob went from the high lane to the infield on his side, or Ray could be stopped because of the red flag.

    The front of the car was badly damaged, all ther suspension. Plus when I hit Dick I went end over end and landed on the trunk and back bumper doing excessive rear damage.

    The damage was quite severe to both my car and Dick’s Coupe.

    When I hit Remus head on, he must have been terrified, although it happened very quickly. I went up over his wheel, took out his carb hit his windshield and then catapaulted over his car wrecking the body on the way. He survived this wreck but he was most upset with whoever stuffed him in the wall in the first place…fortunately we don’t have that info, but it happened on a restart and just like Stew Pitchford in 77′, the cars on the restart did not want to get boxed behind the slower cars and some drives pushed them out of the way, not wanting them to get hurt but so they wouldn’t lose spots. I’m sure that’s what happened here, and it ending up wrecking a lot of cars. Dick was a great person and always helped everyone when he could.

    In the daylight on Sunday we got a closer look of the damage.

    This body had seen more damage in the past 12 months than all the years Don Cockburn had it.

    Here’s a stat that begs the question..Do you think someones trying to give you a hint?. In my 8 years so far with the Hobbys I had 3 Feature wins and 4 Roll Overs, actually on one of those Feature wins, 1978′ I almost rolled over 50′ from the finish line.

    The axle was out and we needed it straightened to get the car to our garage, abut 75′ away. We coudln’t tow it back because the laneway was too narrow….Richie was a big help and I almost wore him out in his first year with me…you can see the Ford cross member, where the axle fits in, it was bent too as well as tons of body damage.

    We didn’t miss a night of racing in 79′, but we did miss many nights of sleep to get ready in time.

    We made it out the next week and our car was not right. I didn’t start the heat and finished 6th in the consi not qualifying for the feature. It would be a miserable 9 more weeks after our roll over with 3 DNF’s in the features and 4 others I wouldn’t qualify for. In the two featrues I finished I had a 14 and 15th. In the remaining 9 heats I only started 3 and my best race finish including consi’s was 4th.

    Nonie put up with a lot each year, but quite a bit in 79′. It was a tough season for us. Richie and Bev were great encouragers throughout the season, and Richie saved me with his extra effort….we will rebuild it for 1980 and hope we can have a good year.