We Make Front Page of the Pinecrest Program
<div class=”maint”> In the early years the Hobby Secretary and Treasurer position was comblined, also that committee member would sing our membership cards.Bill Wakish #23 was the Secretary/Tresurer in 1972, Bill Lyons #9 was the President.
<div class=”maint”> Dad was my main man for as long as he could come out. He always wanted to race when he was younger but never had the chance. He took our family to Oakwood Stadium, Pinecrest and the CNE to watch. He liked the Super Modifieds, in the late 50’s, Ted Hogan, Jimmy Howard and the rest of the boys. I would love to go back to those days and watch a race with the Jalopy’s of late 50’s who became the Hobby’s and the Modifieds who became Super Modifieds. The Late Models showed up at the CNE and Pinecrest in the 64′.
<div class=”maint”> In mid May of 1972 Ed Hennesey and I picked up my 1930 Model A from Jack Shields(pictured with Ed). I paid $1000 for both the car and trailer. Ed towed it home with his 1965 Plymouth Fury. This would be the start of 4 decades of racing.
<div class=”maint”> The first place we took our car was to Sherwood Auto Body on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke for repainting.
<div class=”maint”> I ran the 223 cubic inch for one year and replaced it in 1973 with a 240 cu inch.
<div class=”maint”> Bob and I were friends. He helped me when he could. He held David in this picture in my garage. I tried using the underground parking as my garage but they chased me out to the parking lot. This picture is looking north west from 787 Jane Street in Toronto. Ed was always such a great help to me and dedicated much of his time in my early years with the Hobbys.
<div class=”maint”> After finishing 3rd in my heat, I started 3rd in the feature. Before the end of the first lap I tangled with another car #66 Steve Barr and slammed into the fence. Steve rolled over at the same time. No garage, no parts and just like my friend Ray Hughes, no money. My dad and Ed Hennesey looked on. I was heart broken. It also looks like I needed a hair cut. It would be 3 weeks before we would get back out.
<div class=”maint”> My dad used the welder from this man’s home in Toronto to get my Coupe race worthy once again. Since we didn’t have a place to put the car at night, needless to say we didn’t have a place to work on it. Where ever I could go, I went with much appreciation.
<div class=”maint”> David peaks out the window of the Coupe. He’s 6 months old.
<div class=”maint”> We use to get to Pincrest Speedway early. We had to park our tow vehicles out in the parking lot because there was no room in the pits. The pits were in the middle of the track. You entered on the front straight and came off on the back straight.
<div class=”maint”> We use to line up in turn one at Pinecrest. The spots were numbered. That’s Rich Harris behind me, the 2004 Hall of Fame inductee. You can see his Flat Head V8. My roof is damaged from rolling over at Speedway Park under caution on a Friday night earlier in the season. Okay, how do you roll over under the caution? Fred Poets the Hobby Hall of Famer, and mega feature winner was dicing with Wayne Keeling while we were under caution. I was minding my own business, the track crew were cleaning debris off turn 4 when all of a sudden the two of them tried to go in front of me, one from the left and one from the right. Somehow I drove over one of their wheels, got air borne and did one complete roll over ending up back on my wheels. Fred came over to tell me it wasn’t his fault. I got out to look at my car and the tow truck came over. I waved him off, got in the car and drove into the pits to have it checked over, but on this particular night there was no crew, so I ran around the car twice, yelled a bit (probably still in shock) and went back out on the track. The race hadn’t restarted. On the last lap of the feature the wishbone came off and I ended up in the infield.
<div class=”maint”> Bob carries some of our equipment, wait, I think that was all of our equipment, to our pit stall. Some of the other boys were unloading their cars. Orange was a popular color then. We ran every Tuesday night at Pinecrest, rain or shine, for about 7 weeks. We also ran Friday’s at Speedway Park. Flamboro was closed. Rocco Di Carlo closed it down for 72′ after the first 2 months of racing. The Casale’s would open it again in 1973. Harry Bow would end up buying the #46 in 1973.
<div class=”maint”> John Jarvis leads us out of turn 2 going down the back chute. Randy Thistle is #1 and the nose of Merle Godfrey’s #63 can be seen on the bottom.
<div class=”maint”> This picture was taken right after a fetaure race at Flamboro, early in the year. Ed is on the left, Bob in the middle. We were excited because we were in one piece after a night of racing.
<div class=”maint”> Tom Shingler #12 ran very good at times and helped me whenever he could. I was in trouble so many times that a little help from a lot of people was enough to keep me going.
<div class=”maint”> It was exciting just to get out on the track. Pinecrest was so much fun. A very tight short track like Barrie Speedway(the old Barrie Speedway). I struggled so much my first year. We use to count a victory by just getting to the track. Then if nothing fell off in the warm ups we would be high fiving each other. Surviving a heat was worthy of celebration and finishing a feature was a miracle. My dad use to say when I came in after a heat…”the only thing behind you was the next race”….He loved me just the same.
<div class=”maint”> Ed and I try to figure how to set up the car. The truth is Ed had some idea and I had none. I just wanted to race and hope we could finish. The young fellow beside the car is Greg Fitzpatrick. He was lead singer of a band I played in called Lords of London. Greg is still playing and I’m still racing. I wonder how many guitars he’s wrecked over the years? Probably none. Greg had a number one song in Toronto in 1967 called Corn Flakes and Ice Cream….Eds son, David pits for my son David on his Late Model. David also put David’s web site together. The Hennesey family were very good to us.
<div class=”maint”> This was part of my crew in 73. From left to right, my dad Merile, Jim Bunting, me, Don Roth and Aubrey Harris. Ed Hennessey was missing this particular day. Ed, Diane,and their kids, Dave, Sherri and Johnny spent a lot of time each week end at Peterborough with his sister Ruby and husband Bob.
<div class=”maint”> It was about 11 below zero, a very small space heater in the garage and we pulled out the engine and got the car primed for paint. Little did I know that my sponsor, Sherwood Auto Body, would sand everything away that I did.
<div class=”maint”> Waiting on Lydon avenue in the freezing cold, some items should be noted. We were allowed mirrors then. So I went to Canadian Tire and bought the biggest mirrors I could find. Most guys used the “wink” mirrors. They didn’t have West Coast mirrors at Canadina Tire, so I got the next best thing, East Coast mirrors. See the steering box, the specially designed sub frame under the chassis to stop flexing (like I would know that). Big heavy shocks and within a week 4 gallons of bondo…but it will look great. The steering box drag link must have came off at least twice at Pinecrest while in the front of the pack in the heat. After a 4 car pile up, someone picked up the tie rod, or idler arm and said “is this yours”?, I looked at it and said “I have no idea”! Not good.
<div class=”maint”> The tow truck picked up my car and took it to Sherwood Auto Body. David at 16 months makes sure everything is ok.
<div class=”maint”> I’m sure the tow truck driver asked me about towing with the drive shaft in the car. After I asked how I would get it out, he gave up and towed it anyway. The tires were recaps, the left front was called a peanut wheel, if we had the space saver tire back then I’m sure we would have used it. The trunk was terribly wrinkled but the body shop will deal with that. New sheet metal? No! Tons of bondo. This is a nice shot of the mirrors. It would be hard to sneak up on a car with those monsters. In my case, they were used so I could figure out how to get out of the way.
<div class=”maint”> The following 3 pictures show the stages of the body work
<div class=”maint”> I was on my way to work and had to see the progress. If you look close you can see the door handles on the car. They were original and the door opened. It was tied shut with a leather strap.
<div class=”maint”> The car was moved to the paint shop. That looks like a Police crusier in front of my car.
<div class=”maint”> The green is on and the white is next. Who said don’t paint your car green?
<div class=”maint”> Just before the paint we put the engine in and got in running. The engine was built by Lothian Engineering and cost $1400. Harry Bow knew how to set up engines and he was a big help for me. In 1973 $1400 was 7 weeks pay.
<div class=”maint”> This car had an awesome high gloss paint job. They did an excellent job.
<div class=”maint”> Norm was a great sign letterer. He would do whatever I needed done and make the car look great. I was fortunate over the years in that area of racing.
<div class=”maint”> Ed used his 1965 Fury to pull my race car for my first season and part of 1973. We were on our way and it was opening day.
<div class=”maint”> On the way to the races we stopped at Canadian Tire to have the transmission level topped up. Any future racng pit stops would be for much more serious reasons. Imagine holding up the Pit Stop drive thru to get a picture.
<div class=”maint”> It was a very narrow gate into the pits. It cost $5. John would tell us $5 was cheap. I asked him how come drivers had to pay, the Beatles didn’t pay to entertain the fans, so why should drivers pay to race? The debate continues.
<div class=”maint”> Don Roth, who pitted for me for 3 years on my Mini Stock, hepled out whenever he could. Him and Ed kept me together. In the back ground is #80 Bob Kurtin. We became and still are good friends.
<div class=”maint”> Dad came out opening day. He always wanted me to do good, but we struggled most of our early years, I’d say for the first 14. He was an excellent high pressure welder, a member of the Boiler Makers union. He usually did all my welding, and I kept him busy. Ed is pictured here also.
<div class=”maint”> Late Models can be seen in the back ground. I was heading out for warm ups. They may have been heading for cover….okay it wasn’t that bad, well not always.
<div class=”maint”> David is a little small for the jacket and helmet, for now. Our driveway was adjacent to 5 Italian neighbours who were more into gardens, vegetables and wine, than cars. I usually woke them up with the noise, in fact some times we greeted them in the morning after working all night. We tried being quiet but it was tough. One night we were working late on the car in 73′. It was the 3rd week in a row that we got wrecked on Friday night at Speedway Park and had to race the next day at Flamboro. We closed the garage to reduce the noise but that meant nothing when we upset Eds entire tool box on the garage floor at about 4 in the morning. We turned out the garage lights and peaked out a crack as lights in their houses came on. It was a bad deal, but we had to get ready.
<div class=”maint”> On May 19th at Flamboro I finished 9th in the heat and did not qualify, so I ran the consi. I won this race and you can see my finger held up proudly with my first win. Here is a coincidence that I never realized until recently. I ran 30 races in 1972. Up until this race we ran 2 races on May 5th (heat & feature), 2 races on May 12th (heat & feature) and this was my 2nd race on May 19th. It was my 36th race entered and my first win. What’s amazing is I never knew until one day I decided to count how many races it took me to win my first win. I was surprised that it was 36….but I don’t what it means?
<div class=”maint”> There’s a lot in this picture. Harry is out with his first car, a Ford coach #35. Beside him is Bill Lyons the President of the Hobby club. After removing the door strap I was able to open my drivers door. A Late Model heads out to practice. This is the same parking area the Hobbys used for years.
<div class=”maint”> After only a few nights of racing the Coach, Harry traded the car with some cash to Fred Poets who had at that time proven the car was the fastest on the track. Fred was winning features in bunches. When Fred bought the Coach he primed it, but was very unhappy with it’s performance, unlike Harry who was very happy with his new quick Coupe. Harry would win his heat, trophy dash and feature within two weeks of buying the car. It was fast and he was a good driver, and Harry, I never won a hat-trick.
<div class=”maint”> Harry wanted more than anything to beat me. Once he bought this car it was a done deal. The car was super quick, and he could get around. There was no weight rule at that time and many of the fastest cars weighed under 2100lbs. Most of us who were showing up just to race were scaling in at 2500 plus. Parity came later when we lightened our cars.
<div class=”maint”> I was sponsored by Hillmack Services in 72 and 73. Harry was a broker for a company that did business with Max Hiltz, the owner of Hillamck, for carrying freight. Harry worked a deal with Max to sponsor him too. We painted both cars the same. Max also owned race horses so we put horses on the trunk.
<div class=”maint”> Nonie and I bought this beauty, a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500. We used it to tow to the races. One day I was towing it in Toronto near our home and came to a qucik stop. There was a loud bang and when I looked in the mirror my race car was tipped down. The rear frame rails broke on the Galaxie right at the wheel well area. Dad ended up welding it back together and we got the rest of the year out of it…you can see Ray in his Coach. Ray and I started at the bottom of the ladder and fought for many years to keep racing close and fair. We always had in mind the importance of the first heat runners. Many other drivers felt the same.
<div class=”maint”> This picture was taken on September 1st at Flamboro. It was my 4th win of the season, a consi win. Check out the packed grand stands. Also you can see my helmet is red. Bill Lyons landed a sponsorship for us with Carlings and we called the Hobbys the Red Cap Racers. Part of the sponsor agreement was to have all the drivers paint their helmets red. Imagine now a days asking racers to do that. We were proud to run under the Carling banner and did what it took to keep them as a sponsor….thats Harry Clark the head starter for Flamboro. He was a gentleman and always had something nice to say when he gave you the flag. Bill Fewson is the same way.
<div class=”maint”> John Hasselfeldt takes over the ride for Steve Barr in the #66.
<div class=”maint”> Harry ran so good when he bought this car that almost overnight he went from the fist heat to the fast car heat running with Lyons, Dickenson, Godfrey, Nicholson, Fields and other top runners.
<div class=”maint”> This is the original 5 wide…Bob Field #2 is the only car to get by this 8 car pile up. Don Cockburn #73 appears to have come to a stop. I’m not sure who the car is that spun(#75), that’s Max McKee #44 (Dave McKee’s dad) and #64 is George McLeod with me beside him and John Hasselfeldt on the outside of my car. There’s a car in the fence it looks like #63 Merle Godfrey.
<div class=”maint”> This was the 3rd race of the weekend for us. We ran Saturday night at Flamboro and I took 2nd in the feature. We ran again on Monday afternoon at Flamboro and I finished 4th in the feature. We changed our gears and headed to Pinecrest Speedway, which was perfect, not only because we raced twice in one day, it was also heading back home to Toronto, home. After finishing 3rd in the heat, I had a lot of confidence. However only 15 laps into the feature I would have my worst wreck to date. Going into turn one the gas pedal jammed and even with both feet jammed to the floor I couldn’t slow the car down. I went in almost straight and hit so hard that I thought I was going right over the wall. Danny Shirtliff was behind me and is shown here passing on the low side. I thought I was clever by running fine small steel line as a throttle cable. The line was secured to the gas pedal and went through a plastic tube in the firewall. I got the plastic tube from the Canadian Tire sports department. It was used for drinking through water bottles. The wire was secured to the carb. It worked great for the first 2 months of racing. We found the cause when we got home. At some point the wire started to unravel. Finally when the gas pedal was right to the floor the frayed end of the line came through the plastic tube and when I let off the gas the frayed end jammed in the plastic tube keeping the gas pedal to the floor. I was 26 years old, yet the impact almost knocked me out. Fred Poets would go on to win the 50 lap feature. Bill Lyons also wrecked earlier in the race when he tangled with #8 Rich Harris. Later on in my career, some of my peers will get upset with wanting to run so many races (over 20), but I was raised on 30 plus race nights a season.
<div class=”maint”> What a battle this was. Harry Bow started last on the big 1/2 mile oval and on the last lap he caught up to me. With the East Coast mirrors polished to the max I could see him coming. He got into 2nd place as I took the white flag. He closed the gap quick on the back chute and I thought there is no way I can keep him back. Even though we didn’t have radio’s I could hear my dad saying “keep down”!! Coming off turn 4 I stayed low and he went outside and I beat him by half a bumper at the finish line. He wasn’t happy and reminded me that in another 20 feet he would have had me. I didn’t care because it was my first win ever at Speedway Park and my 3rd of the season. But if he was mad then…oh, oh,!!…In the feature Harry and I tangled going into turn one. He went outside of me and I didn’t see him and I moved up. He went over my right rear wheel and flew not into the fence but through the bottom of the guard rail. He slid out of his seat belts and had to be rushed to the hospital. Nonie and I followed Ding and Mike DeLeeuw to the hospital. Harry was okay but he wasn’t happy with me. I can still picture me telling him I didn’t know he was there. Imagine, not knowing he was there with those monster mirrors. His car took a beating and in 1973 the emphasis for drivers was more on the car than our well being. Dumb? Oh yea!, but our Angels watched over us. I wonder if Harry’s Angel was mad at me too?
<div class=”maint”> Bill Wakish was the Secretary Treasurer in 1974. Bill Lyons was the President.
<div class=”maint”> Our home property on Lydon avenue was 25′ wide, that’s 25′ including the driveway. I could barely get the car up the driveway, but both the trailer and tow vehilce wouldn’t make it. Here David comes with me as I back up the car to the garage. He looks quite concerned. Nonie took this picture from our living room window. Those East Coast mirrors came in handy for backing up a narrow lane.
<div class=”maint”> My sponsor Hillmack Services Limited allowed me use the truck garage to rebuild my car. I also drove one of their 5 ton straight job trucks, picking up local freight. Max Hiltz was very good to me.
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<div class=”maint”> Dad did most all of my welding in my early years. He had to because the stuff I did usually fell off. Dad was an expert welder with the Boiler Makers Union. He was on a list with other welders and only worked when there was a shut down at a refinery, like Shell Oil or Texaco. Every time the union sent him, he had to do a welding test before the refinery would keep him (all the welders had to be tested) and they would stress bend or exray his work. He never failed a test. Some of his welds were on display at the union hall. I remember one time dad welded a piece of steel and when he was done he got up and looked at his work and said to me and my crew, as we looked on in amazement…”only two people can weld like that”…and about the time we thought about what he said he answered quickly…”and I’m both of them”.
<div class=”maint”> I often watched dad weld, sometimes without safety goggles. I often woke up at night with what seemed like sand in my eyes. dad would say “I told you”. Eventually ‘welding watching’ came to an end unless I wore glasses or held another shield.
<div class=”maint”> We removed the body once the frame welding was done so we could repair the tons of cracks. It was easier for dad to braze flat. In less than 24 months this Ford Coupe had 3 body and paint jobs.
<div class=”maint”> David came with me most times. Shirley was 8 months old.
<div class=”maint”> We always wanted our cars to look good. My passion for racing was derived from watching lots of fast good looking cars. When I was little my dad and mom would take Bev and I to the CNE races. I usually picked the best looking car. Terry Dickinson was my favourite Hobby driver when I was a teen. Glen Schurr was my favourite driver of all. I put on my car “#36 for Schurr”, a play on words that worked because there was no doubt he was my favourite.
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<div class=”maint”> Practice was always like a race to me. It was another chance to get on the track. That philosophy would change in 20 years because I didn’t want to wear out my car. Perhaps in 74′ I needed all the practice I could get.
<div class=”maint”> No more guard rail…John and Frank Casale removed the guard rail and put up a cement wall. It was very tough on those of us who would hit it coming off the corner. I had my share of appointments with the cement, and it usually wasn’t nice, ‘damage city’. To make us feel better, we were told that when we hit the wall our cars would get sucked into the wall and stay there where it was safe. Somehow bouncing off the guard rail out into the traffic seemed safer, at least there was a chance you might not get hit, and if you did get hit, you had enough momentum to send you to the infield…after slamming the wall a bunch of times that logic seems to make sense….well to me it did.
<div class=”maint”> This was Nonie’s dream. We could go to the races and stay over night, plus if the kids got tired they could go to bed early. Sometimes they would watch the races from the top of their bunk. Our little gas stove would heat the camper and keep us warm. The red on the truck would have to go.
<div class=”maint”> These were the trophies that I won to date after 2 and 1/2 seasons. Notice the headlights in this picture and the 2 above. They were functional, but not as lights. I had a 3″ hose going to the carb and one inside to cool me off. I was told to remove them after a couple of race nights, they were not legal according to the rule that stated “no accessories”…but they were cute. I got them from Ken Jorgenson, he was going to use them for a project and through them out.
<div class=”maint”> Once I got the truck painted (with a roller) and lettered, we were quite proud of how it looked. Now we were a complete race team. We had our own truck and trailer plus a place to eat and sleep.
<div class=”maint”> We used Ed’s trailer once in a while, it was handy for carrying extra parts. I should have known that even before the other racers had a chance to say something, dad would make a joke…he said “here comes Ed with a play pen”.
<div class=”maint”> It was June 22nd, my first win of the season. David is wearing the jacket Grandma Bow made for him and he’s holding the plaque I won spnsored by Hillmack Services. They were called Hillmack Awards. This would be one of the final races I would be allowed to run the imitation headlights…come to think of it, no one in modern history of the Hobby’s had headlights on their cars. I wonder why?
<div class=”maint”> At the Speed-O-Rama car show I asked Tex Swiston, the editor of C.A.R. Weekly why the Hobby’s didn’t get very much exposur, adn he said because no one sends him any stories. After some discussion, he came up with the column title and I started submitting stories.
<div class=”maint”> Our first trailer was a single axle. Not good if you had a flat tire. Nonie and I were coming back from Flamboro on a Sunday afternoon. Heading east along the QEW we had a flat on the right rear of the trailer just before highway 10. I decided against continuing along, something I had done previously in Mini Stox in 1971. That’s a crazy story, you’ll find in the Mini Stock section (one for Ripley’s)…on this day we got off the highway and got on the South Service road. I came to a stop, and after checking our parts supply I discovered we did not have a spare for the trailer. It was a 15″ tire so I figured I would go to the Esso station about 2 miles up the road and buy a used tire. I went back to the pick up and explained to Nonie that I was going to unload the race car and then take the trailer to the gas station to get a spare tire. She said okay. I backed the car off the trailer and got out and put the ramps back on the trailer. As I looked for a safe spot to park the Hobby car, I noticed something very shocking…Nonie was pulling away in the camper truck with the trailer. I watched for a few sceonds thinking she was moving to the side of the road but no, she was on her way to the gas station and I was standing on the side of the road beside the Coupe with it idling. I waved frantically but she was long gone. I don’t know what the neighbour’s thought, or the people driving along the QEW as they watched, but I had no choice, I had to chase Nonie, and my only means of transportation was the race car. I caught her just as she pulled into the gas station. Half nuts with unbelief I ran up to her and said “why did you leave me on the side of the road”?, Nonie replied “I thought you said we were going to the gas station, so hear I am”…”that’s pretty funny” I said. What was amazing is that I didn’t get caught, there was a Police station on highway 10 right on the corner. By the time we got it fixed and headed back home it was impossible not to laugh when we talked about it, and of course she asked me why did I not have a spare, and if I did there was no place to put it….I’m glad we weren’t in Michigan on I-95.
It seemed so good to load up at work and use the straight job flat bed truck, a brand new 1974 International…that is until we got to Flamboro and had to find a hill to back up to so I could unload the car. Whatever it took we did it to get to the races.
<div class=”maint”> I won my 2nd race of the season at Flamboro. You can see the headlights are no longer on the car….The night before at Speedway Park some Hobby drivers led mainly by Harry Nicholson were up set by the fact that we were not guaranteed our purse. I decided to support them and when Clair Button, who was the pit steward, asked me to line up I refused because of the money situation..guess what..I got disqualified for the night and no one else supported me. I learned a lesson from that experience. Later on Claire and I would become good friends and he would become President of the OARC in 1975.
<div class=”maint”> Milton driver Wayne Howden #37, is seen here leading some Limited Sportsman and Hobby cars in the warm ups. Thats #56 Brian Book behind Wayne, then me and Danny Shirtliff….Brian Book was a steady runner and on June 28th slid off the track in the feature and took out the light pole between turns 3 and 4. The lights went out immdeiately and that is a weird feeling when you’re racing…the show was done for that night.
<div class=”maint”> The leaves were so beautiful this day, Nonie and I had to stop to get a picture. Maybe we should have stood back further, somehow we missed most of the trees…This photo proves though racing was the key, we still had time to focus on other great moments in time, like God’s creation.
<div class=”maint”> In 1974 our car count was getting much higher. If you were in the first heat and didn’t finish first or second you automatically ended up in the Little Feature. I finished 6th in my heat and staretd pole in the feature and won…still no feature win….I’m holding a Hillamck Award for the win…every week I painted my rims (that’s why I was so glad chrome wheels eventually became available in a racing rim, it would be 10 more years). I also painted the tires to make them shine. Perhaps I wasn’t worried about things like stagger or wheel nuts being hard to get off with paint on them. I had Gord, he was 6′ 240 pounds. No painted wheel nut was to hard for him to handle.
<div class=”maint”> No one could get more out of a car with a zero budget than Terry Dickenson. He was a big help to me. Helping me to set up my car…coming off turn 4 is #71 Don MacDonald.
<div class=”maint”> This was the Octoberfest of yester year. Pinecrest had a big race week end on October 14th and we ran a 50 lapper. This would be the last time the Hobbys raced at Pinecrest. Shirley is seen here looking out the window.
<div class=”maint”> George Gordon was always a lot of fun to be around. He bought the marron and white coach from Doc Cockburn. We are waiting to go out for our heats.
<div class=”maint”> George McLeod #64 is inside pole with Harry outside pole. Paul Ortman #45 is 2nd row inside with Bob Field 2nd row outside. Behind Paul is Roger Cochrane from Peterborough. There were a few Westgate Hobbys to race against us this day. I am behind Roger…there were 2 distinct Hobby clubs. The Flamboro group and the Westgate club. It was illegal for us to run our Hobby cars with them. It didn’t matter whether or not the OARC were running that night. You were not allowed to run in a class, or a race that was not sanctioned by the OARC. (that’s one rule that has contributed to the OARC/Hobby’s/CVM longevity). They could run with us if they bought a membership but could lose it if they ran again at Westgate, they would be disqualified from the OARC. So the Westgate boys and Ruth Trotter always came to race with us once their season was done, because Flamboro ran longer than anyone else, (although Pinecrest on this day was late into the season) but they were always trying to talk some of us to go to Westgate against OARC policy. Many guys did it and got away with it. I didn’t want to take the chance.
<div class=”maint”> Danny Shirtliff #39 leads a pack of cars off turn 4. He won the points in 1974, so I would guess this is further back in the pack, although we may have used a different system for qualifying for this race. Can’t tell who is behind Dan, #47 Roger Cochrane is on the outside, then me, #45 Paul Ortman and #35 Harry Bow. I mentioned earlier that Ed Hennessey and his family use to go to Peterborough to spend time with his sister Ruby and brother in-law Bob. That’s Bob’s car #94, and he is standing on the rear wheel. Bob is looking towrds turn 3 so maybe the cars on the front chute were mid pack. He was #9 at Westgate but since this was an OARC sanctioned race, and Bill Lyons was #9, he had to change his number,he added the #4 and you can see it’s a different style than his #9. Check out the track grandstands, covered all the way around for rain or shine racing. You can see the main fan entrance right in front of my car.
<div class=”maint”> Rookie Lee Jerome #57 holds off #23 Bill Wakish. Bill was a hard worker for the OARC for many years. He always built top quality cars and was a serious points contender. Bill was inducted into the Hobby Hall of Fame in it’s inaugural year 1984 with Bill Lyons. Lee Jerome would join in 1993 with Jim English…I bought the #23 in 1981 for the 1982 season. Bill Wakish helped me quite a bit too(as I’ve mentioned,lots of members did). But one time he fooled me in a way like never before or since. It was late 78 and he was leading the heat and I was 2nd. A caution came out and on the white flag lap going into turn 3 Bill put his finger out the window indicating one more lap. I figured something must have happened for us to have to go another lap…guess what, nothing happened! As I slowed down to prepare for another white flag lap I was shocked to see him speeding away, “what’s he doing”? I thought to myself, “the white flag is out”, but it wasn’t the green was waving and by the time I came to my senses,he was gone and won the race. In the pits after we had a good laugh but I never was caught again with that one…I’ve never used it yet either.
<div class=”maint”> What a wild ride for most of us that were close to Bill Wakish in this picture. Bill’s 225 engine blew to pieces and some drivers were hit with flying cast iron. Roger Cochrane tries going around Bill, I am completely sideways, but incredibly I kept going like that half way through turn 3, got straight and didn’t stop. Paul Ortman #45 is also sideways and Bob Kurtin #80 is trying to get out of the way by heading for the infield, which was by the way slightly up hill. All of us escaped this incident and it was crazy.
<div class=”maint”> Bob Kurtin was still flying when he got off the track. Terry Dickenson #92 avoided the spinning cars and oil on the slick track but then had to manouver around the cars off the track. Paul Ortman also headed for dry land. Imagine what went through our minds in this mayhem for 6 seconds…what was funny was guys were saying that once Bill got the lead in a race, he likely wouldn’t lose because none of us wanted to get near him knowing that at any time his engine would explode. This was his 7th blown motor and he would be the unwanting recipient of the Hard Luck trophy at the banquet…Hard Luck?!!..I say, look at this sequence of pictures and tell me who’s hard luck…just kidding Bill.
<div class=”maint”> Paul Ortman leads Dave Barry #43, me and at the back Terry Dickenson down the back chute.
<div class=”maint”> Dave Berry #43 and I battled for quite a few laps.
<div class=”maint”> Battling with Rod Rashleigh #62 was never one of my favourite things to do in a Hobby car. I just seemed to always get in trouble with Rod. He was agressive, fast and since I was too stuborn to move over, quite often I’d get bit, also Pinecrest was a narrow track and side by side racing was touchy at the best of times. Here we both take the hit hard into the wall and I’m out of the race, but judging by his car, I’d say Rod was finished also. Paul Ortman squeaks by, he must have thought to himself, “I survived again”. Paul was a gracious driver, but I just sort of wonder if he thought what some of us did when drivers wrecked or spun out…”oh goody I move up a spot”…no, not Paul, would he?
<div class=”maint”> We took the car home after this wreck and would spend all winter getting it ready for 1975. We have all winter to prepare.
<div class=”maint”> Bill Lyons helped me get a sponsorship from Quaker Sate Motor Oil Company. I was very excited to have the big oil company sponsoring me. Hillmack Services was my primary sponsor and Sherwood Auto Body did the paint. The key fact in this photo…I was 27.
<div class=”maint”> Harry Clark presented me with the plaque from Hillmack Services. My sponsor supplied plaques for the Hobby’s for every heat, consi and feature winner for the 1974 season.
<div class=”maint”> This was the first Motion Car Show. Nonie I were happy to be in it.
<div class=”maint”> Nonie stands in our display. The white car on the left is LeeRoy Hillis. He bought Danny Shirtliff’s car for 1975. The blue #23 is Bill Wakish. Rookie Don ramage was the 4th car in the club display.
<div class=”maint”> Don and LeeRoy were friends and they were a great addition to the Hobby club. They were friendly and always helped wherever they could.
<div class=”maint”> Don and LeeRoy were friends and they were a great addition to the Hobby club. They were friendly and always helped wherever they could.
<div class=”maint”> Harry Nicholson doninated the Best Appearing car award for many years, but his immaculate paint jobs, chrome and incredible workmanship only inspired most of us to try harder. Since I knew very little about the mechanical aspect of racing I had no excuse but to bring the best looking race car possible to the races. I always felt that sponsors and especially fans liked race cars to be painted and lettered nice and besides, that was the tradition of the OARC…behind my car is a small tractor with a V8, check out the headers.
<div class=”maint”> Harry Nicholson doninated the Best Appearing car award for many years, but his immaculate paint jobs, chrome and incredible workmanship only inspired most of us to try harder. Since I knew very little about the mechanical aspect of racing I had no excuse but to bring the best looking race car possible to the races. I always felt that sponsors and especially fans liked race cars to be painted and lettered nice and besides, that was the tradition of the OARC…behind my car is a small tractor with a V8, check out the headers.
<div class=”maint”> I can’t be going to fast here, my left arm is laying out the window and that’s a thing I’ve been doing for ever, always under caution. It was a way for me to relax….relax? Me?
<div class=”maint”> We parked on grass at Speedway Park. That’s Jim Cowan standing by his #15 orange Coupe.
<div class=”maint”> I’m going down the front chute at Speedway Park waiting for the green to let us start practising. In this picture my right arm is laying on the window sill. This car was narrow enough that I could put both arms on the window sills on each side. We use to sit in the middle of the car with the transmission shifter between our legs. It was weird at first, by now in my 3rd year I’m use to it.
<div class=”maint”> John Hasselfeldt #66 parks behind us and beside one of the DeLeeuw cars. Also to the right is Jim Smith who was part of the DeLeeuw race team that year. All 3 DeLeeuw cars were painted the same.
<div class=”maint”> Another shot of the pits with John and to his right #17 Mike DeLeeuw in the Frontenac.
<div class=”maint”> Paul Otman #45 battles with his friend #10 Brian Atkinson. Brian ran webber carbs for years and was very successful with them.
<div class=”maint”> Competiton at Speedway Park. I don’t know who #40 is, but I do remember across the top of his roof above teh windshield was written “Homewrecker”.
<div class=”maint”> I knew almost everyone I raced with, but I don’t know who #40 is. If you do let me know and I’ll give him his due recognition.
<div class=”maint”> Not a good picture, but this is Jim Pinder #29 and I at Speedway Park.
<div class=”maint”> Speedway Park was a fast track and very smooth, except for the bump between 3 and 4. You can almost see his name on the side of the car on the roof of the mystery driver car #40.
<div class=”maint”> Here our friend, the unknown driver leads a pack of Hobby’s (and I don’t know any of those cars at the back) beside a Late Model who stays low and let’s the Hobby’s past.
<div class=”maint”> Cartoon characters have been common on race cars throughout the years. Even during the 2nd World War pilots had cartoons on their fighter planes…Snoopy is seen on Pauls hood, but also notice the size of his engine…4.1 Liters..(that’s unique..he was 6 years ahead of his time for using metric measurements in Canada, but even today we still refer to engines as 250 cu in or V8’s as 350’s.
<div class=”maint”> Paul Jorgenson and I were very good friends in our early years racing. He was straight man and I was the comic. Paul was also years ahead of his time with his design engineering skills. Here is the car he built in his basement and then had to disassemble it to get it out, he was the comic that day.
<div class=”maint”> Harry’s cars were the bench mark for appearance and workmanship. If he crashed he wouldn’t race again until the car was 100% with original parts. One time he waited three weeks to get a door from the U.S. but that was in 79’…his cars took on the name Sexy Six and each year would be added Phase One, Phase 2 etc….he won Best Appearing Cars 11 years in a row, an incredible feat.
<div class=”maint”> I wish this pciture was clear. We use to buy throw away cameras and the quality was always brutal. The pictures were bad enough up close and this one is taken from far…anyway, enough of the Kodac moment…here George McLeod is leading a pack of vets into turn one at Flamboro, there is someone in front but not in this picture. Behind him is #53 Rich Farraway, a champion in the future, Keith Barton is outside of Rich in his little brown rocket named “Thud”. Behind Keith is me, I’m sure that’s #31 John Jarvis in the blue and white coupe, Paul Ortman #45 runs beside #16 Bob Ball.
<div class=”maint”> The next few pictures are a series of shots on the back chute in this heat race at Flamboro won by Keith Barton. Keith Barton is high in 2, then John Jarvis, me, Paul Ortman, Bob Ball and Dave Berry in the black and red car #43.
<div class=”maint”> Tery Dickinson enters turn 2, Keith goes outside of the leader.
<div class=”maint”> Jack Fisher #50 gets stopped on the front chute by starter Harry Clarke. (Harry!! he’s in the back seat). This monster Buick was the biggest sleeper in the club. It was 3 football fields long and you could put Keith Bartons little coupe in the exhaust, but could it get around the track. It was incredibly fast and Jack could drive.
<div class=”maint”> Jack was a great guy and so was his crew man and builder Joe Nagy. They always had fun and sure kept us amazed at the power their car put out.
<div class=”maint”> High Tension across the visor was a clothing company that sponsored me. Check out the little wheel on the left front. We called it the peanut wheel. You can see the brake drum. In this picture it looks like Ding DeLeeuw behind me and Bill Wakish #23 is coming off turn 2. We use ot sit in the middle of the car, not to the left. In todays rules you have to mount your tachometer below the windshield, that’s so you can’t use it as a mirror. I had panoramic vision with the 2 East Coast mirrors and the tach right in the middle so I could see over the seat. But to be honest, some of us needed every advantage we could get. Keith Bartons coupe weighed about 2100 pounds or less, mine weighed about 2550 (ok 45 of that was mirrors). Imagine the advantage of 400 pounds. Today the cars are within 50 pounds of each other.
<div class=”maint”> It appears we are under caution. My hand is out the window and that’s the only time it would be. Ralph Farraway, Rich’s brother, ran a few years and this was his rookie season.
<div class=”maint”> Bill Lyons #9 was a true champion, a hard worker and dedicated many hours to making sure the OARC business was alway run in a professional manner. He laid the gruond work and set the example for other Presidents to follow. Brian Atkinson came on the scene with some new ideas. Brian was always into new things like side draft webber carbs (the first to run them) and trying to get rid of my mirrors. Brian would become a very good runner in his youth and later as a grand dad.
<div class=”maint”> Bill Lyons #9 was a true champion, a hard worker and dedicated many hours to making sure the OARC business was alway run in a professional manner. He laid the gruond work and set the example for other Presidents to follow. Brian Atkinson came on the scene with some new ideas. Brian was always into new things like side draft webber carbs (the first to run them) and trying to get rid of my mirrors. Brian would become a very good runner in his youth and later as a grand dad.
<div class=”maint”> My neighbours were very upset with me most times, even though my car looked better than their gardens. When I backed up the driveway I would pass 5 homes. None spoke english, but they all said the same thing….also in this picture I know now why I never used a jack. You could get under the car quite easy, plus the one we had was a stand up bumper jack, and that was usually used for moving the car sideways a foot or so every time we used it and usually the sideways movement was unintentional. When the floor jack was invented (and it probably was long before this pciture) we were amazed that technology had come so far. I realize when I say “we were amazed” that may include me and a very few others. I use to park beside the guy who had the most tools, and sometimes I remembered to give them back. Hey, as it is written, no one is perfect. I think I may have entertained them and so for most it was okay to lend me tools. I changed a few years later and got my own stuff.
<div class=”maint”> Shirley loved to be around the car and when she was we’d get a picture of her…here is a good shot of the door handle still on the car plus all the hinges. We kept the cars as orignal as we could until time, evolution and the door opened to lighten the cars, and then the doors closed shut for good, litterally. The first place many started was on the body from the window sill down…but not yet it would be a year or so.
<div class=”maint”> Paul Ortman always gave his best and was rewarded here with a heat win.
<div class=”maint”> Terry Dickinson #92 and Paul Otrman #45 battle side by side. Dave Berry #43 follows close behind.
<div class=”maint”> Paul Ortman practicing with some of the boys. Rich Farraway #53 comes off turn 2 and in front of him you can just see Keith Barton. Notice in this picture a Limited Sportsman is on the track with his 10″ slicks. We use to practice with other classes.
Don MacDonald #71 comes off turn 2 at Speedway Park in front of Bob Kurtin #80, me and #11 Jim Atkinson. Jim didn’t race much, but he was good guy to talk to and always liked to race with us. This is the only picture I have of him. Don MacDonald would have a serious wreck at Flamboro where his front axle including both wheels wound up under the engine. He was okay. Don raced for a few years and always had a great looking car.
<div class=”maint”> We raced at Speedway Park and on a few occasions I got wrecked. Carol and Bob would invited us over to there home and Bob and Johnny (his long time dedicated friend and crew chief)would help fix my car. Danny Bow is under the front of the car, he was helping me in the pits. Our wrecks usually involved bending the axle, shocks, breaking break lines, somes times the exhaust rad and other parts. We use to repair them, hardly ever did we replace any…why? We didn’t have any spare parts.
<div class=”maint”> Danny tightens up the spring u-bolts as Bob holds the axle in place. Check out the square bumper with it’s sharp corners. Eventually in a few years we would adapt a rule that would require the bumpers to be rounded.
<div class=”maint”> Bob was such a great friend. He kept me racing many times by helping me get out for the next race. He knew I loved to race and would do anything to get on the track. But without a place to work, the equipment to fix the car and the know how, I would miss a race, especially if it was the next night. Maybe when I wrecked I always had such a sad face that Bob felt bad for me. We appreciated both him and Carol for their help and hospitality. Sometimes we would stay all night and Carol would find a place to put the kids while her and Nonie visited. Starting at about 2 am they would ask “how long are you going to be”?..Bob would say, “awhile, he wrecked it good this time”! In the morning it was bacon and eggs and back in the garage. The next day we were ready for Flamboro and if I wrecked then I had all week to get it fixed. I have 25 perfect attendance seasons as of 2004 and Bob was instrumental making some of them happen…thanks again to our friends.
<div class=”maint”> Jim Pinder was another all round great member of the OARC. He always ran well, his cars were excellent and he should have been a politician because everything he said made sense. He was a very good negotiator and reconsiler, perhaps because he was a trucking company owner. Jim was put in the hall of Fame in 2001 and he was very deserving of that honour.
<div class=”maint”> The Bible says kids are a gift from God, Psalm 127 vs 3 and we loved our kids and took them to most every race.
<div class=”maint”> Sammy Taylor was a lot of fun. He always tried his best, and like most of us, got so excited if and when we won a race.
<div class=”maint”> It was June 27th at Satellite Speedway that I wrecked badly and Bob kurtin helped me get back out for the next night at Flamboro. Then on July 18th I wrecked again at Satellite when Ray Hughes and I tangled and he got black flagged for rough driving. I was beat up again and in the infield Ray never stopped yelling at me because he got the black. He wasn’t a dirty driver and likely didn’t deserve the black, but I didn’t call it, plus I had enough worries. The next week July 25th I got wrecked coming off turn 4 in the heat, again at Satellite and this time #19 Bob Hosford was penalized. I missed the consi and Bob was running for me(but he didn’t know it). If he qualified I was in trouble because my cross member, spring and axle (same as the week before, same as 20 times before) were bent and I could not get ready in time. Bob ended up finishing 4th in the consi and the track officials told him he raced for me so I ended up with 6 points for 4th in the consi and $30. The top 3 in the consi got 1 point each..we worked all night and made it out to Flamboro and won the consi on July 26th….the next week August 1st the car was running great. I led for 10 laps in the feature and a huge wreck brought out the caution. Paul Ortman moved into 2nd and hounded me every lap. I held on for the next 5 laps to win my FIRST ever FEATURE!! We were out of our minds for the next week. There is a great feeling by winning a heat but there is no comparison when the checker is the feature and that feeling is still the same today.
<div class=”maint”> Sleep tonight?? Who cares!! I watched for 3 and 1/2 years as my top running peers hashed over their feature wins over and over, week after week as we stayed and talked after the races around a camp fire. Now it was our turn…and we did, at the track, on the way home, in our garage, and in our sleep!
<div class=”maint”> Don Ramage #74 spun going into turn one. Sammy Taylor #25 and I get by as does #4…and I’m not sure who he is. Let me know.
<div class=”maint”> Our garage has a wooden floor. It was an old horse barn, so the good thing was that it was a little winder than a normal city garage. I got 4 cases of oil from Quaker State (24 in a case then) and it was neatly piled on the bench in the corner.
<div class=”maint”> Leaves are gone and fall is coming. We would still have a few nights left and the car has survived.
<div class=”maint”> Ding DeLeeuw runs outside of me. He ran awesome in 75 but also suffered a huge wreck when he had a wild flip right in front of the starters stand at Satellite Speedway. Bob Kurtin #80 follows close behind.
<div class=”maint”> The Bible says kids are a gift from God, Psalm 127 vs 3 and we loved our kids and took them to most every race.
<div class=”maint”> 75 was the last year for Satellite Speedway. The owner wanted the property for home development. If you go there today you won’t find Satellite City, the intended name, but you will find what’s left of the ends of the track. It was a great track to race on and we would miss it very much, me especially because it was where I won my first feature. In 1975 Ed Hennessey, Danny Reed, Stewart Pitchford and of course my dad helped in the crew. They were committed. In this picture I’m driving hard, concentrating and struggling to be competitive, and will for many years to come because even with the help from all my friends I still did not find the time to learn about akerman, stagger, camber, caster, roll center, valve lash,cam timing, distributor timing and so on…but I loved to race and that kept me going inspite of the the technical short comings, and of course I always the time to go racing…thanks Nonie for allowing me to do what I love and being there with me.
<div class=”maint”> Bob Kurtin was the Secretary Treasurer in 1975 and 1976
<div class=”maint”> The only difference from 1975 to 76′ was white wheels. The gold wheels, in order to look good, had to be painted every week (spray cans every week from Canadian Tire add up) There were no racing chrome wheels then either. These wheels were spray painted in the booth and had a baked finish. Old Mill Pontiac was our sponsor again in 76′, this would be their last year with me. They helped get me with paint and some product and Nonie and I bought a 1976 Grand Prix from them.
<div class=”maint”> This shot is from the Motion Car Show hosted by Dizzy Dean. Harry Nicholson has his mint coupe #14 in the show.
<div class=”maint”> The OARC took car shows verys serious and so did I, but as you can see in this picture I didn’t get my firewall or floor installed in the car in time for the show. There was quite a bit of controversy and complaining about that. One thing that use to happen, especially at the car shows, was a few members would always point out what was or wasn’t legal on the race cars, making other members upset. In my case it wasn’t finished, but some guys had new chassis ideas etc. We found eventually that our inovators would avoid the car shows so they wouldn’t give away any inventions. This way they had didn’t get caught until a few nights into the schedule.
<div class=”maint”> Keith Barton is in front of me and Bill Waksih is beside him.
<div class=”maint”> We started the car up a few days before opening day and we heard an awful noise. This picture shows the damage to the cylinder head and the piston from a lock washer smashed into the piston and head. How did it get there? If you look back one picture to the car show, you can see I didn’t put a breather on my car for the show. I wanted to show the carb, it was a new 650 cfm. I have no idea who did it, anyone could have come into our display while it was unattended, but I am postive it happened at the car show. I was planning to run every night in 76 but I missed opening day after this incident. It could be said that I was dumb for not putting a breather on my carb, I never dreamed anyone would do such a thing. What words would you use for the person who dropped the lock washer into the carb?…you won’t find them here.
<div class=”maint”> Len Coates from the Toronto Star came out to do a story on the Hobby division. This was the picture from the article.
<div class=”maint”> Paul and Frazer were the main part of my crew in 1975. Dad and Ed were there also. I remember after this brutal season with so many bad finishes and DNFs that they were both exhausted by the years end. For my birthday they chipped in and bought me my first set of headers. Great guys, but I burnt them out in a short time.
<div class=”maint”> 1976 only had 19 nights total. It was the lowest race night in the Hobby’s until 2001 and 2003 with 17 each. There was no more Speedway Park or Satellite Speedway, no more Pinecrest, they would become history. I ran every night (no kidding) all but opening day. That was because of the engine problem with the lock washer in the engine, or I would have had my 2nd season with 100%. My points finishes were very bad even with only one night missed. We had 2 points standings and one was dedicated to Gallinger Motors (a Ford Dealership). We set aside a few nights that were considered Overall Points…I don’t know who #27 was.
<div class=”maint”> I knew somene was taking this picture. I am giving a thumbs up, but more importantly you can see I was not wearing racing gloves because they weren’t mandatory at that time. They were an option that cost money. Some guys wore them and even fire underwear. I did have a firesuit.
<div class=”maint”> I realize there are a few versions of how this seqence went down. One, I just passed Brian and was going under Terry, or two, I’m about to pass Terry and Brian is following…Terry will say he just past Brian and is passing me on the outside (it was safe to do that) and Brian who was rarely wrong (just kidding Brian) will say he is lapping us. We will all wind up in the Hall of Fame, Brian will be a little while yet.
<div class=”maint”> Dave McKee started in 74 and didn’t take long to become one of the clubs best. The many top cars of the club knew Dave would be a threat week after week. Pictured here is also Brian Atkinson and it looks like Ding DeLeeuw beside him and I’m right behind.
<div class=”maint”> Terry was a great guy in many ways. He was a top driver with a low budget, he did all his own work and much of mine at times. Terry was so smooth, he made it look easy. Terry along with Bill Wakish, George McLeod, Bob Field, Keith Barton, Harry Nicholson, Don Cockburn, Jim Pinder were the veterans we looked up to, the men who kept our club together. Now the transition of the vets and new comers was quite an overlap as the new warriors came on the scene McKee, Hughes, Rashleigh, Jerome, Atkinson, Book, Kurtin and others. Terry Dickinson was a man of grace and stature that always got respect from his competitors. He is another worthy member of the Hobby Hall of Fame, along with McKee, Hughes, Jerome, Pinder, Barton, Cockburn, Nicholson, Field, and McLeod.
<div class=”maint”> Maybe you didn’t notice before but we went to smaller mirrors in our cars. We weren’t allowed the East Coast mirrors anymore. Also my exhaust pipes would instigate a rule that made them dump behind the drivers seat. We spent a few weeks trying to comply with that rule. During our blueprint process, and engineering strategies, we tried to figure out which was less expensive..lengthening the exhaust or moving the seat forward!
<div class=”maint”> A young Jim Bunting stands beside me as I work with 2 men in white coats. (easy now). The boys in white were Paul and Frazer. Beside me is Ray Hughes. Look at how low his car is to mine. Now, unless he has 3 flat tires I don’t understand how my friend got so low to the track. I figured I had the advantage on him because I could see what was happening on the track by looking over his car. George McLeod is beside Ray and in the back ground is Dave McKee and beside Dave is Ken Jorgenson’s red and white coupe.
<div class=”maint”> A young Jim Bunting stands beside me as I work with 2 men in white coats. (easy now). The boys in white were Paul and Frazer. Beside me is Ray Hughes. Look at how low his car is to mine. Now, unless he has 3 flat tires I don’t understand how my friend got so low to the track. I figured I had the advantage on him because I could see what was happening on the track by looking over his car. George McLeod is beside Ray and in the back ground is Dave McKee and beside Dave is Ken Jorgenson’s red and white coupe.
<div class=”maint”> These guys, along with my dad and Ed were very dedicated to me in 1976 and would do anything to come home with a good nights racing. We struggled badly in 76′ and if we came home without any trouble we considered it good. I appreciated all they did and still think of them and thank them all in my heart. Frazer would come out to a race in 2004 and it was Barrie Speedway. We won that race by 3/4 of an inch over Steve Lyons. Frazer was pumped but I couldn’t get him back out again, he’s still recovering from 76’….but what a reunion at Barrie.
<div class=”maint”> Dave McKee and I went in a parade in Milton on a Saturday afternoon. Gord Haselfeldt had something to do with it, but I’m not sure if he organized it or just had me and Davey McKee in it..that could be a song.”me and Davey McKee”…what’s awesome about a parade, especially this one, you get to stay within a car length of one of the fastest cars in the club for almost 25 minutes. I rarey saw Dave this close.
<div class=”maint”> I finally won my first feature race at Flamboro on June 15th the night before Nonie’s birthday. The timing was excellent because she knew I’d be happy for a week. In my first 5 years I won 2 features. It was not an easy venture, however we loved the sport, being a part of racing was always the most important aspect and winning was a bonus.
<div class=”maint”> Our driveway was so narrow the trailer would only go to the edge of the house. Our property was 25′ wide including the driveway. The neighbours hated the race car and I wanted a bigger place to work. I’m sure they all yelled…”well then move”!!!…but we needed to be patient and so we raced from this locaton from 1973 until 1986. Ken Jorgenson even shared the garage with me for a while. He needed a place to keep his car and he taught me a lot of good stuff and I taught him how to understand some Italian.
<div class=”maint”> Our driveway was so narrow the trailer would only go to the edge of the house. Our property was 25′ wide including the driveway. The neighbours hated the race car and I wanted a bigger place to work. I’m sure they all yelled…”well then move”!!!…but we needed to be patient and so we raced from this locaton from 1973 until 1986. Ken Jorgenson even shared the garage with me for a while. He needed a place to keep his car and he taught me a lot of good stuff and I taught him how to understand some Italian.
<div class=”maint”> A night to remember. This was the 2nd annual Twin 25’s. They were always a favourite of mine. To win this event was special. I got off to a good start by winning my heat. In the first feature I was spun out running 3rd coming off turn 2. This would end up being one of the biggest wrecks in Hobby history. At leat 10 cars got towed off the track. Terry Dickinson came out with a jerry can for a fuel tank but they would let him run because it was only held in by a bungy strap. I would end up 9th and 6th in the 2 features
.
<div class=”maint”> We’ll close 1976 with this picture of Shirley. This was her birthday so she stood in front of the 6 to reveal her age.
<div class=”maint”> After running the 30 Model A for 5 seasons I felt I needed to imporve my chances of winning. I sold my car to Stewart Pitchford and bought Don Cockburn’s immaculate Ford coupe. Ed Hennessey and dad came with me the day I picked up the car. Don would retire from racing but still help the club in many ways on the exec and with Harry Nicholsona and Don Ramage’s race teams.
<div class=”maint”> Don’s cars were always excellent in appearance and he was a very good driver. He was an easy going driver and did a lot for the club. We would soon paint the car our own colors.
<div class=”maint”> It always seems the weather is bad for car shows, but especially Speed-O-Rama because it was in January. This was my first in this show.
<div class=”maint”> We made up our display and wanted to make the car look good. A Lot of guys did some special treatment to their tries to make them shine, but we didn’t have any. Dad and I spent about 20 minutes on one tire trying to paint in between the treads. So I looked at him and said, “this is nuts”, then someone came by with a spray paint and we looked at each other and laughed. Dad said, “well it could have been worse, we could have been painting the tire treads with a small stick”. Armoural was to expensive and dealership products were not available for the public, not yet.
<div class=”maint”> The club decided to give it a real try to compete in the Best Club Display. We were up against some of the best car clubs in Ontario, Corvette car clubs and Hot rod clubs. We had 8 cars in a display of a pit theme and it was very we done. We worked hard as a club to put together this display. I wished I had the pcitures of the other cars in the display. There was Stewart Pitchford #47, Dave McKee #37, Dave Mogford #39 and a coach that could have been Wayne Martin and of course my car. Our efforts paid off.
<div class=”maint”> In 1977 I was working at Grenadier Ford as a salesman. Early one Saturday morning the receptionist got a call from a man who wanted to buy a new T-Bird. He said if we gave him a good deal his whole family would buy from us. Everyone laughed until he came in about 10am. I sold him a T-Bird, then his brother, later his brother in law and late afternoon I closed his dad. Four T-Birds in one day..are you kidding me!! After that I was lucky to sell 4 in a month. However this picture is sigificant to the final sale. I drove the 4th T-Bird out to Etobicke to the dad’s house. We went for drive and they invited me in for a coffee. I sat at their kitchen counter and while they were talking about buying another car, the excitement was high, they were pumped up and all 6 of them were talking at once, I noticed on their fridge this picture. If this was 2000, I may have thought they were stalking me, but I said “where did you get this picture”? They said from the car show. All excited, like Kramar off Seinfeld, I said “that’s me, that’s me!! “No way”!! they yelled, “hey Papa, come look”, the salesman is on our fridge..the dad ran out and realized they were talking about the picture and said “Hey, were family”!! I call Nonie from their house to give her an update because I called her after every sale and told her about the picture and she couldn’t believe the coincidence, she was exited. We went back to work and I couldn’t wait to tell my boss, and when I did, all he said was “the sale, the sale, did you get the sale”???..anyway that’s the story of this picture. By the way, I sold a pick up truck on the Thursday before and a loaded conversion van on the Friday. My pay for 2 weeks was $900 take home. It was great while it lasted, about an hour. Reality set in the next pay.
<div class=”maint”> We did it, we won the Best Club Display. We were so proud of our accomplishment and Bob Clint wrote this excellent article of praise for the OARC. Perhaps many of our modern members will not remember Bob Clint, other than from the annual Bob Clint Sportsman award that’s handed out each year. He loved the Hobby’s and donated a trophy that has been in the club since 1975. Thanks for that Bob, and again for this great write up.
<div class=”maint”> This was the membership card from Jack Greedy’s organization. At the time this super star Super Modified driver ran Delaware Speedway. Notice the name similarity to CASCAR and OSCAAR, which both came later.
No more trailer in 1977. We bought this 1948 ramp truck in 77′. I started the season with a new car and tow vehicle. It was really a 2 seater but the 4 of us went to races every week in it. Ken Jorgenson and Brian Rashleigh each had this truck before me. I absolutely loved it and used it for many years.
<div class=”maint”> Grenadier Ford was my sponsor in 77′. I ran a 240 Ford engine in the Coupe.
<div class=”maint”> We had a new car and tow vehicle but the budget did not allow for spare tires. But if we got any we had a place to put them.
<div class=”maint”> Harry set the standard in a few areas of racing. Especially in equipment, he always had the very best of everything. The only place I may have been different is that I wouldn’t miss a race for any reason and Harry wouldn’t go unless everthing was perfect, and usually it was. He ran with the best, usually up front and was very consistant.
<div class=”maint”> Top runner and one of my favourite competitors of all time.
<div class=”maint”> Lee Jerome was a very strong runner after his first few years. He would dominate along with Dave McKee, Brian Atkinson, Harry Nicholson, the Rashleighs and many others. Ray struggled at times in 77′, I struggled most of the time but the competition was extremely tough…you can see some people in their truck. Guaranteed there were 14 more in the back of the truck including future champion Ron.
<div class=”maint”> Lee Jerome was a very strong runner after his first few years. He would dominate along with Dave McKee, Brian Atkinson, Harry Nicholson, the Rashleighs and many others. Ray struggled at times in 77′, I struggled most of the time but the competition was extremely tough…you can see some people in their truck. Guaranteed there were 14 more in the back of the truck including future champion Ron.
<div class=”maint”> Stewart and I went to school together and became good friends. He bought my first Hobby car when I bought Don Cockburns. He was a mechanic at Grenadier Ford and we both got the sponsorship in 77′. It was a tough year for him overall. Stewart and I use to play board hockey and we wore out 5 or 6 hockey games from 1963 to 65. He is very active even today playing hockey. In 1963 I started playing the guitar and Stew bought a set of drums to play with us. We did a lot of things together in our teens and later in life. He was always generous and helped me many times. Stew wrecked very bad in the feature on this inaugural Cayuga Classic week end. He slammed the back chute wall coming off turn 2 and the hit hard enough to all most roll over.
<div class=”maint”> You’d have to be a terrorist for Gord to say anything bad about you. He found the good in peolpe and let them know. He would have adopted the ugly duckling, gave clothes to the town hobo and hugged the heart broken. He worked hard for the club in many ways, helped organize the club picnics in Milton, hockey games and sponsors for the club. Gord won the Bob Clint Award in 1976 and always encouraged me every chance he got. His personality covered the gammit of what nice people are all about. He actually helped me like Milton!! We miss you Gordie.
<div class=”maint”> I raced with both these great guys. The Cayuga week end had 7 divisions. The Mini Stox ran on the small track right at the start finsih line. I spent 3 years chasing Larry because there’s no way he would have spent much more than a lap or so chasing me. I started racing with the Mini’s in 1969 (check out the Mini Stock History) and Larry was the Ray Hughes of that class. I ran a VW, but against a Mini Cooper I might as well have had a Loblaws cart. He was called the Mayor of Fisherville. He was hard to beat until other Mini drivers came out like Bill Daniels and Chris Bunting, even then he took more than his share of checkered flags….Dave Mogford was a Milton boy who ran very clean and hard. He was a lot of fun and always had a good looking race car.
<div class=”maint”> We enjoyed our ramp truck for many years but especially the first year because it was a novelty. There are so many stories to tell about me, my family, friends and that truck, and over the next few years you’ll read them. But this story is a quick one. Nonie and the kids and I were coming along highway 5 from Toronto. We sometimes went on the QEW if we were late, but usually we took hwy 5 because it was so scenic. This particular day my side compartment door flew open. There wasn’t many tools in the box as my competitors will attest (cause I kept borrowing their’s) but the one thing we did have was lots of oil. When the door flew open a few quarts of 20W50 fell out on the highway. Now I know you’re thinking they probably busted when they hit the ground, but NO!, they didn’t splatter, well, not then. I looked in my mirrors and saw the cans dancing on the road and the car behind me ran over one and the car beside him got covered in oil. Like hitting a ketchup package with a hammer. “Oh oh”! I thought. I pulled over and to my surprise the people waved and kept going. We made sure the side compartment didn’t come open a again. The hood, the tire rack and the gas tank are stories for the future. But what a beauty. PS You don’t have to ask me if I was glad God watched over me, and those around me. Even though at that time I didn’t know Him, I was thankful.
<div class=”maint”> Harry Nicholson, Brian Atkinson, Brian Rasshleigh, Rod Rashleigh, me, Ray Hughes and Dave McKee. We think this was Ray’s picture from his medical class in College, or at Law school. After thic picture I started calling him Woody Allen. He got revenge on the track. Nobody won more championships than Ray. He is the Richard Petty of the Hobby Club.
<div class=”maint”> We always gathered together. We were like a big family. I think racing for most teams is one big family…and sometimes happy.
<div class=”maint”> Stewart took a hard lick on this week end. His axle was bent like a hockey stick. He was so mad when he hit the wall I think he was out of the car before it stopped hammering the back chute. I know because I watched from the front grandstands. Stewart was one tough Scottsman and never gave up.
<div class=”maint”> May 22nd, the first ever Cayuga Victoria week end, our picture in the program, we were pumped. But what a disappointment this week end was for us. We had won the consi the night before at Flamboro and looked forward to this week end. It was 5 years since I ran Cayuga and never ran on the big track. We ran 3 laps and the engine started to miss. We found water in the piston. The crew put it back together and I went to draw my starting spot. I was sort of feeling sick to my stomach because I thougth, what’s the use. I went back the pit and the crew told me we were done, and I said I figured so, I drew #13. We parked the car outside the pits and watched the race. Frazer and Paul came with me on this week end, and after the ordeal they went throug in 76′, this must have been maddening for them…hey I didn’t take missing a race very good, I still don’t, come to think of it, not starting the feature is about the biggest disappointment in racing for me. I think I hear a few agreeing. It doesn’t last near as long now, perspectives have changed but the heart aches still for a minute, okay 2 minutes.
<div class=”maint”> If you took this line up of drivers and put them in their cars today, running like they did then (only I want to run like I do now) what a tough bunch. They were as strong a group of runners that ever raced in the Hobby’s because there was so many that were good. There are 8 Hall of Famers in these standings and more on this list that will be eventually. Check out the amazing Terry Dickinson running 5th aganist these youngsters. He was like Mark Messier in the twi-light of his career, always there. Jim English was a Rookie this year would win Rookie of the Year. Lee would win the points.
<div class=”maint”> We hardly had enough money to get us home from the races. We could always get there, pick our $25 tow money and get back home. So naturally we had to cut out luxuries like tools, spare tires and a winch. Imagine driving the car in after a race and driving it up the ramps. It was real scarry in the rain. But that’s only part of it. Once you dirve it up the ramp, and you need a good head of speed so you can make it, you have to stop. On the rare ocassion I didn’t get the timing right and hit the back of the cab. Perhaps our little angle iron stops should have been much bigger, hey, you can’t know everything…plus remember it was enough to get to the races and bring our family. Remember my priorities. 1st step..get to the track, 2nd…make it through warm ups, 3rd…qualify 4th…try to finish the feature 5th…a top 5 would be nice. Today we’ve eliminated the first step.
<div class=”maint”> Flamboro had an annual soap box for kids. This was the fist one and David and his friend took 3rd. It was his first time on the track and he was very excited. All the racers families had someone in the race. The first few years it was fun, soon the hockey parent mantality showed up with whinning and arguing over the cars and size of kids pushing. The events lasted for a few years and was fun for the fans and kids, big and little.
<div class=”maint”> I won my heat on this night and started near the front in the feature. I was 29th in Flamboro points and barely made it in. The top 24 were guaranteed a starting spot. The heat win moved me to 26th in points and 2 cars failed to make it, one was Harry Nicholson. I started up front in the feature and before the half way mark I had a half track lead over 2nd place. Stewart was running 3rd and behind him was all the hot wheels. He got pushed and ended up going into the front starters stand entrance and flipped 2 or 3 times. The car was absolutely demolished. Under the red I could hear Irene, his wife, yelling and crying, it was a terrible crash but Stew was okay. The race resumed and I held off the fast cars until 3 lasp to go. Lee Jerome past me and won the race, Dave Mc Kee got me next. It was my best feature finsih in a special event in my 6 years with the Hobby’s. I won $100. Dad and Stewart worked every night to get his car back out.
<div class=”maint”> This race never got off the ground. It rained out of the 18th and the 25th, so it was cancelled unitl 1978.
<div class=”maint”> One night in 1977 we had 49 cars show up. It was amazing. It would be the highest car count I ever saw or was part of. Notice some great names here including the Late Roger Downie and Stephen Barton. There were 57 cars show up in 77. We didn’t give show up points then, you had to start a race to get any points. Heats had 12 to 14 cars almost every week.
<div class=”maint”> On this night I won the fast car heat and started 21st and finished 4th. I gained 17 spots but so did the top 2 cars, Jerome and McKee. In this feature Jim Collison blew his engine and Ray did not qualify. It wasn’t easy in 77′ to make a feature. Sometimes 17 cars in the consi and only 3 woudl make it. We had a littel feature for the non qualifiers, I was in many….I won $60 for 4th. The stands were packed and it was $8 to get in the grandstands, $10 in the pits. These were the best years for promoters. Lots of cars, lots of fans and the entertainment was very good and not very expensive.
<div class=”maint”> On July 29th we raced at Delaware Speedway. I finished 2nd in my heat and on the first lap of the feature Roger spun coming off turn 2. I had no place to go and hit his left front wheel. It ended up busting his front end and put him out of the race. After the race Roger asked me why I hit him right in the wheel. I said 2 reasons one, I didn’t want to hit your door, and two, if I tried going around you I would have caught my right front wheel and we’d both be out. He just laughed. Roger was a great guy, very competitive and usually read the rules different than most of us. He was a very good driver and his crew chief Max was pretty sharp. Roger liked most of his competitors but if he didn’t like you he let you know on and off the track. I had lots of good talks with him after he retired and miss his very much. He was a character.
<div class=”maint”> On the restart after I hit Roger, the very next lap Jim Collison spun out and I hit the dirt to avoid him. A split second later Stewart Pitchford #47 came in hard nailing Jim.
<div class=”maint”> The problem with Delaware was our speeds were much higher and usually when you hit someone it was over for one of or both. This was a very bad year for Stewart. He was a gamer without any good luck.
I won 3 races in 1977. It was a short season for us. Only 23 race nights. I missed one because of an enigne not being ready in time. These were the days for a number of reasons. Look at the crowd. The track was packed week after week. Kids were allowed to come out and get their picture taken and we only had 3 divisions with maybe 15 races per night. That’s all you need when there is good car count. Nonie is standing by the starter stand entrance waiting for David. He was 5 years old.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any advertising promo on the car show, or the preparing of my car for 1978. Some years we take more pictures at different times….The only difference in the car for 78′ was the white roof from black. Ray and I were opposites on and off the track. He won and I didn’t, his car was always yllow and black and mine was different each year.
<div class=”maint”> One strange thing about this show was the presence of Ray Hughes. He didn’t always enter the shows, possibly he was in them before, I don’t know for sure, I just know he wasn’t a big fan of getting race ready this soon and going through the freezing cold, slushy roads and 5 hours to get out of the car show after it was over. Okay, I know it’s part of it, but if you haven’t entered a car show of this magnitude, getting your car ready and giving it the extra touch is a big commitment. We were thankfull for all the memembers who went in the show. There were 8.
<div class=”maint”> After winnning the Best Club Display in 1977 we wanted to give an extra effort to win again in 78′. A theme of a race with the pace car (courtesy of Gallinger Lincoln Mercury) and 8 cars lined up behind. Ray was on the pole (he would maintain that trend many times over the years for opening day draws and when we drew of the first Gold Cup race. In our display we put racing manicans in the cars, equipped with our own fire suits. We also put our annual trophies on display.
<div class=”maint”> Davey Jones #60 was one of the members who went into the show. If any other viewers have pictures of this show I would be glad to enter them into this sequence…or any other pics period.
<div class=”maint”> Don Cockburn worked at a Turkey Farm, or business, (like Maple Leaf Lodge) and in order to make our spot more authentic we wanted to put down what looked like asphault. Don brought about 30 bags of turkey feed. It was light gray in color and looked like kitty litter. A few of us grabbed bags and started shaking them on the floor. It was very effective, but very dusty. It didn’t take long for the guy with the immaculate black 55 Chev to go off the deep end. He started yelling at us and called us names insinuating that we didn’t show concern for the cars that were in the show for “show” reasons. We didn’t know what he was talking about until we seen his car and it was a light gray before we stopped shaking the feed. Needless to say we apologized and put the stuff down a lot more carefull…apparently there were a few show cars with a dusting of turkey feed.
<div class=”maint”> I meant to mention in the above picture that Brian Rashleighs car was in the show. That’s his brown coach #87. Also in the above picture you can barely see Ron Butts #88 at the back on the left. So of the 8 there were Ray, Davey, Brian, Ron and me.
<div class=”maint”> Grenadier Ford sponsored Stewart Pitchford and me again in 1978.
I’m about to go under Lee? I don’t think so says normal people, but it does look like I’m in the right spot. Brian Atkinson #10 was very strong in 1980 and like any good runner, he ran well on slicks or treaded tires…today would have been good for him and Lee on treads.
We got the engine back Friday morning. I was at work in downtown Toronto at Elgin Ford and I wasn’t going miss the day. I had asked for noon off and the boss said okay, I would have asked for that even without the engine problem just because we were racing at Delaware. When I got to the garage the Dewsbury’s had it all put together except for the rad. We finsihed it off and started it up for 4:pm, then the trouble started. There was only 25 pounds oil pressure. We did a master oil pressure test to see if the gauge was ok and the bad news was that the gauge was ok. Then I called Terry Dickinson and he said to increase the pressure in the oil pump to see if the oil pump is weak, but it didn’t work either. We called an auto parts supplier like JE Willis, only one closer to us, for an oil pump and they sent us a fuel pump. Now it was after 5:pm and we were all ready except an important aspect..the car. The parts company resent an oil pump and we put it in and there was no change. We were heart broken, drained and I cried knowing I would miss the Delaware race. I had called Harry Nicholson earlier, and told him of our plight and he said to come out to the race because Dave Jacombs had hurt his back and it looked like he may not be able to drive. Of course while we were thrashing on our car most drivers were lined up at the pit gate. The Dewsbury’s felt bad and said not to worry we would find out the problem for tomorrow at Flamboro. Nonie and I headed to Delaware knowing we were late but hoping to get a ride. When we got there everyone was signed in, including Dave and he not only drove his car that night but he won the feature. We left right away once I knew I couldn’t drive. I just couldn’t watch my peers racing if I couldn’t be in it. It was a long dirve back and one of our worst disappointments. We would end up missing one night in 1980 and that brought me to a total of 13 missed nights in 9 seasons with 3 nights of 100%.
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