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SPORTSMAN TO
MODIFIED IN THE
MID SIXTIES.
The
changeover from
Sportsman to
Modified at
Fonda was a
result of a
planned multi
track boycott
that would
include the
Track of
Champions on
July 10, 1965.
NASCAR rules at
the time
prohibited
drivers from
competing in
non-sanctioned
events, but in
the fifties and
early sixties
Fonda drivers
got around this
rule by running
outlaw events
under assumed
names. The big
payoff prizes in
those days were
the Lebanon
Valley Opens,
monthly midweek
100 lappers that
paid $1000.00 to
win (big payoff
for the time).
Early on Fonda
drivers attended
the Opens using
assumed names,
but as time went
on the Fonda
regulars began
to relax and
used their own
names. Bill
Wimble won the
open in 63 and
64 using the
name his mom and
dad gave him,
Pete also won an
Open in 64 using
his own name. In
1965 the first
Valley Open of
the year was won
by Lou Lazzaro,
with Ken
Shoemaker second
and Pete Corey
third. To make
matters more
interesting in
1965, a new
speedway was
under
construction
(Albany-Saratoga
Speedway) in
nearby Malta,
was going to be
non-sanctioned,
and scheduled to
open in July and
run on Friday
nights. The
traveling Fonda
regulars at the
time usually
towed to
Stafford
Springs, a
NASCAR
sanctioned
event. NASCAR
didn't know if
the Fonda
regulars would
continue to
compete at
Stafford, or
would they go
outlaw at
Albany-Saratoga.
NASCAR had to
take a stand.
Following the
July Open at the
Valley NASCAR
put it's foot
down, imposing
stiff fines on
their members
that raced in
the Valley
Opens. In
retaliation the
racers decided
to boycott the
upcoming NASCAR
events at
Victoria (Wed
July 7),
Stafford Springs
(Friday July 9),
Fonda (Sat July
10). The
boycotting
racers gathered
at the Swiss Inn
parking lot
across from
Victoria
Speedway
(7/7/65),
planning on
staying put
until NASCAR
gave in. Fonda
promoter Ed Feuz
Knew of the
planned boycott,
and made some
plans of his
own. Feuz
contacted
NASCAR's North
East Coordinator
Bob Sall and
asked Sall if he
could get 10
good modified
teams from
Flemington NJ to
tow up to
Victoria on
Wednesday night.
Sall said it
could be done,
but Feuz would
have to pay each
New Jersey team
$100.00 tow
money. Once the
NJ drivers (Gil
Hearne, Bob
Pickell, Will
Cagle to name
some) got to the
speedway they
smelled a rat,
realizing they
were at Victoria
to break a
strike. They
then refused to
run until the
local racers
complaints were
settled. The
boycott was
broken, Bob Sall
waived the
fines, and the
races went on at
Fonda on July
10th like
nothing had
happened, except
modifieds were
now legal at the
Track of
Champions.
In 1965-66-67
the Modified's
and the
Sportsmen raced
together, with
separate points
being kept, and
two track
champions
crowned.
Most of the
above was
plagiarized from
Lew Boyd's book
"Fonda".
Dave Lape.
Lee
Millington.
Link
Pettit.
Maynard
Forrette.
Photos above
courtesy of Jo
Towns.
Look at the size
of the engines
in the cars
above.The term
hogs comes to
mind.
I'll bet the
drivers of this
car wore ear
plugs.
The photos
above are big,
YEAH, BIG block
modifieds, bored
and stroked 454
Chevy engines,
at least 427's.
Just the expense
of buying a junk
yard 427 cubic
inch Chevrolet
engine and
outfitting it to
race put me out
of business as a
car owner.
Along came
Bill Sitterly
(Bob's dad [Bob
was about
fifteen and a
crewmember on
his dad's car])
with his
Oldsmobile
powered
modified. By
"along came" I
meant that Bill
called me and
asked if I would
drive his car
Friday night at
Victoria. My
wife Betty
wasn't thrilled,
but I said ok,
and would be
there on Friday
anyway. Bill's
#110 didn't have
a quick change,
just a stock
three quarter
ton rear end
with the spider
gears welded
together. The
engine was
powerful, and
would pull all
the way down the
straight's, but
didn't have the
strong pull like
Louie's number 4
had. The car
wasn't anything
special, but it
was something to
drive.
A couple of
weeks after my
first outing in
Bill's car I
stuffed it under
the Victoria
first turn
guardrail. As I
turned into the
first turn the
right front
spindle broke,
causing the
right front
wheel and brake
drum to take off
on it's own. Now
we don't have
any brakes, and
no steering, and
then it's WHAM,
stuffed under
the guardrail
all the way up
to the
carburetor.
About twenty
minutes later my
neck started to
get stiff, and
fortunately the
ambulance crew
had a guy along
that knew about
putting bones
back in place.
He put a full
nelson on me,
and a couple of
audible "cracks"
later I was good
to go. In
retrospect, I
understand why
the Hans Device
is so valuable,
as my chin hit
my chest hard
that night.
Another time
at Fonda we were
on the track and
were almost
ready for hot
laps when Pete
pulls up along
side on the
backstretch and
points to the
rear of my car.
I didn't know
what was up so I
pulled onto the
drag strip and
drove the car
down to it's
pit. The gas
tank had fallen
out down around
the first turn.
Great.
One night we
were leading the
consi after
surviving
several
re-starts, and
with one lap to
go #110 ran out
of gas. Double
great.
We did
qualify for an
All-Star race,
finishing fifth
in our heat race
(one spot ahead
of Irv Taylor,
driving John
Cross's #47).
But in the
feature we broke
a right rear
spindle,
spinning the car
off the track
between 3 and 4
and sitting out
the rest of the
night shooting
the bull with
Tiny (a seven
foot tall guy
that was a track
entrance guard).
A story about
Tiny: One night
at Victoria
Speedway Mel
Austin and Ken
Shoemaker got
tangled up
coming down the
front stretch,
causing Mel's
car to veer into
the infield. Mel
scattered all
the guys
standing at
tracks edge and
plowed squarely
into the judge's
stand, knocking
it a foot off
its foundation.
Scared the shit
out of the
people upstairs,
and nearly
knocked one of
the girls
keeping score
right out of the
place. Tiny, the
gent I mentioned
before, was
leaning up
against the
opposite side of
judges stand
watching the
cars go by when
Mel made
contact. Tiny
didn't know what
happened, just
standing there
minding his own
business and all
the sudden he
was knocked on
his ass, girls
screaming, dust
in the air, he
probably thought
the end of the
world had
arrived.
Like I said,
it was something
to drive.
It's a blue
day around here
friends, Lisa
Ciganenko Barlow
e-mailed me to
let me know her
dad Joe died on
Monday. Joe and
his wife Bennie
moved to Florida
some years ago
to be warm, and
be around their
daughters, and
up and until
recently Joe was
involved in
building racing
motors. As a kid
I remember being
at Brookfield
Speedway and
watching Joe
speed by in
Frank Trinkaus's
#62, the 270 GMC
six screaming
like a banshee.
Joe was always
involved in
racing, having a
hand in
developing the
South Columbia
Speedway (North
of Richfield
Springs), and
later running
Frank's Speed
Shop in Fly
Creek. At the
time I was
planning on
racing at Fonda
I had already
had a cherry 38
Ford coupe, a
312 (yeah I
know, I'll be 12
ci oversize)
Thunderbird
engine, an Isky
cam. Joe talked
me out of the
Ford and pointed
me toward Chevy
(I sold the Ford
stuff to Bugs
Bunny, aka
Harold Betts),
and Joe
furnished the 37
Chevy coupe for
my Fonda effort.
Joe was my pal,
my adviser, my
friend. I'll
miss him. I'm
sure Frank
Trinkaus met Joe
at the gate, and
then they went
off racing
somewhere.
GOD SPEED JOE
CIGANENKO.
NEXT: THE
LATE SIXTIES. |
