ASPHALT
My racing friends and I
always considered asphalt
something to be used for
driveways and parking lots.
Conversely, the asphalt guys
always said "dirt was for
growing corn". Dirt tracks
near metropolitan area's
converted to asphalt to
eliminate dust and
supposedly to cut down on
track maintenance, so the
racers in those area's raced
on pavement from then on.
The paved tracks in our area
at the time were
Plattsburgh, Utica-Rome,
Shangri-La, and later Malta,
and some dirt drivers like
Lou Lazzaro, Dave Lape, Pete
Corey and others raced on
both dirt and pavement.
Little did we know at the
time, asphalt was the path
to the big time if you had
the gift.
Bentley Warren, Just
might be the best ever on
asphalt.
The winner of six Oswego
Classics, a two time Indy
starter, a winner at over 34
speedways. As of 2003
Bentley won a ISMA Super
Modified race at Seekonk Ma
at the age of 63.
Fred DeSarro. NASCAR
National Modified Champion.
DeSarro was fataly injured
at Thompson Speedway (Conn)
10/8/78.
Bugs Stevens. 3 time
National Modified Champion.
Fred DeSarro in "Ole
Blue".
(L-R) Fred DeSarro,
Bruce Cohen and Lenny
Boehler (I would like to
have overheard this
conversation). Boehler was
the owner and builder of the
#3 that captured six
National Modified
Championships, 3 with Bugs
Stevens, two with Tony
Hirschman, and one with
Wayne Anderson.
Notice the damage to the
front of the door and
windshield post in the
Berggren photo. This photo
above is of the same car,
and the damaged area is
painted (notice the masking
line in front of the #3),
but the dings on the door
frame above the window
opening are the same in both
photos.
Goeff Bodine. 18
NASCAR Winston Cup wins, the
86 Daytona 500 winner. Goeff
had the gift.
I saw a neat trick at the
06 Chili Bowl. If you ever
get the chance to go to a
Chili Bowl, do yourself a
favor and go. It's an indoor
midget race held every year
around the second week in
January at the Expo Center
(at one time the largest
freestanding building in the
US) in Tulsa Oklahoma. It's
five nights of watching the
best drivers in the country
(Stewart, Darland, McCreadie,
Kahne, Kruseman, JJ Yely,
Kinser, Lasoski, and on and
on) battle for the "Golden
Driller" trophy. The Expo
Center contains room for
some 260 plus race teams, a
quarter mile dirt track, and
10,000 spectators. Once
racing starts it's a thrill
a minute, and take my word,
midget racers arn't afraid
of being up side down. Oh
yes, the trick. During hot
laps I witnessed a driver
pull a wheele in the middle
of turn one, and held the
front end up until he was
through turn four and on the
back stretch. My jaw
dropped.
NEXT TIME: MORE ASPHALT
(closer to home this time,
with names like Cook, Evans,
Clark, Seamon, and others). |
