I am not exactly sure when this part, part VI of my memories, will make it to the Open Wheel Racing web site, but I am starting this on Tuesday afternoon at about 5:20 PM on February 12, 2002.  I am mentioning this date and time for a specific reason.  I just finished watching a movie on the cable channel "Showtime".  It was made in 1985.  The title:  "The Trip To Bountiful".  It was a story of an older woman, played by Geraldine Page, who wanted to go back home and visit where she was raised as a child.  She lived with her son, played by John Heard, and his wife, played by Carlin Glynn, in Houston, Texas.  She actually had to sneak away from her son and his wife, to go back home.  When she was able to visit her old homesite, with the help of the Sheriff, the old house was in very bad shape.  In fact, the whole town, was in essence, gone.  Her son and his wife, kind of knew where she had gone, and they did find her, at her old home.  Mother and son had a conversation.  A conversation of what they had remembered from years past.  Her son, finally told her that he remembered certain things very well.  That those memories "bought them here", and that he "did not want to remember any more.  It doesn't do any good remembering", I remember him saying, in the film. Well, friends, my memories are what are bringing us here.  And truthfully, I want to remember more.  And, through these short trips back in time, I have wanted to refresh some of your memories.  From what I have heard, from some that have read my things, I have succeeded, and that makes me very happy.  You see, we can remember.  Does it do any good to remember?  Of course it does.  Most of all that we have been taught is remembered.  And, what we have been taught is of course, important.  My "Ah yes, I remember it well" stories, are they important?  I imagine that you, the reader, will have to judge that.  For me, yes they are. For when we are gone, unless we can teach others, or have been able to tell of our memories to our offspring, and to others, by means of stories, well, those memories will fade away.  So, with this "off my chest", I would like to go back in time, again.  And, while you read this, maybe you can think of some of your memories.  Try not to keep them to yourself, because if you do, they will be gone, forever.

As mentioned towards the end of Part V, I said that I would be going out on my own, the wife, would stay at home, with the little children.  But before we were married, in September 1960. We did go to many races together.  She, and others, and I, would go to places like Langhorne, Danbury, Reading, Old Bridge, and other venues.  But, I guess the "track" we went to the most, was the Teaneck, NJ armory.  Indoor racing, during the winter months.

The racing, at the armory, in Teaneck, was run under the ATQMRA.  The American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association.  They are still in "business" today.   We made the trip, every Saturday night.  What year was it?  1958, or 1959?  Guess it really does not matter.  Strange, but back then, we had no worries as to what the weather was, or was going to be.  If it snowed, or was going to snow, the show went on.  My, how times have changed!  Now, in this area, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut & Pennsylvania, all hell breaks out when there is a light snowfall.  Schools close.  People "panic shop".  Good grief!  We will be snow bound!  Raid the stores!  Right?  We have all "Been there - Done that"!  After a night of racing, in Teaneck, as we were leaving the armory, we would order our tickets for the following week.  Like I said, we did not worry about weather.  What do I remember the most about Teaneck?  Len Duncan in the Norm Smizer "roadster".  Russ Klar in a blue # 16, powered by a Crosley engine.  Crosley & Triumph motorcycle engines were the predominant power plants back then.  Klar also drove a purple & white TQ.  The black "X" car.  Midget drivers from ARDC competing against stock car drivers from the area.  A race team, Poulsen (?) that had 3 cars.  I can remember # 706 & 707.  What was the third cars number?  Think it was 708.  When we went, we always sat on the "backstretch".  Sat in the front row.  There was a brick wall that was in front of the seating area.  About four feet high.  We used to put our feet up on the wall.  Just sitting there, relaxing, watching those "nuts" going round and round that 1/10 mile oval.  Oh, there was a build up of smoke inside the building.  But where we sat, we were more or less, "under" it.  Off the first and second turn was a balcony.  Great seating early in the evening, but not so good towards the end of the night.

Gosh, I cannot remember what it cost, back then, for race tickets.  Could not have been very much.  Heck, we did not make much per hour back then.  Remember?  A few times, we would drag my "baby" sister, Cathy, along with us.  I mention this for a specific reason.  I can still "see it" like it had just happened.  One of the top drivers in the indoor TQ racing back then, was a stock car driver from Long Island, I believe.  Jim Lacy was his name.  Drove a white # 8 TQ, powered by a Crosley engine.  Jim could get that car around!  Well, one night that my sister was with us, during warm ups, Lacy came out of the second turn and spun.  The "guard rail" at Teaneck, was 12x12 timbers with 1" cable behind them.  The timbers went from the head of the straightaway all the way around to, like, midway on turn 4.  That is where the opening was for access to, and from, the track to the pit area.  Well, when Lacy spun, his car hit the timbers with his left rear wheel.  The car flipped in the air, seemingly heading right for us.  I did not know that my little sister could scream that loud!  And, being an older brother, by 5 years, I could, to be honest, "make her scream" at home, at times!   If you had a younger sister or brother,  you probably did the same.  Right?  Remember?  Well, the car really did not go to far off the racing surface.  It ended up up-side down.  The car was up-righted and Lacy got out of the car, unassisted.  But, major damage was done to the white # 8.  As the car sat there, one could see what had happened.  The left front wheel was from 6 to 8 inches off of the floor.  The frame had been bent, big time!  Some "genius" looked at the situation.  Repairs were made right there and then, on the spot.  A couple of guys picked up the front end.  The right front wheel was put up on the timber guard rail.  A couple of others "jumped" on the other side of the car, causing a "twisting" of the chassis.  The car is taken off the timber.  Wow, the left front wheel was now only a couple inches off the track.  OK, one more time!  Up on the timber, jump on the other side, put the car back down.  PERFECT!  Go racing!  My little sister, seeing that car coming towards her, in the air, probably saw her short 16 years of life flash before her eyes.  I do not know why, but it was quite a while after that, before she went to another race, with Joan and me.  As many times as we went to Teaneck, there are only a few cars and drivers that I can remember.  As mentioned, Len Duncan in the Norm Smizer # 11 roadster, I believe Ernie McCoy was in one of Poulsens 700 numbered cars.  George Landry in a red & cream # 52.  Hey, you have to excuse me, I was in LOVE, back then!  As mentioned in a previous part, my future wife to be, Joan, was a tiny thing.  Her favorite driver was Russ Klar.  And, it did not damage his image to her, when he let her sit in his TQ one night after the races.  Somehow, I do not think she could do that today.  We have a habit of "growing" as we get older. 

Joan & I had some friends that, on occasion, would go to the races with us.  Judy and Bill.  Both were co-workers.  Langhorne, a couple of times.  Bill was a pretty big fella.  He had a nickname.  "Haystack".  Yes, we called him that, after the wrestler, "Haystack" Calhoun.  Bill was almost as big.  We went to the opening USAC sprint car race in Reading, Pa. one year.  In March.  The race was "snowed" out.  Not to make a trip for nothing, we decided to visit some "caves", that we had passed on the way to Reading.  Bill had his favorite "drink" with him.  "Moose Milk" is what he called it.  Some concoction with booze and coffee and milk.  I do not know how he could drink the stuff.  It was the most God-awful tasting drink I have ever had.  It worked for him though.  He always had it with him when he went to the NY Giant football games.  Guess he was "immune" to it.  When we went to Langhorne, it was to watch the sprint cars.  Their races would be anywhere from 30 to 50 miles in length.  Langhorne was a dirt/oil track.  Yes, OIL.  The oil was mixed in with the dirt to help cut down on the dust.  It worked pretty good, too.  If you are fortunate enough to have seen any films from any races held at the "Horne", you more than likely have seen how dirty the drivers were when the event was over.  Well, guess what?  We were no cleaner, up in the stands.  And that "dirt" would just stick to you.  I must note, however, that this "getting dirty" was more likely to happen to you if you sat up in what could be the "fourth turn" area, since the grandstand was level with the track surface.  Down in the turn one area, you were quite a bit higher than the track surface, and the dirt less likely to reach you.  I went to Langhorne, with my brother, Jim, in June of 1956.  A Sunday, of course.  One little problem.  We were having a high school graduation exercise program around 6 PM.  Luckily we sat in the "first turn" area.  I did not have to spend to much time in the shower after we got home.  Yes, I was on time for the program.

There were only a few tracks that Joan and I went to before and after our marriage.  We took a trip to Old Bridge, NJ once.  Got there and no one was there.  Still do not know what happened.  It was not called off due to weather.  As said in Part I of these stories, one of the tracks we went to was in Danbury, Ct. That was when the track was inside a moat.  When Joan and I went back, what used to be the moat was now the race track.  A lightening fast 1/3-mile.  Myself, I did not like the new track.  From what I can remember, the starter had a very difficult time seeing the "second" turn, due to the banked "wall" that was on the inside of the track.  The "wall", from what I remember, was probably the wall from the moat.

I went to Flemington a few times, before I went there to see the modifieds run.  Went once with my dad for what I believe, was a 100 lap midget race.  The only thing I could recall about that race was, I think Russ Klar was in the Caruso midget.  Was not doing to bad, either.  Not to bad, until he threw the right rear wheel, over in turn 3.  My next trip to Flemington was with Joan.  We were married then, and had four children, so it was after 1968.  I figure it was around 1970 or 71.  Midgets again.  Believe it was a show put on with co-sanction between the ARDC & USAC.  We had a baby sitter, someone that was going to watch the kids for us for a couple of days.  We were headed for a short "second honeymoon", so to speak.  What I remember the most about that race was one of the Caruthers brothers, Jimmy or Danny, not sure which one kept getting higher and higher between turns one and two.  Think he was in a yellow car.  I mentioned to Joan that sooner or later, he was going to "nail that fence".  OK, I am bragging again.  I was right.  He did connect with the fence.  The fence won.  Caruthers took one heck of a spill.  If my memory is right, I believe that there was another midget race, the next day, at the mile and one-eighth track in Nazareth, Pa.  The brother that flipped at Flemington won at Nazareth.  The Caruther brothers were two very talented young drivers.  Unfortunately, both left us way to soon.  Both were headed for brilliant careers, in my opinion.  Oh yes, the "second honeymoon".  Did not last long.  The wife, being a good mother, missed the children very much.  Although they were in the care of someone that we trusted very much, she really wanted to get back home.  Guess you could almost call it a "One night stand"?  We were home the very next morning.

Well, I think that this will do it, for Part VI.  From what I have heard, these stories have been well received.  I have had many fine compliments.  Those that have done so, I thank you so very much.  It has meant so much to me.  Makes me want to do more.  I have been greatly received, and approved, by Len Calinoff and John LeVan.  And for this, I again, extend my thanks.  At first, I really did not think that I would be successful in doing different articles and stories for the OWR web site.  Pete Kessler told me, before I started, " To write about it, as I would talk about it".  And, that does work.  Special thanks go to Pete also.  I do believe that at the end of every one of these stories, there is a line giving my e-mail address.  I would appreciate it so very much, if you should happen to spot any errors in my "memories", to please inform me.  Believe me, I will not be offended.  Part VII is next.  What will it consist of?  Gee, I am not sure.  We will be getting into the late 60's, the 70's and up to near the present time.  Gosh, when you sit and write about it, the time sure does fly!  Be patient, please, Part VII will get here, sooner or later!

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the "Open Wheel Racing" website. TVR would like to express our thanks and gratitude to John LeVan, the editor of OWR. Check out the latest open wheel racing news at www.openwheelracing.com.
-DZ

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