Author Topic: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York  (Read 554075 times)

blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #615 on: July 04, 2012, 10:16:20 AM »
Pits @ Tioga  (H. Boyce photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #616 on: July 04, 2012, 10:18:22 AM »
Cars line-up @ Tioga  (H. Boyce photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #617 on: July 04, 2012, 10:19:28 AM »
pace lap @ Tioga  (H. Boyce photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #618 on: July 04, 2012, 10:21:18 AM »
Patti Hanbury (Pruett) @ Tioga w/ her "B" mod   (Rita Church photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #619 on: July 04, 2012, 10:22:36 AM »
Lee Sherwood in Victory Lane @ Tioga  1993 (Rita Church photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #620 on: July 04, 2012, 10:28:20 AM »
Last but not least... Chris Aman of Interlaken, N.Y. (my old stomping grounds) w/ what I believe was his first Modified win.   @ Tioga 1993  (Rita Church photo)
« Last Edit: July 04, 2012, 10:29:53 AM by blackjackracing »
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #621 on: July 06, 2012, 04:37:11 PM »
I had a chance to get to the library again and scrounged up some more stuff from Joe Amentler. I had the chance to talk to him and he had indicated that he wrote the column for a short time. He also said that it had started as writting short bilps (like the one I'll post today) and morphed into a pretty neat feature of the paper. It's kind of interesting to see the gestation of "Around the Tracks"....

From the Elmira Star-Gazette May 2, 1976

Chemung Tries Again Today
By Joe Amentler

   Auto  racing's big winner last weekend was A.J. Pluvis as the Sizzler fizzled, the 'Drome was
deluged and Janet Gutherie's Indy car debut- or debacle- at Trenton's USAC race was washed away.
   Chemung will try again this afternoon to kickoff 1976.
   Last weekend wasn't completely a lost weekend, though.  Long Island's Islip and Freeport
speedways ran off Saturday night shows and several degrees of latitude south, Martinsville, Va.,
Speedway completed its two-day schedule of Grand National and modified competition.

   Darrell Waltrip of Franklin, Tenn., won his second career Grand National victory (both short
track wins) in the Virginia 500 on Sunday. Saturday's 150-lap modified race had four-time and reigning
NASCAR modified champ Jerry Cook of Rome N.Y., making it two in-a-row on the .525-mile asphalt oval.
   Bobby Allison, making a rare appearance in a modified, had fast time in trials and led most of
the race until sidelined by mechanical problems with less than ten laps to go.
   After the victory ceremonies, Cook flew to Islip Speedway and picked up a third place finish
there. he is currently leading the 1976 modified point standings.
   George Kent made the Freeport show but wreaked with two laps to go in the feature. Kent is a
listed entrant in the 200-lap NASCAR sanctioned race at New Egypt, N.J., Speedway today.

   No firm rain date has been set for Stafford Speedway's  twice-postponed Spring Siizzler event.
Stafford's weekly schedule begins next week with 1975 point champ Geoff Bodine of Chemung set to
defend his crown. Bodine will be running in a small block race at Thompson, Conn., today.
   Locally, this weekend will have seen the grand openings of Chemung, Shangri-La and Five-
Mile Point speedways. Chemung will present its Coca-Cola 400 event this afternoon at 2:30 weather
permitting.
   An upcoming event of major interest to modified fans is the 300-mile, $75,000 NASAR modified
race at Charlotte, N.C., Motor Speedwway, May 29. This will be the first time for the modifieds on a
southern high-banked super speedway and the highest paying event ever. All the stars and cars will be
there with the Dick Armstrong No. 1 Racing team of Geoff Bodine and Ray Dendrick {sp} likely favorites
based on there successes in last years major contests.
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #622 on: July 12, 2012, 04:32:50 PM »
Another one of Joe Amentler's columns...

From  the Elmira Star-Gazette  May 23, 1976.

Around the Race Tracks
 by Joe Amentler

   The wet weather and the early season profusion of modified special events are crowding the
racing calander and posing a logistics problem for some competitors.
   The Oswego Port City 150 rainout last Sunday resulted in that raindate being sandwiched
between the lucrative Patriot 300 at Charlotte, N.C. on May 29 and the May 31 Spring Sizzler show at
Stafford Springs, Conn.
   A shot at all the big money races Memorial Day weekend will require logging 386.875 miles of
competition and about 2,000 miles of travel between tracks.
   Racing teams with backup cars will have a decided advantage with the drivers able to fly to the
next event and with fresh equipment waiting for them. Some of the one-car operations may have to skip
one or two of the biggies.
   The United Racing Club super sprint throttle-jockeys will have a busy holiday schedule also.
   The itinerant sprinters will be running night shows at Fonda, N.Y., May 29 and Weedsport
Speedway May 30, then down the pike to Flemington, N.J., for an afternoon affair on Monday, May 31.
   Harry Benjamin of Wysox captured the URC feature at the Orange County Speedway,
Middletown, N.Y., last Saturday. Benjamin guided his Fiore mount from 15th starting spot and took the
checkers ahead of modified star Wayne Reutimann and 1975 URC champ Gary Gollub. Bill Schroth
encountered mechanical problems while running sixth and did not finish.
   Other results from last week:
   Gail Barber took his second Chemung Speedrome late model feature and now has, as of this
writing, four victories at NEARA sanctioned tracks (two at Fulton) plus one at Holland, N.Y., Speedway.
Lyle Williams edged Waverly's Denny Shipman in the street stock feature.
   Tom Gush of Elmira got his act together at Shangri-La, winning the late model main from pole
starting spot. Opening night winner Bob Frisbie made an impressive charge from 14th to third mid-way in
the race but a two car tangle in front of him dropped him back in the pack and he ran out of laps in his
effort to regain lost ground. He finished fourth.
   Sonny Seamon held off a bid by Richie Evans and copped the 30-lap modified go. For the
second week in a row Billy (the Kid) Griffin of Elmira took a competitive fifth place finish.
   Stafford Speedway champ Geoff Bodine got dialed in at that Connecticut oval's second regular
season offering. Geoff tooled the new Armstrong modified to his second win in two tries with the small
block, Pinto-bodied machine.
   Chemung's holiday program calls for a Friday night Pre-Memorial Day Classic late model race
of 50-laps, paying $400 to win. The rain date will be Monday afternoon, in which case it becomes the
Memorial Day Classic.
   Several new late models are expected at the 'Drome, including one to be driven by sports car
ace Fred Kepler of Elmira. The street stocks will also be featured.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 05:02:59 PM by blackjackracing »
BOB JOHNSON
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www.QUICKSKINZ.com


blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #623 on: July 12, 2012, 04:55:13 PM »
Some photos to go with this article...a picture is worth a thousand words!
Sonny Seamon (photo from"frasson" on another site no photog info)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #624 on: July 12, 2012, 04:57:29 PM »
Geoff Bodine w/ what I'm assuming is the Armstrong Pinto when they were just starting out? I'm sure one of you guys can elaborate. (John Grady photo)
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #625 on: July 12, 2012, 04:59:43 PM »
Harry Benjamin battling with Billy Schroth in URC action.  Not a very good picture, but it tells the story. Benjamin is in the Fiore #8 and Shroth is wheeling the Bauer #75.  Fierce rivals with a lot of respect for each other! (Bill Schroth collection)
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 05:04:22 PM by blackjackracing »
BOB JOHNSON
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Larry756

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #626 on: July 12, 2012, 08:02:31 PM »
Yes, that is a Armstrong Pinto.
Larry C McCormick

In Loving Memory of my son
Matthew C McCormick
(Big Country)
01/16/73 - 12/30/2002


blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #627 on: July 13, 2012, 05:11:04 PM »
Another Joe Amentler article...

From the Elmira Star-Gazette   May 27, 1976

Track Talk
by Joe Amentler

   A couple of long haired race drivers have gained considerable national attention this past month.
   Jan Opperman, whose reputation as a top ranking driver and a rugged individualist was established on the Central Pennsylvania sprint car circuit a few years ago, is one of the shoulder length chauffeurs.
   Opperman's nationally televised USAC sprint car victory at Terre Haute, Ind., several weeks ago and his dramatic, last minute qualifying run at Indianapolis last Sunday have accorded him a share of the spotlight that lady driver Janet Gutherie has been enjoying -- or enduring. They've both earned the recognition with their cool competence under pressure.
   The pressure will be on the modified hot shoes this weekend with a passel of events to pick from.
   The Kent racing team, driver George and car owner Ron of Horseheads, will skip the Patriot 300 at Charlotte, N.C., in favor of a full Northeast schedule of competition. They'll be running at Spencer Speedway, Williamson, N.Y., on Friday night, Shangri-La on Saturday night, Oswego Speedway Sunday afternoon, Fulton Raceway Sunday night and Stafford Springs, Conn. Speedway Memorial Day afternoon.
   Dean Hoag of Bath will see action at the Saturday Charlotte race and plans on making the long trek north to Oswego's Port City 150 contest Sunday. Dean wreaked at Lancaster Speedway Saturday night but has his mount ready for the big money tests.
   Dean's illustrious father, Dutch Hoag, will be entering the hospital for a knee operation so his future racing plans are uncertain.

   Richie Evans went to Lancaster last week and stopped Maynard Troyer's win streak at two. Evans literally blew the doors off Troyer as early-race contact between the two resulted in extensive sheet metal damage to Troyer's Nagle racer.

   Other Weekend Results:
   Sonny Seamon of Vernon Center was a double winner, copping his second in a row at Shangri-La and edging out runnerup George Kent at Fulton. Kent was fourth at Owego behind Seamon, Dick Clark and Ben Stephens of Newark Valley.
   A local leadfoot took the late model feature for the first time this year at Chemung Speedrome. Elmiran Bob Frisbie stopped the domination of Western New York drivers, winning handily from his 10th starting spot. Two-time winner Gail Barber had to settle for fifth behind smooth-running Duane Ellis of Waverly. Gordy Smith was third and Stan Clark of Corning, second. Waverly's Denny Shipman copped his third rough and tumble street stock main.
   Geoff Bodine's try for two in a row at Stafford Speedway was rained out Saturday night. He took second behind Fred  DeSarro at Thompson, Conn., Sunday making it two wins and a place in three outings with his new modified. Bodine's holiday weekend itinerary will be Charlotte, Oswego and Stafford.
   Think sun!
BOB JOHNSON
"Faster than a greased cheetah strapped to the front of a bullet train"
www.QUICKSKINZ.com

blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #628 on: July 13, 2012, 05:12:20 PM »
Some photos to go along with this article....
Dick Clark in the Hedger #16 @ Shangri-La
BOB JOHNSON
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blackjackracing

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Re: Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York
« Reply #629 on: July 13, 2012, 05:13:41 PM »
George Kent @ Shangri-La (Fred Smith photo)
BOB JOHNSON
"Faster than a greased cheetah strapped to the front of a bullet train"
www.QUICKSKINZ.com