Where are They Now

[racefan61]

I know there are a lot of pass drivers out there i have seen race a few come to mind maybe you remember them or now what has come of them..
      1. Doug Hewitt ( i think last name is right )
      2. Gail Barber ( if i'm correct he drove a #20 or #01 mod at the old shangri la )
      3. Jerry Cook ( red #38 mod raced at chemung and shangri la )               

[raceguy]

Jerry Cook served as the Whelen Modified Series' director when it began in 1985, and is currently NASCAR's Administrative Director.

[justmark]

Gail passed away. He drove #01.
All three drivers are in the FOAR SCORE Hall of Fame.

[racefan61]

here are a few more
wayne edawards #48 stump jumper special shangri la
Chris Pozzi #01 street stock paint was THE GENERAL LEE
Brothers A.J and J.J Michaels A.J drove mod #10 yellow white and J.J same color but was street stock #01

[justmark]

A.J. Michaels passed away from an Oswego Supermodified accident in May 1990.

[Jayman]

Racefan61,

A.J. Michaels' modified was the yellow #81 that often made appearances at the old Shangri-La, J.J. Michaels (which I always thought was his nephew or cousin) drove a similar colored #10 Street Stock.  A.J. passed away quite a few years back while racing a #4 Super Modified at Oswego Speedway in an accident.  I always loved the yellow 81 car, it was one of my favorites as a child.  I am unsure about the status of J.J. Michaels.

[Mtroyerfan6]

These mod greats are still with us=== Dutch Hoag, Maynard Troyer, Don Diffendorf, George Kent, Geoff Bodine...ahh the good ol days of the modified heroes!

[racefan61]

how could i forget good ole Troyer white mod with alittle bit of orange and silver #6 of course cant for get George "The Duke " Kent all the Bodine brothers

[racefan61]

thank you for letting me know about A.J  and the correct car #  never knew he drove a Super Mod  did he have any luck in that class before his death

[justmark]

A.J. Michaels did have a #10 Modified before the #81. A.J. won an I.S.M.A. feature at Lancaster and his only Oswego Supermodified feature in 1988.

http://www.jakessite.com/07/notforgot/michaels/michaels.html

[bakes]

Last I heard Wayne is still living in the LeRaysville PA area. 

Doug Hewitt retired from driving after Richie's death and ended up in NC, where he was a Winston Cup crew chief for a time.

AJ Michaels was killed at Oswego while driving the Mucci Motorsports #98 in an accident in the 1st turn, when he backed in to the wall at speed.   I won't say anything more regarding the accident as I don't like recalling it.  He had won at least a couple of features and was becoming a consistent front runner at the time of his death.  I don't know what happened to his #81 Modified - not sure if that was the same car that Mickey Cahill had or not.

Haven't heard from Chris Pozzi in ages - he used to work with my dad many years ago.

Others from Shangri-La in the 1980s:

Rick Neild, #97/#5 Modifieds (another Gault Chevy guy)

Bob Carlisle, #37 Modified (from out towards Elmira?)

Wade Stewart, #4 Modified (Waverly/Sayre/Athens)?

Rich Rafferty, #K21 Modified (Clarks Summit, PA)

Carl Harvey, #Seventy Six Gremlin-bodied modified (Binghamton?)

[modcrew18]

   I may be wrong but wasn't AJ driving the Mucci #98 at the time of his passing? One of many tragic hits the super rosters took in a few year span.

 

[racefan61]

thank you for info on AJ sad to hear but right this sec. i feel like a dummy how could i forget one of the best that passed 25 years ago cant believe its been that long but the #61 or the Rapid Romen The King of the Mods RICHIE EVENS

[modcrew18]

   A few from my very early days at Lancaster and/or Cayuga (Canada):

         Jerry Mathis
   
         Tommy Leeson

         Andy Haley
 
         

[bakes]

Reminds me - whatever DID happen to Mickey Cahill?   Or another Oswego-based Modified and Supermodified driver, Jim Crouch?  Both were good guys to hang around and talk racing with after the races back in the day.