Where are They Now

[bakes]

Larry Nye is well and lives in Preble. He makes his annual appearence in the pits for the 200. I work with Larry jr.

Glad to hear Larry's doing well - always one of the good guys to talk to in the pits.   I give Larry a lot of credit - he was building his own stuff well into the 1980s after most people went store-bought.   Does he still have one of his old chassis sitting at the house?  He did for a long time IIRC.

[68mustangfb]

Larry Nye is well and lives in Preble. He makes his annual appearence in the pits for the 200. I work with Larry jr.

Glad to hear Larry's doing well - always one of the good guys to talk to in the pits.   I give Larry a lot of credit - he was building his own stuff well into the 1980s after most people went store-bought.   Does he still have one of his old chassis sitting at the house?  He did for a long time IIRC.

Yea same here Thanks for the info UM, as "bakes" said Larry always found time to talk to anyone ! I used to wonder when I'd be up talking to him (watching him standing in the pits watching all the cars like the #61 RE, #6 MT,  #26 GK, #24 JS, #1 TH, #04 CC, #52 DH, #41 GS, #38 JC, #33 RH, #48 WE, #7ny TB, #62 DP, #69 BR, #73 AF, #2 RS, #16 DC and all the rest of the "big-dogs" when they were all there for a big race and practicing or running there heats back then) as you could almost see it in his eyes "he may have been thinking" IF ONLY ONE TIME I HAD A CAR / MOTOR EQUAL TO ANY OF THEM GUYS JUST ONCE  I COULD ??            (at times one almost felt sorry for him!!) but he was there EVERY week trying !
Can't remember "red's" (the guy who used to be his ONLY pit crew members) name BUT he was a HE!! of a nice guy as well !!
UM, if you see his son PLEASE TELL HIM HIS DAD WAS ONE HE!! OF A NICE / NEAT GUY !  JMO  Thanks, MR

[racefan61]

I seen a bumper sticker today that i thought was cool that had to do with racing.... This is what it read...    WHEN THE GREEN FLAG DROPS THE BULLSHIT STOPS

[NoMirrorUsed]

Some names that come to mind for me from the old Shangri La days are. Bill Stroshal, Lee Osgood, Dutch, the Bodines of course, Richie, Jim Z, Jan Leaty, Grahm Bolia (spelling?), Bud Bauer, Maynard Troyer, as well as all the Supers that ran there, 8 ball and 10Pins, what unusual car numbers for those days.

[thewackyracer]

I believe that I bought Larry Nye's last car, parted it out to use on SST mod. Still have a few parts left. When we went to pick up the car, a couple of his old buddies showed up to help load it. And say goodbye. You can tell Larry Jr what happened to his Dads last car.

[uticamike]

Fastback, Thanks and I'll relay that to LN jr. Yes Larry is one hell of a nice guy and true enough might have been a regular top contender if the $$ were there.

He did win back in 60's and is a former NYS Sportman Champion. I know he won both on dirt and asphalt. A couple of big wins at the Fairgrounds.

Wacky, Larry's last car I believe is a former Andy Romano car. I'll have to check with jr on that to confirm.

Here is another old timer still around.....Bernie Miller from Clockville. Won the 71' Dogwood 500 ( Mod half) and finished behind Cookie and RE a few times in

NASCAR National Points.  I always had him and Len Boehler as the two guys who got more out of a racing dollar than anyone ever has. I don't think I ever

saw more than  a couple of guys helping him at the races either. A real throwback, he did it all. His own cars and motors and boy did his motors go.

Like Larry Nye , Bernie too is one hell of a nice guy. Would have been interesting to see what he would have done with Cook/Evans type money.

Sure glad I saw the end of this great era.

[Joe11]

Herbie,
Actually Ed McGuire bought Ralph Beers car (Red '70 Chevelle #51) for the first year (1980?)and at the end of the year (1981?) he bought me out.  Ed's car was blue and white, #47 and sponsored by Williams Oil.  I also had a blue and white '72 Chevelle (#69) that we ran for the first year until it was destroyed late in the season in a nasty crash at SL.  We then built a '74 Chevelle (again, a blue and white #69)  that we really never got going.  Ran it for 6-8 races and sold everything to Ed.  Probably the smartest thing I ever did....  back then we weren't smart enough to be terrible!  We had just a little success with the first car but absolutely none with the second.  I'd say we sucked but that'd be in insult to people that actually do suck!  Vowed not to return until we could better afford it, which wasn't until '94.  Right now we're trying to get the new Snell Metalfab - Calaman Radiator - RC Welding Supply shop built and then we'll be back racing... not sure where or in what but we'll be baaaaack!  As I so frequently say, "we're too stoooopid to quit"!!
Joe

[BOZO6106]

I WATCHED BERNIE MILLER AT FULTON WHEN I WAS A KID.HE COULD HOLD HIS OWN WITH THE BIG BOYS IN HIS #41 COUPE.THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

[Salukifan]

I believe Schafer' #12 was sponsored by Apple Chevrolet, not Apple House Trucking.  Apple House Trucking sponsored many different cars through the years, mostly Modifieds and Late Models, Bob Puckett is the first that comes to mind.  The owner sold the business to another trucking firm a few years ago and to my knowledge no longer exists.  They did a lot for racing during their time in business.

[Shamrock 3x]

Uticamike,
Say hi to Larry Jr. for me. Raced with him a couple times in Karts at Cherry Valley...nice guy.

[Modfan6]

Billy Rafter?  Stroker McGurk? Charlie Newmann? Dick LaPaglia?  Ron Martin? Ron Williams?

[uticamike]

Uticamike,
Say hi to Larry Jr. for me. Raced with him a couple times in Karts at Cherry Valley...nice guy.

Will do Bill. 

[justmark]

Billy Rafter splits time between living in NY and FL. Stroker McGurk and Ron Martin live in WNY. Ron Williams still races once in a while in NY with his Evil #1. Charlie Neumann has a Legends #29 that he drives in NY.

[simracer51]

I seen Art Clark yesterday getting an ice cream at the red caboose in West Seneca.

[modcrew18]

   Though tragically I know the fate of this driver, but anyone have any history on a driver named Buddy Drewes. I remember him when I was very young and I believe he tragically lost his life behind the wheel. I believe he was a team mate of Cam Gagliardi. Where did wreck happen?