dino.dino
So I head out of N.C. at about 7pm-Tuesday. Have a bunch of stuff to do and people to meet before the race.It takes 16 hours one way ,but I check in to a old freinds place in Carmel,to Letter a Danbury Stock Car.It’s a clone of Nick Giardina’s Danbury Pinto From 1975,I originally did back then. After dover closed ,I was quite involved with those guys…Lettering a lot of them and even being on a Crew (#32). Took the G.W. Bridge coming up ,just to take a photo for my Kids. So All day Thurs. . and into the night,I get the Stock car done. Then its a little more Fri. morning and off I go to get our event & Ned decals from Lou at Economy signs in Danbury. Visit With Big Al who gives me a tour….Gotta go through Wingdale! just to say hi to The “old girl” – Track. After that ,I head North to the Valley on Rt.22 .Upon arriving ,Theres a whole Bunch of cars already in the pits. Tom Blake and his son help me put up the staring line sign and Banners. It’s about 10pm by then with very dense fog. Off to Motel….Race day Sat. is coming on Fast.
Attachments:
dino
Day ONE -Sat. Wow….Get to the Track at 7:15 and am greeted with an overflowing Tech Line,right out in the Highway ,all the way to the main gate…Howie is smiling. The weather is textbook perfect…Friday night it got down to 52 !…By 8am it’s still a bit ‘nippy’ .All systems Go….
Attachments:
dino
SATURDAY-Tech is so backed up…in the staging lanes,we don’t start Time Trials til 10am- an hour late. Everybody is Pumped. V-Bob racing team is working on Bob’s gas in the cylindars problem,but still find time to Help Me and Lisa set up the Goodie booth.7 differant groups are slated to have seperate races,and Wayne is throwing the runs down the track as fast as he can.Then I get informed the regular announcer has to leave at 2:30 ….So ‘Old Fast Mouth In the East’ ,takes to the mic til we shut down at about 6, as the the dirt cars start warming up. Folks are blown away by the diversity of the entries…244 teched in and running. Wow what a perfect day …as always old freinds hook up …the Dover Guys are all smiles and only a few minor incidents on the track.Wilko Bros. slap the wall .On the Broken and can’t run list for the weekend are Don Scinto, Billy Masiello(Trans), Tony Mone(Carb problem), Richie Head,and others.SUNDAY…We kick it off with our Our TIME WARP Parade.it’s a hit with Richie Head’s Chevy Convertable (H/S Dover Winner) carrying Grand Marshall Skip North and riding shotgun is Smokey & Grover. He’s towing Bobby’s Hellzapoppin followed by Bill Mas. Towing Roger in “Bad News” ….. Pats MG ,Fred Egloff,the old Bumper Dewitt Mopar,and other Dover Favorites. Crowd is cheering !,The Funny Cars Hit the Track to Start the Racing And It’s ‘showtime”!
HERES the Final Tally of Sunday Elim. Winners
Dover COMP:
Tom Blake gets to the final ,only to Break out and loose with a 11:82 on a 11:90 dail-in to Chris Bedore’s “Foot Brake” Front Motor Dragster ,who turns a 9:90 at 131mph.
Dover VINTAGE:
96 cars in round 1 out of 101entered. After 7 rounds , Howie Conklin’s ‘Durham-Smyth” clone Chevelle dumps Jason Masi’s 70 Nova for the win with a 13.02 to Masi’s 10:16.
Dover NEW:
44 cars entered and go 6 rounds. Vito Abela gets the win light with a 10:42,119 mph,over Wayne Farquar’s loosing 11:62
Dover 4-SPEED:
18 car show for the crowd favorite gear jammrs.Last years winner breaks in round two with the 409, so it’s a whole new ball game.Bob Bowers Mustang wades through the field to take the win with a 13:30 over John Gonyeas 11:98.
Dover ELECTRONIC:
5 rounds here with a real mix of all kinds of cars and really tight times to dail-ins. In the Final, Austin Lobben’s Race Tech Dragster defeats Dave Woodings ’80 Ford with a 7:69 on a 7:67 dail-in at 168 mph.Wooding turns a loosing time of 10:46 on a 10:44 dail-in..tight?….yeah!
Dover Bike:
Ron Blake (Toms Son) goes 9:62 for win on his Kawasaki to beat Kurt LaFluer.
SPECIAL DOVER real Vintage Trophies Went To:
LONG DISTANCE-Tom Blake-Florida
BEST PARTICIPATION-NETO
OLDEST RUNNING DOVER CAR- Don Gallant ,two years in row!
TOP SPEED OF THE MEET-Austin Lobban at 174 mph
KING OF THE HILL Casey -Feola Memorial
Vintage Winner Conklin Fails To fire for the Final Run…Starter Broke in the Staging Lanes That Give the Automatic Win To Chris Bedores No Electronic “Foot Brake” front Motor Dragster who Solos for the 3 foot Casey-Feola Memorial Trophy .
POWDER PUFF Eliminator:
5 girls entered includin Funny Car pilot,Bobbie Leigh Sweatland. Marianne Costa from Jersey gets the Pink Winner Jacket Driving a Mustang with a whole bunch of Raceway Park Win Decals. 13:46 at 102mph.Did her boyfriend set her up as a ringer?
OUR SPECIAL THANKS GO to All Our Sponsors,Who Make It Happen. Howie And Wayne for Putting Up with Us ,The “World’s Best Track Crew”…..and of Course The DOVER FAMILY on and off the track ,keeping the Memories Alive and BEING the Real Attraction.As Arnold said “We’ll Be Back” ! Plan now for Part SIX of the never ending story of the DOVER DRAG STRIP NOSTALGIA DRAGS ….OH- Me ? BEST WEEKEND ALL YEAR …Thank You All 😉 see ya at the track !
Dino
Attachments:
dino
masracingtd1167
Is this official enough
dino
dino
uncle-paul
dino
Uncle Paul! That Bad-boy fit right in…The Crowd loved it!…As my brain gets back to normal….Not Jet Lag but Race lag & Driving home- car lag…I’ll be recolecting things…I hope:
Like . . . . .Can’t thank This guy enough….Rich Head for his never ending Support and help at our Nostalgia Drags. Rich and the entire NETO CREW are always a treat and major part of the event….great cars ..great racing and a better bunch you couldn’t… find. …NETO snagged our Vintage authentic Dover “Best Participation ” award Too. Even as Rich suffered his car breaking on Sat. He still supplied his H/S convertable as lead car in our Time Warp parade, Stayed to help new racers …teaching staging and driving,and always there to help me, from setting up things to clean-up. NETO-Dover Guys “CAN-DO” 😎
Attachments:
