John Sachs,sr.

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

I was talking to Pete the Greek(Bronx) at the So.Florida Toy Run today,and I mentioned I saw a picture of Dover Dragstrip in the newest Hot Rod mag.He mentioned the Dover Dragstrip web site.
Welllllllllll,I fired up the computer,and went back in time.
We moved to the Ft. Lauderdale area,where we still are,after selling my Ford deal,at the end of 1983.
After taking several years off from racing cars,I came back racing a Pro-Stock Kawasaki motorcycle in 1978.I earned the #2 plate in 1981,and in 1983 my oldest son became the designated driver with 4 top 8 finishes.
We started 1987 running a Pro-Mod motorcycle(nitrous).and in the 21 years of running in that class,he’s earned 3 #1 plates,with the most recent this year.
I’ve been doing Harley Davidson performance work,with a fairly large cylinder head mail order business since 1990.
Getting old,still race some,and am just enjoying life in Paradise with the family and friends.
Will stay in Touch,
John 😀

[dinoKeymaster]

John …Check Out BB/GS Meet photos in “Historical Dover Photos….pg. 2 …The old Anglia’s there in all it’s glory…And Drake Viscome will have a Fine Ford Time with ya …when he see’s you’re here …Other photos of your stuff, Gotta search around and Plenty in the Big ODF gallerires. WELCOME Home !………..Dino

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

Thanks Dino,
You’ve out done yourself with this great site.I guess I was one of the “originals” from DD.1960 or 1961,until Joe & Chet had other ideas for it.
Worked as an inspector,then a flagman.Ran my ’60 348″ Red Impala.It was all good from there,the gassers,blown clutch 😳 ,the AA/GS Anglia and the ’70 Hemi Cuda.
Did you ever get your Anglia done?I also bought an Anglia(Thames) pie wagon from Drake’s dad,when they owned Carmel Ford.Never finished it.
John

[storm-king]

Hey, John, welcome to the site! Paradise? I thought you mentioned living in Ft. Lauderdale! 😀
Was your number 2 pro stock plate in IDBA? I ran IDBA a few seasons. After we gave up cars following the Chrysler boycott of Pro Stock, a few years later I went racing again with a turbo nitrous funny bike. Right now I support one of the NHRA pro stock Buells, and I build all of Sandy Kosman’s caron fiber components.
Well, anyway; welcome aboard!

[dinoKeymaster]

Nice Memory John …No, never finished it but… you can see how far we got (WE got Everything At this Site)…Go to the 1969 N.Y.City Autorama photos in Multi-media… And we need your Photos and film …I’m warnin’ ya …look out for Drake …He’s quitethe Guy on here .. Oh.. then we have Video Bob…you’ll find out .

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

Stormking,
Dragbike!Chasing the plate only let me have enough time to race a few IDBA and NHRA races.Also,at that time we were still living in N.Y.Most IDBA races were in the South.
FYI,I saw Sanford Kosman at the PRI show in Orlando yesterday,we relived some old times as well.He’s doing well.

Dino,
I’ll check it out.I’ll also have to wait for Bill Kolb and wife to get here in 2 weeks(he swings by for a few days every Christmas Season) to battle Drake,LOL.I’ll let him do it.

Drake, Don’t be too hard on me,I’m old now !!!!!!!!! 🙂

Grover,
My buddy and best man,nice hearing from you.It’s been a while.We’ll stay in touch much more frequently.
John

[dinoKeymaster]

Looks like John ‘s E-mail & Private messages have been busy….John Call me ! (Contact page) from what I’ve gathered so far… jogging my memory (Drake Calls it Geezeville) …You’re Another expert on Dover History , I have to tap into . Dino

[vindicatorParticipant]

😀 😀 😀 HEY JOHN…GLAD TO HEAR YOU’RE WELL…JUST THINKIN’ ‘BOUT THE LARSON FORD “DAYS”…MAN YOU GUYS’ HAD SOME PRETTY SPECIAL GROUP…FROM CARL LARSON TO MY DAD’S COUSIN…GREG GIRILLO… & CHARLIE IN PARTS…THE TRUE “MARKETEER” 😆 😆 😆 OF MY LIFETIME… IN BILL(Y) KOLB…AND…U…ONE VERY MULTI-TALENTED…”CABALLERO” 😆 😆 😆 WITH A WRENCH… A 60′-70’S “AUSTIN COIL”…BEFORE AUSTIN COIL 😆 😆 😆 AND A WAY “SAVVY” BUSINESS DUDE…REMEMBER WELL… NOT ONLY THE SHELBYS’ (PARKED EVERYWHERE)…AC-COBRAS’…GRIFFITHS’..TIGERS’ TOO… 427 HI-PERF CARS…BY THE “BUNCH”… A FORD “NUT’S PARADISE ISLAND”…ONLY THING MISSIN’ WAS “TATOO” & MR. O’ROURKE!!…THAT FOR SURE WAS A SPECIAL TIME & PLACE…NEVER… TO BE SEEN AGAIN…BILL(Y) (KOLB) SURE HAD IT GOIN’ ON…SELLIN’ THAT STUFF… THE FORD BUSINESS/DEALERSHIP…WAS NEVER MUCH…ON THE “FUN” SIDE AFTER THAT PERIOD…’EH??? REMEMBER WHEN MY DAD SOLD YA’ THE THAMES…FIGURED IT’D END UP LIKE YOUR ANGLIA…ANOTHER TRUE SHOWPIECE…BOTH IN ENGINEERING & PERFORMANCE…SAW IT ( YOUR OLD..ANGLIA) COUPLE OF TIMES @ LEBANON VALLEY IN LAST TWO-THREE YEARS…IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD…BELIEVE IT HAS A SMALL BLOCK/SUPERCHARGED NOW…STILL LOOKS “STATE OF THE ART”…HAD A PICTURE OF YOU…WAY BACK IN THE DAY…IN THE CHEVROLET COUPE (’38?)…IN STAGING @ DOVER…A VERY YOUNG…JOHN SACHS 😆 😆 😆 …GOTTA’ SEE IF I CAN FIND IT…U…DIDN’T GET OLD…U…BE LIKE “FINE WINE”….U…GET BETTER…WITH AGE…HOPE ALL IS WELL FOR YOU & FAMILY…RACIN’ THOSE TWO WHEELED “SCOOTERS”…THE “GENETICS” WERE PASSED ALONG TO YOUR SONS’…THEY BE FEARLESS TOO 😆 😆 😆 DID USED TO SEE RONNIE AND THE ’33 WILLYS…ONCE IN AWHILE…BEFORE HE RETIRED…IT WAS A PRETTY RADICAL/AWESOME PIECE… 😀 😀 😀 DRAKE VISCOME… P.S…. HOW ‘BOUT ‘OL CHARLIE MCDUFFY (YET ANOTHER LARSON ALUMNI) …WASN’T HE THE CREW CHIEF ON A NASCAR POINTS CHAMPION IN THE 50’S?? JIM REED… WHO LATER WENT ON TO BE A GMC DEALER IN PEEKSKILL…ALSO RAISED BOXER DOGS (REED)…GAVE MY FATHER ONE AS A GIFT… BACK IN THE 50’S…WORKED WITH CHARLIE A FEW YEARS VERY LATE IN HIS CAREER… 😀 😀 😀 HE WAS VERY LOYAL TO ME…ALWAYS REFERRING PEOPLE TO ME…STILL HAD HIS COLLAR TURNED UP…LIKE ELVIS… AND HOW ‘BOUT “THEE”…FRANK GIORDANO…HE WORKED LATER YEARS IN PAWLING-MT.KISCO FORD STORES…WAS ALWAYS GOOD TO ME..HE HAD A FEW “STORIES” TO TELL…THINK THERE WERE A “FEW” ABOUT OL’ FRANKFURTER..AS WELL 😆 😆 😆

[dinoKeymaster]

Ah the Drakemiester…I warned ya ….

[storm-king]

So you were associated with Larsen Ford, John? We always had a good relationship with Billy Kolb; he was one of the good guys.
I appologize that I’m not familiar with your name.
I had Sandy in my booth quite a bit at PRI. Funny story for you: I had never met Sandy personally. Just always knew of his reputation as the “guru of go” as Hot Bikes magazine called him years ago. So we’re trooping up to the ESPN2 stage for a taping segment and three guys follow us up who don’t belong there. This guy says to me, “Where’d you get this body?” (asking about the Buell, not me 😆 and I said, “we build these bodies exclusively for Kosman Specialties.” and he puts out his hand and says, “I’m Sandy Kosman.” I shook his hand and leaned over real close to his ear and said, ” I thought you were much taller!” He laughed and says , “I was!” He’s quite a character! So after we taped I took him back to our booth and showed him the sign I had behind his body we build which said made exclusively for Kosman Specialties, with a liink to his site and he looks at me and says, “the last honest man.” I said no, but I’m one of them. It was good to meet him and I think we’ll work together for a long time. He was very appreciative that we have made his product better by supplying him with a higher quality component than he was able to get elsewhere. Before he left my booth I shook his hand again and said, “Guru of Go, always one of my bike heros”, and he says, “you set your standards way too low”. 😆 😆
It was a great show! Sorry we didn’t get to meet; I guess you didn’t get past our booth with the Dover Dragstrip sign at it?

Last thing, I was living in Oklahoma when I was running IDBA; so I know about long tows!

[dinoKeymaster]

Just so the “kids” …know Who we’re talking about here…Did some digging in the Big ODF premium Galleries and sure enough…we got ’em ! …this is John’s sunday cruiser …….John? have any photos ? e-mail ’em OR ,we have a help topic about posting photos Maso did.

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[billy-casey]

Hi John … Bill Casey here .. it’s been a while. I see Ronnie Milanese every now and then at the races , hope everything is well … I live in Rhode Island now ,, Went over to Kevin Dunns house today , he used to race gassers back in the 60s , said he new you well back then … Billy

[dinoKeymaster]

I think we have another “Drake” with John here….Just had a Hour Talk !on the phone with him …Stories Unbelievable !!! Watch for Photos And Posts from this prolific racer…Bet ya didn’t know John Ran Montgomery, before Dover …worked at Dover and Has Some FANTASTIC recolections !!!

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

Drake,
Good to hear from you.
We’re doing good,and you?
You had it going on with your race program also.I never finished the Thames.Guess I got too busy with other things.
B.Kolb and Maryann(wife) should be here between the Holidays.Kinda like a rite of passage.He sold the Ford store,and still has his Subaru deal.The business has really changed 🙄
I’ll have him get hold of you.

Stormking,
B.Kolb and myself go back many,many years.We were like the “double troubles”.We worked together,as a team,at Larsen Ford.After that,we had several business ventures together.
I’m surprised our paths never crossed.

Bill,
You were a fixture at the track.Hope all is well with you,and yours.Say hello to Kevin for me.

To all of “youse”,
Have a Happy Holiday Season,and a healthy New Year,
John

[bobby-s]

Hi John
I’m a friend of Ron Milanese up here in new york,
I saw Ron last week he stopped by my shop at school,
tries to get there when he is up here,
when I get to your state I would
love to see your son run his bike
Ron says it is awesome to see & hear.

I’m attaching two pictures of you old car, it runs in NETO,
and some other nostalgia groups in the area.
I have these pictures in my main folder of NETO pictures.
Rich who ownes it now always has pictures of when you and Ron raced it
when he put the car in any car show or displays it.
Thought you might like to see them,

Merry Christmas to you & yours also,
Bobby Schlegel

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