Re: RICHARD SHOTT PASSES

His Brother Gil just called Me…Sad….Knew Ritch & Gil Well.

Sad News Today…Richie Shott , driver of the “Shottgun Express” AA/GD passed away on the 13th.. Ritchie & brother Gil started at Dover in the early 60’s with Ritchies first homebult t-bucket.He then mounted the body on a dragster chassis to run ‘comp. Then came a line of woody gilmore rails.Ritchie was determined to beat the hemis with a chevy. He ran his first 200 mph run at Dover. His last effort was the famous Twin big block chevy Shottgun Express built to run down the Freight Train.He almost did too,but not with the twin. While testing the twin on Rt.6 in Brewster ,N.Y. ,one engine blew,so they pulled the single engine car out of the barn. Headed to Gainsvilee,weere they pushed the “train”,to its fastest run ever to take runner-up. The Twin ran once at Dover after running at E-Town. That day they crashed the car, and it was never seen again.The Shott bros, won the Div.1 Top Gas title in 1970, beating the likes of D.A. Santucci & Ed Moses.Little guys on a budget….But what a ride. His obituary reads: Richie joined the Navy Sea Bees after high school and later worked for Ford Motor Company as a service representative. Eventually he opened a very successful diesel motor repair shop (Black Cloud Diesel), and continued his mechanical career working with his brother at Clearwater Construction Company.
Richard loved speed, horsepower, and mechanics, which he demonstrated every Sunday at Dover drag strip where he was known as “Richie”, and won many awards with his Top Fuel “Shott Gun Express” dragster as well as competing in events at English Town NJ, Gainesville Florida and elsewhere.
Richie was the first to attempt a dual engine Top Gasl dragster. Later in life Richie moved on to Go Fast Boats, and set an unofficial class record of 142 MPH on the Hudson River in 1997 with a Hustler 35 foot boat..
A funeral service will be held on Saturday December 17, 2016 at 10am at Beecher Funeral Home, 1 Putnam Avenue, Brewster, NY. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, NY. Visitation will be held on Friday December 16, 2016 from 4pm-8pm at the funeral home. –