Ausome pics all! It's going to take me a while to go through them all (55 pages) but so far very cool to look at and remember myself, my mom and my dad at Lions Drag Strip. Thanks for the emotional roller coaster.
It took me awhile but I think the lady in the #6 was Noren Mears or something similar, does that sound right to you? I don't remember the other #6 or the #8, I'll try to pul out some of my old All-Pro & ASA programs.
don't know if he was at the time of those pics,but at one time Larry McReynolds? was her crew chief. she was from b'ham/ hueytown area. guys who was the driver from stone mnt, ga. first name i think was randy? ran with uncle bob harmon's all-pro?
Randy Couch. Neat guy, and a good driver. We used to call him Randy Crotch. I remember him running a race with us at Milwaukee once, and late that night we met up with his crew in a rest stop near Lafayette, Ind. We had all dove in there and took shelter in the building because there were tornado warnings all around us. Another one of those guys we hit it right off with. I can remember him needed a little help and grabbing my young son to pitch in that day at Milwaukee. He and all those guys in ASA who befriended Matt made him a heck of a mechanic. When Matt went to Lincoln Tech in Indianapolis, the only thing they really taught him was automatic transmissions and fuel injection. When they gave a test on rear ends, they put the student in a room with more parts than needed, and he had to put one together. My boy came out in like 15 minutes, and when they asked how come he was so quick, he said, "I've been doing that since I was 11."
Here's a couple of "crotch" shots of Randy in the #12. I am unsure of the #3, it says Billy Harvey on the windshield but for some reason Junior Hanley comes to mind. The #46 is also unknown to me unless it it Hotrod La Mause (sp). Ok, You guys with good memories jump in anytime.
Larry McReynolds is driver Norean Mears nephew. He started of helping her with a hobby car at birmingham in the 75 season. Later he went to work for Bobby Ray Jones whos shop was in Minor out side of birmingham. Ms. Mears still has her last car in her garage. The Bham paper did a article on her and her relationship with Larrt Mc. Dixie is one of my favorite tracks because of its odd design. Bud Lunsford {the designer}said that with the front straght curved the fans would not stand up to see all the action. This is thread is tied for no 1 as my favorite thread on the hamb......
That blue #3 could be Billy Harvey with the #1 part of his number taped over. He may have had to tape his number from 31 because of Steve Grissom having #31. I know Harvey ran a Hanley built car for awhile, and Harvey's running mate Gary Balough ran Hanley's #72 in the 81 AA400 at Nashville. Hanley had another #72 there, the mustang with the camaro nose, which they did not allow to run. That #46 belonged to Eddie Howard of Harahan, Louisiana. Some other notables who raced that car are Rat Lane, and Freddy Fryar. That white #6 is Mears.
Speaking of Gary Balough, these were taken at Georgia International at one of our FelPro races. Gary won the pole and the race. What ever can be said about Gary, he could drive a race car and he was always friendly to me. What happened to Ben (far left in the group photo), if I remember right he was indited when Gary and Billy H were. Also I think one of the younger members of the Balough bunch was also involved (he is just to the right of Balough I think, he drove a limited car with # 112 on it some).
Gary Balough. You're right, he could drive a race car. He was always a gentleman around me. Matter of fact, right after his first indictment he asked if I wanted to go to work for him as a PR man. I told him I really liked him, but I didn't think there was much I could do to help.
I edited my post above to say, What happened to Ben (I think I remember his name, far left in the group photo), if I remember right he was indited when Gary and Billy H were. I first mistakenly said far right instead of left.
This is from the Dick Brannon Ford South show in Cummin, GA a couple of years ago, this belonged to some else but I heard Pearson bought it before he left.
I believe you are right, that sounds right in my feable mind. I remember Balough held a big BBQ on Saturday night before the race on Sunday just before they were to leave.
woops, almost forgot to post photos today. A few dirt latemodels: A contrasting view, the top two are Mike Harmon at Nashville in a conventional asphalt car and the bottom two are of Thomas Gordon in at Georgia International when we had an dirt cars on asphalt race.
When I laid out the adds I put in "Dirt Track racing with out the dirt". We had a good show the few times we did that.
yeah they put on a few really good show at huntsville. mickey gibbs was hard to handle with his ford. ronnie johnson ran some with us, mike head, dale mcdowle and i forget some of the other. they seemed to really enjoy running asphalt also
I just found a box with some Beach slides in it. It had fallen behind a filing cabinet. Here is one of maybe the pace lap, but doesn't look like near enough cars?
I've got plenty of l.d. ottinger photos , from the flathead days to the black diamond coal company days...do you realize l.d. finished in the top ten points standings 14 years second only to jack ingram's 17 and l.d. didn't race from 1978-1984.......contact me at phillips@planetc.com...when i figure out how to do it i'll share with everyone....
Asphalt for the day, Top left: Mike Alexander, Top right: Bob Seneker Bottome left: Mike Eddy, green car Bottom Right: Mike Eddy, ugly car Local dirt trackers from GA, black and white just to be different.
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