Just wondering what you Karnacians would think about a special Memorial/Old Timers weekend at the FASCAR tracks… An event similar to the Modified Reunion but open to just those drivers who competed on the FL short tracks… When Jerry Joslin was alive we had some very successful get-togethers on the Joslin Memorial nights and the Eau Gallie/Melbourne reunion that the Whites organized was great but I think this could be even bigger… Have it in October so that weather is only probably a 30-40 per cent factor, invite everybody to OSW and recognize them on Friday, then have an all-day event at New Smyrna on Saturday with lots of memorabilia, old race cars etc. Also take time to remember all of those who have passed on that gave us so many memories… What do you think… I’d love to be a part of putting this together, especially since I can’t take part in the Mod Reuinion because of working at Speedworld… Comments appreciated…
Also… need your memory help… I am trying to put together a Memorial Page for www.floridaracinghistory.com and have been compiling a list of those who lost their lives at Florida short tracks. I am relying just on memory and what I have gotten from a website called www.motorsportsmemorial.org…
Again, this list does not include Daytona or the NASCAR tracks or any sports car courses or drag strips… Considering the number of short tracks and drivers who have raced at them, Florida has a pretty outstanding record… From info gathered, it appears no one (driver, spectator, official, crew member) has lost their life at Citrus, Auburndale/Winter Haven, Lake City, Plant Field, Phillips Field, Samarana, Columbia County, Putnam, St. Augustine, Old Orlando, Eau Gallie, Ft. Pierce, Treasure Coast, Vero Beach, Deland, Jax Raceways, either Gator Raceway, Miami-Hollywood, Clewiston, East Bay and a few others that ran for short periods of time. Here is a list of those we have lost over the years and if you know of any others, please let me know so we can honor their memory:
Hollywood Speedway: Ron Grimm (1968) Supermodified driver
Hialeah Speedway: Don Campbell (1956) Stock Car driver, Walter Merz, Jr. (1957) Spectator hit by tire, Roy Hartley (1994) Driver - heart attack.
Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway: John Paul Smith (1952) driver, Jim Norwood (1963) Supermodified driver, Robert Bennett (1967) Spectator or crew member hit by a car during qualifying while trying to retreive his hat from the track, Dick Losenbeck (1973) driver.
Sunshine Speedway - Wild Bill Revard (1999) Figure 8 race.
Florida City Speedway - Gary Smith (1969) TQ Midget… Another TQ driver was killed warming his car up on a city street but I don’t know the name or the year…
Volusia - Jack Cornell (1975) died 3 months after a Midget crash.
Stock Island Speedway - Robert Turner (1963) Stock Car race.
Palmetto Speedway - Albert Howard (1962) Spectator standing on a truck in the pits hit by supermodified driven by Rod Perry that went over the fence.
Five Flags Speedway - Sonny Black (1968) NASCAR Sportsman race.
Golden Gate Speedway - Wayne Rohn (1970) Modified driver during private test, Bernadine Todd & George Condon (1983) Spectators hit by a tire in the pits.
New Smyrna Speedway - Marion Edwards, Jr. (1969) LM crash and fire, Richard Coffin (1983) LM Crash, Mike Cope (1997) Mini Stock driver suffered massive heart attack after exiting his car during a feature race, Homer Gordon (2003) Massive heart attack during Sportsman race, Lake County Sheriff Chris Danials (2006) Bus race.
Jacksonville Speedway - Ed Bellefleur (1952) Flagman hit by car.
USA International/Lakeland - Chris Abblett (2000) crewman for Jeremy Bowser - tire exploded.
Festival Park, Zephyrhills - Jim Hoerstring (2004) Vintage meet.
Tampa Fairgrounds, I-4 and US 301 - Guy Theis (1987) unknown what class he was driving, Ron Perez (1988) Sprint Car crash.
Charlotte County Speedway - Ron Dushek, Sr. (2000) Heart attack during stock car race, Freddie Stutz (2008) TQ Midget crash.
Bronson Speedway - Two vintage car drivers lost their lives at the same time a few years back but I can’t find the date or names.
Dave, the Florida City driver you are referring to was Tony Ross, my first racing hero. Here is a link to the news article about his accident.
http://floridacityspeedway.homestead.com/files/newspaperarticles/T_Ross_obit.jpg
Good idea, by the way.
Hey Dave
Butch Lindley Died after a crash at Desoto in 1984 or 85. Butch was driving a KISS series late Model. I looked at that video today. I was thinking I’d better pu it on DVD so I can preserve it. I tried to put a 1984 race on dvd for Leroy Porter a while back and the tape was history, Hank Thornton died of a heart attack after racing his volkswagon Rabbit in a mini stock race. I seem to remember a fan dieing at Desoto in 2002 or 2003. I think he was a racers dad. Bob…
There was a backstretch flagman killed at Auburndale during a figure 8 race I dont remember the date and his name escapes me right now.
Ronald Laney-Eastbay 2002
I was thinking about something like this at the Mod Reunion. I would LOVE to see some old full-bodied stock cars from the '60s, ‘70s, and maybe even the ‘80s if anyone’s got any restored. Seeing ol’ Buddy Griffin’s Chevelle at the Mod Reunion is what got me thinking. Hell, even replicas would be acceptable 
I just love them old-school race cars. Would love to see more Chevelles, Novas, old Camaros, old Fairlanes and Torinos…I’d also like to see our local Florida guys recognized in some manner before we lose all our racing heroes. LeRoy, Pletcher, Tricky Dicky, Bobby Brack, Barnwell, Rogero, Scarborough, Childers, Fenton, Breakfield, Butch Smith, Rogers, Balough, David Russell, DuMont, Buzzie and Wayne (that’s Wayne SR…LOL…), Billy Gill…I’m talkin’ guys from all over the state, from the '60s through the '80s.
Let’s do it!
The Donald Campbell fatal at Hialeah '56 was during a private mid-week test session in a midget and he sufferd a head injury that was not a problem immediately after the accident as I understand it.
I swear there was a spectator fatality at Eau Gallie in 1957 or '58 but have no proof. He was hit by an errant tire/wheel while sitting in the stands near the fourth turn.
How about Rawhide Nace at old Orlando or was it Sunbrock? He was speared by a piece of metal fence support material. The metal had to be cut off on either side of Nace with a torch to remove him from the car.
Marty Little
Marty, you’re right about the fatality at Eau Gallie. It was I think the first year of operation and a spectator got hit in the stands. He was a visitor from Erie, Pa. Don’t ask me why I remember it when I can’t remember what happened an hour ago. Also Dave, there was another fatality at Volusia and on this one my memory fails me. His first name was George (I think). He hit the wall coming out of turn four. billy
Wasn’t there a driver killed at Lake City dirt about 10 years or so ago when he hit the metal railing and lost his head. At least, I think it was Lake City dirt.
Clewiston
There was a driver lost there just a few years back. His name was STEVE MEDINGER who also was the OWNER of the track! Steve was running in 2nd place that night and racing very hard. I believe it was the checkered lap but anyway, suffered a massive heart attack in turn 3 and hit the wall very hard in turn 4. VERY SAD NIGHT! I also think I remember a driver dying in his car at Thundercross from a heart attack. Memory is shot!!! Amy Wilson of the UDLMCS could probably give you the info on both of these incidents.
Thanks for the help… jogging my memory a bit more… Can’t believe I forgot Lindley… I also remember the Street Stock crash at Volusia… name escapes me at the moment but he raced there for many years… seems his car # was 777… The driver Marty was referring to was at Sunbrock Speedway… I remember that now too… Also omitted John Potts who lost his life at Speedworld in 1991…
Wasnt there a late model fatality at Ocala a few years ago? Older gentleman, hit the wall between turns 1 and 2 very hard… he lasted about a month but never left the hospital.
Guy Theis at Fla. State Fair was in a Sprint car, #59
The Late Model driver at Ocala was…
I’ll remember soon.
Jane is correct about the Lake City dirt fatality. Guy’s name was Bill Lockhart and I only recall that because he was originally from South Florida and raced a little bit at Hialeah in the Thundercars.
Clyde “Butch” Lindley was badly injured (closed head injury) at Desoto in 1983 as I recall and was in a coma for years. He finally passed on June 6, 1990 at age 42 in a care facility near his Greenville, SC hometown.
John Potts died at Orlando after hitting the pit entrance/exit early 90’s.
I can’t remember the guy’s name that got got decapitated at Lake City…Heard most of his cage was made of chain link fence posts or Muffler tubing.
ocala driver
The driver that died in ocala drove the h2o car his last name was mcolloum or something like that.
BINGO… Leo McCullough (sp?)
Jerry you are correct. At the time I was the pit steward and the first one to him. Of all the wrecks that I’ve witnessed, that has to be the hardest hit that I’ve ever witnessed. I even felt it through my feet when he hit the wall. Tubing for the front bumper was inbedded in the wall so deep that we had to use the wrecker to pull it out.
He passed away about a year later. From what I was told, he refused to go back in the hospital to be hooked up to a ventilator again.
Also back in about 97,98, The man who owned Herb Nuemans’ late model, Mackey is what everyone called him, His brother passed away in the pits from a massive heart attack.
Another death at Ocala, from what I’ve been told, was the first time that they ever held races there. A driver flipped his midget and landed on top of a cut off utility pole.
At Volusia, The driver that Dave mentioned was during one of the “protest 100” weekends. I don’t remember his name but I’m pretty sure he drove a white camaro with The Chevy emblem painted on the door in purple. I think his number was 15 and it was in the middle of the emblem.
Also, don’t forget about the lady that was killed in the pits when the dirt track was located where the go kart track is now. Some one climbed the gaurd rail, went through the fence and the car landed on top of her.
There was a spectator killed at Collier County Speedway in Naples shortly before it closed in '85. Was an oddball deal as I recall, maybe during an enduro or demo derby. I see if Bill Bigley recalls the deal.
Marty Little
Not sure if these would apply:
Emil & Dale Reutimann killed on their way home from Golden Gate.
Tamp-area driver Jim Haynes was killed in a Sprint car crash while racing in Phoenix at the Copper World Classic.