Gonna be a big show Thurs-Sun at Orlando SpeedWorld with the DAARA Winter meet going on… Already a really big group of cars there and they may easily set a record for number of cars… Midgets - Sprints - Modifieds - LMS - Speedsters and more… Spectator pit pass is just 10 bucks a day and well worth your time especially with this incredible weather… Gonna be there tomorrow and have some fun!
I spent a good part of Friday with Chad Freeman (former Tampa resident who now lives in KY) and his friends, all of whom went to Golden Gate Speedway back in the '60s-'80s… We relived a lot of great memories and Chad had some old photos and clippings with him… His car, the re-built Harry Campbell USAC-legal car #52 is one fast machine indeed. I actually saw this car run a USAC Sprint Car show at Dayton, OH while I was on my honeymoon in 1979 with Richard Pratt driving, then Frank Riddle ran the USAC pavement shows with it in 1980… They also had a dirt car that year and Frank finished 12th in points and at age 52 was the USAC Sprint Car Rookie of the Year… 29 years after Frank won his first race in 1951!!!
Was neat to see so many old friends… Dave, Kelly and Matt Jarrett, Sue Yahnke, Captain Jack Sapp, Dave Cash, Roy Campbell, Bill McPeek, Don Rehm, Josh Rynd, Bill Wendt, Jimmy Jeep, Ronnie Rohn and so many others.
The only bad thing was a horrible accident early in the afternoon when DAARA helper Bob Willis was hit by a midget when attempting to cross the track on his four-wheeler after pushing out another car… It was not a pretty sight and Bob will be laid up quite awhile as he has two broken vertabrae in his back and one in his neck along with a broken breast bone and other injuries. Get well soon Bob and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Dave, were you out there Thursday? What happened with my buddy Dave Ordos?
Only went on Friday