If it’s February, it must be Daytona and for the 36th consecutive year and the 44th time since our first visit to the World Center of Speed in 1959, we took in all that we could manage in five days of roaming Volusia County during Speedweek.
At the big track, we enjoyed the resurgence and success of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his Amp Chevrolet out of the Hendrick stable, but I’ll admit it was very strange seeing him in a car that was not red and not sporting the Budweiser logo on its flanks. Junior’s legion of faithful fans had no problem with the switch, however, as the amount of green and white clothing we viewed was amazing. If there’s a downturn in the economy, someone forgot to mention that to the Earnhardt supporters.
As for the finish of the 500, I’d resigned myself to the fact that it was going to be Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart and I wasn’t sure in what order. I was very surprised and yet pleased that Ryan Newman and fellow Penske pilot Kurt Busch powered their Dodges to the high side and pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the 50-year history of the Great American Race. I was especially happy for my brother, David Little, as he’s an 18-year employee of Penske South and that organization has needed a good shot in the arm for a couple of seasons and things don’t get much better than a one-two finish.
Much thanks to Terry Brooks and his staff at New Smyrna Speedway as we enjoyed three nights of short-track action at the fast half-mile oval. While we can see the late models and super late models any time, February at NSS is our annual opportunity to view the NASCAR tour-type and Sk modifieds.
Jimmy Blewett proved to be the big winner this year and surprisingly Ted Christopher had to wait until the final night to gain his only victory. Jeff Choquette was the best of the super late models and Joe Winchell bested the late models three nights running.
Maybe the highlight of the time we were in Daytona was the modified reunion held Friday afternoon in the front parking lot at New Smyrna.
Organizer Jerry Binner, with plenty of help, hosted several old race cars and even more old racers for what is hoped will become an annual gathering.
Four of the cars that really stood out were the No. 2x Chevy coupe once driven by Eddie Flemke, the former Gil Hearne Troyer Pinto No. 12 once owned by Tom Durkin, a former Richie Evans Pinto and the No. 67 Chevy coupe now owned by Miamian Richard Bowser. Bowser’s car was the last coupe to run on Long Island when owner/driver Bob Krollage wheeled it at Islip back in the day. A very nice reproduction Plymouth coupe as driven by Bob Polverari was also on hand as was a ’36 Chevy coach, a former real racer, that was a tribute to Eddie Mumford and wore the number Z-8 on the doors.
The people who showed up were what really made the affair for this writer, however. Every time we turned around there was another name renewing friendships from the past and, in general, just having a good time in the Florida sunshine. Among those, we saw old friend Gil Hearne, Bugs Stevens, Jimmy Winks, George Summers, Ron Bouchard, Mike Loescher, Ron Narducci, Chuch Boos, Billy Harmon, Lew Boyd, Joe Brady, Doug Heveron, Gene Bergin, Ed Ortiz, Dutch Hoag, Don Stives and Bill Wimble.
Our thanks to Bob Becker for sending along a great photo of Miami’s Pee Wee Griffin posed next to his Chevrolet sedan at Trenton in 1968. Griffin preferred the coupes to the coaches but his bright red No. 72 looked pretty good back in the day. Pee Wee’s cousin, Buddy Griffin, wheeled a replica of one of his ‘66 Chevelle late models to victory in a 20-lap “just for fun” vintage race at New Smyrna.
Tommy Mottle built the car two years ago at Robert Hamke’s Mooresville, N.C., shop and it is a beauty. Nothing fancy, no modern stuff on the car, and Mottle and other old hands from Hialeah Speedway were on hand to tend to the jet-black mount.