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9/19/09, 12:09 PM   #1
"From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Gang"
Midwest Connection
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Back in the 60's this supermodified racing trio was without a doubt a force to be reckoned with in Southern supermodified racing. Many IOW readers will remember this trio I am sure without a doubt - "The Alabama Gang."

Have a good day...see you at the races

Rich - Arnold, Missouri

Photo Source: Dan Spence from Mobile, Alabama and Southern Supermodifieds by Gerald Hodges


Bobby Allison


Donny Allison


Red Farmer
 
9/20/09, 1:53 PM   #2
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
stephen
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That was three hardcore racers back in the day, especially Bobby. Bobby was my first racing hero when I was growing up. He has seen so much tragedy in his life in the last twenty years, starting with his career-ending injury, losing son Clifford to a racing accident, losing Davey to a helicoptor crash that almost claimed Red Farmer as well, and then losing good friend Neil Bonnett also to a racing accident also. The thing is Red is the oldest one of the three, yet he is still racing his dirt late-model.
 
9/20/09, 1:58 PM   #3
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
Mud Packer
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Rich,

Thanks for the pictures. I am sure that many didn't even know that they ran supermodifieds during their careers. I can imagine that most current day NASCAR fans don't even know who these three gentlemen are.
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Mike

Be nice to people on the way up. You might need them on the way down. Jimmy Durante
 
9/20/09, 2:27 PM   #4
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
Speedwrench
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I lived in Pensacola Flordia in the late 80's and early 90's. It wasn't until much later that I learned what a golden opportunity I missed out on by not checking out some of the old supermod guys who were still in the area. I knew that Mobile had been a center of supermod racing - and to some extent, Pensacola, but that was gone by the time I moved to the area.

Wayne Neidecken was still around and I ran into a car owner by the name of Johnnie Ardis from Mobile who had been in on the old days. Not to mention that he owned what must have the only sprint car on the gulf coast from Houston to Tampa at that point in time. Also later came to find out that Bill Hite lived in a small town between Mobile and Pensacola.

This would have been a golden opportunity to get a lesson in supermod history in the south from some of the people who lived it.
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Last edited by Speedwrench; 9/20/09 at 2:35 PM.
 
9/20/09, 9:49 PM   #5
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
ktsr
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Is this not the greatest pic on this website. Red Farmer is the epitamy of what a racer is. I had this pleasure of working on his dirt late models for a short time when I first moved to Alabama in 1989. Working for one of your heros is a great thing. I learned what it meant to race on nothing and to never let that deter your desire. We worked in a not very updated shop behind his house every night after work and made the Saturday trip to Talladega short track on the weekends. He was also Davey's Busch Grand National Crew Chief at that time. So, we would take the trail from behind his house that led straight to the Allison's shop to visit and hang out sometimes. I was 19 yrs old and living a dream. These guys are the greatest. If i'm not mistaken, Mr. Farmer is a racing hero of one of our past sprint cars guru's, Tony Stewart. Even he knows greatness when he sees it.

P.S. Mr. Farmer gave me a great quote this year at the ICE BOWL at TST in January. I asked him if he was ever gonna retire, and this was his response. "I may wear out, but i'll never get Rusty."

Great Pics
Kevin Thomas, Sr
 
9/20/09, 11:18 PM   #6
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
racephoto1
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I was at the DuQuoin ARCA race a few years back . Trying to find out how old he was, I said my friend Mel Kenyon is 64. Red replied in his southern drawl," That boy is a young pup." Oh, he finished third that day, if I remember correctly.
 
9/21/09, 11:37 AM   #7
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
stephen
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Down here in the south, they called supermodifieds "skeeters" back in the early and mid 60's. Besides the Alabama gang, there were other great drivers that ran supers, Hooker Hood, Ellis Palasini, Ival Cooper, Freddy Friar and his brother out of Chattanooga, open wheel racing was pretty hot down here for a while. Donnie Allison held the track record for years at the Huntsville(AL) Speedway, well into the 80's, in a super.
 
10/20/09, 4:44 PM   #8
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
Rocketracer
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Attachment 1613

Attachment 1614
Bobby Allison in the Johnny Ardis' CAE Sprint car from Mobile, Al. at West Palm Beach, Fl. and Montgomery Al. in the 60's. Same car failed to make the 1972 Little 500 after running third in the 50 lapper with Tampa's Bill Roynon at the wheel.
 
10/20/09, 6:35 PM   #9
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
Lucky161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephen View Post
Down here in the south, they called supermodifieds "skeeters" back in the early and mid 60's. Besides the Alabama gang, there were other great drivers that ran supers, Hooker Hood, Ellis Palasini, Ival Cooper, Freddy Friar and his brother out of Chattanooga, open wheel racing was pretty hot down here for a while. Donnie Allison held the track record for years at the Huntsville(AL) Speedway, well into the 80's, in a super.
Being from Texas I've always been a big fan of the "Beaumont Flyer" Freddy Fryar, but was surprised to find out that he was originally from Chattanooga and that he ran supers (skeeters) before he raced late models.
 
10/21/09, 8:47 AM   #10
Re: "From A Few Years Back" - A very popular supermodified trio - "The Alabama Ga
Lucky161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedwrench View Post
I lived in Pensacola Flordia in the late 80's and early 90's. It wasn't until much later that I learned what a golden opportunity I missed out on by not checking out some of the old supermod guys who were still in the area. I knew that Mobile had been a center of supermod racing - and to some extent, Pensacola, but that was gone by the time I moved to the area.

Wayne Neidecken was still around and I ran into a car owner by the name of Johnnie Ardis from Mobile who had been in on the old days. Not to mention that he owned what must have the only sprint car on the gulf coast from Houston to Tampa at that point in time. Also later came to find out that Bill Hite lived in a small town between Mobile and Pensacola.

This would have been a golden opportunity to get a lesson in supermod history in the south from some of the people who lived it.
I remember Wayne Neidecken racing in DFW when he lived in Abilene TX. This was on dirt, but he also raced on pavement back in those days. There is a great story about him coming to Austin to race on pavement at
http://txsz.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7049

---------- Post added at 07:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 AM ----------

Has any sponsor been involved in racing longer than Lewis Long Ford?
 
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