The fire is almost out but the Northbound traffic on 31 is backed way up. No one hurt and the fire is now out


Jerry

How bad is the damage? My father is friend's with the owner and GW Pierce used to sponsor my dad's USAC stock car.

Is your dad Butch Garner?

Butch drove for my father William Hardy. He had a USAC Dodge Charger in the mid-70's

Here's a picture of the car in 1975. Dad got it from Pierce at the end of the 1974 season after McCluskey won Springfield with it.

I remember that car well!

I watched that car race in the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 USAC Stock Car race at The Springfield Mile in August of 1975. I was just barely out of college at that time and haven't missed a Crowe Memorial since that Sunday back in '75.

Hope the damage is minimal due to the fire.

Funny thing is that car started 8th and finished 8th with Butch in 1975. This was my dad's first home track race as a USAC owner. Last year Shane Cockrum ran my dad's champ car at the Illinois State Fair forty years after my dad's first race as a car owner and also finished 8th.

I still carry his USAC card in my wallet for good luck! Kinda cool that there is still a USAC car owner still involved 40 years later!

Now that is cool!