So the next day we got up,had breakfast,and went off in search of the Sunshine Mall,and the racing museum. We found it no problem,and went in for a look.I had noticed on the window outside that there was a flyer for an auction fundraiser that night,which sounded interesting enough,but we had decided we were going to Daytona to (A) watch Kyle Larson and (B) each of us able to add another track to our list of speedways being visited. That all changed after we went to the museum.
We were checking everything out,from an old Bobby Allison replica Chevelle,to all the posters on the wall,and stuff from Red Vogt's shop,and we had been there for awhile when Funk started talking to this guy. Funk introduced himself,and then the guy says "I'm Dave Dion." I about **** when he said that,as Dave Dion raced at my local track in the bigger races when I was growing up,and he was one of my favorites,despite,as I told him "Even though you drove a Ford"! I was rather embarrassed that I didnt recognize him,or his voice,but I dont think I have ever seen Dave without a firesuit on,and a Goodyear hat as well.
This changed our plans after talking to Dave,and we got to spend a lot of time talking with him at the museum. I asked about the fundraiser after chatting for a bit,and Dave told us it was held for the museum,and Bobby and Donnie Allison would be there along with Linda Vaughn etc. etc. I was already sold on the idea,but didnt know if Funk would be. Things like this dont happen every day,and I've kicked myself in the ass for many years after Tommy Hinnersh itz invited me to stop by his house anytime,and stupid me thought he was immortal,and never stopprd in as I was always to busy when I was down in his neck of the woods.
Funk thought it would be good to go to as well and we got our tickets to the fundraiser,all the while hoping we wouldnt stick out to badly,as neither of us had planned on anything like this,and all we had for clothes were our racing clothes,hardly anything you'd want to wear to an event like that.
This car was out front of the entry way when we got to the fundraiser,Marvin Panch's Wood Brothers car before he got burned before the Daytona 500 that year,and the Wood Brothers tagged Tiny Lund to drive it for them,and he ended up winning the Daytona 500.
We had a great time at the funraiser and auction,as the photos I posted earlier show. It was our good fortune to run into Dave Dion,and even at the fundraiser he came over to talk with us many times,and introduce us to others as well. I've got Daves book "Running wide open" and we talked about him winning the Oxford 250 3 times (the biggest race at my home track in Maine) Running in Winston Cup races in 1978 against the big boys,and finishing 9th at Richmond one time in their New Hampshire based Dion Brothers racing Ford Torino,to showing up for their firts Cup race at Dover with their bus hauler,and being told "The campground is over there" till they showed the guard there was a racecar in the back,and it wasnt a camper!
Ken Squier says this about Dave Dion: Dave was one of the very few drivers I ever gave money to,when he first went to Richmond I did it because I thought he could be what Don MacTavish never had the chance to be. Mac had a great sense of humor that drew people to him,and Dion is the same way.I'm sorry he didnt get more of an opportunity at the national level;,because he is everything that NASCAR was looking for. They needed someone with his New England accent and sense of humor. The fact that it never happened is racings loss."
We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time which changed our plans for the day,but either way,we both had a really good time there.