Originally Posted by Al Soran Who is the driver at 1:33 min. with his left hand on his neck? A young Chuck Amati?

Bubby Jones I think?

[amati]

the driver at 133 is bubby jones but the guy at 225 is chuck amati

[Al Soran]

Originally Posted by amati the driver at 133 is bubby jones but the guy at 225 is chuck amati

Hey thanks. Given all the hair and sideburns on all the drivers, I had difficulty picking him out. He's my racing hero, my Dad took me to the races at Marion, IL when I was 5 or 6, and we saw him whip 'em in the #44 Bruce Cogle Ford. I think I knew then what (or who) I wanted to be.

[mscs20]

Dick, that first year at East Bay was the winter of 1978, the last full year of the Rocky Fisher era. There was about 4 weeks of racing in scattered in FL that winter on both pavement and dirt. Sammy and Ferkel were the only 2 I remember who had brought pavement and dirt cars. Sammy was in the 44 of M.A. Brown (Bruce Cogle Ford), Danny Smith drove a brand new Shores house car they had to finish once in FL due to a blizzard that came thru the midwest. Steve Kinser drove for Mark Todd.
Watching Steve Smith, Bobby Allen, Van and Dub May pitch their dirt cars sideways at Orlando Speedworld was priceless.

[Offy22]

The old downtown fairgrounds that surrounded the Plant Field speedway closed down in the mid seventies and the fairgrounds was moved to a location of US 301 & I-4. There were no dirt races until East Bay opened in 1977 but races were held on pavement at Golden Gate Speedway about 3 miles north off US 301. The new fairgrounds added the 1/2 mile dirt track in the early eightys hosting both WoO sprints as well as USAC Dirt Champ cars. The new fairgrounds track was abandoned and finally raised for an amphitheator. Rocky Fisher promoted the first two years at East Bay and was dogged with bad weather. East Bay began promotion thereafter then WoO assumed the roll until the All Stars began a long run of Winter Nationals promotion. The current leasers of the track are using the ASCS banner. The current Winter Nationals at East Bay is a pale shadow of it's past.
The Hector Honore Offy with Bobby Grim and Pete Folse running the around the top with knobbies throwing long rooster tails of clay defined the Winternationals in the 50's and is forever ingrained in my memory.:checkered:

[Dwight Clock]

Originally Posted by Offy22 The Hector Honore Offy with Bobby Grim and Pete Folse running the around the top with knobbies throwing long rooster tails of clay defined the Winternationals in the 50's and is forever ingrained in my memory.:checkered:

One of my biggest racing related regrets is that I never got to see the Honore "Duece" compete. What a record that car and it's legendary drivers put together!

[groove grabber]

Hey Al, he didnt have a gold number 2 pushin him around the track did he, I 've heard him and my old man(Cliff Cockrum) had some good battles.

[smith19]

Mscs20, I Remember That Race. That Was The Year They Qualified One Night And Ran The Race On The Next Night. They Cancelled The Second Night And Ran Rocky Fisher Out Of Town.

[DonRacer]

Originally Posted by smith19 Mscs20, I Remember That Race. That Was The Year They Qualified One Night And Ran The Race On The Next Night. They Cancelled The Second Night And Ran Rocky Fisher Out Of Town.

You shouldn't have took more than you gave
We wouldn't be in this mess today
And though we've gone our separate ways
The dues we have to pay are still the same
-Traffic

[Al Soran]

Originally Posted by groove grabber Hey Al, he didnt have a gold number 2 pushin him around the track did he, I 've heard him and my old man(Cliff Cockrum) had some good battles.

Groove Grabber,

I called my Dad to see what his recollection was, and he said, "Oh yes" I remember Cliff Cockrum, the Gold Duece." He said he thought it was a CAE car because it had a squared of tank. He dug deep into his memory, and he believes your dad drove the Busy Bee Ford coupe before he got in the Gold Duece, and that possibly Buchwheat Gates drove the Gold Duece at one time as well. He said your dad was really good, but they were all chasing his personal favorite, Gene "The Flyin' Eyeball" Hensen. My Pop has many fond memories of that track and those racers.