Favorite TQ memory

TQ2M (Offline)
#51 2/13/09 9:33 AM

Sandy,
Thanks so much for the info about 7/4/76. I remember that day vividly. For the next 20 years after that race I thought of very little else than T.Q.s (as my report cards showed)!
Sam was killed in the 36 car that Butch drove. The Konig had been replaced by a honda. The Konig went on to be the spare for the Roy Miller 95. I remember Sam as a very kind man and a good friend.
Joe

Speedwrench (Offline)
#52 2/13/09 12:51 PM

Joe - While on the subject of the Miller 95, what ever happened to Dave Blankenship?

TQ2M (Offline)
#53 2/13/09 2:06 PM

Dave died from a heart attack an September of '99.

ringo18 (Offline)
#54 2/13/09 2:20 PM

I bought my first TQ from Sam Brand. Sam was a big help to me in my first year of TQs as was Bob Nichols. Sure do miss those guys as they were what TQs were about in those days.

bgbrd (Offline)
#55 2/13/09 3:01 PM

Originally Posted by bigmojo5:
Bob,
You're right about that smile. The Dwenger Memorial in Greensburg in 1994 was my first actual race, though I had wheel packed in Lynn Ambrose's car at Rushville in 1992. It was my first time to drive a race car. A portion of the track was real soupy because the water truck came to a stop on the backstretch. I drove through a wet spot and sent souply mud skyward.

All but one-quarter of a lap was putt putt. With the encouragement of photographer Jack Gladback, I mashed the throttle and kicked a rooster tail of mud into the Rush County sky. Jack gave me a thumbs up and a bit smile. The worst part of that day was that I was wearing Lynn's helmet and driving uniform. When Jack processed that film and could not tell me apart from the pictures he shot of Lynn.

I was supposed to mud pack at Rushville a couple of years before that in the car Tony Stewart and had driven for Barker. I had stopped by Larry Dwenger's garage to make sure I fit the seat they had put in. The only problem is they had done some work ont the steering wheel and forgotten to secure it its proper position. On race day, I climbed in to mudpack and when we put the steering wheel on I couldn't turn it. I weighed 300 pounds and could have waved at the crowd with both hands. During the next year, I lost 100 pounds to earn the chance to climb in Lynn Ambrose's car.

With the Dwenger Memorial two years later, I actually helped with the track prep after the truck provided by a local company to water the track "broke down." The mayor was kind enough to provide a fire truck full of water. That's right. We watered it with a fire hose and it was dry slick. The track was in pretty shape on the on the original date but It rained after hotlaps when a weird shower blew up and ruined the track. We came back July 5 and the track was dry dry slick. A rookie, I cooked the engine duriing the semi. The Ambroses had to call Tony Stewart and tell him the car he planned to race a couple of days later would not be available. I left after the races for a newspaper job in Iowa and returned for the awards banquet in November to pay Lynn my motor bill. A friend videotaped my race and, Pat, during the qualifying i can hear your voice over the public address system.

Today, some folks believe the only reason I show up at a TQ race is to peddle pictures. No. I show up for the smiles, and the stories. It's just in the past when I showed up everyone asked if I had an pictures.

Jim Morrison

The 1st Dwenger Memorial is one of My favorite races. We had the car and driver to beat that night.
Mr. Teegarden and his family had also lost a family member that winter and it was great to see them win.

Dale

Knoke77 (Offline)
#56 2/13/09 7:48 PM

I also remember the night we ran TQ's at north vernon the night Jack Hewitt got into a fight with another driver. The cops were going through the pits and a particular person that has posted right above me grabs me and starts yelling to the cops.."He did it!! He did it!!"

Not nice picking on a kid!!

bgbrd (Offline)
#57 2/13/09 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by Knoke77:
I also remember the night we ran TQ's at north vernon the night Jack Hewitt got into a fight with another driver. The cops were going through the pits and a particular person that has posted right above me grabs me and starts yelling to the cops.."He did it!! He did it!!"

Not nice picking on a kid!!

:cheers:icon_smile_blackeye

That reminds me of the time a really aggressive driver was in the port a pot at Salem. Some big guy started rocking the port a pot. The driver came out scared to death. Thought he was actually in a tornado.

cowboyup07
#58 2/13/09 8:34 PM

:idea:the snakepit we love to help the racers cook a hog put cash up we just love the tq

bigmojo5
#59 2/13/09 9:20 PM

One of my most vivid UMRA memories is Billy Puterbaugh gettiing forced off the track at Rushville and doing a 360 around me in Terry Goff's car. He kept the throttle down, tail hung out and I was left in a cloud of dust when he drove back out on the track. Woulda shot a picture but was afraid the flash would cause him to twitch the wheel.
Jim Morrison

mnigh (Offline)
#60 2/14/09 1:13 AM

Originally Posted by Sandy Lowe:
AJ & Mike,

I thought you might like this. It is from the 1977 UMRA yearbook:

CARL NIGH, JR.
Carl Nigh, Jr., 34, Rushville, rejoined UMRA midway during the 1977 season. His first TQ race was at Rushville in 1968. He recalled his first heat race when he "got to the first turn I thought I'd better back off - I did and the guy in back of me hit me so hard he knocked me into first place and I led the first lap of my first race." Carl reports he was so dazed he forgot where he finally finished. He drove TQ's until 1974. He then drove CORA midgets for three years. Carl was 1968 Rookie of the Year and Semi Champion. He and wife Cassie have two sons. When he's not racing Carl works at Columbia Lincoln Mercury in Indianapolis in the body shop. His 750 Honda is owned by Harry and Pat Kennedy of Findlay, Ohio. Harry and Pat drive over 300 miles each weekend to compete. They have been involved with TQ's since 1965. Harry drove for four years. Pat has been active as a car owner.

Hi Sandy,Thanks very much for posting the tidbit about Dad! My son saw it and was excited to read about his Grandpa. This thread had already mentioned his great-grandfather and grandmother (Friday & Betty Shackleford), his Mom and my wife (Cindy) is their youngest grand-daughter. Even his Uncle AJ got a mention. :thumb

And thanks to STP and all who have posted for starting and keeping this thread going. UMRA in the late 70s and early 80s are some of my best racing and life memories!

And to Joey Monroe...easy on the stories dude my kid's reading! :rolling

Mike Nigh

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