DOVER'S LAST DAY: May 23,1976....the story unfolds

[VBOB]

Hey,
"IN IT FOR THE MONEY" !!!
Boy how many times has that been the rule !!!
At least we all had a great place to play on a Sunday afternoon !!!

'V'Bob

[vindicator]

HEY MIKE MANNION...YOU 'OL "STUD MUFFIN"...THANX FOR PUTTIN' TO REST AN ALMOST 'NOTHER "SAGA"... THIS ONE HAD ALL THE "INGREEDIANTS" TO OUT-DO THE "TALES OF DA' CRYPT"...'ER CORRECTION..."TALES OF THE BLACK ARROW"...I BE SAYIN'... "PRAISE THE LORD"... THE SMRTICS'.. ARE STILL ACTIVE (AND OUR LONG-TERM FRIENDS)... AND HAVE THAT BIG BOATLOAD OF INTEGRITY THEY DO...TO TELL LIKE IT WAS/IS...THEY EASILY COULD HAVE "CREATED" A BELIEVEABLE "STORY"..ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED...THEY ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF BUILDING A "PERFECT" CLONE...PA$$ING IT OFF AND MAKIN'...PROBABLY SOME SERIOUS $$$...ACTUALLY, PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE TOO FAR REMOVED FROM HALF THE "PERIOD" CARS THAT ARE OUT THERE ...I SAY "BOY"...ABSOLUTELY...POSITIVELY..."ORIGINAL"....I DON'T EXACTLY THINK THEY'RE IN THE "CATAGORY" OF.. MY.. NOS IN THE BOX..."SLINKY"...(NOW "THAT BABY" IS WORTH SOME REAL $ERIOUS $$$) YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN..THAT'S ANOTHER "STORY" FOR ANOTHER TIME...BY THE WAY...I THINK YOU COST ME SOME MONEY...YEAH YOU.."BIG GUY"...NOTE... THAT I'M A REAL "WRASLER"..BEHIND THIS KEYBOARD...AND I DO REMEMBER..YOU BEING A PRETTY BIG DUDE... ALWAYS IN GOOD SHAPE...BUT THAT WAS "THEN"...'DIS IS NOW!!...ANYWAY..'ASSUMING" YOU HAVE A GOOD MEMORY...JULY 6TH...'69... (JUST A "SHORT" WHILE AGO... EH')...WE WON COMP WITH THE CARMEL FORD MUSTANG...BUT ON JULY 13TH..WE LOST IN THE SEMI'S... WE WUZ' ROBBED!!...I WANT A RE-RUN...AND I WANT IT NOW...U...MIS-CALCULATED THE DIALS!!!...SEEING YOUR PHOTO IN THE TOWER (WE "GOT" THE EVIDENCE...)...I CAN SEE...YOU WUZ'..."DISTRACTED"....SO "PONY UP"... I WANT ANOTHER "SHOT" @ THE "BIG BUCK$"... OR HOW 'BOUT "LIFE'S A LEMON"...I WANT MY...MONEY...BACK...HEY...JUST KIDDIN'...WHAT WOULD A USED CAR SALESMAN BE...WITHOUT A SENSE OF HUMOR...HOPE ALL HAS BEEN/IS WELL FOR YOU & YOUR FAMILY...I...REMEMBER.. LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY..YOUR EVER PRESENT SMILE...JUST ONE GOOD "DUDE"...IF YOU WUZ' A FISH...U'D BE A KEEPER!!!...WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST HEALTH,HAPPINESS,PROSPERITY...'OL RONNIE IN THE TIME TICKET "SHACK" WORKED FOR NY TELEPHONE(BREWSTER)...HE USED TO COME BY THE SHOP PRETTY REGULARLY..."TINK" SHAEFER KNEW HIM WELL..THINK HE WORKED WITH "TINK'S" DAD...DO BELIEVE HE SMOKED A "BIG FATTIE" OR TWO (THREE??) ON SUNDAYS'...MAYBE A LIL' LIQUID...OR CHEMICALS TO EASE THE DAY AS WELL...I DON'T THINK HIS JOB DESCRIPTION...HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HAVING HIS FINGER ON THE "RED" BUTTON...HE ACTUALLY WAS A GOOD GUY TOO...HARMLESS...JUST THE WAY IT WUZ'/IS..EVEN TODAY..DRAKE VISCOME ...JOE & CHET WERE ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY A-OK TO ME & MY FAMILY...THEY WERE ABOUT BU$INE$$ "SEGMENT" OF DRAG RACING...PLAIN & SIMPLE...AND THAT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE "AGREED" WITH...BUT IT ..WAS UNDERSTOOD...IT WUZ' THEIR "BAT & BALL"...AFTER-ALL!!..HAD A LOT OF "PRIVATE" CONVERSATION (THEY BOTH WERE LONG-TIME CUSTOMERS OF CARMEL FORD)...AFTER THEY "PULLED THE PLUG" @ DOVER...AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA' STAY...PRIVATE!!!

[dinotheweirdo]

Drake........... try the decaffinated can you imagine him writing a book ?.......no chapters

[Mike Mannion]

Drake...is it really you???? Ok, like Dino says, put the coffee down and relax. Great to hear from you!....WOW.
Your memory is incredible, especially of that fateful day of July 13, 69 and of what was to become known as the 'Great Competition Eliminator Incident". I had hoped that you would have forgotten by now. DRAT!
The independent review board determined that a number of things occurred in quick succession during the period just prior to the race resulting in the error.
1. The afternoon sun was beating mercilessly through the window of the Dover Nerve Center rasing the ambient temp to an estimated 115' F.
2. Dino was making us laugh with goofy stuff.
3. Mike had lunch with Quater Mile Ron.
Also, subtraction wasnt my biggest strength, especially when involving numbers containing the digits 7 and 9. Besides....what the big deal with .8 or .9 second mistake anyway?
I have an old Dover trophy in the attic, will that suffice?

Hey, I didnt mean any disrespect to Chet Anderson or Joe Archiere. I have been married to Joe's neice for 40 yrs, and loved Joe tremendiously. We were a close family. How do you think I got the job? They were both good businessman and did what they needed to do. Unfortunately niether of them were racers or understood much about the sport. Joe always spoke very highly of you and your family and I knew that he was a friend..
I am still living in New Fairfield CT, about 20 minutes from RT 6 in Carmel. Understand that you live somewhere near Dino and might be coming to Sam's for the reunion lunch. I hope to see you both there if all works out right.
So where is the Vindicator now? Are you or anybody in the family still racing? Is Carmel Ford still alive?
Thanks for initiating the conversation. Thanks for the kind words. Great blog.
Happy Thanks Giving to you and your family!
Mike

[dinotheweirdo]

Out with Timeslip-RON for "lunch"....Just what was on the menu ???? ("WHEN THE MOON IS IN THE SEVENTH HOUSE...AND JUPITER ALIGNS WITH MARS.....LA-LA LA-ALA ") ...But How do you guys remember these dates ...Oh ...About the Last Day ....IF THAT WAS the LAST Day early in the season WHAT happened to all the Stock of Tophies & Decals ???....Thnk we have to find some family members ...sons -daughters of CHET for this huh ?. AND what was timeslip Ron's last name and lets FIND him !!...what shut down area stories would HE HAVE 1!!!!

[vindicator]

HEY MIKE...YEAH..IT'S ME...MAYBE LIKE A "BAD"(OR IS IT "LUCKY"?!!**) PENNY..."NEVER KNOW" WHERE IT'LL TURN UP...I "KNOW"...I" KNOW".. YOU MARRIED JOE'S NIECE...HE INTRODUCED ME..BEFORE.. MIKE THE "WHITE KNIGHT"...CAME ALONG...I THINK HE THOUGHT IT WAS A "GOOD IDEA"...FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES...AND YOUR NOW...LONG-TIME WONDERFUL WIFE...WAS GRACIOUS FOR...ABOUT 30 SECONDS...I THINK BEING A "PAL" OF THE MODREN ERA...ABOUT TO BE... "WILLY LOMAN"...WASN'T EXACTLY OF INTEREST...TO YOUR WIFE...I'D SAY...SHE SURE COULD "SPOT" A WINNER/LOSER...WELL...HEY MAYBE NOT...SHE MARRIED...YOU..HA'..HA'..I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD A GREAT UNION...40 YEARS...OR SHE'D SENT YA' PACKIN'..A LONG TIME AGO...U GET THE IDEA...I KNOW YOU'D NEVER DIS-RESPECT JOE OR CHET...ME NEITHER...I DIDN'T HARDLY AGREE WITH MUCH OF THEIR DRAG RACING "PHILOSOPHY"...BUT THEY LIKE MY DAD WERE OUR ELDERS...RESPECT & REGARD...AND KEEPIN' YOUR OPINONS (AS A YOUNG "BUCKEROO") TO ONE'S SELF..."WERE THE RULE"...IN THAT SAME "VEIN"..THOSE THREE "AMIGOS" (JOE,CHET,MY DAD) HAD A LOT OF VERY SIMILIAR "THOUGHT PROCESSES"...HAVING GROWN UP AROUND THE "GREAT DEPRESSION" (HEY "FIDO"...I THINK WE'RE "ABOUT" REAL CLOSE TO THE REAL "GREAT DEPRESSION" OF THE MODERN ERA...SURE HOPE NOT...BUT @ PRESENT..THE CAR BUSINESS...IS "WELL".. INTO) ALL LIVED THROUGH/SERVED IN WWII...TO THE BEST OF MY ALMOST "TOTAL RECALL" (I "LIE" A LOT...USED CAR SALESMAN...REMEMBER) MEMORY...THEY ALL CAME FROM SOMEWHAT IMPOVERISHED BEGINNINGS... (MY DAD WAS OLDEST OF 8 BOYS..IMMIGRANT PARENTS..COULD BARELY SPEAK ENGLISH)...SO WHEN HE OPENED THE GAS STATION...RIGHT AFTER GETTING OUT OF WWII SERVICE..IT WUZ'..."LOOK MA'... MADE IT..TO THE TOP OF DA' WOILD!!"...SHORTLY AFTER, THE FORD GARAGE...30+ OR SO YEARS LATER..SO MUCH LIKE JOE & CHET...A "POLITICAL" PAL APPROACHES HIM...AND LIKE JOE & CHET...WE'RE STARIN' "DOWN THE BARREL"...OF A 7 FIGURE OFFER..IN 1980'S DOLLARS...SO FOR MY FOLKS...ALL THOSE YEARS OF TURNIN' WRENCHES...YADA'...YADA'...THE "SHIP" HAD COME IN!!!...SO MUCH LIKE JOE & CHET AND THE HUMAS/SOIL/PEAT..PROPERTY SCENARIO...A LIFETIME OF LONG HARD WORK...COMES TO "FRUITION"...WAS SORTA' LIKE WINNIN' THE LOTTERY FOR THEM...AND SO WENT CARMEL FORD...STILL GOT THE GAS STATION THOUGH.."TOWEL HEAD" TENANT...BUT HE'S PAYIN' ALL THE MONEY (HE'S FROM A "OIL RICH" COUNTRY...DON'T YA' KNOW...)...KEEPS MY MOM @88 COMFORTABLE..MY FATHER DIED IN 2002...ME, I HAD A LONG TERM VESTED INTERESTED IN A FORD STORE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY...PACKED IT IN THE YEAR MY FATHER DIED...CAME DOWN TO CAROLINAS' IN '06...SOLD OUR HOUSE IN PAWLING AFTER 30+ YEARS...MAYBE GONNA' HAVE A NEW "GIG" HERE...ORDERED MY NEW WHITE JUMPSUITS AND PINKY RINGS..."PRAISE THE LORD"...IN THE CAROLINAS'...ALL WEEK LONG I CAN "CARRY ON"...U KNOW "HOMOGISIZE'..MIDASIZE".. "SODOMIZE"..U GET THE IDEA..JUST FIND A CHURCH ON SUNDAY..(THERE ARE MANY).. ASK FOR FORGIVENESS OF MY SINS...AND START AGAIN ON MONDAY...CARRYING ON LIKE A MAD "DAWG" IN A MEAT MARKET...ALL OVER AGAIN..THE SUIT/PINKY RINGS ARE THE "PROPER" ATTIRE FOR THE "TRUSTED ONE"...U TRUST ME.. DON'T CHA''??!! JIMMY SCHWEGGERT...AND A NUMBER OF OTHER BOYS/GIRLS DOWN HERE...OFFER THEIR "HELP" TO MANY...IN EXCHANGE FOR ... ONLY.. ALL ONE'S "WORLDLY POSSESSIONS"..HEY... I CAN... DO THAT...LOVE YA' "BROTHER"...MAYBE THE JUMP SUIT/RINGS WILL BE IN FOR THE "DEAL" @ THE OLD GENE'S 1900...I COULD MAYBE...$$$AVE...YOU ALL!!..I'LL TELL YA' 'BOUT THE RACIN' SIDE..IN THE "NEXT" COMMUNICATION...IT'S BEEN ALMOST 50 YEARS...EVERY YEAR...NO YEARS OFF...OF RACIN'...IF THAT DON'T KEEP YA' ON THE "EDGE" OF THE CLIFF...IS IT THE "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"...OR THE "HIGHWAY TO HELL" ??!!** U... CHOOSE... DRAKE...P.S ADDRESS OF SOON TO BE "FAMOUS"...."THE GOOEY DI$COUNT HOU$E OF WOR$HIP" (DRIVE THRU...FOR "EXPRESS" $ERVICE... IN A RAPIDLY... EVER CHANGING... WORLD..)...LOCATED.. RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD..RIGHT.. NEXT TO BOJANGLES CHICKEN IN MOOORESVILLE ("RACE CITY" USA) N.C....FOR A LIMITED TIME AND A LIMITED ONLY...FOR ONLY $19.99..99...INCLUDING POSTAGE & HANDLING...I "PERSONALLY" CAN HAVE YOUR NAME "INSCRIPTED" ON OUR GRAND OPENING COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE..A "MEMORY" CERTAINLY TO "CHERISH" FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.......YOU'LL BE THE "TALK" OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD...FORGET "BOB"...IT'S ALL ABOUT ...YOU... "BIG" GUY!!...I "FORGIVE" YOU... FOR "ALL" YOUR INDISCRETIONS..

[dinotheweirdo]

WOW...He do have a way with words...............someone check his dosage

[jmb442]

Brother Drake,..... With your gift of gab,you may just be coming into your "true calling"
Why not have an old time revival right at the track nearest you on a sunday morning
and start saving some souls !!!!

[gaspumpchas]

Bossguy was recently telling me that somebody set up a cable across the track at the end of the shutdown lane, maybe 3 or 4 feet high; the NHRA (??) found out about it and promptly yanked their sanction. Guess it all figures in. Guess the peat moss / gravel deal was a financial disaster after all, but they sure took a **itload of material out of there!!!

Will try to make the jan reunion~~

gaspumpchas

[dinotheweirdo]

Don't know if the cable story is valid...that would decapitate someone..know ol Darwin didn't like the cable -post guard rails or extreme drop off the left side . Hey ...We need "Time-slip" Ron's LAST name to track him down in the Rehab someplace .