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A final tribute to those Floridians who've left us this year.
Retired NY modified pilot Mickey Corr left us on January 20 while another Northeast transplant, Gene Bergin of 2X modified fame, signed off on Feb. 27. Ace engine builder Pete Byers from Melbourne was gone at 67 and Miami's Frank Kelliher took his own life in early April.
Sprint car ace Donnie Tanner lost his battle with cancer at 66 while former stock car whiz turned real estate specialist Phil Orr left us at 84. Ken "Casey" Jones, son of ace 50s car builder Roy Jones, and a long time member of the security force at Daytona and Homestead was a cancer victim at 60.
Wanda Tallent, Bobby Johns' right hand gal and companion for 40 years and a former racer herself in her native North Carolina lost her long battle with cancer at 75. Long time STP PR man and Speedway Stars publisher Art Maxim said goodbye at 82 and the senior Larry Brazil, so good in the sprinters, was gone at 79 in early July. Benny Corbin, builder of New Smyrna and Volusia County speedways, and ace dirt track prep man, left us in July at 77.
Late model and former ARCA pilot Larry Moyer was a cancer victim at 60 while Brooksville's Dave Scarborough, "The Little General" and super tough in any type car, suffered heart failure at 74. South Florida's Enzo Alibrandi, a Cobra kit car parts guru and booster of young driving talent was another lost to cancer. Bradenton's Jack Smith, founder of the very popular Karnac website and booster of short track racing, succumbed to cancer at 63 after a valiant battle.
Linda Hooper, wife of long time Hialeah racer and track board member Johnny Hopper was gone in August as was Joann Puett who helped Hialeah photographer Ed Wolf with photo sales for so many years. Betty Skelton Erde, the female speedster on land and in the air retired to The Villages but left us at 85 in late August.
Bill Hood, father of sprint car owner/driver Denis Hood and a former driver himself, passed in September. Brit Dan Wheldon was part of the horrible IZOD Indy Car season finale crash at Las Vegas. The two- time Indy 500 winner was only 33. Former Collier County LM runner Bob Diefenthaler passed in October as did Orlando's Bill Enters, a class guy on the Central Florida ovals dating to the 50s, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Rob Stopaino, a former powerboat racer and founder of Scorpion Engines and Racing Products, and his wife Teresa were tragically lost in a fiery highway accident on I-75 in South Georgia. Tim Miller, a familiar figure at Bay Area ovals in his self owned 80x late models, was gone in early November. Joey Gratton was one of two deaths in the season ending offshore powerboat races in Key West in mid November. Former Ft Lauderdale auto dealer Frank Hilson, an accomplished sports car racer who recovered from severe burns to race again, left us in November at 72.
Free spirit late model racer Glen Faw battled medical problems for several years but his time was up and he left us at 68. And Jim Rathmann, winner of the exciting 1960 Indy 500 and a long time Chevy-Cadillac dealer in Melbourne said goodbye at 83. Finally former police officer and sometimes Hialeah racer Tim Conlon suffered a fatal heart attack at 64 to close out November and the year.
If these people were your heros, friends, family or just a name you knew from the sport, remember them with a smile for what they gave you.
Kind regards,
Marty Little
Retired NY modified pilot Mickey Corr left us on January 20 while another Northeast transplant, Gene Bergin of 2X modified fame, signed off on Feb. 27. Ace engine builder Pete Byers from Melbourne was gone at 67 and Miami's Frank Kelliher took his own life in early April.
Sprint car ace Donnie Tanner lost his battle with cancer at 66 while former stock car whiz turned real estate specialist Phil Orr left us at 84. Ken "Casey" Jones, son of ace 50s car builder Roy Jones, and a long time member of the security force at Daytona and Homestead was a cancer victim at 60.
Wanda Tallent, Bobby Johns' right hand gal and companion for 40 years and a former racer herself in her native North Carolina lost her long battle with cancer at 75. Long time STP PR man and Speedway Stars publisher Art Maxim said goodbye at 82 and the senior Larry Brazil, so good in the sprinters, was gone at 79 in early July. Benny Corbin, builder of New Smyrna and Volusia County speedways, and ace dirt track prep man, left us in July at 77.
Late model and former ARCA pilot Larry Moyer was a cancer victim at 60 while Brooksville's Dave Scarborough, "The Little General" and super tough in any type car, suffered heart failure at 74. South Florida's Enzo Alibrandi, a Cobra kit car parts guru and booster of young driving talent was another lost to cancer. Bradenton's Jack Smith, founder of the very popular Karnac website and booster of short track racing, succumbed to cancer at 63 after a valiant battle.
Linda Hooper, wife of long time Hialeah racer and track board member Johnny Hopper was gone in August as was Joann Puett who helped Hialeah photographer Ed Wolf with photo sales for so many years. Betty Skelton Erde, the female speedster on land and in the air retired to The Villages but left us at 85 in late August.
Bill Hood, father of sprint car owner/driver Denis Hood and a former driver himself, passed in September. Brit Dan Wheldon was part of the horrible IZOD Indy Car season finale crash at Las Vegas. The two- time Indy 500 winner was only 33. Former Collier County LM runner Bob Diefenthaler passed in October as did Orlando's Bill Enters, a class guy on the Central Florida ovals dating to the 50s, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Rob Stopaino, a former powerboat racer and founder of Scorpion Engines and Racing Products, and his wife Teresa were tragically lost in a fiery highway accident on I-75 in South Georgia. Tim Miller, a familiar figure at Bay Area ovals in his self owned 80x late models, was gone in early November. Joey Gratton was one of two deaths in the season ending offshore powerboat races in Key West in mid November. Former Ft Lauderdale auto dealer Frank Hilson, an accomplished sports car racer who recovered from severe burns to race again, left us in November at 72.
Free spirit late model racer Glen Faw battled medical problems for several years but his time was up and he left us at 68. And Jim Rathmann, winner of the exciting 1960 Indy 500 and a long time Chevy-Cadillac dealer in Melbourne said goodbye at 83. Finally former police officer and sometimes Hialeah racer Tim Conlon suffered a fatal heart attack at 64 to close out November and the year.
If these people were your heros, friends, family or just a name you knew from the sport, remember them with a smile for what they gave you.
Kind regards,
Marty Little
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