Billie Harvey Memorial Program Cover...

[ancrdave]

Castoro was the one that really got the worst of everything along with Harvey and Balough... Elswick was a boat racer turned stock car driver... After Butch Mock quit driving the Rahmoc Winston Cup car, it was Elswick who took over the ride... I think Balough drove a bit for them as did Lake Speed, but they had their most success with Neil Bonnett...
I know quite a few stories about all this stuff but it's not for this or any other message board...

[Boneman]

It was like watching "Miami Vice", only with more rednecks.

[Frasson118]

Two others I recall in that group were Herbie Tillman (wasn't he the first feature winner at Hialeah?), Pete Pistone, a nephew (?) of Tiger Tom Pistone of Nascar fame, and at one point, possibly on Balough's 2nd time around, Kenny Weld was involved (and convicted). Weld blamed his addiction to racing, and the costs to compete as the reason he was involved. As much a genius as Weld was (and make no mistake, he WAS a genius), it seems so hypocritical of him after trashing Jan Oppermans lifestyle for all those years. After all, Jan was smoking pot and praising Jesus.... Weld went into smuggling drugs instead. Ironically, after all the years of battling on track, they both ended up with tragic stories in their later years, and even died within a year of each other. Jan first, Kenny second.

A few others from that neck of the woods (S. Fla.) who wound up in serious trouble were the Indy-car racing Whittington family... Bill, Don and Dale who ALL wound up in the pokey.... Randy Lanier made it to Indy for a year or two and then San Quentin for life. John Paul Sr and Jr.... teamed together for some IMSA wins, before Pops got indicted for several charges, including murder. He skipped the country and was on the run for several years before being caught. John Paul Jr. went on to run Nascar, Indy and the IRL Series.

[derf]

i believe there was well over sixty people with direct ties to racing(owners,drivers,builders,etc.)were involved with the whole thing.so got away longer than others.it was a definity blackeye to the sport,but that was a long time ago.

[drtracer9559]

I believe we are missing the point here. If you don't support the race don't go. Billie loved the sport was a hell of a race car driver. I know that all of the critics of him are of the saintly type have never done anything wrong in there lives. Well there was only one perfect man and they crucified him so I'm not so sure I want to be perfect. I for one was influinced big time by billie. He was one hell of a nice guy treated me really cool when I was a kid. Of course my father was one of his associates in what was known as the good tyme gang. I bet none of this sh%t talking was going on back in the day. To busy wishing you had what he had so get over it. Do I sound defensive maybe. But I"m just defending the biggest influence in my life that made me want to drive a race car not smuggle drugs. Give the guy a break he made mistakes so what. R.I.P. Billie we miss you.

[JackTripper]

I don't think we're missing the point here at all. A convicted drug smuggler that caused auto racing a major black eye should be celebrated?

Sorry, but the whole "we all make mistakes" doesn't apply to convicted drug traffickers. There is a big difference between, "sorry officer, I didn't know how fast I was going, you got me" and "oh...all those drugs in the back...whoops." They know full well what they are doing and they aren't forced into it. It's a choice made full well of what the consequences are. He did it, he got caught and he was a convicted felon. Those are the facts. I'm sure he was a great guy and made lots of friends, but if you get busted for a major crime in the public eye like that, of course you open yourself up to public scorn and rightfully so.

I too mean no harm to any family left behind by Billy, but "honoring" a drug trafficker that brought the sport into disrepute with a special race? Come on...

[billy badd]

If all Billie Harvey had wanted to do was drive race cars and not smuggle drugs, the Memorial race would have been fine. The next thing someone will want to do is immortalize Gary Balough. Both these men were fantastic race car drivers with tons of talent. To bad they had to try and make the "easy" money. billy

[carolwicks]

too many memorial races...

i dont know any of the people mentioned so i will not give an opinion on them personally...however, ive said this before...i think there are way too many memorial races... why doesnt each track have a yearly memorial race honoring all of their fallen racers. then no one will be offended or hurt or left out. no matter what kind of a person one is....someone loves them ...
carolwicks aka OZ

[Jane]

No matter what, someone loved this man and you need to respect his family. I did not know Billie Harvey or anything really about him but obviously he did some good in racing and the good is what he is being paid tribute for. Hey, everyone has something dark in their past, maybe not as bad as some, but we are not saints either. Sometimes it is better to keep silent than hurt the ones who are left behind. Billie has 4 kids and out of respect for them, please be respectful. What is it they say, "the past is the past" we are suppose to get over it and move on. So please move on now and remember the good instead of the bad.

Thanks

[drtracer9559]

Jane thanks for some wise input. As for the critics what about one of the sports greatest Jr Johnson, the convicted felon for running moonshine which in it's day was highly illegal. Or the fact that most of the sports early star s did the same as Billie and used dirty money from running shine to fund their racing, the same as Billie did. We pay tribute to them for their acomplishments in the racing world the same as is being done for Billie.
So as I said before R.I.P. Billie, I hope your racing the wheels off the 31 where ever you are. Atleast you are remembered, more than most will be. Have a nice day all and god bless.

[Rick Anges]

Balough in the Grant King-Billie Harvey Modified at Syracuse
from the Marty Little Collection

[Frasson118]

I never met Billie, and have no personal issues with the man, and maybe I went a little overboard with my comments.

What I do feel bad about, and Jane pointed out, that he does have a family of surviviors that loved the guy, and my timing couldn't have been worse for trashing the guy like I did. I don't agree with his choices in life, and will never condone them... but deciding that now would be a good time to talk bad about him was in very poor taste on my part. You don't go to a funeral or memorial and talk badly about the departed, no matter what your personal feelings are.

To the Harvey family, I sincerely apologize.