Tbt

[flvideo]

[Osmosis Jones]

Good times.....good times.

Wow, Bob.....what a blast from the past.

For those who didn't watch this when FLVIDEO first posted it, let me give you a little context to help understand what you missed.

Back in the day....if you were into watching one of the lower divisions that ran while everyone went to the hotdog stand....you might have seen two little Volkswagens that gave those little Pintos and Mustangs fits on most Saturday nights around central Florida.

On this particular night, Desoto Speedway had a visitor from Lakeland who had heard that there was someone else running a car like his and wanted to come see "what was up with that." The visitor ends up starting on the front row and pretty much has his way and leads every lap. Of course, back then he wasn't the household name he is now. Most NASCAR fans know him these days as "Front Row Joe".

I was working at my dad's auto repair shop when the phone rings and it's this kid named Joe Nemechek who asks if I was the guy who raced a VW in the Modified Mini class and would I mind if we talked about our cars a little. I said sure and we ended up talking for about an hour, angering my dad greatly, I'm sure. In the next few months I got to know Joe and his family pretty well as they would invite me to stay with them when we would come over for the big races at Lakeland or Auburndale. Very nice people and very down to earth.

This particular night (back to the video) brings back a lot of memories for me. Almost like yesterday I can remember just about every one of those cars and drivers. We were having a blast.

The red and white #301 Capri was a great guy named Rick Coody. He and his brother Dan and their mechanic Tim. Always running hard and just a great bunch of guys.

The yellow #98 was Carroll Mills, grandson to master engine builder, Red Mills. You couldn't have found a nicer family. Always competitive and always racing clean. Racing out of Punta Gorda with another name from the past, Jim Goff and his son Marshall, these two cars were always in the hunt for the win. Sadly, I'd heard that Carroll passed away a few years ago. A great guy taken much too early.

Jimmy Baker in the white #82 Pinto was another competitor from down south and really came into his own when Charlotte County was opened.

The sharp looking #44 and #14 were team cars belonging to the Burrows Trucking team. Another extremely nice guy, Duane Burrows drove the #44 and I believe the #14 was Bob Taylor but on this night I'm not sure. Duane, his dad, Doug and the whole family were another group of great folks who were a pleasure to race with and to know. Another racer taken way too soon, Duane has also passed on.

In the yellow #7 was multi-time Figure 8 champion, Clyde Cole and in the primer #42 Capri was Dennis Wilson Jr. Dennis is still driving and winning races and was one of my favorite guys to race against. Little Bonda Martin in the "X" Toyota.....I heard the announcer mention Ron Payne at one point. His cars were always fast.

Missing from the field this night were both of the Royal Tees/BOP Racing Pintos of Billy Tolksdorf and Mario Campi, respectively. Billy, at this time, was hands down the guy to beat in the Mod Mini class. He was one of these guys that was just a natural behind the wheel. He grew up learning the trade from his dad, Larry and crewing for a host of top drivers like Tim Miller and Jimmy Goff to name a few. Mario Campi is, of course, father to current Late Model standout Anthony Campi. What most people don't know is that Mario's dad (Big Mario) and his uncle both were top racers on Long Island. The family owned and operated Freeport Speedway for a time.

Besides the three of us being the best of friends off the track we were constantly fighting each other for wins on the track. We were the "Brat Pack", if you will, back then. The older drivers didn't like us and we were pretty smug and irreverent about it. Hey, we were just kids.

Again, thanks Bob for this ride down memory lane. I really just wanted to let people know that what they were seeing was the short track beginnings of a future NASCAR Winston Cup standout and Busch Series Champion.

I kinda got carried away from there.

I almost forgot. The guy in the other VW was me.

The one who DIDN'T win. lol

[Don Nerone]

Rember u all came to Lakeland and kicked there buts so he cane to Desoto to take a shot at you.. lol
I had left Desoto when this race was shot ??

don62