Governor's Cup memories

[Boneman]

I am sure looking forward to the Gov. Cup weekend. NSS is very good at putting on big shows, and I love the Sunday afternoon start for the 200. I am racing my car at De Soto on Saturday night, but this way I can still watch the 200 on Sunday.

Anyway, I was thinking back to some great GC weekends, and I bet lots of us have some favorite memories.

2010 was a cool one: I raced my strictly stock on Friday night with the mini stocks since it was the only car I had together. Then I spent all day Saturday at the Frassapolosa Bar B Que, and ran the same car with the strictly stocks at night after the 200. Fun!

Remember the year when David Rogers went at it with Dickie and Wayne Anderson? It was a very compelling race, but got pretty ugly in the pits. I was racing mini stocks that night and cleared out. Bad vibes indeed.

When I was 16 I drove from Miami and made my one and only trip to Golden Gate. I went to the 100 lapper the night before at "Sunshine", then saw all my heroes in action again on Sunday afternoon in Tampa. Damn, that was cool!

Too bad sprints are not included in the GC weekend....maybe next year?

Anyone else?

[OldSchool+]

"Remember the year when David Rogers went at it with Dickie and Wayne Anderson? It was a very compelling race.."--Bonez

Er, which time...?

Seems like those two just could not play well together.

I believe they had "fun" at Volusia when it was paved, NSS, and once at Bithlo it was announced that Dickie had sold his car he went on to tear the right front off of it sparring with David.

Although David's car was white and Dickie's black, who was "right" was always in question.

Any more of the GuvCup story that you would like to share...?

[OldSchool+]

ps--Both of them make Kenseth and Logano look like lightweights!

[ancrdave]

I have a big story coming out next week, an update on the one I did last year...

I went to the first Governor's Cup race as a 13-year-old in 1965 and saw Wayne Reutimann beat Bobby Allison by a fender in, to date, still one of the best races I've ever seen...

Had Robert Hamke pass Ed Howe right in front of me in turn three to win the 1977 race... that was a really neat moment...

Also seeing Dick Trickle win in 1979... pretty cool...

Being the announcer at the first Gov. Cup to be held at New Smyrna... seeing how proud Clyde Hart was that day and getting to interview the drivers... a time that can't be beat...

I was working the wireless mic in the pits (Hanks Sanders was announcing from the tower) the night of the Wayne Anderson and David Rogers incident. Wayne and I are friends but his move that night nearly cost my friend Todd Hutto his life as he was leaning in Rogers' car up in turn four checking on David when Wayne drove full-throttle into David's car... Thank goodness Todd was only bruised a bit... Later I never felt so unsafe in a pit area as things were really testy to say the least... The fact a full-scale riot didn't break out still keeps me to thinking to this day... a wild night to say the least...

[bubba]

I was there and it added to the many reasons I am not a fan of the Andersons. I respect their talent, not their on track decisions and off track actions.

If i recall someone nearly lost their life in the pits that night at their hands.

[tom77hmstd]

1976 Killed car at Hialeah week before Tampa, Installed new clips by Weds and tested at Hialeah cars just as fast as when we killed it (track record 16.98 first LM in 16s).
Went to Sunshine set track record started 10th Rob passed them all on the outside won Gulf Coast Classic. Tampa next day wrecked early fixed toe went back out made up 1 lap under green coming around to unlap ourselves tangled with Marc Malcuitt and took the starters stand down car in same shape as after Hialeah took 2 wreckers to load it.
1977 broke axel at Tampa Friday night wrecked at sunshine sat worked all night to fix it and won the race on Sunday. I am glad I won the Gov cup back then cause I don't think I could make it happen today.

[ancrdave]

Hey Tommy... If you remember, Robert had a problem early in Sunday practice and went off the end of turn three... I was the only photog to get a shot of the car in the sand bank... The second shot I took just after he passed Howe for the lead...

[OldSchool+]

Tom, congratulations!

I was there for that one and just always assumed that was "Hamke's car".

[tom77hmstd]

Yes Dave that was Sunday morning practice the upper hose came off at the motor and she slide into the dirt bank. I took the right side tires off got all the packed in dirt out toed the RF tie rod in 1 turn and it went faster, some days it just works.
You also have the pic of the Sat wreck at Hialeah with the car on the hook with the whole right side cleaned off.

[tom77hmstd]

Back in those days it was Just Robert and me the cars where Roberts. Any thing I did($) put in the cars back then I didn't keep track of because Robert let me do anything to them that I wanted. Being I never wanted to drive when Robert won I won just as it is today when my sons cars run good.
We worked on them 7 days after work racing and keeping them running. I probably owned some of it but I had no use for the stuff and Robert did when he went to NC.

[al_tere_go_05]

2009 [ATTACH]20586[/ATTACH]

2012 [ATTACH]20587[/ATTACH]

[Jimmy McKinley]

Also seeing Dick Trickle win in 1979... pretty cool...

Trickle won the Cup at Tampa in '78, the last one at the 'Gate on a Sunday afternoon; *Fenton* won it in '79 after it got moved to Sunshine... :P

We had some *pretty good* runs in the Governor's Cup races at Tampa - 6th at our first Cup race in '76 with Scarborough (the red #12 chasing down Billy Barnwell in a heat race that Rex posted); 6th in 1981 as well after Golden gate reopened that year; we never ran the race at New Smyrna.

The '77 race was a *helluva* great race - LOTS of talent in the field that year, both from Florida and from out-of-state.

In 1979, the race was actually broadcast on MRN Radio from Sunshine; and I can recall Eli Gold giving the starting lineup and hearing, "On the pole, in the Rodeway Inn/Precision Engines #12, from Pinellas Park, Florida, Jimmy Cope..." I was almost in tears (of joy) hearing that *our car* and driver were on the pole for that races....then something happened to the motor very early on (less than 10 laps in), but our good buddy, Jim Fenton, went on to beat Trickle...

[Old Sunshine Fan]

I have been to just about every Gov. Cup....the one thing I miss is the "Lottery" that was held at Jerry's Cook-Out.... someone would come up with a 200 list....we would bet five bucks for every line we wanted to signup for...ie....line 1 would be lap 1...etc....what we were really betting on was....which lap a certain (Wheel Holder) would wreck....but that (Wheel Holder) no longer races (he's tied up with a certain track these days)....The last "Lottery" was won by a very questionable character...and he sure got out of there real quick (didn't buy anyone's breakfast either)..... OSF

[jacko241]

I really appreciate you guys posting all these old memories and pictures you have. I started going to asphalt races in 1980 at New Smyrna, but didn't attend attended a Gov Cup until it was at NSS. Question, what was Golden Gate Speedway like? Does it compare to any current tracks?

[OldSchool+]

Joe,

Memory is a funny thing (especially mine...) but as I recall it was sort of similar to desoto, but a little larger (1/3 mile+) and a little narrower.

Typically they string out on larger tracks--but not Golden Gate.

Others may feel free to correct or add to the above...

Golden Gate and Hialeah were our biggest losses, IMO.

But given that, Showtime was/is my favorite of all, and thankfully it is back.