Palm Beach Fairgrounds Rewind

[Marty Little]

Today I came across a race result release that I wrote for the Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway on April 18, 1980.

Modifieds (that's what they called the late models at that point) - 30 laps

Dick Anderson led every lap to win over Billie Harvey, Robert Hamke, Charlie Ragan and George "Chops" Sweeting.

Late Models (later limited late models) - 30 laps

Vaughn Heath (first win of the season), Donnie Rutherford, Jimmy Dumas, Jim Crowe, Jr. and Bobby Henry.

Thundercars - 20 laps

Joe Winchell, Bill Keitt, Charlie Jenkins, Rich Black and Bobby Harth.

Of the above drivers Winchell is still active and Crowe, Jr may still run on occasion. Anderson and Hamke are still active in the sport as car owner and builder respectively.

Harvey, Sweeting, and Harth are deceased.

[Jimmy McKinley]

Was that the year that Anderson won like 18 features in a row, likely a record that still stands in the state of Florida, but won like 9 or 10 of them because he was the only one that showed up? I was only 10 years old at the time, and we were running DeSoto, St. Pete, and Inverness that year, so wasn't sure what was going on down at Palm Beach and Hialeah that season.

[Marty Little]

Palm Beach Fairgrounds Rewind

Jimmy,

Yes, 1980 is the year that Dick won 18 features and while every one was not a runaway some were not contested very much. Believe me, in '80 PBFS still had good fields of cars every Friday night. The was a bounty on Dick from about May on and no one could collect it and Dick begged to have it awarded to him but the way it was set up if no one could beat him then it went unclaimed.

Marty

[SeminoleWind]

From what I remember, stands were full, electric in the air!
No internet, no radio coverage, no TV, even no newspaper coverage!
Everyone came to see if Dickie Anderson could be beat. Everyone went home disappointed, but most came back the following Friday night.

I just found a bunch of programs from Hialeah and Palm Beach in the early 80's. As soon as I figure out how to scan, I will post.

Kevin Shaw

[derf]

anderson won the champions by 5650 points at palm beach that year. thundercars points won by winchell,bill keitt was second.