Featured Thread

Black 03 Z06

Staff member
Power User
Moderator
Oct 30, 2013
16,784
37,523
Haliburton, Ontario
VetteCoins
3,646
Car
2003 Z06
Province
ON
As you folks know Spence (SN-III) won the Christmas Auction for the book of NASCAR Driver autographs. I got the autographs at the NASCAR North 250 at Cayuga Speedway on August 28, 1983. It was one of those days that what you saw was simply incredible, a man with great talent came to race that day. Dale Earnhardt.

The NASCAR tour had been in Bristol, Tennessee on the Saturday night before the Cayuga race. That race was won by Darrell Waltrip in his DiGuard Chevrolet followed by Earnhardt in the Bud Moore Ford #15 with Bobby Allision in the #22 Buick in third. The following morning they flew into Cayuga for the NASCAR North race. Cayuga had its own landing strip and I remember seeing Allison's plane coming in for a landing.

On the Saturday the cars of Earnhardt, Allison and Baker had been qualified but since a driver change had to be made the starting positions were juggled. Earnhardt #15 Olds Omega (listed as a Le Mans) owned by racer/builder Sam Ard had qualified on the pole but with Earnhardt sliding behind the wheel they moved that car back to 21st for the start. Earnhardt had taken the #15 out for some quick shake down runs and apparently was satisfied with the car.

It was a hot day that eventually took its toll on a number of drivers but once the race started everyone knew they were in for something special. This was a star studded field of 33 drivers, both Americans and Canadians. On this day nothing would be given. By lap 47 Earnhardt had worked his way into the lead. As I recall there was not a lot of bumping and banging going on, just very hard racing.

By lap 141 Earnhardt had lapped the entire field. Absolute dominance. When the checkers flew he was still in the lead by a full lap despite a late pit stop that he felt was unnecessary. When the race was over everyone knew they had witnessed something very special. Talent indeed.

Bobby Allison went out on lap 86 black flagged with a badly smoking car. Allison then relieved driver Barney McRae who had burned his foot on the transmission tunnel and needed relief. Allison ran that car until it quit on lap 147. Buddy Baker was out on lap 120 with an overheated motor. It was so hot that only 14 of the 33 starters finished.

As we know Earnhardt went on to be one of the most dominate racers in NASCAR history. That day at Cayuga Speedway he showcased the talent that would take him to the top of the NASCAR world.











1983 Motion 250
August 28, 1983 at Cayuga International Speedway, Hamilton, Ontario
250 laps on a .625 mile paved track (156.2 miles)

Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led Points
1 21 115 Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Brand LeMans 250 running 204 70
2 6 07 Randy LaJoie Snellman Construction LeMans 249 running 0 48
3 7 11 Claude Leclerc Modick Performance LeMans 249 running 0 56
4 8 0 Dick McCabe R.C. Moore Regal 249 running 0 54
5 18 41 Jamie Aube Coca-Cola (Allen Avery) LeMans 248 running 0 52
6 3 75 Beaver Dragon Rossi Buick-Olds Regal 248 running 0 50
7 11 36 Tom Glaser Bosch / Burlington Cars Malibu 246 running 0 48
8 26 1X Gardiner Leavitt McConnell Enterprises (Gardiner Leavitt) Malibu 244 running 0 46
9 24 22 Mike Shaughnessy Technequip Welding Nova 240 running 0 44
10 14 00 Roger Laperle Mont Bruno Moving LeMans 239 running 0 32
11 1 28 Wes Rosner Severance Furs Grand Am 214 crash 0 40
12 10 5A Jean-Paul Cabana Club 5A Cutlass 212 running 0 28
13 4 7 Chuck Bown Skoal Bandit Grand Prix 206 bearing 0 36
14 29 16 Stub Fadden Patten's Gas LeMans 203 valve 0 34
15 15 70 Jean-Paul Larose Autobus St. Eustache LeMans 192 rear end 0 32
16 19 03 Milt Wright Gates Salvage Nova 186 running 0 30
17 20 01 Paul Mauceri Paramount Macaroni (Paul Mauceri) LeMans 157 running 0 28
18 33 4 Barney McRae Custom Corner Ventura 147 overheating 0 26
19 12 33 Jeff Stevens Norseman Motor Inn (Sandy MacKinnon) Cutlass 140 engine 0 24
20 9 15 Mike Rowe Homestead Farms Cutlass 129 overheating 0 22
21 28 21 Kevin Lepage Nordic Ford T-Bird 128 oil leak 0 10
22 5 24 Mike Barry Borderline Racing LeMans 125 engine 0 18
23 2 71 Bobby Dragon Moe Brown Racing LeMans 122 crash 0 16
24 25 38 Buddy Baker Valvoline Grand Prix 120 overheating 0 14
25 22 100 Junior Hanley Mont Bruno Moving Cutlass 104 rocker arm 0 12
26 32 22A Bobby Allison Miller High Life Omega 86 rear end 0 12
27 13 42 Jerry Makara Makara Racing Regal 72 engine 0 12
28 17 44 Keith Cavanagh Cavanagh Racing Nova 62 overheating 0 12
29 27 17 Bob Brunell Bakelite Canada LeMans 56 valve 0 12
30 30 31 Andre Beaudoin UAP Nova 17 transmission 0 12
31 16 84 Steve Poulin Poulin Enterprises Grand Am 16 ignition 0 12
32 23 48 Robbie Crouch Tower Restaurant (Ron Lamberti / Glenn Wright) Regal 14 engine 0 12
33 31 95 Blair Bessett Club New England Apollo 0 engine 0 12
 
Last edited:
Murray. That was a great recap of your being there 35 years ago and also talking to these legends. I really hope Spence copies and prints that off, mails it back to you and you authenticate that day for him and sign it. That text alone will will increase the value of the book, not only monetarily but as a real trophy from days gone by. Good on you my friend. :thumbs:
 
Thanks Graham. Those photos in that thread were taken by the Cayuga track photographer Dave Franks. He was everywhere in those days and is still taking race pictures. Nice guy.

The NASCAR North series was really competitive. We were fortunate to have some great racing in Ontario back in those days. American Speed Association (ASA), ARTGO Late Models, NASCAR North, International Supermodified Association (ISMA), Automobile Racing Club of American (ARCA), American Canadian Tour (ACT) Touring series. It was not unusual to have a midweek race then specials Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We went everywhere in those days.

The longest trip we took was Delaware Speedway in London, Ontario for an ARTGO late model race then drove all night to Indianapolis Indiana for the USAC Silver Crown open wheel cars. Then to Winchester Speedway in Indiana on Sunday for the Old Timers and Supermodifieds (that track scared me) then on to Millstream, Ohio for the Sprint Cars on dirt, rained out so on to Toledo, Ohio for the super late models on Sunday night. Then home to Toronto. Stupid, but what a weekend.
 
That in my mind is the post of the year Murray.
I doubt anything on here between now and December will give me pause like your words just did. You have witnessed so amazing days in racing and describe them with such passion and enthusiasm for the sport.
Your generosity to auction off such a treasure of memories is beyond noteworthy.
Spence clearly recognizes this and probably sleeps with one hand on the book every night.

I am certain many of us would love to spend a day or 2 with you looking at your photo albums and hearing the stories behind the pictures.

Mark me down as “impressed”

Thanks again for sharing these very interesting and well written glimpses into the world of racing Murray. :D

D
 
What ever comes to mind Murray ... just keep adding here.
I "know" what was auctioned. Not just autographs but also the adventure(s).
I am so close to extending my Meet in the Middle beyond the Middle after the Event ... into Ontario ... to just sit by Corvettes and just talk.
I am a kid in a Candy Store with this stuff having a meager 5 Nascar Experiences + One 8-lap rather quick experience at Daytoina under my belt.
Not to mention my marketing involvement with Race City (in another thread) and meeting for a brief discussion with Geoff Bodine in the era of the Players 500 in Calgary.
Having about a 1 hour chit-chat with Ray Evernham asking me about my Residential Business and me about the Hendrick "works" while we were doing separate Business in a private media center (no room wifi back then and the media center sported the well needed fax machne - lol) at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Murray has rekindled my passion pre-2001.
I've got 80% of every race win of Dale Earnhardt recorded and all of Tony Stewarts for enjoyment during the long winters.

Just keep writing Murray - you have YOUR audience .... :thumbs:
Anything more about your experience and what was discussed while those signatures were placed in your book ... anything you want to say ... feel free
 
Last edited:
I must tell you that some of my fondest memories of going to the races had nothing to do with the races themselves. More with the people and places we ended up.

There was a big race scheduled for a Sunday at Oswego Speedway in upstate New York. I convinced my wife, Wendy to go with me so we left late on Saturday afternoon. We were both getting tired but I drove past the "nice" places in Rochester New York, there had to be something better just a bit further down the road. Oh there it is.

Went into the office and asked for a room for the night. Right then was when I should have left, the "manager" looked at me like I was nuts. He gave us the key and the first thing we discovered was all the windows in the front would not open, only a small window in the back of the room that you had to go outside to open or close it. Around to the back of the motel. Weird. Right around 10 or so the place started to get very busy. Late night travellers looking for a place to stay. Apparently not. It seems the most popular option for the rooms was to rent it by the hour. All night cars arriving, doors slamming, walls shaking along with apparently some very excited people.

Wendy slept with here clothes on and showered with her shoes on in the morning. Even with those precautions we both felt, well dirty.

Still laugh about that one. I am not allowed to pick motels any longer.

There was another about being in Fulton New York with a bunch of guys from work. All of us had too much to drink but we were all hungry. There was a Burger King beside the hotel that only had drive through at night. So we got in line to order and that is when the police showed up. What were we to do?
 
Hey Murray. Spence came over this afternoon for a few hours. I was able to look at the book and the pictures you sent and I have to say,,,,, Wow !! You’ve kept the book in pristine condition and the signatures are incredible.The Tim Richmond one in particular.

This is a really special gift you auctioned off. Very cool indeed and the the little bit Spence told me of what you’ve relayed to him about the “story behind the autographs” makes it that much more special too. Can’t say enough of how rare that book is. Needless to say,SN-III is pretty impressed and made no effort to hide his enthusiasm today. I’ll be looking at this book again. There’s something about those Linda Vaughan pics I want to have a closer look at :Ack2:
 
Awesome, just an awesome set of posts Murray. Really neat to hear about the old races and experience. That story about the motel is too funny. That would have been quite the surprise to find out what the motel is usually used for. :rofl:
 
  • Like
Reactions: ddgermann
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 100 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Users who are viewing this thread