The date was October 9, 1949. The place was Owosso, Michigan. In this photo, driver Vern Fritch was about two minutes away from being paralyzed for life when his sprint car flipped over. For most drivers, this would have been the end of the story. For "Flip" Fritch it was the beginning of a new chapter in a racing career that transformed him from an average driver to a unique figure in the history of racing. To hear the rest of the story, read on.
This post was inspired when I discovered my personal diary from 1962 recently. The diary is filled with my own entries as well as a host of newspaper clippings from the time. 1962 was the year that I began photographing auto racing and writing for the National Speed Sport News. I was 17 years old at the time. This is the story of my experience of racing that summer, mostly at Mt. Clemens Race Track shown here. For more, read on.
Continue reading "Time Capsule: 1962, Mt. Clemens Race Track and Me" »
Ronnie Duman (#7) being chased by #61 Mel Kenyon at Dixie Speedway near Flint, Michigan.
This is the first of what I expect will be several posts on USAC midget racing in 1963. I spent the summer of 1963 photographing at several Michigan tracks. Mostly I was at the Mt. Clemens Race Track but I also photographed at Dixie and Flat Rock speedways in Michigan.
Ronnie Duman, born in 1929, was racing on the USAC midget circuit in 1963. Starting the following year, he went on to be a five-time starter of the Indianapolis 500 (1964-68). His best finish was 6th in 1968. I was at the 500 in 1964 when Duman was burned but miraculously survived the fiery accident on the second lap that killed drivers Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. Ronnie Duman died on June 9, 1968 while competing in the Rex Mays 150 at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds when he suffered massive head injuries in a third lap crash.
One of the greatest midget drivers of all time, Mel Kenyon is the only survivor of the 1973 Indy 500 still racing - despite being over 70. Still races midget cars four or five times a week & is still ultra-competitive. In 2002, he won a race at Camden Speedway beating a driver 54 years younger than himself! All of this is even more amazing, considering he has driven most of his life without fingers on his left hand after an accident in 1965. Thanks to http://www.oldracingcars.com/bydriver for information on Mel Kenyon.
In the summer of 1963, I was the track photographer for the Mt. Clemens Race Track. Races were three times a week featuring the Super Stocks as well as lesser divisions. Pictured here are two of the best drivers of the era, Benny Parsons (#98) and Danny Byrd (#08) battling it out on the half-mile oval.
Here is all-time great driver Jack Goodwin at Mt. Clemens on a Sunday in May 1963 fishtailing his way out of the fourth turn and down the front stretch. As usual, he was out in front of the pack. Jack, as of 2004, was alive and living in Florida.
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