A multitude
of race fans gathered at the Changing Times Pub in Farmingdale
to join with Marty Himes in a celebration of stock car racing.
Marty and friends worked long hours to get the cars there, and
set up a couple of booths, complete with Marty’s world famous
collection of racing photos from the past from tracks all over
the Northeast. Others brought their restored cars, and some
classic street cars too, so there was a larger display of
vehicles all around the property, keeping visitors busy with
viewing the great variety of racers, old and new. Best of all,
many drivers from that great past attended the show, and added
their stories of racing heroics to the obvious one provided by
the cars themselves.
Among those
in attendance were George Peters, Bill St. George, Ray and Wink
Herold, John Reidlinger, Jimmy Leys, George Cousins, George
Wagner Jr., Reggie Himes, Bob Krollage, Bob Punzi, Red Raynor,
Bill Verwys, Ken Resnick, Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr., and former Islip
and Riverhead chief starter, Ray Morturano. They joined Slim Jim
Donaldson, Paul Specht, Frank Saladino, John Burns, Johnny
Burns, and Joseph Burns in answering questions about racing and
the past. I probably missed a few, but it was easy to get lost
in the large crowd of people in attendance.
Cars on
hand for display included The Flying Dutchman, Fred Harbach’s
#18 coupe, plus his #x90 Pinto and Cavalier, Nippy
Commerdinger’s #50 coupe, Marty Himes’ #250 Ford, the #73 Offy
Mickey Rooney drove in the movie about Johnny Coy's racing
exploits, Al D‘Angelo's Ace of Spades coupe, Fred Pete’s #3
Sprint car, Bill Dins’ and Buddy Chase’s #36 Sprint car, Dutch
Schaefer’s #6 Midget racer, Joseph Burns’ PASS #35 Late Model,
Johnny Burns’ #53 Mini-Cup car, Gus Reidlinger’s F.D. Midget tow
truck, Frank Saladino’s #25 Modified, Slim Jim Donaldson’s
always good looking #47 Figure 8 racer, and the always popular
#x3 go-cart replica of Gentleman Jim Hendrickson’s #x3 Modified.
Also on display were the #45 Kyle Petty GP Cup car, and the
Scott Rose owned #43 former Richard Petty racer, along with more
than one Dale Earnhardt Sr. Monte Carlo replica racecar, and a
few nicely preserved (or restored) Chevrolet Impalas.
Almost
500 people signed a guest book that was passed around. The book
was presented to Marty Himes at the end of the day by Bob
McCormack of Marrzmotorsports as an appreciation of all that
Marty Himes and his family have done to keep stock car racing
alive thought his Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia,
located at 15 O‘Neil Ave, Bay Shore, NY. Marty can be reached at
631-666-4912. If you’ve never seen Marty’s truly remarkable
collection, call Marty for an appointment, and he will make time
to show you his collection of one of a kind racing nostalgia. It
is not to be missed by any true fan of racing.
Source: Walter Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
October 6, 2007
