If there is one name in Long Island modified
racing history that everyone knows it is Charlie Jarzombek. From his
early 60's beginning at Riverhead
until his tragic and untimely demise at Martinsville in 1986 Charlie J.
blazed a trail that may never be seen again. He was fast, he was
fearless, and he could decimate a field faster than you could blink.
There was no middle ground with Charlie. You either loved him
or hated him but everyone came to see him. The stories of his exploits
could, and should, fill a book one day. When I decided to write about
Charlie I tried to think of a particular feature that he had won that
was special. There were so many it was impossible. But I remember one
night at Islip when, as unlikely as it sounds, he probably won the
feature by doing what he did in his heat race. It was 1971, the heyday
of modified racing at Islip. Fifty plus cars in the pits including all
the top L.I. runners. CJ, as always, started at the back of his 12 lap
heat race. 11th to be exact. He was driving the low slung coupe that
would come to be banned by NASCAR. At the drop of the green Charlie took
off like a man possessed. Coming out of turn two on only the second lap,
Charlie took the lead! He wasn't done. Never letting up, Jarzombek
proceeded to catch the back markers and begin lapping them.
When the 12 laps were over Charlie had lapped up through 5th
place, all of the non qualifiers! Then came the announcement that,
despite passing the field twice, he had taken FOUR full seconds off the 12 lap track record.
To a man, everyone in the pit
area knew that no one, save lady luck, would stand a chance against
Jarzombek in the feature. And they didn't. Coming from 15th, Charlie
took fewer than 10 laps to reach the point and go on to the win. In all
the years I went to Islip this was easily the most dominant modified
performance I ever saw. His huge fan club, seated as always at the first
turn end of the front straightaway, were jumping for joy. It was quite
the night!
Dwight
THE END
Source:Dwight
Clock/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
February 27, 2007
