Big Car Racing Association & Hall of Fame, LLC BCRA ESTABLISHED 1958, COLORADO SPRINGS CO th (50 Anniversary 1958 - 2008 )

BIG CAR RACING CHRONICLES April May June 2014

Bcra Staff: Dave Tyson(Mo) Ray Cunningham(Ks), Boyd Adams(Tx), Bruce Budy(C0), Gerry Miller(Tx), Tom Davey(Co), Wayne Panter(Tx), Gary Wolfe(Ne)

The BCRA Hall of Fame for 2014 will be held June 27th at remarkable Engineering skills resulted in the construction of the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed, Lincoln portable stage assemblies for major Country Western Stars Ne at 6PM. Tours of the museum will be held at 2PM sharp and he had 15 registered Patents on other mechanical devices before the Hall of Fame Induction. Saturday activities will he engineered. Maxwell’s Memorial service was held at include Bench Racing and light lunch at Joes Speed shop, Lincoln’s “Ice Box”hockey arena, providing room for all his 1901 1st St. Host Motel is the Days Inn and Suites on West fans and for all to see the giant overhead retractable star of “O” st , Telephone 402-477-4488 and ask for the BCRA Hall Maxwell’s design, highlighting the start of the Lincoln Stars of Fame block of rooms to receive the group rate. Hockey Games. Driver, Owner, Builder, Innovative Five nominees will be inducted for 2014 and are: Engineer and 2003 Nebraska Hall of Famer, Don Maxwell passed away in 2006.Missouri’s

Gene Gennetten began racing Super Modifieds in the early sixties at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City. Driving Bill New Mexico’s Don Maxwell graduated from Santa Rosa Rhine’s “Batmobile” Gene would win Championships in High School in 1958 and worked within the families 1967-’68and 1970 competing with Jon Backlund, Dick trucking business.Don began racing in the Sixties in the Sutcliffe and RayLee Goodwin. Gene would branch out to Southwest becoming a tough competitor in the Modifieds the IMCA, BCRA and won his first IMCA race at Spencer and Sprint cars. In 1972 he moved to Lincoln Ne, continued Iowa in 1972 and finished 12th in points. Gennetten would racing and soon joined in the fabrication of a finish second in IMCA points in 1973 ahead of top drivers in new design in Sprint cars known as the Opperman /Maxwell. Bill Utz, Ray Lee Goodwin and Buzz Rose. Gene would These cars were driven by a host of Midwest drivers in finish in the top five with IMCA in ‘74 and ’76 before the Lloyd Beckman, Gary Patterson, Don Droud Sr, Ray Lee demise of the IMCA in 1977. Gennetten would eventually Goodwin, Dick Sutcliffe, Doug Wolfgang, CRA’s Jimmie win five titles in six years at Olympic and his expertise Oskie, Ed Leavitt, Roger Rager, , Lonnie would carry over to the BCRA as he ran the tough circuit Jensen and Lynn Paxton. The Opperman Maxwell sprint cars against Steve Troxell, Don Droud Sr, Ray Lee Goodwin, Jan were some of the fastest on track for several years and this Opperman and Larry Clark. During two of the most team built cars for top owners in BCRA Owner Champ Bill competitive season in the clubs history, Gene Gennetten held Smith, Fred Aden, Al Hamilton, BCRA Owner Champ Larry his own and would mark a second place finish on the High Swanson and Lincoln’s Gary Swenson. As a very skilled Banks at Belleville Kansas. His success at the famous driver he won an Eagle Raceway Championship in 1975 and Kansas oval would continue as the IMCA and BCRA would once outran the field at Knoxville Iowa. In ‘75 the Maxwell curtail competition in 1977 and Gennetten would move to built Speedway 4X won every BCRA race. Maxwell’s Midgets and win two SWIMS titles and three titles with MARA and enjoyed wins with USAC across the country including Indiana, Illinois and and New York. Gene would also enjoy three A MAin starts at the Chili Bowl and a top three finish in 1989. Gene Gennetten would build several cars for other competitors during his career, most notably for Ron Shuman, Steve Enlow, Danny Frye Jr, Tom Corbin.Scott Hatton and Terry Wente. Gene Gennetten passed away in 2006.

Sammy Swindell was born at Bartlett Tennessee in 1955 and at age 15 began racing in the class B Modifieds and Sprint cars for his father at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis Arkansas. From 1972 until 1976 Swindell won 47 Sprint Car and 72 Modified races on his way to becoming one of the best open wheel drivers in the history of the sport. In August of 1977 the Big Car Racing Association was Wichita native Jerry Stone started his career in Super coming to Erie Colorado for the 20 year old clubs Grand Modifieds at age 17 racing Harold Leep, Walt McWhorter, Finale. Heralded as the Roger Mauro “Gold Cup Classic” Grady Wade, Roy Bryant, Frankie Lies,Forest Coleman and drivers from across the Region assembled for the final race Jerry Everhart, some of the best chauffeurs in the country. of the BCRA. The program included Midgets and Sprint cars From 1967 to 1972 Jerry ran Supers, driving the family during a two owned #5 and the Zephyr Transfer#69. The Stone’s then day show on a track that the BCRA baptised a dozen years assaulted the Midget ranks running “Stony’s Pony” first with prior. Bobby Unser Junior and Sammy diced through out the a Chevy II and then a Wilson V-4 power plant on the USAC. Feature in a great race to close out BCRA History. During During this time Jerry’s competition in the Super Modified the two day event Swindell would win the two Sprint ranks expanded as he drove for top owners in Jelly Wilhelm, Features and one Midget Feature while finishing 2nd to Jerry Wilson and Shot Hampton. Stone would start in the Sammy Sauer in the final Midget event. Sammy would go on Sprinters in ‘74 driving for Pius Selenke on the BCRA and to drive for LaVern Nance and during 1981-’82, Swindell once again found himself in the “Frying Pan”. Driving an 8 would win 57 Features and two World of Outlaw yr old Sprinter, Stone hung #43 on the rim at Belleville Championships. Swindell would win 31 Features in ‘83 Kansas and won his first ever Sprint car race and finished while driving his own sprinter and won the Indy of Sprinters 9th in BCRA points in a season many touted as the most at the . He joined BCRA alumni Jay competitive ever. In 1977 Stone and Wilhelm would build a Woodside, Thad Dosher, Ray Lee Goodwin, , new Midget, installed the Wilson V-4 and went to the Seattle Jan Opperman, Ed Leavitt,Doug Wolfgang and Ron Shuman Kingdom to run with the USAC. Stone and Wilhelm would in winning this prestigious race. After 15 years Swindell pull of the upset of the year as he outran Bettenhausen, would return to the top of the WoO standings after winning Parsons, Kenyon and Tripp to an astounding victory for the 200 races from ’82 to 97’. Sammy would win five Chili Kansas team. In ’80 Jerry would drive for Lloyd Stephens in Bowls, raced at Indy, the Daytona 500, the NASCAR the Offixico dirt car and won his first NCRA Title. From Truck series,and has now won over 300 WoO Features to 1982 to 1984 Stone won three consecutive NCRA Titles date. before moving East to engage the “Pennsylvania Posse”. On his return to the Midwest, Stone would run to his fifth and final NCRA Title in 1991. Jerry Stone is retired and lives at Bixby Oklahoma.

2 retired in Kansas.

The Nance Family. LaVerne Nance was born at Boone, Oklahoma in1923 and went to work at age 15, wandering the Southwest as a laborer. He would meet and marry wife Marvell in Carnegie, Oklahoma. They soon headed for Wichita Kansas and Beech Aircraft where he became a foreman and later a plant manager with 800 employees. In 1959 LaVern and Marvell started their own company, “Nance Machine and Paint Co”and contracted with Beech, Boeing, Cessna and Gates Lear Jet. LaVern began going to the races and got to know Harold Leep and Bill Mears. Nance and DA Clem toured the Midget circuits in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas watching Jud Larson and Lloyd Ruby. Nance began building Super Modifieds and had top drivers in Grady Wade, Roy Bryant, Jay Woodside,JD Cox and with Harold Leep, Nance won 32 Modified Features. LaVern started Nance Speed Equipment in ‘73. Marvell, Diane and Charlotte ran the Retail, Allen the Shop and daughter Sharon the Mail Order and Dwight Diefenbach the Upholstery. Nance raced the BCRA with Grady Wade and Roy Bryant with his first Sprint car, built with son Carol. Nance was now in competition with CAE, Hank Henry, Grant King, Roger Beck and Bob Trostle. On track, Nance and driver , won 28 out of 71 in the ‘81 WOO title win, repeated in ’82 with 14 wins and 32 top five finishes, Victories included the Busch Bash,Western World, Pacific Coast Championship and Syracuse Super Nationals. Other Nance drivers were Al Unser jr, Jan Opperman, Shane Carson, Ed Leavitt and Jack Hewitt. LaVern sold the business in 1993. LaVern passed away in2003,Carol in’09, Charlotte in ‘75. Marvell, Allen, Diane and Sharon are now

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Bill Rigsby

Dale Reed and the Selenke 43 at El Centro Ca

Don Maxwell receiving the trophy Gene Gennetten, 1965 at Riverside 4

Gene Kruback and Jim Bredenberg

Dale Reed in the Nance #1

Club Business In 2006 after the first BCRA Hall of Fame induction a trip was made to Belleville Ks. Upon arrival at the museum we were informed that there was one marble bench left to be sold. I immediately took advantage of Swindell setting records in the Bobby Davis Sprinter the situation and purchased , what was to be last bench on the ”Winners Circle”. “Put anything you want on it” was the only instruction at the time. A computer generated file was created with a tribute to Don Budy and the BCRA. Also included was a list of BCRA Champions, top Feature winners and the addition of BCRA Photographer Leroy Byers. The file was sent to the vendor and plans were made to create the design on the beautiful Marble bench only to be snubbed , “You can’t put those names on the bench as they are not in

BCRA member Doug Wolfgang the Hall of Fame”. The initial agreement included no additional charge for completion of the original design whenever it was completed and we agreed to wait until the appropriate members were inducted. After waiting for 7 years the BCRA again approached the powers that be about getting the bench finished as agreed upon with the vendor and the response was positive. Once again the file was double-checked and sent to the contractor before conflict erupted again, and the completion of the project abandoned . About four months later we were notified that another request had been made to alter an existing bench and at that point the BCRA was permitted to complete the original design but at a cost

Jan Opperman of 200.00. I once again voiced the guidelines of the original agreement to do the work as agreed upon. A 5 call to the vendor in question revealed , “We don’t program at Eagle Raceway that evening followed by the know what will happen with that deal”, but the work races at McCool the next evening. Many thanks to this had been completed. The minutes of the committee group for taking the time to visit Lincoln and the reported the BCRA owed 250.00 more on the Memorial Museum. Bench which all costs had been paid for, 7 years earlier. After a pow-wow with the BCRA and HOF officers it was agreed upon to pay the extraneous and bogus charges assessed in order to see the project finished for members to enjoy. Payment was made and reported as being taken care of by an, “Anonymous Donor”. Even though the original agreement was not honored by the businesses involved, the work was completed satisfactorily, at the cost of 250.00. The issue is presently closed, as the membership now knows the circumstances surrounding the local spin on the transaction.

Mike Davey, Tom Davey and Gerry Miller

Colorado’s Ralph Brown, Mike Davey, Jim Bredenberg and Gene Kruback at Speedway Motors and the Lloyd Axel #5 Kurtis owned by Leroy Byers, on loan to the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed. BCRA Hall of Fame inductee, Tom Davey .1959 BCRA Members tour the American Speed Museum in Lincoln The opportunities presented over the years as we have engaged the BCRA Hall of Fame project, continue to amaze us. Recently four life long fans of open wheel racing arrived in Lincoln and a tour of the Smith Collection was arranged. A most interesting afternoon ensued as each of the above individuals related many of their experiences while following Midwest Dirt Track racing for over fifty years. Couldn’t believe the response as they entered the front door in obvious awe at how the Museum had changed since their last visit of Ralph Blackett. 1964 several years ago. From the Indy cars to their Forte,”Dirt Track racing”, the repor was one of grand excitement tempered with monumental respect for the sport and for the collection which will make it possible for enthusiasts to enjoy in the future. The group attended another great racing 6 venues for many years. From the modifieds in the Midwest to the across the nation the Nance product was hard to beat. Jerry Stone climbed into a family built and owned Modified at age 17, learned from the best and became one one of the best on the NCRA, while winning multiple Championships. His talents brought success in the Midgets and Sprint cars as he won multiple top contests across the country including USAC and BCRA. Gene Gennetten enjoyed a four decade career in the sport as he built and raced Midgets and Sprint Cars across the country and even found time to build cars for several top competitors. Sammy Swindell was another driver who started at an early age in Tennessee at his home track and would win the final Championship of the Big Car Racing

BCRA member, Oren Covert Association at Erie Colorado in 1977. Over forty years of competition has yielded a top driver/owner team. As you can see, the history of the Big Car Racing Association included some of the most amazing talent ever, in the sport of Open wheel racing in the United States. The BCRA Hall of Fame is somewhat different than other Hall of Fames in that the only rule is that you had to be a member of the original club which raced twenty consecutive seasons in the Midwest.. Right now we are approaching a goal of approximately 10 per cent Hall of Fame participation of the original roster. What we have found is that we have many deserving individuals still on the list of nominees. How we honor these individuals in the future is under consideration as we realize the expected constraints on room available to continue.

Pappy Noe of Gallup N.M. began racing in the 20’s and here he is The selectors have cast their ballots over the last ten at Pueblo in 1959 with the BCRA. Pappy’s son had to sell the car years and the BCRA is represented in fine fashion on the sly to get him to stop racing in ’65. within the halls of the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed. The BCRA and HOF has projected 2014 BCRA Hall of Fame Induction yearly reunions at Lincoln with bench racing and historical presentations surrounding this history and With the addition of 5 new inductees to the Big Car those who made it, in the years to come. We also have a Racing Association Hall of Fame in 2014 we now have web site now at bcraSprints.com, feel free to log on and 90 members of this elite group representing 20 seasons view the site while contributing with your comments of BCRA History. With Don Maxwell, one of the for the administrator to receive and we will answer any premier fabricators from New Mexico, we highlight questions you have concerning the collection and the talents of an important car builder and driver. celebration of this great history GW Nothing was outside the perception of Maxwell as the cars he fabricated with Opperman and Weld were some of the fastest in the country for a time when Sprint racing was the fastest in history. Max lived in Lincoln at the time of his passing. Laverne Nance was another who’s fabrication efforts led to championships at many 7

A tribute to the Morris/Swanson Chevy team is a great photo Collage of a winning team. Another Swanson Championship car was recently restored by Joe Haag of Lincoln.

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