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[Sticky] Delaware Speedway Historical Thread (**photo threads from 2011 merged on Jan 7)

Shadowracer · 2009-07-10T08:55:17Z

Welcome to the unofficial Delaware Speedway Online History Project.This is the place for everyone and anyone to post any old photos or Delaware stories that you'd like to share. I'll be getting it started by making a number of posts myself, but its a community thread. I'd like to encourage everyone to post here.The ReasonThe purpose of this thread, simply put, is to share memories, old photos, stories and recollections. If there's one thing that long time fans are good at, its telling stories about the old days, and we've found that people are generally good at sharing this stuff. Every once in a while a thread pops up with some old photos, and the discussion goes well for a little while then it, like any other thread, tends to drop off the board. There's already been a bit of a trip down memory lane for some of us in the "Please introduce yourself" thread, and we'd like to keep it going. This thread will be stickied so that, for years to come, everyone that turns up here on the Delaware message board gets a chance to see it. We hope that every once in a while, we'll get a new member that just happens to have some old pics or programs squirrelled away in a box somewhere and would like to share.What many folks might not know is that Delaware itself does not have much in the way of documentation for anything that happened before 1998 or so. So much history has been lost to the ages, as past management was understandably more concerned with running the business of the speedway than chronicling its history. Believe it or not, that APC 300 wall of fame when you walk through the main gate is the only record in existence of most of those races. So really, any history the place has only exists in the memories, old photos and programs of the fans and drivers. We want to get those memories where others can see and enjoy them too. The PlanIt is my hope that one day we'll have enough here to put together a small "historical society" with a legitimate book or a historical display that can be exhibited at the speedway and maybe at car/hot rod shows as well. So in that regard, there may come a time when we'd be happy to accept donations of old programs or memorabilia, and you can rest assured that anything you did donate would be treated like the treasure that it is, and shared for all to see. In the coming months, the plan for me is to go through all these old threads that contained photos and articles and bring them here. Over the years I've posted a lot of stuff. We had a great collection that Gary Brooks shared with us, and various other posters as well. It will be a time consuming process. I will soon open up a designated photo sharing site just for this, most likely a Photobucket site, and transfer everything over there. I'll also make sure that someone else also has admin access to the site, likely John from Delaware, just so the keys are being held by the "society" rather than just me as an individual. Bringing them over here will be a time consuming process, but the end result will be worth it. Couple all those photos with the (hopefully) flood of new ones, and this thread should become a really great read.If You Want to ShareIf you are not entirely computer savvy and are unsure about scanning and posting photos, feel free to contact me personally and I'll be happy to help. If it should happen that you have a bunch of great photos but can't scan them, someone may be able to come to you with a scanner so that you get to have your photos up...but don't have to turn them over to anyone to do it. Old racing photos are rare and priceless to thier owners. We recognize that and would never ask you to just hand them over, unless of course, you want to.Likewise, if you can scan them but don't know how to share them on the net, send them to me and I'll post them on your behalf. Try and give me a caption for each photo and it will get posted with full credit to the donator and photographer if possible.If you are a "lurker" which means you read the boards but don't have a profile, and you want to share, please email me at tjjjames@ZZZZyahoo.ca (remove the ZZZZ part...its just there to prevent automated spam crawlers - and yes, its 3 j's)What we're looking forThe criteria is loose here. If it relates to Delaware in some way, then its good. By proximity, anything regarding the old Nilestown Speedway is naturally welcome too, as most of the drivers/fans of that era did both places. We'd love to have at least a caption for each pic, but mystery "who's in this car" photos are good too. Someone on the boards usually has an answer. Its been our experience that the tale-telling seems to snowball. Someone posts a photo, then someone else says "I remember that. Does anyone remember the night when...." etc etc, and we heartily encourage that here. You don&...

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raceguy

Aug 20, 2009 3:03 pm

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The first big race program after it went to 1/2 mile

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Shadowracer

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Aug 20, 2009 3:34 pm

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Now thats cool.

I was strapping lad of about 5 months of age when that came out.

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Shadowracer

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Aug 23, 2009 5:58 pm

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A video. More recent...but certainly deserving of being in the history thread.

This, to my mind, is still the race that defines Super Stock racing to me.

In June of 2006 we lost Dave Lawrence, who'd pretty much been the Street Stock division's elder statesman and most successful driver. The next year, Duane Manning took the helm of the 28 car, and went back to Dave's very first paint scheme.

This evening was a race that went 28 laps instead of the usual 25, in honor of Dave. If I recall correctly, it was exactly a year after his passing. We take up with about ten laps to go. Manning's actually well out in front, but he bobbles slightly in turn 2, allowing 87-Jeremy Ouellette to catch him.

Manning isn't behind the wheel any more, but is still helping out the BT Racing team, and also fields a Krown Jr car driven by his son Lucas. I have no idea what's become of Ouellete.

If this isn't an example of a guy racing his heart out, then I don't know what is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lv1AgdYAZw&feature=channel_page#normal ]Delaware Speedway Peterbilt Super Stock Final Laps June 15[/url]

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Shadowracer

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Oct 02, 2009 12:47 am

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Let me first preface this by saying these are not my photos. They were posted over on the Inside Track Boards by a poster named Christian Genest, and I've left the watermarks on them indicating (I think) the photogs name is/was Paul Michaud.

There was a link to them posted here in another thread, but I thought they deserved to actually be posted here.

These pics are amazing. I'd guess the colors may have been sweetened a little, but they are very clear.

I'd invite any and all that can hazard a guess as to who some of the drivers are. Some of them are labelled, but most are a mystery to me. Its about time we had another "old times" thread.

Also note that the speedway is in its 1/4 mile paved configuration and in some photos you can see Pop Degraw's Hot Dog wagon up on the hill. Yes back in those days you paid at the gate down by the road and just drove in, as you can see by the cars parked on the hill.

Dave Scott

A Couple of Marsh Manning

17 Geoff Rennison (I have a program from 71 stating he was from Lambeth)

Mystery Driver 77 (might be Bill Atchinson from Sarnia)

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Shadowracer

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Oct 02, 2009 12:56 am

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Some Action Shots

I'd guess the 66 is Grant Manning (check out the pipes on the side of that car) , but I cant place any of the others. One says London 1 and I'd be curious about that. I think Jack Sharpe was driving Lobo 1 during that era, and it was a supermodified...so I don't think its him.