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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| 2004
LEGENDS OF ASCOT CELEBRATION by Norm Bogan |
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August 28,2004 was the date set aside for today’s racers to honor their heroes. The Second Annual Legends of Ascot Tribute was held at Perris Auto Speedway in conjunction with a regularly scheduled USAC/CRA Sprint Car and Ford Focus Midget program. Culminating months of intense arm-twisting, Don Weaver and Belita Michnowicz have once again put together a celebration honoring the memory of the sacred Ascot Park track and individuals, who made a significant contribution to Ascot, during its thirty-three year history. Two Midget drivers, Johnny Moorhouse and
Sleepy Tripp joined with two Sprint Car drivers, Billy Wilkerson and
Dean Thompson as honorees this year.
Engine Builder, Ron Shaver was included with this elite
group, along with two former CRA Officials, Rusty Espinoza and Ed
Hudson. Completing the 2004 class were Bruce Bromme Sr. and Jr.,
racing mechanics, chassis builders and car owners, who helped write
the history of Ascot, winning a number of season championships,
while collecting nearly a century and a half of Saturday night
features. They also
supplied numerous teams with the famed Bromme Chassis that was so
dominant at Ascot. Moorhouse, Thompson and Bromme Sr. were honored posthumously. Organizing an event
of this magnitude entails a number of tasks, perhaps the most
difficult being the establishment of an agreeable date for all the
parties involved. Once
the date has been selected, advertising and getting the word out for
advanced tickets sales, which will generate funding to secure many
of the services, determines the seating at the venue and provides
the caterer with the quantity of food to be prepared.
After all the struggles, it was a sell out crowd for this
year’s program. Any time you have a
nostalgia-racing event, bringing out the vintage racecars adds to
the charisma of the program. This
year, about twenty-five racecars, some which had campaigned at
Ascot, were on display for the visitors and this generated some
great “Bench-Racing”. Old-time
racers and fans reminisced about these cars and fetes of daring by
their brave drivers, while youngsters sat nearby absorbing this
knowledge and lore as told by some of these storied heroes.
There were the recollections about escapades long ago on the
track between drivers, who are now seen as idols, tales that have
grown and been enhanced over the years.
Completing an
enjoyable afternoon and evening was seeing Parnelli Jones at the
wheel of the famed Bromme “Little Red Sucker”, which carried
Dean Thompson to fame, pacing the evening’s Sprint Car races.
Parnelli alluded to the fact that he had been out of
sprinters for nearly forty years, but as he pushed off and gassed
her up cautiously, the juices flowed and he was tempted to take her
deep into turn #1, at least once for old times sake.
As with any large
undertaking, much behind the scenes maneuvering goes on to make it
all come together. Securing
the venue and then setting the date is just the beginning.
Many old photos are pored over to select a representative
group to appear in the program.
After the honorees are announced, writers are contacted to
prepare biographies on each of them.
In the meantime, a big top is being considered that will
accommodate all the attendees, plus allow space for the caterer to
set up a food serving area and also set aside an area for
memorabilia sales. In addition, parts
distributors and manufacturers of racing products were canvassed for
both financial assistance and also merchandise that could be offered
as raffle prizes. Many
businesspeople in the racing community, not only purchased
advertising space in the program, but also donated items toward the
raffle. |
