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Photo sent in by LLoyd Decker |
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What can be said about the man who was # 1 on the all time win list at the Danbury Racearena. Chick won his final race at Danbury on 8-22-81 and finished out his career with a total of 207 wins. Chicks career spanned 5 decades and included both dirt and paved tracks. Bridgeport, Plainville, Lebanon Valley ,Thompson, West Haven, Waterford and of course Danbury were all places that he raced and won at. There are many stories of "Chicks" exploits at Danbury. Never one to spend money when it wasn't needed, one of the most memorable pictures is his #151 with a snow tire on the left front. When asked why, his answer was that the left front never touches the ground so why spend the money on a good tire. After finishing 5th in a feature one night "Chicks" motor was torn down. What a shock it must have been when the inspectors opened the motor to find 2 burnt valves along with a mouse nest under the intake. It was an old motor pulled out of storage and thrown in the car after he had blown his good motor. That was the way it was. He relied on his skill as driver more than a lot of money thrown into the car. I've been told he got more out of his cars than any other driver. He was also good with cars that he was unfamiliar with. Jim Leary asked "Chick" to sort out his car for him one night. After running the car harder than thought possible and making the show with the car, "Chick" brought it back to the pits with the temp. gauge pegged. When he climbed out of the car and was asked how it ran, his response was that "it runs a little hot"! That was all he said as he walked off. As with any driver, he had his share of bad crashes. One of his worst came in a practice crash in the Delta Automotive car. The car was completely destroyed, but he somehow survived the incident and crawled from the car. "Chick" considers this the worst wreck he was ever involved in. "Chick" is a very humble person who still doesn't realize what he meant to all of the fans that attended the races. He values the fact that he was voted "Most Popular Driver" for 6 consecutive years from 1976-1981 more than all of his feature wins, yet is amazed even today at the attention he receives at the Danbury reunion shows that he has attended. "Chicks" record speaks for itself: 51 Mains, 51 Semi's, 77 Heats, 26 Consi's, 2 B's, and 9 time point champ at Danbury. 1957 track champ at Rhinebeck, N.Y. and the United Grand American Sportsman champ in 1963 and 1964. On February 4, 2001, Chick will be inducted into the NEAR (New England Antique Racers) Hall of Fame. He will be 1 of 10 people selected each year for this honor. This makes "Chick" one of racing"s most legendary drivers. Article & Photos sent in by Kevin Brown |
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