Lee USA Notebook

by John Spence Sr.

 

I got to thinking during the off season that in addition to writing advance releases to help  out again this season, I thought I’d write an occasional column on short track racing, for the track website, focusing on Lee, it drivers, events, and just a simple what’s happening at my Friday night stomping ground. I figured, why not, no one else is. Maybe contribute a little something. Cameo appearances if you will. With my Friday nights at Lee, my Saturday nights with the True Value modifieds, and my press release duties for both, a son playing a ton of baseball this spring and summer, it really does not leave to me to much time to do all the “honey do” lists around the house so that’s why we’ll keep it a once in a while deal. I know my old buddies Charlie Flanders and Fireball Joe Larochelle would be pleased.  It really makes me realize just how much we miss those that contributed columns, pictures etc, in our area. I could probably put together a heck of a staff. When I start daydreaming I think of people like Al Marriott, Ray Plouffe, Roger Thibodeau and brother Rodney, Mr. Flanders, Art Bartlett, Bill Tremblay,  Fireball, Jack Ratta,  Ernie Baker, Hal Albert, and of course the writings of my good friend Russ Conway.  I thought I would focus this effort toward our website. A little of this and a little of that. We’ll hit on the old days as well as the present, but please keep in mind I do not profess to be an award winning journalist.  I leave that to the real pro’s like Fredrickson, Bourcier, Ring, Provencher, Hayes, Romano, and the wonderful writers that pump this stuff out like it’s nothing. Hopefully I must have learned something along the way. If I didn’t, I’ll blame my mentor Russ and hope he doesn’t “tell his friends.”

 

Those that know me realize that I am right at home with a microphone in hand and yapping my way through a race night or radio broadcast. Someone came to me right after last season and said, “Boy do I miss your radio show.” My response was simple. “So do I.” Every week from 1978 to 1994, Speedline brought local and national racing news, personalities, gossip and rumors into the living room, kitchen, and car radios of the fans of the Merrimack Valley and Southern NH long before SPEED and the NASCAR CHANNEL were a gleam in someone’s eye.. We brought the Motor Racing Network to NH for the first time forcing race fans into parking lots so they could position themselves to receive the AM signal from WOTW in Nashua. We did live TV call in shows with Sportschannel New England fielding calls from all over the nation similar to my main man Dave Despain, promotions, bus charters to World of Outlaw races, hosted movie parties to sell out crowds, did live broadcasts with Earnhart,Bouchard,Baker and Petty, We did crazy things like putting listeners in street stocks and paying $ 800 to win over twenty years ago prompting one noted driver to complain, “Spence pays more money to race fans that we get to win.” Hell we did that two years in a row. One of the winners was our own back stretch track official Ron Poitras.  We pulled some antics too. Like the Tuesday night go cart showdowns after the radio show with McClure, Fiandaca, and anybody else that was not in a rush home.Nothing like doing a radio show with Barnrat Devaney and “Nasty” Neil Murray in studio. One night out of the blue, we called Hueytown Alabama., to speak to anyone that would answer the phone at the shops of the “Alabama Gang.” We thought we’d get Bobby Allison, or Red Farmer, but we were pleased to hear “This is Neil, Neil Bonnett, can I help ya?  Bonnett helped us ok. Gave us a 45 minute interview, one I still have today in a box out in the garage.  Oh the memories of the way we were.

 

The reason I mention all this stuff is simple. Those were fun times. We don’t have this kind of thing anymore and haven’t for many years. Frankly that’s sad. Gone are the radio shows, the movie parties, the weekly local columns like New England Notations, Ride on with the Minuteman, Speedway Scene, WOTW, WCCM, WEIM, all supportive of the short track scene are either defunct, ethnic, or satellite fed. from another corner of the world. Things have really changed. For the better?  Absolutely not. These are tough times.  There is not one track owner out there that is not concerned for the future.

 

As we enter the new season, one that I think will really be big in terms of what lies ahead, we all need to pull together, support one another, our tracks, our sponsors, our race teams. Do whatever it takes. If short track racing as we know it has a future, that future is now. Fuel prices are going to be tough. On the True Value modified series, officials this year will be car pooling. Fans may have to consider that too. How many remember when NESMRA ran buses from the Merrimack Valley to the races during the 70’s gas crunch?

 

 

One good we just learned is the newly announced podcast offering from former WCCM talk show host Marc Lemay.  You may remember Lemay as my sidekick in the tower two seasons ago. Marc is an excellent interviewer and he has this new thing called iMassRadio.com. Check it out. He currently is running an interview with Ricky Wolf.

Which reminds me, I always thought Dave Dion was the best interview going. He is. But I have to say Ricky Wolf is not that far behind. Wolfie is a natural behind a microphone.

 

All it takes is just a few minutes and you quickly learn that the father-son team of Jim Lowery is eager, anxious, and excited to be back racing at Lee. I had the opportunity to chat with the Lowery’s at the recent Racin Preview show in Portland. and it was interesting to hear their views on racing, talk about their involvement over the years, and discuss their plans for the 2008 season.

 

Driver Jim Lowery III, resides in Tilton, NH., with his wife Robin and their four daughters. Mistakenly referred to as Junior over the years, the likeable Lowery has been involved in racing since high school. He started driving at Lee in the Yankee Modified division in 1983 and then moved on to the SK division at Thompson. CT., for what Jim called “a learning process. I did that on my own while Dad was off running a midget. I struggled a bit but I was learning.”  In 1985, Lowery jumped into a midget and “things started happening, I started getting real competitive, it was a good car and it got better from there.”

 

After driving the midget for two seasons, Lowery jumped into a big block super modified, a move he is happy he made. “Lets face it, the big block super is the ultimate” said Lowery.  He made that his weekly gig until 1994.

 

With the costs of racing escalating and the travel commitment involved, the Lowery’s regrouped and focused on doing something else. They went dirt modified racing at Canaan and Bear Ridge. Something new, something fun, something close to home.  When the vintage race car craze took place, they restored a former Troyer modified and went nostalgia racing at different venues throughout New England. When they heard that Kristen Gath’s supermodified, a Freddie Graves chassis, was for sale, they decided to come back to the supers and back to where it all started in the early 80’s.

 

Lowery is quick to point out that the small block concept at Lee is right for his race teams means. “The cost for one of these motors you can easily tie up in an injection system for a big block plus the travel is just too much. It’s close to home, it’s a super modified, I know where I am going every week and I don’t have to spend a ton of money to get there.” “Do not be mistaken, these cars are very quick, it’s like riding a bike, once you do it you get right back on it, well here we are.”

 

Lowery has the distinction of being the only driver on record to compete in the last Lee tri-oval race in a Yankee Modified and then compete in the first race conducted on the present track configuration in a NEMA midget. . That’s one for the trivia books.

 

The man behind the scenes Jim Sr says the sport has changed a lot over the years and like everyone else points to the cost of racing that has had the biggest impact.  “It’s not cubic inches anymore, its cubic dollars, that’s what makes these (small blocks) attractive.”

 

The Lowery name has been part of the open wheel scene for many years. Both father and son hope that their reconnection to Lee will draw interest from others coming back to the local super modified scene.

 

Although the Friday night schedule does not kickoff until May 2, the month of April will find the ACT Late Models opening their season at Lee and the True Value Modified Racing Series sharing the billing. Sunday afternoon April 20 will find the two popular touring divisions racing in 100 lap features races dubbed the “Governors Cup 200” in honor of the states top official, Gov. John Lynch. The special event will carry a ticket price of only $20 for grandstand seating, children from 11-15 years old are $10 and age 10 and under are FREE. What a great deal!

 

With Monadnock postponing their opener April 12, the race at Lee will now be the opener for the TVMRS.

 

Till next time