Ed Basey "The Gambler"

[LeafMaster41]

Anyone know what Ed Basey is up to these days? I never heard he retired or anything, just stopped hearing about or seeing him. I really loved to watch him run the big track at Cherokee and then Modoc. Came across this video of him at Cherokee, "DOING IT THE WRIGHT WAY !!!" in the mid 90's. Barry's car held up well in the crash and the backup rolls out to have another GO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlDr0ukyq8I

[johnE]

...and THAT'S why they shortened the track!

[weatherman85]

Ed sure could run with the best of them. Last I saw of him was at I-20 Speedway in SC. I want to say it was 06-08 time frame. Man I sure do miss that place. Seem to remember Cushman Paint & Body being a big supporter of him. Seems like their name started appearing on Casey Robert's car along the same time Ed stopped racing. Remember him pulling into Lavonia Speedway back in the 90s in a blue and white car. I personally didn't know anything about him at the time as I was just a kid but remember him running away with the race. Think it was a SAS sanctioned race but could be wrong on that. I think he just very quietly stepped away from driving but not sure what he's up to these days.

[00Hdmn]

...and THAT'S why they shortened the track!

That might be part of the reason, I know Tim Hitt went out of it and had something to do with it also.

[LeafMaster41]

...and THAT'S why they shortened the track!
No it's not. LOL


Ed sure could run with the best of them. Last I saw of him was at I-20 Speedway in SC. I want to say it was 06-08 time frame. Man I sure do miss that place. Seem to remember Cushman Paint & Body being a big supporter of him. Seems like their name started appearing on Casey Robert's car along the same time Ed stopped racing. Remember him pulling into Lavonia Speedway back in the 90s in a blue and white car. I personally didn't know anything about him at the time as I was just a kid but remember him running away with the race. Think it was a SAS sanctioned race but could be wrong on that. I think he just very quietly stepped away from driving but not sure what he's up to these days.
Oh yeah, the Blue & White car was the Walter Newman "Bushwhacker" car. I watched him win the season opener at Toccoa in 02' or 03' and led the last half of the race with the LF broken and laid back. He just kept that corner in the air, but it was a booger under caution.

[flagone]

They shortened it because they thought it would help the racing. Although the shortening did happened not too awfully long after Duvall's bad crash in turn 2.

[CIRF]

I remember Ed racing at Putnam County Speedway in Satsuma, Florida during Speedweeks back in the days when Volusia was paved. Most everyone that had been running Volusia during Speedweeks prior to them paving it raced at PCS during Speedweeks in those days. He ran pretty good, won some features if I recall correctly. I believe he was driving a white car in those days, as well.

[Slideways]

It still doesn't seem right, going to a race in the Ga., SC, NC area and not seeing him there.

[LeafMaster41]

It still doesn't seem right, going to a race in the Ga., SC, NC area and not seeing him there.

You're absolutely right. You knew it was gonna be a race when Basey, Hot Rod Lamance, Duvall, Buck Simmons, Bill Morgan, Ernest Steifle and Jack Pennington showed up. Throw in CL Pritchett and Tim Headen and we might just blow the top off the joint.

[Barbecueboy]

You're absolutely right. You knew it was gonna be a race when Basey, Hot Rod Lamance, Duvall, Buck Simmons, Bill Morgan, Ernest Steifle and Jack Pennington showed up. Throw in CL Pritchett and Tim Headen and we might just blow the top off the joint.

Hot Rod lamance is one of he greatest motor sports names of all time.......

[drano]

Always liked his car #8 and the top and bottom of the 8 were the o in hot rod.

[starrette fan]

Ed Basey`s brother has a son(cant remember his first name) that is starting to race in the crate late model division . they were at Screven in Feb for the winter freeze

[flagone]

I thought that was Jeffry's son. His name is Brad.

[Barbecueboy]

Off topic a bit ....since we are talking old school legends and reminiscing a bit.

A friend of mine told me just today that Jimmy Edwards 48 number came about because the late chubby thompkins taught and mentored porky and when he decided on a number it was 48 because he was half the driver chubby was and chubby drove the 96.

This is a cool thread guys, conjuring up some cool old memories.

[jog49]

That's right drano. Hot Rod's number on the car was twice as good as his nickname! LOL! He was also one of the first "local" drivers with a big rig too.

[jog49]

Chubby Thompkins was 96 and Walston Gardner was 93, as I recall. Both were driving for Albert Ray at one time. He had a shop on south Gillespie Street in Fayetteville near Buddy's Barbeque. Steve's Drive-In was just down the street where there was a radio station in the projection tower. Carried his race cars to Dillon in 1964 on a 18 wheel car carrier.

[jog49]

Ed Basey was at Dublin, NC a few times after it was rebuilt by Mike McLaurin but I don't remember the years.

[IZZOJR16]

Ed won one of the huge street stock payouts at Pennsboro during the DTWC in the mid 80's

[macro646]

I thought that was Jeffry's son. His name is Brad.

Brad is Ed's nephew. Jeffrey and Brad are brothers.

[macro646]

Anyone know what Ed Basey is up to these days? I never heard he retired or anything, just stopped hearing about or seeing him. I really loved to watch him run the big track at Cherokee and then Modoc. Came across this video of him at Cherokee, "DOING IT THE WRIGHT WAY !!!" in the mid 90's. Barry's car held up well in the crash and the backup rolls out to have another GO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlDr0ukyq8I

He retired the first part of 2010. He had to have to some neck surgery, so it was time to call it quits. I sure do miss those days.

[Wells Racing Photos]

Ed was one of the nicest guys I've ever met around the track. The year he ran SAS with us was one of the funnest seasons I have ever had.

[johnE]

Y'all can't recognize a joke unless I put "LOL" after it? Allright, for clarity's sake, here's another one. LOL

[nuff said]

I've seen Hot Rod's name in the rundown at some crate races not too far back,seems like at Lavonia.His number 8 is classic.

[weatherman85]

Yes Hot Rod is still running strong these days. He mostly runs Crate at Lavonia, Toccoa, and Hartwell. Been driving for a local car owner by the name of Tim King for the past several years. Red and Yellow car. Tim has a huge farm with several chicken houses and other crops. Heard he took a hit and lost a lot of money due to the drought in the area and wasn't going to be able to field a car this year. That could just be hearsay. Last I heard they were running a longhorn.

[LeafMaster41]

He retired the first part of 2010. He had to have to some neck surgery, so it was time to call it quits. I sure do miss those days.

and that's the rest of the story... Hope he is doing well following his surgery. There was a guy at Talledega Short track that ran a matching white/blue Walter Newman just like Ed's, sponsored by Curbow Logging #18 I think, he was pretty good too from what I remember, but his name is escaping me.

As to Hotrod, I don't know if Tim's fielding a car this year or not, they've had several cars since they teamed up, BWRC, TNT and Longhorn. I use to work on Tim's car back when he was teamed with Nick Manley driving Rayburn's & Yellow Jacket's. Larry Moore drove the car one night at Lavonia, that was neat.

[Governor]

"You're absolutely right. You knew it was gonna be a race when Basey, Hot Rod Lamance, Duvall, Buck Simmons, Bill Morgan, Ernest Steifle and Jack Pennington showed up. Throw in CL Pritchett and Tim Headen and we might just blow the top off the joint. "

That was a typical Saturday night field at Gaffney back in the 90s. Great memories.

Edward drove for Bill Newby for a lot of years. Bill raced sometimes int he 95 car while Edward drove the 4 car.