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View Full Version : Just wondering where these guys are and if they are still running?



roughride
09-04-2017, 06:53 PM
Anybody have info on Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth, William Thomas, Anthony Rushing, Jeff Floyd, and how about Bub McCool. Just haven't heard these names in a while?

MI Dirt Fan
09-04-2017, 07:13 PM
Nothing on Bub McCool's website. Only attended 10 events last year.

Chris Thomason
09-04-2017, 07:17 PM
Hollingsworth sold all his stuff. I know he does alot of out of town work...and I heard, I repeat HEARD, that he had won full custody of his little girl. Stand up guy if that is any of the reasoning for selling out.

slmcrewchief99
09-04-2017, 07:21 PM
Ronnie Lee sold out. The kid I help bought his toter and Billy Franklin got his cars. Rushing, as far as I know, has retired. Floyd just raced the Comp Series race on Friday night. Bub is taking care of his family business and I believe helping his son go cart race.

TheJet-09
09-05-2017, 11:46 AM
Glad you started this thread, as I was wondering the same about Floyd and a few others.

Does anyone know what Donnie Barnhart is up to? I always liked the look of his number 11 and the paint schemes of his cars.

And there was another kid (at least a kid back then) from Arkansas, whose name I forget. I think his number was either 1A or A1, and I believe his parents owned a salvage yard or something similar? If I remember correctly, they junked a car at Volusia during speedweeks one year and literally bought another complete car from someone right there. At least that's how the story goes.

racingfool32
09-05-2017, 01:15 PM
Donny Barnhart owns a Heat & Air business.

Not sure what Duke Whiseant is up to.

TheJet-09
09-05-2017, 03:10 PM
^^^ Whiseant! Yes, thank you!

How about a kid from Indiana who was an up and coming star around 2000 or so? I believe his family owned a funeral home? And if I recall, he got hurt pretty bad in an ATV accident or something similar. I don't know if I ever heard of him again after that.

slingindirt83
09-05-2017, 03:15 PM
Thomas Ware?

chupp n bloomer fan
09-05-2017, 04:15 PM
Thomas Ware?Funeral home business. Had a motorcycle wreck I believe it was, and never raced again.

champion24
09-05-2017, 09:57 PM
I think William Thomas is helping operate East Alabama. He still raced some, but don't recall any recently. I'll try to catch him in a couple weeks.

GEAR_HEAD
09-05-2017, 10:58 PM
Funeral home business. Had a motorcycle wreck I believe it was, and never raced again.

The Undertaker was fun to watch.

billetbirdcage
09-05-2017, 11:08 PM
^^^ Whiseant! Yes, thank you!



Think Frye and Duke are on each others Christmas card list yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31qNWDTd2GA

TheJet-09
09-05-2017, 11:43 PM
Oh man! Frye is not someone I would want to tick off! As I was watching, that tractor with the forks came on screen and I thought, "Man, they might need that to get Frye out of there!" A lot of carnage in that one. And I'm not familiar with how far apart their shops were in Arkansas, but it usually figures that you go racing away from home and end up having issues with someone who came from just down the road from you.

And yes, Thomas Ware sounds right @slingindirt83. Thanks for the responses!

slmcrewchief99
09-05-2017, 11:47 PM
Think Frye and Duke are on each others Christmas card list yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31qNWDTd2GA

The pleasantries the share I'm sure are more along the line of the middle finger. lol

chupp n bloomer fan
09-06-2017, 03:14 AM
Oh man! Frye is not someone I would want to tick off! As I was watching, that tractor with the forks came on screen and I thought, "Man, they might need that to get Frye out of there!" A lot of carnage in that one. And I'm not familiar with how far apart their shops were in Arkansas, but it usually figures that you go racing away from home and end up having issues with someone who came from just down the road from you.

And yes, Thomas Ware sounds right @slingindirt83. Thanks for the responses!And it's still chickensh!t when you go after a guy still in his car. I really didn't see anything wrong with Whiseants move anyway. He was under the guy at a sh!tty race track hard to pass on, they got together, and one bit the dust. Wasn't nothing intentional. Frye losing his sh!t and going after someone still in the car and fighting with I assume an official, little much. And I liked Bill, had at least one of his shirts.

2thextreme
09-06-2017, 03:40 AM
What ever happened to Neon Deion Deason that raced at Brownstown? Mike Jewell (Brownstown)? Jeff Napper (KY)? Tony Cardin out of AR?

hipower17
09-06-2017, 07:10 AM
last i heard napper was real sick.

JabberJaws83
09-06-2017, 07:35 AM
I believe Jewel retired. Deason was back running a few years ago in a butt paste sponsored car but has since disappeared.
Thomas Ware was one of my favorite drivers, he's now in the family funeral business himself in Cynthiana KY

Krooser
09-06-2017, 12:03 PM
I always like watching that video...

zach51
09-06-2017, 12:14 PM
Good thread. A couple I had wondered about lately from my early days in Arkansas/Okla/MO:

1) Kelly Boen -- From Colorado, he was a scary man to see show up at the racetrack back in the mid-2000's. Never knew when he might whip ya, on OR off the track.

2) Ronnie Poche -- I still have an old hero card from him I think from the 95 or 96 Topless. Budweiser car. I remember him being fairly fast but never saw him anywhere else, just that one time. (granted I was only like 7-8 years old so I didn't travel much).

3) Johnny Virden -- ?

4) Alan Vaughn -- he used to be a threat to win when he showed up too. I think he has still been racing fairly recent but haven't heard much.

5) Al Purkey -- I think he pretty much switched all to modifieds over the last decade.

I'm sure I'll think of some more.

One Man Gang
09-06-2017, 02:00 PM
Johnny Virden was at the Mag running a crate couple years if I'm not mistaken

NWPA
09-06-2017, 02:05 PM
How bout Rapid Roy Mitchell that ran WoO? Lol

billetbirdcage
09-06-2017, 05:30 PM
1) Kelly Boen -- From Colorado, he was a scary man to see show up at the racetrack back in the mid-2000's. Never knew when he might whip ya, on OR off the track. Kelly quit several years ago after he got remarried and hasn't raced since, however I think he still buys and sells a few cars here and there in the last couple years though

2) Ronnie Poche -- I still have an old hero card from him I think from the 95 or 96 Topless. Budweiser car. I remember him being fairly fast but never saw him anywhere else, just that one time. (granted I was only like 7-8 years old so I didn't travel much).

3) Johnny Virden -- ? It's been a few years since I talked to him, last I saw him race was down at magnolia in a crate car. He never raced a ton after he and Frye left GRT cars

4) Alan Vaughn -- he used to be a threat to win when he showed up too. I think he has still been racing fairly recent but haven't heard much. I haven't seen or talked to Alan for several years now, not sure what he's doing.

5) Al Purkey -- I think he pretty much switched all to modifieds over the last decade. Al hasn't raced much just some here and there when others talked him into driving a car which is mostly a modified at Salina OK or Caney KS. He called me 2 days ago after he ran Al Humphrey's LM at lakeside and I-80 this past weekend.

One Man Gang
09-06-2017, 10:03 PM
What about Kenny Merchant, James Ward and Scott Creel anybody heard anything out these guys lately ?

TheJet-09
09-06-2017, 11:18 PM
No knowledge of the added names, but hearing Ronnie Poche brings back memories. I believe he always had super nice looking cars, and was quite successful down south, around Louisiana I believe. I attended one of the early RaceWise classes at Larry Shaw's back in the late 90's. I remember Ronnie attending the class, and I'm fairly certain Randall Edwards was his crew chief at the time (also in attendance). Darrell Defrance was also there, as well as Jeff Taylor, who was just venturing into Late Models at the time.

I know he'd be well beyond his driving years, but is Jim Curry still around? I just caught the end of his driving days, around 2000 or so, but definitely admired what I saw from him. Tough as nails!

fastford
09-07-2017, 09:27 AM
What about Kenny Merchant, James Ward and Scott Creel anybody heard anything out these guys lately ?

last time i talked to kenny , he was like me, lack of extra funds , or at least enough to play this game on the road any more.

2thextreme
09-19-2017, 05:01 AM
last i heard napper was real sick.I'm sorry to hear this. He always had a nice looking car! Thanks hipower17!

2thextreme
09-19-2017, 05:05 AM
I believe Jewel retired. Deason was back running a few years ago in a butt paste sponsored car but has since disappeared.Thomas Ware was one of my favorite drivers, he's now in the family funeral business himself in Cynthiana KYI haven't heard anything about Jewel lately. Always seemed like a nice guy. Not sure what you mean by a "butt paste sponsored car"?, JabberJaws83. LOL!

JabberJaws83
09-19-2017, 08:26 AM
I haven't heard anything about Jewel lately. Always seemed like a nice guy. Not sure what you mean by a "butt paste sponsored car"?, JabberJaws83. LOL!

http://www.dirtfans.com/DeonDeason.html

Check out the pics from 2007, that's the car I'm talking about. I think that's the last he raced, but not totally positive

Cardirt0
09-19-2017, 11:15 AM
So I say to bad for Richie hedrick.. So sad to see a Old Friend so down and out....I know some did not like him but so sad....Of drivers gone....

racingfool32
09-19-2017, 01:30 PM
Oh man! Frye is not someone I would want to tick off! As I was watching, that tractor with the forks came on screen and I thought, "Man, they might need that to get Frye out of there!" A lot of carnage in that one. And I'm not familiar with how far apart their shops were in Arkansas, but it usually figures that you go racing away from home and end up having issues with someone who came from just down the road from you.

And yes, Thomas Ware sounds right @slingindirt83. Thanks for the responses!

Bill Frye is running a mod a Batesville.

racingfool32
09-19-2017, 01:33 PM
Ronnie Poche ran SUPR cars for years.

2thextreme
09-20-2017, 09:49 PM
http://www.dirtfans.com/DeonDeason.htmlCheck out the pics from 2007, that's the car I'm talking about. I think that's the last he raced, but not totally positiveThank you for the link, JabberJaws83. Much appreciated!

B_K
09-21-2017, 05:23 PM
last time i talked to kenny , he was like me, lack of extra funds , or at least enough to play this game on the road any more.

Only met him a couple of times, but from observing from afar at times I really liked c28. JD Caver seemed like as good a guy as you'd ever meet as well.