RIP Doug Kenimer

[GA-DIRT]

Childhood HERO of mind

[Slideways]

I had not heard of his passing. RIP Mr. Kenimer.

[B_K]

I had not heard of his passing. RIP Mr. Kenimer.

R.I.P. 42

One of the absolute best to ever do it.

[3 wide]

One of the greats of his time Boyd's on Friday night Rome on Sunday night and all the big races at atomic speedway a threat to win anywhere he showed up a real hard charger.

[70satomic]

I enjoyed watching him at atomic Speedway back in the 70's

[Giterdunn]

Doug was always known as one of the best in the business. With 400 feature wins, it's hard to argue otherwise. Some of his career highlights:

1972 & 1973 Tennessee/Georgia Challenge at Atomic Speedway
1977: Won the World 100 @ Eldora Speedway
1985: NDRA Total Seal 100 in Kentucky
1985: NASCAR All-Star Super Series 50 at Lanier Raceway
2005: inducted into the National Dirt Track Late Model Hall of Fame
2012: inducted into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2012

And a really nice article:

http://www.raceweekillustrated.com/2...r-passes-away/

[CIRF]

Saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. Kenimer. I never had the honor and pleasure of watching Doug race except on video but really wish I had.

I can imagine that Doug, Buck and Bud are mixin' it up and stirring up a cloud of dust and havin' a ball wherever they are as we speak.


Rest in peace Mr. Kenimer.

[Bubstr]

First time I ever seen him was a big dollar special race in Champagne IL, back before he won his world 100. The rule of thumb in those days was Big Block Chevy and bigger the better. Doug and Charlie Huges where there. As soon as I heard them from the pits, you knew it wasn't a big block. I had to take a look at their cars. Nothing special, GM front on a Shoe box frame and leaf springs that where tweeked a bit. Mostly every ounce of un needed weight was trimmed and they where fast. Little did anyone know, this would be the start of the future of DLM racing. Doug was a innovator.

[3 wide]

A lot of people didn't know Doug built his own engines too.

[FastEd95]

I only got to see Doug race one event in my life, but I'll never forget it - it was the first-ever Yankee Dirt Track Classic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1978. Local favorite (and future NDLMHOF member), Verlin Eaker, was leading the 100-lap feature when a deluge hit on the 89th lap with Kenimer closing fast on Eaker. The race was called complete at that point giving Eaker the big victory, but it very well could've been the speedy Georgia driver taking the win if not for the rain.

[Clayton_Wetter]

And here is the car that he won the World 100 in, in 1977.

[CIRF]

And here is the car that he won the World 100 in, in 1977.

Are you sure Clay? I always thought he won his World driving a Ford. I'm prolly wrong but it's stuck in my head that he drove a Ford.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Are you sure Clay? I always thought he won his World driving a Ford. I'm prolly wrong but it's stuck in my head that he drove a Ford.

I'm sure, I was even there to see it.

[Stede Bonnet]

Never got to see Doug run, he was finishing his career about the time I was getting started. I heard alot about him from Buck Simmons when I worked with him and my friend and fellow racer D!ck Mills had a lot of good things to say about Doug. RIP Doug.

[3 wide]

Back in the day Doug,Buck Simmons,Charlie Hughes,billythomas, and others including Ronnie Johnson who was just getting started would all show up at Boyd's on Friday night then they would all go to Rome on Sunday night it would be standing room only at Rome.the best weekly racing I ever seen.

[B_K]

First time I ever seen him was a big dollar special race in Champagne IL, back before he won his world 100. The rule of thumb in those days was Big Block Chevy and bigger the better. Doug and Charlie Huges where there. As soon as I heard them from the pits, you knew it wasn't a big block. I had to take a look at their cars. Nothing special, GM front on a Shoe box frame and leaf springs that where tweeked a bit. Mostly every ounce of un needed weight was trimmed and they where fast. Little did anyone know, this would be the start of the future of DLM racing. Doug was a innovator.

That would have been 1976 I believe and Hughes won that race along with The World 100, National 100, and about 40 other races that year. I think it was 43 races he won that year. I was born that year and grew up going to races with Charles. He'll forever be my racing hero. Kenimer is always mentioned by him and my dad as one of the best they ever saw. We've lost DeFoor, Archer, and Kenimer all fairly recently. It's like the soundtrack of my youth fading away. Luckily legends never die. Georgia Bandits Forever!

Georgia has some really good drivers right now, but that crop back then were bad news for a lot of people.

[stevo]

Doug got into Fords at Dixie in late 70,s

[Bubstr]

The 70s was a exiting time for DLM racing. Guys like Kenimer where starting to move out of their regional racing and going after the big dollar races at the end of the season. North Georgia was formidable group of racers but Iowa probably had more hot shoes than any in numbers. Back then is where these crown jewels got started and where outlaw schedules started. If you want to see how the hot beds moved around, just look at the winners of the World 100 and where they came from.

[B_K]

Iowa was solid no doubt. Ed Sanger used the shop here a couple of times on trips down south I believe. With information not as easily shared and figured out, you really could see where people found some new tricks by looking at results from big national shows back then.

[70satomic]

I grew up at atomic Speedway in the early 70's and I'll always remember Doug Kenimer, Charlie Hughes, Bud Lunsford, Snook's DeFoor ,Jody Ridley when they came to town they put on a show those guys were my heroes back in the day