Elliot joins Larson

[EvelB7]

I think maybe Kevin Swindell was on his way to being a very diverse driver when he got hurt at Knoxville. I watched Swindell convincingly win driving a Venturini Motorsports ARCA car on the 1 mile dirt track at Springfield, Illinois. Kevin ran decent on asphalt in a full bodied stock car, as well. Some other guys from the generic dirt late model ranks that gave NASCAR/ARCA a whirl were Freddy Smith (not positive but I believe he was involved in the crash at Daytona that ended up putting Don Williams in a coma for the rest of his life), Kevin Gundaker, John Gill, Jack Pennington and many more over the years have tried asphalt but never stuck. Bob Hill, a generic DLM driver out of Story City, Iowa, won some ARCA races back in the day driving for Larry Clemont. Just from a bleacher jockey perspective Billy Moyer seemed to find his niche in dirt late model racing very early on and never showed much ambition to advance to the more lucrative and higher profile divisions. His reluctance to try what Purvis did is our gain. Moyer was never real flashy and never really came across as a risk taker behind the wheel but he oozed talent, patience and skill in a DLM.

Kevin was on his way for sure, heck Sammy really did well for the equipment he was in on pavement.Funny thing is I raced with Bob Hill when I started in Iowa (although we lived half a state apart), haven't seen him in quite a few years but he used to live less than 5 miles from me outside of Charlotte. Freddy Smith's dad Grassy was a very popular engine guy and worked for quite a few of the NASCAR teams back in the day.Moyer is exactly that, one of the best DLM for sure. Lucky enough to watch him growing up as well (and his dad), got to race with him (I mean be on the same track, never even the slightest competition for him) back in the day; I ran Knoxville back in like 1987, think it was USAC or USA Late Models (I believe Moyer's dad put it on). Have a picture where I am running beside Purvis (I conveniently neglect to tell people he is lapping me)... Gill was always exciting, and I raced quite a bit with Pennington after I moved south. Gundaker, heck he is the reason I ran orange race cars for a while-he always had great looking stuff. Thanks for bringing back some old memories, lucky time to live.

[kazual]

Watched Terry Bivens break in to NASCAR in the mid to late 70s. He was a throttle masher from the Kansas City area and had some regional notoriety. After seeing his path it became apparent there was a need for a combination of many things beyond just driving skill. Guys like he and Larry Phillips weren’t able to put it all together at the right time. Think many short track drivers, including Bloomquist, had skills but didn’t have the polish. Unfortunate but that’s the way it was.

[CIRF]

Kevin was on his way for sure, heck Sammy really did well for the equipment he was in on pavement.Funny thing is I raced with Bob Hill when I started in Iowa (although we lived half a state apart), haven't seen him in quite a few years but he used to live less than 5 miles from me outside of Charlotte. Freddy Smith's dad Grassy was a very popular engine guy and worked for quite a few of the NASCAR teams back in the day.Moyer is exactly that, one of the best DLM for sure. Lucky enough to watch him growing up as well (and his dad), got to race with him (I mean be on the same track, never even the slightest competition for him) back in the day; I ran Knoxville back in like 1987, think it was USAC or USA Late Models (I believe Moyer's dad put it on). Have a picture where I am running beside Purvis (I conveniently neglect to tell people he is lapping me)... Gill was always exciting, and I raced quite a bit with Pennington after I moved south. Gundaker, heck he is the reason I ran orange race cars for a while-he always had great looking stuff. Thanks for bringing back some old memories, lucky time to live.

Gotta' tell a dear to my heart story about Billy Moyer. It was a UMP Summernational's race at La Salle, Illinois. The DLM team I was involved with at that time sat on the pole for the A-main. Moyer had some trouble in is heat and ended up having to run the B. He started mid pack in the A. The guy I worked with at that time owned his own stuff. His stuff was good but not quite Moyer good. Our guy rolled low & slow from the get go. No one was pressuring him early on. Moyer had to run real hard to get through the field and by the time he got to 2nd there was only 12 or 13 laps left and ol' Billy had used his goody up by then. Moyer was rippin' the lip the whole way. They ran side by side the last 12 or so laps with our guy still catfishing around the bottom. Billy, having used his stuff getting to 2nd, never could get around our guy. Afterwards Billy seemed as happy for us as he might have been had he won. Class act and a humble 2nd place. Our guy claims that to have been his proudest moment in a race car and he's a multiple time FALS late model track champion.

Our guy, to this day, claims Billy Moyer to be the best he ever raced against and he raced with bloomy many, many times. Someone got a pic from the infield of the two running side by side at La Salle that night and it hangs on my office wall to this day, and as long as I own the business and occupy my office it will be hanging right where it is today.

[CIRF]

Evel, who was the guy that drove the red DLM sponsored by the Ford dealer in West Liberty, Iowa. The guy I'm thinking of ran a fair amount of NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Late Model Sportsman races. That bright red late model was one of the prettiest racecars of any kind I ever remember.

The guy I'm thinking of was pretty tough around the Iowa tracks but never seemed to get Eldora figured out.

[lurker]

Steve Boley?

[lurker]

kazual - Larry Phillips game changer was when he got burnt.

[EvelB7]

Evel, who was the guy that drove the red DLM sponsored by the Ford dealer in West Liberty, Iowa. The guy I'm thinking of ran a fair amount of NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Late Model Sportsman races. That bright red late model was one of the prettiest racecars of any kind I ever remember.The guy I'm thinking of was pretty tough around the Iowa tracks but never seemed to get Eldora figured out.

I would guess Boley (think it was Ron Alpin Ford); Dale Fischlein came down and has done quite well for himself-great driver just never hit the right opportunity to showcase his talent down here. He lives just a few miles from me, see him from time to time (he is at Stewart-Haas racing and doing quite well).

[STRONGERTHANDIRT]

Larry Moore comes to mind. Could drive dirt and asphalt and do it well.

[CIRF]

Steve Boley?

Boley's the guy I'm thinking of. Thanks lurker!

I would guess Boley (think it was Ron Alpin Ford); Dale Fischlein came down and has done quite well for himself-great driver just never hit the right opportunity to showcase his talent down here. He lives just a few miles from me, see him from time to time (he is at Stewart-Haas racing and doing quite well).

Yep, Boley's the guy. As I said before, that red DLM was beautiful!

Larry Moore comes to mind. Could drive dirt and asphalt and do it well.

Larry Moore did run good on both STRONGER.

Larry spends winters down in Florida these days. His place down there is close to where ol' Jack Hewitt spends his winters. They get together periodically down there and Jack has told me Larry gloats and gives Jack a hard time about winning all those World Hundred Globes. Jack has told me the World Hundred is the one big race he really wanted to win, but didn't. The resident chucklehead here on 4M claims it's because ol' Jack couldn't manage right rear tire wear in a longer dirt race in spite of the fact that he won no less than ten 100 milers on 1 mile dirt tracks! LOLOL!

[EvelB7]

I remember Jack's first World 100; helicopter in to jump in Swartz's backup car and qualify. It was the first one I attended, almost had a big issue getting me signed into the pit area (I was only 13 at the time)- Purvis won his first. Jack and Charlie both stuffed them in the fence (same spot on the track if I remember correctly). Hewitt is awesome, I talk to Chase Briscoe a little and get some great stories!

[CIRF]

I remember Jack's first World 100; helicopter in to jump in Swartz's backup car and qualify. It was the first one I attended, almost had a big issue getting me signed into the pit area (I was only 13 at the time)- Purvis won his first. Jack and Charlie both stuffed them in the fence (same spot on the track if I remember correctly). Hewitt is awesome, I talk to Chase Briscoe a little and get some great stories!

Every winter while we're in Florida we get together at least once with Jack and his wife Jody and go to a little place just outside of Deland, Florida that has the best prime rib we've ever eaten. Jack never tells the same story twice from year to year. The entertainment value is priceless and he can tell 'em for hours. One guy for which Jack doesn't have a kind word of any sort is Freddy Smith. Jack has had more than one dust up with Smith. This is surprising since ol' Freddy is almost always thought of as a good guy. Jack gets fire in his eyes to this day when Freddy's name comes up!

[Rajflyboy]

Finally you guys start talking about some great drivers 👍😃

[EvelB7]

That's funny, I know Freddy well- great guy! I was at the World when they got into it at the end of a heat race. I remember the crowd gathering and someone yelling to get 'JW' back as he had just had bypass surgery, never did see fists fly but JW was telling Freddy he was going to take Jack to all the late model shows just to wreck him....Hewitt is my hero though, true '4 Crown' winner!!!

[CIRF]

That's funny, I know Freddy well- great guy! I was at the World when they got into it at the end of a heat race. I remember the crowd gathering and someone yelling to get 'JW' back as he had just had bypass surgery, never did see fists fly but JW was telling Freddy he was going to take Jack to all the late model shows just to wreck him....Hewitt is my hero though, true '4 Crown' winner!!!

Hewitt is everybody's hero.


Smith and Jack first got into it at Volusia County Speedway (now Volusia Speedway Park). The story Jack tells is that after leading the first 97 of 100 laps of the $10,000.00 to win Governors Cup late model race Freddy spun him deliberate to take away the win. Not sure what year this happened but Jack is still pissed about it and explained as such on a recent podcast I listened to just a few weeks ago. Both the deal at Volusia and the dust up at Eldora was a bit before my time but I've heard the story's from the horses mouth on more than one occasion.

I've read the inaccurate and mildly incoherent musings of our resident chucklehead on how Jack couldn't manage tire wear in a long dirt race. I never brought up the Volusia thing as evidence to the contrary simply because he would have some incoherent c0ckamamie BS excuse about that one, too.

Jack also told me personally that Larson winning all 3 of the 4 Crown USAC races at Eldora was as big, or bigger accomplishment, as him winning all 4 before they did away with the stock cars. He said when he won all 4 he'd been racing at Eldora for over 20 years whereas Larson had never laid eyes on Big E prior to the night he won those 3 USAC races!

[Rajflyboy]

Nothing like the bazooka car. Some of the best racing magazine covers of all time with that car. Yes I was a Freddy fan boy.

[CIRF]

Hey flyboy, will ya' take Hewitt's word for how good Larson is or do ya' think he's just a fanboy, too? I'm thinkin' your evaluation is pretty much meaningless against that of a multiple HoF inductee!

This oughta' be good! LOL!

[Rajflyboy]

Hey flyboy, will ya' take Hewitt's word for how good Larson is or do ya' think he's just a fanboy, too? I'm thinkin' your evaluation is pretty much meaningless against that of a multiple HoF inductee!This oughta' be good! LOL!

What does Hewitt say about Larson???