The week began with a sad start when we heard that we'd lost fellow racer Barry Bryant in a 200 mph accident during the Bonneville Salt Flats Speedweek program.  I remember Barry and his brother Dan back in the 80's running at Shasta Speedway.  Dan was running the #44 red & white Bryant's Automotive Chevelle Street Stock and Barry in his blue Bryant's Automotive Chevelle Street Stock.  In those days I was running a 71 Olds Cutlass.  Barry didn't run very often in the Street Stock division but it seems there was a mid-1980's season when he made most of or all of the races but like his dad Tom, Barry's true love was for the high speeds of Bonneville, where he was a member of the 200 MPH club.  Barry was also my neighbor for a little while and our community has lost a good man and a good racer.  Godspeed Barry and God Bless the Bryant family.

So I picked up my August issue of SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED, or should I say, DICK BERGGREN'S SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED when I came home this weekend.  Many of you know I travel quite a bit, so when I get home, some of the things I get to do is catch up with all the things I can't do when I'm gone, i.e., take care of the honey-do list, play with the dogs, take Leanne to dinner, visit the kids, you know, do all the things a guy needs to do when he's not working or racing, wrapping them all into the "weekend" and oh yeah, catch up on a little reading.

So it was Friday night when I picked up SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED; I've subscribed for many years now.  This is a great magazine and I always open up to Dick Berggren's column first, it's a toss-up as to whether I read Bones Bourcier or Karl Fredrickson next, but Dick's column ALWAYS comes first.  I remember back in the 70's when I picked up my first issue of STOCK CAR RACING magazine.  I don't remember the issue (could it have been something on Robby Gordon?  Nah!) but for some reason I always seem to gravitate toward the editor's page first.  The editor really sets the stage for what their magazine is all about. 

Before I got so deeply involved in stock cars, I was riding dirt bikes and racing Moto-Cross and the first magazine I regularly read was DIRT BIKE MAGAZINE.  Back then it was an editor named Rick "Super Hunky" Sieman and his column, FROM THE SADDLE.  Sometime later came MOTO-X ACTION magazine and editor Jody Weisel and JODY'S BOX with all of his stories about Chicken Licks Raceway and "pit honey, Luscious Luella"), but I digress.  Back to SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED.  I remember the style Dick brought to his magazine's pages and I was a fan of his from that day on.  I didn't think STOCK CAR RACING magazine could ever be beat but somehow, back in the 90's when the magazine underwent a change of ownership and a big corporation took it over, soon Dick was gone and new, need I say, less stylistic writers/editors took his place.  STOCK CAR RACING magazine somehow lost its luster and it just didn't capture my attention the way it had before. 

By now Dick was much more of a major influence on television race broadcasts and pit road interviews, so I pretty much figured that's where he'd stay.  Well he did stay but in the meantime he started up his namesake magazine, Dick Berggren's SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED.  So back to the column from the August '09 issue.  I'm seated in one of my favorite reading spots where the light is always best and I'm reading that this will be Dick's last column.  "WHAT!,?"  I nearly fell off my throne, er, ah, chair.  Could my eyes be deceiving me?  No, they were not, for there it was in black and white, on page 08, paragraph 10: "It has also become time for me to move on, so this is my final column.  This issue contains the final racing stories I'll write."  Holy cow Dick, the magazine that bears your name won't have your column?  The magazine is being sold?,!  That's what happened in the 90's with STOCK CAR RACING, and now SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED's namesake is leaving!  Say it isn't so, Dick!  But alas, it is so. 

There remains a great contingent of very good staff writers, and I imagine the current Editor in Chief, Karl Fredrickson would be the most logical and likely person to step up to Executive Editor (Dick's old position) if, that is, they promote from within.  I only hope that the style that brought Dick to my attention and the attention of what I'm sure are hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of other reader's will carry on.  You see, Dick and I have similar philosophies: We both love local short track racing.  Yeah, we like Cup (both Winston Cup (primarily for me) and Nextel, er, Sprint Cup) and the pugilists that run Nationwide (or as I still sometimes call it, "Busch Grand National" ok, shoot me because tradition is a big thing with me) but hitting a Saturday night race at a local short track is a big deal for me, and so it was with Dick Berggren.  He said it, and I believe it.  So while I'm certain we'll still see Dick doing his regular TV stuff, to me Dick will always be the best read, dollar-for-dollar of anybody I've had the privilege of turning the page of.  Good luck Dick, wherever you may be headed.  And good luck to those who follow after you at SPEEDWAY ILLUSTRATED.

So Saturday night (8/15/09) Leanne and I hit the grandstand at Shasta Raceway Park.  I haven't sat in the SRP grandstand in several years.  We had a chance to talk briefly with track promoter Rick Faeth.  Rick seems like a real humble guy who not only loves racing but loves being a promoter.  We talked about the work he and his crew have done on the track and facilities since taking over last year and how privileged he is to have SRP as his full-time commitment.  I don't know Rick Faeth very well, but I like him and I think he'll be good for Shasta County and Shasta Raceway Park.  I hope he has a long and successful reign at SRP.  Heck, maybe we'll even interview him here on Faces Of Speed.

As we watched the races unfold, I soon recognized a familiar voice on the P.A. system.  It wasn't the big, loud, booming voice I remember from the old days but there was no escaping the fact that this voice belonged to Gary Cressey, who was handling some of the announcing duties at SRP.  Rick Faeth told me he's the only promoter on the west coast who has three announcers.  Well, I've always loved listening to Gary Cressey announce a race and I'll listen to him anytime. 

Gary has been around racing, and especially NASCAR racing for probably close to 40 years.  He was the voice of the old Winston West Series and of course, he was the voice of what was then known as Shasta Speedway, along with being the 1/3 mile track's promoter.  Gary always made going to the races fun and I remember somebody once described his style as a kind of P.T. Barnum mixed with a carnival barker-turned-announcer.  I don't know about all of that but I always enjoyed listening to him as Gary announced the drivers (including me) and their respective sponsors.  

Gary gave nicknames to so many drivers, some of whom are still with us and some of whom have gone on to the big track in the sky, and others still who today I only remember by or because of those nicknames.  Nicknames like, Gentleman-George Bragg, Tuxedo-Toby Elder, The Racing Auctioneer - Jack Epperson, Rocket-Rod Besser, Ron -I've Got My Lucky Socks-Ratterree, 9-Time Track Champion (followed by 10-time, 11-time, etc, etc, etc) Roger Gannon, "and representing the Dodge Boys, Jeff Rogers in the Budweiser Dodge."

Then there was Rollover-Ricky (who's last name I can't remember), The Racing Sheriff/Highway Patrolman/Police Officer (fill in the blank) Dick Wolfe, Roy Berlinghoff, Paul Hosler, and any number of other law enforcement guys who graced, or maybe didn't quite grace the track but were some of many at the track over the years.  There was Dancin'-Danny Tomkins, Dyno-Danny Bryant, Paul-the Canned Ham- heck, I can't remember his last name but with a nickname like "The Canned Ham," who needs a last name? 

Gary had that booming voice and style that resonated when announcing the sponsors and drivers whom he hadn't christened with nicknames (or perhaps I've forgotten).  His announcing style always helped you remember drivers like, Wade Lentz in the Atwell/Gould Racing #25 Chevy, Rock Beldon in the Atwell/Gould Racing #25 Chevy, Larry Goldin, Guy Young, Gary "The 50 year old rookie" Pyzora (only good for one season), Mr. David Dillenger (he can't hear you folks, but he can see you wave, so be sure to wave at Dave).   There are many more but time and space does not allow me to keep coming up with them (besides my memory gets weaker with each passing day, but feel free to post your memories on this blog).  Anyway it was great to hear Gary calling the races at SRP and although the voice is a little quieter than it used to be, it's still great to hear him up there.  I hope you're there for a long, long time to come Gary.  I'm seldom in the grandstands but hearing Gary up there made me think that maybe I should spend a little more time there once in a while.

Our Faces of Speed.com members who ran at SRP this evening included "Grandpa" Bob Garrett.  Bob started on the pole with his hotrod VW and led most of the entire first lap before getting passed at the start-finish line.  Bob was running pretty well but began to fade mid-race and his night ended with an oil leak which caused him to pull off about five laps before the end.  Better luck next time Bob.

A couple of our other Faces of Speed.com members Guy Young and Stan Gunderson ran in the modified division.  Guy had some problems in his heat race and we were a bit concerned when he pulled off and had to be pushed back to his pit.  Not to worry though, as Guy came out for the main and ran strong, from a mid-pack start to a second place finish.  Stan Gunderson got tangled up on a late race encounter and didn't have the night he'd hoped for but the story of the night belonged Devon LaHorgue. 

Devon took his LaHorgue Racing modified to his career first victory.  LaHorgue held off a hard-charging Guy Young for the last ten laps or so, and Guy had several opportunities to "put the hurt" on Devon but ran a classic, clean, Guy Young-style race right on the bumper and occasionally dipping inside but remained just out of reach of LaHorgue's Ford.  With LaHorgue running consistent 16:90's and a smooth line, he claimed his first victory.  We talked to Devon's proud dad, Chuck after the race and he couldn't have been prouder.  Chuck had done a lot of traveling over the previous 24 hours, handling crew chief duties for an A.S.A. Speed Truck at Las Vegas before making his way back up to SRP and Devon's first main event win.  Congratulations to Devon LaHorgue and the entire LaHorgue team on the win. 

We'd also like to send out a special Faces Of Speed.com congratulations to Devon and his fiance' Rachel Hayes on their recent engagement announcement.

RACE ON!!!