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Sorry to hear about your loss Ray.

I had some minor surgery yesterday and while I was sitting around last night I started going through my NCRA yearbooks from the 70's. I guess I was getting real sentimental because of all the Meds and things and got to thinking that it has been 35 years when I got hooked up with Norman and Mike Peters. Man what a year that we had in 1975, Mike was the top modified in the area and the other 2 cars were pretty fast It was a great feeling pulling into some place different and everybody would come and look at the trailer withe the 2 cars on it and the little trailer hitched on with the 3rd car. You could just see the amazement in the faces It was great at Dewey and Fayetteville Ark when Mike would win the feature with the 6 cylinder over the v-8s. The super drivers would come around and say man how do you do that with a modified. Mike won a lot of races against some of the top drivers of that ay, George Armstrong , JR Taft, Derrill Brazeal, James Eubanks, Chick Shaddox and he won a feature at Dewey won night with the Ray Crawford running Second. Norman saw that the cars had everthing that they needed but most of this success was Mike's driving.That was when a driver could carry a car. Norman passed away over 4 years ago and I don't see Mike anymore, but man I would like one last time or winning a feature at Dewey, Enid of somewhere else on a Friday night , stopping to eat and celebrate a little then the drive to Tulsa in the middle of the night, Mike, Norman and I would ride in the truck and talk about everything. I should not be so sentimental I have a good life now , a wonderful wife and 2 sons who have graduated from college and have good jobs but I keep going back to those days.

Ray

Bkcr, In between sleep periodicals this past Friday night on the 4 hr. round trip to Muskogee and back to Norman ,we were solving the worlds problems and also figuring out what we need to do to fix this burnt piston in our motor on the way back that happened at Muskogee Friday at OCRS show.

Heck we go over the nights events and we will also start up talking about some racer we seen that use to race at the show that night. It just happened to be Harold Leep Sr. night at Muskogee last Friday and as we all know he was pretty good shoe.

That was about my favourite time ,after the races and driving to the next town,especially if we had won.

In 1969 Raymond Cates had fired Al Lemons from the deuce and got this guy named Leep from KS we all thought that was a mistake, after his first night at Tulsa we all knew that we were wrong and that he was about the best driver we had ever seen. He had a clean sweep that night and this was against the best drivers that Tulsa had.

Ray

It will never be like those days again, no one dominates anymore, sure some will get on a 2 or 3 race win streak but then equality catches up to them and then someone else wins and the guy who just won 2 or 3 in a row may not win again for a while, depending on that proverbial thing called LUCK and LUCK with the draw, seems most of the drama anymore at races are at the series truck under their tent when they pull that pill out of the can/bag and see where they start at and you can tell the ones who draw well or not so well by the facial expression when they turn around to head back to their pit area , even the great Steve Kinser only wins sometimes now because of all that equality we now have in the sport.

The driver could carry the car back then. I have only been to the races a few times in the last several years, I normaly would stay in the pits and noticed that there is not as much help between the teams, it looked like if you ask to borrow a set of gears from anybody you would think that you robbed them. We used to help anybody that we could and everbody , well almost everbody would help us. The pits just do not seem to be as much fun as they used to be.

Ray

I believe the days of enclosed trailers and super haulers have alienated most of the commardere in the pit area, drivers and crews can isolate themselves by doing work up in the big haulers.

I still see local guys lending a part or piece , I have recently lent and also have needed to borrow something in the past and fellow competitors lent the gears to me.

The biggest thing to me is no one seems to know how to have fun anymore, it is all way to serious especially in the Bigger series Sprint Car Org. like ASCS or WoO , I know pressure to perform is enormous becasue of all the money spent on the operation and the owner wants to see it in the winners circle as much as possible to help, ASCS you see a lot of father/son teams and that creates pressure all in it's own way and in that eliminates a lot of the fun.

To All,

Been real busy past couple months but finally have a chance to get a couple days off so I thought I would catch up on some stuff here. Have been doing alot of GDYR races and when not at a National event some where have been doing alot of the OCRS sanction races that Barry Grabel and Tom Sewell put on. I have been to Coffeeville a couple of times already and have to say it is a very nice facility, alot differant then the old Coffeeville track north of the border. We have been posting some contengency money in OCRS and are comitted to the rest of there schudule. Been servicing some WOO shows, went up to Dodge City a couple weeks back, my first visit to this track also, hadn't seen Ed Beckley in 20 yrs and he hasn't changed much still have goofy but still a promotor. Ed had to contend with some weather issues but he did a great job saving the track and they had good races both shows. While I was there got to visit with some OLD OLD Freinds Jerry Soderburg came buy and we visited about an hour it was really good to see him, he hasn't changed much still a tough hombre, we talked a little about the Hutch Fire, alot of people don't know but Soda Pop almost won the Hutch Nationals believe '69 or '70 it was before my time there. Also got to see the Och brothers Mike, Jim, Davey and Tom, the last time I saw Tom his mom Joyce was still carrying him in her arms and changing his dippers. I can tell you this they had a neat decal on there wing that said Och Racing 30 Years of history and I can tell you in my book there Dad Charlie was one of the hardest working nicest guys around the race track, I learned alot from him as I helped them on there car when MP drove it. We would run the #10 at OKC and Tulsa and run the #1 in NCRA, MP won the Nationals in '81 in the #1 it was a great race. Ole Charlie had a Yellow and white Suburban that they pulled there car with and we made a trip to Florida to run in '81 or '82 I had alot of fun with them. It is great to see those boys carrying on there tradition. Alittle known fact Davey Och maybe one of the best Sprint Car Mechinac's in the country even to this day, if I had a WOO team with all the financing needed he would be my choice for Crew Chief!!! Also got to meet Jim Kenndy's son and granddaughter, we used to ran against Jim back in the old NCRA days, Roy Bryant drove for them most of the time and won Hutch I believe driving for Jim, the #7 Kenndy Farms Special it was fast on the slick stuff, I remember trying to mount a RR Diamond for them at Hutch one year and I blew it off the back side of there wheel as it was a 15" Safety Racing Wheel and I put a 16" GDYR Diamond on it (not one of my better moments)

Went up and visited with Tom Mercer at South Community Hospital a few weeks back, Tom's fighting terminal Cancer he looked a little rough but he still had a sence of humor as he eat my butt out for coming up to see him. Tom is one of our old guard racers back from the days when you did it all, he had alot of good drivers and made do with alot less then others, he could stretch a dollar. He used to f--k with me alot we would be building motors and he knew I was a clean freak when it came to them, he would get that old cigar out and sprinkle a few ashes in the motor just to watch me have a stroke, he was a hugh part of our race team in the late 90's with Gary Flatt and was a huge factor in our '97 Championship at OKC. Tom was my right arm in those years as I was traveling alot with GDYR then and taking care of the Old Man so I was stretched pretty thin but I trusted Tom on making calls on the motors when I wasn't there, it was kinda funny Gary would never call if they did bad but Tom you could rely on to call and give you the straight scoop.

Up at KC WOO show and met Dwight Schroder who tells me Art (BUD) Bybee is doing bad, i so much hate to hear that also, Bud as I always called him was quite a guy he had an old Jelly spring front car that he took down to Tulsa a couple times to let MP drive when the #10 was broke' one time we blew the #10 up in hot laps and Bud let MP drive it we won the B-FEA and finished about 10th in the A-FEA old Bud was a smile'in, the next week we still didn't have the #10 done so Bud towed his car down to Tulsa again and MP blew it up in the Heat, we were sick and almost broke but Bud gave us each $50.00 apiece to get home and through the week. I enjoyed talking to Bud when I would see him at the track, he came to OKC for awhile with Jelly and his brother in law I think it was and he would always come look me up, Bud is another old guard racer who did alot with little, I have the highest respect for him and I wish him well.

Last I haven't had alot of oppertunity to go to the races with the #1 team this season only been to 4 races with DJ this year and I can tell you with no friday night racing going on it really sucks as most of you know but I had the pleasure of going to Hutch last friday for the first night of the 54th annual Hutch Nationals, my plan was to go friday then get up and go service the OCRS race at Coffeeville saturday night, well mother nature won both saturday events but the trip up friday was worth every bit of it, I haven't been to Hutch since '90/'91 things have changed a little getting there Yoder is alittle differant but I see the steak house is still in the airport (it used to be great steaks)anyway I was happy to see the fairboard at Hutch has done alittle better job of keeping up with the times (ADA compliant ramps and restrooms) everything was clean neat and freshly painted, the track hasen't changed much if any, it's still big narrow 1/2 mile, hard on tires, and still hot even though they now race at night. I was politely told I couldn't park my GDYR TRK in the pits by C. Ray which I understand but he did let me park in a motor home area. It was neat I got to go up in the stands and watch the B-Fea's he had a good crowd I'm guessing around 5-6 thousand people total and what a enthused crowd it was in the mini-stock B-fea they were all on there feet screaming and hollaring on the last lap, in the A-fea we were in the infield and it was like the old Hutch races just darker but not much cooler, DJ led wire to wire in the 20 lap prelimanary with Justin Martin, Jeremy Campbell and Aaron Berryhill following it was a good race with DJ never more then 10 car length ahead, it is still a grinder on tires and the fans were going nuts as Jason try to slide DJ on the last lap going into 3 but came up short. In all my Hutch races the guy who could get off the corner is generally the guy who wins and it was that way last friday night. I watched from the water pit in the infield and after the race I shook hands with C. Ray and told him THIS IS STILL A GREAT PLACE AND A GREAT RACE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

Well that's it for now I hope the best for all of my ailing friends, heading to Fairview and Paul Martins next week if he is going to be there he has a frame I have interest in!!!

I have not been to Hutch since 87 , now they pit outside of turn 4, Is that correct??.

Need to make it a point to go sometime down the road and just see the Hutch Nat. again.

Wish the best for Tom Mercer, always liked Tom , got to know him when he worked at Bishop back earlier in this decade, good guy and your right would tell you straight about anything.

David sounds as if you have been a regional traveler and been quite busy as you stated.

JD ,

We went up there in '88 too. Remember the 'Bon-Ami' break in procedure? This was the week after I hydrolocked the Hog Wagon. We were at Dodge City the night before, then on to Hutch. Traveled and pitted with the Garnetts outside the track, seems like turn 2 maybe.

I am so glad I got to go in '87. Your parents talked me into it, and I failed a college math test because of it, LOL. Worth the trouble fo sho.

Brian, Forgot about that , your right, it was turn 2 and we pitted outside the track at Hutch and also the night before Charley Ford broke his trailer tongue and got it welded at the old Dodge City Raceway.

I think Garnett cooked his motor at Dodge the night before as the oil was like water and then finished it off at Hutch the next day, burnt it up and then she let go.

Dam sorry about the math test, ya might have been on track for a mathematics major and you might have been able to add to the E=mc2 theroy. LOL

Does anybody have some other pictures of Norman's cars and trailers? This is the only one that I haves seen in the last 30 years. When Norman got divorced his ex kept all of his racing pictures, trophies, jackets just about everything to do with his race cars. I sure would enjoy seeing some other pictures and would be willing to pay for them.

Ray

Ray, Hello my name is Tony Peters. I'm Mike's younger brother. When our dad past away last December I got all the race stuff from our dad's house and starting going through it. Our mother save almost all of Mike's racing stuff from pictures to receipts for his 1st race helmet they bought him in 1954 or 55. We also have the receipt for the Halibrand small V-8 quick change rear end that we bought from Nance Speed Equipment in 1970 that he had in his 1st Jr. Modified that he drove at 81 Speedway in the earlier 70's I think it cost $210.00.

I do have some pictures of Norman's car and will be posting them along with pictures of cars Mike drove from 1970 through 1990. We also have a lot pictures of him racing quarter midgets from 1955 through at least 1964. I will post a few of those too. Our mother made him a scrap book of him racing quarter midgets. She recorded everything from time trails and where he started and finished in the quarter midgets and even kept track of where he started and finished when he drove our dad's Jr. Modified at 81 Speedway.

I will start posting some pictures-in the next week. I also have alot of pictures of other drivers,cars, 81 Speedway programs from the late 60's and early 70's, 1970's NCRA rules books and entry forms.I also found flyer or entry forms for the Hutchinson Nationals and Enid Winter Nationals from 1971-1974.

So keep a eye on the web site. I will post things as I get time.

And all by the way the # 71 is alive and well and is still be used today by my daughter Marissa she races go-karts on dirt on several tracks throughout the midwest. She has run the # 71 for 8 years now.

Norman was the one that help Mike's career take off in late 1974. Mike thought alot of Norman.

Norman ensured that the equipment Mike had the some of the best equipment and it gave him a chance to win almost any giving night at any track they raced at. Norman was willing to travel to races throughout the midwest. Probably Mike's most favor track was the Tulsa Fairgrounds. He also like to race at Olkahoma City on the 1/2 mile too.

Tony

Tony, this is Warren I started this site. I'm sorry I haven't got back to you. So many things going in life just trying to stay above water.

If you will start a section under your own thread (give it some kind of name) here in this forum I will put a special link on the Home page of the main site directing traffic to the Peters Family Racing page.

I started this site 10 years ago this last month. The last 2-4 years I have done very little on the main. It is actually out of space. I let the forum be an extension to the main site. Some have posted photos all through out the forum. The main site still gets around 25-50 brand new visitors and around 100 returning visitors a day. I'm sure all the viewers can't wait to see all that you have in the family collection. I guarantee it. We have great group of viewers out there.

In the early days I spent hours scanning and posting photos almost daily updates etc. I just don't have that time anymore.

Posted from Afton, OK

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Tony I don't know if you remember but I remember meeting you in Wichita in the '70s. Norman was my uncle and I would meet him and Mike on Friday night most of the time at Dewey but somtimes at other tracks.When I talked to Mike he said a lot about his 1/4 midget days and the car that he and your father built. I spent the night at Mike's at Wichita one night and I think that he said the car that he and your father built was in the garage in the back yard. Norman moved to Tulsa and he kept track of Mike up until he passed away in 2006, he called him "My Boy" and wanted to know if I had heard anything about Mike. When he heard that another driver kicked Mike while he was still belted up he got mad an said that that he would go after the other driver and teach him to leave his boy alone. Norman was very hot tempered. This sight has a lot of stories about Mike and I will look forward to hearing yours and seeing your pictures.

Ray

PS Was Mike's first name Terry?

Ray, Mike's first name is Terry. I have been on this site almost daily for 2 years but never posted before now.

I look forward to future conversations and sharing our collection of pictures and other items that our parents kept for Mike and I.

I did race for a short time in the mid to late 80's for my dad in the mini modified/sprint 4 class at 81 Speedway and at both tracks at Hutchinson . I drove a sprint car that Mike had drove for Gary Mussato back in 1980. Mike raced that car several times at Knoxville for Gary. It was built by Jim Springer out of Kansas City. It looked like a Trostle copy to me. Dad bought the car in 1983 from Gary. I have a couple of pictures of the car with Mike racing at Knoxville.

There was new Springer car that was built in 1981 to replace the car that I ended up driving. The new car was only raced 2 nights before it for destroy at Knoxville and Mike was so badly hurt in at the 1981 Knoxville Nationals. He was lucky to survive that crash. I believe that was that last year they ran the nationals without wings. I also have a picture of that car on the warm lap before he was in the wreck. Mike said the car had the wrong bars in it and they were running towards the back and he was up along the fence coming off turn 2 trying to sneak by cars on the outside a car come off the bottom and slid up into him and he ran over the right rear tire with his left front and the car flip most of the way down the back straightway. He was out for the rest of the season with shattered knee cap.

I help Mike and Ojar on there sprint car when my daughter and I are not racing go-karts. I got to go with Mike to Knoxville this year when he race the master's race. I had never been to Knoxville before.

We had a lot fun and a pretty good night we ran 3rd to Swindell and Lasoski in the master's feature.

Mike has birthday coming on the 19th. He will turn 60 this year. I won't remind him he doesn't like to talk about his age very much.

Tony

Tony in 1978 after the races on the closest Saturday to Mike's B'ay they had a cake for him and he won the feature at Tulsa that night.That was the last race that he won for Norman, they spilt up a few weeks after that. I askedMike when he won his first feature in his modified and he said that it was the second or third night that he drove, I thought that was increible to win so soon but he was not impressed, he said that he started at the front and should win. What do you think of all the stories on this site about Mike?

Ray

Just want to share this, that I drove down May Ave. by the OKC State Fairgrounds yesterday and about half the Grandstands had been taken down and would think it will be completely leveled by next week , was tough to look at But I stopped and looked at it for a minute and just could not believe it will really be gone after watching so many Friday night shows at the place from the 70's to today.

Racing has forever changed in the OKC Metro area and will never be the same again. Just a sad time for Dirt Track Racing in Okla. right now. J.D.

i remember seeing MP in the Musatto car at I70 in 86....he ran like 3rd or 4th, off the back of the feature, with a steel block, blowing oil most of the way.....my Dad always thought that Mike was one of the best ever and i have to agree....

"its useless to put on the brakes when you are upside 
down"   -Paul Newman

I remember you at Hutchinson in '88, or rather seeing you on the track.