Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

Been thinking about J.W. ever since the post about the race down in Yuma in 92. J.W. flew Hewitt in for that one, and of course everyone was glad he did.

I want to know if any of you guy's have any memories or story's about J.W. He was one of the best friends that sprint car racing has ever had.

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

That's odd I seem to recall that my boss at that time Frank Lewis was the one who flew Jack in to drive the team car to Lealand, also I don't think that J.W. was even at the races that weekend,as I'm sure that he would have come by and seen Lealand,myself and my father since he was one of our sponsers and we never saw him.

Yes,J.W. was a great guy to racers and I know this firsthand as me,my father and Lealand were on the recieving end of his generosity more than once.

One time at Chico in 1991 we were racing at the night before the Gold Cup when in the 4th heat race Lealand got over a wheel and flipped pretty bad seriously damaging the car,as we were fixing it J.W. walks up and calls Lealand over and says here is $500 dollars for the high flyer award and Lealand told him to put it back into his pocket and that J.W. could give it to him on the front strech after he won the race. J.W. chuckeled and said son if you do win the race not only will I give you the $500 but I'll kick in an extra $1000,well Lealand did win the race and when we were on the front strech for the trophy presentation they brought J.W. and the trophy girl out and J.W. told the crowd of his and Lealand's talk back in the pits,he then proceded to give Lealand the $1500 he had promised and then he turned to me and my father and said good job boys and handed us each a wad of cash which turned out to be a $1000 dollars a piece!

J.W.was a great man with a heart of gold and is very much missed!

R.I.P BOSS

Maybe because J.W. and Hewitt were close, someone thought that he flew him in because that's what I heard at the track that weekend. Oh well, he's worth remembering anyway Terry.

"found this on another site:Though he was not a driver that I know of, the contributions of J. W. Hunt to the sport of sprint car racing -- and dirt track racing in general -- cannot be overstated. A strawberry farmer from Florida by profession, Hunt was perhaps the biggest fan dirt track racing ever had, and he spread his considerable wealth around to practically every driver in the sport. The familiar strawberry logo appears to this day on hundreds of race cars and drivers' helmets across the US.

You never knew when or where Hunt would appear, but when he did he would always spice up the racing by offering a little extra to sweeten the purse. I remember one particular night at Silver Dollar Speedway, when the CRA non-winged tour was in town for a Gold Cup support race. Lealand McSpadden had set quick time, but flipped in his heat race, ringing his bell and severely damaging the car. J. W. stepped up to the infield reporter's microphone and offered to add $1000 to the winner's purse if McSpadden could come back through the B main and win the main event! The offer met with roars of approval from the crowd. Looking a little shaky in a car that wasn't quite right, Lealand proceeded to run away with the B. A few minutes later, with the car now set up for the always-tacky Chico track, he won the main event to a standing ovation, and a beaming Hunt was there to greet McSpadden on the victory stand!

Hunt passed away in January of 1994 after a long and full life. But I'm sure he smiles down on America's dirt tracks every weekend."

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.