Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

Lil,
What is this thread REALLY about?

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

Terry, I remember Robert Leonard well, very fair every time I dealt with him which was more than I would have liked. I won four IHRA races back in the late seventies and he had me tear down at all of them, I also won class at Atlanta and he had me tear down an iron head 427 for a very small trophy. I won the Bluegrass nationals in Lexington in about '78 or so, had the car on the trailer and thought I was ready to go as it was dark and I had to be at work the next day. Robert caught me at the tower and broke the news to me that he wanted to see inside the motor, he didn't seem to mind that I had to be at work in 12 hours or so and I was 450 miles from home. He checked it as quick as he could and put me on the road. Not sure my employer got a 100% from me the next day.


I am curious about Roberts current status, I haven't heard anything about him in years.

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

Same with me. Its been years since I heard from him. IHRA was still in Bristol the last time I heard from him. He was driving a semi cross country after Joe Treat (spelling?) X NHRA guy became the head Tech guy and IHRA was sold by Carlton Phillips, Bob Bagley, and the gang.

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

X-Tech Man: We knew him as Joe Tech. Never did know is real name. Heard NHRA blew him out over him trying to enforce some Pro Stock rules with the Mopars. Very keen on the older Ford stuff.

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

I believe that the tech people love our sport our sport just as much as we as racers do.

To me the most important job that tech does is keep all of us safe. If tech find something wrong with my equipment I want to know and I want to fix it.

Let's face it without tech in SS/S we have No Box bracket. Tech makes what we do for class mean something. We all hate losing a heads up race, but if the racer that you lost to passes a NHRA trip to the "barn" it takes a little of the sting away.

I wasn't always this way, I have mellowed.

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

You are correct. I remembered his name after I posted it but that was close enough for me. I never liked the guy at all but I loved the sport and the racers so I stayed on. Last I heard he went to work for the NMRA and saw himat one of the PRI shows here in Fla. years ago before the PRI moved back to INDY. Bill Bader was the best owner IHRA ever had. It was all down hill after he sold out.

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

Joe Tech: Joe Olnyk ( spelling )

Re: Racer Discussions with Race/Tech Officials
 

Believe you're missing a syllable there ..Maybe Olynik?
I think he started out at Cayuga, then signed on with Div 1 for a while.
Tough guy in tech ,for sure.