What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

My last thread (who has been racing the same car the longest) was alot of fun. And, it really gave folks a chance to reflect on some of the pioneers of class racing. Hopefully, it provided some due respect for a job well done!
Now lets switch gears, and talk about the man behind the wheel. WHO HAS BEEN DRIVING THE LONGEST? Same car, or any combination of cars/classes will work. Continous competition, or with a break from driving (ie. raise a family, busy with work, health, money etc.) The driver that could not resist mashing the pedal down the quarter mile! Come on guys, it's time for a little history part two. A few names that come to mind are: Bobby Warren, Ken Montgomery, you get the idea. Lets show respect, and give thanks to the ones that paved the way! Don't leave them out, put their name here! They all count!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Around here, that would be Jimmy Bridges, John Livingston, and Sonny Elliott, who retired at the end of 2008. That's just three off the top of my head.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Bob Marshall, RonTerrell, Leon Mirannian, Dickie Ogles, Danny Kyle.Richard Doane

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Bob Reed, Arlen Vanke, to name a couple, but I don't know if they are still racing.
I always liked Dickie Ogles, but he retired a few years ago.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Jim, I think I saw Dickie Ogles driving a Corvette in Super Stock in 2009 at Bowling Green.


There's always that Woodro Josey guy, that crotchety old fart is older than dirt. :D

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Div. 6 stalwarts Pete Kost and Alan Falcone have been at it forever

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

While not a sportsman,

Kris Karamasines at what 83!

WOW

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

BOBBY WARREN and just won a national event a couple of years ago.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Glad to hear Dickie was back driving, I knew he sold his car to Art Wilkerson.
I always liked the name he had on that car "Silly Bear".
Al Provoast is semi-retired. Cal Method and Chuck Norton have been at it for a while too.
Until just recently Harry Holton was still behind the wheel on occasion.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

my dad started racing on the sand in st. augustine beach in florida back in the day and still races today when me and my brother let him lol lol

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

as far as current sportsman racers go it has to be bobby warren and bud rowe

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I could be wrong, I haven't seen him in a while, but a guy that looked like Dickie was in a yellow Corvette, it was probably the car he sold to Art.

The other day I found an old picture of the "Silly Bear" 69 Camaro he ran in Stock a while back.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Bill "Spider" Spanakos.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Ken Winward

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Bill "Spider" Spanakos

Good One! I met old Spider a few years ago at Atlanta, what a card!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

two that come to mind are Earl Rowe and my buddy...Jimmy Boburka!!!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

How about Vic Hobbs....Sept 1956....and he said that Pete Kost beat him by a year...
Man that was a long time ago...... maybe we are just getting old. NAAAAAH!!!!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I just ask my Dad and he said he started 1959 his first race was in 1959 a 1956 FORD towed with tow bar at DUNN-BENSON dragway ,N.C.,then 1960 he raced a 1960 FORD STARLINER drove to the track SANFORD dragway N.C.(no tags) and back home , the best story is 1961 racing at ROXBORO dragway N.C. 56' ford and the track was DIRT, 1965 he bought 65 FAIRLANE 289hi-per and towed with tow bar with 65 FAIRLANE convertible ( I wish I could have seen that bet it was awesome coming down the road )

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

My very good friend Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick is still going 7 seconds down the strip. He started in the stock and super stock ranks.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

this year will be the 46th year of NHRA racing for my parents, they both started a few years earlier but just local stuff.
Like my Father said drag racing will never be as good as it was before electronics came into the mix. I'm from Ohio remember, lol

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Joe, I can remember sitting in the lounge at the Holiday Inn just up the road from the track at Atlanta about 23 years ago, on Friday night after the first day of qualifying for the points meet. Lex Dudas was sitting at the next table, and about 11 o'clock that night he said, "if it were up to me, I'd take every delay box, every throttle stop, and every air or electric shifter, put them in a pile, run them over with a bulldozer, and set them on fire". We can all dream.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I'm sure that there are some that have done this longer but how about Leon Miranian. Started racing in 1959 at Manassas Va and Aquasco Md til the next year when 75-80 opened the gates. Was a regular thru the sixties there winning many trophies and stock class and eliminator titles. Has always raced stock and then in about 1970 moved to super stock, his red Corvette has been campaigned since the mid seventies. A many time record holder and has won national opens and divisional events but has not YET won a national event. It's overdue but may soon happen! I met Leon in the very early sixties in the beginning of my announcing career. It's people like him that make our sport great!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

What about Dave Boertman and Chuck Gallagher?

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Don't forget Tony Janes.He raced Irwindale,Lions,Fontana Drag City,and Pomona,sometimes all in the same week. He has a trophy from OCIR opening day in August 1967 from the bracket he won.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I think GLEN MACE started around 63 or 65 with a57 chevy waggon still racing superstock...............J SLANE

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I think Vic Guilmino goes way back!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Jim Hale and Bill Gibbs have been racing a long time.
Jerry

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Jim Hale, Bill Gibbs and I were talking one day. We decided only Obama's Stimulus had more zeros than our age. I was the kid.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Jerry Stealy , has been racing class cars for a long time,forty plus years I believe. He was tough this year in the Heartland S/SS series.

Jimmy D. Hyink

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

I'll go with Spider Spanakos.I was talking with him in his trailer once and he was telling me stories of him racing around the Roman Colisieum in his stovebolt chariot.I don't think anybody could top that.
Seriously,he's been at it for over 50 years.Quite an accomplishment.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Ed
I agree love Spiders stories the Jenkins ones are the best.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Bill "Spider" Spanakos over 50 years of this stuff !!!!!!:D

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Dennis,did he ever tell you about the Amish kid who kept a car with him for Sundays?

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Ed
No will have to ask him about that one.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Both my dad and Chris Karmamsines (sorry can't spell ) started in 1956 pops is still racing in stock with the same car he won the gators in in 84 and karmasines is still running Top Fuel I know he is not a class racer but that is crazy

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

First class race/trophy (5 inches tall) was at Pensacola, FL Feb 1 1959. As I recall, I had to race my 55 Chevy in Gas class because I had put a Corvette floor shifter in it. I still have the trophy. It and the class Wallys (and the 72-74 Wally predecessors) are the only ones I kept when we moved to SC.

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

West coast how about Harry Holton or Don Wann?

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

Jim Hale won his first drag race trophy in 1956!
Jerry

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

OK Guys, i am going to give you something to laugh about. I won my first Troph at a lil Track here in Macon back in 1957, it was called Camp Wheeler, with the flagging man, And i won it driving a 1957 Ford with the Paxton SuperCharger, and set the track record 109 mph,yep that makes me older than whatever Alan called me!:D And no, it was not my car, it belong to a car salesman friend of mine!

Re: What racer has been driving the longest ?
 

It's unclear whether the thread asked for current class racers only but, overall, Beswick wins this one, hands down.