Team "Check Mate"

Bob Rice · 11-25-2007, 03:02 PM

Here's a link to a few pictures of Mike Keener's D/G Vega, A/SM Camaro, the "Check Mate" Pro Stock Camaro and the Booth-Arons race shop that Mike was nice enough to send for me to scan. Hopefully I will be able to add more in the future.
Bob Rice
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...&a=32610889&f=

Arnold Greene · 11-25-2007, 05:00 PM

Hey, Mike. Whats' up with the rear quarter on that SS/D 69 Camaro? You were literally stretching the rules before you and Merc teamed up...LOL. Hope to see you next year. Thanks for supporting Top Stock. AR

Mike Keener · 11-25-2007, 10:11 PM

AR...You kill me! Hope you and Lynn are doing well!

Thanks for the kudos on Top Stock and I loved every minute of helping to get it off the ground. The first race in 2000 still seems like yesterday to me!

MK

bsa633 · 11-25-2007, 10:22 PM

the first version and racing-action of Top Stock and it's intension was the best thing for a long time,i am glad to see it's started to evolve around that idea again!

stage1scott · 11-25-2007, 10:43 PM

great pictures-thanks for the memories again guys!

bill dedman · 11-26-2007, 01:19 AM

Thanks for the great pics from Mr. Rice. Just 2 questions:
1. How much ballast does it take to put a mouse motor Vega into "D" Gas??? How small must that motor have been???

and,

2. What kind of induction system is on that Vega???

Thanks for any info...

Scotty D · 11-26-2007, 09:25 PM

MIKE KEENER i was replying to you with some questions. being from cincy ohio and growing up around modified production with the granny goose cars and dick weinle,a friend of mine by the name of eric halverstadt recently purchased a 1973 vega notch back from a man in canada by the name of bob black, mr black told them that the car was built by you guys and if so we were curious about some backround of the car, he was told by someone that this car won a national event in modified. thank you for your time.

bill dedman · 11-26-2007, 11:55 PM

Bob, thanks for setting me straight on the picture deal.

Mike, RE laying those pics on Bob for scanning...Thanks!!!

And, thanks for the engine information on the Vega. Back when I was running Gas Coupes, D Gas was 13 pounds per cube... That's why I wondered how small that engine might be (not thinking.... again!)

Sometimes I forget how old I am...

Mike Keener · 11-27-2007, 03:15 PM

Castle5- First of all, thanks for the kind words! Believe it or not they mean everything to old dogs like Merc and me! You are absolutely correct about the special suspension pieces under the Team Checkmate A/S and B/S Camaros. The entire traction bar systems we developed in-house for our cars were definitely three-of-a-kind pieces. However, most of the credit for these unique suspension pieces goes to Tom "Muskie" Stiel who has been racing on and off with our team since 1975. This guy is one hell of a fabricator and was trained in the business by another one of my heroes "Mike Fons?. Eventually, there were serious challenges filed by a disgruntled racer(s) during our one and only trip to the West Coast (Pomona & Phoenix) with the 3 cars in 1998. As a result of the whining, letters and phone calls to the NHRA Tech Department over the months following the two events, the tech ?heavyweights? Danny Gracia and Wesley Roberson were all over, under, around, and through my stuff because they were under serious pressure to do so. Finally, after the traction bar system on my B/S 69 Camaro was ?removed for inspection? at Englishtown later that year, Danny's exact words were "looks exactly like it did when you brought the cars out (1992) originally, go ahead and put it back together."

Scotty-The notch back Vega is another unique story. We acquired this car as a partial trade from a guy in your area by the name of Bob Tidwell. Bob was a body shop owner from your area and was the guy that purchased Merc?s 67 ?flamed? Camaro that he ran in 72-73 before we became partners. The notch back Vega was never worked on or prepared by Team Checkmate and was in fact only a partial race car. The car was sold to a local bracket racer in our area and then we lost track of it. Perhaps if you can find Bob Tidwell he can fill you in a bit more but the only Vega we ever raced, and won a National Event with, is the one pictured that I drove to the Fall Nationals title in 1976.

Hope this helps fill in a few gaps!

76 RACER · 11-27-2007, 04:42 PM

Bob Tidwell is still alive and well in Dayton,O. Have not talked to him for quite a while and might be able to get his number for you.

11-25-2007, 03:02 PM	#1
Bob Rice Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: New Bern, NC Posts: 617 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Team "Check Mate" Here's a link to a few pictures of Mike Keener's D/G Vega, A/SM Camaro, the "Check Mate" Pro Stock Camaro and the Booth-Arons race shop that Mike was nice enough to send for me to scan. Hopefully I will be able to add more in the future. Bob Rice http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...&a=32610889&f=

11-25-2007, 05:00 PM	#2
Arnold Greene Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 136 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" Hey, Mike. Whats' up with the rear quarter on that SS/D 69 Camaro? You were literally stretching the rules before you and Merc teamed up...LOL. Hope to see you next year. Thanks for supporting Top Stock. AR __________________ Arnold Greene IHRA/NHRA 2420 A/S, B/S

11-25-2007, 10:11 PM	#3
Mike Keener Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 294 Likes: 102 Liked 24 Times in 13 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" AR...You kill me! Hope you and Lynn are doing well! Thanks for the kudos on Top Stock and I loved every minute of helping to get it off the ground. The first race in 2000 still seems like yesterday to me! MK __________________ Mike Keener A/S B/S C/SM

11-25-2007, 10:22 PM	#4
bsa633 Banned Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 310 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" the first version and racing-action of Top Stock and it's intension was the best thing for a long time,i am glad to see it's started to evolve around that idea again!

11-25-2007, 10:43 PM	#5
stage1scott Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cornville Posts: 406 Likes: 1,870 Liked 109 Times in 44 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" great pictures-thanks for the memories again guys!

11-26-2007, 01:19 AM	#6
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" Thanks for the great pics from Mr. Rice. Just 2 questions: 1. How much ballast does it take to put a mouse motor Vega into "D" Gas??? How small must that motor have been??? and, 2. What kind of induction system is on that Vega??? Thanks for any info... __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 11-26-2007 at 04:06 AM.

11-26-2007, 09:25 PM	#7
Scotty D Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 139 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" MIKE KEENER i was replying to you with some questions. being from cincy ohio and growing up around modified production with the granny goose cars and dick weinle,a friend of mine by the name of eric halverstadt recently purchased a 1973 vega notch back from a man in canada by the name of bob black, mr black told them that the car was built by you guys and if so we were curious about some backround of the car, he was told by someone that this car won a national event in modified. thank you for your time.

11-26-2007, 11:55 PM	#8
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" Bob, thanks for setting me straight on the picture deal. Mike, RE laying those pics on Bob for scanning...Thanks!!! And, thanks for the engine information on the Vega. Back when I was running Gas Coupes, D Gas was 13 pounds per cube... That's why I wondered how small that engine might be (not thinking.... again!) Sometimes I forget how old I am... __________________ Bill

11-27-2007, 03:15 PM	#9
Mike Keener Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 294 Likes: 102 Liked 24 Times in 13 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" Castle5- First of all, thanks for the kind words! Believe it or not they mean everything to old dogs like Merc and me! You are absolutely correct about the special suspension pieces under the Team Checkmate A/S and B/S Camaros. The entire traction bar systems we developed in-house for our cars were definitely three-of-a-kind pieces. However, most of the credit for these unique suspension pieces goes to Tom "Muskie" Stiel who has been racing on and off with our team since 1975. This guy is one hell of a fabricator and was trained in the business by another one of my heroes "Mike Fons?. Eventually, there were serious challenges filed by a disgruntled racer(s) during our one and only trip to the West Coast (Pomona & Phoenix) with the 3 cars in 1998. As a result of the whining, letters and phone calls to the NHRA Tech Department over the months following the two events, the tech ?heavyweights? Danny Gracia and Wesley Roberson were all over, under, around, and through my stuff because they were under serious pressure to do so. Finally, after the traction bar system on my B/S 69 Camaro was ?removed for inspection? at Englishtown later that year, Danny's exact words were "looks exactly like it did when you brought the cars out (1992) originally, go ahead and put it back together." Scotty-The notch back Vega is another unique story. We acquired this car as a partial trade from a guy in your area by the name of Bob Tidwell. Bob was a body shop owner from your area and was the guy that purchased Merc?s 67 ?flamed? Camaro that he ran in 72-73 before we became partners. The notch back Vega was never worked on or prepared by Team Checkmate and was in fact only a partial race car. The car was sold to a local bracket racer in our area and then we lost track of it. Perhaps if you can find Bob Tidwell he can fill you in a bit more but the only Vega we ever raced, and won a National Event with, is the one pictured that I drove to the Fall Nationals title in 1976. Hope this helps fill in a few gaps! __________________ Mike Keener A/S B/S C/SM

11-27-2007, 04:42 PM	#10
76 RACER Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Team "Check Mate" Bob Tidwell is still alive and well in Dayton,O. Have not talked to him for quite a while and might be able to get his number for you.