The "Greatest Drivers" thread got me to wondering... did anyone here see Tim drive a sprint car in his "formative" years? He did such amazing things with a 3300 pound stock car, I can't imagine what he would do with a sprint car on dirt. I would think some of you midwesterners have some stories to tell...
I don't know about sprints, but he spent some time in Supermods and Indy Cars.
A good race driver, given adequate seat time, can drive any well prepared racecar on any track surface or configuration at competitive speeds. Remember, I said a GOOD race driver!!!
To the best of my knowledge, Tim Richmond never drove a sprinter on dirt-I believe his only appearances were on the blacktop, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
I know he had a 4th at Salem in '78 behind the wheel of Junior Knepper's 55, and a 9th at IRP that year and placed 30th in points.
Tim was a tremendous talent that could have driven just about anything. I guess you could point to him as the guy that opened the gates to NASCAR. It wasn't long after he left that Schrader headed South, Pancho Carter took a shot as would have Rich Vogler had he not been killed at Salem.
"For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal".
John Kennedy at American University 1963
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power"
A. Lincoln
If my memory is correct... TR ran at Terre Haute, '78 or '79. He was in the 98 Gatorade car that Rice had a few runs in.
One strange thing, my Grandmother was crazy for the man.
Have I ever mentioned that I love this place!
see ya,
Billy Molkenbur
He did run dirt locally in Ohio and Western PA from his Ashland, Ohio home when he started. I happened to be at his first sprint car race at Mercer, PA.
If a race car driver whines in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does a fan post about it on a message board?
Man I wish we had more drivers like Tim Richmond! I guess Tony Stewart is the closest thing to him, yet their attitudes seem to be far far different, ofcourse the times are very different now too.
I just miss the old days when a driver ran anything with wheels! Those are my favorites. (yet I dont care much for Robby Gordon)
I once saw Tim Richmond at Riverside, on the roadcourse, get a flat tire in the opening laps. He came out of the pits in last place either just ahead of the leaders or just barely a lap down. By the end of the day Tim was standing in the winner's circle! Anybody who could pull that off at Riverside in a stock car, well... you know!
Rest in peace Tim Richmond.
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Swede Savage / Art Pollard / Mel Kenyon /
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