30 Years - Richie Remembered

[Goldy]

I've been utubing alot of late, watching tour races from NHIS, Thompson, Stafford and Martinsville - some new, several old ones and just ran into this Richie clip last night. It recalls the day he died and is very well done by Sid. It wasn't until I looked closely at the date in the newspaper clip that I realized this traggic anniversary was upon us.

I'm sure we all remember where we were when we heard the news...

I happend to be getting a harmless ice cream at the local Dairy Queen when my cousin Kristy ran into me and told me something i just couldn't beleive.
Me, Richie, Bill and Kristy - 79 Manchester Oil Heat 100 at Stafford. (http://www.racerhub.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=145970)

I beleive this link should work - video production by Sids View (great job!)
Richie Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ayuy62PkI)

You can always look up the HOF clip on utube as well.

In honor of the late, great Richie Evans, a hearty "good n' you?" to the forum members.. (after it being out of commission).. thanks Richie G. for getting it back up.

How about we all share some stories and or memories of Richie?...

[Goldy]

Okay, I’ll start…

Circa 82’.. my brother and I used to travel down to New Egypt to root on the Big Red machine of Siscone, we must have went down there about 6 times or so around that time. Sometimes we’d camp and take in the Sat night show at Wall for a fine double header of NJ action. New Egypt was the classic bullring, ultra-tight racing and the home boys of Siscone, Blewett, Anderson, Harbach, Cranmer were masters there; well that didn’t prevent Richie from showing up for the special Wed show or a regular Friday night and show them the way around their home track. I suppose the same could be said for just about any other track where he didn’t run all the time, (he actually was track champion there in 82’) - but when he showed up chasing points at any track, the end result was typically the same – Big Orange in victory lane.

New Egypt had “accessible” pits for a young punk like me, so I’d make my way in there. I recall Richie being parked right next to Tony and I’d just take it all in. The mentor and the student – always competitive against one another and Richie was always there to lend advice to Tony, or anyone for that matter. ‘Round about this time there wasn’t much advice Richie had to lend Tony, but there was genuine respect both ways here and it showed on the race track. In all our trips down to NJ we never did see Tony win - with Richie showing up it was just about a foregone conclusion who’d be taking home the checkers.

It’s somewhat ironic and truly gut wrenching that Tony was the first to Richie’s torn up car on that tragic day.

[limodmaniac]

In 1980, I went to my first Islip race, and was there to cheer on Charlie Jarzombek. Charlie led 246 laps or so only to low up....and guess who won the race? That orange car driven by someone I didn't know, but that day was day one of my racing education. That if the 61 showed up, he stood a very good chance of winning!