First Timers

[Dwight Clock]

...Well then, it had to be Don Howe.

[Richie]

I thought if you scratched that old head of yours you would get it. Not many people realized it. I have not seen it in any record books.

[Captain History]

It's almost fresh from the archives when Islip and Riverhead last ran together......

1. DON HOWE #34, Water Mill, 528 points/7 wins
2. Fred Harbach #x90, Huntington Station, 420 points/1 win
3. Wayne Anderson #15, Yaphank, 376 points/3 wins
4. Tom Baldwin #7NY, Bellport, 366 points/4 wins
5. Bob Park #19, East Northport, 306 points/1 win
6. Bill Park #20, Brentwood, 296 points/1 win
7. Chris Young #49, Riverhead, 226 points/2 wins
7. Tim Contarino #18, Glen Cove, 226 points/no wins
9. Al Hansen #4, Islip, 192 points/1 win
9. Jim Reed #17, Central Islip, 192 points/no wins

[Teds Race Tours]

It was 1984, and Long Island Royalty Don Howe was the man. Don is one of the best drivers in the history of Long Island.

Added trivia, Bob Park's win that year came in the last Modified race ever at Islip.

[Dwight Clock]

It was 1984, and Long Island Royalty Don Howe was the man. Don is one of the best drivers in the history of Long Island.

Added trivia, Bob Park's win that year came in the last Modified race ever at Islip.

More trivia. Bob Park waited 16 years to win the first feature of his career. Where did he win it?

[Jaws]

New Egypt??

[Dwight Clock]

No, not New Egypt.

[oldracer]

Freeport Speedway.

[Dwight Clock]

It wasn't Freeport, either.

[art11758]

For some reason Stafford sounds right to me.

[Dwight Clock]

No, it wasn't Stafford. Bob Park won the first modified feature of his career at the Evergreen Speedway in Pa. Now known as Mountain Speedway, the track was owned then by Ed Spencer, father of Jimmy Spencer. After the race, there was a huge fracas at the start finish line. About 100 people were involved and police had to restore order. After finally breaking the ice, Bob Park began to win fairly regularly until he retired.

[Captain History]

Bob Park's Evergreen Modified win came on Labor Day in 1981. Tom McCann finished 3rd.

[Cliff_in_TX.]

Ok, I thought the ??? was who was Islip's last champ...did Howe win that too, or was it Freddy??

BTW, thanks for the memory trip.

[Captain History]

Don Howe won the last Islip Modified title in 1984 after Fred Harbach won it in 1983.

[randomrodder]

Oh BTW, speaking of first timers, remember how they would give prizes away by calling your ticket #??? Well, we went week after week, year after year w/o winning a thing... then BAM!!! They called my ticket # 2 weeks in a row!!! I was on cloud 9, I thought that was so cool.

That was in, you guessed it, 1984.

I won two weeks in a row. One week a carton of Winstons and a cap, then the very next week, tickets to the modified Race of Champions at Pocono. It must have been in the early 70s. The whole section where we always sat were calling out, FIX, FIX! LOL. Good times.