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SAFEWAY KELLY
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Posted: Thursday Dec 7th, 2006 08:39 PM |
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| DURING THE EARLY 80'S, I PUT ON A SKY VALLEY OLD TIMER'S NIGHT AT EVERGREEN. FRED WAS DRIVING FOR STEVE KUEHN AT THE TIME AND I ASKED STEVE IF FRED WOULD LIKE TO DRIVE ONE OF THE BOMBER STOCK CARS. FRED SAID SURE! WELL IN THE MAIN EVENT IT STARTED TO RAIN A LITTLE AND SOMEHOW FRED GOT BOXED UP AGAINST THE FLAGSTAND WALL WHERE HE SAT BY HIMSELF FOR A LAP BEFORE HE FINALLY BACKED UP AND TOOK OFF. I ASKED FRED LATER AS HE, STEVE AND I TALKED FOR A COUPLE HOURS AT THE MONROE EAGLES WHERE WE HAD A GET TOGETHER FOR THE OLD TIMERS AND I ASKED FRED WHAT HAPPENED? HE TOLD ME HE HAD NEVER DRIVEN A RACE CAR WITH REVERSE, SO HE WAS WAITING FOR THE YELLOW TO COME OUT!
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racemom4469
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| Joined: | Monday Dec 26th, 2005 |
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Posted: Friday Dec 8th, 2006 01:19 AM |
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Now that is funny................ I have a good Fred story, I worked for Fred and Debbie at Skagit Speedway managing the souvineer stands, and the night of the Midseason/Fireworks night, Fred told Debbie and I right before the fireworks started we could get the employees out of the concession stands and we could all watch the fireworks, but to LOCK UP first. So we did, with all the keys inside the building. We were so afraid to tell Fred, and tried so hard not to laugh, because we knew we were in deep doodoo. Well we told him, and tried to keep a straight face, as did he, and the whole time he was standing there shaking his head, and telling us, " you got yourselves into this mess, figure it out". So we did, I knew someone who had built the building and crawled through a space and opened up the doors. It is funny now, but I will never forget Debbie and I trying to keep a straight face and Fred shaking his head at us. I am sure he is still getting a kick out of this right now. RIP Fred!! and THANKS for the MEMORIES
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rickt
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Posted: Friday Dec 8th, 2006 02:35 PM |
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Well, I will throw one in that ain't that funny but made me learn a lesson with Fred. Can't remember exactly when it was a couple years ago but on saturday afternoon around 2:30pm Fred was standing on the tower balcony in Elma looking at the sky. It had been raining off and on all day and we were there to run an NST race. I walked up into the stands and looked up at him and asked "Well Fred, whatcha think?". He looked down at me shaking head and replied "About what". I just kinda pointed up at the sky. He just looked down at me , gave a wink and firmly said "We are gonna race"..That was it. End of subject. Over.
I remember that we did race and crowd was not that great but when Fred is anywhere to put on a show, he usually would do everything to get it in no matter what. His commitment to the fans and racers was second none.
And OBTW, I never asked that stupid question again 
Rickt 
Last edited on Friday Dec 8th, 2006 02:36 PM by rickt
____________________
We need more Military Appreciation days at Speedways
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid."
-John Wayne
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br
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| Joined: | Tuesday Jan 24th, 2006 |
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Posted: Friday Dec 8th, 2006 07:03 PM |
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| Ok, I got one, it is kind of long winded but I will try to keep it short. Probally in the early to mid eighties I was at the Dirt Cup on the final Saturday night, I might not be 100% accurate on this so cut me some slack but, Fred was in the C main transferred to the B main then transferred to the A main, got a flat tire and there was some sort of controversy as far as if they gave him enough laps or how he was lined up, I can't remember but anyhow he stopped on the front straight to appeal the situation and the crowd was in agreement with Fred. Moving ahead now, I started racing in 2001 and ran Skagit my rookie season and the start of 2002. I went to Elma for my first time in early 2002. I was having a decent night and was running somewhere around 5th or 6th about midway through the main when several cars spun and a yellow came out. As they were lining us back up Bob V. motioned that I needed to go to the rear, I ignored him for a lap or so then he made his motion a little more "direct", I was less than happy about this since I wasn't involved in the yellow at all. I decide to stop on the front straight and discuss it with him since he was telling me to go to the rear anyhow. He said he was only doing what the tower was telling him to do and I got pushed off and restarted from the rear. I ended up 4th anyway and was fairly happy with the results. As my crew and I were discussing the results and having a cold soda I saw Fred walking my direction. He asked me to step into "his office" and motioned me over towards him with a stearn look on his face. He said " I don't know how you guys do things at other tracks but, we don't stop on the track here at Gray's Harbor" still with that stearn look. I looked at him for a minute then said "oh yeah, years ago at Dirt Cup I saw a yellow #92 car do the same thing, any idea who that was." He broke out a big grin, patted me on the back, said " good run, thanks for coming and I hope to see you next week." I ended up racing at Grays Harbor the rest of the year.
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Nick
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Posted: Friday Dec 8th, 2006 08:31 PM |
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Helping out a friend (Rob Squillace) in the pits with his 360 sprinter, the night got cut short by rain just before the mains, I think. This was in 2000. We were all standing in line behind the grandstands waiting for pit pass refunds when Fred starts walking around with leftover hotdogs and popcorn for free. Both were still warm, and I'm sure he had plenty of "better" things to do than that. Refunds and free food on a rained-out race? How cool is that?
Nick Nelson
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