Where are they now?

[falcon325]

On another thread, we're workin' on the question about how many tracks Ironhead hadn't won at in '97.  Made me think about all those folks who were running in '97 and aren't running today.  I went back and looked at the 1997 points race and saw that, of the drivers that ran the whole 32-race schedule, only a tick over a baker’s dozen are still running Cup.  So who is gone and where are they? 

We know we lost Dale.  Ernie Ervin we lost too, although, thankfully, Ernie is still alive, trying to promote research into head injuries.  Guys like Terry LaBonte and Geoff Bodine are retired (I think Geoffry is retired). 

What about other drivers from the 1990s?  Remember Loy Allen?  Remember the highlight of his brief career? 

How many other drivers can you think of from the 1990s?

[Chris]

Gosh,...
off the top of my head.. LOTS
Of Course Richard Petty, Ol DW  Buddy Baker, Harry Gant, Bobby Allison, Ted Musgrave, Jimmy Spencer, Ricky Rudd, Dave Marcis, Kenny Wallace,... all the Bodines, Davey Allison,  Kenny Irwin, Morgan Shepherd, Dick Trickle, Phil Parsons, Greg Sacks, Wally Dallenbach, Hut Stricklin....

hhuumm Can't think of any more off of the top of my head..... (hope all of these are from the 90's)  That'll be a list where maybe some folks can get started and see if they can find out what those guys are doing now...
OF course there were many more guys I left out.

And unfortunately we lost Davey Allison and Kenny Irwin

[SMOKEN14]

Gosh,...
off the top of my head.. LOTS
Of Course Richard Petty, Ol DW  Buddy Baker, Harry Gant, Bobby Allison, Ted Musgrave, Jimmy Spencer, Ricky Rudd, Dave Marcis, Kenny Wallace,... all the Bodines, Davey Allison,  Kenny Irwin, Morgan Shepherd, Dick Trickle, Phil Parsons, Greg Sacks, Wally Dallenbach, Hut Stricklin....

hhuumm Can't think of any more off of the top of my head..... (hope all of these are from the 90's)  That'll be a list where maybe some folks can get started and see if they can find out what those guys are doing now...
OF course there were many more guys I left out.

And unfortunately we lost Davey Allison and Kenny Irwin

Hey Chris I think you ment Rusty not Kenny???

[Chris]

actually I forgot and left offf Rusty... LOL
Kenny had a full time ride back in the 90's too
Forgot Bobby Hamilton, Steve Grissom, Rich Bickle and Bobby Hillin too.  Heck I even left off Bill Elliott

If some other folks don't join in I'll have to see if I can't find out "where are they now"

[Chris]

Let's see.. I know some of these off the top of my head...

Richard Petty - still involved with Petty Enterprises?
Ol DW - announcer for FOX
Ted Musgrave,  - races CTS
Jimmy Spencer,  - announcer on TV not sure what else
Kenny Wallace - races BGN series
Brett Bodines - drives the Nascar Pace car, testing CoT
Wally Dallenbach - Announcer on NBC
Bobby Hamilton - owns BHR, was racing CTS until he got cancer, hoping to get back in the seat
Rich Bickle - I'm not sure, heard he owned a couple strip clubs up North (Wis.?)  Several years ago he was dating a gal friend of mine here in town..
Bill Elliott - racing dirt tracks spending time with family, rumors he'd return full time to CUP if the money was right?

[SMOKEN14]

Kenny Wallace is also racing the 78 cup car full time   IM a big kw fan old Herman is a funny guy

[falcon325]

Hey smoken. 

Herman the German is a hoot, but Schrader is still the funniest guy in the garage, IMHO.

Some idiot stuck a mike in Schrader's face after a particularly bad wreck early in a long race and asked, as Kenny's crew swarmed over the busted up car, "Will you be able to get back out there?"  Schrader deadpanned a dejected look and said, "I'm afraid so."

[flamehothead]

Here are a few that we have lost. The sad part about it is that most of us including myself forget about these Race Car Driver's. Their are a couple who were not in the Cup Series.

Rob Moroso- Driver of the #20 Crown Oldsmobile.1989 Busch Series Champion and was also The 1990 Winston Cup Rookie of The Year. I had the privlilage of watching him race at Bristol. Was killed in a two car off track accident.

John Nemechek- Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Driver. Hit the wall at Homestead I believe.

Rodney Orr- 1993 Goody's Dash Series Champion.

Chris Trickle- Was an Up and coming driver.

Blaise Alexander- Was killed at Charlotte in a ARCA race going for the win on Oct 4, 2001.

Neil Bonnett- He was killed during practice at Daytona in 1994. I will never forget when Earnhardt Sr had a back-up car sitting on the grid just in case something happened to his race car. It was sponsored by Mom and Pop's.

J.D. McDuffie- Was killed in a wreck at Watkins Glenn on Aug 11th, 1991.

[Chris]

John Nemechek- Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Driver. Hit the wall at Homestead I believe.

I think of John every time I see Joe Nemecheks little boy in the pits or on TV.
I guess most of you folks know he is names "John Hunter Nemechek" in honor of Joe's brother

[Tyyrus]

Kenny Irwin..Loved ta watch him Race...Killed @ Loudon..I think ,  same Dam Track that took Adam Petty from us all...!  Has someone also mentioned Davy Allison & the Driver of that Old #7 Hooters Car ?

[smyler]

I saw Kenny Irwin at the opening of the Virtual Driving experience at Concord Mills Mall.  I was surprised how short he was, lol.  He was a heck of a nice guy.  It was fun seeing him have the run in against Tony, when Tony was a rookie.  The two of them drove dirt tracks together.

When I heard the news about what happened to Kenny I just laid my head on my desk and had a good cry.  Racing is a dangerous business.  I'm sure glad it's been awhile.

I mentioned once before that I was at the ARCA race when Kerry Earnhardt and Blaise hit each other coming out of turn 4.  Kerry finished the race on the roof but won.  Blaise came to a dead stop right in front of me.  I was on about row 20 and had a clear view of him slumped over.  It took 20 minutes before they finally put a cover over the right side door so we could not see in.  It was tragic watching the whole thing happen.  He had skills and would likely be driving for a good team now, had he lived.

[Tyyrus]

Yeh remember Blaise Alexander well..great Young Racer. I,am fortunate within Nascar..that I have not witnessed any Death Related Incidents Live. The closest was of Elloit Sadler @ Michigan in 2002 when he was
driving the Red Ford Motorsports Sponsored Car. He was Qualifying and the right front tire blew out and he hit the wall coming across the start / finish line flipped over ending up in #1 Turn on his roof..whew that was a hit.
Pancaked the roof , so that he could bearly wave his hand out the window.

On a less fortunate evening , back in the Day when I was personnally still involved in Professional Snowmobile
Racin...I was headed back home around Escanaba Michigan..when on the radio it was announced that a
young Racer Jimmy Adema from Belmont Michigan had died as result of injurys sustained racing at the World
Championship Finals in Ironwood Michigan I had spent the entire weekend @ the Races competing against Jimmy and the Rest of the Factory Sponsored Teams , but due to Work committments , left right after
my eliminations in the Semi-Finals Heat Race. I had socialized with Jimmy the Night before at the Hospitality
night...met his Wife an Daughter..ouch...I pulled the truck over an..just staired out the window ..until my
girl friend at the time told be to get in the back and she would drive. Well enough of the morbid stuff..Eh !
I lost 3 friends racin back in the Day...it's not a Sport for the thin of skin or faint of Heart this Racin.
We as fan's quite often get caught up in the rah.rah..and forget ..the personal side of these patriots of the
Sport...God Bless them all...Especially my former buddies Jimmy , Spence..Jeremy...miss ya..Bro's ! 

Just thought you may find this interestin..click on the Pic , far left is
Jimmy..in the Middle Gilles Villeneruve...Jacque's Dad racin for Alleuette Factory Team in 1975 Iron wood Pre-Race Pic.

[AfterShock]

A tad off subject Ty, but what brand of snowmobile did you drive?

[Tyyrus]

Mid Seventys as an Independant (Skidoo / 440 & 797 Blizzards)

Early Eighties Semi-Pro (Arctic Cat  / 650 Exterminators and 800 King Cats)

Mid Eighties Professional Sno-Pro Series (Polaris Factory 440 & 650 Modified Class)

Due to aforemention Racing Related Deaths I retired from Racing completely...resumed my 1st love HOCKEY         

P.S. Pictured is Jim Adema circa 1975..Racin Independant Sno-Jet "Thunder Jet 650"..he Died a Month Later !

[falcon325]

You guys named a bunch of 'em.  Some others from the '97 list I found are Johnny Benson, Derrick Cope, Skinner, Mast, Lake Speed, David and Jeff Green, Wally, Pressley and Gary Bradbury.  There were a few others who ran just a couple of races.

I was a little surprised at how many guys are still in racing at some level, or, at least, were before Busch became Cup Lite last year.