Boady Lanier
BOADY LANIER
A legend in modified racing. Boady had been racing for years when this photo was took. He would die soon afterwards. He went out like a true racer, pulled over in the infield during a race and died of a massive heart attack. For years Buffalo Park ran the Boady Lanier memorial race, leaving the pole position open in his honor. I only saw Boady race once , but he made quite an impression . It was a big race , 50 laps or more , at my local track , Rosebowl . It was around 1977 or so . Body was in an orange car , running a 340 wedge if I remember right . Not many of us knew who he was when he got there , but we sure as hell knew who he was when he left . He lead from the start and lapped everyone but 2 cars . The only guys who could give him a race were local stars Billy Melton and Roger Tull . Billy was a good driver , but didn't have enough car , and Roger had enough car , but wasn't near the driver Boady was . Rogers dad Jake Tull could build a hell of a big block . Boady even came over and shook their hand after the race and talked awhile . I think he knew his old age and trechery was the only thing that kept Jakes car behind him that night . Roger got up beside Boady at one point , but they hit lapped traffic about that time and Boady ate him up .
Eldon Dotson
Eldon Dotson
One of the big guns from the Dallas area, Plano Texas to be exact, Eldon was one of the all time greats. Proof nice guys don't finish last. Seen here driving the Blue Max car owned by drag racer Raymond Beadle, it came with an enclosed semi trailer to haul it with, something not seen at the local tracks at that time. Everyone else used an open trailer and pickup truck. Eldon once won a race at Cowtown, loaded up and made a quick trip down the road to Sportsdrome and won there. Though the winged mods were long gone, Eldon died at the age of 52 after stepping from his car after a race. He was my personal favorite.
Keith Green
Strong runner from Waco Texas. Saw him go as fast as a modified has probably ever run at Devils Bowl in this car. Ran an automatic transmission, which is common now by was the first I had seen at the time. Unbeatable for awhile. A little too physical at times which got him into hot water at times. He messed with the wrong fellow when he wrecked Bo Rawdon at Cowtown one night. The race was red flagged and while Keith sat in his car Bo proceeded to come back with a long metal pole and beat the crap out of his car, and would have done the same to Keith if he could have. That's one of those things I mean when I say you saw things at Cowtown that you just didn't see other places.
Doug Ingalls
From Longview Texas, Doug was just an average driver until he got into this car. Then he was simply dominant. It didn't matter what track, Boothill, Buffalo Park, Cowtown, you name it. He even won regularly against the Big Block cars from the north during the winter Florida series. He was practically unbeatable for a time. When this car pulled in everyone else pretty much knew they were running for second place. Some are trying to revive the winged modifieds, and Doug is still there racing them.
Ron Golden
From Garland Texas, one of the top drivers. A nice guy too. You'll notice one of the photos below signed "To Bill Day". Bill Day owned the 47 car driven by Doug Ingalls, who won a lot, and we hated. Ron had beat them the night before and these photos were being handed out. I asked Ron to sign this one to Bill Day. Being the sport he was Ron laughed and signed it.
Billy Melton
From Longview Texas, there was a time Billy was the best around. I even saw him win a race on three wheels. He was running second in a heat race and with two laps left got too close to one of those big tires they used to mark the turns and clipped it with his front wheel, snapping it off. Instead of stopping as most would, Billy kept his foot in it, torquing the chassis which lifted the front wheel, or what used to be the front wheel. He passed the leader and won the race. Billy had a hard crash at Boothill in the early '80's, which banged up his knee pretty bad. He sat out the rest of the year and some of the next. He came back for awhile but soon for the most part retired from racing.
John Bankston
Big John! From Houston Texas, Beaumont actually. Another strong runner. Always fast, could beat anyone any time. He and his crew would pull into a track and what seemed like 20 hot blondes would climb out of the hauler. It was the sort of thing that made you want to be a racing driver. Once at Buffalo Park during hot laps John barrel rolled his car right in front of the main grandstand. landing to a stop right in front of us. About that same time a group of people were just walking up to take their seats. It scared the hell out of the women with them, who went running screaming back behind the stands. The guys with them convinced them to come take their seat. As they were walking by one told them, "That was just practice". One of the women said "They weren't racing yet? I don't think I can handle this!"
After the modifieds went away Big John started racing sprint cars and was doing well. Sadly he was killed in a crash shortly after. We lost a good one when we lost JB.
After the modifieds went away Big John started racing sprint cars and was doing well. Sadly he was killed in a crash shortly after. We lost a good one when we lost JB.
Gerry Bell
Another very good one from Houston. He had been driving midget sprints before switching to the modifieds. The first time I saw him that's what he was in at Big H. Then he started pulling the modified north to the Dallas/Shreveport tracks and started kicking everyone's butt.
This 90 car, the "Wampus Cat" which was written on back, was lighting fast.. One night at Buffalo Park during a big event, he lost the engine in a heat race. Undaunted, his crew had it changed and he started on back of the A main. Within three laps he had passed his way up to third in a driving display I've never really seen before or since, and was zeroing in on the two lead cars. At that time running into a corner the rear axle snapped. The car rolled with the axle rupturing the fuel cell and soaking Gerry with race fuel. A fireball erupted and Gerry was part of it, leaping from the car in flame from head to toe, he was saved by the quick actions of the track workers when a pit steward risking his own safety grabbed his and threw him to the ground where they could get the fire put out. Gerry and the track worker luckily escaped with, all things considered, rather minor burns. Last I heard of him he was driving sprint cars again.
This 90 car, the "Wampus Cat" which was written on back, was lighting fast.. One night at Buffalo Park during a big event, he lost the engine in a heat race. Undaunted, his crew had it changed and he started on back of the A main. Within three laps he had passed his way up to third in a driving display I've never really seen before or since, and was zeroing in on the two lead cars. At that time running into a corner the rear axle snapped. The car rolled with the axle rupturing the fuel cell and soaking Gerry with race fuel. A fireball erupted and Gerry was part of it, leaping from the car in flame from head to toe, he was saved by the quick actions of the track workers when a pit steward risking his own safety grabbed his and threw him to the ground where they could get the fire put out. Gerry and the track worker luckily escaped with, all things considered, rather minor burns. Last I heard of him he was driving sprint cars again.
The big crash
The car on fire. That's Gerry, on fire, jumping from the car on the right side.
The aftermath
The car afterwards. It's probably a lucky thing for Gerry that this happened at Buffalo Park where the track crew was more capable and prepared than most others.
Bo Rawdon
Out of Ft. Worth Texas, Bo was a hard charger. Capable of winning anytime out. In the photo here he's driving the car formerly driven by Gerry Bell. You didn't mess with Bo, he's the fellow who took the steel pipe to Keith Green's car. Despite that, he was a damn nice guy who always had time to talk racing.
At Buffalo Park one night in a heat race, a car we had never seen before started on back, storming through the field to win. They had given the name of the driver as Tommy Cornstubble. We were all saying "I don't know who this guy is, but he is fast!" After the race they announced it was Bo driving the car. We all said something like "Well hell, that figures".
He now owns and operates Cowtown Speedway, which he gave a massive facelift. God Bless Bo and Cowtown. May they both live forever.
At Buffalo Park one night in a heat race, a car we had never seen before started on back, storming through the field to win. They had given the name of the driver as Tommy Cornstubble. We were all saying "I don't know who this guy is, but he is fast!" After the race they announced it was Bo driving the car. We all said something like "Well hell, that figures".
He now owns and operates Cowtown Speedway, which he gave a massive facelift. God Bless Bo and Cowtown. May they both live forever.
Billy Suggs
Looked like a school teacher, drove like a mad man. His slide jobs were a thing of beauty. One of the top runners from the Dallas area. Always a threat to win.
Ronnie Adams
From Marshall Texas but did most of his racing at Boothill. He was as good as any one. Lighting fast. The folks at Boothill hated him. Everyone said what an asshole he was. After talking to him a few times, I can say he was one of the nicest persons you would ever want to meet. I figured out they hated him at Boothill because he was regularly kicking their favorite drivers ass on the track.
Gary Wright
These guys all thought they were fast, until this guy showed up. A quiet country boy from the small East Texas town of Hooks (also home
of big league ump Durwood Merril and Heisman winner Billy Sims) Gary had
pounded around his local track of Stateline in Texarkana and Boothill
in Shreveport, but made quite an impression when he finally started
tangling regularly with the big boys. Driving a car (the one pictured here) that was at least ten years old, he kicked everyone's ass. We nicknamed his car "The Ghost" because it had been driven to death by Eldon Dotson years before Gary got it. After several years in it Gary finally killed it for good when he barrel rolled it one night and bent the frame so bad it had to be put out of it's misery. After the modified went away Gary carried on in sprint cars, making a name for himself by beating the Outlaws and is now known as one of the best sprint car drivers in the land.