Dave wren still has it
 

Just 8 weeks out of open heart surgery and against doctors orders Dave brought one of his Max Wedge Plymouths, This one a blue1962 Belvedere sedan up to Mission for a little fun in the Hotrod class.
At the end of the day Dave was back to his old way's taking home the trophy . I could tell by the big smile on his face that he was having a great time being back on the track again.

Great job Dave and congratulations.

The day also saw Shawn Blair make a rare appearance to do a little bracket racing and take home the win in pro. Nice job Shawn, I'm sure the bracket racers wish you had stayed home, LOL

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

How to go Dave great job. Hope you are recovering well. You know I've been there and done that open heart thing.

kDodgion

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Great to hear that Dave is still alive and kickin' -- The "Missoula Mad Man" has always been one of my favorites.---Just read the Herman Chapman thread and like Herman there are a million Dave Wren stories..

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Good to here that he's doing okay now, and yes I wouldn't mind hearing some of those old bench racing stories myself, I'm sure he's got hundreds of them. I recall seeing his old orange 70 Plymouth Cuda that was restored for sale in the last few years, and also heard that he recently bought back his old 68 Hemi Barracuda Super-Stocker last year. Curious on what other cars he's running now.

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Dave has a few race cars still. He usually runs a 62 plymouth with a max wedge, And he did bring his aluminum 63 car up a couple years ago for a few passes. He also brings his red 68 ss/aa barracuda up to Mission every once in awhile, Although he slows it down to run under the 10.0 index. He doesn't want to deal with all the SFI tags to run it into the 9s.
He brought his original 68 car up last summer to see how it ran after he bought it back, It went a 10.57 on a easy pass. No roll bar thru the mufflers and dot tires.
He spends a lot of time working on his collection mopars, mostly 1930s thru 1950s stuff.

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Dave Wren has been a favorite of mine for over 40 years,, of course I was just a highschool kid back then. I'm also glad to see that Ken Dodgion is still around. I remember seeing a Super Bee with his name on it out at good 'ol Puyallup Raceway many years ago before he started racing the wagon. Those were fun days.
Danny Durham

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Back in the day, my parents ran with Wren, over in Montana. Dad in his Blue '66 GTO, Jeff Schmidt in his Black '65 Vette and Dave in his Orange '68 Cuda. Tearin up I-90 like nobodys business! Hahaha...

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Fun to hear about Dave Wren still out there racing and winning. Also Ken Dodgion probably has a few stories to tell. My first time ever to a dragstrip I got to ride in the passenger seat of his record holding 63 plymouth belvedere push button automatic SS/GA car. We went 11.27 (no seat belts on my side of the car) What a thrill at Puyallup Raceways, at night, and I have been hooked ever since.
Jeff Lane

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Doesn’t surprise me a bit Dave has always been tough as nails both on and off the track, great racer, hard worker and funny guy. Once saw him win a Mission point race in the SS/D car even after missing third gear, just jammed it into fourth and beat another well known racer….can still hear that Hemi moaning.

Yes as far as stories Dave could write a book and I would love to read it if nothing else just the ones about his Chrysler involvement days.

Good job Dave and be safe.
Jim Parsons

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Fun to hear about Dave Wren still out there racing and winning. Also Ken Dodgion probably has a few stories to tell. My first time ever to a dragstrip I got to ride in the passenger seat of his record holding 63 plymouth belvedere push button automatic SS/GA car. We went 11.27 (no seat belts on my side of the car) What a thrill at Puyallup Raceways, at night, and I have been hooked ever since.
Jeff Lane

Jeff, I remember that night well and sorry for being the "candy man" hope you don't hold it against Ken, Jerry and me, did I ever get my belt back?

How's Jerry?

Jim

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

I had the fantastic opportunity to have breakfast with Dave Wren, Jerry Hancock, Gary Rouse, Bill Stewart and Rod Stults just after I had got the old Wagon together (for the first time).

It was one of those moments I'll never forget for the rest of my life. I even had the presence of mind to keep my mouth shut and just listen. Simply amazing what these men have done. The stories were unbelievable (but I believe them-LOL!)

Dave is a really great guy, and has done it all. Best of luck to him in his recovery!

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Dave Wren still has it...here is proof, LOL.
This picture taken shortly after Dave winning the Hot Rod class last Saturday, we all gave a bowe to him and us ladies huddled around him for this picture.
Kelly on left of Dave, me on right (Vicki) and Fran

Dave is such a great guy/racer, he has many stories to tell us each and every weekend he is at the track.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/873...trodwinner.jpg

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

What's not to smile about when you're surrounded. They should do a book/movie about Daves life. I hardly know him but the stories have to be awesome. Super guy and he can still win a race.

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Dave looks great. Hasn't aged too much since I saw him last about 40 years ago. Seriously, Dave, you look good, hope you feel well.

Gary and Donna Hansen

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Yes he can still get it done! And a killer playoff beard too!

GO CANUCKS!

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

x2

Dave Wren's Belvedere is one of the reasons I'm a Mopar fan (and wishful racer of one of those types of cars). Heck, Dave's car is one of my favorite mopars (the 63-65 Belvedere's, the '64 Savoy, and the '65 Coronet's)! I read a lot about Dave winning in those cars of his, and wish you well Dave to get better so you can keep that up! :)

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was racing at the Loafers Oldies race in Ashcroft BC Canada this weekend, it seems that Dave Wren won his class today, not sure which car in the fleet he was racing, but his light blue 62 Savoy has been seeing a fair bit of track time the past few years. As a teenager in the late 60`s-early 70`s, I got to see a bunch of Daves cars at the old Mission track, from his yellow & purple 70 Hemi Cuda (SS/D & DA) a few 68 SS/AA cars, and likely my all time favorite, a SS/B 64 2 dr sedan. Around 77 or 78, Dave was running a D/Modified Compact Plymouth Arrow, which I believe was the least favorite he ever raced. Dave is quite a character, and diehard MoPar guy. A couple of years ago he was checking out my buddys really nice 67 327 4 speed Nova, and gave the car his ultimate compliment, for a non MoPar car; Quote:" Out of all the Chevys ever made, those are the ones I hated the least"! Pretty high praise indeed.....

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Rory...it was the blue 62 Savoy he was racing in Ashcroft. I was chatting with Steve the starter this morning and he told me that Dave Wren also entered into another race (gambler I think) and he lost in the semi final.

My good friend Nancy Matter was telling me that her step dad Ted Wells used to race against Wren when she was just a toddler, so she was happy to hear Dave was still racing. I will mention this to Dave at Mission's next race and get hear even more stories from him.

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

.. i saved it from the junkyard when reed came and got it ,then eric did his majic on it,then dave bought it back ,i wish more race cars would get back to the org owners,but most are out of range price wise

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Way to go, Dave!

I remember Dave as always being the 'upstairs' rather than the 'downstairs' man.

My favorite Wren story:

Just before Indy one year, he chased down a Chevy 300 feet past the finish line with his Hemi.
Alas, it smoked when he took it off the trailer at the Nationals. He watched as the 'downstairs' man
pulled the piston. Dave had someone WELD the hole in the piston top and was Runner-Up in the Eliminator.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Al Corda

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Hahaha! Best story EVER! Thanks for sharing this!

Jeff:)

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Dave has a million stories of the old days, And keeps adding to them every year!

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

Best to Dave-my oldest memory of Dave is about 1960 of his 39 Plymouth with a 318 engine- I might have the year off a little but there was no mistaking the 4 bright red steel wheels he liked.
Later (about 1963) he built up a Willys with a hemi- nicknamed the One Week Willys- the car was put together in one week with a bet that it would run in the 12's on its first run- Drag strip was just North Of Missoula, Montana. Those days were the best. Roger Parlett

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

I've always been a big fan of Dave Wren, nice job !
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/...d7&oe=555523D3

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

An early photo of Dave's 68 Barracuda.

http://i61.tinypic.com/dy97v6.jpg

Re: Dave wren still has it
 

First encounter with Dave Wren;

Joe Sr. and I are at the 71 Springnationals in Dallas.
We need to check our 7" slicks to see if they've grown and need to be shaved down.
We go over to Dave's pit and ask him if he's got a tape measure.

Dave says "Hell no..We never do nothin' that akker-it"