[Rich Biebel]

I would be very happy if they succeed.

Never really had any big problems dealing with anyone there and for the most part was always treated well.....

Don't know Melissa at all really.... but Kathy and her parents were nice to me.....Yes things went down hill over the years but I surely can see how this could happen......

Mrs. K was a tough lady but she always had an easy side and anytime there was a beef.....she gave you that little smerk and usually said OK and calmed down........to me anyway....

One day we rented the track to test some cars.....or I should say George Cable rented the track......I was helping him and someone else who I had installed a new engine in his car........I worked like a dog in the hot sun...I .had to change a converter and was a mess by early afternoon. The guy I installed the engine for tried to use his previous converter and there was no way the car would go down the track it was so loose. I sent him to go get one that was brand new at George Cables shop and installed it.....It worked fine....

I made the last run in the car George had bought......Traction was pretty poor......Went 10.0 at 142 mph.....Did a real nice slide thru first gear....and should have run well in the 9's.....

I Went in to see Kate to get a Tech card for the nights racing.....She gave me one for free.......At the end of the night I won Super Pro.....and when I went in to get paid Kate said....".How did you do that?"......I said same way as always.....I was lucky and needed the money.......LOL

She laughed and wrote out the check....

I have many many good memories from there........and we had some terrific races........

I won a Super Pro race one night that had 100 cars......and they also ran a Stock/Super Stock event......The place was packed.....and I have the Island Competition writeup to prove the car count was that high....It says it right in the opening line written by Hank Dinger....

Could it ever get back to days like that......Well I doubt it.....but that would not be their fault as the times have changed dramatically.......

We are at the tail end of the glory days of drag racing.........

I am fortunate to have been a part of it from the mid 1960's

and back then Ed Kowalick was supposed to race Cousin Bruce Morrow one Sunday......Ed was trying to find a car for Bruce to drive......they asked me if I would let him drive my '58 Pontiac that I was racing for fun.....I said NO.....figured he would break it....

Like I said I have a lot of memories from there....and could fill a book with them....and so could a lot of other guys that raced there every week for many years.....


I hope they can survive....