Our Military - Their Race Cars

Ken Miele · 11-12-2017, 10:54 AM

Hey everyone,

Yesterday I was thinking about our veterans and our current men and women that serve in the military. Without them we would not be able to do what we do. I thought it would be great to do a story on the veterans and the current service members that drag race. It does not matter what car, what class, if you have a race car or raced in the past, I would like to hear from you. I have met many racers that have served our country and it always humbles me to be in their company. The respect I have for them is immense, and I never seem to have the right words to express my thanks when talking to them.

I would like to mention just a few of them, even though they would probably rather me not say anything.

Richard Adkins is one of racers I came to know and respect, not only because of his service, but his genuine kindness and thoughts for others, he is a good man. Some of you may know him, he used to race a beautiful white 67 Shelby here in Div 1, It was such a cool car. Richard is a veteran and did more than his share of duty in Iraq. I hope Richard comes back and races with us someday, they were good times, even when the times were not so good.

Bob Bender, he currently races here in Div 1, and is a member of Class Racer. He races a big old Chevy white wagon. Bob was a combat soldier that served in Vietnam, and though he does not talk about it much, you can see the pride he has for the service he has done for his country and his fellow soldier. He is a great guy and always has a good word and a smile on his face. I for one look forward to seeing him at the races. He usually gets to the races early as do I, and when I see him I know all is right with the world. He will get mad at me for saying this, but I will anyway. Bob earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam, he is a humble man and a very good man.

Nick Reiter, what can I say about Nick. He is as colorful as his car, the car he has had since it was new. A 1971 Charger 440 Six Pac R/T in Citron Yella, yup that’s the color. Nick is a Vietnam vet and served as a combat soldier. You can ask him anything about his service and is more than willing to talk about it. He is also very humble about his service and tells me I just did what I did, and got through it. A good man and a good friend.

These three men have my utmost respect and I am honored and blessed to have been able to know and race with them.

If your served or are currently serving, please send me a photo of you car and of you, and a few words about the car and yourself. You deserve the respect and recognition that you have earned. You can also post here if you like.

kenmiele@classracer.com

11-12-2017, 11:47 AM

Awesome Idea Ken. Those are some great guys you are talking about right there and many more that race among us. Happy Veterans Day and thanks for your service.

MR DERBY CITY · 11-12-2017, 12:48 PM

Here in D 3 we have been blessed to race with Vietnam Vet Bill Rink. COLORFUL does not begin to describe BIll and his wheel standing 74 GTO.....OH, the stories we could share about Bill.....Thank You for your service.....

Ken Kopecky · 11-12-2017, 12:51 PM

Let us not forget George Cottell! A retired Marine. He may not be racing anymore but most of our Div 1 racers will always remember his Olds Cutlass and the very colorfully painted Stars and Stripes 69 Camaro. Richard, Bob, Nick, George and all the many other Veterans - Thank you for your service. God bless you all.

Ken Kopecky
1454 E/SA

Mike Jones · 11-12-2017, 01:39 PM

Thank you to all our service members
Mike A114

A/SA Fairlane · 11-12-2017, 02:05 PM

Mr Cotells stars and stripes car will always stick out in my mind

HR9121 · 11-12-2017, 06:26 PM

Great thread Ken, I am forever grateful to these men and others like them. Bob has became a good friend to us and we thoroughly enjoy coming north because of Bob and others. Thank you to all of you and would love to hear more of these stories!

Superfan1 · 11-15-2017, 07:26 PM

Even though I don't race now, many of you on this forum know me. I proudly served in the Navy from 1967 to 1971 on a nuclear submarine and 2 submarine rescue ships. Veterans Day always has been, and always will be, a very special day for me.

midnightbluS10 · 11-14-2017, 05:28 AM

I believe there's a series that caters to veterans. I know they work with a veterans group and donate money, etc... I'll see if I can find it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

Hey everyone,

Yesterday I was thinking about our veterans and our current men and women that serve in the military. Without them we would not be able to do what we do. I thought it would be great to do a story on the veterans and the current service members that drag race. It does not matter what car, what class, if you have a race car or raced in the past, I would like to hear from you. I have met many racers that have served our country and it always humbles me to be in their company. The respect I have for them is immense, and I never seem to have the right words to express my thanks when talking to them.

I would like to mention just a few of them, even though they would probably rather me not say anything.

Richard Adkins is one of racers I came to know and respect, not only because of his service, but his genuine kindness and thoughts for others, he is a good man. Some of you may know him, he used to race a beautiful white 67 Shelby here in Div 1, It was such a cool car. Richard is a veteran and did more than his share of duty in Iraq. I hope Richard comes back and races with us someday, they were good times, even when the times were not so good.

Bob Bender, he currently races here in Div 1, and is a member of Class Racer. He races a big old Chevy white wagon. Bob was a combat soldier that served in Vietnam, and though he does not talk about it much, you can see the pride he has for the service he has done for his country and his fellow soldier. He is a great guy and always has a good word and a smile on his face. I for one look forward to seeing him at the races. He usually gets to the races early as do I, and when I see him I know all is right with the world. He will get mad at me for saying this, but I will anyway. Bob earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam, he is a humble man and a very good man.

Nick Reiter, what can I say about Nick. He is as colorful as his car, the car he has had since it was new. A 1971 Charger 440 Six Pac R/T in Citron Yella, yup that’s the color. Nick is a Vietnam vet and served as a combat soldier. You can ask him anything about his service and is more than willing to talk about it. He is also very humble about his service and tells me I just did what I did, and got through it. A good man and a good friend.

These three men have my utmost respect and I am honored and blessed to have been able to know and race with them.

If your served or are currently serving, please send me a photo of you car and of you, and a few words about the car and yourself. You deserve the respect and recognition that you have earned. You can also post here if you like.

kenmiele@classracer.com

They'll be at Yellowbullet.com Nationals for 2018. Warriors Racing. They do something with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

http://www.warriorsraceteam.com

http://specialops.org

Quote:

WARRIORS OUTLAW RACE TEAM

A drag race team racing to promote awareness of the SOWF. 10.5 OPS WARRIORS Consist of Fords, Mopars and GM cars.Engines: Small Blocks, Big Blocks with Carburetors, Nitrous Oxide, Turbos, Blowers, Fuel Injection and Pro Chargers

We have race cars to root for both old and new. Fire breathing wheel-standing fun on a 1/8 mile race track at speeds over 170 mph. Under 5 seconds and most importantly they race to promote awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. So please come out and support our cause and enjoy a great show of fast side by side racing in the mid Atlantic area.

The Warriors Race Team is proud to promote and help raise awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The S.O.W.F. provides full scholarships to surviving children of fallen Army, Navy, Air Force Marines. The scholarship funding includes tuition, Books, fee's and room / board.
SOWF provides immediate financial assistance to special operations personnel severely wounded in the global war on terror.

Once notified of a special operations soldier, airman, sailor, or Marine hospitalized with a severe injury, SOWF immediately sends a $3,000 grant to the service member (or his/her designated recipient) so the family and loved ones can travel to be at their bedside. These funds are often used to reduce the burden of unexpected expenses such as airfare, pet care, child care, rental cars, etc.

To date, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation has provided $1.9 million to wounded special operations personnel and their families.

Ken Miele · 11-22-2017, 08:11 PM

Thanks so much for your comments, and of course your service. I finished the story on our veterans and service members that race. I don't write many stories, so forgive me if my grammar is not what it should be, but my sentiment and support are. Click story to read the article.

I hope all our veterans and service members have a Happy Thanksgiving, thank you so much for what you have done.

Story

11-12-2017, 10:54 AM	#1
Ken Miele Live Reporter Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 4,862 Likes: 461 Liked 16,560 Times in 1,523 Posts	Our Military - Their Race Cars Hey everyone, Yesterday I was thinking about our veterans and our current men and women that serve in the military. Without them we would not be able to do what we do. I thought it would be great to do a story on the veterans and the current service members that drag race. It does not matter what car, what class, if you have a race car or raced in the past, I would like to hear from you. I have met many racers that have served our country and it always humbles me to be in their company. The respect I have for them is immense, and I never seem to have the right words to express my thanks when talking to them. I would like to mention just a few of them, even though they would probably rather me not say anything. Richard Adkins is one of racers I came to know and respect, not only because of his service, but his genuine kindness and thoughts for others, he is a good man. Some of you may know him, he used to race a beautiful white 67 Shelby here in Div 1, It was such a cool car. Richard is a veteran and did more than his share of duty in Iraq. I hope Richard comes back and races with us someday, they were good times, even when the times were not so good. Bob Bender, he currently races here in Div 1, and is a member of Class Racer. He races a big old Chevy white wagon. Bob was a combat soldier that served in Vietnam, and though he does not talk about it much, you can see the pride he has for the service he has done for his country and his fellow soldier. He is a great guy and always has a good word and a smile on his face. I for one look forward to seeing him at the races. He usually gets to the races early as do I, and when I see him I know all is right with the world. He will get mad at me for saying this, but I will anyway. Bob earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam, he is a humble man and a very good man. Nick Reiter, what can I say about Nick. He is as colorful as his car, the car he has had since it was new. A 1971 Charger 440 Six Pac R/T in Citron Yella, yup that’s the color. Nick is a Vietnam vet and served as a combat soldier. You can ask him anything about his service and is more than willing to talk about it. He is also very humble about his service and tells me I just did what I did, and got through it. A good man and a good friend. These three men have my utmost respect and I am honored and blessed to have been able to know and race with them. If your served or are currently serving, please send me a photo of you car and of you, and a few words about the car and yourself. You deserve the respect and recognition that you have earned. You can also post here if you like. kenmiele@classracer.com

11-12-2017, 11:47 AM	#2
Todd Hoven Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Awesome Idea Ken. Those are some great guys you are talking about right there and many more that race among us. Happy Veterans Day and thanks for your service.

11-12-2017, 12:48 PM	#3
MR DERBY CITY VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Derby City, USA Posts: 3,640 Likes: 1,083 Liked 7,940 Times in 1,520 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Here in D 3 we have been blessed to race with Vietnam Vet Bill Rink. COLORFUL does not begin to describe BIll and his wheel standing 74 GTO.....OH, the stories we could share about Bill.....Thank You for your service.....

11-12-2017, 12:51 PM	#4
Ken Kopecky Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Edison, NJ Posts: 235 Likes: 375 Liked 273 Times in 56 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Let us not forget George Cottell! A retired Marine. He may not be racing anymore but most of our Div 1 racers will always remember his Olds Cutlass and the very colorfully painted Stars and Stripes 69 Camaro. Richard, Bob, Nick, George and all the many other Veterans - Thank you for your service. God bless you all. Ken Kopecky 1454 E/SA

11-12-2017, 01:39 PM	#5
Mike Jones VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,125 Likes: 1,179 Liked 684 Times in 289 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Thank you to all our service members Mike A114

11-12-2017, 02:05 PM	#6
A/SA Fairlane Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NH Posts: 136 Likes: 99 Liked 57 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Mr Cotells stars and stripes car will always stick out in my mind

11-12-2017, 06:26 PM	#7
HR9121 Live Reporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New Bern, NC Posts: 3,467 Likes: 146 Liked 3,363 Times in 731 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Great thread Ken, I am forever grateful to these men and others like them. Bob has became a good friend to us and we thoroughly enjoy coming north because of Bob and others. Thank you to all of you and would love to hear more of these stories! __________________ James Williamson W200 J/SA. SS/JA

11-15-2017, 07:26 PM	#8
Superfan1 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bridgeport,CT. Posts: 1,993 Likes: 1,665 Liked 2,637 Times in 440 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Even though I don't race now, many of you on this forum know me. I proudly served in the Navy from 1967 to 1971 on a nuclear submarine and 2 submarine rescue ships. Veterans Day always has been, and always will be, a very special day for me. __________________ Bill Seabrooks - superfan1 Bridgeport, CT

11-22-2017, 08:11 PM	#10
Ken Miele Live Reporter Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 4,862 Likes: 461 Liked 16,560 Times in 1,523 Posts	Re: Our Military - Their Race Cars Thanks so much for your comments, and of course your service. I finished the story on our veterans and service members that race. I don't write many stories, so forgive me if my grammar is not what it should be, but my sentiment and support are. Click story to read the article. I hope all our veterans and service members have a Happy Thanksgiving, thank you so much for what you have done. Story