Team "Check Mate"

[Scotty D]

MIKE KEENER i was replying to you with some questions. being from cincy ohio and growing up around modified production with the granny goose cars and dick weinle,a friend of mine by the name of eric halverstadt recently purchased a 1973 vega notch back from a man in canada by the name of bob black, mr black told them that the car was built by you guys and if so we were curious about some backround of the car, he was told by someone that this car won a national event in modified. thank you for your time.

[bill dedman]

Bob, thanks for setting me straight on the picture deal.

Mike, RE laying those pics on Bob for scanning...Thanks!!!

And, thanks for the engine information on the Vega. Back when I was running Gas Coupes, D Gas was 13 pounds per cube... That's why I wondered how small that engine might be (not thinking.... again!)

Sometimes I forget how old I am...

[Mike Keener]

Castle5- First of all, thanks for the kind words! Believe it or not they mean everything to old dogs like Merc and me! You are absolutely correct about the special suspension pieces under the Team Checkmate A/S and B/S Camaros. The entire traction bar systems we developed in-house for our cars were definitely three-of-a-kind pieces. However, most of the credit for these unique suspension pieces goes to Tom "Muskie" Stiel who has been racing on and off with our team since 1975. This guy is one hell of a fabricator and was trained in the business by another one of my heroes "Mike Fons?. Eventually, there were serious challenges filed by a disgruntled racer(s) during our one and only trip to the West Coast (Pomona & Phoenix) with the 3 cars in 1998. As a result of the whining, letters and phone calls to the NHRA Tech Department over the months following the two events, the tech ?heavyweights? Danny Gracia and Wesley Roberson were all over, under, around, and through my stuff because they were under serious pressure to do so. Finally, after the traction bar system on my B/S 69 Camaro was ?removed for inspection? at Englishtown later that year, Danny's exact words were "looks exactly like it did when you brought the cars out (1992) originally, go ahead and put it back together."


Scotty-The notch back Vega is another unique story. We acquired this car as a partial trade from a guy in your area by the name of Bob Tidwell. Bob was a body shop owner from your area and was the guy that purchased Merc?s 67 ?flamed? Camaro that he ran in 72-73 before we became partners. The notch back Vega was never worked on or prepared by Team Checkmate and was in fact only a partial race car. The car was sold to a local bracket racer in our area and then we lost track of it. Perhaps if you can find Bob Tidwell he can fill you in a bit more but the only Vega we ever raced, and won a National Event with, is the one pictured that I drove to the Fall Nationals title in 1976.

Hope this helps fill in a few gaps!

[76 RACER]

Bob Tidwell is still alive and well in Dayton,O. Have not talked to him for quite a while and might be able to get his number for you.

[thumbprint]

Growing up at Atco Mike Fons was one of the guys you could depend on bringing something out that would run like a scalled dog , does anyone know if he's still in the game.

[76 RACER]

Spoke to Bob today and told me alot about the Vega. Have to call him back thursday and he will give me the rest of the info on that car............

[Gary Smith]

Mike,

I was obsessed with Modified as a kid and was devastated when NHRA dropped the category (so much for dreaming I guess). Always wanted to be part of what you, Merc, Surles, Kopp, McDonald, Cannon, Hutchens, and a host of others did back then. IMO you and Merc were to Modified like John Force is to F/C.

Anyway I was lucky enough to see Merc debut the (I believe) '62 Vette in '79 running either B/MP or C/MP at Pomona. I remember going to OCIR on the Saturday before the Winters with dad and seeing the Vette with the motor out and Paul up to his elbows in grease and oil (and his dobermann tied to the trailer!!) I was amazed how fast he put it back together and see it run. Tom Turner/Ronnie Wong Vette and Coonce/Clark Vega were there testing as well. What a real treat that was!!!

Would love to see photos of the Vette again, if possible.

[Bob Rice]

Gary,
Here?s a link to a picture of the Corvette taken at Suffolk.
Bob Rice

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...070&p=66535190

[Gary Smith]

That's the car Bob!! Thanks!!

[Mike Keener]

Gary- Being compared to John Force in any fashion blows us away. Thanks a bunch but there were a lot of Modified hero's and you rightfully named quite a few others. It was one of the best times in drag racing as far as I'm concerned and I still love living in the past!

The Corvette came along in late 78 and was run off and on with the Camaro's through 1980. This car was owned by John Piper who purchased it from the Stewart and Clapp team from Kalamazoo MI. John Piper was the same racer that had our Vega before we made a trade for our Super Mod Camaro that we ran in IHRA during the 75 season. As usual Mike Fons did some 4 link modifications to the car before we ever ran it.

I only drove the Corvette at one event which was the 79 Springnationals. This was a pretty wild ride and much different to drive than the Camaro or the Vega. I'll never forget that for the third qualifying session at that race we believed the car had been hitting the wheelie bars too hard and unloading, so we disconnected them for the last run. Well....needless to say looking at the sky didn't help the ET much eitherLOL!


MK