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DOUG GORDON
While race fans of today enjoy the talents of drivers such as Todd
‘Sparky’ Gordon – the Gordon family name is like so many others that have
graced Merrittville Speedway’s Pit Area. Racing is in their blood and
before Todd’s XXX – his Dad made his won history in first his #71 and then
the 8D.
Back some 41
seasons ago, Doug ‘Flash’ Gordon would get his start in racing in the
former Late Model Division in 1968 with a 1958 Ford. In his first time out
he won his qualifying heat – a victory that he probably still remembers to
this day.
Soon Doug
would move on to drive a 1963 Chevrolet in the same Late Model Division
for car owner John Cosby. Cosby bought the car from Lyndon Wood with the
#38 changed easily to a 39 for Doug.
Winding up his
close to 5 year Late Model career, Doug would purchase another car – the
#71 from John Swartz.
Another
opportunity soon surfaced for Doug as a former Terry Edwards driven
Coupe became available for car owner Phil Gerrie for the move to the
Modified Division. Doug with get his start with the former #51 just as the
Gremlin-bodied Tube Chassied racers were coming onto the local racing
scene.
In the mid
70’s Doug would soon land in a former Dave Lape car and what was
interesting about this car was that it was the very first Show Car
Engineering Car built by the late Howard Conkey. With this car and Doug’s
rising talent – he and fellow racer Don Turner would share the Most
Improved Driver Award in 1974.
With this car
Doug would race from the 70’s into the 80’s at a time when Davey Moore
would dominate winning a string of championships. One night in 1980
however was all Doug’s though as he would win his first Modified Feature.
He did it in
such a fashion – blowing his engine crossing the finish line.
The recession
years of the 80’s drove Doug into other areas of the sport – first serving
as a corner man and then as Assistant Starter while his wife Judy was
developing as a Scorer herself – working in the tower at both Ransomville
and Merrittville Speedways.
His first
love was to be behind the wheel and as the 80’s became the 90’s he would
make his return – teaming up with Neil and Ken Sharp to form Sharp Gordon
Racing.
While Doug’s
name never made it to the annual Jerry Winger Trophy which we are also
celebrating tonight – it did make it to the Sterling Silvr Award
that honors Bill Willard Senior every Labor Day. Doug was the first winner
of the Trophy for the Sportsman Division donated by former racer Ken
Walsh in 1990 and still continues to this day.
As Doug’s
driving career was winding down – it was his son Todd’s that was winding
up. In the late 90’s Todd would join the former Pro Stock Division before
joining the Modified ranks himself.
In a career
that has spanned some 40 years, Doug would get back behind the wheel in an
instant. In fact that happened in recent years with Doug in Victory Lane
after winning a Mechanics Race in Todd’s car.
“If they were
all like this,” relayed Doug about the 15 lap Fun Event, “I’d be back
every week!”
Back in a late
90’s interview with Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee Chairman Rick
Kavanagh, Doug took the time to thank those that had helped with his
racing career – one that started with fixing their race cars in Gary
Saunders’ and Paul Christie’s driveways. Doug also mentioned Stan
Friesen and Kurt Uhl, Ivan Little as well as Pete Bicknell and Randy
Williamson. Doug’s racing involvement also included a stint working at
Bicknell Racing Products where he learned a tremendous amount of
technical knowledge.
Old friend
Barry Robertson and the Sharps – Neil and Ken, last year’s Crew Chief of
the Year Bob Walton and crew member Derek Miller have also been a big help
to Flash.
While Doug and
Judy now cheer on their son Todd and keep his racing career develop – it’s
only fitting that he meet up with those that have helped his racing
career.
Doug – it’s
your turn to join Gary Saunders, Ivan Little, Stan Friesen, Kurt Uhl,
Lyndon Wood, Terry Edwards and Don Turner and a host of others on the L.
St. Amand Enterprises Wall of Fame at Merrittville Speedway!
Congratulations from the Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee!
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