mississippimike

Someone May have posted already but if not, Hugh Richards passed away a couple of weeks ago in Mobile, Ala.

As a follow-up, you mentioned the MissChicken site. The reason I posted my first post with the questions about the #7, #45, etc., is that Tobby Taylor, who owns the MissChicken site, had asked me some questions about my memory of the #27 (#7?) Gene Tapia car, and the #44, and the #45. Tobby is writing an article about the #44. I know that a guy got a chassis and rebuilt a copy of the #44. He put a Brinn transmission in it so he could start and stop without needing a push truck. He has had the car at several local tracks and driven exhibition laps and paced the start. I talked to him a couple of years ago and I thought he said the chassis was from the original #45. I don't know for sure. In my conversation with Toby this week, he said someone had gotten the original #44 chassis and rebuilt the #44.

Ikey is still alive and kicking. He has a bulldozer and does dozer work for people. The Hite car was sold in the late 80's. I began trying to track it some years later and tracked it to the Birmingham area, as close as I could get. I was looking at the Alabama Racing Pioneers photo site a few years ago and there it was, it had been found in the woods, recovered, and being restored. I have talked to the guy that has it. He had some health problems and hadn't finished it. Ikey's son has also talked to guy that has it.

A friend and I are having a discussion on the history of some of old supermodifieds that ran in Mississippi. I have a few questions if anyone can answer them. My father co-owned the #99 that Ikey Jerome drove in the 60's-70's and Dad and the co-owners were friends with Mr. Fred Furlow. I believe Mr. Furlow bought the last Wayne Niedecken #99 supermodified roadster. Whatever happened to that car? Also, Mr. Fred bought the #45 super from Jackson and Ival Cooper and Bill White drove it for him still painted as the #45. There's a picture of that car on your site. There is also another picture of a #7 supermodified, white with Mr. Fred and 4 girls in front of the car. That car, like the #45, was built by Andy Anderson who built a number of the late 60's supermodifieds that raced in Jackson, Mobile, Pensacola. My memory is that the white #7 was not the #45 repainted but instead that #7 car was originally the last #27 that Gene Tapia raced. Does anyone on here have any knowledge about the history of these cars owned by Mr. Furlow.