What I did in the past and what I do now.

[JohnnyMac]

This post is about what I did in my younger years. The next post is about my Sim Racing.

 

Hi,

I'll be 74 this coming 9/11 and grew up going to races in and around Houston and later raced on a few of them. I'm Bill Breshears brother in law. He built and raced Super Modified cars at Playland Park, North Houston (old horse track) Arrowhead and Meyers Speedway. His cars were driven by George Nash, Charles Ray Shiles, Billy Wade, Phil Cronon and Larry Shilds to name a few. He later ran Sprint Cars at Moody Clary and Big H after Meyers closed driven by Larry Shilds, Bill White, Me and I can't remember his name but the track photographer's son. Billy Wade and family spent Christmas with Bill and Elouise (who lived next door to me) just before going to Daytona for the tire test that killed him. I started out in racing by pit crewing for Billy Griswold at Playland Park when I was in my teens. I build my first Super Modified in Bill Breshears shop when I was 30 years old. I always wanted to race but got married shortly after a hitch in the Coast Guard so didn't have the funds till I was 30. Phil was driving for Bill at the time and his Brother Mike had been driving Broncos and Mike had a friend that would put an L88 427 Chevy engine in my near completed Super if I would let him drive it at Meyers which I did for a while. I decided to race myself so bought a 283 engine from Charles Ray that he had build up for Larry's Bronco and took the car to Moody Clary Speedway in Navasoda. I ran off and on (limited funds) over the next 14 years at Moody Clary then Big H dirt track in North Houston. My last ride in a Modified was the Limited Modified #55 at Big H. I was competive but not one of the top (limited funds again). I had a brief run in the Midgets at Big H when Honest Al Burnes (Honest Al's Auto Parts) hired me to drive the #53 Kurtis Offy Midget at Big H. The first night we drew for starting positions and old lucky me drew the last starting position. I won my heat and finished 2nd in the feature from the last row. The next week I was 2nd in points so started in the back row again, running 2nd again. This went on for 7 weeks with me running either 2nd or 3rd and only being beat by cars starting on the front row. Just didn't have enough time to run em down. I had twice as many championship points as the 2nd place runner but Al fired me because I hadn't won a feature (he had a lot of pressure from Elton Porter to let him drive it). Another owner that had a low dollar home built midget with a Chevy II boat engine in it picked me up and I out ran the offy with Elton in it the next week, LOL. I'll have to say that's the hardest I ever drove. I was out to outrun that offy as all cost, LOL. BUT my biggest thrill was passing and beating Bill White one night at Moody Clary. Bill was my idol when I was coming up. I've only been to 2 homecoming races since retiring from racing cause I knew I'd be tempted to get in one again and because I was getting up in years knew I had no business in one. I've been racing On-Line on the computer with the Christian Racing League ( www.christingracing.com ) for the last 15 years (keeps my mind sharp). We have members in 4 countries and race NASCAR among other type cars 6 nights a week. I'm still pretty compative at it especially on the Super Speedways. I'm in the top 5 in lap time at a number of the tracks we run on (Not bad for a 73 year old running against the young guys). Not so good on the road cources. Never got the hang of turning right, LOL. OH, by the way I'm John McClellan and raced under the name of Johnny "Mac" McClellan (not to be comfused with the famous "Mac" McClellan that almost lost his life in a midget on a "Saturday Night Thunder" race at Indy Raceway Park.

P.S.

Charles Ray nicknamed me "Slide Rule" because I always carried a tape measure and was always measuring things on race cars that I thought had a good Idea and later incorporated them into my cars that I built (3 over time). LOL. I almost forgot, the last Super I built I ended up selling it to Poncho Lockland and I went with him to the Super Modified Nationals in Fa to help him set it up. Can't remember the driver, just remember he was a preacher. They ran 4th against some of the best Supers from across the nation. The guy with the 4 wheel drive rear engine car won it but they were in the same lap not too far behind.

 

A few pictures from my past:]

[JohnnyMac]

Several months ago the guys at Christian Racing (On-Line Sim Racing League) knowing that I had driven sprints and midgets decided to put up a World of Outlaws Sim race on the internet server just to see if I was hot air or really drove sprints. I set on the pole, Won my heat and lapped all but the 2nd place car (had 3/4 lap on him) in the feature when a slower car lost it just as I came up on him. I broad sided him, knocking my from wing off with 5 laps to go. If course I couldn't turn it after that and had to almost stop in the corners and lost the race by just a couple of feet. Sure was fun to toss it into the corners and stand on it trowing dirt all the way around. This was at the Taladega Short Track (1/2 mile dirt) and I ran flat footed all the way around. Surprised me that I could still do that. The On-Line Simulator is very realistic.

 

That's me leading the pack at Talladega Short Track

 

My On-Line Racing Simulator

 

Anyone interested in joining us, click here www.christianracing.com

 

We run 7 nights a week as follows

Sunday is an rFactor road course race

Monday is Nation Wide Series using Stockcar Evolution

Tuesday is the Cup Series using Stockcar Evolution

Wednesday uses ARCA Sim Racing

Thursday is the Truck Series us Stockcar Evolution

Friday us ARCA Sim Racing

and Saturday is 3 short races us ARCA Sim Racing

 

If you like racing On-Line WITHOUT the flaming (that will get you ejected) come join us. We have members in 4 countries.