Bill Lay at PAS - Flag thrown...

[NickHolt]

This must have been back in the 1970's at Pan American.

 

Bill Lay was the flag man and someone wasn't paying attention to his flags. I can't remember if he was giving someone the black flag or the move over flag, but, out of complete frustration, Bill threw the flag at the car as it passed by.

 

I don't recall who the driver was or even whether the flag hit the car or not. I just remember Bill heaving that flag with all his might!

 

I bet Tom remembers that incident.

 

Nick Holt

[oatey220]

Nick,

I remember that too, but like you I am fuzzy on the details but I believe someone was smoking and needed to be black flagged but didnt notice Bills flag or pretended he didnt see it.

I have a couple of questions

1. Didnt they start writting the car number on a chalk board after this happened?

2. Who was the Flagman before Bill Lay? wasnt his name Ralph Hayman or somethinglike that?? (where is Txtom when you need him)

Don

[racerjim2]

Don your right Ralph was the first flagman I remember at PAS then Billand get this Ralph is a cousin to Mike Balzer that drives the 77 late model at SAS.I think I have a victory lane pickture with Ralph at SAS in the late 80's.If I can find it I will post it.

[see86go]

Anyone remember when Ralph Amen dressed up like a woman and ran in the power puff derby? He was in a convertible - I think it was Godfredson's Pontiac - and he was flying around lapping all the women with his dress blowing in the wind. He pulled off into the infield a couple of laps before the end of the race and removed his helmet to show everyone who that "woman" was.

[oatey220]

Craig,

 

I dont remember that but it got me to thinking ........ Ricci Ware always seemed to have something extra going on. Parachute jumpers, go karts, dare devil stuntmen, tire rolling races, kids bicycle races, demolition derby, Remote Control Airplanes, I even remember an Easter Egg hunt in the infield. Any of those ring a bell???

 

Don

 

You can tell Im having a slow day at work all I have done is hang around here all day

[txtom]

Ricci Ware always seemed to have something extra going on.

 

I'm not too much into gimmicks, but one I found amusing was that jet engined car that would tie a car behind it and annihilate it with the afterburner. What amused me was this jet car sending debris into the old (unused at the time) backstretch grandstands at Paramount Austin, setting them on fire. That was almost as entertaining as the jet car itself.

[racerjim2]

You really cant see him well but Ralph Amem is the guy holding the checkered flag in this picture

[tps48]

I agree with you oatey. Ricci ware was one of the best promoters ever. The best stunts kept the stands packed. My favorite was the stunt biplane that put on the airshow over the speedway before the races one nite. That biplane had traffic on I-35 stopped . Then there was the Evil Kinevil wannabe that landed his motorcycle a little short of the ramp.

Almost took his head off. You had Joie Chitwood too one time. Ricci even had a Snap-on tool truck race a Cornwell tool truck. You could hear all the sockets & wrenches rolling around as they slid thru the corners! Ricci

always involved some non racing group in raising the flag or singing the anthem, and the usually came back. That was a great place to be a kid back then.