txtom Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Here are a few pics of Charlie Koen, who travelled down from Grand Prairie. Charlie was a nut to be around, you never knew what would happen next. so much for body templates........................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted March 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Charlie winning at Austin Speedorama. A little bit more conventional body over a Larry Shaw Chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted March 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 The first year Charlie ran around here, 1979, he was in this orange Howe car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Charlie Koen, a racer's racer. He even named his kid Rayce! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted March 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Yeah, and he still owes Lee Machen and I $100 dollars and three beers! The story below: Charlie Koen won a feature, and Donald Oatman, the Tech man, told him to get ready for p&g. This was the days of 9 pounds of car weight per cubic inch, and most were running those high-winding 302-311 inch motors. Charlie came over to the Special Automotive trailer, where Mac and I were standing, with a panicked look on his face. He said he needed help, he was light on weight. We asked "how much?"; to which he replied "a lot." He was claiming 307, and had a few pounds to spare, said he borrowed a friends 410. We're thinking, how the hell do you beat a p&g for 103 inches.....We knew how to get 30 or 40 inches with a pack of cigarette filters in the cylinder, but 103??? So what we did was, while pulling the rockers off, was to pull the exhaust header on the same bank loose, we cut a piece of ground wire off one of the track light poles, and placed it under the exhaust valve, then put the header back. Oatman came by with the meter, and after we screwed the adapter in the cylinder, he put his hose on it. Usually, one blows or sucks on the tube to check for restriction ; lack of restriction will result in a bad reading. When it looked like Oatman was going to check the tube, Mac would offer him a beer. Oatman was one to oblige a free beer, and directly, he would hook the meter to the tube without checking it. We spun the motor over, danged if it didn't read 309. Oatman pulled the meter off, and started to check the tube again, when Mac offered him another beer. Same scenario, Don obliged the beer, and checked the engine without checking the tube. 309, again. 3rd time, same deal, and after it showed 309 again, Don declared the car legal. Koen promised us $100 for our trouble. Now some 25 or so years later , if any of ya'll happen to run into Charlie Koen, who lives near Lake Whitney, please remind him he still owes Mac and I the $100 and 3 beers. I guess we also owe SAS a couple dollars for the wire.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ups88john Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 good story tom, we pumped 350 with our crate motor, can u believe that? big john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Tom, I want your autobiography, it is so cool to read your stories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Tom, I want your autobiography, it is so cool to read your stories! You got that right. And, unlike some, he tells them pretty much as they really happened. Several of us who raced regularly back in the 1970's and 1980's have very similar stories - if we could just remember them. Tom was one of the few who could drink a case or two of beer over the weekend and actually recall where he had been on Monday... Some sorta gift, I guess. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Duck Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Tom, I want your autobiography, it is so cool to read your stories! You got that right. And, unlike some, he tells them pretty much as they really happened. Several of us who raced regularly back in the 1970's and 1980's have very similar stories - if we could just remember them. Tom was one of the few who could drink a case or two of beer over the weekend and actually recall where he had been on Monday... Some sorta gift, I guess. Nick naw, ain't no gift .. it's his hollow leg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonaB Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 Yeah, and he still owes Lee Machen and I $100 dollars and three beers! Are you telling me that Charlie was not legal???? Charlie wouldn't do that!!!!!! NOT! Charlie was one of the really good 'ol boys. Always good for some really good laughs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oatey220 Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 Talking about tech inspection I remember a certain time back at PAS one the drivers (that dad didn’t care for much) put up 50 dollars and protested the carburetor Waldo Harper had on his car. (we all know that Waldo never bent any rules) Dad looked at the carburetor and said “looks good to me” and we walked away…. As we walked I asked “Do you know that you leaned over a tire that was 2 inches too wide to inspect that carburetor?” He looked at me kinda smiled, took a drink of his Lone Star and said “yep, but that dumb %$$# is gonna have to come up with another 50 bucks for me to look at tires” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted September 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 Yeah, and he still owes Lee Machen and I $100 dollars and three beers! Are you telling me that Charlie was not legal???? Charlie wouldn't do that!!!!!! NOT! Charlie was one of the really good 'ol boys. Always good for some really good laughs. As bad as it sounds that Charlie was illegal that night, it may be just as bad that we knew really well how to cheat the P&G meter............................................ (we all know that Waldo never bent any rules) LOL, the thing I remember about Harper is he never let a silly thing like a rule keep him from having fun. At Hwy 16 one night, many years ago, Freddy Fryar was leading a feature, with Harper right behind him. Off the corner, Harper turned under Fryar, and went by him and into the lead. Keep in mind, this was when about nobody ever passed Fryar in that Nova. The stands went wild. A couple laps later, Harper slowed, came into the pits, and parked the car. Fryar went on to win, and later, Harper told us that the car was alright, he parked it because he was about 400 pounds light. He just wanted to pass Fryar once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baugherXracing Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 I found this site when i google my grandfather Charlie Koen its really cool to see people still talking about him if any one has more stories about him or pics please post them it would be great to see what all people have to say about him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Welcome, Baugher, Would like to know how Charlie is doing. I saw Bob Bolin a year or so ago, he said he had recently talked with Charlie. Charlie was a real fun, old school guy to be around. Next time I talk to Lee Machen, I'll get him to relay the story of him, Charlie, and Moose at the Louisiana Hayride, probably 79/80 time frame. There was a time when he was racing with Leroy Farmer, when Farmer had a paint shop behind Hill's Cafe on South Congress in Austin. I'll have to see ya in person to tell you some of the stuff that went on then; Can't be written on this forum........... And if you know Rayce, ask him about how Charlie's race car ended up on a bridge abutment. And ask how far Charlie was able to pull Monahans racer Danny Beard out of his car the following spring at Austin after Beard roughed up Koen on the track. What makes this interesting was Beard's harness was still strapped while Charlie was yanking him out.............. But a truly neat and damn funny guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baugherXracing Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Thanx for such a fast responce my Papa Charlie is doing great still as tough as always lol. He is over 70 now and the say he is still in better shape then most younger people. If you would ever like to get in contact with him i could get you his number thru email cause i don't want to post his number on here. As for Rayce yes i know him thats my uncle i will see if i can round up some pics of everything and post them on here. My mother is Brenda Baugher the only daughter to Charlie Koen and I have one more uncle named steve (the one my grandfather wanted to name DRAG but my grandmother wasn't going to have that lol) As for me i have been around modifieds my whole life and to see all this talk about my Papa Charlie and my uncle Rayce is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Charlie is doing great still as tough as always lol I never saw him back down from anyone. Think Bolin told me Charlie said during their conversation last year that he could still whip Bolin's butt. I last saw Rayce 8 or so years ago just outside of San Antonio. Was eating at a BBQ joint on the way to Boerne, and he walked in. We chatted a while about the old days, who was still around, and so on. He was driving a car hauler. And I remember Steve coming down to some of the races. Think he and Rayce had a gas station back then somewhere around Grand Prarie. Remember your grandmother at some races also, before she got sick. Next time you see Charlie, tell him Leroy Brooks passed in 2002, Leroy Farmer is living in Floresville and even ran a race last year, Lee "Mac" Machen is retired to farming in Smithville, J.D. Hughes is retired and living in Bastrop, Tommy Davis is retired in Boerne. Just some quick names he will know from his Austin and San Antonio racing. If you have any pics, please post them here, and if you need any help with posting, I'll be glad to help. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kleathers27 Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 I Remember back in the Day when Charlie Koen was going to Snowball Derby when his racecar and Trailer passed him just before it hit the bridge pillar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kleathers27 Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 I remeber one afternoon we were running late going to SAS and we were running about 110 (55 for the truck and 55 for the racecar) except through Selma .. Anyway as we pulled into SA on hwy35 we slowed down to 90 MPH and in the big curve on hwy 35 Waldos rig with him driving blew by us like we were standing stilll.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 i never met charlie but this is the type of stuff i like reading on this forum about the good old days racing in texas and the memories not some one posting about rough driving good post hope to view more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliottfan Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 The first year Charlie ran around here, 1979, he was in this orange Howe car. I remember the first night Koen showed up in this orange rocket like it was yesterday. Actually he did come race a few times at Austin before this, he was in an older black Camaro with some number like "B-9" or something. Looked almost like an old ASA big block Camaro. Anyway this orange rocket, his first night, in the feature he runs off and hides. Probably the fastest he had ever gone. Fryar, in the 14 Nova, started back further in the field. Took Freddy an unusual number of laps to break thru all the traffic and he finally got up to 2nd place. He quickly caught Koen with about 3 laps to go. Each of those last 3 laps they would go into the turns side by side, fryar on the outside, and they would bang wheels together. freddy would fall back and regroup. Then on the last lap in turn 4, Freddy banzais him but good, they bang against each other harder this time, and they both go spinning. Leroy Farmer sneaks thru to win in the #11 Camaro. What a fantastic race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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