Well known racer dies

[dano36]

I received word this afternoon that a great sprint and modified driver and good friend Lou Blaney had passed away today. Lou is well known in dirt racing tracks in the New York, Ohio and Pennslvania areas for being the driver to beat when running either sprints or modifieds. Lou's career goes back to the early 60s and lasted until just a few years ago. Lou had developed Alzheimers recently and had been put into a nursing home near his home in Hartford, OH where he passed away at today. I am not sure exactly how old he was but I believe he was either 67 or 68. Lou is the father of Cup driver Dave Blaney. The Blaney family has been around racing for many years in the Eastern Ohio, Western PA area starting with Lou's father George who owned several great cars. May Lou rest in peace.

Dano

[PAPosse]

Dano - thanks for posting this. I was saddened by the news. I watched Lou race Mods when he would travel a little further east into NY/PA when I was a kid. Best memory was him finishing 2nd to Merv Treichler at Super Dirt Week in Syracuse in 1982...he wasn't one of the favorites that day, but seemingly came out of nowhere...came up just a few laps short.

[dano36]

PAPosse,

I figured you had seen him run a time or two because he visited eastern PA as often as he could. He was not a full time racer as some would think because he had a very profitable lumber business back in Hartford, OH.

 

His funeral was Wednesday and from what I heard it looked like a gathering of who's who in modified and spring racing.

 

We lost a great one. I was fortunate enough to know him way back when and his family to this day are still friends with my family that lives up in the Western PA area.