Budman Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 He came to Austin out of the sunset one Friday night. Nobody knew who he was. It was the early '60s. I was about 12. He was the prototypical West-Texan sort. A kinda lean, wiry fellow. Close cropped sandy hair, early 30's with rugged good looks. A soft-spoken man of few words. He pulled a cool little super-modified. Had a cut-down three window coupe body, pale yellow #99. Had the "Roadrunner" cartoon character on the back, with the words "beep beep" painted beside it. Being his first race, he had no points. For the feature he was forced to start scratch at the rear. At the back of the grid, he stopped, unbuckled and stood up to survey the cars and track ahead. The crowd began to nudge each other and point. His shoes and legs showed under the car as he stood on the ground. The car had no floor pan at all! As it began, it was plain he was fast. At first he tried low, they kept slammin' the door. Then he went high, where they NEVER ran. That's when his passin' began. By 20 he headed the field. At 25 took the chequeres and was pulling away. A long tow ahead lay. So quickly he loaded, got the purse and was gone, and that's how this story plays! ***** This is the true story of Wayne Niedecken's first Friday night of racing at Austin Speed-O-Rama. Wayne lived in Abilene at the time. After that he became a "regular" each week. Over the next several years he won more than his share of features, but it was never quite as easy as his first. Those drivers were way too wyley to let him surprise them like that again. But, I've always thought it was a pretty neat little story. He left all of us that night, fans and drivers alike standing around looking at each other saying "Damn, Who WAS that guy?!." That's when I became a real fan of his. By 1966 they were no longer running super-modifieds in Austin. Wayne moved to Pensacola where he started making a real name for himself driving late-models. By 1970 he'd bagged victories in two of the first three SNOWBALL DERBYs ever run, against some pretty impressive competition. He continued to race into the 80's and became very well known in the region with many wins and championships. I have posted this .........................................IN HONOR OF HIS MEMORY. Wayne Niedecken passed away March 22, 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonfan Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I grew up in the Mobile, AL area and watched Wayne, Sr. on many a Sat night race against my favorites: Gene Tapia (#327) and Ellis Pallisini (#V8). By the late 70's most of the Super-Modifieds in Mobile/Pensacol/Jackson, MS were winged sprint cars and VERY fast on the high-banked asphalt oval, often lifting the inside front wheel as they sped thru the turns. I did not know that he had passed away but had seen Jr. Niedecken's name mentioned on here before. I did not know that Wayne, Sr was from Texas before coming to the P'cola area. Thanks for the update and the stirring of good memories. Henry Smith SAS Chaplain & Pace Truck Driver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted March 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 I've heard from the Niedecken family in Pensacola. They've sent along this photo from their family album of Wayne from this era. Special thanks to Pat at Five Flags Speedway, Tony Martin and all the Niedecken Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmoves 99 Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 as a kid who lived for sat. nights at meyer speedway in houston i can remember guys like niedeken, rat lane,hugh richards,joe holley,jerry mann,page reynolds,billy perrin,james mcelreath?,and more that i can't remember their names really putting on some races that fans would talk about for a long time afterwards, those guys were real racecar drivers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llamadog Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 As you know Budman, Wayne Niedecken was and is my favorite all-time racecar driver. His son Wayne Jr. has followed in his footsteps and enjoys tremendous support in South Alabama and Northwest Florida. Jr. and Pat are some of my favorite people in racing. Look for Jr. to make a splash in the Blizzard and Kia SLM Series at Pensacola and Mobile this year. Looking forward to seeing you over here sometime this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Moved from another section at Budman's request. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Thanks Nick, I should have noticed long ago this thread was missing from this section. Glad we finally got it where it belongs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoom Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Notice on the hood of the car in the pic that he was supermodified champ in Amarillo in 61 and 62 That was a 3/8 mile clay track cut into a hill. Old man elkins ran the track and it was known for years as the "Silver Dollar" track. He paid off in silver dollars. Good racin at that track. That was where I first started racing back in 79 - 80. Oh what memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 In Amarillo? Really, Zoom? I didn't think they HAD any hillsides in Amarillo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FryarFan Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 As a couple have said, the Niedecken's are just a great racing family. When the AllPro series came thru in the 80's, they were just a great group to get to meet and talk to. Now, that Mercer got his Snowball in '05...how cool would it be for Jr. to get a Derby here real soon.....the stands in Pcola would be rockin.... Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoom Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 A hill is what we called any high ground. OK, maybe they cut it into high ground. The pits were located in the ravine, so I guess the track was at ground level, but from the pits, it was cut into the "hill". The front and rear straight walls were about 10 feet of "hill"side. I know cause I hit and climbed the rear stretch wall once. Was a good fast track, very fun to run. The track is still there at Grand and Hastings street. North side of Amarillo. A fellow named Randy Carthell has it now and has reconfigured the track to be a bowl shape all the way around now. I don't know if they run cars anymore, I think it is now a motorcycle track. Tons of memories of that track. Tony Dealissio Kenny Stidd Dale Cross Walter Lundberg A different age back then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debwill Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 Another photo from Budman of Wayne, Sr. from that era: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 Thanks Deb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 looks like a 283 or 327 motor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 My Snowball seats are right in front of one of Junior Niedecken's car owners, and we see each other every December. He told us Junior struggles to be able to race due to illness, and he wants nothing more than a Snowball Trophy. And Billy is right, if Junior won that race, they'd knock the stands down. This coming December will be the 40th anniversary race. Will probably be some special events to honor it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 O/T that high torqin', short strokin', little 327 chevy was the perfect match for asphalt quarter mile ovals back then. A lot of folks tried a lot of different motors over the years to beat it, but never with any real success. Tom, I've got a Snowball Derby Program from some years back, showing Wayne, Sr. as the Grand Marshall. I'll have to find it and show it to you some night at the track. Zoom, the site Racingfromthepast.com has got a lot of old pictures from Amarillo on it. Check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 i had a 327 once and thought id go faster quicker with a 350 . mistake .that 350 had better stuff inside .but just couldnt get off the line better than that 68 corvette 327 .regrets for letting that motor go .and the knucklehead who bought the 327 .let sit out in the rain and ruin . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbo Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I ran a 327 this year in my mod and got second in points at Red River. whats real cool about it was that same little 327(less the BG alky carb and victor jr intake) took me back and forth to high school when I was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 mine had a flat cam and still out ran some 350 s . tuff motors.love toget my hands on another one .also would not mind getting my hands on a 289 ford . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJF2 Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Oldtimer I have a 289 ford out of my 1965 fairlane it 'been rebuilt may have 2000 miles on it since rebuild. pm or email me if interested.Bob gavlik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Out at THR Saturday night I was talking with Dano36, Jr. about some of the drivers who had won the Snowball. The name of Wayne came up. I told him of this thread and told him he ought to take a look at it. Here ya go Jr. Bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastracker Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Great story Budman! Love them "Bucrons"! I can still smell that Butyl rubber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Got to love those old modifieds............And yes, Wayne was one of the best........................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Got to love those old modifieds............And yes, Wayne was one of the best........................... I am fairly certain that the pictured Wayne Niedecken #99 modified coupe bodied Super Modified raced in the first annual Liberty Bell 300 at Meyer Spdwy/Houston in '63. That race, I believe, was won by Clyde Johnson from Abilene in another early '30s modified coupe bodied Super Modified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 A hill is what we called any high ground. OK, maybe they cut it into high ground. The pits were located in the ravine, so I guess the track was at ground level, but from the pits, it was cut into the "hill". The front and rear straight walls were about 10 feet of "hill"side. I know cause I hit and climbed the rear stretch wall once. Was a good fast track, very fun to run. The track is still there at Grand and Hastings street. North side of Amarillo. A fellow named Randy Carthell has it now and has reconfigured the track to be a bowl shape all the way around now. I don't know if they run cars anymore, I think it is now a motorcycle track. Tons of memories of that track. Tony Dealissio Kenny Stidd Dale Cross Walter Lundberg A different age back then That area looks like it had several tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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