This one is a very special story for me, and if you are a regular reader you'll remember perhaps that when I first arrived, tired, cold and hungry at the door to RacersReunion, the two people that offered instant friendship and warmth were Johnny Mallonee and Tim Leeming. In the intervening three years, nothing has changed. We are all still the best of friends... buddies to the end, as it were. Enough of me for now... I'll turn you over to my friend Johnny for the telling of the tale, and I'll see you in turn four at the end of the story.
A Real Saturday Night Hero
On the second trip we made to Columbia that year things were looking up for us in racing. We had a new motor in the car that the engine builder spent all winter building. It was tested and dyno'ed before it was installed so we felt good with the racing season before us. The car was repainted bright white, with a bright red stripe on the side and a gold top. Upon unloading, it was fast off the trailer so no extra work was necessary. Time trials were over and we were a little further up than usual. A car was in the field that I hadn't seen before, but I was from out of town so not knowing everyone was a normal thing for me.
There in my mirror sat a Plymouth. Now, that was a car not everyone tackled, but this cat with his slicked back hair and Elvis looking glasses sure was cocky looking to say the least.
The green flag was waved and off the cars went; the first lap is always kinda jumbled up so seeing cars beside you up high was the norm. But after a couple of laps, this character in the Pilgrim was still up there... where i wanted to be. Finally, he got jumbled back by a slow car and I advanced one position further towards the front.
Next thing I know, this dude is back there, swishing his rear all over the place and doing his dangedest to pass me. Unreal! We are about 10 laps into this race and out of the clear blue of the western sky he gives me a love tap, not hard now, but enough to get me to getting around the car in front of me. As I pass the car in front of me on the outside, old sideburns back there wants to make it a threesome going into the turn.
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Tim Leeming, October 1969[/caption]
Well, we pass the car coming out of turn four and set sail for turn one. Only one problem there... somehow I get turned sideways and into the pits I go. No yellow flag for me, so catching up after checking for damage is out of the question.
OK... after the race I slowly wander down towards where that car 43 wannabe is parked. Now he has about five guys standing around patting him on the back and smiling like it was maybe the Darlington 500 finish.
I went cocked for an altercation with this dude but heck, he wasn't mouthy or anything. We talked over what happened and how it happened and I guess we settled that night on a good note, but I had the minor crunch on the left rear quarter panel from the help.
A couple of weeks after that, we both were in Myrtle Beach... the only time I pulled over there, and we bumped and banged again; this time we both went into the alligator swamp but somehow I got out without Captain Hook reaching in to get me.
Believe it or not we laughed about this one after the race and both of us had doughnuts on the cars, almost matching in position too. This continued on for the rest of the year with me threatening to put a whooping on him after every race.
Later on in the year he got to where he could handle that Mayflower boat so the wings on the back didn't swing all over the place like flyswatters, and it wasn't so bad running around him, or in back sometimes or in front too. He was a contender on a regular basis, along with about twenty other cars, so nothing was given up easily. I remember one night in Savannah Georgia, or it may have been evening, when he was up on the stick and flying. I fought him off for the last twenty laps with him leading one lap then I the next, but the final lap was a knock down-drag out battle to the flag. His story is he lost by inches; my story has it that I won by four feet. We almost had to decide that finish again in the pits, but once again our level heads, if you want to call it that, kept us out of harm's way with John Law.
I started running further west and fell out of the loop racing the Columbia-Savannah-Myrtle Beach swing. I lost all contact with that character for thirty five years . I found RacersReunion and got into the swing of things here, when out of the blue... here comes that Elvis impersonator back on the scene, only now he is wearing a big ol' hat and bigger glasses, and about a hundred pounds of table muscle. Needless to say we picked up arguing right where we left off.
We finally met again in person at Augusta and everyone at the Reunion thought we were gonna fight for sure. There are photos here of that meeting and a video of our encounter also, but the best part is, we are the best of friends finally and hope to remain that way until...
If I could change anything in our racing career it would be just one thing... I would back off and let Mr. "Tim Leeming" win in Savannah Georgia that day. He deserves that win and now in my mind he won it .
For he truly is my..."SATURDAY NIGHT HERO"
-Johnny
My turn, and I do have a bit more to add to the story of this very special Saturday Night Hero... though in this case, Thursday Night Hero might be more appropriate, as that's when they raced most at Columbia. I was in fact, talking with Tim this morning and told him I was working on another in this series. When he asked who this one was about, I sidestepped a bit and just said it was "another one from Johnny", forgetting to mention that he would be the star today.
The coming together of these two old friends took place before I got here, with the 2009 Augusta festivities preceding my arrival by some five months. Ah, but this is the age of technology, and nothing is kept secret from prying cameras these days. Yes Tim, there are stories around about your personal reunion, and I'm about to share one with our gentle readers. Please folks, don't skip the video. It lends so very much to this story! Do remember to come back and finish reading, as the link takes you away from the page. (New and improved (?) technology)
Augusta International Raceway Flashback
Well gentle readers, are they not a pair? Could anyone help loving those two delightful clowns? I missed that Reunion because I was late to the party here at RR, but I'll not miss another one. Johnny, thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful tale of friendship, liberally sprinkled with aggravation, with the readers and with me. And to both of you, Tim and Johnny, thank you, from the bottom of this aging heart, for your love and friendship. You guys just mean the world to me... and if you ever get the chance to do that vintage race together, I want to be there to wave the green flag for y'all.
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay
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