A good race is the one thing the late Gordy Mannes loved the most and the plans on showcasing just that this weekend in their biggest event of the year..
91裸聊视频淲hen we decided to have a memorial weekend, it was an easy decision to name it the Gordy Mannes Memorial,91裸聊视频� says speedway owner Johnny Aantjes. 91裸聊视频淕ordy was the most successful driver at Penticton Speedway through the 91裸聊视频�70s, 91裸聊视频�80s and 91裸聊视频�90s. As a driver, he was the guy everyone wanted to beat, he won more championships than anyone. He also was involved with building cars, helping others, and there was also a period of time that he managed the track 91裸聊视频� he has done it all. Gordy was known to work hard and play harder, a tradition that lives on at the Speedway.91裸聊视频�
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How good is the competition in the Gordy Mannes Memorial Weekend?
91裸聊视频淵ou better have a good race car. Let91裸聊视频檚 put it that way,91裸聊视频� says Dick Parker, who was a close friend Mannes. 91裸聊视频淭here is a lot of cars that come from out of town. There is some very fast cars. For spectators, it91裸聊视频檚 probably the best race of the year. That91裸聊视频檚 what Gordy liked, a good race. I91裸聊视频檓 sure he91裸聊视频檚 looking down on us smiling when that race is on.91裸聊视频�
Parker raced Mannes hundreds of times and said Mannes was the top driver and a speedway legend.
The event attracts 25 to 30 cars from around the province to compete in the Street Stock Invitational, which along with the Hornets class, opens on Saturday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. Sunday Aug. 5 features Hornets, the Street Stock Invitational and the Hit to Pass Eve of Destruction.
Parker says this is an excellent race to honour the legendary driver, who came to Penticton with his wife Ange from Langley in the early 1970s. One of the last cars he built has been making it onto the podium again with Joe Cornett-Ching behind the wheel.
Two years ago Cornett-Ching restored the Street Stock car. Seeing it sitting at the Speedway, he talked to Aantjes about it and purchased the car from him. The owner of A.N.J. Automotive, a sponsor of the Penticton Speedway, restored it in all of Mannes91裸聊视频� colours, including the number fonts, with 91裸聊视频�43 The Legend91裸聊视频� on the hood.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 pretty neat,91裸聊视频� says Cornett-Ching of the driver he idolized. 91裸聊视频淟ast year on the Sunday night, we won the Gordy Mannes race with it. It was an over-emotional victory. My partner Peter Gilchrist, who passed away a month ago (June 7), he was very good friends with Gordy. He was in victory lane. He was crying. Put Gordy91裸聊视频檚 car back on the podium on his memorial race. It was very special.91裸聊视频�
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Cornett-Ching thought Mannes approach was pretty cool.
91裸聊视频淗e would always show up to the track late, not really ever practice his cars 91裸聊视频� and unload it off the trailer, usually time it in and a lot of times he would get fast times. He would go out and win the main event,91裸聊视频� says Cornett-Ching. 91裸聊视频淓verybody was wearing their cars out all day practicing, wearing out tires, wearing out the engines. It was kind of Cool Hand Luke type of guy.91裸聊视频�
Cornett-Ching said while Mannes was a fierce competitor, he never let the intensity show when he was behind the wheel.
91裸聊视频淚 was on the inside of him going into turn three, and I91裸聊视频檓 running up on the wheel concentrating and look over and there is Gordy, he has got one hand on the wheel and he91裸聊视频檚 just looking out the side window looking at me as I91裸聊视频檓 feverishly trying to pass him,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淗e looked like he was on a Sunday drive.91裸聊视频�
Parker described Mannes, born in Holland, as an easy-going person and an excellent guy, who would help anybody, including lending his tools. One of the things that Cornett-Ching admired was his smarts working on cars. As Cornett-Ching was getting into racing, he would drive by Midas Muffler, where Mannes worked, and he would look to see if he could get any secrets, tips or learn anything. He says Mannes didn91裸聊视频檛 spend a lot of money on cars. He would find parts he needed from auto wreckers and make it work.
91裸聊视频淗e played around with a lot of suspension components. Before people even realized,91裸聊视频� says Cornett-Ching. 91裸聊视频淓verybody does it now, but back in the day, when Gordy was doing it, nobody else was doing it. He was sort of a step ahead of everybody.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频滺e could put a car together out of nothing,91裸聊视频� adds Parker. 91裸聊视频淗e had different parts and pieces laying everywhere.91裸聊视频�
The big impression Mannes made on Parker was his ability to build a race car and a motor out of parts and pieces of junk, then go out and win. He was always great with that kind of stuff.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of his motors didn91裸聊视频檛 last a long time, but they won,91裸聊视频� says Parker.
While spectators watch the drivers battle to win, the Speedway will be operating its concession that has you covered with quality food that includes fresh cut fries, fresh all beef hamburgers and buns from Natures Oven as well as poutine, the real crowd favourite.
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