This thread has been very interesting. Here is my addition:
Born 1950, in South Philly (That's in South Philadelphia, PA), oldest of
10 children. My youth was filled with the construction & testing of
wooden carts complete with baby buggy wheels to ride down the steepest
hill in the 'hood, a cobblestone driveway leading down from a mob home!
Learned early about design revisions, e.g., wood screws hold better than
nails. Also, how to make friends with 'the neighbors'!!! ( Hey,
Jonathan, this is where the special saying came from!!! Not printable
here!)
Married 30+ years to my high school sweetheart, we have three children,
Heather, 24, lives in Asheville, NC, ten minutes from John Beckett. She
works for a food service group, feeding musical groups on tour. She is a
road warrior just like dad! My son, Matthew, 20, is a junior at the
University Of Delaware, Studying to be an accountant...somebody has got
to do the books here!!! Matt's passion is fishing and custom rod
building. My Youngest is Katie Rose, 14 going on 37. Her passion...boys
(God help me!)
Worked in a gas station thru high school. Went into a machine shop,
which led to a Tool & Die Apprenticeship at the General Electric's
Switchgear plant in SW Philly, while attending Temple University at
night ( in the ghetto ). After a number of years of 'dodging bullets', I
went to work at Dupont, working on a R&D project, code named "Fibre B",
known as Kevlar today. Had a set of tires on my big block El Camino made
with Kevlar, wore like iron...side walls blew at 75,000 miles just like
all of the test tires did!
The energy Crisis in the mid-seventies, lead to the shut down of the
facility, so I got a job at S&W Race Cars. My job was to tool up the
Econo dragster productionline. Got to build all kinds of cars, I even
got to build a dual engined drag bike! Worked at a Specialty Welding
shop at night, got my NASA Cert and welded space jewelery, the bands for
spacesuits. Some of my stuff made it to the moon. Money lead me back to
Dupont where I worked in R&D, Managed Tooling, Purchasing and Materials
Departments. Managed the Machine & Fab Shop the last four years until
the plant was sold several times and the 'new guys' didn't need most of
us anymore!!! So, they retired me!!!!!!.
In '79, I opened my business, Delaware Chassis Works, working nights and
weekends building cars, bikes and fabricating parts for various people.
When I retired, I chose to just do what I wanted to do since 1979, work
for myself! Today, I'm a toy maker, of big boy toys...who could be
happier!!!!!!!!!!!!
My racing life graduated from wooden carts to drag racing in '65, my
first ride was a hemi Coronet and proceeded poorly as I took out the
lights at ACTO Dragway in NJ. Got involved with the Jade Grenade
Front-Engine T/F digger , Neil Mahr's Fueler, and many other drag teams,
touring the country. Drag racing was "MY Thing" for many years, until I
found the ECTA in '97. Went to one meet, came home and sold my
rear-engined Supercomp Dragster and went Landspeed Racing. Got hooked up
with Lionel Williams & John Beckett and drove Lionel's Lakester at
Maxton in '98, Lionel's S-10 at Bonneville in '99 and the truck and the
Chevette at Bonneville in 2000, setting three records and getting into
the 200MPH Club. ( I didn't say anything, Keith!!! Your time will come!)
For 2001, The BWT Motorsports Group is building a new car for CompCoupe.
We plan on making Bonneville, a thrash but I've been there before, I
know how!!!
I've got to tell you that landspeed racing has brought me back to the
way I felt in the sixties drag racing...where everybody was your friend,
would lend you anything, help you all night and never ask for anything.
This is a very special deal...one to be cherished and needs everyone's
help to keep it in good health!
See you on the concrete, salt and hopefully, the dirt in 2001!!!!
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