At Reading, they used to stamp your hand with either Red ink or Black ink at the pit shack. My buddies and I would hang around the sign in shack and check to see what the "Hand Stamp" was. Then I'd take which ever color they used and mark our hands to match the stamp. We then walked up to the pit gate and wait for it to get busy and flash our hands and keep walking into the pits.
Another time my buddies and I were waiting to go into the infield for a Sprint Car race at Reading. Our good "Buddy" and former driver, Leroy Leibelsberger, told us to get in my trunk and he'd take us into the infield. I had a 65 Valiant that had a huge trunk. He told us that once he parked, he'd unlock the trunk and let us out. Well, we parked, and our "Buddy" unlocked the trunk and told us when he tapped on the trunk, it was clear to come out. after a couple minutes he tapped on the trunk. When the three of us got out, there stood a security guard. He asked us what we were doing. We mumbled and not too far away there was our "Buddy" laughing his butt off. The guard looked at us and told us to get lost!!
The most memorable time was at Flemington. Pete Gillette and Bill rafter had come down from N.Y. to race at Reading on Friday. Pete asked my buddy and I about going to Flemington Sat night. After we pulled into the infield, Pete found his good friend, Frankie Schneider. Frankie managed to get both Pete and Bill into the pits. Frankie told us to wait that he'd be back. About five minutes later here came Frankie. He told us he'd distract the pit guard and for us to just keep walking. Well, Frankie walked up to the guard and started talking to him all the while waving us on with his hand behind his back. As the guard tried to look to see our pit passes, Frankie just basically got into his face, and we walked in and went to his pit and stayed behind the tow vehicle.
|
