Remembering Richie Evans...

For many of us, it was one of those days that you know where you were when you received the news.

Remember it like it was yesterday. Changed racing in the Modifieds for a long time. Richie was one of the very few winners that was liked and respected by everyone. Every race in the Modifieds for about 15 years was gauged around how Richie was running. Any size track and Richie was the one to beat. Have never seen that in Modified racing since.

Very sad day indeed. Here's a few of the many pictures I have of Richie.

This Sonny Seamon build pic is from New Egypt. Looks like Sonny McCurdy in the background.

Islip 1978 I want to say. I think that was the last year of him driving a Modified that he did not build.

In this case, a Sonny Seamon built ride. 

It was the day Superman died.

I believe my pictures are Daytona 1980, Martinsville 1981 (x2) and Islip 1978.

Here's great photo of Richie Evans taken at Oswego in 1984 just before the start of the Bud 200.I have the photo.

There will be drivers that come along and win a lot of races and championships but there will for ever be one Richie Evans!!!! he is what Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt was to Winston cup. i am thankful for being able to see him run and a have a beer with him in the Tudor Inn. Yes i still miss him!!!

OMG!........THE TUDOR INN!!!.......How in the world did that place ever close? If there was ever a bar/restaurant/motel that had a license to print money, that was it.

Being mainly a dirt track fan in NJ, I never got to see Richie race on a short track, but did get to see him at Langhorne, Trenton and Daytona.  

Photo by Nelson Ivins/Provided by Bobby Pickell Jr for 3Wides

Best ever !

I had the pleasure of drinking with Richie Evans at Syracuse till 5 am. I was in Martinsville when it happened. RIP

It’s hard to say what his best track because he was so great at every size.  I’m picking Oswego as his best.   His worst track and one he really disliked was Wall Stadium.  They say he hated the wooden fences. In 1982 he showed up for the Budweiser Classic. He ran practice than loaded up and went to Atlantic City to hang out. 

That was a very dark day for all of us 

Had the pleasure of watching him at Shangri-La on a mostly weekly basis for many years as well as at Oswego.  Two passes stand out to me:

The last race he ever ran at Shangri-La when he was running second to Kent and George, who loved his mirror, was watching him.  Richie kept running a higher and higher line out of 2 (there was no backstretch wall) until you could just see the dirt kick up.  Then after 5 or 6 laps, Kent went high to protect the line and Richie went by him on the bottom so quickly Kent could not cover. Richie went on to win the race.  Told him afterwards it was the best setup for a pass I had seen. He just nodded, grinned, and said thanks.

The time Richie drove Skip Matczyk's supermodified at Oswego. Richie was running 2nd and 3rd for much of the heat race, then went three wide with Bellinger and Muldoon and powered around the outside to take the win.  Would have loved to see what he could have done in that car for 75 laps, but Bellinger's car had an issue so Richie let him take his car for the feature.  Pass is at the 3:50 mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QStm18KC_XU

Still remember when the local news led with the story.  Dad and I were sitting in the living room, heard the news, and stared slack-jawed at each other in disbelief.  We may have been Spencer fans, but we knew that Richie was the best ever.