A Vietnam War veteran says a crime he committed over 40 years ago has come back to haunt him..Richard Smith says his case is not unique, but it is the oldest of its type for the state of Georgia..After a tour in the Vietnam War, Richard Smith, a mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, had a run in with the law in Rantoul, Illinois..“I had two counts of fleeing and eluding police officers and driving across private property,” says U.S. Air Force Retired MSGT Richard L. Smith..The case made headlines back in 1968..“I've already paid my $500 fine and spent 15 days in jail and was court marshaled by the Air Force while I was in jail..I think I’ve paid my dues to society,” says Smith..Now 44 years later, after having no problems with renewing his license, the state of Georgia is refusing to grant Smith a license until he has proof of clearance in this case..The resident of Fitzgerald, Georgia says in between the last time he renewed his license and now, his name was placed on a national registry for people who have outstanding fines..After contacting Illinois driving officials, they explained that it will be months before the issue could be resolved. However, to speed up the process, Smith reached out to Austin Scott., U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 8th Congressional District..“Representative Scott’s office is working with Mr. Smith to see what we can do with the situation. We will continue to be in touch with Mr. Smith on this issue,” says Cassie Smedile, Communications Director for the office of Austin Scott.. Richard Smith says Illinois officials have informed him that it will take six to eight months to resolve this problem..Until then he will be without a license..It’s something that he says puts a burden on himself and his family.

Many years ago while still in western Pennsylvania, I worked for the long since defunked Speed Sport Uniforms. Part of my job along with manufacturing, shipping, maintenance, management and lawn care was promotion. I had come across a copy of National Parts Peddler promoting their Syracuse, NY season ending trade show. Loaded with clearance Speed Sport items off to New York we went. It was there I met Parts Peddler founder Corky Stockham and one of his key people, Dave Wickham.

Fast forward to the following season on a Friday night while racing at Lernerville, who would pull into the pits next to me but Dave Wickham with his #80 sprint car. I promoted Parts Peddler with an ad on my car and passed out papers everywhere we went so Dave and I quickly renewed our acquaintance from the trade show. Dave was traveling from his central New York home through Ohio and PA. He was traveling by himself towing his car with just his Dodge van, the money from last night’s race and the love of racing to get him to the next destination. Dave returned on occasion to Lernerville and we would meet infrequently in central PA but we had lost touch after my move to Texas. I imagined that Dave was out of racing and for a long time I was right.

A couple of years ago Dave and I got together through the internet and I found that he had been back running 360 sprints, doing it well and keeping it for the most part, his deal. Now however, he was not alone as he had Teresa and a real crew. He had met Teresa at Port Royal some thirty plus years ago through the late Jim Nace’s uncle. Dave has lost his most ardent fan however with the passing of his father in 2006. Armond Wickham was and remains an important part of the Wickham racing story. The senior Wickham, a race fan himself was his son’s biggest fan through go karts, several seasons of midget racing and eventually into the sprint cars.

Dave has run the Syracuse mile, something any driver would love to do, and he did it successfully against some of the best competition in the country. Dave has driven from his first win at a day show at Ohio’s Expo Speedway, to being a factor everywhere he would compete. A complete history of the Dave Wickham story can be found on his very interesting web site at http://web.a-znet.com/~dave1w/race.htm. This site is full of interesting stories of limited budget racing, personal insights to Jim Shampine and Jim Nace, Don Martin and a host of other interesting racing tidbits. Dave Wickham in my mind is a throwback to the real early, real great days of racing. Leaving home with a few dollars and a lot of faith in being able to pull it all off and more often than not, returning with a satisfaction many people will never know.

In 2012 Dave will be driving the National Parts Peddler #80 with the Patriot Sprint Tour and Empire Super Sprints. Jimmy D Speed & Machine has freshened both engines for the Maxim Chassis' with Crew Chief Greg Moteyunas again turning the wrenches . Plans will take the team all around New York State, as well as Canada, and Pennsylvania thanks to the help from many friends. Never chasing points, just chasing fun and good finishes. Why is he doing it yet again? He explains it on his web site this way “There are lots of reasons, but for all the money that it costs and time, effort, ups and downs that it takes to get a car to the track - run first or last - racing is an obsession that fuels on the inner feelings of accomplishment and potential fun. Racing is hard and dangerous and expensive and a lot of the reward is the gamble of winning, coming close, getting better at it, knowing that you can do it, feeling that you can be faster than the others, better than your last self... Yeah its gambling with life, equipment, money, time.... the reward is never equal to the cost but that doesn't stop a gambler. You want the success and know that you can have it as a result of your own efforts, skills and talents, along with some luck, if you can just overcome the random chaos that makes it a sport.” We wish Dave and the National parts Peddler team a great 2012 and with any luck we will meet them somewhere along the way as we do this year’s tour.

Speaking of traveling, we are loading up to head over to Orlando Speed World for the Daytona Antique Auto Racing Assoc Oval Track Winter Nationals which run from March 1 through March 4. This should be a great week of vintage racing with some new attractions added for this session. David Steele from Tampa, Florida, owner of Steele Performance Parts will be at Orlando Speed World on March 1st. He will present a seminar during the opening day of the 2012 DAARA U.S. Vintage Oval Track Winter Nationals. Known for his numerous wins in the USAC Silver Crown, Sprint, and Midget classes, Dave is known as one of the best pavement racers in USAC's history. Also Larry Bailey will be doing his famous Alabama stew and there will be a bake sale as well. If this isn’t enough besides all the classes of museum quality vintage cars hitting the track each day there is a rumor Jack Hewitt may stop by. Nancy and I will close the event with Sunday morning worship. Upon our return home we will begin getting finances and preparations in order for our tour beginning in early summer. We welcome hearing from anyone who would have an interest in partnering with us to make this the best National Speedway Ministries tour yet. So for now, God bless and see you at the races.

When your dad drives a sprint car for such notable owners as Dizz Wilson and also owns an Indiana speed shop, the chances you will end up making your living in racing are pretty good. Mike Smith was a regular competitor throughout Indiana during the 1960’s and beyond. As natural progression would have it, the younger Smith grew from a kid in the pits at his father’s side to the seat of a race car. Danny won his first feature at the age of seventeen and the rest is ongoing history.

Danny’s first checker came at Indiana’s Bloomington Speedway in 1974 and he logged another at Lawrenceburg while he was still a junior in high school. As a senior he missed his graduation due to running the “Little 500” as a rookie in 1975. Since that time his career has stretched over four decades bringing over 300 wins at 102 tracks against the nation’s best competition, both then and now. Danny was one of the original World Of Outlaw travelers in the original C.K. Spurlock Gambler and has wins with WOO, All Star Circuit of Champions, ASCS and is competing down under in Australia as this is being written.

Many people felt certain that this great career had come to an end with the 2010 qualifying crash at Ohio’s Attica Speedway and the back surgery that followed. Not quite so however, as 2011 would find Danny return in his recognizable white #4 Maxim to log 17 wins. Danny, no stranger to adversity, once again overcame the challenges as he did after losing his wife to cancer in 2006 and having his shop burn in 2004 losing everything inside with the exception of a couple of engines that were away for rebuilding. Through all the victories and challenges one thing remains the same. Danny Smith is one of the most personable people in the sport.

In this day and age, fielding a competitive sprint car effort is a serious undertaking yet Danny continues to frustrate some of the best financed teams in the business. His driving style has changed little through the years. Though a hard charger, his wins come from skill, experience and maintaining the equipment himself. Danny has always been a fun guy to race with and if you finish ahead of him you know you have earned your spot.

Today the native Hoosier has been transplanted to Chillicothe, Ohio where he lives with wife Stephanie. Danny gives credit to Stephanie who is a registered nurse at the VA hospital for aiding his recovery from the Attica crash. I asked him where his racing plans go from here. He said that he is nearly completely recovered from the crash, feels good and wants to race as long as he remains competitive and the enjoyment remains. This will certainly be good news for the legions of Smith fans. It is obvious when talking with Danny that he loves racing. He still has the #18 Gambler, manufacture #1, with the original engine that was in the car when he drove it. The car had been stolen, then recovered by C.K. Spurlock and now is with Danny where it belongs.

Perhaps Danny Smith’s greatest victory in all his years of racing is with his fans. He is quick to give credit and thanks to his supporters for his comeback. It is clear that Danny loves every part of sprint car racing and that sentiment is not lost in his relationship with his followers. Danny has it together for the 2012 season with one new Maxim and two like new cars, but certainly would welcome corporate or individual participation to make the #4 even more competitive. Danny is still as recognizable as he was when I competed against him in the seventies and eighties. It is great to know that we can expect to see Danny in victory lane for 2012 and beyond. See, nice guys do often finish first.

As for us here in Wewahitchka, Florida, the exceptionally warm winter has afforded us the opportunity to do some updates on the National Speedway Ministries motorhome. Our first 2012 event will be the Daytona Antique Auto Racing Assoc. Spring Nationals at Orlando Speed World. Additional Florida dates are likely to be added in the near future. Like Danny we are actively seeking a partner to help with 2012 travel expenses and make use of the available space on the motorhome. We look forward to an even more productive season than the one just past. It is the association and fellowship with folks like Danny and so many others in our racing family that allows us to anticipate yet another season on the road. More and more people comment on following this column and we look forward to visiting with y’all this season. Till then, God Bless.

For any of us that have ever strapped into a push to start car, there are bad memories of our push truck experiences. Most have had a truck drive over our rear tires, been pushed so slowly that the drive line flops challenging the ring and pinion or have been left awaiting a truck to pick us up when we needed to get a hot lap or two before falling in line. A competent pusher is often overlooked but never unappreciated.

For the most part thankfully, most of the push truck folks today are very professional, safety conscious and in some cases become very recognizable. In all probability, Work’N Woody is the most recognizable of any push vehicle in the nation. Work’N Woody” was built by Art Malies in 1978 and was originally operated by he and wife Carol of Carmichael, California. Woody traveled the California highways supporting the now defunct Northern Auto Racing Club for a number of years, until hitting the road with the World Of Outlaws in 1988.

After the 2008 season Art and Carol retired and son Eric took over the operations of “Work’N Woody” and traveled with the World of Outlaws the past two seasons. Once it was announced that Woody wouldn’t return to the WOO trail for the 2011 year, Golden State King of the West members tossed around the idea of bringing the famed push truck back to California. With that in mind an agreement was made and “Work’N Woody” will in fact be returning to its roots as the official Push Truck and Safety Vehicle of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

Another very identifiable traveling push vehicle is the recognizable and competent “Jimmy Jeep”. Jimmy’s yellow 1985 CJ-7 respectfully referred to as the “War Wagon”, has logged over a half a million miles, is on its 4th motor and is believed to be out of factory warranty. It has had a couple of rebuilds on the original transmission and replacement of assorted suspension parts but it is the only Jeep Jimmy has used.

Few people east of the Mississippi, who follow any sprint car organization, have missed coming across Jimmy Jeep. He told me today that his racetrack total is 97 and that he plans to go over the hundred mark this season. He has pushed for WOO, All Star Circuit of Champions, USCS, DIRT, ASCS, USAC, DAARA and a host of others, including Super Dirt Week. He has done the Syracuse mile, the banks of Bristol and Eldora, the Indiana short tracks and the dirt at Charlotte and Talladega to mention a few.

Jim Knapp is a native of the Finger Lakes area of New York and was a ceramic tile professional by trade. He was an avid modified fan while living in NY. While working on a tile project at Disney World in Orlando in the 70’s, Jimmy met sprint car racer Red Stauffer and the rest is history. The sprint car love affair was born. For the next fifteen years Jimmy followed Red throughout the southeast.

Jimmy gives many people credit for keeping him and the “War Wagon” on the road. Some of these are Red Stauffer, Ron Johnson, Mike Cronk, Eddie Luscomb and Eddie’s late father Bob Luscomb, along with many others too numerous to mention. However, if the truth is known it is Jimmy that has made a difference in the lives of many others along the way. Jimmy has mentored several young men and been a positive influence to racers and people in general. Jim’s list of friends is a virtual who’s who in sprint car racing. Jimmy and partner Glenda Lacer have been together since 2008. Glenda is an accomplished photographer as is Jimmy, and they complement each other while spending much of their life on the road. Glenda’s pictures can be found on many web sites across the country and Jimmy is often positioned to get spectacular action shots from his push vehicle. Together they are a welcome duo to see driving through any pit gate.

Racers are known for their heroic exploits and dedication and Jimmy rates up there with the best of them. During the 2011 WOO finals at Charlotte, Jimmy was attacked by an intestinal infection and was very ill throughout the event missing one night. On the final night he was too weak to walk to the Jeep so Glenda wheeled him to the vehicle in a wheel chair borrowed from the motel. He worked the entire night with most people unaware of his physical condition. Dedicated? Yes, with the best of them.

We find many professional and sharp pushers as we visit many tracks during the season with our ministry. These folks invest many hours and dollars as well, into their equipment with little return. Most just love the sport and take pride in being an important part of the show. Those who have been at it a bit do a great job and getting pushed off is one less thing a driver has to worry about. I have had some horrific experiences through the years and am glad there are people such as Jim Knapp who brings professionalism to an important part of our sport.

Probably the only thing better than getting pushed off by Jimmy Jeep is to listen to his great stories of past events, close calls and interesting insights into the people of sprint car racing. If one ever wants to know anything about the art of pushing, how to build a push vehicle or the world of Jimmy Jeep, it can be found on “Jimmy Jeeps Push Truck World” at jimmyjeep.com. If one could find any issue with the jimmyjeep site it would be that Jimmy has been too modest in his accomplishments and importance to the racing family. We are glad to call Jimmy and Glenda friends and hope to see them throughout the 2012 season and for many seasons to come. Nancy hopes to get to ride shotgun again at the Orlando DAARA Spring Nationals. It should also be noted that as an additional responsibility, Jim serves as secretary for the Daytona Antique Auto Racing Assoc.

We hope to have varied and interesting material for our column during the upcoming season. We are working to secure financing for our 2012 tour and plan some unique insights into our sport and its people during the upcoming season. Thanks to Jim for helping get our column push started for the new year.