Politcal Creed

I know that today’s post has nothing to do with auto racing. Every so often I veer off of the path into politics. Because there are no pictures in this post I will likely be the only one who ever sees it, but if you are in fact reading this, I thank you for your indulgence.

The most politically freeing moment of my life came several years ago when I decided to stop backing political philosophies and programs just because they made me feel like I was doing the right thing. Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” and the destruction it brought was a big part of it. I watched a large portion of Americans, literally re-enslaved just so people like me could feel like I did the right thing, and a group of politicians and professional users could hold 10% of our population as a captive voting block. Imagine the wisdom of offering people money to exist on, with no criteria for a better future. We will give you a raise in “wages” every year as long as you continue to produce more offspring. The other specific criteria for a raise is you will only receive it if you keep the father out of the picture. We want as many single moms as possible. We the government (really the people) will reward you only if you perpetuate the problem, and create a increasingly larger group of Americans living in this cycle, and living in poverty.

The important part of those programs for me and most supporters was that I felt good about myself. That required a suspension of common sense, but that is a small price to satisfy my self-image of a caring person.

I made the decision to listen to people with ideas.

I have never made a switch in political parties, nor have I ever truly embraced any defining terms for my viewpoints. That is because I have never cared about those things and I never will. I respect what my family, friends and others think, but I would never make a political decision to “be like them”, or to be accepted. I was very fortunate in that I wasn’t brought up to think a certain way, only to think.

My decision was to embrace individuals and groups who actually created ideas that were designed to solve problems not to perpetuate them. I go where the creative thinkers go, but I never, ever support any idea that does not work within the boundaries of my common sense, or at least work mathematically on paper. My personal commandment was to vote for and support people, programs, and philosophies, that were designed to create opportunities for people, while protecting individual rights regardless of race, creed, sex etc. I don’t look for policies that say you will be successful. Nobody of any political party can guarantee you anything, as much as they want to convince you they can. I look for philosophies that believe in the shining light of the human spirit, instead of the cynical view that nobody can possibly make it without being born to privilege, even though we have over 200 years of examples that prove you can.

I would never support anybody or any group that does not admit that the government (us) does need to help those that truly need it. The gift of human dignity and life itself, is important if a society is to be great. In every instance so far, when I have been told that one side wants to end that, it has been proven (by me) to be a lie.

Changing my views to fit my personal growth seemed natural and easy to me. I firmly believe in allegiance to God, family, friends and country, but never to political parties or bureaucracy's of any kind. I do not suckle from either liberal or conservative crazies, but I do listen to what each side has to say.

Many of those who formed this nation knew only too well, that it was those who would become the government, (themselves) who would be the greatest threat to the success of this nation, and to the liberty of its people. It is why the Constitution and its Bill of Rights along with much of the Federalist Papers and other documents, were designed to protect the citizenry, from the government itself. During the time that this country has existed, the number of people and nations, that have disregarded that belief system, and caused unfathomable amounts of suffering and damage to their nations and those of others, is too large to list here. It is all too easy to succumb to seduction, and all too difficult to reverse it. Ask any drug addict.

We live in an increasingly precarious world. We are nearing the edge of the mountain and each step that we take can easily become final. I love the fact that each of us has the right to evaluate our nation’s future and vote accordingly. Let each of us pray we have centuries left to continue in that practice.

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.


Abraham Lincoln

The Good Die Young

When I make posts that I don’t write, and that are illustrated with images that I didn’t take, I do so because of my love of auto racing and racing history. I especially enjoy sharing history that I remember such as with the drivers below.

The bios of both Bobby Marshman and Billy Foster come from Wikipedia. The photos of both drivers all came from Google photos. They are not mine.

I would add that Bobby drove a few USAC stock car races, usually on the 1 mile dirt tracks although I believe he ran at Milwaukee once. I never saw this young superstar race, but I was told he was one of the best ever. I do remember the news reports when he died.

Foster drove the entire USAC stock cars series and was an “up front” driver there. It is perhaps ironic that this open wheel driver died in a NASCAR stock car at Riverside, CA. I viewed Foster racing in both the USAC Indy Car and Stock Car series on many occasions during his brief career in major auto racing. Such a talent

Bobby Marshman (September 24, 1936 - December 4, 1964), was an American racecar driver

Bobby was the son of a race driver, George Marshman who morphed into a promoter, notably at Hatfield Speedway. Bobby started racing in URC sprints because you didn't have to be 21 to drive. Improving and being named URC rookie of the year. He moved on to ARDC driving for Harry Hespell 4 car team. In 1960 he changed over to Bruce Hoymeyer's Konstant Hot team, notably winning the Trenton 300. In 1961 he was driving the Iddings sprint car at the start of the season, posting fast time at the Reading opener. The Iddings car tried to run the champ car circuit as well, (see previous Mac Miller articles on the car). Bobby qualified the Iddings for the April Trenton champ car race, but got on his head after about30 laps. Spent a few nights in the hospital with a concussion.

He got called by the Hoover Motor express team between first and second weekend of indy qualifying, passed his rookie test and made the field as 33rd starter. He stayed clean and finished 7th earning co rookie of the year honors with Parnelli Jones.

This opened the door to a full time ride in Wally Meskowski's cars for this season and the start of 1962, where the other thread picks up.

His Lotus was the chassis that Dan Gurney crashed in 1963 at the speedway. Damaged goods to start with. The car was the trail horse for the new Ford 4 cam engine and Firestone tire testing. Bobby had been on the Firestone tire test team in 1963 as well

The story on the oil plug was, he was lapping Johnny White when White changed lines going into three, forcing Bobby low on the apron. The car bottomed out.

The rest of the season this car did not finish a race, mostly for chassis reasons. At the Pheonix race he broke the A frame.

They stayed in Phoenix for more tire testing after the race.

Something broke on the car on the backstretch, the car hit the wall and the gasoline fire was horrific. It melted the concrete wall. Bobby lived about 6 days after. He had been transferred to the Brooke Army Burn Center in San Antonio.

Bobby

 

The first reace track Bobby competed at...Hatfield Speedway

  Billy Foster (September 18, 1937 - January 20, 1967), was a Canadian racecar driver.

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Foster died in a crash during practice for a Nascar stock car race at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1964-1966 seasons, with 28 career starts, including the 1965 and 1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 10 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1966 at Atlanta.

Billy and Mario Andretti became best of friends, building a close relationship which Andretti claimed he would never do again with a fellow racer because Foster's death so significantly affected him.

Billy was cousins with musician, producer, composer, arranger David Foster and with Canadian stock car driver Jim Steen.

He was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1993.

“Billy Foster was killed just in front of me, before I was ready to go qualify at Riverside. I was the next guy to go out to qualify and my best friend got killed.” Mario Andretti

 

Billy

 

Supermodified

 

Indy Car

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I may continue these articles of 1960s stars who died behind the wheel. NASCAR’s Billy Wade and Joe Weatherly will likely be next.