My first real racing experience was in 1947. I went to a sprint race at Logansport which George Tichenour won. It looked like a lot of un and I heard that it paid well. I decided right then that racing was for me.

At Logansport I heard that there was a race car for sale in Ft. Wayne. Bob Brown, who lived in my home town of Wabash, and I decided to buy it. We did, the next day, for about $?00. There was only one draw-back. It was completely dismantled. It took us a full month to rebuild it.

The first time I drove it – again at Logansport – I had the fourth fastest qualifying time, but it burned out a rod and I couldn’t race it. I drove in 16 races that summer. I kept track of everything I bought – bolts, paint, etc. I sold it at the end of the season. Counting everything I made exactly 88c on the deal. That was the end of my car ownership.