In Memorium
This site is dedicated to the memory of
Lennie Calinoff


Miles Nelson

 and
John Levan 
 
They freely dedicated their time to starting these racing sites so we could read about and see pictures of the sport of racing.
Thanks
Len, Miles and John!

  
  Harold E. "Hal"Minyard 
              
             1925 -2010

   Harold E. "Hal" Minyard 85, Speedway, Indiana died Thursday March 4, 2010. He was born January 8, 1925 in California the son of Sidney and Edith Minyard. Hal was a professional race car driver and he retired as a mechanic from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1999 after 25 years. Mr. Minyard was an Army veteran of W.W.II. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2010 in Conkle Funeral Home Speedway Chapel. A memorial service will be at a later date. Survivors include wife, Dawn Minyard; seven daughters; son and his best friend, Freddie; 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Hal was the originator of the McHal helmets

 
          Gene Angelillo            
           
            1936 - 2010

   Waterbury, CT – Gene Angelillo, a 14-time Northeastern Midget Association owners champion, died Monday after a short illness at St Mary’s Hopsital. Angelillo, 74, also had an ARDC championship on a 30-year plus resume that included over 112 victories, 107 of them in NEMA.
   Calling hours for Angelillo will be Thursday, March 4, 1-to-3 and 5-to-9 at Chase Parkway Memorial, 430 Chase Parkway in Waterbury, CT.
Funeral services will be at Sacred Heart Church, 910 Main Street South in Southbury, CT on Friday at noon.
   A Waterbury native, Angelillo’s team was “Dumo’s Desire” in recognition of his late father Dominic and more recently “Marilyn’s Desire” in honor of his late wife.

Marilyn and Gene, both officers, brought a passion to Midget racing in general and to NEMA in particular.

David Vogel Uihlein was born in Milwaukee on July 27, 1920, the son of Joseph E. Uihlein Sr. and Ilma Vogel Uihlein. He passed away peacefully at his home in Mequon, WI on Friday, January 29, 2010 at the age of 89. He is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years, Margery Holley Uihlein "MM", his children Lynde Bradley Uihlein of Milwaukee, and David Vogel Uihlein Jr. (Julia) also of Milwaukee; grandchildren Sarah Olson Zimmerman (Steven), Milwaukee; John Uihlein Olson (Ellen Blakstad) of Oslo, Norway; Dr. Alexander Uihlein (Lily), Boston; MA; Elizabeth Uihlein, Chicago, IL; Charles Uihlein, Milwaukee; great-grandchildren Joseph and Nathaniel Zimmerman, Milwaukee, and Hedda Olson of Oslo, Norway. He is also survived by Margery Uihlein's children Barbara Kuehn Frank (Richard) and Philip Gregg Kuehn (Kathryn) of Milwaukee; John Corliss Kuehn (Cris Mulvey) of Missoula, MT; her grandchildren, to whom he was also "Poppo", John Frank (Elsie Sunderland), Peter Frank (Katy); Charles Kuehn (Jane); Andrew Kuehn; Seppe Kuehn (Hope Mechelson); Erika Kuehn; and great-grandson, Reid Frank.
Mr. Uihlein was a 1939 graduate of the Hill School, Pottstown, PA. He worked at the Schlitz Brewing Company for a year before heading to the U.S. Brewers' Academy in New York City. He attended University of Wisconsin in 1940-41where he was one of two walk-on freshman football players who received letters. He proudly served in World War II as an ambulance driver for the American Field Service in Italy, Austria, and India. A businessman, he acquired the Banner Welder Co. in 1949. It continues as a successful business today. Carrying on his family's heritage in the brewing industry, he also purchased and ran the Oshkosh Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, WI, from 1961 to 1969. He served on corporate boards including Schlitz Brewing Co., Briggs and Stratton, Allen-Bradley Co., and First Wisconsin Bank. Mr. Uihlein was a man of many enthusiasms. He had a colorful personality, and was a wonderful storyteller. He was an ardent naturalist and outdoorsman. He was happiest hunting or fishing in northern Wisconsin or Canada with "MM". He was the founder and president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society and active in his support of Ducks Unlimited, the Trout and Salmon Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, among others. Mr. Uihlein was an avid collector. He collected antique cars, especially 1930's Indianapolis 500 race cars, as well as old boats, airplanes, and duck decoys. He restored many of his classic cars with his own hands. A 1925 Bugatti, a gift to Mrs. Uihlein, won a blue ribbon in 1989 at the Concours D'Elegance in Pebble Beach, CA. In 1995, he founded the Harry Miller Meet. This national show and race car event is held every year at the Milwaukee Mile for collectors and aficionados of antique race car engine designer Harry Miller. Mr. Uihlein will be deeply missed by family and friends for his great love of life, his capacity for friendship, fun, and devotion to causes close to his heart. The family wishes to thank all those who have provided devotion, care, and comfort for Mr. Uihlein. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, from 4 to 7 PM. A private memorial service will be scheduled at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ruffed Grouse Society, National Audubon Society, The Hill School, or the charity of your choice.


      Michael BOTELHO, SR
     
          1957-2009
Michael Botelho, 52, was born in Santa Cruz, CA, on March 14, 1957, passed away on December 15, 2009 after a year long battle with cancer.

Michael was a graduate of Reno High School and a local business owner. Michael will be missed by his family and all of his friendships that he developed over the years as a driver and co-owner of MMS Karting in Reno. Michael raced Go-Karts as a youngster and made the transition to midgets and sprint cars from age 18 to his late thirties.

Michael is survived by his parents, Bill and Betty Botelho, wife, Corrina Botelho, children Michael Jr, Christina, Jamie and Johnny and his grand children Qualik, Jaylynn and Azia.

Kenneth James Lay "Kenny" 1930- 2010 LAY Kenneth James "Kenny" Kenny Lay, 79, of Sarasota, FL, formerly of Ottawa Hills, passed away Friday, January 1, 2010, at The Toledo Hospital, surrounded by his family. He was born May 17, 1930, in Toledo, Ohio, to Reinhart and Mary (Vetter) Lay. He graduated from Macomber High School in 1949, where he was All City in basketball. Kenny was drafted into the United States Army in 1951, served during the Korean War. He married Betty Borden in September of 1956 in Toledo, Ohio and she preceded him in death in 1996. An established businessman and entrepreneur, Kenny started the Lay Transmission Company in 1956. A trusted business, Kenny established contracts with city of Toledo, the state of Ohio and the Canadian Government. In addition to his transmission company, he owned and operated the West Toledo Recreation Center, Lay Industries and maintained numerous real-estate holdings. Kenny was very active in car racing, owning various racing teams. His numerous accomplishments in racing, included an IMCA Championship, a National Drag Racing Championship and in 1970 he won the Sprint Car USAC Championship. In addition to his car racing, Kenny was an avid collector of classic cars; winning many awards, most recently 1st place in the Ford Nationals at Auburn Indiana, with his 1940 Ford Convertible. Among the many positions he held, Kenny was past president of the Automotive Service Association of Toledo (ASA), a member of the Toledo Opera Guild, The Apollo Society of the Toledo Museum of Art and a member of Gulf & Bay Club, Sarasota FL. He also was a longtime member of the Inverness Country Club, The North Cape Yacht Club in Lasalle, Michigan, and a Wood County Sheriff's Office Special Deputy. Kenny was a world traveler. He was most happy when working on a car or spending time in Siesta Key, Florida with family and friends.  Kenny is survived by his son, Kenneth James (Debra) Lay Jr. of Rossford, OH and their children, Kenneth James III, Kaitlyn E., Kyle R. A. Lay; son, Bradley E. (Lisa) Lay of Ottawa Hills, OH and their children, Brittany B., Bridgette A., Bradley E. Lay, Jr.; Brother, Paul (June) Lay of Wauseon OH, and son-in-law, Tim Gladieux and his children, Kendra M., Monica B., Marissa P. and Virgil A. Gladiuex II., all of Ottawa Hills, OH, and special companion, Rosalie Richards of Perrysburg, OH. Along with his wife Betty, Kenny was preceded in death by his daughter, Laurine A. Lay-Gladieux and sister, Eleanor Lay-Roberts.

Hans, Schmidt, 1928-2009

Hans,81 a retired supervisor for Western Electric and A.T.&T., died Sunday, October 25, 2009. Service, 10 a.m., Friday, October 30, Downing & Lahey Mortuary West. Preceded in death by wife, Helen; sister, Gretta Stenson. Survivors: sons, David of Houston, TX, Duane of Goddard; daughter, Danette Koehn of Furley; grandchildren, Heather Koehn and Gus Schmidt. In lieu of flowers, memorials to american Heart association, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL 60674 and Wichita Toy Train Club, P.O. Box 4091, Wichita, KS 67204. Tributes may be sent to the family via www.dlwichita.com

 Dad at about age 3 immigrated from Germany with his Mother and Sister. Grandpa had come over a couple years earlier , He graduated from Arsenal Tech High School in Indianapolis, and then after he and Mom were married he started working at the Western Electric plant on Shadeland Road. In 69 he was transferred to the Shreveport plant and about 75 he went to Wichita where he retired.

Dad was a racer when he was young and real race fan most of his life.

ROBERT Grant MOORHEAD, 1921 -2009

Maj. General (ret.) Robert Grant Moorhead 88, of Indianapolis, passed away on October 11, 2009.
Mr. Moorhead served as USAC Chairman of the Board from 1982-2001 after serving as a Board Member since 1968. A past president of the 500 Festival Committee, he conceived the very successful USAC Winners’ Circle Club. He was born on Sept 4, 1921 to Robert L. and Roxanne Sanders Moorhead in Orleans, Indiana. He was a graduate of Indiana University where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After college, he began Officer Candidate Training School and soon found himself in Europe as a replacement officer assigned to the 115th Infantry, which had been decimated on D-Day. When he returned from Germany as a young Captain, Bob joined the Indiana National Guard, eventually rising to the rank of Major General and Division Commander. He later was appointed Deputy Commander of the U.S. Training and Doctrine Command. He earned numerous military decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. One of the high points of his military career was being elected president of the Association of the United States Army. Bob joined Central Publishing Company in 1947 and was its President and owner from 1960 – 1989. He loved the Indianapolis 500, and was one of a handful of city leaders that founded the 500 Festival Association, serving as its President in 1963. He continued his involvement, heading the 500 Parade Safety and Security for decades. A longtime member of the downtown Kiwanis Club, Bob was instrumental in the relocation of the Kiwanis Headquarters from Chicago to Indianapolis. He served Kiwanis faithfully at every level; as a club President, a District Governor and as International Foundation President. As a tribute for the many Kiwanis clubs he built, members he recruited and hours he devoted to the children of the world, Bob was recognized just last year when Kiwanis unveiled a state of the art facility, the Robert G. Moorhead Auditorium and Leadership Education Center. He was a Member of the Indianapolis Board of Public Safety, the Police Merit Board and the State Traffic Advisory Committee. Bob served as President of the State Armory Board for decades, and was proud to have the downtown Armory renamed the Tyndall-Moorhead Armory. Until his health failed him, he never missed an American Legion Convention, continuing the legacy his father began in 1919. Growing up on a farm in southern Indiana, Bob never had the opportunity to participate in Boy Scouts as a child. He certainly made up for that as an adult, serving as President of the Crossroads Council of Boy Scouts of America. He cherished his Scouting Silver Beaver Award. Whether the call was for help developing a public television station in Indianapolis or for the American Cancer Society or the Salvation Army, Bob was always "front and center." And, in the end, he would hold a key leadership position in whatever organization sought out his expertise. For his tireless dedication to his community Bob was awarded a total of five Sagamore of the Wabash awards from five different Indiana Governors! He also found time for camaraderie and fellowship. He was a member of Northminster Presbyterian Church, the Columbia Club, the Indianapolis Athletic Club, Meridian Hills Country Club, Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, The Army Navy Club in Wash. D.C., and the Skyline Club. Bob is survived by his wife of 61 years, Margaret (Maggie) Bachelder Moorhead. Bob had known Maggie since the day she was born. He also leaves five children, James (Martha) Moorhead of Little Rock, Ark; Richard (Margy) Moorhead of Fishers, IN; Barbara (Danny) Hockett of Carmel, IN; Sandy (Ed) Hale of Dallas, TX; Janet (Ed) Hourigan of Indianapolis. He was the proud grandfather of 19 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren who will cherish memories of time spent with Papaw at Lake Tippecanoe. He was preceded in death by his sister, Anne Moorhead Burge and grandson, Robert Daniel Hockett, Jr. The family would like to thank all of the staff at Marquette Manor for making the "General" feel at home these past six years. Special thanks to Alaa, Victoria, Tony and Jerry, his wonderful care-givers, whose individual attention was so appreciated. Visitation will be Sunday, October 18 from 1:30-5:00 pm at Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 W. 38th St. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, October 19 at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1660 Kessler Boulevard East Dr, Indianapolis. Military Burial to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Kiwanis International Foundation, 3636 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268 and to the 38th Division Association, co Monument Fund, 3912 W. Minnesota St., Indianapolis, IN 46241. Online condolences may be sent to www.crownhill.org. Arrangements entrusted to Crown Hill Funeral Home.

 
Merv Furtado  1922-2009

He is survived by his wife, LuAnn (Craig) LeVan, their children, Craig, Michael and Ashleigh, Craig’s fiancée, Sarah Grable, and their son, Kaydin, all at home.  He is also survived by his father, Kenneth H. LeVan and his sister, Barbara L. LeVan, both of Greenfields, Pa.

He was pre-deceased by his first wife, Judith E. (Paup) LeVan, who passed away on June 13, 1981, and his mother, Barbara V. (Pluta) LeVan who passed away on July 17, 2008.

John worked at Cott beverage in Reading, Pa. prior to going on disability a couple of years ago.

He was an Army veteran, having served our nation in Turkey during the Vietnam era.

He was involved in many areas in auto racing in the Pennsylvania area, having been a reporter and photographer for Keystone Auto News and doing public relations work for the United Racing Club.  He was also a member of the Eastern Motorsports Press Association.

Around 1999, he first heard of a man named Lenny Calinoff.  Eventually, they would hook up together and they both got involved in Lenny Calinoff’s OpenWheelRacing.com.  Slowly, with a lot of hard work, they managed to get the website grown into one of the most respected websites devoted to motor sports.

On December 1, 2004, Lenny Calinoff passed away.  For a short period of time, after his death, the website was run by Mr. LeVan.  Some minor problems arose and Mr. LeVan was, more or less, forced to create a new website, and it was named OpenWheelRacers.com.

John was able to devote countless hours to this new website, usually working at night so the next days edition would have up to date information for his readers.

John was quite a “story teller”.  You could give him the name of a driver, either local or in a lot of cases, a nationally known driver, and John would have stories about them.  He was, to many, a walking encyclopedia of auto racing.

John, along with Lenny, were quite instrumental in bringing along new writers – not only for their website, but for other areas in the media, as well.

I got involved with both Lenny and John a few years ago – like around the year 2001.  Lenny and John both pressured me into writing for their website.  Eventually I tried it, liked it, and have had a great time writing for OWR.

There were times when John and I would travel together to various events, like to Richmond for the IRL/USAC races, or going to the EMPA Conventions, when we would share a room together.  And, yes, he’d tell me quite a lot of stories, too.  He would confide in me about the website and how he wanted it to prosper and be one of the best that would be devoted to auto racing.  He was so proud of what the website had become.
  By Tom Avenengo                                                  

LONGTIME INDIANAPOLIS 500 CAR OWNER
JONATHAN BYRD 1942 - 2009

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009 – Jonathan Byrd, co-entrant in 1996 of Arie Luyendyk’s all-time Indianapolis 500 record qualifier, passed away Aug. 20 in Greenwood, Ind. He was 57.

Byrd, who had been disabled by a stroke since 2004, was a "500" entrant from 1985 until 2001, having aligned himself with a variety of other entrants, including Leader Card, Inc., A.J. Foyt, Ron Hemelgarn, Dick Simon, Alex Morales, the Machinists Union, Clayton Cunningham, Dennis McCormack and Team Xtreme.

Strongly associated for many years with sponsorship of cars at the Indianapolis Speedrome short track, located on the east side of the city, Byrd even sponsored NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip at one point. He developed a very close friendship and partnership with Rich Vogler, which parlayed into several USAC Midget car titles and numerous wins, eventually taking the pair to the Indianapolis 500.

The charismatic Byrd, with his infectious laugh, never was rewarded with an Indianapolis 500 victory. But he saw several of his drivers land top-10 finishes, including Gordon Johncock (sixth in 1991), Scott Brayton (sixth in '93), Vogler (eighth in '89), Stan Fox (eighth in '91) and John Andretti (10th in '94).

In 1996, Luyendyk's original front-row qualifying run was disallowed when his car failed to meet the minimum weight requirement in a post-qualification technical inspection, but Luyendyk stormed back the following day to obliterate the one- and four-lap qualifying records. This being the final year for turbocharged engines, Luyendyk’s marks with the Tim Wardrop-prepared Byrd/Fred Treadway-entered Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria/Bryant Heating and Cooling Reynard/Cosworth were 236.986 mph for the four-lap run and an amazing 237.498 mph for the fastest single lap.

Those records still stand.

Byrd is fondly remembered by the "500" fraternity for the many months of May in which he would set up a huge marquee near the garage area and permit literally hundreds of race personal and media per day the opportunity to experience his magnificent cafeteria food.

While Byrd never won at Indianapolis, John Paul Jr. drove one of his cars to victory in the IndyCar Series race in September 1998 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Byrd was a successful businessman who operated Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises and then opened his Jonathan Byrd’s cafeteria and banquet hall in Greenwood, Ind. He also operated several hotels and operated a business trading in rare books, ancient Bibles and theology books. He also was very active in founding and supporting Christian ministries.

Services are pending