Richie Evans - Tribute - NASCAR Modified Legend

[bobo15377]

the day he got killed at Martinsville it was like.. "the whole world got silent"My only "Richie" story: I was standing in line at the pit gate with a good friend waiting to get in.Guess who was standing in front of us? Richie with his crew chief Billy.Just laughing away..i bet as we were waiting to get in and give our ticket to the guy.Must have been 10 people yelling "hey Richie"!!!

[600joe]

Please watch the biography for Richie on his induction to the NASCAR HOF. So good.Well done. I salute you from Trenton International Speedway.

[SMOKE1488]

THAT COLOR ORANGE COME FROM THE ROME N.Y. PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE.SNOW PLOW ORANGE.RITCHIE HAD SOMEBODE INSIDE THE GARAGE GET IT.TO THIS DAY,THAT MANS WILL NEVER BE REVEALED!!

[triktags]

What a great racer he was and a fitting tribute to that as he's now in the HOF. I remember racing against him (as a crew guy) and he was always a gentleman. Those days were the greatest days of racing, Evans, Troyer, Bodine, Desarro, Flemke, Bouchard and Stevens. (No offense meant to the ones I left out.) On any given race day you almost didn't care who won, you always really wanted Richie to win though.

[TheRichardjr719]

My nickname is Richie and guess what the kick is...................... my last name is evans, im the reincarnation , it took 9years but america im back

[Qwazier3]

Congrats to Richie on getting into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

[NCmariposa]

This is an awesome tribute to Richie. I grew up going to Upstate NY races. Seemed he was always the Track Champion at Utica-Rome Speedway. Still can picture that old orange rusty nail coupe atop of UR Speedway's sign as you enter into the track parking lot. Although I was a Lou Lazzaro fan, EVERYONE Loved Richie. He passed away doing what he loved most...driving his car in Martinsville Nascar race. He'll never be forgotten. Thank you for these memories!

[twofoot65]

What type of car body was used on the car for pictures 7 & 8?

[danart55]

@twofoot65 Pics 7 & 8: Car body is a 1937 Chevy coupe.

[DannoMac]

Richie was the man to beat on any track Rapid Roman, I haven't heard that in too long, wish I could be at a race and hear it again. Does anyone remember when he was in a battle with Jerry Cook and one would drive past the others shop to see if they went to a race, and then after they passed they would quick pack and head for a track to race at ? I know it's said to be someone else but wasn't Richie the 1st one to go over 200mph at Daytona ?

[FranusFitness]

Thanks for the memories. My first racing hero as a child, Richie won everywhere we went.

Classic battles with Troyer, Bodine, Kent on Friday nights at Spencer Speedway!

[gargoyle2bad4u]

Both Richie Evans and Jerry Cook have been nominated for the 2011 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richie was the kind of driver that if it didn't work...he made it work. I remember the rivalry between Richie and Jerry during the early 70's. Jerry was my neighbor and I remember spending time at his house helping out in his garage.

[racefanism]

Back in the 60's Richie Evans, Gerry Cook, Buck Holiday and Ottawa's Keith James Man those were the days.Ritchie was a really cool guy.

[machdaddy78]

Charlie Jarzombek had Richies # when he came to Islip Speedway. I always knew Richie Was special. But Charlie always kicked his ass when I was there. God bless them both.

[blackrowstones]

most dangerous racing in the world but yet for this style of racing it wall always be worth it! to be the best racing to not even be known by the world!

[whitethronebooks]

I got his autograph at Oswego Speedway in 1973. He won the race.

[evans6161]

my m3 is painted "evans orange" (dupont swamp holly orange). richie is the greatest racer ever. 9 time nascar champion, 8 in a row. not even 550 employee teams and 30MM/yr budgets can touch richie... ever.

[lazerpod66]

Richie, along with Jimmy Shampine were gods of Oswego speedway, thank you for the memories.

[Voodochild2007]

dumb rednecks

[Enzo1227]

MERCI!

[Enzo1227]

MERCI!

[AMERICANRACINGCLUB]

richie is the best he should been in the hale of fame

[eddiecares]

I am from Jarzombeck country. I, as a kid, can remember when Richie and Maynord came into town to race at one of the three L.I. tracks. I knew Charlie was in for a race. Some-one before mentioned G. Bodine. He wasn't any compition for for the other three. Or lets talk about the Flying Dutchman. Those were the days man, Thanx for the trip down this path.

[cnycarnut]

hey guys i have a richie tribute section on my site just click my name. srry for the shameless plug but there aint much about richie out there so i figured id share ;)

[62fut]

I remember Richie when he raced at Capital city Speedway in Ottawa Ontario, There was Jerry Cook,Buck Holiday, Keith James,Bob McCreedy, Thoughs were the days my freind. Thanks for sharing this Video

[starfire466]

I love my father Paul Goodson #36.R.I.P.,Your Son Forever Grateful!!,G,E.G.

[niterider1914]

whenever he came to islip ,he was the only driver to go around charlie jarzombek, a great driver

[starfire466]

New York Right? Yeah i'm a Jersey Bred Oval Track Pup!

[cnycarnut]

ATTENTION: Richie Evans has been nominated for the inaugural class to the new NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in 2010 to vote for him go to NASCAR(.) COM/HALL to vote for him and 4 others as well your vote counts lets get richie in!!!!

[panicxitsxbrea]

RIP, dude. My grampa watched him race at Shangri-La for so, so long. They're opening up the Shangri-La 2 track a week before we visit my hometown, and I'm torn between going to the dirt track to watch my cousins or going to SL. x_x

[thundershots]

Richie Was the BEST modified driver there ever was, I used to watch him DOMINATE at riverside and stafford in the late 70's and 80's. He was one of a kind and there will never be another Richie Evans.

[johnbasick]

loved richie... but Charlie J needs to be mentioned when anyone says the BEST modified driver...

[timperley69]

i remember being just a kid watching ritchie at stafford speedway in ct. and thats how i got hooked on racing, thanks to #61!!! awesome

[mp86ss]

my grandpa and uncle pitted next to him back at islip

[cnycarnut]

ATTENTION ALL RICHIE FANS!!! I am putting together a petition to make sure that NASCAR MODIFIED drivers are recognized in the new NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. If you live in Upstate N.Y. come to UTICA ROME SPEEDWAY Richies home track i will be there every week this season doing an announcement and taking signatures to send to Charlotte

[starfire466]

Thank You !!

[hssc45]

my grandfathr use to race against him in locaql tracks in ct. he had alot of respect for him

[limitedkartracer]

Richie evans was a true wheelman!!! GodSpeed Richie

[VooDooRocketry]

With my young son I watched Richie win #401 at New Egypt NJ when it was asphalt. An amazing racer.

[evans6161]

again, love the tribute. listen richieevans fans... bombard the doors and phone lines of nascar. they are placing early members in the hall of fame. richie was a 9 time nascar champion... eight in a row. not having him first in the hof would be unimaginable.

[mengers06]

nice tribute to the rapid roman. before my time but still an influence to me.

[wolfpacva]

Richie was the best Modified driver ever.! Great pictures.

[68mcw]

Awsome tribute to THE best, ever!!!

[hubbywiff1]

i can not thank you enough richie is my hero the best ever my son is named after him thank you so much for the video there will never be another like him

[lakenormanspeed]

great tribute! used to watch him at Spencer Speedway as a kid, and still have an autographed hat and few track programs. he ran back when racing was about racing........

[modified61]

hi race fans. if anyone has a story about racing way back when, please share it with all of us we would love to hear about it. many thanks to all.

[danart55]

The 1980 ROC race at Pocono on the 3/4 mile infield track, which used the wide front stretch in front of the main grandstand. Richie had the lead with 2 laps to go and Ron Bouchard was in that Dick Armstrong red #1 and was closing super-super fast. Coming down that wide front stretch to take the checkered flag a lap car was in the main groove and Richie took no chances he put his front bumper onto the rear bumper of the lapped car and just roared to the checkers pushing the lap car to the line.

[MrRoccomc]

@danart55 stafford,thompson.my dad ran modifieds sat in richies car alot.

[Crisgo3d]

April 1981 In the race Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles called the greatest race he ever saw anywhere, Richie Evans wins the Dogwood 500 after crashing with Geoff Bodine leaving the fourth turn. Evans car climbed the outside wall, but he never let off the throttle. His right front wheel came off when he hit the wall, but he bounced across the finish line ahead of Bodine.

(taken from some Martinsville ESPN site)

[modified61]

stafford springs ran a show on a tuesday night called run what you brung they did this once a year for several years. you could do anything you wanted to your modified. richie evans came out with a huge spoiler on his roof. 10 minutes later geoff bodine came out with the same type spoiler. i cant recall who won that night.how ironic they had the same idea. it was an exciting show needless to say.

[MitchD1411]

Evans won the race, and it was called Modified Madness

[frendy69]

troyer started the wing, troyer borrowed a wing from jimmy shampine's super modified. Richie used nitrous first, but when troyer smoked the field he switched up to the wing. Richie borrowwd one from bentley warren i believe. It all started because bodine was winning so much at stafford that the arute's put up a $1000 extra to anyone who beat Geoff.

[muddybrookrambler]

Yup. I was there. Most amazing finish I've even seen. And...I've actually got it on 8mm film. Need to motivate myself to transfer it. Truly amazing...

[modified61]

hi. can this 8mm film be upgraded to a higher resolution ? this would be great to see on you tube. who won the race ? thanks. mod 61.

[MitchD1411]

That WAS the greatest race EVER, I wish someone had a video of any of it.

[cflynnjr]

@modified61 I am rapidly closing in on 48 years old and well remember the best days of Richie Evans. Growing up in CT I watched him at Thompson, Stafford and Riverside Park, as well as a few trips to the ROC at Pocono. just 6 days from the time I am writing this it will be 25 years Richie is gone. Never forgotten will be the many memories of the greatest modified race car driver I have ever seen. There will never be anyone like the Rapid Roman. I can still hear the response; "good'n you?" R.I.P.

[Mr1963chevy]

@modified61 EVANS ORANGE,WHO MAKES THIS COLOR?I KNOW HE HAD A PATENT ON THIS COLOR.HIS WIFE ONCE TOLD ME HE DID.

[modified61]

not to take anything away from geoff bodine but he always gave richie a run for his money especialy when geoff drove dick armstrongs # 1 red pinto. he was practicaly unstoppable. i wish the modifieds had more support. they always give you your moneys worth with outstanding racing.

[danart55]

You are right about being practicaly unstoppable. Geoff Bodine 1 year in the Armstrong car won 56 modified feature events in 1 season! But Maynard Troyer had a hot car that year and up at Oswego Speedway, Geoff had to push the crap out of the Armstrong car to try to pass Troyer and Geoff blew his engine 3/4 of the way down the back stretch and the engine dumped all it's hot oil out the side-pipes and onto Geoff's rear tires which caused him to go into a tremendous backward power-slide!

[MitchD1411]

Bodine won 55 features the year your talking about. And he was boo'ed everywhere he went, all throughout New England. They wer the top three for sure back then though, Evans Bodine and Troyer

[modified61]

a little story i would like to share. back in the early 80s i was at thompson speedway in ct. richie was in line waiting to sign in to the pits. he was working on the engine himself doing a valve adjustment while talking to fans and friends. someone said geoff bodine showed up. ritchie said oh the white tornado is here jokingly. geoff drove billy taylors 99.they always kept a cover around his car.they did'nt want anyone to know their secrets. richie went on that day and beat everyone anyway. lol

[danart55]

I remember the cover around Geoff Bodines car. The way I recall it was to mostly cover up the rear suspension - something about a 3 Point Rear Suspension.

[modified61]

i believe your correct about the 3 point suspension. dick armstrong had an unlimited checkbook so they always had everything you could possibly want. however richie did a lot of his own work himself with far less money and always got the job done. growing up in the seventies we always went to the danbury races with my dad. we heard about the thompson 300 and decided to go i was taken back at how fast those modifieds went. i believe only a few danbury cars made the field iloved it ever since.

[MitchD1411]

Bodine had a great sponsor in Dick Armstrong, and the year he won 55 races, in the 70's, they said it cost them about 100g's, but Evans, at that point, had an excellent sponsor also, probably the best sponsor ever in the modifieds, in Gene Dewitt. That was when modified racing was the best it ever was, I think.

[modified61]

i loved watching richie race. he would get out there and set a blistering pace on any track he ran. never much for a fancy car. he always drove his car hard in the turns and always had complete control. there were other racers who were also competitive. fred desarro, the bouchards ed flemke jerry cook,geoff bodine. bugs stevens just to name a few. a lot of good memories.

[PLASMOLE]

A mans man!!!!!Gone 23 years this month....

[modified61]

a beautiful tribute to the rapid roman. without question the greatest driver ever. richie would always talk to you. he was a regular guy. thanks for posting this. it sure made my day better.

[XC0688]

King of the Modifieds, The Rapid Roman, we miss you richie.

[evans6161]

best racer ever. whoever made this tribute is awesome. any richie evans fans are welcome to our places in montana or tennessee anytime. i love richie. John 3:16.

[trinc1971]

the best modified driver to strap into a modified!!!! great pics

[danart55]

Note: youtube pulled this vid off because of an issue with copyrighted music. I added different music and uploaded it again. These following 2 comments were on the original upload:

bowlerz5:

Every time I am home I get to go into his race shop, my dad who use to work for Richie bought the shop and now there is a modified car raced out of there 47 JIM STORACE.

Sjames500:

Possibly the greatest driver ever, in all of motorsports. Shame race fans my age (late 20s) have no idea who he is.