e11.16.08__U2_BUT_REA_0070

Photo ID #	e11.16.08__U2_BUT_REA_0070_1
Car #:	#U2
Driver (s) :	Gary Butler
Location:	Reading, PA
Date:	1970's
Photographer:	Bob Eppihimer
Photo provided by:	Mike Feltenberger
Comments:	Comment from Mike: Here is a photo of Gary Butler taken at the Reading Fairgrounds with the soon to be full grandstand in the background.Butler had a storied career at Reading,most known for his horrific crash into the turn 1 wall as his throttle stuck. A sight seen in racing in the 60's and 70's were those great injector stacks. It is hard to believe that Reading will be closed 30 years in June of '09. Photo taken by former Reading driver Bob Eppihimer. Supplied by Mike Feltenberger

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Date:	Visitor's Name:	Comment:
11/21/08	Walter Onora	I believe Gary drove at East Windsor once in a while. Can somebody verify this.
11/22/08	3Wide	There are photos in the 70's section of Gary in a very lightweight silver #U2 that he ran at EWS and Bridgeport. In fact, I think he was pretty dominant for a while at both tracks, especially at Bridgeport in the Sportsman division.
12/30/08	George Gwynn, Jr.	I was pretty good friends with Gary back in those days. He was a steamfitter, pipefitter by trade so he knew welding and fabrication. Gary was from Exton, PA and like Eddie Mumford, from nearby West Chester, got his start at Grandview. That was back when Grandview had some terrific competitors who were ready to make a name for themselves in the sport of Modified and Sprint Car racing. Glenn and Paul Fitzcharles, Dave Kelly, Jim Baker and others were weekly fixtures on "the hill." Gary and Eddie both built their own racecars and both built them as light as the rules would allow. If I remember correctly, the night that Gary had that brutal crash, in Reading's first turn, was the annual Daniel Boone race where he qualified on the front row. Gary did race at EWS on occasion and had some solid runs about everywhere he raced. I firmly believe that had Gary had the opportunity to race for a longer period of time that he could have been a big winner.