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Senior Moment From Russ Dodge:
Fact or Fiction, True or False, Wild Man ?
I hope that you are prepared to start a
Senior Moment that will have to be broken down into several installments. My
subject is a natural and came to me this week as I completed a photo collage
of the "Wild Man" Elton Hildreth.
Before I even start, the air must be cleared that I will not fabricate any
information included and that it is based strictly on my memory. I ask that
all stories presented are accepted as is and without judgment! While some
may have been stretched or distorted by time maybe, I have never found any
untruth at the center core! Elton Hildreth is a master showman and story
teller. Regardless of the topic, racing, super natural or life, he can keep
a group silenced for hours as he unravels his vast array of stories and
tales! Realizing that racing is ENTERTAINMENT, he honed his skills with his
keen mind and developed a "persona" unequaled by many in the sport.
I'm a relatively new comer to the Hildreth legion, developing my friendship
after Elton hung up his helmet. I always tell him I never liked him.
Whenever I went to Vineland as a teenager, I had to put up with all those
people wearing orange and black and cheering for him! I was a Pete Frazee
fan!
Elton's response, "He was alright after I got him straightened out!" I
remembered the big feud between the two of them. Elton said Pete thought he
could do anything he wanted to do if he was leading the race and I told him
he could hold a line but not move all over to block me.
The feud (difference of opinion) was real, Elton was a "promoter's dream"
when he came in on race night with a big steel plow shaped front bumper on
the 16-J which he said was made to cut Pete's car in half if he blocked him
again! Of course the safety inspectors made him remove the bumper before
they would let him race. However, promoter Bill Nocco let Elton warm-up with
it on his car while announcer Frank Basile pointed it out to the crowd and
explained its purpose. Wasn't it fortunate that it wasn't really welded on
Elton's car but held on with a couple bolts for a quick removal! However, I
have to note that Elton and Pete had a couple mishaps on the track during
that period of time. Two wrecks I believe, were a result of the little pony
tire on the left front of the 16-J being run over by Pete big right side
tires! Thank goodness a discussion at the speedway banquet led to the ending
of that feud period and a good friendship developed between Elton and Pete
over the years.
Kentucky driver Hoss Hayes with the Pontiac powered 5 above is really Elton
at Langhorne, October, 1960. Elton had been used in advertisements for the
race. However in 1959 NASCAR had fined several NASCAR drivers for competing
in the open competition event at Langhorne, so Elton decided to appear as
Hoss Hayes for the event! The "cat was out of the bag" when promoter Al
Gerber announce over the PA system that it was really Elton in disguise.
(Elton Story) When I first got there I went walking in the pits and came
across Monk Keller walking along. I started talking to him and it became
apparent to Elton that Monk didn't have a clue it was him. So Elton lead the
conversation in a direction that started to agitate Monk. It wasn't until
Monk turned and was getting ready to "clobber" him that he said "Monk! It's
me, Elton!" Another second and it would have been too late! Most people
don't know that Hoss ran the 16-J in a heat at Nazareth one afternoon much
to the chagrin of Elton's dad, who didn't want that stranger in Elton's car!
Traveling to numerous Old Timer events, EMPA, GSVSCC and NOTARC and others,
I had a great opportunity to ask Elton about all the stories I heard growing
up in the sport, about his "antics" both on and off the track. I would
simple say as an example, " True or False Wild Man, did you really land an
airplane on the roof of a barn?" The laughter would then follow as the
master guided you through the event. "It wasn't a barn the Wild Man replied,
it was a garage. To which I asked, "How did you do it?" To which he
explained, " It was easy, all I had to do was...
We'll continue with the PLANE story and a few more next time!
Senior moment by Russ Dodge |