The 4th Turn  ~ by Tom Boggie

I saw C.D. Coville smile Tuesday night.

It wasn’t one of those smirks I had become so used to seeing for 20-some years ago, which usually followed statements like “Finishing second just means you’re the first loser,” or “You can’t take points to Price Chopper and buy a loaf of bread.”

No, this was a genuine, ear-to-ear smile, as fan after fan came up to him to get an autograph, shake his hand and tell him how much he had entertained them during his racing career.

“The Tribute” at Albany-Saratoga Speedway Tuesday also honored Jack Johnson, but it turned out to be C.D. Coville Night.

It was a shame that Jumpin’ Jack wasn’t there to share some stories about the days he and Coville would put on shows at Albany-Saratoga and Fonda Speedway, but as most everyone knows, Johnson is fighting a daily battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. So on Tuesday night, it was up to Coville to carry the show, and he was glad to do it.

Prior to the festivities, I told C.D. I needed five minutes of his time, and while we were leaning against the side of Stewart Friesen’s hauler, I started asking questions and C.D. got on a roll.
Here are some of his best quotes from that discussion.

“There were many times when I was having fun. There were a lot of fun times, and there were a lot of great times. It was like a drug. I always loved being able to run all the way around without lifting, like at Flemington, That was a good night. I think the ultimate experience would be running a wingless midget around The Ridge.”

“I never thought I was good enough. I thought I always had to improve. Sometimes it was easier to beat them in the pits than it was on the track.”

“[Pep] Pepicelli used to ask me how deep to go into three [at Fonda]. I told him until it got expensive.”

“Will Cagle always said when they [fans] stop booing you, it’s time to get a job.”

“There were a lot of memorable nights. My first wins at Bridgeport. It was either four 12s or three 12s, and I won two or three of them [it was 1986, and he won two]. That was a real accomplishment, to come from the rear. My second place at Reading, that was memorable. There were also so many memorable nights where I didn’t even finish,” “It always seemed like Jack and I were racing against each other. It was a game to see who could get to the front first. We’d come up on a car, and he’d look over on one side and see that orange nose. Then he’d look over and see me on the other side. They’d always turn into me and let Jack go.”

“I never went into a race thinking I had to put on a show, but most of the time, that was how it worked out.”

“I lost the 4th of July race at the Fairgrounds because they moved the finish line. They had a picture of me winning the race at the flagstand, and [car owner Mark Hauser] got on the radio and told me I’d won. Then they said they had moved the finish line back to the fat lady in the fourth turn. I could have been leading back there, too. Who knows?”

“At this point in time, it’s all imagination. Everyone has a story. I keep reading about the night I went out of Lebanon Valley. Everyone says I drove the car around outside the track and came back in. I DID NOT drive the car around. I broke the steering arm when I went out of the track.”

“I never knew I was a legend. A myth, maybe, but not a legend.”

Coville may not think he’s a legend, but there are a lot of race fans who would argue that point.

ANOTHER TRIBUTE

There was a tribute within “The Tribute” Tuesday night, and most fans probably didn’t even notice it.
In the posters that Paul Lakata produced for “The Tribute,” there is a fan in the upper righthand side wearing a Coville 61 shirt.

That is Bob Lockrow, who was a diehard Coville fan. “Bob was dying of cancer. I had wanted to get the painting done so he could see it, but he didn’t make it” said Lakata. Lockrow died in March at the age of 81.

AROUND THE TRACKS

Andy Romano had to put substitute drivers in his car last week while Peter Britten, the 2017 champion at Albany-Saratoga, took some time off to deal with a back injury. Jeff Trombley drove Romano’s 97 last Friday, and Marc Johnson was behind the wheel on Tuesday for “The Tribute.”

Dave Lape informed me that when Fonda Speedway holds its tribute to Jack Johnson on Wednesday, Aug. 1, the last cars that Johnson, Lape and Lou Lazzaro drove during their careers will be on display at the Track of Champions.

After starting on the pole and fading to 10th in “The Tribute,” Ronnie Johnson knows he’s got to go back to the drawing board. “We were good until the track slicked up,” he said. “I’ve got to find a setup for a slick track. We’ve got a 20-lap race car right now.”

Friesen won the first pole of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career last weekend, and then finished second to Johnny Sauter in the PPG 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. This Saturday, Friesen will be competing at Iowa.

Bobby Varin won his second modified feature in a row at Fonda Speedway last weekend. There’s no question that when Friesen is running the Halmar truck, Varin is the man to beat at Fonda.

Ken Tremont Jr. came from a 24th starting position to win last Sunday’s modified feature at Devil’s Bowl. “We had a terrible car earlier, but my guys kept working at it and I caught the right breaks in traffic.” In three starts at the Bowl this year, Tremont had a second and two wins.

The Ridge added modifieds to its card last Sunday, and only drew a dozen cars. But Rocky Warner and Jake Spraker teamed up for their first win of the season in the feature. Varin was second, and rookie Jack Lerner was an impressive third.

After recording his first career limited sportsman win at Albany-Saratoga on Friday, Dylan Bokus went to Fonda Saturday and won there, too. But he was disqualified for a rev box infraction, giving the win to Travis Billington.

Congratulations to Kim Duell for recording the 50th win of his career in Tuesday night’s pro stock feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Duell started winning races in the hobby stock class at Malta in the early 1980s, and also had three modified victories at Devil’s Bowl. Almost half of his victories (22) have come in the pro stock class at Malta, and he’s won the pro stock championship on both dirt and asphalt.