Greg Sacks
My first memory in auto racing was a trip to the Riverhead Raceway at about 12 years old. I was a guest of Edie & Parker Wickhman friends of my family and proud sponsors of Gary Winters who ran the 380 modified. I remember that first race well because I rode to the races on the center console of their 1964 corvette. The modifieds impressed me the most and were the wildest, loudest and fastest division, one car even flew over the wall and out into the swamp. My best memory in auto racing is hard to choose because my life has been filled with fond memories of racing. But three memories at the top would have to be the first race I won off of Long Island, at Westboro Massachusetts with owner Lee Allard. This race produced a podium finish photo that I cherish. This photo includes, Richie Evans, Bugsy Stevens and Jerry Cook these three men represent sixteen years of national champions. It is very special to me. The second top memory I have was after winning the Oswego 200. The victory lap was taken in a convertible, and I was on my feet and face to face with the crowd. Because the track is so close to the fence there and somehow it felt like each cheering fan was sharing in that victory with me. And I can’t describe the feeling accept to say I made a connection with a lot of fans that day. My third top memory was to win the 1985 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway and coming in the next night to race Stafford. I arrived late and ran in the front gate instead of going around, the fans were all standing on the bleachers facing the pits and they welcomed me home with one of the most memorable cheers of any driver’s career. That made me proud to have chosen to give my all to this sport. My worst memory in auto racing was the loss of Richie Evans. I will never forget being on the track at Martinsville, driving the #5 for Ernie Wilsberg slowing for the caution flag and coming into turn three slow seeing Richie’s wrecked car before the safety workers got there, when a feeling of urgency came over me, I almost came to a stop. I just felt like something was very wrong and later in the pits having heard the news that Richie has passed, I just had to be alone that hurt deep. He was a great competitor and a great friend. And that is rare in this world. I miss Richie. The oddest thing about that whole weekend is I remember all that like it just happened, but I don’t even remember where I finished that race. I first met Eddie Partridge out at Charlie J’s barn, when I would stop by to snoop and learn what Charlie, Eddie and Ricky might be doing to their car. Back then you built everything yourself and these guys were the ones to watch at the time. They made header collectors from irrigation pipe and all kind of innovations that lasted in the sport. But the thing that impressed me the most about Eddie, was that he had one truck at the time and it was immaculate and 1st class the same way the car he worked on was kept. He and Charlie J ended up together for a reason, I thought. I can still remember Charlie walking around the car when setting it up and adjusting the wedge until he could just pick the left front wheel off the ground and then he’d say, she’s right. Eddie and Charlie felt the same about equipment. Clean, neat and built right. They were the first guys to use an aluminum I-beam for a front bumper. Charlie put it to good use at Riverhead & Islip. Eddie races for fun, for competition and to win, I am proud to be a driver for him.
Greg Sacks