#ThrowbackThursday

[@dankindrew7603]

Going through old videos.i sure miss this track for dirt week

[@gregorygolden1296]

I grew up watching Gary race in South Florida. Gary was always fast. He spent a great deal of time and effort to make sure everything was right. His crew were as dedicated as he was. Hours and hours at the shop is one reason he won and won.

[@tomchrisfield7348]

The track looked smooth and fast, I wish I could have been there. So sad that the track is gone forever, I was there for the last race.

[@pauljstod8804]

I went in 1979 to Super Dirt Week and a couple Labor Day shows, place was something else

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

IIRC 1980 was either mud or freezing cold. Its been a while. It wasnt great to be there, actually. Not in a tent anyway.

[@nathangannon5933]

Thank you Kenny and Gary. If it weren't for the innovators that stretched the rules to the limit we'd still be watching the old Hudsons and Fords still.

[@skittlecar1]

We would have evolved to Caravan, PT Cruiser, HHR, Kia Soul and Chevy Equinox bodies.

[@KEIFabrication]

I am reading Gary's book "HOT SHOE" right now and I just finished the chapter where he talks in great detail about the Syracuse races. So coo to see the car he was talking about actually in that race. Man I wish I could have made it to one of those Syracuse races! His book is a MUST read!

[@RussellMiller-z2l]

Yep they were good shows in syr

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

My two memories of Gary Balough: this race and "Gary Balough Keeps America Rolling" tshirts that had him in a sprint car that was turned into a boat.

[@youknoweverything7643]

Kenny weld is a legend chassis builder for asphalt and dirt lates sprints and mods

[@racermac1988]

I have this in full... Miss the days of innovation like this.

[@richierich396]

Kenny was nerdy, but smart as hell.

[@edmiller8396]

I wish someone had 1981, when Lou Blaney finished second to Treichler. That was the car I painted and lettered that was on the cover of Stock Car Magazine.

[@tex.45]

Everyone was so intrigued by the car design they paid little attention to what was under the hood which was a big part of the car's dominance.

[@caseysmith544]

That car had a Lincoln Continental car frame on the thing, I think it had a Lincoln Engine with better gearbox like for a Galaxy 500 non XL.

[@speedracer4588]

@@caseysmith544 wrong, wrong,and wrong. Try again. .

[@healthyone100]

Balough was a very smooth driver going into the turns he drove the car straight all around the track never getting it sideways!

[@RCT1963]

I have on idea what 'type' of cars these are but i know i love them.

[@DixietheGoat9]

They were known as Gremlins

[@janetracer]

Gary should have said " I heard all my fans saying Baloooooooo.

[@turbo1438]

How about that flag man!?

[@mjriemen]

That guy is nuts!

[@DixietheGoat9]

Really Balough and the Batmobile was a cheat code literally no one stood a chance

[@rocknron4698]

They'll never be another like this one..!

[@ONEWHEELHOMER]

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO FIND THE PEOPLE THAT PREPARED THE TRACK THAT YEAR !!! IT LOOKED GREAT !!! IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE THEY MIGHT OF HAD A WATER TRUCK AND SOMEBODY THAT ''CARED'' ABOUT PUTTING ON A GOOD SHOW !!!!

[@veggieoilerfan2940]

MOUNTAIN MISSLE It rained prior to the start of the 1980 race.

[@freshprinceofbellair2362]

Tacky as

[@stephaneblais2646]

RIP Syracuse

[@dee3368]

the roof is an actual sprint car wing with the side panels removed genius

[@DEATHTRAPHOTRODS]

no the roof is a Lincoln roof

[@seanhenderson8693]

It's disgusting how the crowd reacted to his win, Kenny weld did his homework, built a beautiful car (WITHIN) the rules and was successful with a good driver! It has been said that the reaction of the crowd hurt him so much he lost faith in racing and turned to drugs and illegal activities, Wether he was already doing that before I am not sure but if things had of been different and he could enjoy that win maybe his future may have taken a different path. Maybe Kenny would still be alive and running weldtech heads

[@truthof7382]

sean henderson within the rules? Take your head out of your ass.

[@caseysmith544]

@Bobb Grimley Yep soon after the rules changed for Dirt Stock modified racing.

[@Commander-McBragg]

Best win ever.

[@youknoweverything7643]

So much aerodynamic advantage he did to that car and those lovers allow alot of air to enter the motor and intake for lots more hp. Something that simple can make a car way faster then rest doesn't take much sometimes to make a really fast car and dominate

[@DEATHTRAPHOTRODS]

#112 one of the greatest drivers of all time!!

[@troytheboygaming9395]

That was the best track

[@taylorhorner1065]

How bout that flag man! Lol dude is wild

[@Crisgo3d]

Damn, that lead was crazy

[@quintinsutphin6035]

That’s pretty cool

[@Loyster14]

That suppose to be a Lincoln that Gary Balough was driving

[@georgiabandit1321]

Nice track

[@billthecomet8391]

I was there!

[@alfonsopreciado6821]

What creace hotrods

[@usachristmas5433]

Balough invaded Flemington for a midweek 100 lap show in a pink #9 and smoked the field. We were all like “ who the hell is this guy”

[@usachristmas5433]

@Bobb Grimley The same name

[@healthyone100]

Balough came to Fonda for the first time in 1974 and won against guys like jack johnson, lou lazzaro, dave lape that impressed me so much i became an instant fan!

[@walterkowalskisr186]

...and just so you know, Lazzaro went to Orange County in 1978, started last in the 200 and destroyed the field. All great drivers can win anywhere.

[@healthyone100]

@@walterkowalskisr186 i agree but Balough had no expierence at Fonda!

[@healthyone100]

@@walterkowalskisr186 Balough never got the car sideways drove it straight into the turns great driver!

[@jeremythompson9122]

Jumpin Jack Johnson was always my favorite dirt track driver. Used to watch him every Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, every Saturday night at Fonda Speedway, and sometimes on Sunday at Utica-Rome or Devil's Bowl in Vermont. I always really liked Richie Evans too back when Albany-Saratoga was a NASCAR sanctioned asphalt track in the early to mid 70's. I think Richie would've been great in the Cup series as well. Junior Johnson said Richie was one of the best drivers he's ever seen and I'd have to agree with Junior on that one. 9 NASCAR Modified championships says it all and he would've won even more titles if he didn't get killed at Martinsville in 1985

[@healthyone100]

@@jeremythompson9122 yeah i remember the good old days at albany saratoga when it was asphalt my girl friend and i would go every fridat she liked denny gerioux from canada i liked louie in his valilant body car!

[@jacobcoil2739]

They put it to em

[@plantfeeder6677]

Crowd boos a Hotrod Lincoln beating a bunch of fugly Gremlins. That's one messed up crowd in NY.

[@wymple09]

Zero sympathy for drug runners. Screw them.

[@caseysmith544]

No it was how he won with such a car that he had put a wing inside the body that most others did not do to stay in the rules. Sure there was a number of the Gremlins but I did see a modified AMC Javelin and a Modified 1932-1934 Ford Coupe or a modified 1930's Chevy Streamliner. They Booed due to a guy who the car designer had to make a rule for so that wings on a non Supermodified/Unlimited Modified series were ban after this season.

[@plantfeeder6677]

@@caseysmith544 ya I get it. Nobody likes a winner in racing unless you can cheat and not get caught. even though the cars of today would blow that hotrod lincoln into the weeds. To me this is what happens when you take cars designed for bullrings and put em on a superspeedway. Someone is going to figure out aerodynamics can make a huge difference. I applaud the out of the box thinking. I can understand the whoa wtf from everybody else. I'll bet this race pays well so why not invest some thought and money. The track and series set themselves up for what happened. The dig is just the thought of people booing a Lincoln in favor of AMC Gremlins. Everything else removed there's just something not right about that:)

[@Rusty-o7d]

Those were the days my friend, If they had patented that body change before they showed up they would have been multimillionaires .always a good show in syr, they bitched a lot but funny every car still has the balaugh air system,

[@truthof7382]

It’s an Indy car racing agains stock cars.

[@tex.45]

IIIII

[@dontaft6517]

The Cocaine crew

[@bultacowally]

geeze totally forgot about Gary the racing drug lord...

[@pauljstod8804]

Hot shoe Gary Balough

[@lucillecook1052]

They'll never be another like this one..!