GENE TAPIA

Saw Gene Tapia race many times. 

  Saw him win the World 300 in the yellow Campbell Construction super.  He drove that thing like a mad man that night.  Toward the end of the race he was driving faster than ever. 

  He was definitely "in the zone"  This was before the days when everyone wore driving suits, and he had on an ordinary work shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  Reason I can remember that so is because when he'd come down the front stretch under the track lights, his arms would glisten as the sweat and oil that was on them caught the light reflection. 

NOTE: This was the 1968 World 300 at Mobile. The race was run in two 150-lap segments. Gene was running second on about lap 140. He decided to pass the leader, who was driving a Pontiac. When the field went back out on the track for the second 150-lap race, Tapia was the leader in the No. 327. Since there were no radios back in those days, Gene had no way of knowing how far behind his competition was.

   "I lost track of him," said Gene. "Whenever I would come out of a turn, I would look back, but I never saw him. Heck, I just figured he was right on my bumper, and so I just drove faster and faster, to keep him from catching me."

   The truth is the car Gene was worried about blew his engine on about lap 170, and pitted.

   Gene finished the race nine laps ahead of the second-place finisher.

   You may read more about this race in the book, "The Gene Tapia Story," King of the Supermodifieds.

  He showed up at the Laurel track one Thursday night wearing a three-piece suit, looking like a banker.  Boy did he catch a lot of flack from Armond and some of the others about that.  

  He raced occasionally here in Jackson  in the late 50's on dirt too, driving a pink # C-400 34 Ford.  I think the car was from New Orleans.   He also ran in Gulfport and Mobile in the X.  you can see it under the Pass Road Speedway link on Tobby's site.

  That supermodified circuit Skip Wetchen promoted back then was truly something with the drivers being able to race 5 nights a week.   Great memories.  Good luck with your site.  Hope you have as much fun with it as Tobby and I have had with this one.  He and his Dad restored their old 34 Ford dirt car and I'm working on restoration of an old  B modified car from the Hooker Hood era that used to race dirt in West Memphis.    Jack.....www.misschicken.com