If you've been a member of Slotblog for a few years you probably know of Mason-Dixon Retro's Billy Gerhart, who is crew chief for his brother Bobby Gerhart in the 1:1 ARCA Racing Series. Bobby and Billy have pretty much owned the Daytona ARCA 200 race, having won the event eight times from 1999 to 2012.
Until today, I didn't know that their father, Bobby Gerhart Sr, was a very successful modified racer in the Pennsylvania area from 1954 through 1980.
There's a great piece on Gerhart Sr, authored by Don Radebaugh, that was posted to the ARCA website yesterday. It features extensive quotes from Billy and Bobby talking about their dad.
As Billy said when he sent me the link, "Greg, now you know why we race!"
Billy and Bobby with their father
"You can’t hardly miss the resemblance in the faded black and white photos, and there’s no doubt where the No. 5 came from. In fact, without the hard-earned racing legacy so solidly established by Bobby Gerhart, Sr., it’s certainly possible that we may never have known about his sons whose Daytona achievements are now records for the ages.
With just the right mix of grit and guts – and it took plenty of both back then – Gerhart, Sr. worked his way up through the steel mills of eastern Pennsylvania into one of the most formidable modified warriors of his time. During the height of his career, he raced three and four nights a week to put food on the table… all the while raising, along with his wife Anne, five hungry kids in a jam-packed row house in Lebanon, Pennsylvania."
Click HERE to read the rest of this terrific article.
Bobby and Billy will be competing again in the 52nd annual ARCA Lucas Oil 200, which kicks off 2015 Speedweeks at Daytona on February 14. I know who I'll be rooting for!
