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Whatever happened to Doug Shepard?


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#1 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 05:37 PM

During phase two of my slot car life I had occasion to race in AZ and SoCal with some really great guys, had good solid racing experiences, and some loss of funds after investing in a friend's track. One of the guys that I ran across was Doug Sheppard. He was a serious competitor and quite a craftsman. Immaculate green cars with gobs of horsepower for I15 class hat were always in the hunt.
 
I don't see his name on any tech sheets or photos from BPR. Does anyone know what became of Doug?
 
Jesse Gonzales




#2 Bill from NH

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 06:55 PM

Jesse,

Doug became quite a PITA on OWH as "Local Racer" before Slotblog was created.

Years ago, someone posted he was out of slots and had moved to the Midwest to sell real estate. I haven't heard any more about Doug for 12-15 years.
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#3 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 07:49 PM

Thanks Bill, one of my biggest regrets has been not staying in touch with the guys from 1966-1973 (January) most of them are dead. The guys from 1983-1992 many are dead and others won't answer e-mail. I miss going for pizza & a pitcher after a race with friends.

 

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#4 bbr

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 08:25 PM

Doug was racing HO, building routed HO tracks, and web hosting in the 90s and then I heard he when back to the midwest to care for his dad.

 

yeh sometimes he was a pita, but was well organized, I think he worked for Toyota Corp. in Torrance when he was in So Cal

 

http://www.gofastest.com/


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#5 drrufo

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 08:40 PM

I thought that name was familiar. He is the ***hole that won't take down Dan Ruddocks old site. I called him after I bought the business and he told me he wouldn't take it down.
Understand I own the name and  everything connected to the work that Dan did. I still get people trying to reach me after they go to the old site. I am getting too tired for this crap, it is lawyer time.

 

John Andersen


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#6 drrufo

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 08:42 PM

Come on Greg, let me vent.

 

John


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#7 MSwiss

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 08:54 PM

Yes, he always put real clean cars on the starting line.

 

I did witness him examine, with a jeweler's loop, a mistagged Mura G20 arm, at the USRA Nat's Box 12/15 race, and deem it "legal looking", and the racer went on to win the race, and later on, the World's Box 12/15 Championship, also.

 

I also saw Doug, while teching at the 93 Western States, when a racer insisted his diaplane was rounded enough at the corners, to pass tech, slash it across the racer's forearm, putting about a 8" long white line, along it, and declare, "No it isn't. Fix it".


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#8 bbr

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 09:11 PM

Doug was funny... here is a guy that is enforcing rules in slot racing, but then he gave me a ride back to LA from SD and all the time he was way over the speed limit and had a radar detector on his dash, LOL


Mike Low
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Give me enough rope and I'll build a fast car... or hang myself?

#9 Phil Hackett

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 09:50 PM

Someone just had to pull this name out of the past... 


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#10 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 10:43 PM

Sorry for pulling any scabs off old wounds, as I said he always fielded fast good looking cars and was at least honest as hell to me when he and Bob Scott told me I got whacked out of two main move ups at two separate races by a former track owner here in Phoenix. That made me quit again just two weeks before my third daughter's birth in 1992, I'g had enough of track owners, except Mike Marquez.

 

Jesse



#11 Phil Hackett

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 01:23 AM

You didn't pulll any  scabs, it is just that there's many of Doug Sheppard stories to be told and, like I told another member about Monty Ohren, they're The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. As far as I'm concerned there's no need to air the bedding from those long ago days.


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#12 Phil Hackett

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 01:25 AM

Yes, he always put real clean cars on the starting line.

 

I did witness him examine, with a jeweler's loop, a mistagged Mura G20 arm, at the USRA Nat's Box 12/15 race, and deem it "legal looking", and the racer went on to win the race, and later on, the World's Box 12/15 Championship, also.

 

I also saw Doug, while teching at the 93 Western States, when a racer insisted his diaplane was rounded enough at the corners, to pass tech, slash it across the racer's forearm, putting about a 8" long white line, along it, and declare, "No it isn't. Fix it".

 

I didn't know about this incident, but from my experiences, I believe this 100%.


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#13 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 01:27 AM

Sorry, Phil... I could see Doug doing this.
 
Jesse

#14 Zippity

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 02:21 AM

DS_small.jpg

 

Is he still alive?


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#15 Phil Smith

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 07:43 AM

I very much liked and disliked him at the same time. Extremely rude and annoying, but very funny.


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#16 Bill from NH

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 08:14 AM

I thought that name was familiar. He is the ***hole that won't take down Dan Ruddocks old site. I called him after I bought the business and he told me he wouldn't take it down.
Understand I own the name and  everything connected to the work that Dan did. I still get people trying to reach me after they go to the old site. I am getting too tired for this crap, it is lawyer time.

 
John, I know it's no comfort to you, but the link to Doug's created websites that Mike posted in post #4 shows a lot of raceways and other businesses that closed long ago and the sites should have been taken down. One is for Greg's "Slot Car Enthusiast" magazine which stopped publication in 1999.
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#17 Gil Gundersen

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 09:57 AM

Probably the best SoCal USRA president ever. It was my way or the highway. Ran everything like a well-oiled clock.

A great friend, great builder, and great racer. Miss that guy.

Hi Jesse,Remember you from the old Mesa orange track.
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#18 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 02:07 PM

Gil,

 

I remember you when a few of us stopped in at Thorp to get some of my winds balanced and buy some blanks. You brought them with you to the track in West Covina (an American orange) I still have vivid memories of our rides car being searched by the Pomona PD looking for drugs only to find four slot car racers. I've always considered you a friend and am glad you are doing well.

 

The track in Mesa was a launching ramp that just looked like an orange, good thing the AZ racers built hell-for-strong chassis. :-)

 

I always liked the preparation that Doug took with his cars; yes, he was different but never gave me any problems.

 

Take care and if you see Bob Green tell him I said hello.

 

Jesse



#19 Mbloes

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 04:24 PM

Probably the best SoCal USRA president ever. It was my way or the highway. Ran everything like a well-oiled clock.

 

This was my experience as well. I wasn't the most "emotional" (or successful) racer, so I never really had to put myself in a position to be confrontational with him.

 

I will unashamedly take at least partial credit for stoking interest in Eurosport in SoCal. I was racing ES in San Francisco (where it was pretty well-established) when I moved back to LA in 1990. I remember running my ES cars at Mark LaRue's and both Doug and Monty wanted to check my cars out because they were something new.

 

At any rate, my Eurosport crew in the '90s when I raced was:

 

Monty

Doug Shepard

Foam

Greg Gilbert

Mike Boemker

Joe Gallo - From Hemet

Steve ? - also from Hemet

Bob Scott, sometimes

Tore, sometimes

Chuck Vaughn, who makes the oil, tire conditioner

John ? - very nice guy from San Diego

Dan Wise (!)

 

And I'm sure a few others that I don't remember.


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#20 Mbloes

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 04:35 PM

I also saw Doug, while teching at the 93 Western States...

 

Mike, you came out here for the Western States? These could have a good turnout sometimes but otherwise weren't exactly the biggest races.


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#21 MSwiss

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 05:34 PM

That year it was at Barry's Flashtrax, managed by Beuf and Bob Scott.

It was big, especially in I15.

Keith Keeler was there.

I remember, later in the year, going to the Reseda Nats and wondering how it was possible there was only one or two entries more in I15.

IOW, a lot of local I15 racers skipped the Nats.


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#22 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 05:58 PM

Was Mark's the track in an industrial park? I raced there once and had a good weekend of racing. Many of the guys listed above were around during both of my racing stints. I wasn't the guy that went around visiting with everyone, just nodded and said hello to the guys I knew and offered help if needed.

 

Jesse Gonzales



#23 Mbloes

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 06:13 PM

Yes, it was called Bullitt Raceway and I believe it was in Paramount. Mark kept it pretty tidy and he ran a tight ship.

 

Bullitt and Eagle (Vic) were my favorite tracks.


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#24 Ramcatlarry

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Posted 09 April 2019 - 09:45 PM

No Facebook post for Doug since 2013...


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#25 Jesse Gonzales

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Posted 10 April 2019 - 12:06 AM

With all the luck I've had looking for old friends and guys I intended to slug the next time I saw them I'm afraid to look for Doug only to find out he died. It may be best just to forget that I wondered what happened rather than coming up with bad news for some and a good riddance for others.

 

Now on to Arnie Atkins...

 

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