Joe did you get an exact Date on "my time".... Just thought I would ask...
as.... well I'd Like to be there....
K ( kicking back cleaning up the shop again... fella has to do it once a
year... and each year it gets harder to find a hole to stuff this years toys
in)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Timney" <joetimney@dol.net>
To: "Land-speed List" <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2000 1:54 AM
Subject: Occupation
> This thread has been very interesting. Here is my addition:
>
> Born 1950, in South Philly (That's in South Philadelphia, PA), oldest of
> 10 children. My youth was filled with the construction & testing of
> wooden carts complete with baby buggy wheels to ride down the steepest
> hill in the 'hood, a cobblestone driveway leading down from a mob home!
> Learned early about design revisions, e.g., wood screws hold better than
> nails. Also, how to make friends with 'the neighbors'!!! ( Hey,
> Jonathan, this is where the special saying came from!!! Not printable
> here!)
>
> Married 30+ years to my high school sweetheart, we have three children,
> Heather, 24, lives in Asheville, NC, ten minutes from John Beckett. She
> works for a food service group, feeding musical groups on tour. She is a
> road warrior just like dad! My son, Matthew, 20, is a junior at the
> University Of Delaware, Studying to be an accountant...somebody has got
> to do the books here!!! Matt's passion is fishing and custom rod
> building. My Youngest is Katie Rose, 14 going on 37. Her passion...boys
> (God help me!)
>
> Worked in a gas station thru high school. Went into a machine shop,
> which led to a Tool & Die Apprenticeship at the General Electric's
> Switchgear plant in SW Philly, while attending Temple University at
> night ( in the ghetto ). After a number of years of 'dodging bullets', I
> went to work at Dupont, working on a R&D project, code named "Fibre B",
> known as Kevlar today. Had a set of tires on my big block El Camino made
> with Kevlar, wore like iron...side walls blew at 75,000 miles just like
> all of the test tires did!
>
> The energy Crisis in the mid-seventies, lead to the shut down of the
> facility, so I got a job at S&W Race Cars. My job was to tool up the
> Econo dragster productionline. Got to build all kinds of cars, I even
> got to build a dual engined drag bike! Worked at a Specialty Welding
> shop at night, got my NASA Cert and welded space jewelery, the bands for
> spacesuits. Some of my stuff made it to the moon. Money lead me back to
> Dupont where I worked in R&D, Managed Tooling, Purchasing and Materials
> Departments. Managed the Machine & Fab Shop the last four years until
> the plant was sold several times and the 'new guys' didn't need most of
> us anymore!!! So, they retired me!!!!!!.
>
> In '79, I opened my business, Delaware Chassis Works, working nights and
> weekends building cars, bikes and fabricating parts for various people.
> When I retired, I chose to just do what I wanted to do since 1979, work
> for myself! Today, I'm a toy maker, of big boy toys...who could be
> happier!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> My racing life graduated from wooden carts to drag racing in '65, my
> first ride was a hemi Coronet and proceeded poorly as I took out the
> lights at ACTO Dragway in NJ. Got involved with the Jade Grenade
> Front-Engine T/F digger , Neil Mahr's Fueler, and many other drag teams,
> touring the country. Drag racing was "MY Thing" for many years, until I
> found the ECTA in '97. Went to one meet, came home and sold my
> rear-engined Supercomp Dragster and went Landspeed Racing. Got hooked up
> with Lionel Williams & John Beckett and drove Lionel's Lakester at
> Maxton in '98, Lionel's S-10 at Bonneville in '99 and the truck and the
> Chevette at Bonneville in 2000, setting three records and getting into
> the 200MPH Club. ( I didn't say anything, Keith!!! Your time will come!)
>
> For 2001, The BWT Motorsports Group is building a new car for CompCoupe.
> We plan on making Bonneville, a thrash but I've been there before, I
> know how!!!
>
> I've got to tell you that landspeed racing has brought me back to the
> way I felt in the sixties drag racing...where everybody was your friend,
> would lend you anything, help you all night and never ask for anything.
> This is a very special deal...one to be cherished and needs everyone's
> help to keep it in good health!
>
> See you on the concrete, salt and hopefully, the dirt in 2001!!!!
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