Subject: [Fot] RIP - Don Brick

From: yellow04 via Fot <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 04 May 2022 08:12:34 -0400

Responding to Brian McEldowney, the new owner of the Don Brick TR4, 
prompted me to do a google search. I just realized we lost Don six weeks 
ago on March 27, 2022.

The last of the original Beady Eye gang. Sad.

While the stories of the shenanigans Bill, Bob and Don got into are the 
stuff of legend, there is one story about Don I will never forget.

More years ago that I care to admit, I am beginner racer who bought a 
derelict TR4 racecar and was trying desperately to figure out how to 
prepare it so it would finish weekends, and more importantly trying to 
figure out the art and science of race craft. I show up at Grattan for 
the first time, and I am not sure I can say I was struggling, but the 
Beady Eye boys thought I needed a primer on the track. VSCDA had a 
practice of doing lunch time parade laps at Grattan, so they cooked up 
the idea that I needed to get driven around the track by their resident 
hot shoe, Don Brick. Yes, Don was the fastest of the bunch.

These parade laps were done in race cars, and the premise was the racers 
could put their family, friends, crew, etc. in the passenger seat to get 
a birds eye view of the track. No passing, just some leisurely laps. 
Apparently, Don didn’t get the memo... Don and I climb into his TR4, my 
memory is telling me we had no fire suits or helmets, and proceed to the 
false grid. We are waived onto the track, and Don nails it. We get 
decent speed for turn one, and Don is narrating. "This is where I 
usually have to brake, but since we are not at speed yet...", he brakes 
late, turns into 1 with tires at full chat. We slide around turn one, 
and on the little straight heading for 2, we come up on the first car 
doing parade lap speed, Don just passes them! At this point, Don is at 
racing speed, and he continues to narrate his way around the course 
passing everybody. As we round the corner for the start/finish straight, 
the flagger is waiting for us, and no surprise to me Don gets black 
flagged. As we are going down the straight for turn 1, I tell Don I 
don't think we are supposed to be going full tilt, everybody else is 
going much slower. Don was not deterred, he needed to show me his 
braking point for turn 1 at speed! We proceeded to do that second lap 
way too fast, then Don dutifully pulled into pit lane and was directed 
to the black flag station where he was given the stern warning that 
lunchtime parade laps were not to be driven at speed. Don's reply with a 
smile, "Oh, OK, I didn't know."

Anybody else remember running with Don and watching his red wire wheels? 
Don insisted on running that same set of red painted wire wheels. He 
claimed he finally got a set of wheels that didn't break spokes, so he 
just kept running them. It was disconcerting to see Don in the seat 
sawing on the steering wheel, and you could see the hubs on the car 
moving with his motions, but the rim and tires couldn't keep up the 
hubs, you could almost see the spokes stretching with every turn of the 
steering wheel!

Farewell, my friend.
_______________________________________________
[email-masked]

http://www.fot-racing.com

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From: Mike Jackson via Fot <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 04 May 2022 14:41:41 +0000

Sad news but we're all getting older and that crew had a head start.  Surely they will live on in legend with the endless stories repeated over and over.
It's not clear that vintage racing will ever again have characters like that.
 
It was always such a thrill to be with the Beady Eye guys each year at Mid-Ohio.  Nearly 20 straight years under the big oak tree in the grass paddock.
Truth be told, Don was a much better driver than Bob and Bill.  But, with those wire wheels and skinny tires he was only going to corner  so fast and hence not lead often.
 
Don worked for a cheese factory and always brought some of the stuff they produced for cheese contests.  Who ever knew there was such a thing?
 
I tried to  talk Don out of retiring from racing in his last year of competition.  Wiz and Bill wanted him to continue as well but he wasnt gonna change his mind.
 
It is great to  know that his car will continue to be used and run!  So many others just disappear.  One of my best friends to this day, John Harkness, lived quite close to Mid-O ran a baby  blue TR3 to great success.  He eventually sold his and we saw it entered in a race or two and then never again.  So sad, that thing flew and we had many great races.  This is my 35th year with my TR3.  We can only hope that when its my time to retire that someone will get it and love it as does Henry with Dentinger's car.
 
Say - does everyone know where the Beady Eye name comes  from?  Bill owned a stone masonry contracting company  and did work on many iconic buildings in the Milwaukee area.  The name of the company was BDI - Bill Dentinger Inc
 
Mike
 
-----Original Message-----  
From: yellow04
Sent: May 4, 2022 8:14 AM
To:
Subject: [Fot] RIP - Don Brick
 
Responding to Brian McEldowney, the new owner of the Don Brick TR4, prompted me to do a google search. I just realized we lost Don six weeks ago on March 27, 2022.

While the stories of the shenanigans Bill, Bob and Don got into are the stuff of legend, there is one story about Don I will never forget.
 
More years ago that I care to admit, I am beginner racer who bought a derelict TR4 racecar and was trying desperately to figure out how to prepare it so it would finish weekends, and more importantly trying to figure out the art and science of race craft. I show up at Grattan for the first time, and I am not sure I can say I was struggling, but the Beady Eye boys thought I needed a primer on the track. VSCDA had a practice of doing lunch time parade laps at Grattan, so they cooked up the idea that I needed to get driven around the track by their resident hot shoe, Don Brick. Yes, Don was the fastest of the bunch.
 
These parade laps were done in race cars, and the premise was the racers could put their family, friends, crew, etc. in the passenger seat to get a birds eye view of the track. No passing, just some leisurely laps. Apparently, Don didn’t get the memo... Don and I climb into his TR4, my memory is telling me we had no fire suits or helmets, and proceed to the false grid. We are waived onto the track, and Don nails it. We get decent speed for turn one, and Don is narrating. "This is where I usually have to brake, but since we are not at speed yet...", he brakes late, turns into 1 with tires at full chat. We slide around turn one, and on the little straight heading for 2, we come up on the first car doing parade lap speed, Don just passes them! At this point, Don is at racing speed, and he continues to narrate his way around the course passing everybody. As we round the corner for the start/finish straight, the flagger is waiting for us, and no surprise to me Don gets black flagged. As we are going down the straight for turn 1, I tell Don I don't think we are supposed to be going full tilt, everybody else is going much slower. Don was not deterred, he needed to show me his braking point for turn 1 at speed! We proceeded to do that second lap way too fast, then Don dutifully pulled into pit lane and was directed to the black flag station where he was given the stern warning that lunchtime parade laps were not to be driven at speed. Don's reply with a smile, "Oh, OK, I didn't know."
 
Anybody else remember running with Don and watching his red wire wheels? Don insisted on running that same set of red painted wire wheels. He claimed he finally got a set of wheels that didn't break spokes, so he just kept running them. It was disconcerting to see Don in the seat sawing on the steering wheel, and you could see the hubs on the car moving with his motions, but the rim and tires couldn't keep up the hubs, you could almost see the spokes stretching with every turn of the steering wheel!
 
Farewell, my friend.

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From: Steven Belfer via Fot <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 May 2022 13:38:37 -0700

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Don was a very nice guy with a room brightening smile!  My dad built an engi=
ne for Don=E2=80=99s 4 as well as ironed out the rear axle hop with some spe=
cial links and bars to the rear axle. The car was pretty unreliable and unsa=
fe before the upgrades.  My dad, Mike, really enjoyed being with Don, Bill, a=
nd Bob, and was their de facto crew chief.=20

Don once gave me a terrible T-shirt that said , It=E2=80=99s better with but=
ter.  And he took me aside to impart onto me a dairy trade secret that I sha=
ll pass in to you.  Award winning Swiss cheese should have holes no smaller t=
han a dime and no bigger than a nickel. =20

Race in peace, Don

~Steve Belfer

> On May 4, 2022, at 1:26 PM, Robert Lang via Fot <[email-masked]> wrote=
:
>=20
> =EF=BB=BF
> I saw Don race a few times, fun stuff. He knew how to "wheel" a car.
>=20
> Regarding the former Harkness car, it was purchased by Rich Bolton and he r=
an it for around 2 years but wound up getting side-tracked with his kids rac=
ing karts and his 50-foot yawl(!) - when I last checked in NOV 21, the Harkn=
ess was in a barn in Northern VT waiting for a new owner.
>=20
> I'm pretty sure it's still there as well as all the pieces to make it whol=
e again.
>=20
> c ya (at PVGP),
> Bob Lang
>=20
> On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 10:44:09 AM EDT, Mike Jackson via Fot <fot@auto=
x.team.net> wrote:
>=20
>=20
> It is great to  know that his car will continue to be used and run!  So ma=
ny others just disappear.  One of my best friends to this day, John Harkness=
, lived quite close to Mid-O ran a baby  blue TR3 to great success.  He even=
tually sold his and we saw it entered in a race or two and then never again.=
  So sad, that thing flew and we had many great races.  This is my 35th year=
 with my TR3.  We can only hope that when its my time to retire that someone=
 will get it and love it as does Henry with Dentinger's car.
> =20
> Say - does everyone know where the Beady Eye name comes  from?  Bill owned=
 a stone masonry contracting company  and did work on many iconic buildings i=
n the Milwaukee area.  The name of the company was BDI - Bill Dentinger Inc
> =20
> Mike
> =20
> -----Original Message----- =20
> From: yellow04
> =20
> Responding to Brian McEldowney, the new owner of the Don Brick TR4, prompt=
ed me to do a google search. I just realized we lost Don six weeks ago on Ma=
rch 27, 2022.
> =20
> =20
> While the stories of the shenanigans Bill, Bob and Don got into are the st=
uff of legend, there is one story about Don I will never forget.
> =20
> More years ago that I care to admit, I am beginner racer who bought a dere=
lict TR4 racecar and was trying desperately to figure out how to prepare it s=
o it would finish weekends, and more importantly trying to figure out the ar=
t and science of race craft. I show up at Grattan for the first time, and I a=
m not sure I can say I was struggling, but the Beady Eye boys thought I need=
ed a primer on the track. VSCDA had a practice of doing lunch time parade la=
ps at Grattan, so they cooked up the idea that I needed to get driven around=
 the track by their resident hot shoe, Don Brick. Yes, Don was the fastest o=
f the bunch.
> =20
> These parade laps were done in race cars, and the premise was the racers c=
ould put their family, friends, crew, etc. in the passenger seat to get a bi=
rds eye view of the track. No passing, just some leisurely laps. Apparently,=
 Don didn=E2=80=99t get the memo... Don and I climb into his TR4, my memory i=
s telling me we had no fire suits or helmets, and proceed to the false grid.=
 We are waived onto the track, and Don nails it. We get decent speed for tur=
n one, and Don is narrating. "This is where I usually have to brake, but sin=
ce we are not at speed yet...", he brakes late, turns into 1 with tires at f=
ull chat. We slide around turn one, and on the little straight heading for 2=
, we come up on the first car doing parade lap speed, Don just passes them! A=
t this point, Don is at racing speed, and he continues to narrate his way ar=
ound the course passing everybody. As we round the corner for the start/fini=
sh straight, the flagger is waiting for us, and no surprise to me Don gets b=
lack flagged. As we are going down the straight for turn 1, I tell Don I don=
't think we are supposed to be going full tilt, everybody else is going much=
 slower. Don was not deterred, he needed to show me his braking point for tu=
rn 1 at speed! We proceeded to do that second lap way too fast, then Don dut=
ifully pulled into pit lane and was directed to the black flag station where=
 he was given the stern warning that lunchtime parade laps were not to be dr=
iven at speed. Don's reply with a smile, "Oh, OK, I didn't know."
> =20
> Anybody else remember running with Don and watching his red wire wheels? D=
on insisted on running that same set of red painted wire wheels. He claimed h=
e finally got a set of wheels that didn't break spokes, so he just kept runn=
ing them. It was disconcerting to see Don in the seat sawing on the steering=
 wheel, and you could see the hubs on the car moving with his motions, but t=
he rim and tires couldn't keep up the hubs, you could almost see the spokes s=
tretching with every turn of the steering wheel!
> =20
> =20
> =20
> Archive: ( (http://www.team.net/pipermail/fot (http://autox.team.net/archi=
ve)))
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/grandwazoo@e=
arthlink.net
> =20
>=20
>=20
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/robertlangtr=
[email-masked]
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/steve@artwit=
hcars.com
>=20
>=20

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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto">Don was a very nice guy with a room brighte=
ning smile! &nbsp;My dad built an engine for Don=E2=80=99s 4 as well as iron=
ed out the rear axle hop with some special links and bars to the rear axle. T=
he car was pretty unreliable and unsafe before the upgrades. &nbsp;My dad, M=
ike, really enjoyed being with Don, Bill, and Bob, and was their de facto cr=
ew chief.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Don once gave me a terrible T-shirt that s=
aid , It=E2=80=99s better with butter. &nbsp;And he took me aside to impart o=
nto me a dairy trade secret that I shall pass in to you. &nbsp;Award winning=
 Swiss cheese should have holes no smaller than a dime and no bigger than a n=
ickel. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Race in peace, Don<br><br><div dir=3D=
"ltr">~Steve Belfer<div><br></div></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote typ=
e=3D"cite">On May 4, 2022, at 1:26 PM, Robert Lang via Fot &lt;[email-masked]=
m.net&gt; wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div di=
r=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF<div class=3D"ydpebff58ccyahoo-style-wrap" style=3D"font-=
family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div></=
div>
        <div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">I saw Don race a few times, f=
un stuff. He knew how to "wheel" a car.<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdi=
r=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">Regarding the f=
ormer Harkness car, it was purchased by Rich Bolton and he ran it for around=
 2 years but wound up getting side-tracked with his kids racing karts and hi=
s 50-foot yawl(!) - when I last checked in NOV 21, the Harkness was in a bar=
n in Northern VT waiting for a new owner.</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D=
"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">I'm pretty sure it'=
s still there as well as all the pieces to make it whole again.</div><div di=
r=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"fa=
lse">c ya (at PVGP),</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">Bob Lang<br=
></div><div><br></div>
       =20
        </div><div id=3D"ydp88cadfe1yahoo_quoted_2087200683" class=3D"ydp88c=
adfe1yahoo_quoted">
            <div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sa=
ns-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;">
               =20
                <div>
                    On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 10:44:09 AM EDT, Mike Jackson=
 via Fot &lt;[email-masked]&gt; wrote:
                </div>
                <div><br></div>
                <div><br></div><div><div dir=3D"ltr">It is great to&nbsp; kn=
ow that his car will continue to be used and run!&nbsp; So many others just d=
isappear.&nbsp; One of my best friends to this day, John Harkness, lived qui=
te close to Mid-O ran a baby&nbsp; blue TR3 to great success.&nbsp; He event=
ually sold his and we saw it entered in a race or two and then never again.&=
nbsp; So sad, that thing flew and we had many great races.&nbsp; This is my 3=
5th year with my TR3.&nbsp; We can only hope that when its my time to retire=
 that someone will get it and love it as does Henry with Dentinger's car.<br=
></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Say - does everyone=
 know where the Beady Eye name comes&nbsp; from?&nbsp; Bill owned a stone ma=
sonry contracting company&nbsp; and did work on many iconic buildings in the=
 Milwaukee area.&nbsp; The name of the company was BDI - Bill Dentinger Inc<=
br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Mike<br></div><di=
v dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">-----Original Message-----&nb=
sp;&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">From: yellow04<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr"=
>Sent: May 4, 2022 8:14 AM<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">To:<br></div><div dir=3D=
"ltr">Subject: [Fot] RIP - Don Brick<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></d=
iv><div dir=3D"ltr">Responding to Brian McEldowney, the new owner of the Don=
 Brick TR4, prompted me to do a google search. I just realized we lost Don s=
ix weeks ago on March 27, 2022.<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><d=
iv dir=3D"ltr">The last of the original Beady Eye gang. Sad.<br></div><div d=
ir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">While the stories of the shenani=
gans Bill, Bob and Don got into are the stuff of legend, there is one story a=
bout Don I will never forget.<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div=
 dir=3D"ltr">More years ago that I care to admit, I am beginner racer who bo=
ught a derelict TR4 racecar and was trying desperately to figure out how to p=
repare it so it would finish weekends, and more importantly trying to figure=
 out the art and science of race craft. I show up at Grattan for the first t=
ime, and I am not sure I can say I was struggling, but the Beady Eye boys th=
ought I needed a primer on the track. VSCDA had a practice of doing lunch ti=
me parade laps at Grattan, so they cooked up the idea that I needed to get d=
riven around the track by their resident hot shoe, Don Brick. Yes, Don was t=
he fastest of the bunch.<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D=
"ltr">These parade laps were done in race cars, and the premise was the race=
rs could put their family, friends, crew, etc. in the passenger seat to get a=
 birds eye view of the track. No passing, just some leisurely laps. Apparent=
ly, Don didn=E2=80=99t get the memo... Don and I climb into his TR4, my memo=
ry is telling me we had no fire suits or helmets, and proceed to the false g=
rid. We are waived onto the track, and Don nails it. We get decent speed for=
 turn one, and Don is narrating. "This is where I usually have to brake, but=
 since we are not at speed yet...", he brakes late, turns into 1 with tires a=
t full chat. We slide around turn one, and on the little straight heading fo=
r 2, we come up on the first car doing parade lap speed, Don just passes the=
m! At this point, Don is at racing speed, and he continues to narrate his wa=
y around the course passing everybody. As we round the corner for the start/=
finish straight, the flagger is waiting for us, and no surprise to me Don ge=
ts black flagged. As we are going down the straight for turn 1, I tell Don I=
 don't think we are supposed to be going full tilt, everybody else is going m=
uch slower. Don was not deterred, he needed to show me his braking point for=
 turn 1 at speed! We proceeded to do that second lap way too fast, then Don d=
utifully pulled into pit lane and was directed to the black flag station whe=
re he was given the stern warning that lunchtime parade laps were not to be d=
riven at speed. Don's reply with a smile, "Oh, OK, I didn't know."<br></div>=
<div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Anybody else remember runn=
ing with Don and watching his red wire wheels? Don insisted on running that s=
ame set of red painted wire wheels. He claimed he finally got a set of wheel=
s that didn't break spokes, so he just kept running them. It was disconcerti=
ng to see Don in the seat sawing on the steering wheel, and you could see th=
e hubs on the car moving with his motions, but the rim and tires couldn't ke=
ep up the hubs, you could almost see the spokes stretching with every turn o=
f the steering wheel!<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"=
ltr">Farewell, my friend.<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">________________________=
_______________________<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><a href=3D"mailto:fot@auto=
x.team.net" rel=3D"nofollow" target=3D"_blank">[email-masked]</a><br></d=
iv><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp;<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><a href=3D"http://www.f=
ot-racing.com" rel=3D"nofollow" target=3D"_blank">http://www.fot-racing.com<=
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r><span>[email-masked]</span><br><span></span><br><span>http://www.fot-r=
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