[Fot] Bill Dentinger

[trhouse at columbus.rr.com]

Bill did a calendar with the Beady Eye Racer on it probably after Mid
Ohio 92 . It still hangs in my office and I think about him often 

	-----------------------------------------From: "yellow04 via Fot" 
To: fot at autox.team.net
Cc: 
Sent: Tuesday January 19 2021 12:04:08PM
Subject: Re: [Fot] Bill Dentinger

 Bill meant a lot of things to a lot of people. One thing for sure, if
 you had the pleasure to meet Bill, you certainly did not forget him.
I
 have many fond memories, like sitting on the grid as some event in
the
 broiling heat waiting our turn to take the track and hearing Bill, at
 the top of his lungs, singing some completely inappropriate song to
no
 one in particular. Or at a huge SVRA event, hundred of drivers are
 intently listening to Jack Woehrle or Carl Jensen trying to get
through
 a drivers meeting and Bill would just heckle the crap out of them.
Not
 privately, mind you, but in a voice that everybody in the county
would
 hear. And it was hysterical.

 Bill was a racer at heart. The number of events that the Beady Eye
 Vintage Triumph Racing team ran annually was impressive. Remember
Bill
 had Old Blue, Bob Wismer had the #4 blue TR4 (now campaigned by Paul
 Ricco), and between them they co-owned the Thunderbolt, an extremely
 limited production special from Tornado Cars, based on the TR3. They
 would trade off season to season driving the Thunderbolt and their
 respective TR. There was no expense spared on the preparation of
either
 his or Bob's cars. Any discussion of the Beady Eye team is incomplete
 without mentioning Don Brick, the third member of the team. Don raced
a
 white TR4 with red wire wheels, and might have been the speediest of
the
 group, I believe the last year he ran was 2005.

 Bill was quite proud of the fact that Old Blue, a 1956 TR3, was the
most
 period correct vintage racer on track in the country. While I never
 researched it, nobody who heard the story doubted it. The amount of
 Triumph Competition Department equipment in the car was impressive. A
 race car since new, Bill was only the second racer to track the car.

 At some point over the course our friendship I must have mentioned to
 Bill how much I liked Old Blue, and would like to own the car when he
is
 ready to hang up the helmet for the last time. (I am confident
alcohol
 was involved in this conversation!) This turned into Bill selling the
 car to me back in 2014. My trip to Wisconsin to pick up the car and
 spares was both delightful and melancholy, you knew it was the end of
an
 era. But Bill had high hopes I would keep the flame alive. My intent
was
 to keep the car as period correct as possible, but make it safe and
fun.
 I think I have struck a good compromise, some of those Competition
 Department goodies have made way for more suitable replacements, but
for
 the most part the car remains remarkably period correct.

 Every time I had a race weekend with the car I would email Bill and
tell
 him how things went. We exchanged mail and it was obvious he was
 genuinely excited to see Old Blue still on track, doing better and
 better. It all came together at the Jefferson 500 at Summit Point in
 2019, it was one of those weekends we all dream of. Picture perfect
 weather, and you get grouped with a bunch of racers that are great
 competition and you are running with fast guys up front. Then the
stars
 align and you take first in both feature races. I strung together
some
 in-car footage from three sessions that weekend and sent it to Bill.
He
 and his son Dick watched it on the "Big Screen", I got the impression
he
 was as excited as I was!

 In memory of Bill, I am sharing a view that he enjoyed for years,
 looking over the bonnet of Old Blue. You will be missed, my friend...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bCcXLlOR-k
 />
 Henry Frye
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