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Stan Burdick Has Seen It All At Rockford
By: Kevin Ramsell
Tuesday, March 20, 2007 (Loves Park, IL) – A regular attendee of the
Rockford Speedway would easily recognize him while a new fan will notice him
right away at the start of every racing event. Stan Burdick and the
Rockford Speedway will both reach a milestone in 2007.
Burdick has been a long fixture of the Rockford Speedway. In fact, as
the Speedway prepares to celebrate its 60th season on Saturday, April 7th,
Burdick will be starting his 60th year of working for the legendary
quarter-mile oval.
Burdick has enjoyed watching just about every event at the Speedway since it
was built in 1948. In fact, Burdick was involved in that as well.
“I worked with the guy that dug the racetrack at that time,” Burdick
recently stated. “E.B. Davis dug the track.”
Each week, fans and drivers will easily recognize Burdick as he stands in the
infield and sends each car out, one at a time for time trials. But, more
fans and drivers will know Burdick as the person who lights the fuse to the
firework blast that let’s everyone know that the racing action is about to
begin.
To say that Burdick has seen it all would be an understatement, “I didn’t
miss any (events) until just a few years ago,” Burdick stated about his
tenure. “I thought it was just time to go and see what else was going
on.”
When asked what memories stand out, he recalled when Mark Martin won the 1977
National Short Track Championships and watching his good friend Joe Shear race
around the high banked quarter-mile oval.
One of the things that Burdick has seen changed over the 60 years is the cars
that compete on the track itself, “A lot of changes, different type of
cars,” Burdick stated. “It used to be you just build a car, now
it’s you buy the parts and you build a car. There is no Yankee
ingenuity left. You can’t cheat anymore; it used to be the biggest
cheater was the winner.”
One of Burdick’s biggest recollections was Hugh Deery, the well-known
promoter of the Speedway until his passing in 1984. Today, Hugh’s
widow, Jody, is the promoter.
“There were six other people to own the racetrack before Hugh,” Burdick
recalled. “Then Hugh bought into it and then Bill Ernest bought into
it and they were the two owners. And then they had a disagreement or
something and it was either you buy me or I buy you out and Hugh bought Bill
Ernest out.”
Burdick remembers Hugh as an entertainer, “Hugh’s idea of the racetrack
was to entertain the people.” Burdick stated. “It is not a
racetrack it is an entertainment center where people come to be
entertained.” Burdick also remembers that he was a nice guy to work
for and had a flair for fashion wearing fancy jackets and a bow tie, “He
always had a bow tie on.”
Burdick received the Hugh G. Deery Memorial Award in 1990.
Burdick has no plans on slowing down. “I sure would like to be here
for another 60 years,” he stated. “It (the speedway) will be here as
long as it can be here.”
The 60th season starts on Saturday, April 7th with the Spring Smash-O-Rama.
The 30th Annual Spring Classic will take place on April 14-15 with the
Wisconsin Challenge Series, Big 8 Series, and the Mid-American Series will be
in action along with the first ever Hornet vs. Bandit Challenge.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly racing action will kick off on
Saturday, April 21st.
For more information or to get your advance tickets, please call the track
office at (815) 633-1500 or visit the website at www.rockfordspeedway.com.
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