MIKE MUNSON...#30 LATE MODEL
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6/29.04
CLAY COUNTY
I WENT TO THE PIT AREA TO GET SOME INTERVIEWS AND TO MY DIELIGHT RAN INTO MIKE MUNSON....I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MIKE'S OLDER BROTHER JERRY...
I REMEMBER MIKE SOMEWHAT FROM OUR SCHOOL YEARS AND CAN SEE WHY HE GOT INTO RACING... ...
MIKE TOLD ME THAT HE STARTED RACING IN 1966 AT THE AGE OF 16... I ASKED HIM IF JERRY HAD RACED AND HE TOLD ME ONLY A LITTLE AND IT WAS DEMOLATION DERBY...BUT HE TOLD ME THAT JERRY HAD BEEN A FLAGMAN IN OLNEY....
I ASKED MIKE WHAT HAD INSPIRED TO START RACING AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO THE RACES WITH HIS DAD AND WITH BUCKY RUSSELL.... I REMEMBER MY DAD TALKING ABOUT BUCKY RUSSELL... MIKE TOLD ME THAT IS WHY HE HAS THE CAR NUMBER #30......
I ASKED MIKE WHERE WE CAN FIND HIM RACING AND HE SAID THAT WHEN HE DOES RACE IT IS USUALLY AT MT. VERNON.... MIKE IS SEMI RETIRED....... HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BEEN RACING FOR OVER 35 YEARS AND THAT HE HAS RACED ALL OVER..BEEN TO ALABAMA, OHIO, INDIANIA AND OHIO.....
HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RACED WITH KENNY SCHRADER AND WITH RUSTY WALLACE....
I ASKED MIKE HIS OPINION ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD RACE CAR DRIVER AND HE TOLD ME "PATIENCE" BUT THAT IT ALSO TAKES INSIGHT INTO READING THE TRACK AND READING YOUR COMPETITOR..
I ASKED HIM WHO HIS TOUGHEST COMPETITOR WAS AND HE SAID THAT NOW DAYS IT HAS TO BE RODNEY MELVIN..SAYS HE IS VERY TOUGH BUT LIKES DRIVING WITH HIM.... SAID IN EARLIER DAYS IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TOM HELFLECK..(spelling isn't right ..have to check this out..owner of Haubstadt)....
I ASKED HIM HIS LONG TIME GOAL AND HE TOLD ME HE WOULD LIKE TO WIN ONE MORE TIME BEFORE CALLING IT QUITS...
HE TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE EVENTS FOR HIM WAS WHEN HE WON A BIG RACE AT PADUCAH, KENTUCKY..
ANOTHER TIME AT PUTNAM .he told me that they had put a bounty on "RAY GODSEY" and he didn't even know it...Ray had been winning there pretty regular and the crowd just went wild when Mike passed him on the 23rd lap and held on to win....!!!!
WHEN ASKED IF HE WOULD CHANGE ANYTHING AND HE LAUGHED AND TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE WON MORE....AND THEN ADDED THAT HE WOULD HAVE PUT MAKING A LIVING FIRST AND THEN MADE RACING 2ND...
HE SAID IN THE BEGINNING DAYS HE HAD A LOT OF HELP BUT NOW IT WAS PRETTY MUCH HIM AND HIS FRIEND BRETT NEELEY...
HE TOLD ME HE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO GERALD MATHENY WHO RAN THE MATHENY STATION IN OBLONG AND THE MECHANIC FRED MICHAEL......HE SAID GERALD FURNISHED HIS ENGINE AND FRED PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO IT FOR HIM.... MUCH APPRECIATED THESE TWO PEOPLE...
MIKE ... THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW... WAS NICE SEEING YOU AGAIN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS...
CJ