From 2001: Dave Ledford proved two Friday nights ago that sometimes, talent will get you wins. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter that you don’t have a huge, high-dollar enclosed rig, or the newest, innovative chassis, or the highest-tech, top of the line five-figure, state of the art engine. Sometimes just good old-fashioned skill, talent and desire will bring home a checkered flag.
Last Friday night Dave Ledford proved that.
Starting on the pole, Ledford dropped the hammer when the green flag waved and never looked back as he blistered the surface at Lakeville Speedway, leading all the laps to take his career first Late Model win over defending track champion Charlie Duncan, Randy Scott, Rick Bond, Mike Mizer and Dave Wirt. Despite several cautions, Ledford only needed a lap or two to stretch his lead to a comfortable level as he set sail for the finish line over a stout field of drivers and equipment. It was a popular, and satisfying win for the veteran racer who, when one looks hard, is probably lucky to be racing.
A couple years ago Ledford didn’t know if he was even going to be around.
A couple years ago a work accident evolved into a serious, life-threatening illness for the 44 year old husband and father who subsequently underwent numerous surgeries and procedures. To say that Ledford’s lot in life had turned grim would understate the matter. Ledford was seriously ill and his long racing career was put on hold. In fact, during the period of his illness, Ledford’s racing career was thought be over.
But through the hard work of his surgeon, doctors, his devoted wife, Barb, and the grace of God, Ledford recovered and was finally able to put his life back in order. But by that time most of his equipment was sold and, for all intents and purposed, Ledford was out of the racing business.
As his health returned Ledford, who previous to becoming sick assisted local businessman and former racer Tom Sines with his racing team, who had Kenny Alexander as the driver, returned to the tracks and the pits. With his strength returning, and the desire, Sines decided he was more or less done fielding race teams. Being longtime friends, Sines, who owns Sines Enterprises where Ledford worked at the time, called Ledford one day and told him to come pick up all his equipment. Sell it or race it, it didn’t matter to him.
With three Late Models sitting in his garage, Ledford put a Mastersbilt together last year and ran a handful of events at Wayne County Speedway. At the start of the 2001 season, Ledford decided to call Lakeville Speedway home and began running there weekly. And doing quite well. As the weeks have rolled by it’s pretty obvious that the Dave Ledford of old was back, running up front and having fun.
“I knew I had to get away fast and stay away from them,” stated Ledford when asked about his victory. “I never thought it was going to end. It seemed like 50 laps! It’s hard to believe this car can still do it. It was cruising. Just got it to the ground. It was hooked!”
After returning to his pit from victory lane, Ledford was swamped with well-wishing drivers, crew members and friends.
What was so hard for Ledford, and others, to believe about the car was the fact that Ledford’s #1s Mastersbilt is a ten year old car!
When Ledford decided to go racing, he took the Mastersbilt to the shop of fellow racer Bob Eicholtz and they switched the car over to a bar car.
Being one of the last of the “old school”, Ledford has seen and done it all just about, and with his new attitude towards racing, which is more relaxed and non chalant, Ledford knows the cars capabilities and limits. Besides, Ledford is one of those racers who does his work during the week in the garage.
Prior to racing, and even hotlaps, I approached Ledford in the pits at Lakeville as found him and his crewmen, Brian Brammer and Jim Marr, taking a break in the back of their truck while the other teams pitted around them swarmed about their cars changing tires, shocks, springs and whatever else needed attention. Ledford casually sat back and sipped a Pepsi in the shade.
When it was time for Late Model hotlaps, the cars all pulled into the staging area while Ledford sat comfortably in his truck watching. When a fellow racer asked Ledford if he was coming out for hotlaps, Ledford shrugged and said why bother? I know what it will do. I have it where it needs to be. Why waste fuel? Later he took third in the first heat race and parked the car until feature time. Sending crew member Brian to the pit office to pull his pill for his starting spot, Ledford was slated to start pole. The rest is history.
“I don’t see the need to keep changing things all the time,” explained Ledford. “I like to get the car comfortable with one setup and just drive the car and get used to it. Sometimes you can outthink yourself. When we get here we got the car already ready and you see all the guys thrashing on their cars. But you know what you’re going to get. You’re going to get so much and that’s it. I don’t even work on the car at the track unless something happens.”
One other amazing fact about Ledford’s win was his motor.
Surrounded by high-dollar Malcuit’s, Draime’s and other high profile brands, Ledford took his win using an eight year old steel block McClelland Racing Engine that he was able to stick to the ground.
“It’s old,” understated Ledford when asked about his motor. “It’s a McClelland motor. All steel, GM bowtie stuff. It’s eight years old and Bob (McClelland) is tickled. He has built me some good motors. He can still build good motors. That’s the motor Bob originally built for Fred Bonecutter. Bob’s a good guy. I got two of his motors that ran good. McClelland always made me good power. I was never lacking for power. Even this little motor here, I think it helps with the tire rule. I don’t overpower the tires.”
Lakeville Speedway uses a Goodyear tire for their track tire rule and Ledford was one of those against it when it was first introduced. But since making Lakeville his weekly track, he has changed his way of thinking.
“I didn’t like the tire rule,” offered Ledford. “I swore I’d never buy them. Until this year. And riding home with the guys you look back on that trailer and you have maybe eight or ten tires with you. And two or three years ago we’d have a three row tire rack and the truck full of tires and you’d still not have enough once you got there. Maybe the tire rule is a better deal than what I thought. I won’t lie, I was against it. I didn’t like it and I didn’t care for it. But now, like I said, looking at the trailer you’re not hauling 36 tires with you.”
Ledford’s #1s (he ran the #11 for most of two decades) Mastersbilt is sponsored by Sines Enterprises, Gary’s Drive-Thru, Global Plastics, B&T Holdings, K-RaCe Racing Photos, Smitley Towing and Justice Brothers. Brian Brammer is his crewman.
Ledford has a long and successful career. Starting out back in the 1970’s in what was called the Charger division, which was a Limited Late Model class, Ledford’s first full season was in 1975 in which he claimed the Wayne County Speedway track championship. Over the next several years Ledford dominated the division, winning three track championships, setting numerous track records and often pulling hat tricks on many nights, sweeping every event each night.
Ledford’s desire to race was so great, that he fudged a little his first night out after being a fan for many years.
When Wayne County first opened in 1965, he spent weekends watching the races and grew up itching for the time when he would get a chance to run wide open with some of the best area racers.
In 1973 his stepfather, Blaine Wilson, bought a 1957 Ford to run at WCS’s Limited Late Model class. Helping to build the car and then serving as a crewman gave Ledford his first real taste of fumes and competition. He was hooked.
It also gave him a chance to pester his stepfather to let him get behind the wheel and in which he eventually succeeded, the vocal protests of his mother notwithstanding.
It was one night in 1974. With a firesuit hidden behind the seat of Wilson’s truck, the pair headed for Lakeville Speedway and Ledford’s debut as a driver.
What no one other than his stepfather knew, he was underage and did not have a written release from his mother, as if he could have gotten one.
Luck looked like it was riding on Ledford’s shoulder. Ledford started in his first race in the pole position.
“Everyone in the pits told me I should start tail, but hey, I was starting first,” Ledford remembered. “When the green flag dropped the guy behind me caught my bumper, spun me around, and I was hit on all sides of the car by the oncoming traffic. Luckily, the car was still able to run, so they put me on the tail for the restart and I finished fifth.”
The car, however, was a wreck. The next year, with a new Chevelle, a new motor, and an 18th birthday under his belt making him legal, Ledford began his first full year racing at Wayne County and Lakeville.
And it was that first year that the wins, championships and track records first started coming his way.
“We won a lot of (Limited Late Model) races, especially in ’78 and ’79,” recalled Ledford. “We were on top. That’s when I was with my stepfather, Blaine Wilson. I wouldn’t know what I know about racing if it wasn’t for Blaine. We were together for 20 years. For 20 years he stuck by me.”
In fact, for a few seasons in the Limited Late Model class at various tracks throughout Central Ohio, the dominant drivers were Ledford, Keith Berner, Bert Bailey and Jim Cushing. And the wins rolled in during the 70’s and early 80’s. Wayne County, Lakeville, Mansfield, Coshocton. Ledford, on most nights, especially at Wayne County, was the man to beat.
By the mid-80’s Ledford was racing full blown Late Models off and on, usually fielding cars as he partnered with his stepfather. He also spent a couple years racing Late Models for Bob Croskey.
While no wins in Late Models came his way, Ledford spent the 80’s and early 90’s running consistently with many top three and top five finishes. His spent many years in the final top ten in points at WCS and Lakeville. During a period that lasted a couple years, Ledford drove for Tom Peters, running his Limited Late Model at WCS but taking it to Lakeville each week to compete against the full blown Late Models. One year Ledford finished third in Lakeville’s Late Model points running a Limited Late model.
Ledford also spent several years doing more traveling, racing all around Ohio as well as West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Pennsboro Speedway was a regular stop for Ledford for several years and during the latter part of the 80’s and early 90’s, Ledford was also a frequent visitor at STARS events, making many of the sanctioned events over the years. He also traveled to Florida for several years competing in various SPEEDWEEK events.
After being laid up from work and racing during his serious, long illness, Ledford slowly came back into racing by assisting drivers like Don Gross and Kenny Alexander, who was sponsored by Sines and which led to Ledford’s current situation.
“This car, Tom wrecked it, then went and bought the Balzano car that’s in the garage. I was going to put it back together but never did. I started helping Kenny when I was working for Tom and somehow I ended up in the driver’s seat.”
“None of this would be possible without Tom Sines. Even with my bad health and everything, Tom helped me a lot. Tom’s been, from day one, good to me. Never pushed me hard. When I was building those two cars for him and helping Kenny, Tom paid all the bills and paid me my wages. When I got hurt at work, from day one he helped me. Helped my wife and kids while I was sick. It was two years and a month when I had my last surgery. Even when I quit working for him he let me keep the cars and run them.”
During our conversation we reflected on how time shave changed for the now veteran racer. Ledford now drives against many of the sons of fellow racers and we both get a chuckle when we see their fresh and invigorating energy and excitement. Ledford spent his fair share of years eating, breathing and living racing. He has had his share of bad years, good years and championship years. He spent time and resources throughout the years improving his program and making strides as well as keeping up with the new technology.
But times have changed somewhat. While the fire still burns redhot and deep, Ledford’s racing has been scaled back to more manageable means. And that’s the way he wants it. He just wants to have some fun racing without as many pressures and demands. And it’s working out. Even with his older equipment, Ledford makes the shows and has had some pretty impressive runs. Just two weeks prior to his win he scored a second.
“We’re just having fun one night a week and spending time with my family,” said Ledford, who has been married to Barb for 21 years and with whom he has a daughter, Missy, 17, and a son, Davey, 6.
“Being sick changed all that. I’d rather spend time with my family. Racing is still important and I love racing. But I realize now I don’t have the financial backing to get out there and go. I’d love to do that. But I realize now I’ve got the best of both worlds. I can spend a lot of time with my family and still race, too.”
“It’s a lot less pressure, too. I used to get all involved in the points battle and everything. Had to finish in the top ten in points every year. Just had to do that! In any division I was in I had to do that. But anymore I don’t get caught up in that. I take it as it comes. I realize there is a lot of young stars out there and they’re headhunting. They’ve got the energy and they’re going for it. I was that way. When I was younger that was it. That was life. Nothing else mattered. You worked cause that was what kept you going, but the racing was a lot more important (laughs)!”
But through nearly entire span of his career, there has been one constant in Dave Ledford’s driving career. His wife, Barb. Barb Ledford, a devoted wife and mother as there is, has been her husband’s biggest supporter and staunchest fan. Barb Ledford is one of those special women who loyalty and devotion to her husband’s racing is the envy of others.
“My wife, man, I wouldn’t know how to say it all right,” an emotional Ledford commented. “She’s just the most wonderful, most supportive person I know. I’m a lucky man. I could have never done what I was lucky enough to do in racing without her. She has been there every step of the way in more ways than one. And not even with racing. She’s a hell of a woman and a good wife and mother. I’m lucky. Real lucky.”
So after a fairly dark period, things are looking good for Dave Ledford. His family is well, his kids are supportive and adore him, and he’s racing with no pressure, no fuss, no muss. Simple. Uncomplicated. Fun.
And even a win thrown in.
Dave Ledford is, indeed, a lucky man.
And a deserving man.
©2001-2008 DOC LEHMAN/Dirt America!
Tags: Barb Ledford, Blaine Wilson, Dave Ledford, Lakeville Speedway, Wayne County Speedway
