17 replies to this topic

[KPotter]

I just found out today that Tommy Hesselgesser passed away last Tuesday.
He and his brother Dick raced in the area for several years.

http://www.legacy.co...p;pid=163456809

Attached Files

•  TommyH_1973.jpg   150.39KB   296 downloads

[Walt Wimer]

Sad news!! I saw the obit in tonight's paper and thought that was Tommy. His brother Dick was my second "Western PA Rookie of the Year" in 1969. The following year, in 1970, Tommy started racing and was runner-up to Bucky Ogle for the award. That was the first year I had a panel to make the selection. This year's award will be the 45th!! I never thought of such when I started the award in 1968!! R. I. P. Tommy Walt

[ramorganti]

sad news.. did one of them run a number 71. I wish God's best for his family.

[Walt Wimer]

Yes, Dick Hesselgesser ran the #71 It was a '57 Chevy when he won rookie of the year in 1969. \Dick won the last race of the year at Lernerville in 69 on Sept. 26 beating Dick Swartzlander and Ohio driver Skip Evans. Dick also won the final at Blanket Hill that year on Sept. on Sept. 21 beating Dave Hoffman and Gene Pennington. Tommy Hesselgesser won at Lernerville on July 24, 1970 and again June 4, 1971 driving car #72. Bob Wearing was second in that one!! Dick won again on June 19, 1970 but those were their only ever wins at Lernerville. Of hand, I don't think they ever won elsewhere, but would have to check my record books a bit closer!! GOOD RACING!!! Walt

[tjtrackrabbit]

RIP Tommy, prayers for the family.

[KPotter]

As I recall, they had a total of 3 cars over the years. The first "The Original Haulinas" was the '57 Chevy number 71. If I remember correctly, it had a gasser style front end and wasn't legal to run as a late model so they ran with the coupes. Next came the Nova in the above picture "Haulinas II" a more traditional late model car. Dick then had a Metroploitan (I think) number 71 to run with the coupes. Both were very pleasant people.

[lepsch1]

THANK YOU WALT WIMER FOR THE INTERESTING FACTS REGARDING THIS RACER FROM THE PAST YOU ARE ALWAYS A GOOD SOURCE OF INFO OF HISTORICAL FACTS RELATED TO AREA RACING IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED

[lm/0/12/71/72]

THANK YOU WALT WIMER FOR THE INTERESTING FACTS REGARDING THIS RACER FROM THE PAST YOU ARE ALWAYS A GOOD SOURCE OF INFO OF HISTORICAL FACTS RELATED TO AREA RACING IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED

Thanks for the posting Gene. It's been a tough week or so for me, Tom was a childhood friend and I helped him and Dick on all their cars, Tom raced about 10 Yrs., so we were togther a long time. We were in the garage 3 or more days aweek and at the track sometimes 4 nights. Tom had the 57 passed down to him when Dick built his Chevelle.Tom actually had 4 cars, the 57 # 71Jr., a Nova that we put the # 72 on that we caught on fire and almost burned his Dad's tractor business garage down in the process, then he bought the Renno/Minton Nova that Dave Hoffman drove it was # 12 because Tom's favorite driver then was Bobbie Allison, then we built a square tubing leaf spring big block Camaro bodied car that we pretty much ran only at Ferd Wallace's Clearfield Mountain Speedway,it was #12 also, he didn't run the last 2 cars at many other tracks except for Clearfield so you may not have seen those cars around here. Tom raced at Lernerville,North Hills,Blanket Hill,Motordrome,Jennerstown,Smuckers ( Latrobe ) Sharon, Sportsman's , Expo,Wayne County,Raceway 7, I-79 Speedway in W.VA, Tri City and probably some I am forgetting. Dick had the 57, a Chevelle, then he bought the Metro from either Bill or Bob Craig, parked the Chevelle for awhile, put the Big Block in it and raced coupes awhile, then went back to Late Models, then Dick built a Camaro, a 67 or 68 that actually had a bullet hole below the back window, we left it there for a conversation piece, that was Haulinas II. Tom was always there to help anybody that needed it. He helped his nephews Mike and Jeff Miller get started in racing, that's where Mike got the # 72 on his Big Block Mod. Except for the # 0 that's where I got my handle lm/0/12/71/72, the #0 was from Dick Gill. Thanks again and please keep the Hesselgesser family in your prayers.

[KPotter]

Thanks for the posting Gene. It's been a tough week or so for me, Tom was a childhood friend and I helped him and Dick on all their cars, Tom raced about 10 Yrs., so we were togther a long time. We were in the garage 3 or more days aweek and at the track sometimes 4 nights. Tom had the 57 passed down to him when Dick built his Chevelle.Tom actually had 4 cars, the 57 # 71Jr., a Nova that we put the # 72 on that we caught on fire and almost burned his Dad's tractor business garage down in the process, then he bought the Renno/Minton Nova that Dave Hoffman drove it was # 12 because Tom's favorite driver then was Bobbie Allison, then we built a square tubing leaf spring big block Camaro bodied car that we pretty much ran only at Ferd Wallace's Clearfield Mountain Speedway,it was #12 also, he didn't run the last 2 cars at many other tracks except for Clearfield so you may not have seen those cars around here. Tom raced at Lernerville,North Hills,Blanket Hill,Motordrome,Jennerstown,Smuckers ( Latrobe ) Sharon, Sportsman's , Expo,Wayne County,Raceway 7, I-79 Speedway in W.VA, Tri City and probably some I am forgetting. Dick had the 57, a Chevelle, then he bought the Metro from either Bill or Bob Craig, parked the Chevelle for awhile, put the Big Block in it and raced coupes awhile, then went back to Late Models, then Dick built a Camaro, a 67 or 68 that actually had a bullet hole below the back window, we left it there for a conversation piece, that was Haulinas II. Tom was always there to help anybody that needed it. He helped his nephews Mike and Jeff Miller get started in racing, that's where Mike got the # 72 on his Big Block Mod. Except for the # 0 that's where I got my handle lm/0/12/71/72, the #0 was from Dick Gill. Thanks again and please keep the Hesselgesser family in your prayers.

Wow, I don't remember some of those cars. especialy the Camaros. I remember paying a few visits to the tractor shop to see the racecars. And yes, both Tom and Dick were very nice people.

[Walt Wimer]

When Tom Hesselgesser won at Lernerville on July 24, 1970 the car number was 71jr. But by the time he won his second Lernerville race in 1971 he had changed his number to 72. When he changed to #12 I amnot sure except for the photo above. I never knew the change was due his being a Bobby Allison fan!! We had something in common that i was not aware of. Although I am a native of western PA., I spent a lot of time in Florida during the 1950s and first half of the 60s due to my dad's health. I started following Bobby Allison back in his Modified days of the early 60s when he. his brother Donnie, and Red Farmer went to racing Modifieds in Alabama. From then on I was an Alison fan until that crash at Pocono ended his career. He still remains at the top of my all time NASCAR favorites list!! Although Farmer and the Allison brothers were known as the "Alabama Gang" in NASCAR, all three got their start racing in south Florida. I was in grade school when I first saw Farmer run!! And Red is still racing dirt Late Models at the Talladega Short Track today!! GOOD RACING TO ALL !!! Walt

[dhess71]

Sad news!! I saw the obit in tonight's paper and thought that was Tommy. His brother Dick was my second "Western PA Rookie of the Year" in 1969. The following year, in 1970, Tommy started racing and was runner-up to Bucky Ogle for the award. That was the first year I had a panel to make the selection. This year's award will be the 45th!! I never thought of such when I started the award in 1968!!

R. I. P. Tommy

Walt

[dhess71]

Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts and memorys of Tommy. As one who got him involved in the sport to start with , I can look back at all the fun and frustrations we had racing. It was one thing we truly loved to do. Although I moved away from Western PA in 1979, it was still the center of dirt track racing, for me. I was very happy that Tommy continued racing. I was also very gratifying to see my sons, Mike & Jeff Miller continue the racing tradition. Although Tom wasn't involved in racing in the past years, the last race he went to was at Lernerville to see Mike win the 2011 Sportman season and points championship and the get to talk to some of his old racing buddys. Again, thank you to everyone for the memorys of Western PA racing and of Tommy. 'Love my little brother R.I.P. Dick

Attached Files

•  Tom_No72_1971.jpg   967.94KB   45 downloads

[lm/0/12/71/72]

Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts and memorys of Tommy. As one who got him involved in the sport to start with , I can look back at all the fun and frustrations we had racing. It was one thing we truly loved to do. Although I moved away from Western PA in 1979, it was still the center of dirt track racing, for me. I was very happy that Tommy continued racing. I was also very gratifying to see my sons, Mike & Jeff Miller continue the racing tradition.
Although Tom wasn't involved in racing in the past years, the last race he went to was at Lernerville to see Mike win the 2011 Sportman season and points championship and the get to talk to some of his old racing buddys.
Again, thank you to everyone for the memorys of Western PA racing and of Tommy.

'Love my little brother
R.I.P.

Dick

Dick it's good to see your posting, we are gonna miss him, Jim.

[lm/0/12/71/72]

Dick it's good to see your posting, we are gonna miss him, Jim.

Ken, Tom also ran Semi Late for awhile, a small block with a 2 barrel and a floater rearend against the Auction Barn cars, Dave Pegher Deke Scott and many of the other top divers in that division, he also drove a Semi Late at Lernerville, a number 48 , that I think the next year the owners built the Cochran Pontiac # 1 that they hired Lynn Geisler to drive. Dick may remember more than me.

[lube265]

Reat in Peace Tom

[lube265]

Did tom drive for Ray Fergson for a short time also...

[dhess71]

Did tom drive for Ray Fergson for a short time also...

Fergie owned the #71 Coupe I drove & Tommy drove it once at Butler. Although he didn't drive it, he sure helped work on it a lot.

Dick

[lube265]

Tom was a Good Guy