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Behind the WheelWITHAL DeANGELO(CONTINUED FROM FACEin one Trenton event, when his fuel tank ran dry to position him 13tJi, bis Islip best was thirct pl^cc.None of tn?se contests does he regard as his touglies^ and most memorable, naming his first appearance at Norwood, Mass., the most gruelling, and almost frustrating. “We changed gbina t waive times that nigiil between warmiips and the 50-lap feature in which I placed fourth. I recall that Bill Slater, who won tne title again in '63, got the main that’night.Most of his rivals there were familiarwith the track not DeAngelo keep searchingand what ’gear to puli, hut and his crew, who had to for it.Johnny Itocfeo is named as one driver who went out of his way to help A1 overcome handling problems in his early racing days and Roceo, now the official starter at Islip, is included with Jim Hendrickson (now also driving TQ midgets as well as stocks these days) and Axel Anderson and Joe Kelly as mejst formidable foes in stocks. Hendrickson, who preceded A1 as Pine Brook champ in 1962,[is regarded along with Jim Lacy, Tony Bonadies, Len Duncan and Geor-gie Cousin as ‘tough guys1’ in the TQs.Favorite tracks for him are Islip (naturally), Wajll Stadium in Beimar, N.J. — where he lias driven both stocks and TQs in occasional combination meets — the Fleming ton (NJ.) Fairgrounds (“1 haven't raced much on) clay tracks but love that speedway) and the Daytona Beach biggie, ATs previous winning of the Islip championship brought him the Autolite deal whereby he represented the speedway in the Daytona nationals for modified stocks, being paid mileage and receiving other subsidies as did all track kings; actually he qualified twice tjiat year — 1968 ~ by also winning the Polo Grounds track honors, this in Bill Miceika'st car from Glen Cove, N.Y.They had the misfortune to blow the engine in time-ttoale on the 2V-mile tri-ovaland ao watchedj the race, vrmett waa highlighted by a spectacular first-lap crash involving upward* of 87-cars. (Some say 60were in this cr^sh).DeAngelo has made one other Daytona trip since then, las a spectator, and he now is eligible for tjie Autolite deal, but does not intend making the annual Spaed Weeks activity, arranged by Bill France in late February. His reasons are sensible; “...to run that track a driver has to have a late model car and up here all we have are the pre-war machines with post-war engines; they would nevezj get the job done, I know.** Last winter AI was all set to go, but a severe cose of ufters hospitalized him shortly before Speed was that. “NextWeeks came due, and that to rain on any race night I put those tilcerif that stopped me that year as my biggest hates'/*A stock car bwncr once, in 1950, when he sold the madiine at the end of the season, AI moved from Flushing to a new home in islip Terrace, land is currently available for stock car rifle, severing his connections with his 1963 owner. His racing record speaks for itself, but mention should bemade that he is like a playing coach in football in that herlf equipped jyol only tocotier advice aa to engine and handling changes, but also lie can personally make them, if need be. In other words, he is more than a driver.DeAngelo will continue to wheel Bob Pouieton s 707 m TQ midget car competition 5n l96lt this proving a happy comlnnation-A bouncy sort1 of guy, AI sunered an embarrassing injury la*I October when he sufierod a biOket^anlcJe juid pulled lendbns of the light leg while horse-playing with his husky ]4-year-uid son, Henry, aiasr the annual i 00-mile slock car race at Lahg-boroe, Pa.; U-weeks of wearing a cast and special boot ‘followed, Uu*y rcccuUy being discarded alter presenting;* minor handicap during his participation m the ufioor races at the Islrtd Garden, West Hempstead, N.Y. It was his throttle fool that was injured, you ,see.Though left-handed from infancy, Ai batted right-handed in softball. At Chami-nade High School in Mmeoia, Long Island, be ran the 100-yard dash on Uip track team,was a crack shot on the rifle team, but got the most benefit from tooting the saxophone in the school band.Though not a Rudy Vallee on the horn he was able to put together a five-piece band for area functions and he says “... I met my wonderful wile, Char lotto, while playing at a church dance. To this day he prefers popular music.While many husbands forget their wedding anniversaries and enter the dog housefor the oversight, this can never happen jn the DeAngelo home; reason, they were married on the 4th of July.AI is a Thmu^jh l owner a Marlboro man who does on hunting and prating, like the ri v ^ also Ufcestraveling- with lus lainny uunug tnlt;sf on-season, Lately, between indoor and outdoor racing, there is no ©if-season as such.The family haa been AI, t.uawolte and Henry* who will lie 15 in May' until lrt April when AI, Jr. joined them.Al's parents are deceased,. }le lost his father when lie was 21 and his mother seven years later. Brother, Hank, and c.u lotto attend occasional races with son,Henry,’mokes most of his met'a with him.There is no long list of drivers pi*oficjcnt on both macadam and clay but given mort time on the “loose stuff AI could /be a* standout. Islip* s season usual, y end a a suorl time'before Fleming ton's and AI wpuld get m a few meets on the latter course before it was ail over; he liked it no end And observers liked Jiis performances there.1964 could find him racing at many speedways, depending on choices o£ the car owner; Islip, Walt, Old Bridge, Fort Dix, Pine Brook, Flemington, Vineland, Harmony and others could be included.Lxuberant, a hard driver and great competitor at all times. A) DeAnge*o 'will impress you with his vitality and cheerfulness at first meeting and the longer you know him the more definite is this impression, lie's quite a guy, I would say.
Newspaper Details
Illustrated Speedway News
Brooklyn, New York, US
Tue, Jan 28, 1964
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
NY, USA 16 Sep 2020
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Illustrated Speedway News
