MLB Cleveland Indian Born in Fort William

by Jeff Caldwell
Jeff Heath played 1383 games in the outfield in the majors for 14 years from 1936-49,playing for Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators,St Louis Browns and Boston Braves. Heath was born April 1 1915 in Fort William Ontario played High School baseball in Seattle Washington and retiring there after his career. In his career Heath had 1447 hits with a .293 career average,he smacked in 887 runs,hit 194 homers 3 of them grand slams! An All Star in 1941 & 1943 Heath is one of a handful of players in baseball history to belong to the 20-20-20-20 club,hitting at least 20 singles ,20 doubles,20 triples and 20 home runs in a season. Jeff Heath did this in 1941 with the Cleveland Indians. Jeff Heath was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. For complete career stats follow the following link.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heathje01.shtml

John Jones

by Jeff Caldwell

John Jones would actually do little racing locally but would have quite a career in racing, he would go from racing go-carts in the K-Mart parking lot to bigger and better things, making his way to auto racing‘s crown jewel, the Indianapolis 500, and the famed 24 Hours of Lemans in France. John started racing, not on the dirt tracks in Thunder Bay but racing on the ice in winter along side his dad Tom and brother Parnelli in the early 1980's. In 1982 John won the fiercely competitive Mid-Canada Series, then switched to a F2000 car. In 1983 he started racing in the Canadian Formula Ford 2000 series for 2 litre cars and left his mark that year, convincingly capturing the Walter Wolf and Canadian Tire championships in both '83 and '84. In 1985 Jones would move to the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) to compete ,driving a Mustang for legendary car owner Jack Roush, partially sponsored by Ford. Jones captured the GTO class in 1985, and became the youngest champion in North America road racing history. A highlight of that season, driving with Wally Dallenbach Jr and Doc Bundy, Jones won the GTO class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, in Florida. In recognition of his season in 1985 John Jones was named to the, American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association’s “All American Team” that included, team mate Wally Dallenbach, and racing legends Al Unser, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Steve Kinser. In 1986 Jones would compete in the F-3000 series in Europe and improved through the season to become one of the main contenders in the series. Jones had top finishes of 6th & 7th place and finished 21st in points in the eleven race series, as a rookie driving a Ford/Cosworth powered March for Onyx Racing. John returned to F-3000 again in 1987 driving a Ford/Cosworth powered Lola for Lola Motorsports. He posted a season high second place finish in June at Pau in France and with his consistently high qualifying positions drew the attention from several Formula One teams. Jones finished the 1987 season 11th in points finishing in the top ten in all but three of the eleven races. In 1988 John would move on to the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Indy Car series in the Frank Arciero owned March 88-C Though he did not qualify for that years Indy 500,John would have eleven top 10 finishes, 4 times finishing in seventh place to take him to a season ending 11th position in the points and CART Indy Car Series Rookie of the year honours. John would switch to the Protofab team in 1989 with major sponsorship coming from Labatts and he would qualify for the Indy 500, finishing 11th after a 25th place start. John Jones returned to F-3000 in 1990 driving Mugen/Honda powered Lola for Paul Stewart Racing, the son of the legendary Jackie Stewart. Jones started the season with 3rd & 4th place finishes but with mechanical failures in five of the eleven races Jones finished twelfth for the season, beating future Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill. John Jones raced in the Indy cars for parts of the 1991 & 92 seasons, and raced 6 races in the PPG / Firestone Indy Lights in 1997. Through the early 1990’s Jones also raced in Sports cars and Prototypes, at famed race tracks in Daytona & Sebring Florida, Laguna Seca, and the Famed 24 Hours of Lemans in France in 1995.

Races entered: 90
Wins : 11
Podiums : 3
Pole Positions : 1
Race Win Percentage : 8.89 %
Racing career highlights
IMSA Camel GTO champion 1985.Canadian Formula Ford 2000 champion 1984.Canadian Formula Ford 2000 champion 1983.Canadian Run-Off winner in the Formula 2000 class 1983.
Racing career summary
1997 6 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1992 4 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1991 10 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1990 8 races. 0 wins. 1 podium. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1989 14 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1988 14 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1987 11 races. 0 wins. 1 podium. 1 pole position. 0 fastest race laps.
1986 9 races. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. 0 fastest race laps.
1985 1 race. 0 wins. 0 podiums. 0 pole positions. ? fastest race laps.
1984 ? races. 3 wins. ? podiums. ? pole positions. ? fastest race laps.
1983 13 races. 8 wins. 1 podium. ? pole positions. ? fastest race laps.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/photo/John-Jones-CDN.html

Innova Park,The Perfect location for a new Multi Plex

January 16 2010
In A Chronicle Journal survey,"where a new multiplex facility should be built", people had a choice between, Marina Park ,the FW Gardens location and the site of the Tournament Center ,I feel the perfect location has been overlooked. The Marina is a very poor location due to poor entrance & egress. At present,one would need to weave through the park to use the Howe St overpass, or be at the mercy of the traffic light at Pearl St,or perhaps have to wait for a train to pass before exiting the park is possible,wouldn't that be a pleasure in the winter when your car is still cold. Neither the Marina or Tournament center location(s) are centrally located,nor is the Fort Williams Gardens location,which has limited parking without intruding on he neighborhood. While it would be nice to look at the Nor Wester's,or Lake Superior (which is frozen in winter), you do go inside the facility,not sit outside looking at the scenery.The best location in my opinion would be at Innova Park. Consider that,the city owns the land,it is rather centrally located,close to LU,and the hospital,would have excellent entrance & exit. Exiting onto Golf Links Rd,one could go east or west on the Harbor Expressway turning north or south on the expressway. It is close to the airport,& highways,land there has been sold with the intent of a shopping complex being built there,and the truck stop to come. A multi purpose facility with twin surfaces for trade show floor space,adjoining a hotel/convention complex at Innova Park would be an excellent addition to our city. The hotel/convention center could bring money to our city,and people with money to invest here as well. Such a facility,could also attract private investment,either fully or partially,perhaps in conjunction with a major hotel chain. Close access to the airport and highways are important for such a complex,and I believe the Innova Park location would have the best chance to attract such a chain.

Chippewa Park or "Riding along on a Carousel"

Like most kids growing up on the south side Chippewa Park was a big part of my youth. Dad worked at the Abitibi Mission Mill and we'd go to Chippewa and for the annual Abitibi Picnic where we'd meet up with the other "mill brats". July 1 for the fireworks was the busiest day,the rides were full of us kids,the beach was full of kids. Is there anything in this city as unique as the Carousel at Chippewa? Haven't we all rode it,our kids grandchildren ..... And my favorite the Lakeshore Express. The friends of Chippewa have done an incredible job revitalizing Chippewa after years of neglect by the city. A huge "Black Mark" on City Councils and administrations past that a group of citizens need to organize the revitalization of a city property! Sadly though the city still doesn't get it,everything is crammed into Marina Park. Why aren't the July 1 celebrations at Chippewa with all thats there to do? Why not the Blues Fest? How many other communities would die for a place like Chippewa Park yet Thunder Bay still doesn't really care What a shame! Such a beautiful park.

Export "A" Maple Leaf Gardens Calendars

Remember these hanging on the wall of your barber's shop circa the time the Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup! This is from 1968

Not one of Barry's Cars

Barry Kettering

 

Barry Kettering was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in September 1982

by Jeff Caldwell

Barry Kettering would start his racing career match racing Tom Dow at the Murillo Fairgrounds behind the wheel of the Kings Special,a 1920-30's vintage speedster in 1951-52. Barry was one of the founding members of the Lakehead Stock Car Club in the fall of 1952 and the first stock car he built was a 1934 Plymouth numbered 00 called "The Snitch Special" as apparently that's how some of its parts were obtained, he would then move into Bud Heidrich's #47 "Bud's Thing" '40 Ford in 1953 and later a '32 Ford until 1957 when he drove the Provincial Stock Car Club #57. In 1958 Barry & brother Glen with whom he was partners in a local service station built a 1934 Ford coupe powered by a 312 C.I. Ford,this car would carry Barry to his long sought after track title.. Barry always the tough but fair competitor would again win its title in 1959 in the '34 Ford and a cut down version of the same car carried him to the title again in 1960. Though Barry was leading the points & defending his title in 1961 he sold his share in the service station and moved from Fort William to Rice Lake, Wisconsin so that he could race more often. Barry had first ventured stateside to "see how they raced" in 1958 and left a souvenir for the meeting room of the Indianhead Stock Car Racing Association ,a check in the amount of $15.00 for tow money which he refused to accept. Upon his return to Rice Lake WI in the spring of 1959 Barry "cleaned the boards" and started to leave his mark south of the border. Barry Kettering's gesture of refusing the tow money would was a precursor to several others gestures he would make through his racing career for the betterment of the sport. Barry continued racing in modifieds and the '34 Ford was retired with a new car being built,based on a '49 Ford frame with a Crosley body and a 390 C.I. Ford powering it. Upon its completion in the spring Barry was looking to give it a test run,finding Shakopee running Barry & crew headed for the track to discover that it was asphalt, undaunted and though the car was built for dirt and Barry having no previous pavement experience he threw the car sideways through the corners as if he was racing on dirt thrilling those in attendence. Barry returned to Shakopee for its opening day show won his heat and ran out of gas on the white flag lap of the feature while leading,soon the calls were going out "look out,here comes the Bear Cat!!" Through the years whenever Barry towed into the pits he would be regarded as one of the guys to beat. During the sixties Barry would blossom into one of the top open wheel racers in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area winning several big events,and would take "ownership" of the modifieds at Princeton ,MN where he would win the title seven times,with three others coming at North Star.

In the year 1973 Barry was again part of a racing club formation as he was one of the co-founders of the Midwest Sprint Association as he had been with the Lakehead Stock Car Club. Thoughout the next three years Barry served as the association's President as well as its goodwill ambasador,dominating driver and fan favorite. In the first year of the clubs existence it was dominated on the track by Kettering as he won 14 features and took the initial title,on the way to the title Barry won the unsanctioned Invitational Championships at Riverview Raceway in his hometown of Thunder Bay,ON. Barry again took the MSA title in 1974 and 1975. While Barry would rarely travel too far from home to race,when he did he was often rewarded with a win or a top finish,such as starting at the rear in a 22 car field in Minot,ND and crossing under the checkered flag first. In 1976 Barry co-drove with Ron Larson in the famed Little 500 in Anderson IN running second when an oil leak close to the finish requiring repairs relegated them to an eigth place finish. He was on his way to the 1976 title on Friday June 11 of 1976 when he lost his life as he was thrown from his red & white #57 in a roll over on lap 13 in corner two at Fairmont MN. Barry Kettering was always a highly respected racer both on & off the race track,popular with not only the fans but fellow competitors alike,always willing to help the rookies or lend a needed part to a fellow competitor. The Sunday night race at North Star Speedway in Blaine,MN following Barry's accident was green flagged with the pole position left open in memory of the great racer. Always one to give for the betterment of the sport being one who raced for the love of it not the glory or prize money Barry was a great goodwill ambassador for racing. Barry would gladly hand out schedules at winter car shows,let kids sit in the sprinter,tow to Austin MN to promote an upcoming MSA race for the small fee of gas money and in a dispute regarding a scoring decision at a MSA race at North Star Barry offered to pay the $100 difference out of his own pocket.. Always well spoken,clean cut Barry was very businesslike in his efforts to make the MSA a viable and sucessful club and would meet fair board representatives in an effort to book MSA race dates. On that June evening racing lost one of its greats, though not nationally known Barry Kettering took on all comers in his area often sending the visitors home empty handed. Both on & off the track Barry gave his all to make racing better, from the stock cars in Fort William to the sprint cars in Minnesota he was a true racer and he is missed by both those he raced and those who watched him. Having given so much to the sport it was perhaps best said by fellow Fort William sprint racer Lyn McIntosh, when Riverview track management decided not to hold the Barry Kettering Memorial in 1981 Lyn & his partners Murray Robinson and Pat Slivinski chose to host it themselves with Lyn saying " Barry gave too much to the sport for his memory to be forgotten".

A feature in National Speed Sport News on Barry Kettering

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/racing-history/barry-kettering-won-more-than-his-share-of-sprint-car-races/

Tom "The Bomb" Nesbitt

 

In September 2009 Tom was honored by his induction into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

by Jeff Caldwell

Tom Nesbitt began his career in 1959 at the CLE (Canadian Lakehead Exhibition) Fairgrounds half mile dirt track in the Hobby class in a 1948 Ford,in 1962 Tom and Richard Foreman built a 1950 Dodge and started winning races until the motor blew and he went pitting for Dave Reagan for a while. Midway through the season he built a 1951 Olds and raced the balance of the season using #555 and won the 15 lap Hobby Stock race at the 1962 Championships at the CLE. Tom ran the Olds again in 1963 but win's were hard to come by. Tom made the step up to Late Model in 1964 building a 1955 Chevy and would start to race south of the border running Hibbing MN Saturday nights and at Proctor Speedway outside Duluth, MN on Sundays. In 1965 Tom continued racing at Hibbing and Proctor and race ocassionally at Superior Wisconsin,Tom would win Sportsman of the year in Hibbing and Best International Contender at Proctor,in 1966 he'd run the same tracks as well. In 1967 Tom would quit his job,build a 1960 Studebaker and become a full time racer,racing at Superior on Friday,Rice Lake WI on Saturday then home to race Riverview Sunday afternoon. 1968 would find Tom racing the same Studebaker and start winning the first of his numerous track championships,winning the title at Superior and Riverview where he won an incredible 19 of 21 Late Model features. 1969 and another Studebaker,this one a 1965 which he raced to titles at Riverview, Superior and Rice Lake WI. 1970,the same Stude and another title at Riverview ,mechanical troubles elsewhere dropped him to second at Rice Lake and tied with Johnny Johnson for first at Superior. 1971 and the Studebaker was retired for a Chevy Nova,carrying him to yet another Riverview title and second in the Wisconsin State Dirt Track Championship. From 1972-75 Riverview did not race weekly but Tom would still tear up the tracks down south,in 1972 he won the Wisconsin State Dirt Track Championship. Tom would add numerous other track titles in the seventies , Stillwater MN in 1973,in 1974 at Cedar Lake Speedway,in Somerset,WI, Northstar Speedway in Blaine,MN and Stillwater,MN. In 1975 Tom would win his third straight at Stillwater, repeat at Northstar. In 1976 Tom took his second Late Model title at Cedar Lake and won his first Invitational Championship feature at home at Riverview and considered it one of his biggest thrills. Cedar Lake in 1977 and yet another point championship for Tom. In 1981 Tom would again pull off a triple winning point titles at Cedar Lake,Red Cedar Speedway in Menominee WI. and again at Riverview with a total of 38 feature wins for the season. In 1982 his lone title came at Riverview but he won the preliminary feature in a rare Late Model race at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. 1984 and another Riverview title followed up with another in 1985 as well as 1986 and 1987. In 1988 he would win another championship at both Cedar Lake and Menominee and a feature total of 25. 1989 its another Riverview and Cedar Lake title,repeating both in 1990 as well as another Superior WI title and overall Wisota Champion for Late Models. In the early 90's Tom would pick and choose his races and not chase point titles,big wins would come at Aberdeen SD,Battle Ground Speedway in Houston TX,Baton Rouge LA, Brownstown IN and I-90 in Hartford SD. When Tom run with the big guns they had to work for it if they wanted to beat him in his back yard (if they could),hot shoe Billy Meyer chased Nesbitt all race in a big Late Model race at Cedar Lake waiting for an opening,Tom never gave him one. In the late 90's the wins were becoming harder to come by but Tom wasn't ready to pack it in yet,celebrating his 40th year of racing in 1998. 1999 would be the most trying year of Tom's career,health problems would keep him out of the car from mid-season on. In August 2005,Tom became the first and only Canadian inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Florence KY,a well desreved honor. The lure of the race track certainly becomes something hard to shake, especially when you're as good as Tom. As the Feature victories started to become tougher,Tom never gave up,and in the Northern Nationals at Superior WI in September 2005,Tom won what was perhaps his most popular victory. In both admiration,and gratitude for decades of thrills,the crowd gave him a five minute ovation. 2008 marked Tom Nesbitt's 50th season of racing,truly an incredible feat,and won a few races to round out his career,and finishing in the top 10 in several of the fall championship races. At Ashland WI Red Clay Classic,Tom was honored by the track and fans in a pre race ceremony,and paced the field in the 4 abreast salute to the crowd. Another ceremony at Antigo WI,another top ten,and 50 years of a glorious racing career came to a close.During his career Tom would win over 600 feature races on a number of different race tracks all over North America beating all challengers,winning 157 at Riverview ,43% of all the Late Model features at Riverview,the most in the tracks history as well as being the winningest driver at Superior WI. Add those feature wins with the over thirty Late Model track championships on several different tracks,including 13 at Riverview ,seven at Cedar Lake,track bounties on him . Whether you were a fan or not,he always put on a show Tom "The Bomb" Nesbitt has had a career that would make many a seasoned racer quite envious and I'm glad I got to watch him race. Thanks for the Memories Tom!

Some of Tom's Career Highlights
Over 600 career feature wins

1972 Wisc. State Dirt Track Championship
1973 Wisc. LM Dirt Track Championship/Eau Claire Wisc.
1976 Wisc. State Dirt Track Champion
1976 Intl. LM Championship Series Champion
1976 Mid-Canada LM Championship/Thunder Bay Ont.
1978 Silver 1000/Proctor Minn.
1979 Russ Laursen Mem./Superior Wisc.
1979-88-89-96-05 Northern LM Nationals/Superior Wisc.
1981 Diamond Class Intl. Dirt Championship/Thunder Bay Ont.
1982 Super Series Race/Rice Lake Wisc.
1982 Prelim Feature/Super Race/Knoxville Ia.
1981 Punky Manor Challenge of Champions/Red Cedar Wisc.
1982 Wisc. Pabst Super Series Race/Rice Lake Wisc.
1982 Sunkist Special/Red Cedar Wisc.
1982-88-89 Labor Day Shoot-Out Invitational/Hibbing Minn.
1982-83-84-91 Red Clay Classic/ABC Raceway Wisc.
1984 Canadian Dirt Track Championship/Thunder Bay Ont.
1991 Hav-A-Tampa win/Houston Tex.
1992 SUPR win/Houston Tex.
1992 SUPR Budweiser La. St. Championship/Baton Rouge La.
1992-93 WISSOTA 100/Cedar Lake Wisc
1993 Brownstown Ind. Twin 25’s/won 1st 25L
1995 SUPR win/Beaumont Tex.
1996 WISSOTA 50/Cedar Lake Wisc.
2005 WISSOTA/AMSOIL win/Superior Wisc.
2006 AMSOIL LM Series win/Superior Wisc.

http://www.dirtfans.com/TomNesbitt.html

The Kings Special

by Jeff Caldwell

In the first half of auto racing’s first century,the race car’s were almost as well known as the driver’s themselves. Locally,here in the Lakehead during the 1920 & 30’s the "Kings Special" was the “star“ car of the CLE and Murillo track’s. Built by brother’s Arthur and Arnold King in a chicken coup at their home on Algonquin St. in Port Arthur ,it was a true state of the art speed machine in its day. Based on a Ford Model T frame ,the car was narrowed to a width of 14”, sported a trick set of Dayton race wheel's ,featured an overhead camshaft cylinder head built by Robert Roof of Indiana. Roof head’s were affordable and worked very well. The car also featured twin Winfield carburetors ,a Scintilla high tension magneto ,full pressure lubrication ,worm gear steering , a geared water pump ,and a counter balanced crankshaft.
Art King started and ended his racing career the same day at Murillo in 1924,a rough rollover introduction convinced Art that he really didn't want to be a race driver and he could be content as an owner and mechanic. King replaced himself first with Ernie Boffa and Pat Bryan spending time behind the wheel, before settling on Frank Colosimo as the permanent driver. Colosimo was already an established winner, winning race’s at the CLE and Murillo ,as well as in Winnipeg in George Dolcetti’s Essex. The legend of the Kings Special and driver Frank Colosimo would grow with each race win. A colorful figure ,Colosimo would drive in front of the grandstand waving money at the crowd daring them to bet against him, Colosimo would usually disappoint those that did bet against him and please those that betted on him to win. The 1920’s racing would often feature “match races” to answer a challenge, each driver would put up the money with the local sports editor usually holding the bet. Sometimes these bet’s were anything but small change ,usually $50 or $100 but also as high as $500 and $1000,that is how much today? Race’s were usually on holiday weekend’s though the 1921 match race for $1000 between Colosimo in the Essex and Cunningham in his Ford was run on November 12 with snow flurries threatening the race. After winning that race Colosimo planned to retire from the local track's ,and venture out east to race though those plans didn’t fall into place. Colosimo, would win the lion's share of races he'd run ,but also had some bad race’s too ,such as the day he charged the corner too hard and took out the ticket office. Art King would claim Colosimo only lost two race’s in seven year’s ,from 1925 to 1931 behind the wheel of the “Kings Special“. Upon retiring as a driver in 1931 ,Colosimo became the flagman ,then coming out of retirement for one race in October 1933 and year's later played host to the founding meeting in August 1952 of the Lakehead Stock Car Club at Uncle Frank’s Supper Club on Hwy 61.
The racing career of the Kings Special speedster ended in the mid/late 1930’s. The Kings Special was traded in on a new car then sold and passed through several hands.Red Marsonet owned the car after WWII, dismantling it, keeping the motor and speed parts. He sold the body/chassis to someone in Murillo,then it moved on to someone in Rosslyn. The car was last known to be owned by local racing legend Barry Kettering in a different form, powered by a regular T Ford motor, in 1950 he would informally race it against another 1920’s race car, “The Hudson“, then owned by Tom Dow. While the fate of the “Kings Special” remain’s a mystery,an important piece of it has survived the years. The motor and transmission were obtained in trade for a Model T touring car in running condition ,by Alan Cronk of Wyoming ON. A “T” frame was obtained from Russ Wanzuk in Murillo ,and a re-creation of the Kings Special has been completed. Meticulous research to ensure accuracy was conducted, and the result’s are beautiful and a piece of the Lakehead’s racing history has been resurrected. The new “Kings Special” was on display in the Paipoonge museum located at the former Rosslyn Village school for the summer,and has now been moved to Thunder Bay International Airport,where it will be over the winter. It is well worth the short drive to see this unique gem from our past.