Monthly Archives: April 2012

To All MARFC Members: I received a note from Vito LoPiccolo’s Daughter Janice to let Me know that Vito was in the hospital battling an infection and pneumonia. And with the most recent update I received on club Founder Vito LoPiccolo. He is doing better and has been transferred to a rehab center. She wanted me to pass this important information on to you so if you wish to send a card or lift Vito and the family in prayer you could do so. Cards can be sent to Vito LoPiccolo C/o MARFC at P.O.Box 8160, Roseville, MI 48066 and we will see Vito gets them.
Vito and his late Wife Barbara along with Bob and Norma Lewis and the Flokstra’s , Willis and Marion founded our club way back in 1965 at the kitchen table of the Lewis’s. Willis, Marion, and Vito are the remaining three that are still with us today. Please keep Vito and his family in your prayers and I’ll keep you updated.
Dave DeHem
MARFC President

From the ARCA Website, word has been recieved that Frances(Fran)Duff has passed away.
“Frances (Fran) Duff, who with her husband Dick Duff served for 3 decades as chief scorers at weekly ARCA sanctioned races at Flat Rock Speedway, Toledo Speedway and on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour, died Monday April 16 at her residence in Toledo Ohio at the age of 88. In their duties as ARCA Officials, Fran and Dick Duff traveled to races throughout the Midwest with ARCA founders John and Mildred Marcum.

Fran Duff also scored hundreds of races at other nearby weekly tracks such as Jackson Speedway and Mt. Clemens Race Track in Michigan, and Oakshade and Eldora Speedways in Ohio. She was in the scoring tower for the inaugural race at Michigan Int’l Speedway in 1969, scored the inaugural World 100 at Eldora in 1971, and was a founding member and for many years served as Vice President of the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club (MARFC). In addition, Fran and Dick Duff trained many ARCA officials to become chief scorers, including Sherry Miller and Terry Lake, and her grandson Charlie Krall works in the motorsports communications field. Semi-retiring in 1985, Fran and Dick moved to Charlotte, NC, where they worked for son-in-law Bill Gardner’s DiGard Racing Team. Fran served as team scorer for drivers Bobby Allison, Greg Sacks and Willy T. Ribbs. Fran Duff is survived by her husband Dick Duff; children Laraine (Rick) Meidt, Alan Adams, Patrick Adams, Christine (Bill) Gardner, Mary Geronimo and Amy Norwood; 16 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her first husband Paul Adams and daughter Paula Krall.
Richard & Frances joined the Michigan Automobile Racing Fan Club on March 31, 1966 which made them members for 46 years. All of us at MARFC express our condolences to the Duff Family.
Dave DeHem
MARFC President

Our annual trek to the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grille for our March general meeting was once again well attended. ARCA President Ron Drager was on hand and told the crowd about the way ARCA and We also watched the year in review video from the 2011 ARCA season that is shown at the ARCA banquet. Then next we had General Manager Scott Schultz who informed all of us about the changes at both the Toledo & Flat Rock Speedways. Gary Lindahl was on hand to give us a report on his recent health challenge and the word is that He is doing great as He was also surprised with a 60th Birthday Party, Happy Birthday my long time friend and many more. To start off the meeting, Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame driver and mid-west standout, Danny Byrd came forward and he and I were able to chat a bit about his driving career. Danny Shared with us where and how He got his start in racing as well as where he ended it. Going off of my memory, Danny said He got his first start right at the Flat Rock Speedway and finished it off in 1979 with a big win down in Nashville.

It is time to go racing again. The cars are finished up and the paint is dry. The wraps are wrapped and the lettering is getting done. I will keep this short as there is a lot of information in this regular mailed newsletter. If your name is highlighted in GREEN it means that this is your last newsletter as you have not renewed for 2012 and we will be taking you off of our mailing list and you will miss out on the great racing action provided to us by our member tracks on the 20 different fan club events this summer. Enclosed in this newsletter are your 2012 pocket schedules and once again, we are asking those who have an e-mail address to contact us and let us know if you would like to be put on the e-mail list only. If you can send me a quick note by e-mail at president@marfc.org so I will be sure and have your e-mail address and name just in case it has changed. While you are at it please include “Wild Bill” at vicepresident@marfc.org as well. At the April MSPA Meeting, I extended an invitation to all Promoters who were in attendance to come to our April meeting and we would provide at least five minutes for each promoter in attendance to come and share a little bit about what they have on tap for 2012.

Yours in Racing,
Dave DeHem President MARFC