LOU LAZZARO "THE LEGEND"

LOU LAZZARO "THE LEGEND"

REMEMBERING A LEGEND MY DAD LOU LAZZARO.

JANUARY 7TH 1935- MAY 1ST 2000

WELCOME TO LOU LAZZARO'S WEB PAGE. HERE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT "THE LEGEND" & HALL OF FAME RACECAR DRIVER. THE PICTURES ARE FROM THE 50'S TO 2000.

MY FATHER HAS WON OVER 250 RACES IN 6 DECADES OF RACING AT 24 TRACKS IN 4 STATES AND CANADA ON BOTH DIRT & ASPHALT. IN THOSE DAYS THE SAME CAR WAS USED ON BOTH SURFACES. HE HAS WON RACES IN 30 DIFFERENT SEASONS AT FONDA SPEEDWAY..STILL A RECORD. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE FONDA SPEEDWAY HALL OF FAME IN 1990 & WAS ALSO MADE A GUARANTEED STARTER FOR LIFE, THIS GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH RESPECT MY DAD HAS EARNED. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE "DIRT MOTORSPORTS" HALL OF FAME ON APRIL 4TH 1993. HE WAS STILL AN ACTIVE DRIVER SO THEY HAD TO CREATE A "LOU LAZZARO RULE", WHICH MEANS ALL THE DRIVERS IN THE HALL OF FAME HAD TO BE RETIRED, BUT MY DAD WAS NOT, SO THEY INDUCTED HIM ANYWAY BECAUSE HIS RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND THE COMMITTEE DID NOT WANT TO WAIT FOR HIM TO RETIRE.
ON JUNE 4TH 2000 MY DAD WAS INDUCTED INTO THE GREATER UTICA SPORTS HALL OF FAME AND ON JANUARY 20TH 2001 HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE NEW YORK STATE STOCK CAR ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME. IN JANUARY '04 MY FATHER WAS INDUCTED INTO THE EASTERN MOTORSPORTS PRESS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME. HERE IS A LITTLE TIDBIT FROM A 1998 ARTICLE..."LOU LAZZARO IS A TRUE LEGEND OF DIRT TRACK RACING, A LINK TO THE PAST WHO HAS HIS FEET FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE PRESENT. YOU SEE, EVEN THOUGH HE'S 63 YEARS OLD, LOU LAZZARO IS MORE THAN JUST A FOSSIL, AN OLD THOROUGHBRED WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT OUT TO PASTURE AGES AGO. LOU LAZZARO IS STILL A COMPETITIVE MODIFIED DRIVER..."

HERE IS HOW MY FATHER GOT INVOLVED IN RACING,

"MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY CAME AT A QUARTER MILE DIRT BULLRING AT THE NOW DEFUNCT COLUMBIA SPEEDWAY, LOCATED ON ROUTE 28 SOUTH OF UTICA". "LOU COMMENTED. "I HAD BEEN HANGING AROUND A GAS STATION WHERE A COUPLE OF OLD COUPES WERE BASED OUT OF, AND WENT TO THE TRACK AS PART OF THE PIT CREW ON ONE OF THESE CARS. ONE DAY THE REGULAR DRIVER GOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND REFUSED TO HELP REPAIR THE CAR. I VOLUNTEERED TO FIX THE CAR AND AS A REWARD WAS ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE CAR IN THE HEAT RACE. I WON THE HEAT RACE, BUT WASN'T ALLOWED TO RACE THE CAR ANYMORE BECAUSE SOME OTHER DRIVER DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF A 17-YEAR OLD WINNING."
THIS FIRST WIN CAME AT THE OUTLAW VICTORIA SPEEDWAY UNDER THE GHOST NAME OF JUNIOR BIANCO, THE NAME OF ONE OF HIS CREW MEN & BEST FRIEND. HIS FIRST WIN UNDER HIS OWN NAME CAME IN 1961 AT FONDA SPEEDWAY, 19 YEARS LATER IN 1980 HE WOULD WIN HIS 100TH AT THE FAMED FONDA OVAL, CAN YOU SAY DOMINANT? THE TOTAL WINS AT FONDA WOULD BE 113, LAST WIN, 1999.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THROUGH 1976 MY DAD HAD ACCUMULATED 173 FEATURE WINS. DURING HIS CAREER HE EARNED EIGHT NASCAR TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS: FONDA(1964, 1969), UTICA-ROME(1963, 1970, 1971), VICTORIA(1962, 1964), AND ALBANY SARATOGA (1969). HE WAS THE NEW YORK STATE NASCAR CHAMPION ONCE IN THE SPORTSMAN DIVISION(1964) AND THREE TIMES IN THE MODIFIED DIVISION(1969, 1971, 1972). HE ALSO WON THE ALL-STAR RACING LEAGUE TITLE TWICE(1968, 1971) THE ONLY DRIVER EVER TO DO SO, I WAS TO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THE ALL-STAR LEAGUE DAYS BUT I KNOW IT WAS THE BEST DRIVERS OF THE ERA FROM DIRT & ASPHALT TRACKS. DAD WON 2 MORE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS AT FONDA SPEEDWAY(1977, 1978). MY DAD WAS ALSO A 3 TIME WINNER OF THE NEW YORKER 400 (1963, 1968, 1969) RACE HELD ON THE OLD UTICA ROME ASPHALT TRACK.

IN 1978, HE VENTURED TO THE ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY AT SEASON'S END TO EARN HIS GREATEST VICTORY IN THE EASTERN STATES 200.

AS OF THIS DAY JULY 8th 1999 MY FATHER IS STILL ACTIVE IN RACING AT FONDA SPEEDWAY IN NEW YORK. HE WON A RACE THIS YEAR ON MAY 15th 1999 AT THE AGE OF 64. I THINK THIS IS PRETTY REMARKABLE FOR AN OLD MAN. BTW HE STARTED 13th IN THIS RACE. IN VICTORY LANE HE SAID "I WAS READY TO GIVE UP, I CAN'T TAKE THIS HARD RACING ANYMORE! I JUST HUNG IN THERE AND I LUCKED OUT. THIS IS FOR MY GUYS AND ALL THE FANS. THANK YOU"..
NO DAD YOU EARNED THIS RACE WITH A STRONG WILL & DETERMINATON

I ASKED MY FATHER WHEN HE WAS GOING TO RETIRE, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO WIN A RACE IN 6 DIFFERENT DECADES, SO WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE 2000 SEASON. I WONDER WHAT THE RECORD IS FOR THE MOST DECADES OF WINNING RACES?

UNFORTUNATELY MY DAD DIED OF A STROKE ON MAY 1ST 2000 AFTER HIS FINAL RACE ON APRIL 29TH 2000. HE RACED HIS WAY AND DIED HIS WAY. HE COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN A BETTER SCRIPT, HE GOT OUT OF HIS RACE CAR AND WALKED INTO THE SUNSET.

MY DAD LIVED HIS DREAM FOR 40+ YEARS, HE WAS A DEDICATED RACER WHO GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR THE SPORT, HE RACED RIGHT UP UNTIL THE VERY END. HE LOVED HIS JOB, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THAT? MY DAD SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR EVERYONE, THAT IS NEVER GIVING UP. THERE WERE A LOT OF DOUBTERS FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS OR SO, SAYING HE WOULD NEVER RACE AGAIN BECAUSE OF HIS ILLNESSES(BYPASS SURGERY, BACK SURGERY, INTESTINAL SURGERY)SAYING HE SHOULD RETIRE, HE WILL NEVER WIN AGAIN, WELL HE PROVED EVERYONE WRONG, HE CAME BACK TO RACE & HE BEAT THE ODDS MANY TIMES TO COME BACK TO WIN AGAIN & AGAIN. HE WAS AN INSPIRATION TO MANY PEOPLE, ME INCLUDED. I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN CALIFORNIA FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS, IT WAS NICE MANY TIMES TO GET THAT TELEPHONE CALL ON SUNDAY MORNING FROM MY BROTHER OR FATHER TELLING ME HE WAS THE BIG WINNER LAST NIGHT, I KNEW WHEN I HEARD ONE OF THEIR VOICES IT WAS A WIN. THE DAY I FOUND OUT MY DAD DIED ON SUNDAY APRIL 30TH, I WAS AT A CAR SHOW WITH MY SISTER ALL DAY LONG, WHEN I GOT HOME MY BROTHER LOUIE LEFT ME A MESSAGE, MY MOM LEFT 2 MESSAGES & MY SISTER WHO I JUST DROPPED OFF A HALF HOUR EARLIER LEFT ME A MESSAGE, THE MESSAGES WERE JUST TO CALL THEM THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT, WELL I CALLED MY SISTER, THE 1ST WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH WERE, "IS DADDY OK?" MY SISTER SAYS "NO, HE DIED LAST NIGHT OF A STROKE" I WAS IN TOTAL SHOCK & DENIAL, AS WAS OUR WHOLE FAMILY. AT LEAST WE KNOW HE DIED HIS WAY & DOING WHAT HE LOVED MOST & BEING WHERE HE WANTED TO BE, FONDA SPEEDWAY ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

MY FATHER HAS TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES IN THE PAST 50 YEARS. KIDS BACK THEN WHO HATED HIM FOR WINNING TO MUCH NOW HAVE THEIR OWN KIDS WHO ARE FANS NOW, THIS SHOWS THE LONGEVITY OF MY FATHER.

ON APRIL 29TH, 2000 MY FATHER RACED HIS LAST RACE. HE DID ALL THE NORMAL THINGS THAT DAY, WORKED ON THE CAR, TOWED IT TO THE RACE TRACK(AS HE HAS DONE FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS), JR BIANCO MY DADS BEST FRIEND FROM THE BEGINNING & A GOOD FAMILY FRIEND EVEN TOLD ME THEY WERE JOKING & LAUGHING ON THE WAY TO FONDA THAT NIGHT. MY DAD QUALIFIED FOR THE FEATURE, PULLED IN BECAUSE HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL AND THEN SAID GOODBYE TO THE SPORT HE LOVED. HE WAS STRICKEN WITH A STROKE NOT TO LONG AFTER THE FEATURE RACE WAS COMPLETED.

OUR FRIEND RAY TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT THE NIGHT OF APRIL 29TH:

DAD WAS LATE GETTING TO THE RACE-TRACK THAT NIGHT(NOTHING NEW TO HIM, HE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS LATE). DAD WAS DRIVING ON THE ROADWAY TO THE PITS WITH A BUNCH OF RACE TRAILERS BEHIND, THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL WAVING AT MY DAD BECAUSE SHE WANTED AN AUTOGRAPH, MY DAD STOPS, GETS OUT OF THE TRUCK, HOLDS UP ALL THE TRAFFIC & SIGNS HER LOU LAZZARO T-SHIRT, THIS IS THE TYPICAL LOU LAZZARO, MAKING TIME FOR HIS FANS NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION, IT TURNS OUT THIS WOULD BE HIS LAST AUTOGRAPH. HE DIED A HERO TO MANY, "THE MONK" AS HE WAS KNOWN IN HIS EARLY YEARS, "THE LEGEND & THE INCOMPARABLE ONE" IN HIS FINAL YEARS.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE TO THANK, HERE ARE A FEW.

JR BIANCO, DADS BEST FRIEND & FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE, RIC LUCIA, FOR A GREAT MEMORIAL RACE, ED & BETTY BITTIG, FOR ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE COORDINATED THAT NIGHT, DAVE & JACKIE LAPE, FOR RAISING MONEY FOR OUR FAMILY & BEING A GOOD FRIEND OF MY DADS, JACK JOHNSON, FOR BEING A GREAT FELLOW RACER & HELPING OUT MY DAD WHEN HE WAS SICK IN 1984, ALL HIS SPONSORS THROUGH THE YEARS(YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), AND YOU THE FANS FOR SUPPORTING MY DAD ALL THESE YEARS, HE ALWAYS LOVED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A GREAT RACE, I KNOW HE DID ON MAY 15, 1999. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THIS VIDEOTAPE TRY TO GET ONE, IT WAS AN AMAZING RACE FROM AN AMAZING 64 YEAR OLD, LOU LAZZARO.
DAD YOU ARE MISSED, LOVE DAN

THERE IS 6 PAGES OF PICTURES.

HOPE YOU ENJOY.

MY E-MAIL

dans30thta@earthlink.net

DAN

YOU CAN OWN THIS 1/25TH DIECAST MODEL OF "THE LEGEND" LOU LAZZARO. THE BODY IS ALL METAL & WELL DETAILED. ALL CARS ARE INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED. CONTACT PETE LAZZARO AT 315-733-9551 $45 PLUS SHIPPING.

DIECAST MODEL FOR PURCHASE, SEE ABOVE FOR DETAILS.

Dad taking the checkered flag one last time. Memorial Race 5/6/2000

Family Photo. Victory Lane, Fonda Speedway 5/6/00. Dad's Memorial Race & The Retirement of the #4. L-R Pete, Me, Lou, Fran, Laureen, MiMi and of course Mac & Pup.