Received word today of the passing of Donald Blatchley, M.D., age 90, Greensburg, pa. NCRS members attending the 94 Seven Springs Natioanl convention will remember Don being reunited with the 63 white Grady Davis/Gulf Oil Z06 thanks to Rich Mason bringing the vette for display.Don began SCCA road racing at the age of 49 in 1962 and retired from competition at age 67. He raced nearly every weekend on the east coast and was on a first name basis with the likes of Dr. Dick Thompson, Don Yenko, Donna Mae Mims, and Paul Newman.I saw him last year at a friends funeral and he arrived in a new C-5. His life should encourage us oldtimers to "save the wave---with the pedal to the metal" mike
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Re: Death of a Corvette SCCA Road Racer
i just came from "docs" funeral and having know "doc" from when he bought his first corvette,a solid axle with a GMC supercharger sticking out of the hood. he joined our corvette club,corvette club of western pa, CCWP,that was started by the likes of don yenko and donna mae mims, and there he got the racing bug. he lived near me and i went to the races with him at the glen and other tracks. "doc" bought a 2002 C-5 to drive and you would see him tooling around town at church and the post office. he was shown on the screen at the NCM hall of fame dinner several years ago when they were showing different people who enjoy their corvettes,as a retired 88 year young doctor from pa.i have lots of funny stories about "doc" with his corvettes and his irish wolfhounds. "GODSPEED DOC" and save us a place on the starting grid. -
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i had lunch with donna mae last week and she still dresses all in "pink" including her pink running shoes. back in the 50s she even had her dog dyed pink.Comment
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Re: Death of a Corvette SCCA Road Racer
clem: FYI a group of us are trying to revive the cumberland sports car races at the cumb. airport. we've had 2 auto-crosses so far and have aniother this coming weekend. Donna Mae came down for the first one last spring. if you've still got the ravcing bug its this sat and sunday at 9 am at the cumb airport. look for the ole 61 Farm Use vette and me.mikeComment
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Re: Death of a Corvette SCCA Road Racer
sounds like a good deal as long as you let me run the impala as the 02 corvette is for sale at the dealership so i can get a head start on my C-6 but i still may make it. we were going to caravan down with DMM in the spring but something else came up. i have not been there since the 60s. thanks for the inviteComment
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Re: Death of a Corvette SCCA Road Racer
clem: anyone can run anything they can bring--Impala ok see you sat. mikeComment
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Sounds like the Doc did it like you're
supposed to.....also sounds there's going to a beer or two consumed this weekend....enjoy...Comment
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Re: Sounds like the Doc did it like you're
we may just hoist a 12 oz beast in rememberance of donald. care to fly in from the sunbelt and have fun in the mts of w.md? mikeComment
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