Stories and photos by
Terry Spradley
Third in a Series
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| A straight face from the story-teller. Dauer entertains friends with stories of days gone by. |
Ron Dauer, trading paint ‘Old School’
Ron Dauer, Lindsborg, closes the business doors, to Town & Country Repair on north Harrison at 5 PM. However, nearly two hours later there is still a growing group of people in the shop.
The repair shop is home to two #99 IMCA Modifieds. It is place where racecars are bred and tales of ‘old school’ dirt racing can be heard. It is more than just reminiscing of days gone by however, because on most Saturday nights Dauer and company are still going by, at a very high rate of speed!
At age 53 Ron Dauer is one of the old-timers burning up the dirt oval under the lights on Saturday night, but burn them up he has. “He’s the oldest one out there almost,” said Terry Malm, Marquette, driver of car #70. Dauer replies, “Sam Brittendahl, and then it’s gotta be me.” Dauer started racing late model stock cars in 1974. “We had four late models then, my brother Rick, and me, my other brother (Bob) and my dad.” “The old man” can be heard from an anonymous driver in the group. “Ya the old man” Dauer echoes. Leroy Dauer, Lindsborg, had an impressive racing career himself, and helped to start the racing tradition that has currently been passed down for three generations, as Ron’s son Loren enters his fourth year of racing.
One of four Dauers currently sliding sideways around the track, he is also one of three #99s in the IMCA Modifieds at the speedway. In the original foursome of Dauers, the car numbers were 33, 66, 99, and 369 with the eldest Dauer being #99. After a more than ten years of racing, some of the original foursome laid down there driving suits for a spell. The remaining two cars both belonging to Leroy Dauer were rechristened L99 and D99. Eighteen years later after, “Kenny Malm started all this back up, again…” Ron’s car carries the D99, while his son Loren’s displays the L99, and Brother Rick has the T99 from his son Tucker’s initial. “That stands for dad’s initials, Leroy Theodore Dauer.”
“When we first started out racing, back with the ‘55s, (1955 Chevy’s), the first sponsor I ever got was Malm Construction,” Dauer said, “They gave me a gallon of paint, Caterpillar yellow, we’ve been yellow ever since.” 
The sound of a radio plays in the background, and stories of racing in its earlier days permeates the air of the metal building.
While the original foursome gave off the appearance of a ‘team,’ they were anything but teammates on the track. On Wichita ’s dirt oval, in the old days a 3-car Dauer’s only trophy dash was something that gave sheet metal nightmares. “Coming off turn two, I saw a hole, and I went for it,” Dauer said. “I had sparks flying off my tires, my rims. They paid in silver dollars. It was awesome.”
Dauer still plays hard, “Now I get to play with my boy, and we play hard,” he said. Dauer’s wife Mae tells the story of their son Loren’s first ‘A’ Main win during his rookie year. Coming out of turn two Loren took the lead and broke away from the pack. A short time later dad cleared traffic and started reeling his son in. Cheers from family members in the stands went from “come on dad,” to “dad don’t you do it,” when they worried he might be out to try and steal his son’s first main event win. Meanwhile in the D99 Ron is thinking, “If he screws this up, I’m gonna push him across the line. One way or another he’s gonna cross.” Father and son finished first and second.
Now, as in the old days, Dauer is a top competitor. He is currently ranked fifth in points at the speedway with his son only three points ahead of him. Back in the 80’s Dauer was considered #1 in four states. Mae’s voice shows a little emotion as she says, “That’s my husband.”
Besides driving, Dauer sponsors his car as well as his son’s and a few others. “He orders them and I pay for ‘em.” Dauer said Dauer is also on the receiving end of help and sponsorship. As a top driver on at the speedway, he attracts several looking to put their name on a fast car. The logo of Midway Motors in McPherson is splashed across the right side of the car with Malm Construction on the left; both in bright pink letters with white flames licking at the logos. Other sponsor logos fill in the spacing of the Chevy powered racer. The phrase ‘Sugar Daddy’ decorates the rear end.
Loren does all the car’s suspension work, while many others have a hand in keeping the ‘D’ part of the #99 threesome going strong.
Dauer continues with hilarious stories about times gone by. One time, his brother Bob took off after a wreck-clearing stop without realizing one of his crew members had jumped on the car while it was stopped. “ Bob ’s going through the gears coming out of turn two about 30 mph when he sees feet flying up and down with each shift.” Malm, prods Dauer to tell the one about Allison, Dauer starts telling about a race in Colorado when he competed against then soon-to-be NASCAR legend Bobbie Allison, Years later he met Allison who remembered the incident. “I was up against his back bumper pushing him cause he wasn’t going fast enough,” Dauer said.
As evening came, my recorder’s batteries were running out, I could tell Dauer’s adventures would be a long time running out. I packed up my gear, traded a few final jokes and headed home to beginning telling my own tale.
Carrying on the family tradition, when it comes to racing, whether it is winning a race, reminiscing, or just paying for son Loren’s car, Dauer does it with a smile, a story, and a sideways slide into turn four. Cheer on Ron Dauer and the rest of dirt oval daredevils Saturday nights at Salina Speedway.
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| Dauer fights to hold the inside line as he passes Cliff Shepard, #521, on a dry-slick track during Saturday night's 'A' Main. Dauer finished fourth in the feature. |