BOB FELMLEE RETURNS TO SPRINT CARS IN 2005
by Brian Spaid

April 8, 2005 

   With Tri-City Speedway’s 2005 season opener slated on April 24, race fans are getting hyped about the new season and the return of one of the area’s most well-known drivers.

   Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa., will make a remarkable comeback after suffering a neck injury in a 1999 crash at Tri-City. With some old faces on his crew and new Super Sprint equipment under him, Felmlee will compete at his hometrack for the first time in nearly six years.

   “I wanted to make a low key return to racing,” said Felmlee. “We have no expectations other than having a lot of fun.”

   The idea of a low key return went out the door when news started to circulate that Felmlee would race again.

   “The phone at my business rings off the hook with people asking me about it,” laughed Felmlee. “I guess their just as excited as we are.”

   It was June 6, 1999, when Felmlee flipped in the fast third turn at Tri-City. The hard hit resulted in Felmlee’s retirement a month later as doctors advised against racing due to the injuries that he suffered.

   “I didn’t feel better until my second surgery in 2000,” recalled Felmlee. “After that, the doctors said it was O.K. for me to do whatever I wanted.”

   Although he was seen at the Venango County half-mile oval as a grandstand observer on occasion, Felmlee, 43, took a different direction with his career. As the owner of World of Wheels in Seneca, Felmlee sells all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, and the hills and vales of motocross called to him once again.

   “In 2002 and 2003, I made it to the AMA Amateur Nationals, and I was happy that I was able to compete with those guys.”

   Felmlee, who competed on the national motocross circuit in the early 1980s, managed to finish as high as 13^th in the 2003 national rankings as he carried his success in sprint cars to two-wheeled competition. With thousands of riders in over 30 classes, Felmlee is proud of his efforts.

   “It was quite an accomplishment to get there with all the competitors. I got involved with motocross through our business.  In fact, there are quite a few local riders that we help. Even with the new sprint car, I will continue to race motocross on the side.”

   Before his wreck, Felmlee scored 17 feature wins and two track titles at Tri-City. He is also a former champion at Lernerville Speedway and Mercer Raceway Park. Even with those records under his belt, the dirt track racing bug bit the popular racer once again.

  “This whole deal all came about in the last couple of months. (Fellow driver) Chad Hill sold all of his equipment following the death of his car owner. We have three chassis, and we’ll race a 2004 Maxim this season.  Right now, we’re concentrating on getting the car together and our trailer in shape. We need to get our team together and plan for the season. We do not want to get involved in points battles. We simply want to have fun.”

   For that reason, Felmlee and his team will race at various events throughout the season. The team will have two well-known faces as Steve Anderson of Franklin and former driver James Wray of Cooperstown wrench for Felmlee. Bob Graham, Doug Whitten and Rich Catanzaro will also help try to guide Felmlee’s Maxim No. 6F to victory lane.

   Following his experience in 1999, Felmlee is also concerned about safety. Among his new apparel is a HANS device. The head-and-neck restraint system came to the forefront in national racing following the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001.

   “I would not go back racing without a good seat and HANS device. I acquired a Butler Built seat that is custom fit to me. I also have a HANS device. The HANS I have is designed for a sprint car racer, but it basically protects the same way it does for NASCAR drivers.”

   In fact, Felmlee is a strong advocate for safety in sprint car racing. In his opinion, the HANS device is a must for any driver. To date, he has only seen World of Outlaws racer Jason Meyers and local star Todd Bauer of Clarion wearing them.

   “After my injuries, it is something everyone should look into. You don’t think it will happen to you, but something happened to me. It was painful experience. If it can prevent a neck injury, a device like that is priceless.”

   Felmlee is committed to make a return to sprint car racing with the same confidence that made his a winner.

   “I’m not really scared to come back. I trust my racing skills, but I don’t have high expectations.  I’ve been racing motocross for the last three years and that is way more physical and risk-taking. Sprint car racing is easier on my body and it has less risk. Right now, I just want to get in the seat and get used to it again.”

   And race fans will be thrilled to see that famous No. 6F flying around Tri-City and other local tracks once again.