RHR RACING – HutchisonRacing

CRAZY WHEELS

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:15:00 GMT

The Wally ‘CRAZY WHEELS’ Baker Story

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Wally Baker passed away last week and at Rex Hutchison Racing Engines we’re deeply moved by that.

Most of us know him as ‘Crazy Wheels’. I was at Susan Gordon’s home a few years back working on a made for television documentary for her brother Jimmy Gordon. While I was there, Wally and I had a nice on camera interview and a bunch of memories and bench racing.

I asked Wally where he got the nick name ? He said it was a reporter that gave that to him.

I asked him who was the best driver he’d ever seen ? He told me the best driver he’s ever seen was Leroy Vanconnet.

A slice of irony is several years later, I asked Leroy Vanconnet the same question. Leroy said without a doubt Wally Baker was the best driver he’d ever seen.

Well, I saw both of them and they were that good.

There were many great stories about Wally ‘Crazy Wheels’ Baker but I’ll share my personal favorite.

It was of course a great main event at Capitol. Back in those days it was all about points for championships. No Bullshit playoffs or fast time starting in front crap. The more cars you past the more points you received and the person that scored the most points was CSRA Champion.

(California State Racing Association, For the California State Championship encompassing every racetrack in the state

As the story goes, Wally was starting from the back and driving like, ‘Crazy Wheels’. He moved a couple cars and was already midfield. Him an another car tangled up flipping and barrel rolling from turn 1 to the end of turn 2. The field was quickly red flagged. They flipped it off its lid and Wally jumped back in it and went to the back of the pack. Because of the red flag Wally was on the same lap. Hell, he’d had made it to midfield already.

After the restart ‘Crazy Wheels’ is again driving like, ‘Crazy Wheels’ and was passing cars in bunches. ‘Crazy Wheels’ is now passing 3 cars down the back shoot when one of the cars pulls out of line. ‘Crazy Wheels’ hits the left rear and sails through the air again in a cartwheel barrel roll combo. It was a spectacular crash worthy of dying. The race was red flagged again and ‘Crazy Wheels’ jumps out and brushed the heavy Capitol clay off himself. The ambulance people are arguing with Wally to get in the ambulance. Wally is furious and simply will not get in it. His race car is flipped back over onto its wheels. and what’s left of the top wing is just torn off. The dam car was all bent to hell the first time but now ‘Crazy Wheels’ jumps back in the racer and must lean over the steering wheel because the cage is crushed. Unbelievably they push started ‘Crazy Wheels’ and they let him take the green one more time and he’s still on the lead lap with a chance for points and the win !

‘Crazy Wheels’ starts passing cars left and right. Moving cars like a dozer. Somehow ‘Crazy Wheels’ is in 5 ^th with 6 to go. Once again entering turn 2 he drives over a wheel and sails that Black 43 into another combo, cartwheel and barrel roll. As the race car landed and came to a stop this time it was on its wheels. All the officials were arguing he had to get in the ambulance. Wally simply would not get in the ambulance. In fact he tried to get in the car. The roll cage was torn off both ‘A’ pillars and Wally was yelling, “tear the cage off so I can finish the race.” At this point his crew and others wrestled him off the track.

When the car was towed by the grandstands the cage only had one ‘B’ pillar connecting the entire cage to the completely totaled out race car.

Wally ‘Crazy Wheels’ Baker got his name the old fashion way.

HE EARNED IT !

A couple quick stats to remind you just how good he was.

5 time CSRA Champion on the World’s Fastest Quarter Mile Sticky Icky Clay.

3 time runner up to the late Legendary Jimmy Gordon.

Never finishing below 3 ^rd for the CSRA Championship ten years straight.

Thank You Wally ‘Crazy Wheels’ Baker

Thank you for your bravery, your toughness and man how you could drive.

GOD’s Speed ‘Crazy Wheels’

Von Richards

Pictures supplied by Mary Sellers Family Collection

SEMA 2024

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 21:00:00 GMT

Click picture for this years S.E.M.A. show 2024

HISTORY OF MOTOR OIL

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 18:41:00 GMT

TITUSVILLE TO TODAY THE HISTORY OF MOTOR OIL

PART 1

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of oil companies in the literal sense. The first well was only 69 feet deep and it was called the Drake oil well. This is considered to be the very first oil well in the world. Now, there were oil and tar pits on the surface through out history but this was the first commercial oil well.

Sweet crude, sour crude, tar pits, parrafinic, napphthenes, cycloalkanes, synthetic, yeah, that’s just to start with.

A presentation and historical documentary of the earliest oils and oil companies.

Click link below for full story

THE FLASH

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:36:00 GMT

The Iconic ‘Folsom Flash’ piloted by Bob Bunker is considered one of the most winning drivers based on percentages in drag racing. His lightning-quick cat-like reflexes have garnered him worldwide notoriety and reputation that was obtained the old fashioned way, ‘He earned it’. Bob ‘Folsom Flash’ Bunker, the Original Run What Ya Brung Legend.

JIMMY 3 TIMES AND DYLAN

Tue, 16 May 2023 00:13:00 GMT

Vincent Sabatini, RHR Communications
JIMMY3 TIMES

Well you know it’s gonna be a good day when Jimmy ‘Three Time’ Sills calls you and say’s, “The kids on like a rock star.”

Yeah, that’s right.

Jimmy ‘Three Times’ Sills called Glenn Hutchison and told Glenn to bring Dylan down to the track and let’s throw him in a winged 360. (It pays to be one of the premier race engine builders in the country doesn’t it?)

Dylan and Glenn sneaked out of the engine building and machine shop before Grandpa, Drag Boat Hall of Famer Rex Hutchison knew and blast to Marysville California to hang out with the legendary Jimmy Sills. This is the same Jimmy Sills that’s in the top 5 of laps ever lead in USAC. Jimmy thought Dylan could use some seat time in one of the highest horsepowers to weight ratios of any car including F-1. Jimmy Sills knows what it takes to be a winner and seat time is incalculable when measured in importance to driver development.

On that note, Young Gun Dylan Hutchison took the bit and ran! Well, I guess you should say he mashed the gas and flew or put the pedal to the metal…. Well, you get it.

We expect Dylan to run 360 Sprints and some 410’s as well this year. All this in an effort to continue to develop the young Portuguese sensation to the fullest of his remarkable abilities.

From bumping the former Daytona 500 Champion out of the way to racing some of the Dylan Waltrip 2most powerful open-wheel race cars in the world Dylan Hutchison’s career has no idle.

Keep an eye out for the NASCAR Young Gun, he may be coming to a track near you!

Vincent Sabatini, RHR Communications

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THE LEGEND

Thu, 16 May 2019 00:39:00 GMT

Here is an original 1970 West Capitol Speedway Supermodified. This is a special car with a small block ‘517hp Vintage Stage II Series’ Rex Hutchison Racing Engines Bullet. The little racer was built by Don Tognotti and Duwayne Star out of Tognotti Engineering. The racer was campaigned successfully at Sacramento’s “Action Track” with many notables sitting behind the wheel like Wayne Sue, Dave Duncan, LeRoy Van Connet, San Jose Speedway ‘Smoken’ Joe Diaz and even the legendary ‘Crazy Wheels’ Wally Baker. The devilish winged little Supermodified with over 100 win’s, is still racing hard throughout the western states with a current driver, Leif ‘Big Foot’ Von Richards from Dallas Texas.

SPRINT CAR ENGINES

Thu, 16 May 2019 00:32:00 GMT

Sprint Car Engines is one of many products Rex Hutchison’s offers with decades of knowledge to draw upon.

From the high revving and extraordinary combustion chamber heat ranges on 360s to 410’s Hutchison’s has over 40 years of experience dealing with the tortures of the sprint car engine. Addressing all these complex mechanical issues are solved for you because of the experience which ultimately saves resources for your teams and programs.

MEMORY LANE

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 03:28:00 GMT

Global Entertainment and Media Group July 2019

HUTCH AND NAAKE

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:18:00 GMT

BACK THEN

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 00:01:00 GMT