Quote: Hey Joe, What year did you stop working for "Carlton/Missile"...Did you continue to work for the Rod Shop yrs (Colt). What was the reason for the departure (if not to nosey).
Kevin,
I officially stopped working for Carlton on 12/31/74. Donnie had just moved his operation to North Carolina and we were closing our shop in Troy Michigan. Donnie offered me a job at his shop in NC and had a place for me to live but I already had a couple of years of college under my belt and knew that I needed to finish up so I made the decision to go back to Wayne State University in Detroit and get that done. I graduated in September of 1976. Still, when Donnie came to town for a match race or something I would give him a hand. It was good to see him and the family. After I moved to California when I graduated, Donnie would call when he was coming out to race. I would meet him and lend a hand for stuff like the WinterNationals. That was always a good time. The last time I saw Donnie was at the WinterNationals in 1977 - he was running a Colt in Altered - I think. Anyway, he was eliminated in maybe the semi-final so we loaded up and went out to get some dinner. He and Clyde and I sat for a couple of hours at a Denny's just shooting the fat just like old times. I said my goodbye's and headed back up the coast to Oakland CA where I lived - I never saw him again - he died on July 5th of that year - probably the saddest day of my life.
