The name is Glenna Dezarn the lady with the big foot..Must of us know her as "LIL DARLIN" a name given her by former All Star official Rich Nichols...But sprint car drivers only know that when she's pushing you better be ready to go..(Joe Chambers photo)
She is one of a handful of traveling pushers left in the country..I always anticipate seeing her and her "piano playing" shotgun Bobby Gill at Volusia in February...A regular at Bloomington and Lincoln Park and specials at Terre Haute Action Track...She was also one of Bristols Best 2000 & 2001...A hand picked group of pushers by Art Malies ...
A banker by trade from Bloomington ,Indiana for 38 years she schedules her vacation to go to the races...Which over the years has taken her to Ohio , Wisconsin , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Kentucky and Bristol , Tennessee...Also new to her list last year was "The Dirt Track" at Charlotte , North Carolina...
She started pushing with her late husband Gene in 1976...Then in 1985 she got her own truck when her husband had health problems and later passed away in 1997...Her regular pusher is a black 1987 Ford Bronco with a spring loaded bumper..She also has a 1983 Chevy Blazer also black...The "piano player" Bobby Gill now maintains her equipment and started pushing in 1998 himself...He is one of the best for controlling traffic in the pits during time trials for push trucks that there is...You would think after working for the following groups : WoO , All Stars , USAC , NAMAR , and the Gumout series you wouldn't make a mistake....But if you do make sure its in a new Chevy S-10 in front of 40,000 people at Bristol when you do hit the inside wall.....I just couldn't let that go by....
A fan of all the drivers but being from Bloomington the Kinsers are at the top of the list...Now with Kraig Kinser driving she's hoping to add him to her list along with the legends of Bob Kinser and Chuck Amati...
YOU TAKE A RETIRED PARAMEDIC WHO HAS WORKED THE RACES FOR YEARS WATCHING THE KINSERS, GORDON, SCHRADER, STEWART AND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS FOR FREE AND THEN HE RETIRES...NO PROBLEM FOR THE CAR SALESMAN HE BOUGHT A PUSHTRUCK..
JOE CHAMBERS FROM CLINTON, INDIANA CALLS LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY IN PUTNAMVILLE,IN. HIS HOME TRACK...BUT IF THERE'S A TRACK THAT NEEDS A PUSH TRUCK HE IS READDY TO GO...ONE OF THE FEW TRAVELERS HE HAS PUSHED AT BRISTOL,TN.,THE DIRT TRACK AT CHARLOTTE, N.C., TALADEGA SHORT TRACK, AL.,VOLUSIA SPEEDWEEKS, FL. AND NUMEROUS OTHERS..HE PUSHES APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 55 RACES A YEAR...
JOE HAS TO KEEP UP WITH HIS BROTHER TIM EVEN IF ITS JUST PUSH TRUCKS...HIS WHITE DODGE DURANGO IS WELL EQUIPPED WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND CREATURE COMFORTS..
THE NEW BUMPER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE BODY SHOP AT MIKE'S MOTORS AND WAS MOUNTED ON A MODIFIED FRONT MOUNT TRAILER HITCH FOR EASY REMOVAL BY PULLING TWO TRAILER HITCH PINS...THE FRONT WIG WAG LIGHTS IN THE PUSH BUMPER GRILL ARE CONNECTED BY A FLAT FOUR WIRE TRAILER CONNECTOR ALSO FOR EASY DISCONNECT..
HE HAS INSTALLED A NEW FOUR LIGHT SWITCH BOX ON THE CENTER CONSOLE WHICH CONTROLS THE NEW 20 INCH MINI LIGHT BAR, WIG WAG YELLOW LIGHTS IN THE FRONT GRILL AND LOWER REAR (SWINDELL LIGHTS), WHICH CAN BE QUICKLY REMOVED WITH TRAILER CONNECTORS AND ONE BOLT, AND FRONT AND REAR STROBE LIGHTS AND A DASH MOUNTED STROBE LIGHT..
TIP:BEFORE EVERY RACE HE PUTS TWO COATS OF RAIN-X ON HIS WINDSHIELD, LIGHTBAR, AND HEADLIGHTS..THE MUD FALLS OFF WITHIN A SHORT TIME..HE ALSO PUTS RAIN-X ON HIS ENTIRE TRUCK ONCE A MONTH, DOUBLE COATING THE HOOD..CLEAN-UP IS A SNAP AFTER THE RACE..
Tim Chambers who pushes with his red Jeep Grand Cherokee (aka Suitcase Man) is traveling mechanical engineer who along with his wife Dorothy enjoy sprint car racing..He began riding with his brother Joe at Lincoln Park Speedway and the Terre Haute Action Track.....The rest is history....he was hooked.
TIM'S FORMER RIDE WAS HIS 1990 FORD BRONCO TRUCK WAS A REGULAR AT LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY..
Another of the group of Indiana Travelers is Steve Moat from Bloomington , In....A fork truck operator at the GE plant in Bloomington he also runs the sprint car circuit...Lawrenceburg, Putnam, Bloomington,and Mt. Vernom being some of his favorite tracks he pushes at..
