Harry Vanderzanden
Harry Vanderzanden’s introduction to
racing came literally by accident, when in 1967 he took a
part time job driving tow truck for Terry’s Garage in Stoney
Creek. You see, Harry and his young family already lived
only a concession from the new Speedway Park, next to the
Satellite Drive-In where they operated a poultry farm. They
could sit in their backyards watch a movie and also hear the
roar of the dirt track racing across the fields.
Back in the day, Harry supplemented his
income from the steel plant by raising poultry and took odd
jobs. Well Terry’s Garage faced Speedway Park’s entrance at
Mud St. and Hwy #20, where it was convenient for them to do
the towing duties during the Friday night racing program.
Quite often Harry would take his young sons Paul and David
in the tow truck to the races, towing cars in the pits,
waiting ready in the infield and acting as the final starter
in a race, if there were an odd number of cars. Well one
night, a late model competitor was having trouble firing his
car for a race, with Harry’s tow truck pushing it through
the pits. Out of frustration the car owner said something to
Harry about selling the car and so for $35.00, including the
helmet, Harry was now a racer. This was in the era of 30
late models starting a feature and various makes of cars
from Fords, Dodges, Chevrolets, Studebakers and Edsels,
where drivers such as Bob Webster, Frank Field, Mike Zajac,
Lynden Wood,& Don Turner got their start.
As these new divisions grew in
popularity, the modified Sportsman headlined, and the late
models replaced the Jalopies, but a new third division,
mini-stock was created for four cylinder cars. Merrittville
Speedway and Speedway Park now ran three divisions every
Friday and Saturday night. Both competitors and fans came
from all over the Golden Horseshoe, where Hamilton, St.
Catharines and Thorold were the hotbed of dirt track racing.
This new mini stock division interested Harry and as his
poultry farm became more secure, he was able to pursue his
hobby.
So by 1974 Harry built two mini-stocks,
#74 for himself and #75 for his son David. These bright
orange mini’s would become memorable at Merrittville, where
the now Fenwick turkey farmer would mix his business with
his hobby. He decided as a board member of the Ontario
Turkey Board, that he could promote race fans to eat more
turkey if he painted a turkey on the side of his race car,
and most every Saturday night he would ask the Speedway to
raffle off a 4 – 6 lb. turkey as a door prize. We now had
two Mini-Coopers painted bright orange racing and winning,
lapping Merrittville’s oval with turkeys painted on their
sides.
For ten years the Vanderzandens raced
with much success in the mini-stock division, winning many
races, competing against the likes of Bill Dominey and the
Toyotas, Larry Benjamins in the Volkswagens and yes the
Vanderzandens had their Mini Coopers. In 1985 the
mini-stock division evolved into the mini modifieds and the
full bodied cars didn’t fit, so Dave and Harry looked at
their options.
Dave decided to take his #75 and go
modified racing, with Harry’s support, racing out of their
North Pelham poultry farm. While Dave enjoyed driving the
modified division the racing was demanding and no longer a
hobby. You had to work on the car every night. In 1995
Harry decided to re enter the fledgling mod-stock, run what
you brung class, that looked like fun and could be a hobby.
This gave Harry an outlet to be able to continue his hobby,
while the demands of raising turkeys, running a grain
elevator and feed mill took his time.
During the new millennium the racing bug
bit the next generation as Paul and Dave’s children took to
racing go-karts. Harry always the competitor, coached his
grandkids and today the third generation of Vanderzandens
are racing, while sons Dave and Paul tend to the turkey
business.
In 2010 Harry purchased a dirt race truck
that he numbered #74, for he and his grandson Stephen to
race. Yes Harry still had the desire to race at age 74, but
the grandkids handle the driving duties. As we fast forward
to 2012, Harry Vanderzanden can be seen sitting at his spot
in turn four, every Saturday night. His family purchases a
renewable life-time pass, so Harry can still enjoy his
passion for racing some forty five years later.
He will soon be able to cheer for his
grandson Stephen, as a Vanderzanden returns to the
mini-stock division driving Dave Small’s Mustang, and Taylor
is still racing the #74 dirt truck at Humberstone. Here’s
to you Harry, as you are about to interviewed for the first
time, where your dedication to the sport of dirt track
racing from a tow truck operator to a competitor and car
owner at Merrittville Speedway and Speedway Park has fueled
your passion for our sport, your turkey business and your
family. Welcome to the Merrittville Speedway Alumni Wall
of Fame. Rick Kavanagh