Text Box: Fireball Roberts Memorial Apopka, Florida September 6, 2008 Matt Bowers Race Team recently had the opportunity to acknowledge a true legend in the sport of auto racing at the 1st annual Fireball Roberts Event in Apopka, Florida. With deep roots in Apopka, Glenn (Fireball) Roberts cut his early racing teeth on Old Highway 441 between the longtime Bowers hometown of Apopka and the current Bowers hometown of Mount Dora. Many Apopka Old-timers recall how Glenn achieved his famed “Fireball” nickname out of local sand lot baseball days. Long before the days of Dale Earnhardt were the days of Fireball Roberts, a racing icon who helped bring the sport to the level of NASCAR as we know it today. As the day was incredibly hot and the afternoon wore on, it was time for the MBR Team to pack our display and head back to the shop. Except, we managed to get to the event with two cars and one trailer. Oh…..what the heck…..Why not just retrace one of Fireball’s famed roots, Apopka to Mount Dora…..right down 441….in a race car right off the track in Caraway, North Carolina. With a quick side bet with the Bill Boughan Race Team (who could load up and get to a local watering hole first), Matt decided the Howe chassis had a perfect gear for a dash up 441 with a stop at Zellies and, what the heck, all the way home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montana Ranch in Big Timber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 As the day was incredibly hot and the afternoon wore on, it was time for the MBR Team to pack up our display and head back to the shop.  Except, we managed to get to the event with two cars and one trailer.  Oh…..what the heck…..Why not just retrace one of Fireball’s famed routes, Apopka to Mount Dora…..right down 441….in a race car right off the track from Caraway, North Carolina.  A quick side bet with the Bill Boughan Race Team (who could load up and get to a local watering hole first), Matt decided the Howe chassis had a perfect gear for a dash up 441 with a stop at Zellie’s and, what the heck, all the way home saving a double trip to retrieve a second car.

 

       None of us are sure exactly how the police were tipped off, possibly the noise, because it really did not take very long to get from the event through the back streets of Apopka to 441 and on to Zellie’s.  I bet the Boughan guys saw how we intended to be the first team to Zellie’s and they called the cops?

 

       Now it’s hard to imagine how Fireball got out of his tickets, but the modern citations have all of these little boxes to check for each violation.  Matt’s receipt successfully had all boxes checked (noise, no tag, illegal tires, tail lights, improper right…. Turn….she only makes left turns? and speeding?)  At least Matt was wearing an approved seat belt, plus a Hans, helmet, and window net.  Matt, being sponsor savvy as he is, stopped at each red light though, as the crowds had ample time to appreciate the fine people that help him with his race car.

     

        Leave to Matt Bowers to negotiate his way out of a side trip down to the station.  Turns out, Zellie’s was out of the Apopka jurisdiction…..so what the heck…..the officers decided to escort him all the way home….only if he would really let the hammer down…..after all, it wasn’t their jurisdiction and by now, there were about 50 people joining the pursuit just to see what the heck was going on.  Possibly the wrong thing to tell a 17-year-old….Just how fast will she go?  Highway 441 between Apopka and Mount Dora may never be the same.  Fireball would have been proud. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                        

 HOT PURSUIT!