"There are so many Arlo stories. He was a rare breed of promoter, whatever the venue was," said Kathy Root, former IMCA owner and president and now chair of the sanctioning body's executive committee. "One of my favorite stories was when he sold 'I Love Arlo' T-shirts, along with 'I Hate Arlo' shirts at the Vinton speedway."
"Arlo was one of the original IMCA Modified drivers and his participation helped to promote the new class," Root added.
Landon Cassill has raced with a lot of legends. The Cedar Rapids native has shared NASCAR tracks with some of the biggest names in racing. But the first legendary driver, says Cassill, was Arlo Becker. Becker died on Monday at age 79, in a tractor roll-over accident north of Shellsburg. The Benton County Sheriff's Office says he was spraying on a hill in a wooded area when the accident happened. News of Arlo's death spread quickly throughout the racing community, prompting several tributes on Facebook, as well as newspaper and TV stories. The tribute by Cassill is among the most moving; it shows how Becker tried to make those competing against him better. "Arlo Becker made me pass to the outside to win my first heat race at 14 years old," wrote the NASCAR driver on his Facebook page. "I know he let me have it, but he'd never admit it. I'll miss him. He pointed his right hand to the outside to signal me to go high. He wouldn't let me go low because he knew that was the easy way. I was 14, he was probably 67. The first lesson he taught me in short track racing. He wanted me to be comfortable running the high side." Another guy who started working with Arlo at a young age is Johnnie Tharp, who still works races in Vinton. "You know, Arlo bought me my first set of professional race flags when I was 12," Tharp says. Shortly later, he had me on the road with them flagging fair shows in the region. One time, while announcing and flagging an Enduro at the Sioux County Fair, their announcer didn't show. That's where I got my start." Tharp says that while he spent a lot of time traveling with Arlo with B & B Promotions, his favorite memories are still the ones he has of watching Arlo race. One particular memory:The night Arlo ended up full-bore, rolling off corner 3 to the Tilford lawn is one that takes the cake, says Tharp. Becker joined the Hawkeye Downs Hall of Fame in 2006. He had planned on watching his grandson play college basketball in Missouri this upcoming season, according to a tribute written in April in the Boone News Republican.
Comments
Submit a CommentPlease refresh the page to leave Comment.
Still seeing this message? Press Ctrl + F5 to do a "Hard Refresh".