Ivan Baldwin dies in accident: He won track championship at 99, built car
By Scott Linesburgh
September 24, 1996
Ivan Baldwin, known as Ivan the Terrible during his long career at
Stockton 99 Speedway, was killed on Sunday in an auto crash near his home in
Mooresville, N.C.
Harry Belletto of Modesto, a close friend of the Ceres driver, said Baldwin
was killed while driving a roadster about two miles from his home.
This is very shocking, Belletto said. He had a roadster he built from
the ground up, and he was found a few miles from his house. The car was turned
over.
Baldwin, who won the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman title at Stockton 99 in 1984,
was known as much as an engine builder as a driver. Baldwin Engineering is one
of the prominent builders of auto racing engines in Northern California.
Belletto said he last saw Baldwin one year ago, and Baldwin told him he was
was working for NASCAR driver Ken Schrader on Schraders short-track cars.
I saw him in Bakersfield a year ago, and he told me about Schrader,
Belletto said. To me, Ivan was a legend in his own time. He was a grass
roots racer. He started with nothing, and he went all the way to the top. This
was before you could call someone on the phone and tell them your car was
doing this or that and they would have an answer for you. He figured out
everything on his own.
Ron Strmiska of Manteca was a close friend of Baldwin and NASCAR driver Ernie
Irvan.
Ivan the Terrible ... this is very sad, Strmiska said. We just heard
about it (Monday. Its shocking.
Baldwin was a regular Late Model competitor through the 1970s and mid-1980s.
His only other top five finish was second in 1980.
Baldwin won 17 main events, 10th on the tracks Late Model list. He had 21
fast qualifying times, eighth-best, and 98 top five finishes.
Baldwin built his cars and built the car in which Irvan won his 1977 track
title.
Stockton 99 track manager Duane Borovec said Baldwin will be honored at the
track`s season-ending program Saturday night.
∼Went to Pacific High School....
Found his information @ ancestry.com ....
His picture, found at ancestry.com ....
is from the class of 1962
******************************
Ivan Baldwin dies in accident: He won track championship at 99, built car
By Scott Linesburgh
September 24, 1996
Ivan Baldwin, known as Ivan the Terrible during his long career at
Stockton 99 Speedway, was killed on Sunday in an auto crash near his home in
Mooresville, N.C.
Harry Belletto of Modesto, a close friend of the Ceres driver, said Baldwin
was killed while driving a roadster about two miles from his home.
This is very shocking, Belletto said. He had a roadster he built from
the ground up, and he was found a few miles from his house. The car was turned
over.
Baldwin, who won the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman title at Stockton 99 in 1984,
was known as much as an engine builder as a driver. Baldwin Engineering is one
of the prominent builders of auto racing engines in Northern California.
Belletto said he last saw Baldwin one year ago, and Baldwin told him he was
was working for NASCAR driver Ken Schrader on Schraders short-track cars.
I saw him in Bakersfield a year ago, and he told me about Schrader,
Belletto said. To me, Ivan was a legend in his own time. He was a grass
roots racer. He started with nothing, and he went all the way to the top. This
was before you could call someone on the phone and tell them your car was
doing this or that and they would have an answer for you. He figured out
everything on his own.
Ron Strmiska of Manteca was a close friend of Baldwin and NASCAR driver Ernie
Irvan.
Ivan the Terrible ... this is very sad, Strmiska said. We just heard
about it (Monday. Its shocking.
Baldwin was a regular Late Model competitor through the 1970s and mid-1980s.
His only other top five finish was second in 1980.
Baldwin won 17 main events, 10th on the tracks Late Model list. He had 21
fast qualifying times, eighth-best, and 98 top five finishes.
Baldwin built his cars and built the car in which Irvan won his 1977 track
title.
Stockton 99 track manager Duane Borovec said Baldwin will be honored at the
track`s season-ending program Saturday night.
∼Went to Pacific High School....
Found his information @ ancestry.com ....
His picture, found at ancestry.com ....
is from the class of 1962
******************************
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