Davis: A businessman with a lead foot: Gordon Racing

Dirt track racers are the "good hands" of the country.

They're mechanics, repairman, carpenters, heavy-equipment operators, welders, farmers, plumbers, and small business owners.

The nature of short-track stock car racing requires a problem solver. Since racing is time intensive, it helps to be your own boss.

Ed Davis came to town in 1962 and opened a store that sold and serviced business machines. He also raided his new family's meager treasury and bought a stock car. He drove hard and helped run the races at the fairgrounds. His wife, Carolyn, sold tickets.

Dennis Jordahl had an electric motor shop just down the street on Benson Avenue. Both were gearheads (Ed also loved motorcycles).

Soon they were fast friends. Jordanl gave up driving and started wrenching for the speed racer from Worthington. They worked until past midnight on the hot rod. On Friday, they'd knock off work early to get the track ready.

Charlie Nelson drove against Davis and also helped at the track, as he does today.

He's fondly recalls Davis's driving style: "If Ed could have gone 200 miles per hour down the straightaway, he would have done it. He might not make the corner, but he would have gone that fast."

Red Ahl, a legendary driver from the 1960s, said Ed was as good as they came. He liked to get on Ed's bumper and see if he could force him to make a mistake.

"I could make him nervous and pretty soon he'd spin," claimed Red this week at the Willmar Car Show, where he displayed a reddish-brown Kaiser deluxe.

Ed was one of the best, whether he raced at Willmar, Bird Island or Redwood Falls.

"Some guys from the Redwood track came up here and asked if we and some of the other local drivers would come down and race at Redwood on Sunday nights," recalled Jordahl. "Well, Ed won 14 races in a row and they said 'That's enough. You guys don't have to come back no more.'"

Ed died May 8 of a massive heart attack. It was opening night at his hometown track He was 21 days short of his 71st birthday.

A son, Kirk, said his dad came in from mowing and told Carolyn, his wife of 50 years, he didn't feel well.

Ed played football for Worthington Junior College. He and Carolyn married in 1957 and raised four children.

At the track, the kids wore short-sleeved shirts around the pits with No. 54 on the back, Ed's car number recognizing the popular 1960s TV comedy Car 54, Where are You?

The family, Kirk said, was grateful that Ed's passing was quick and painless. Of course, he was gone way too soon, said Kirk. "He was my hero."

Racing lost another fatherly figure within a week. Willmar resident Arlo Gordon, 66, died in a crash on Highway 12 on May 12.

Arlo was on his way to Murdock, where his sons run Gordon Farms, an enterprise he started with his dad after graduating from Concordia College in 1964.

His sons, Adrian and Brian, both raced, but it was a grandson, Andy, who really got Arlo, in his late 50s, going. He and Andy bought a Cruiser novelty class car that they raced at Montevideo. One steered and throttled and the passenger did the braking.

Andy soon shifted to the high-powered Modifieds. Arlo became his former racing partner's biggest booster. He seldom missed a race, whether it was Willmar or Alexandria or in an adjoining state.

Arlo died when his van swerved into the back wheels of an oncoming semi-trailer. Arlo, who was diabetic, possibly suffered a medical emergency of some sort. He had complained to Andy at the races four days earlier of chest pains.

"It means a lot that the last race he ever saw, I won," said Andy, referring to the Modified feature on May 8 at KRA.

Last Thursday, Arlo was eulogized at the track. As the National Anthem played, Andy drove slowly around the track holding the American Flag in an emotional farewell.

n Willmar's strongest events at the Central Lakes track meet today should be the 4x800 relays. Coach Jerry Popp also will load his short relays, too, for the first time. Brainerd is the team to beat in both divisions. The event starts at 2 p.m. at Apollo High School in St. Cloud.

- The Willmar Mustangs are playing in a new football alignment this season called the Northern Power Football League. David Blom, Willmar's player/owner, said the league will be run by a board of directors made up of owners instead of a commissioner. Coach Doug Doering should have 36-40 players in uniform when the season opens at 5 p.m. Saturday at Hodapp Field vs. the Northern Terror.