Career - Page 3

In 1995 Terry got bit by the racing bug again & obtained a dwarf car. He put his talents into the car by completely redesigning it. His endeavors challenged a local car builder & rules maker. Terry only won three races that first year.

He credits his success with receiving help & guidance from sprint car builder Jack Rich. Jack helped him with set-ups & designs. Terry’s pit crew included Ron Lee as his driving coach, John ‘Pineapple’ Miguel & Bruce Conrad.

When the reining powers outlawed many of the previously legal options on his car, Terry teamed with sprint car builder & former WOO crew chief, Donnie Guenther, to build him a new car. It was finished about half way through the race season. The car was so advanced, but within the rules, that he was told that even if it was legal, he wouldn’t be allowed to run it. Donnie went to Keith Hall (Manzanita Speedway owner), who had Phil Hertel judge the car by the existing rules. He requested Terry change a couple of small things, but deemed the car legal. Terry went on to dominate the race season, winning nine races. In 1997 the series split because of his car. Terry went on to dominate by winning 17 of 32 races run on Arizona’s three tracks, New Mexico, & at Peris & Ventura tracks in California. He won the Arizona Dwarf Car state championship twice: in 1997 & 1998.

In 1999 someone from his past reappeared. ‘Torch’ Larry Mudersbaugh asked Terry to switch divisions & drive his modified midget 600cc winged car. Terry agreed & drove the car in the 1999 season in both the modified midget & mini-sprint divisions. They teamed up again for the 2000 season. But Terry yearned to have his own race car & bought one half way through the season. He then talked Rick Stewart into building a ‘sidewinder’ type chassis. They collaborated over the holidays. Rick designed the chassis & suspension, while Terry did the engine mounts, body & other items. He ran this car in the mini-sprint division the remainder of the season & won a number of heat races & trophy dashes. Again, he had the help of Ron Lee & long time midget crew man, Marc Richards. In 2002 Terry became president of the Arizona Mini-Sprint Car Association. He led in points most of the season, but eventually ended up second at the end of the year.

In 2002 Terry & John Maris formed a partnership & purchased RaZor Performance Products, a dry sump oil pump manufacturer based in Canada. The RaZor pumps are used on every ASA car, as well as WOO, CASCAR, NHRA, IBHA, & all other divisions.
Terry decided to switch divisions again. He had always wanted to race midgets again. So he purchased a second-hand 2003 Ellis chassis with a Pontiac engine. He has rebuilt the car; building a new body & adding some of his own touches. This season he still has the help of Marc Richards, Sam Gatton & new crew man Ray Brooks.