Factory Stock No. 00
Photo courtesy of JAF Racing Photo
Super
Stock No. 00
Photo courtesy of JAF Racing Photo
Larry Price
Larry Price, the “Ironman” of Manzanita Speedway, races in two divisions each weekend, many times on the same race card. Don’t be fooled by the engaging smile and the soft laugh, because underneath lies an intensity and fierce competitiveness that makes the former champion a man to be reckoned with every Friday and Saturday night at Manzanita.
Price was born in Phoenix, Arizona on January 28, 1950. Growing up in Phoenix during the 1950’s and ‘60’s was tough if you did it the Larry Price way. His parents, Joe Price and Irene Staggs, moved to Phoenix in the 1940’s. They were people of modest means and made a living at whatever they could find to do, not unusual in those days. But life on the edge has consequences, as Larry found out later when his parents separated, and his mother, Irene, struggled to keep the family together. He always felt close to his mother because of her easygoing personality, and the fact that she had experienced so much hardship beginning with polio as a child, and later being orphaned at age 11. In tribute, Price concluded that, “My mother was a really nice person.”
In a way, his mother’s attitude toward life, in spite of the hand she was dealt, made her an inspiration to him. Price even brags a little that he got his stubbornness from her. Some of his racing competitors, however, might use the term hardheaded. With his mother as an example, Larry learned early on to make his own way in the world. He always had a job of some type: newspaper boy, shoe shiner, and laborer. At age 15 he got his first real job at Food City. When asked why he worked so hard at so young an age, he replied in his flippant way, “I like to eat.” But in a more serious vein, he added, “I knew that you had to work for whatever you wanted to get.”
Price’s love affair with automobiles began at age 12 when he bought a 1951 Chrysler for $5. When it was pointed out that he couldn’t even drive at age 12, he laughed and said, “I don’t know that that stopped me. Ironically, my parents never owned a car, never even had a driver’s license. But I was always fascinated by cars. I bought the old Chrylser just to have something to work on.” Later, in high school, Larry learned how to rebuild an engine. Admittedly, Auto Shop was his favorite class. “The other classes bored me,” said Larry, “I guess I thought I knew more than the teachers.” That’s not too uncommon an attitude for a high-strung teenager like Larry Price must have been.
The only time Price ever lived outside Phoenix was when he served as a scout with the U. S. Army’s 3rd Armored Cavalry from 1968-70. In 1970 his unit was in Ft. Lewis, Washington, ready to ship out to Vietnam, when the United States government decided to wind down the war. As a result, Larry was able to complete his tour stateside.
The military was a mixed blessing for him; he hated the hard work of constant preparation for combat at only $90 a month, but, at the same time, the military taught him discipline and helped him grow up. As a volunteer draftee, Price did his duty for his country, but the experience developed in him strong anti-war feelings. He realized that the “most tragic thing that a parent can do is to send their child into war.”
In many ways, Larry’s military service was a watershed event for him. He became a man and developed many of the attitudes and values that fueled his future success. Along with his self-discipline, he learned to focus his intensity toward his goals, and used the G. I. Bill to fund a trade school education, becoming a Certified Welder. For the first time, according to Larry, “I could make enough money to have a life.”
Another life-changing event occurred in 1974 when Larry was introduced to his future wife, Linda McCubry, at a party at her uncle’s house. When asked if it was love at first sight, Price’s face lit up with his signature grin and said, “I don’t know about love at first sight; it was more like too many beers.” At any rate, the relationship clicked, they raised three children together, Danny; Lora (Hansen); and Crystal (Reynolds); and they are still in love, a somewhat rare occurrence in these modern times.
As Larry took on more responsibility by getting married and beginning to raise a family, he decided to take another step of great consequence. In 1977 he fulfilled a life-long dream of owning his own business, combining it with his love of cars by becoming an automobile wholesaler. As he and Linda contemplated this risk, which required the investment of every dime that they had ever saved, he told her, “Let’s do it. If things go against us, we’ve been broke before.” To this day, they are still buying and selling cars.
In 1970, right after his release from military service, Larry got the bright idea of getting into stock car racing at Manzanita Speedway. He approached George Posey, an older friend who was into racing, and asked him how to go about getting into a race car. Posey referred him to Norman Griffin, a local man who loved to build race cars but had no stomach for driving them. Posey told Larry, “Look, if you approach Norman in the right way, he’ll probably just give you the car. He’s never going to drive it.” So Larry went to see Norman, and sure enough, he said, “I’ll sell it to you for $50; I will never be able to drive it because of my bad back.” Larry was now broke but also the proud owner of a 1958 DeSoto which he named the “Silver Bird.”
Price outfitted the car with a war surplus airplane seat, an aircraft shoulder harness that he bought for $2, found an old motorcycle helmet with a pair of goggles, and he was ready for his debut at Manzanita Speedway. Although Price would not admit to having any fear of racing, he did say that he “might have been a little nervous” in the beginning. George Posey told him not to worry, and said, “Larry, if you’ll drive that car the way you drive when the cops are after you, you just might win your first race!” Larry didn’t win that first night, but the competitive juices started flowing. He rolled the old DeSoto after about four races, and realized that he was in a sport that he couldn’t afford at the time. His short, ill-financed racing career was over; temporarily.
In 1980 Larry reentered the stock car racing fraternity in Phoenix. Although most of the time he has raced in the Factory Stock Division, he has also raced Late Models, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, and Modified Stocks. He really likes the Factory Stock Division because it is competitive, fast enough to get the thrills, and still inexpensive enough to enjoy financially.
When you watch Larry Price’s skill on the track, it seems incomprehensible that he raced for six years before winning his first main event. According to Larry, during his early days in racing at Manzanita, it was a big deal to make the main event because there were usually 60-100 Factory Stocks on hand to race. But he became one of the dominant drivers in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Price was the Stock Car Racing Association (SCRA) Rookie of the Year in 1987, Rookie of the Year in the Southwestern Late Model Division in 1990, Sportsman of the Year twice, and SCRA Factory Stock Champion in 2000. In addition, Price served as president of the SCRA in 1991.
Stock car racing in 2004 is more competitive according to Price. “More racers have more knowledge and good equipment today, which makes it more difficult for one driver to dominate. Manzanita’s Factory Stock Division has a lot of good drivers who can win on any given night because they are smart, they know how to set up their cars, and they know how to read the track. Some of the tough guys to beat today are Anthony Madrid, and he’s probably the most wrapped up in winning these days; Ron Funk; Kent Staley; Bobby Taylor; and Ricky Thornton. Chris McCurdy is doing a good job.” Larry didn’t mention it, but he belongs in this group, too.
When asked what keeps a 54 year old man racing in two tough divisions week in and week out, Larry just looked puzzled, and said, “I really don’t know. I guess racing is kind of a sickness. It just gets in you, and there’s no cure for it. I race in two classes, and I have raced in three in the past. At the end of the night I am tired, hot, sweaty, and dirty. I am not always happy when things don’t go my way, but I always have an emotional high, an adrenaline high. I just love driving. One year I had 18 main event wins; I always try to win, and I never give up. But the best thing about racing is the participation and the camaraderie, the good people you meet.
“Racing is just like life, full of trials, tribulations, success and failure. Linda and I have raised our kids around the race track, and they have seen it all. We think it really helped our kids because racing has always been a family activity that we all enjoyed. Actually, all of the kids have participated in racing, including Linda. She was one of the top women drivers in Arizona at her peak. But one rule I have always lived by: the family comes first. You take care of your family and then go race. If you put racing first, you will lose your family. If racing is first, you probably didn’t love your family enough anyway.” This philosophy might sound old-fashioned coming from “Ironman” Larry Price. But if you know him, it sounds authentic.
Larry Price, the “Ironman” of Manzanita Speedway, races in two divisions each weekend, many times on the same race card. Don’t be fooled by the engaging smile and the soft laugh, because underneath lies an intensity and fierce competitiveness that makes the former champion a man to be reckoned with every Friday and Saturday night at Manzanita.
Price was born in Phoenix, Arizona on January 28, 1950. Growing up in Phoenix during the 1950’s and ‘60’s was tough if you did it the Larry Price way. His parents, Joe Price and Irene Staggs, moved to Phoenix in the 1940’s. They were people of modest means and made a living at whatever they could find to do, not unusual in those days. But life on the edge has consequences, as Larry found out later when his parents separated, and his mother, Irene, struggled to keep the family together. He always felt close to his mother because of her easygoing personality, and the fact that she had experienced so much hardship beginning with polio as a child, and later being orphaned at age 11. In tribute, Price concluded that, “My mother was a really nice person.”
In a way, his mother’s attitude toward life, in spite of the hand she was dealt, made her an inspiration to him. Price even brags a little that he got his stubbornness from her. Some of his racing competitors, however, might use the term hardheaded. With his mother as an example, Larry learned early on to make his own way in the world. He always had a job of some type: newspaper boy, shoe shiner, and laborer. At age 15 he got his first real job at Food City. When asked why he worked so hard at so young an age, he replied in his flippant way, “I like to eat.” But in a more serious vein, he added, “I knew that you had to work for whatever you wanted to get.”
Price’s love affair with automobiles began at age 12 when he bought a 1951 Chrysler for $5. When it was pointed out that he couldn’t even drive at age 12, he laughed and said, “I don’t know that that stopped me. Ironically, my parents never owned a car, never even had a driver’s license. But I was always fascinated by cars. I bought the old Chrylser just to have something to work on.” Later, in high school, Larry learned how to rebuild an engine. Admittedly, Auto Shop was his favorite class. “The other classes bored me,” said Larry, “I guess I thought I knew more than the teachers.” That’s not too uncommon an attitude for a high-strung teenager like Larry Price must have been.
The only time Price ever lived outside Phoenix was when he served as a scout with the U. S. Army’s 3rd Armored Cavalry from 1968-70. In 1970 his unit was in Ft. Lewis, Washington, ready to ship out to Vietnam, when the United States government decided to wind down the war. As a result, Larry was able to complete his tour stateside.
The military was a mixed blessing for him; he hated the hard work of constant preparation for combat at only $90 a month, but, at the same time, the military taught him discipline and helped him grow up. As a volunteer draftee, Price did his duty for his country, but the experience developed in him strong anti-war feelings. He realized that the “most tragic thing that a parent can do is to send their child into war.”
In many ways, Larry’s military service was a watershed event for him. He became a man and developed many of the attitudes and values that fueled his future success. Along with his self-discipline, he learned to focus his intensity toward his goals, and used the G. I. Bill to fund a trade school education, becoming a Certified Welder. For the first time, according to Larry, “I could make enough money to have a life.”
Another life-changing event occurred in 1974 when Larry was introduced to his future wife, Linda McCubry, at a party at her uncle’s house. When asked if it was love at first sight, Price’s face lit up with his signature grin and said, “I don’t know about love at first sight; it was more like too many beers.” At any rate, the relationship clicked, they raised three children together, Danny; Lora (Hansen); and Crystal (Reynolds); and they are still in love, a somewhat rare occurrence in these modern times.
As Larry took on more responsibility by getting married and beginning to raise a family, he decided to take another step of great consequence. In 1977 he fulfilled a life-long dream of owning his own business, combining it with his love of cars by becoming an automobile wholesaler. As he and Linda contemplated this risk, which required the investment of every dime that they had ever saved, he told her, “Let’s do it. If things go against us, we’ve been broke before.” To this day, they are still buying and selling cars.
In 1970, right after his release from military service, Larry got the bright idea of getting into stock car racing at Manzanita Speedway. He approached George Posey, an older friend who was into racing, and asked him how to go about getting into a race car. Posey referred him to Norman Griffin, a local man who loved to build race cars but had no stomach for driving them. Posey told Larry, “Look, if you approach Norman in the right way, he’ll probably just give you the car. He’s never going to drive it.” So Larry went to see Norman, and sure enough, he said, “I’ll sell it to you for $50; I will never be able to drive it because of my bad back.” Larry was now broke but also the proud owner of a 1958 DeSoto which he named the “Silver Bird.”
Price outfitted the car with a war surplus airplane seat, an aircraft shoulder harness that he bought for $2, found an old motorcycle helmet with a pair of goggles, and he was ready for his debut at Manzanita Speedway. Although Price would not admit to having any fear of racing, he did say that he “might have been a little nervous” in the beginning. George Posey told him not to worry, and said, “Larry, if you’ll drive that car the way you drive when the cops are after you, you just might win your first race!” Larry didn’t win that first night, but the competitive juices started flowing. He rolled the old DeSoto after about four races, and realized that he was in a sport that he couldn’t afford at the time. His short, ill-financed racing career was over; temporarily.
In 1980 Larry reentered the stock car racing fraternity in Phoenix. Although most of the time he has raced in the Factory Stock Division, he has also raced Late Models, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, and Modified Stocks. He really likes the Factory Stock Division because it is competitive, fast enough to get the thrills, and still inexpensive enough to enjoy financially.
When you watch Larry Price’s skill on the track, it seems incomprehensible that he raced for six years before winning his first main event. According to Larry, during his early days in racing at Manzanita, it was a big deal to make the main event because there were usually 60-100 Factory Stocks on hand to race. But he became one of the dominant drivers in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Price was the Stock Car Racing Association (SCRA) Rookie of the Year in 1987, Rookie of the Year in the Southwestern Late Model Division in 1990, Sportsman of the Year twice, and SCRA Factory Stock Champion in 2000. In addition, Price served as president of the SCRA in 1991.
Stock car racing in 2004 is more competitive according to Price. “More racers have more knowledge and good equipment today, which makes it more difficult for one driver to dominate. Manzanita’s Factory Stock Division has a lot of good drivers who can win on any given night because they are smart, they know how to set up their cars, and they know how to read the track. Some of the tough guys to beat today are Anthony Madrid, and he’s probably the most wrapped up in winning these days; Ron Funk; Kent Staley; Bobby Taylor; and Ricky Thornton. Chris McCurdy is doing a good job.” Larry didn’t mention it, but he belongs in this group, too.
When asked what keeps a 54 year old man racing in two tough divisions week in and week out, Larry just looked puzzled, and said, “I really don’t know. I guess racing is kind of a sickness. It just gets in you, and there’s no cure for it. I race in two classes, and I have raced in three in the past. At the end of the night I am tired, hot, sweaty, and dirty. I am not always happy when things don’t go my way, but I always have an emotional high, an adrenaline high. I just love driving. One year I had 18 main event wins; I always try to win, and I never give up. But the best thing about racing is the participation and the camaraderie, the good people you meet.
“Racing is just like life, full of trials, tribulations, success and failure. Linda and I have raised our kids around the race track, and they have seen it all. We think it really helped our kids because racing has always been a family activity that we all enjoyed. Actually, all of the kids have participated in racing, including Linda. She was one of the top women drivers in Arizona at her peak. But one rule I have always lived by: the family comes first. You take care of your family and then go race. If you put racing first, you will lose your family. If racing is first, you probably didn’t love your family enough anyway.” This philosophy might sound old-fashioned coming from “Ironman” Larry Price. But if you know him, it sounds authentic.