Doughboy Larry Saunders #71

Full Name:
Larry Saunders    "DoughBoy"


Spouse:
Robin


Children (names and ages):
Tony E  too old   Shandi 28 Kelsey 25


Hometown:
Goshen


What is your car number and why?
71  My Dad ran #7 and when I started i couldn't have that as Bill Russell was
running it, so I went with 77. Then Pat Riley said he was running that so I had to
change again and the 1 was the easiest thing I could make out of the other 7.


Number of years in racing: 25

How did you get started in racing? been going to the track since I was 6 weeks old
My Dad, Uncle, and Step Dad all raced.

What classes of cars have you raced?
Late Model  Street Stock  Have a few runs in a mini and have also run some laps in
an old Super modified



Biggest win in your carrier:
I have a B feature win at the blow out in 2007 i think it was and a Last Chance win
at the Super Shoe in that same year. But the biggest would have to be my one and
only A feature win at New Paris in 2002 on my birthday.


Worst wreck you have been in:

Would have to be the firey wreck from 1996 and the one this year when we got Tboned
in the drivers door after being turned in front of the entire field, that one HURT.


Favorite racing memory:

The year at blow out when my entire racing family was there i was there Tony E and
Tony V and my daughter Kelsey all had cars there that year. I have a pic of all the
cars together. That was a special weekend.

Favorite track:

Kalamazoo

Who are your racing "idols"?
My Dad and Dave Marcis


Toughest track to race on:

Mottville, it is so flat and so tight.


Is there anything about this sport that frustrates you?
The cost has just gone through the roof but yet the payoff is still the same as it
was 15 years ago. It is really making it rough to run all season anymore.


What would you change about your local short track?
Putting the SS on the same tire as the LM that way the ones that can't afford new
tires all the time can buy the LM take offs which in most cases still ahve a lot of
life in them and it would help keep the costs down a little and help the LM out with
more cash for their tires from selling the old ones.


What race do you look forward to the most?

The Super Shoe Nationals at Kalamazoo no question.

With the winter now here what all do you do to the race car?
Well this year with the new car we are going through and checking all the
measurements to make sure it is all whwere we started at. we are going to make some
changes to the front suspension based on what we saw the car doing on the track. The
biggest thing is we now have to build a new motor so I am not sure if we will have
the finances to run a full season or not it will depend on financing and if we can
come up with some new sponsors.


Besides racing what hobbies do you have?
playin with the grandkids that's about it


What sponsors do you have?
Penguin Point; Paragon Printing ; Foremost Fabricating; Mom & Pete; Yellow Mind
Racing; Manley Graphics; Foregotten Heroes Ltd and Spirit of America Foundation;
Rheda Motors; and the UNITED STATES MARINE CORP.

 
Who helps you work on and maintain the car?
Jack Reed does all of the maintenance and fabricating, Rodney Smith helps him with
some of the fabricating, and I help when and where I can.


If a youngster was wanting to get into racing what advice would you give them?

Get started early maybe in carts or something. When you graduate into the full size
cars LEARN all you can about that particular type of car from the ground up. You
need to know the suspension the motor tires chassis set up be  as hands on as you
can and above all SEAT TIME.