IN MEMORY

Dan Frank will be missed.
Dan Frank and I hooked up years ago at a Northern California race track, probably Antioch or Chico. over the years he was a subscriber to the Wagtimes Newsletter and supported the Wagsbucks along the way. He was a very friendly guy who always came by to say high and visit. I know he lived on a houseboat near Sacremento and travelled to a lot of races and was out of the country on trips from time to time. He loved the non-wing stuff and made many trips south with friends to enjoy our racing. I know very little else about him that I can recall from my memory correctly, so his friend Chris Jones sent me the following note that says a lot about Dan. I will miss him and remember what he brought to me. The note from Chris is very telling about the man he also respected.
Hello Ken, Hope alls well and here are a few things about Dan I know. Dan lived in Sacramento until 2002 in which he moved to Tulare for a new job working in bending stainless steel tubing for Western Certified Hose of Tulare. Dan planned on retiring in Tulare as he found it the place he really enjoyed living. Dan averaged atleast 100 plus races every season the sixteen years I knew him. WOW!! Im not sure how old Dan was but I believe early 60's. I do know he was heavily involved in building dragsters in the 1960's as well as building a Land Speed Car his friend drove and they held a world record for their class. The following year he and his friend tried to break their own record when his friend wrecked and was killed. Dan walked away from all racing for years and after that never could shake the loss of his friend. Dan created a jet holder in the 60's that Tognotti's of Sacramento sold and Kenny Woodruff bought one and still utilizes it today some forty years later. Dan once again started creating them several years ago and many,many top teams have one or more of them in their work box today. Dan was a very private guy and I learned years ago to take what he allowed you to know and ask few questions. If It pertained to Sprint Cars the conversation was endless and full of knowledge and memories shared with all. Sprint Car Racing was his life and passion and his summers where planned around the season. He made several trips to the Nationals and Speed Weeks and looked forward to Indiana Speed Week this year. Dan didn't really have a favorite driver ever, just loved the guys on the gas! He was fond of Randy "Bo" Tiner, Tony Stewart, and Damian Gardner. He'd help the low buck guys on occassion giving then a 100 or 200 dollars for fuel or whatever he could afford to give with a smile and ask nothing in return. Dan touched many people in the sport and was a real likable person who would give you the shirt off his back. Dan was the A.J.Foyt of fans and the sport, the teams, and his freinds will surely miss him deeply. I know I will. Im sure he'll be watching from high above and yelling at someone to "Stand on the gas" !! God bless him. He is survived by his mother Trudi Frank of Sacramento.

Updated 7/12/17