From the cradle to the dirt track
While the Thoennes reign continued for about the next 4 years, Paul,Tom and cousin Duane watched each week as Bob dismantled the field. With the rise of MOGATOR (shown above), and people beginning to resent the champ, the boys got the bug. From the tender age of about 4 1/2, racing was injected in the blood. Anything with wheels became fair game. Big wheels were destroyed and teeth were knocked out on the Tonka Trucks on Monroe street. If it rolled...it got raced!

From the cradle to the dirt track
Over the years Bob became one of the premier chassis men in central Illinois. He jumped to the late model class in the 80's. The younger generation went through an R/C car phase traveling all over the states for racing. Then came the Go-Cart phase which didn't last long. The need for speed finally got so intense that Paul and Duane purchased an old late model in hopes of developing a sportsman car. One night Duane's dad, Jerry convinced the boy's to just stub it and go modified. Within about 2 days, Jerry had welded the stub on and away they went. Paul experienced several heat wins in his first 2 years. Then bought a Harris modified and raced it for two years. During that time Tom put together a sportsman car and tore up the high banks at Fairbury for two years until jumping to a late model in 2001. Paul joins him in that class this year and it is hard telling what will happen.