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Gene Washer, 73, has been an avid race fan for 50 years and has been racing since 1997. He retired from racing in 2006. He ran a limited scheduled the last two years he raced because of his son's weekend amateur basketball and baseball schedules.  After retiring from the newspaper business in 2008, the became an avid fisherman. He finished 8th in the Riverview Speedway Park points race in 2004. In 2003 he  finished 16th in the nation and won a race at Beech Bend Park in 2002. He finished 6th in the points standings in Bowling Green and 11th in the standings at Twin Fountains Raceway Park in Shelbyville, Tenn.  He ran five races in the No. 25 Budweiser of Clarksville and Cookeville Monte Carlo in the inaugural season at the Twin Fountains Raceway Park in Shelbyville, Tenn. He was a regular at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky. in 2001.

In 1998, he finished fourth in the points standings and fifth in the MMRA Region 25 standings. He won the 1999 points championship. Plagued by injuries, wrecks and equipment failure, he was well back in the points standings in 2000, He finished 7th in the standings at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky. in 2001, 10th in the points standings at Shelbyville and 4th in the North Alabama Super Mini-Cup race at the Huntsville, Ala. Speedway.

Washer's only previous racing experience came in a few dirt races 53 years ago when he was growing up in Kentucky. He did do some speedboat racing during the late 60s. He has received many civic and professional awards--most recently the outstanding alumni service award at Austin Peay State University  where he received his degree. (click on photo, third down to right).

A native of Elkton, Ky., most of his career has been behind a typewriter (a computer in later years). He spent 17 years writing sports, including the early beginnings of NASCAR. Tenn. He wrote the first race story about his long time friend NASCAR veteran Jeff Purvis, who was then 15 and racing on dirt at the Clarksville speedway.

Washer is married to the former Ann Turner of Trenton, Ky. He has two sons, Tom and Jon. He and Ann have one son, Ben, who is 23 and played high school baseball (click on photo bottom right 2002 All-stars) and  basketball at Rossview High School in Clarksville. (click on Ben's Sports to left.)

Photos on this page are of Gene's family, son and grand kids.
 

Gene's grand kids Thomas and Conner check out the Bud Car.   Right Thomas and grand daughter Grace with son Ben.