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  TRIBUTE PAGE

  There are few words to describe one who is admired by so many. One who leads the way. One who Teaches. One who helps. One who Mentors. Hero, is a word that describes all these things. The Late Dave Kneisel was a hero in the eyes of many race fans and drivers throughout the Northeast. From the early days of the Southern Tier Stock Car Club to Pittston's Bone Stadium, From Five Mile Point to Nazareth, From East Windsor to Orange County, Dave Kneisel Helped, Taught and Mentored many young drivers. An innovator of the sport, he will always be that one word that describes these things. A HERO . . . . . . 

                                                                                                                             This Is His Tribute !

Dave Kneisel

  On a dare he took his 1937 Ford coupe to Bone Stadium's paved fifth mile oval in 1950 to start on the road to what many consider the greatest career driver in New York's Southern Tier. It was a terrifying night, but one he would win. Winning would take many forms during Dave's life. It would mentally come with to him, even if he wasn't in victory lane.

  During this time the cars around his area all had numbers that added up to the number 9. He came up with his famous number 711 based on this idea. Not all of his cars sported this numeral, but most did.

  He would return weekly to Bone Stadium until 1956. His love of auto racing lured him to other tracks. In 1952 he found Five Mile Point Speedway. During the next two decades he would record six track point championships (1953, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1973) at this quarter mile facility. Nineteen fifty-three started his Five Mile Point title years. That same year he won the Southern Tier "Three Track" title, with points earned at Five Mile Point, Shangri-La and Penn Can speedways.

  Amidst all this racing, Dave started his own parts business. His wife Ann, along with daughters Lynn and Marcie, would drive their unique blue and white converted parts ambulance to the speedway. This business would develop into Kneisel's Speed and Sport, based out of his home town of Clark Summit, PA. This parts business developed into the race car chassis business. Dave was one of the first modified chassis designers to encompass the tube frame design, which is the standard in today's modified industry.

  In the mid-sixties, Dave added the super sprint style cars to his growing list of types of race cars driven. He continued to compete weekly at Five Mile Point, along with super shows at Selinsgrove and Williams Grove. These ventures added to his thirst for challenging competition. And in 1970 he took his modified on the road winning numerous track titles and feature victories. His titles included Canandaigua Speedway (1974), Brewerton Speedway (1974), Weedsport Speedway (1971) and Twin Valley Speedway (1971).

   His ventures took him to almost every speedway throughout the northeast. He always loved the challenges that a difficult speedway offered. He thus favored Flemington Speedway and Waterloo's Maple Grove Speedway. He ran Rolling Wheels, Five Mile Point and Weedsport on a regular weekly basis during the seventies. When Waterloo reopened he responded by returning to this track on Saturdays. When Canandaigua switched to Sundays he took up the challenge.

   These trips secured point titles at Canandaigua and Weedsport. But winning remained the same to Dave. A good ride or congratulations from his fellow competitors meant more then any victory. In 1973, he was voted Southern Tier Driver of the Year, by the press and fellow drivers.

  Kneisel was an outspoken friend of the racers. He would look you in the eye and voice his opinion. He was a stanch supporter of safety when it came to racing. He would support the up and coming drivers, even if the new guy drove erratically. He would tell the complainers they all started the same way. Dave's aggressive style of driving would more then once land him in troubles of his own. His longevity in the sport, toted others to nick name him "Old Bones." However when Dave was wrong he acknowledged the fact, even allowing a driver he bumped to pass, back by so as to correctly pass them again.

   During his career he created many new and unique race cars. He experimented with roof wings on Modified's, body designs and suspension designs. But none of his cars was more unique then his AMC Pacer bodied modified from the late '70's. When this car hooked up, it really hooked up, landing Dave in victory lane on more then one occasion.

   On the Labor Day weekend, Saturday, September 2, 1982, Kneisel took his team to run the inaugural Larry Granger Memorial at Orange County Fair Speedway. It would be the last race he ever ran, ending a brilliant 33 year career of automobile racing. He was 55 years old.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JIM BAKER FOR HIS HELP IN THIS TRIBUTE TO DAVE!