Dick Barker

Dick Barker is known as the “The Magic Man”. He drove the familiar the Orange & Blue Car #45 Late Model. He was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in February 1951. The very next year he was attending local stock car races with his Mom and Dad. As he grew he became more and more interested in the sport and by his mid teens he expressed to his parents his desire to become a race car driver. He asked his dad to help him buy a stock car but being the oldest of three children his parents were very interested in having him go to college and get a degree. His father, owner of a local gas station in Battle Creek, said that paying for college and supporting a racecar at the same time was more than they could financially handle.

 

Dick was an outstanding high school athlete and was offered an athletic scholarship to Central Michigan University. Having most of his college paid for his father bought him a 1956 Chevrolet Convertible Stock Car for his graduation gift in 1969 and hence the racing career began. Dick started his racing career at the Galesburg Speedway where he was rookie of the year in the Late Model Division in 1969. He won his first feature race the following year 1970 at the Galesburg Speedway. Dick went on to win 108 Late Model Feature Races and over 250 total race wins from 1969 through 2011. His last race win came at the Flat Rock Speedway in 2011. He has raced across the Midwest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Canada. Here are some of the major accomplishments in Dick Barker’s great career:

• Rookie of the year at Galesburg Speedway in 1969
• First Late Model Feature win at Galesburg Speedway in 1970
• Late Model Track Champion at Galesburg Speedway in 1971 & 1973
• A.R.C.A. Rookie of the year at the Flat Rock Speedway in 1976
• A.R.C.A. Flat Rock Speedway Late Model Champion in 1978 & 1980. Runner up in 1977, 1979, 1981
• Mt. Clemens Speedway winner of 15 Late Model Feature Races from 1980 till it closed in 1985
• Winner of 3 Mid Season Championship features and 3 Late Model Season Championship features at Mt. Clemens Speedway from 1980 till 1985 when it closed
• Competed in the Midwest ASA racing series in 1988 and 1989
• Winner of the Sandusky Cavalcade Late Model 100 Classic (Sandusky, Ohio) in 1986
• Current Record Holder of the fastest 75 lap Late Model Feature ever run at Flat Rock Speedway
• Winner of the twin 100 lap Late Model Features at Toledo Speedway in 1982 & 1984 when the racetrack was not owned by A.R.C.A. hence the race was not designated as the “Glass City 200”
• Competed in a NASCAR Busch Series Event at Indianapolis Raceway Park Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1985 driving for Butch Miller with NASCAR Crew Chief Kevin Hamlin
• Competed in A.R.C.A. Super Car Series Event at Talladega Speedway in the early 80’s when A.R.C.A. original owner John Marcum flew me down in his plane to qualify for the A.R.C.A. race
• Two time F.A.S.T. Late Model Series Champion in 1986 & 1987 (This series raced in Ohio, Michigan and Canada). Winner of 5 features in two years in this series
• Winner of 4 straight Late Model features and 6 total for the year in 1982 at the

• Last race won – Flat Rock Speedway 2011
• Last Feature Race Win – Flat Rock Speedway in 2009