Host Biographies:

Mean Gene:

Mean Gene racing Southern Modified at Eastbay Raceway

While just a kid going to the Florida State Fair in Tampa, Fl, a sprint car got into the tin fence on the back straight away and knocked down most of it. We could see through the hole and we could watch the #2 of Pete Folse lead the way around the 1/2 mile dirt track at Plant Field until the cops ran us away. After watch that I was hooked. Already I was listening to the Nascar stuff on the AM radio sometimes. Then Golden Gate Speedway opened, Dad carried us there the first night it opened. I remember Cush Revette winning the very first Late Model feature in the 55' chevy.

Mean Gene racing a thundercar at Golden Gate Speedway

Later my brothers, Gus and Herb, and I built an early model out of a 1950 buick, with a straight 8 for power, Tommy Swindel ended up driving the car for us, then we built a 55 Ford six cylinder early model #427, which Swindel and Gus drove. Finally, I got to drive one night in the tornado class, that's a v8 class that Frank Derry started in the mid 60's. In 1969 I was drafted into the Marines, so I was gone a few years. I came home in 1971 and got married to to Edwinia(Now 33yrs, same gal) got back into racing with a 58 Ford. I ran one race at Dade City Speedway, the first time I had ever seen the track was in a race car and I didn't even know it was dirt until I went out for the heat and found out I wasn't cut out for dirt. I took the same car and put a six cylinder in it for Golden Gate, which was a bomber class they ran on Saturday night. That didn't last long.

After that, I did did some drag racing at Twin City in a muscle car I had and won the first night out. Then on Sundays we would go to Tampa Dragway and race. Seems like every Friday night it was Golden Gate Speedway, Saturday night it was Golden Gate or Sunshine Speedway or Twin City and Sundays it was Tampa Dragway. Always some kind of racing.

Tampa, Fl(5/10/05) Former Tampa Tribune Race Driver of the year, Larry Tyler, makes a come back in 2005. Tyler Has found a home in a drag racing with a rear engine dragster these days. With only three outting's wins Quick " 8 s ' at Sunshine Dragstrip Wednesday Nite 3/30/05. Your thinking big deal , well lets look back a few years.

Feb 18th 2000 at St.Augustine Fla. Larry was involved in a single car accident that almost took his life and ended a Sprint Car career . Larry was going for lead in a heat race . when the car turn right and hit the wall on drivers side. Sprint Cars at St.Augustine Speedway reach speeds of 140 mph plus. Larrys head came incontact with the outsided wall . Leaving him with head injuries and disabled . Doctors told him that he might not be able even to work again ,much less drive a race car. This was hard on Tyler,he was a winning driver, on both dirt and asphalt with number of wins probably over 75----38 victories in one car.

Had two championships in Sprint Car divisions .1995 AWOL asphalt series,1997 TBARA (first year since Golden Gate era for club to be Pavement only) ,each time having won the most races for the year . Was 1988 Tampa Tribune Driver of week and Tampa Tribune Driver of the year 1997 . Competed in a limited USAC series schedule running in Midwest & setting a track record at Salem Speedway in Indiana for a heat race that still stands by lowering the exzisting record by over a second and a tenth a lap and besting a young Jeff Gordon! That was in 1990. Raced in Three " Little 500's " between 1990 & 1999 twice driving for Jack Nowling & once for his own team with great runs and even taking the lead under the green flag racing in 1999 . Tyler raced all kinda cars and on lots of tracks. Thunder cars-Sportsman-Open Wheel Modified-Super Six-Late Model-Southern Modifed-Limited Sprint-Non Wing Sprint-Wing Sprint& even a few figure 8. Just in Florida he raced at Golden Gate-Auburndale-East Bay-Fla State Fairgrounds-Milton-Ocala-Five Flags (Pensacola)-St. Augustine-Lake City-Inverness-New Smyrna-Volusia-Haileah-Charlotte County-Desoto-Sunshine Speedway-Lakeland (old track & new) Even did some outta state racing.

Georgia: New Senoia-Lanier-Atlanta Motor Speedway S. Carolina; Greenville Pickens (Where he was 3 seconds a lap faster than the next best car. Indiana; Indianapolis Raceway Park-Salem (still might hold track record there!)
N. Carolina; Kenly ( Burlington)- Ace Speedway (Altamaha)
Tennessee; State Fairgrounds( Nashville)
Missouri; Bolivar- Lebanon
Even was guest at 1998 Champions Day Guest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway complete with race car on display, press conference in media room, Inagural event. Well that gives a little back ground on Tyler. Hes not just your average racer, He's a Racers Racer.