There have been many trips down memory lane this year, as it is the Golden Anniversary of the International Classic. There is one driver, front and center that has made more Classic Weekend memories than anyone else in the field. He’s been in more Classics than another driver (31), he leads the all time Classic point list of almost 400 drivers, he is tied with the legendary Mr. Classic Nolan Swift for the most wins (6), and he ranks second, only behind Swift, for all time Classic top fives (12). By now, you have figured out that the driver here is the immortal Bentley Warren.
Bentley returns this year for his 32nd Classic. He just isn’t coming back to make laps, he is a legitimate threat to break the tie and become the all time leader in Classic wins. The car he will drive this weekend visited victory lane at Oswego less than a month ago, as up and coming driver Mike Barnes wheeled the “Double Deuce” to the win in a regular 45 lap feature. That race put Barnes in the record books as the one driver to reach victory lane the quickest in Supermodified history. It was only Barnes fourth race at Oswego in a Supermodified. “It’s a good car,” Bentley said of the Double Deuce. “They found some things in their test before that race, and they made the changes. We wanted to make those changes before that, but we didn’t have enough parts. That was back a couple of weeks before. They showed the car can win, and Mike did a great job.”
Bentley’s Classic memories span five decades, as he first competed in the race in 1965. He opened eyes with a time trial run in ‘65 with a 20.57 lap, good enough to put the rookie in the third row for the start. His 36th place finish that race, the first 200 lap International Classic, by no means was an indication of what this race would have in store for him. “The funny thing is, I really can’t remember the first one,” Bentley said as he pressed into his memory bank. “I want to say it was in the mid 60’s, as I won in 69 and ran a few before that win.”
The first few Classics for Bentley weren’t headline grabbers, but he turned up the pressure in 1968 as he chased Nolan Swift across the line as the finish read Swift, Warren and Logan. The 1969 Classic is one that stirs the memory a bit for Bentley. “The very first Classic win, the one in the Little Deuce, that was a pretty cool one,” Bentley reminisced. “The first one, as well as the last one, they really stand out,” he added.
The last one he mentioned, happened in 1998, as he wheeled the Jeff West car to victory in the Classic. Legend has it that Bentley picked up the ride, and wanted to come to Oswego that year to “have some fun”. There was a lot of fun that year for the Warren-West team. “That race was a real dream come true,” Bentley said as his voice picked up. “That was really incredible. The whole day was something else. It was a close race, we had that late race run at the lead, and held off Davey Hamilton in the end. Then after, being up in the tower talking with Swifty and shaking his hand after the win, was something I will never forget. The whole thing was just incredible. It went from not going to planning on much, to going on and winning our sixth one.”
He won the race twice for two different car owners. 1984 and 86 saw wins in his neighbors car, the Ed Bowley Flyin 5. Bentley and the Bowley’s were Massachusetts neighbors, and the team was a natural fit. 1989 and 90 saw Bentley win back to back for Mike Mazur in the 61. “Those wins were really great too. All the wins are something special and each has their own things that made them great. Every win in the Classic was great, and I feel very fortunate to have driven for so many great teams in that race,” Bentley said humbly.
Can record setting win #7 come in the 50th annual race? “I’d like to see it,” he joked. “I think we can, we have a good car, and there’s a lot that goes into it. There is so much luck involved. You have to have great preparation with the car, which we have. You have to stay out of trouble, and have to be around at the end. A lot of things can happen in that long of a race.” You don’t have to go any further back than last year to see that anything can happen in the race. “If we didn’t get in that mess last year, we would have been at worst, second,” Bentley recalled. He was working his way forward in the “Double Deuce”, and was solidly in the top ten for the first half of the race. The car was strong, and Warren was marching forward. Lap 110, the car was involved in the third turn red flag situation, but it didn’t retire the car. With the machine damaged, Warren soldiered on, and kept charging forward. His and the teams efforts were rewarded with a sixth place finish, another top run for the Arundel, Maine driver. “We had a good car last year, and we were on our way,” he added. “We got in that mess, and had a wrecked car. The car was really good before that, and I think we had something for them.”
Not only was last year’s car a good car, he has been behind the wheel to an all star cast of cars owners. In his previous races he has driven for owners such as Ed and Tom Bowley, Tom Heveron, Skip Matczak, Mike Muldoon, Jeff West, Dave Kane, Howard Purdy, Paul Dunigan, Dave and Cindy Snyder, Mike Mazur, and the Furlong’s.
While he looks for Classic win #7, he will be pulling double duty once again this year. Saturday, he’ll be in the same car for the ISMA race that he ran to a podium finish last year. “I’ll be in Vic’s car. It’s a team car to Chris Perley, and Chris is really on a tear this year. It’s a really good car, and they are really great people. We had a lot of fun last year, and ran really well. Vic, Chris and their guys are really wonderful people. We’ll have a lot of fun with them this year. I still love it,” Bentley said of cinching up the belts and going racing. “When I get in the race car, and get out and make laps, I love it, I just love it. The traveling isn’t easy, and I have to take a few days off from work, but it’s just something I love to do. Hopefully we’ll do well, and have a really good weekend.”
Just like the Classic, Bentley is at or near the top of every statistical category at Oswego Speedway. He rests in second in all time wins with 65. All time top fives, Bentley is in fourth with 190. He is a seven time track champion turning the trick in 1983, 84, 86, 87, 89, 90 and 93. He also won the very first ever ISMA Supernationals at Oswego, back in 1994. In the poll released during the 50th anniversary of the speedway, Bentley was listed third behind Jimmy Shampine and Nolan Swift as all time best drivers ever at Oswego Speedway. He has com a long way from that first trip to Oswego back in early 1965 with the 7 car.
Very few people in the country can get by with just one name. That is usually set aside for sports stars, rock stars and people that really set a precedent. Cher, Madonna, and Magic are just a few. In racing circles, local and nationwide, you don’t need to say anything more than - Bentley. He is in the sports super star and rock star status in our sport. He is one of the best all time to sit in a Supermodified, bar none. He is at the top of all Classic lists, and looks to set the all time Classic win record this weekend. It’s within his grasp, as the car, team, and Bentley himself all are proven and can get the job done. The Classic is a race all of its own, and it takes everything to go your way in order to drive into Victory Lane at the end of 200 laps.
Just being in town for the weekend will add to the Bentley Warren legend. If Bentley picks up that elusive 7th win, the party may go on for days. He’s a larger than life image, and it’s sure to be an honor to have him part of the 50th annual, Golden Anniversary International Classic.