Stash Kullman Interview
How did you get your start in Racing?
I went to Raceway one night with my sister and brother-in-law. They were running midgets that night and announced that the stock cars would be there the next week. Well, I went back and really liked what I saw and thought I can do this. I bought a used 49 ford in 1952 that was #27 and was really in need of repair (as I soon found out). The first night out at Raceway the steering box bolts broke, I couldn't steer and crashed Johnny Schipper who was none to happy with me
Why #4U ?
The guy that owned the car operated the 4U club in Calumet City and Harry Moyer drove it. A bunch of guys were there we started shooting craps and I won the car. I've always felt that 4U was lucky for me so I kept it.
How long before you won your first Feature race?
I drove for a few years before I won my first race (a heat race) and my first feature was early in 1960 with my 56 0lds. Legs Whitcomb & Ted Janecyk had wins while driving my cars.
What was your favorite car?
My favorite cars (because there were so many) had to be my 69 Chevelle in 1970-71 which I built, the 75 Corvette suspension 74 Camaro (it was fast but wouldn't last), and of course the Bemco Camaro in 80-81
What was your favorite track?
Of course Raceway is because it was my home track, but I always ran really good at Illiana winning a few features there on Sunday afternoons before we came back to Raceway Sunday night. I didn't get to race too much at Grundy because of work but I liked the track.
What victories stand out?
The 300 lappers in 1965 and 1967 boy they were tough!
What victory that got away stands out?
Probably the 300 lapper in 1970, the pace was a little faster than I liked so I saved a little for the end and was really coming on strong when I blew a left rear tire that spun me and wrapped itself around the quickchange. That year my car was good I won a few races and made some decent money.
How hard was it racing 4 nights a week?
For me racing 4 nights a week was hard because I worked from 8 to 4:30 and then spent whatever time was left keeping the car going. I made up my mind not to get to aggressive and wreck the car and take what I could get without damage. The cars were easier to maintain than today's cars unless you wrecked them. Most of the cars were one of a kind built with whatever parts and materials you could scrounge up. A friend of mine Rich Damm would take the car to the track for me and was a vital part of me being able to race 4 nights a week and sometimes five when we ran Illiana.
Tell the fans about your big crash over the wall...
It was in the 1962 during the 300 at Raceway and I was starting to come on real strong having unlapped myself and was about a half lap down to the leaders. Heading into turn one the axle snapped and pulled out dropping the car down on the left rear and raising the right front. The wall was going to hurt, I closed my eyes, and the next thing I know is I'm in the parking lot, the track is behind me and spectator cars damaged all around me. I couldn't believe I wasn't hurt. You can still see where I went out. The fence is bent down and the metal wall has a bigger patch over it.
Ever been injured in a race?
In 1962 it was raining lightly at the start of a feature and I got clipped by someone sending me head on into the ambulance gate. Didn't have no broken bones but got a few stitches. In 1964 someone blew a motor and I backed my 60 chevy into the wall and once again I needed stitches above my eye. Sure broke a lot of steering wheels back then.
Why purple cars all the time?
Actually my 50 Olds was a pale pink that was popular. The 56 Olds in 1960 was Burgundy Mist which became my trademark color until it wasn't available anymore.
What did you like most about Raceway Park?
The fans who came to see us race. Most of them came all four nights. Raceway was also close to Roseland so getting there was easy.
What did you like least?
The track officials sometimes weren't to consistent in their rulings and enforcement's.
Describe your relationship with Pete Jenin...
Pete is certainly something that they broke the mold after him. It's his track and he does what he thinks he needs to do. We never had bad words, but we sure get along a lot better since I've retired.
Describe your relationship with Bud Koehler...
Bud was as tough as they come. As I started running better we talked which let me know I was running better. He'd always say something after our battles on the track, but since he retired he has stopped by at SRC a few times and always talks to me at the memorabilia show.
Describe your relationship with Bob Pronger...
Bob was one of the best drivers in a stock car. He would steer your car wherever he wanted and you couldn't do nothing about it. We were close friends. He bought my 65 Chevelle in 67 during the season. He let me have it back after Koehler won his 300th feature. He used to tell me if I couldn't get past Koehler, move over and he'd make enough room for me when he went by. We had a certain amount of respect for each other.
Who were your best friends in racing?
Bill Cornwall, Harry Simonsen, Legs, Ted Janecyk, John Slowiak, Bob Slepski, Bill McEnery, Bob Pronger & Paul Bauer.
Who were the toughest to race against?
Bud Koehler, Bob Pronger, Jerry Kemperman, Dave Weltmeyer & Frank Gawlinski. To many to list.
Who was the hardest to pass?
Bud Koehler....You always had to park him so he couldn't get you back the next corner. You don't want him to be on your bumper with one lap to go.
Who were your favorite drivers growing up?
No favorite driver unless as my sons say Ben Hur.
Who are your favorite local drivers now?
Being involved with SRC I have many favorites but Mike White, Dave Weltmeyer, Kevin Reidy, Joe O'Connor & Pete Resetar are friends as well.
Who is your favorite NASCAR driver?
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Who helped you the most in your racing career?
Thru the years-- Bill Cornwall, Legs Whitcomb, Ed Kusyn (pit crew) Rich Damm (pit crew) Bob Pronger Bill Koenig, Ray Young, My sons Stash and Wayne.
Any feuds or rivalries?
One night Dan Colyer (James Bond #007) spun me coming out of four on the last lap of the feature. He drove into my door and shoved me across the finish line all the while I was pounding on his hood of his car. After we stopped I flew out of the car and chased him on foot. He backed into a pole or something in the infield. I never forgot that. Rivalry was certainly the word when I raced against my son Wayne.
Any funny stories you want to share?
One night the late models went out on strike. We were all in the pit road and Larry Middleton was speaking because he was the defending champion. Pete Jenin looked at him and said something derogatory. It was funny because Pete didn't know who he was. He didn't even know his own track champion. The steamroller episode was funny to unless your car was on the track. I'm sure he would've flattened someone's car if they weren't moved.
Remembering Stash Kullman
By: Stan Kalwasinski
Hammond, Ind. - Perhaps one of the most colorful and most popular drivers in area stock car racing, Stanley "Stash" Kullman, 73, of Calumet City, Ill. passed away Tuesday evening, March 25, at St. Margaret's Hospital.
Kullman and his "Polock Pink" numbered "4U" stock cars were familiar sights at the old Raceway Park near Blue Island, for more than 20 years. In addition to being a regular in the stock car action at the Illinois speed plant, Kullman was on-again, off-again competitor at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville.
After being a casual grandstand observer, Kullman began his own racing career in 1952 at the Blue Island oval. Wheeling a rather tired and rusty old Ford, Kullman was among a hundred or so drivers that showed up each season at Raceway, looking for a little racing glory and attempting to make a few bucks in the process.
Giving up his own driving career for a time, Kullman turned to being a car owner in the mid to late 1950's before going back to driving full time around 1960. Kullman scored his first feature win at Raceway on June 3, 1960, wheeling a 1956 Oldsmobile to victory. Kullman would go on to score a total of 30 feature victories at the tight quarter mile paved oval before bowing out of competition after the 1981 season was complete.
Kullman's unique trademark number "4U" was the result of Kullman winning a stock car during a dice game in the 50's. His favorite "Polock Pink" color on his race cars was actually Ford Motor Company's Burgundy Mist.
Two of Kullman's best years were 1970 and 1979. The 1970 campaign saw Kullman wheel a 1969 Chevelle to 10 feature wins, including a Fourth of July 50 lapper, finishing third in the final points tally at Raceway. Kullman in a rapid-running Camaro finished in the runner up spot in the final standings at Raceway in 1979, capturing four main event tallies along the way. Two memorable victories during his career were victories in Raceway Park's annual 300 Lap Classic with Kullman winning in 1965 and again in 1967.
Kullman had the distinction of being the only driver to ever crash "out of the park" at Raceway. It happened during the running of the 300-lap race in 1962 after Kullman lost a rear wheel and axle, which "launched" Kullman's '57 Chevy, sending the errant mount over the retaining wall, flying over the high wheel fence and cables and over a 30 foot or so walkway. The car finally ended up among some parked cars in the speedway's parking lot outside of turns one and two. Kullman escaped injury in the wild-looking accident.
Kullman's success at Illiana was limited, basically because of his infrequent appearances at the half-mile paved speed plant. Kullman did win two features races there in 1966 and was a front runner during the track's early "open competition" Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100 lappers in the mid 60's.
After his driving career was over, Kullman founded SRC Enterprises in Burnham, Ill., selling oval track racing equipment to area racers. Kullman, along with his sons, Wayne and Stash Jr. or "Stashie", became experts in race car chassis and body fabrication. Throughout the years, Kullman's parts trailer was a regular site at Illiana and at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill. during the summer months.
"When I first got into late model racing, I'd go over to Stash's shop and pick up different parts and Stash would carry me for a week or two," said three-time Illiana championship car owner, Tom Rose of Schererville. "Thanks to Stash, I was able to go racing for a number of years without a lot of sponsorship help. I was racing on his money and I wasn't the only one."
In recent years, Kullman was also heavily involved in local go-kart racing with his grandsons, Michael and Kevin, racing their SRC sponsored karts, primarily at the Lake Village Motor Speedway.
Kullman was one of a kind
By Tony Baranek
His cars were colorful. His personality a veritable rainbow.
He was great at setting up a racing tale. He was even better at setting up a race car.
For half a century, Stash Kullman was a central figure on the Chicago-area short-track oval scene, first as a driver, then as a car fabricator and parts distributor.
"Every week at the track for the last 30 years, it seemed every time you looked up he was there," veteran late-model driver Dave Weltmeyer said. "There is going to be an empty spot in the pits this year, knowing that Stash isn't there."
Kullman, a native of the Roseland neighborhood in Chicago and more recently of Calumet City, died Tuesday after a short illness. He was 73.
Kullman's racing career began at Raceway Park in Blue Island in 1952. From 1960-81, he finished in the top 10 in late-model points 18 times. His career high in feature victories at Raceway was in 1970, when he won 10. His highest finish in points was second in 1979.
Always a quick qualifier and a contender for victories on most nights, Kullman was best known for the color schemes on his No. 4U, the most popular of which was "Polish Pink."
"When I was a kid we used to sit in the stands and watch him all the time," former Raceway Park champion Kevin Reidy said. "He always had the sharpest-looking purple-pink cars.''
One of those cars, a 1957 Chevy, lost an axle during the running of Raceway Park's 300-lap Classic in 1962. Kullman's No. 4U became airborne, cleared the retaining wall and fence between Turns 1 and 2 and landed among cars in the parking lot.
Kullman was uninjured, and one of many legendary stories he would tell over the years was born.
During his 30-year career, Kullman won 30 features at Raceway Park, including two 300-lap Classics in 1965 and '67. He also raced competitively at Illiana Speedway in Schererville, Ind., winning two features and posting a handful of top finishes in the prestigious Bettenhausen Classic.
Kullman retired as a driver after the 1981 season, but remained very active in the local racing scene by founding SRC Enterprises in Burnham with his sons, Wayne and Stash Jr.
Their specialty was race car fabrication, which they did on site in their shop. Among their most successful customers was Ray Wroblewski, who campaigned cars driven by Reidy and Pat Echlin that captured six Raceway Park late-model championships.
"He was like my best friend, pretty much," Wroblewski said. "Everything I know about racing I learned from him. What really impressed me is that even today he knew what the heck was going on, as far removed as he was (as a driver).
"He kept up with what was coming out, what would work and what wouldn't."
The SRC Racing parts truck was a fixture at Grundy County and Illiana speedways and Raceway Park for the past 20 years.
"All I can say is we're going to miss him," Grundy County Speedway promoter Frank Welch said. "He was a very outgoing type of guy, always reaching out. I don't think he got rich off of the little business he had going in the pit area, but it was a major convenience for the race car drivers.
"When they needed something in a hurry, Stash was there with it."
Stash Kullman saw his racing legacy passed on through two generations. His son, Wayne, was a regular competitor at area ovals in the 1980s. More recent, he passed his No. 4U on to his grandson, Kevin, who has begun his career as a go-kart and dwarf-car driver.
"It's kind of hard for us to say that we look at our dad and not think of him as anything other than our dad," Wayne Kullman said. "But we know that to a lot of people he was really important. He was definitely someone special."
Raceway Park Legend Passes
By RICK DAL COROBBO
Stanley "Stash" Kullman was remembered fondly this week by the many people whose lives he touched during his longtime involvement in the sport of auto racing.
Kullman, 73, of Calumet City, Ill., died Tuesday night at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center in Hammond following a recent illness.
For nearly 30 years, Kullman and his pristine purple No. 4-U race cars were a fixture at the former Raceway Park in Blue Island, Ill. His trademark number was actually the result of him winning a stock car sponsored by the old 4-U Club in Calumet City during a dice game in the 1950s. His favorite paint scheme, the Ford Motor Company's burgundy mist -- which appeared as a pale purple on the race track -- was affectionately referred to as "Polack Pink" by Kullman.
After being a casual grandstand observer for a few years, Kullman began his driving career in 1952 at Raceway Park. Behind the wheel of a rusted and tired 1949 Ford, the 21-year-old rookie was among the hundred or more competitors looking for a little racing glory.
His first feature victory did not come until 1960, however, when he drove his 1956 Oldsmobile to victory over two of the stars of the era, nine-time track champion Bud Koehler and Hessville favorite son Don Oldenberg. Kullman would go on to win a total of 30 feature victories at the tight quarter-mile oval before hanging up his helmet at the conclusion of the 1981 racing season.
Two of his most memorable victories came in the prestigious Raceway Park 300-Lap Classic in 1965 and 1967. The same race also earned Kullman the distinction of being the only driver to vault a race car over the fence and out of the speedway during the 1962 running of the annual season finale.
In that race, Kullman's 1957 Chevrolet lost a rear wheel and axle and was launched over the retaining wall, high wheel steel mesh fence and cables. The car finally came to rest among some vehicles in the parking lot between turns one and two. He was unhurt in the mishap.
Longtime race fan Paul Beck of Hammond said he "had the honor" of watching Kullman race since 1960.
"Stash touched so many people in so many ways," Beck said. "He was a worker, an innovator, a salesman, a racer, a businessman, an engineer, a craftsman and one of the best friends a person could ever hope for. It was a treat to hang around the garage and learn from him."
He said Kullman seemed untouched by time. "As the years went by, Stash hardly changed, but the world around him did," Beck said. "It was one piece of my life that was constant. He was always there and always fun."
When his driving career ended in 1981, Kullman founded SRC Enterprises in Burnham, Ill., where he sold oval track racing equipment to area racers. Along with his sons, Wayne and Stash Jr., the Kullmans became experts in race car chassis and body fabrication.
Through the years, the SRC parts trailer became a regular fixture at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville and the Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill., each summer.
"When I first got into Late Model racing, I'd go over to Stash's shop and pick up different parts and Stash would carry me for a week or two," said Tom Rose of Schererville, owner of the championship rides wheeled by three-time Illiana titlist Mike White. "Thanks to Stash, I was able to go racing for a number of years without a lot of sponsorship help. I was racing on his money -- and I wasn't the only one."
Wayne Adams III of Hammond, a former Street Stock competitor who has now moved to the promotional end of the sport, spent some time with Kullman in his garage several weeks before he became ill.
"I spent about an hour with him that day and I sensed that Stash, for the first time, was a bit unsure of his role in the sport," Adams said. "He spoke of his business being slow and how he wished things were like they were a few years back. He always loved to be busy on a race car doing something. It kept him young, I think."
Adams said Kullman's family should be proud of his contribution to the sport. "He was a legend, to say the least, and legends are not forgotten," he said.
"Stash was very fortunate to be able to spend the majority of his life doing what he loved to do," Adams said. "He always treated everyone who ever did business with him as a friend. It didn't matter if he built you a whole car or if you just bought some tubing from him, you were welcomed there. I am just glad I was able to spend some time with him."
In recent years, Kullman was also heavily involved in local Go-Kart racing with his grandsons, Michael and Kevin, who campaigned their SRC-sponsored karts at the Lake Village Motor Speedway in Lake Village.
In addition to his sons and grandsons, Kullman is survived by a granddaughter, Carly.
