ANOTHER GREAT- PETE BERLT PASSED AWAY

[Tom Smith]

     Mansfield 1960

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     Dec. 28th 2005

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    Dec. 28 2005

[Tom Smith]

   

[Jim Donovan]

Thanks to the guys that got this vintage going back in 2000.  I have had an opportunity to meet a lot of the great drivers over the years and hear some wonderful stories.  Butch Stewart was very nice in driving Pete around to many of the vintage gatherings and that is how I got to meet Pete in Barnesville the first time.   Butch brought Pete to New Castle, Quincy, and Adkins so we could all enjoy seeing and talking with Pete.  Like all the karting greats he was easy to talk to and the stories and memories he had from the 50's, 60's, & 70's were wonderful to hear and I only wish they were recorded or written down because that is now lost history.

Start writing it down guys and talk about some of the old tracks you raced on that are now gone  because it was the best of times and anyone that drove back then was a  great driver.  The speeds were fast and it wasn't a contact sport back then and there was such a thing as a black flag and you sure didn't want to see it.  Two cycle was KING and dual and triples were better than a rocket to the moon and a lot more G force.

Every 2 cycle racer I see on the track today is one of the greats from the past -- I thank you all for the thrill of being an observer.

Merry Christmas and a safe but thrilling 2018


Jim D (only a 4 cycle driver)

[Tom Day]

Thanks to the guys that got this vintage going back in 2000.  I have had an opportunity to meet a lot of the great drivers over the years and hear some wonderful stories.  Butch Stewart was very nice in driving Pete around to many of the vintage gatherings and that is how I got to meet Pete in Barnesville the first time.   Butch brought Pete to New Castle, Quincy, and Adkins so we could all enjoy seeing and talking with Pete.  Like all the karting greats he was easy to talk to and the stories and memories he had from the 50's, 60's, & 70's were wonderful to hear and I only wish they were recorded or written down because that is now lost history.

Start writing it down guys and talk about some of the old tracks you raced on that are now gone  because it was the best of times and anyone that drove back then was a  great driver.  The speeds were fast and it wasn't a contact sport back then and there was such a thing as a black flag and you sure didn't want to see it.  Two cycle was KING and dual and triples were better than a rocket to the moon and a lot more G force.

Every 2 cycle racer I see on the track today is one of the greats from the past -- I thank you all for the thrill of being an observer.

Merry Christmas and a safe but thrilling 2018


Jim D (only a 4 cycle driver)

Jim, I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are so glad to have you in this sport as a friend and a supplier of a much needed vintage product, parts and unmatched service. We appreciate you very much and I hope we all can continue with this great adventure for many years to come! We are all very blessed to be able to relive this experience.

Thank you for your friendship and all that cooking you do!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[Jim Waltz]

Here's a better version of one of Tom's scans.......

[ted johnson]

I have to add my kudos to Tom Day's assessment of Mr. Jim Donovan. Great product, great food and a fun and really decent guy. Ted

[jeff brown]

About 2005 Butch and Pete came to my place in Michigan.  Pete brought the picture of his triple which we copied  however it was a Lancer .  We all worked on it for several days.  We took it to my friend Mauri Rose JR  ( his dad won the 500 3 times) to get some welding done and for Butch and Pete to meet him. Later that year Butch, Pete and I took it to Fremont along with an exact lancer that was a dual.  Butch drove the triple and I drove the dual chasing him around at the Big one for several laps.  We didn't take any video maybe someone has it.
I have a picture of Pete sitting in it around somewhere.

One more story , we were at Quincy around the same year and Pete wanted to drive the Dual b bomb kart.  He insisted that he had to drive one more time.  Well we reluctantly put him in one figuring we would just start one engine.
We fired up the one engine and he sat there and looked up holding up 2 fingers like what kind of trick is this. We started the other motor and let him out holding are breath because he wasn't in the best of health then.  He made it around several times and when he came in the smile on his face was ear to ear.  Then out came  that one of a kind laugh.   

Butch was just up here to visit, we talked about Pete for hours. Pete was like a father to him.  Pete introduced Butch to Mick Rupp .  Butch worked as an engineer for Rupp and drove his karts for years. Pete and Mick were best of friends way back.