One of the first annual events to cast on was the Olympics of Drag Racing. Bob elaborates how it received the name. "Ed Rachansky came up with the motto Olympics of Drag Racing. "Ed Rachansky came up with the motto Olympics of Drag Racing. "Ed told Bob in the late fifties. " I tell you what, this even is like the Olympics, everybody is here. Garlets, Prudomme, McEwen, right down the line. Clive Skilton from England was there. A guy from Canada was there. I liked it. That's the name we kept for over forty years." It was during this time he got the well-traveled nickname "Broadway Bob" from a West-coast race announcer in 1959. After the success of the Memorial Day event, it seemed only natural to add an event on Labor Day. It Immediately became a success, even with the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis occurring the same weekend. Bob adds, "if they didn't qualify on Friday, they could drive up to Great Lakes and race here on Saturday and Sunday. Some of the guys like Karamsines always came up here because it was a gurantee money." How did it become the Labor Day Spectacular?

I called it the jet-rocket wheelstander, funny car spectacular, there were too many funny cars, jets, pro-stocks, this and that, I came up with the name Labor Day Spectacular. I thought this is going to be spectacular. It stuck. Those are the two biggest events that were held any in the world other than the NHRA Natioanl meets that they have now." "Broadway Bob" was honored at the Wisconsin Motorsports Charities Dinner several years ago. He brought down the house when he explained how he became a promoter. As a local stock car driver Bob explains, "I lost 87 races in a row. "He adds, "I ran stock cars from '47-50. I ran at three tracks. I ran at Cederburg at Fireman's Park, The quarter mile (Wisconsin) State Fair Park and Hales Corners (WI). One time I even drove a sprint car at the 87th Street Speedway (a.k.a Gill Stadium, 1111 East 87th St. 1/4 mile dirt) which was (Andy) Granatelli's." Never to be a winning driver, he wisely moved into the promoters chair.

An interesting side not to his driving career, "the 87th Street Speedway is where I bought the bleachers (for the track). We brought up semi loads and brought them here. Those are gone now. After thirty some years they were not the safest. Anyway, I bought bleachers from (John) Kaishian (John was a longtime promoter of Hales Corners Speedway and had the promotion rights to the Milwaukee Miler from 1967-1983, owner of Midwest Bleachers and Crystal Ridge Ski Hill in Franklin, WI). I like John, he's a great guy. We we're as different as day and night. He likes to be home with family, cooking. Me, I like to party, drink and I don't like to cook. "Broadway Bob" had many friends in and out of Drag Racing, Some are famous some not so famous. One friendship he struck up in the 1970's was Evel Knievel. Bob remembers, "The year after he (Evel Knievel) crashed at Cesar's Palace I got a hold of him. Keep in mind he was still (healing from his injuries) I must had got him at a bad time because he really socked the price to me. I'm not complaining because I made out like a bandit. In June, 1973, at that time to be here, it cost us $25,000. The most expensive thing I ever had at the track.

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