Parker Bohn
An exceptional driver best remembered for his exploits in an equally-exceptional race car, Parker Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey, was a sensation at the controls of the GMC inline-6-cylinder-powered No. 659 black and white 1936 Chevrolet coupe that was owned by fellow EMPA Hall of Fame member Tom Skinner. Being so associated with just one ride is sometimes a disservice to a driver and in this case, there is more to be said about him than that.
A longtime fan of racing, Bohn was a 37-year-old “rookie” when he ran his first race at the old one-fifth-mile asphalt Long Branch (N.J.) Stadium in June 1950 in the flathead-powered No. 52 1937 Ford coupe that he and his cousin Fred Lange built.
Amazing, though, it only took four races for Bohn to pull into the Long Branch winner’s circle Then, for the next five seasons, the driver-mechanic cousins raced their car with great success as they won more than 100 feature races at such asphalt tracks as the old half-mile Old Bridge (N.J.) Stadium, the old one-fifth-mile Ft. Dix/New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, the old Wilmington (Delaware) Speedway and the one-third-mile Wall (N.J.) Stadium.
The 1953 Modified Champion at Wilmington, Bohn drove Tony Cognetta’s No. 111 to a 100-mile victory in 1956 at Old Bridge. Then, at Old Bridge in 1957, he proved to be more than just as great driver as he pulled fellow EMPA Hall of Fame driver Pete Frazee from a flaming wreck that saved his life – a heroic action that saw Bohn cited with the Dr. Ray N. Sabourin Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship.
After winning the 1959 point title at Old Bridge, Bohn – a regular competitor at the old one-fifth-mile asphalt Islip (N.Y.) Speedway who also raced occasionally on dirt – began his association with Skinner in 1961 when he first drove the legendary No. 659 at the old half-mile asphalt Vineland (N.J.) Speedway. And that driver-owner combination lasted for 17 years.
The 659 – which expelled two feet of flame from its exhaust pipe when it entered a turn – was a unique race car. Built as a Sportsman, it generally competed against the Modifieds during a time when the two classes were combined in the feature event. And with Bohn at the wheel it held its own against its larger V-8-engined rivals and it was the car to beat in its own division.
In his first season in the 659 Bohn finished second in New Jersey Sportsman points and was ninth in NASCAR’s National Sportsman Championship. Bohn also won five Sportsman titles (1965-1968 & 1973) with the car at Wall Stadium and in that configuration he came from the rear of the field to win Wall’s qualifier for the 1967 Trenton (N.J.) Speedway NASCAR National Championship Modified-Sportsman 200 over a strong field of Modifieds.
Then, after Bohn won Wall’s 1973 Sportsman title, Skinner changed the 659 over to a Chevrolet Vega-bodied Modified with independent front suspension while still using the high-revving GMC-6 engine. However, business pressures for Skinner – who owned a custom glass manufacturing business in Hammonton, New Jersey – did not allow the car to be raced more than once a week.
With that limitation, Bohn and Skinner decided to just race each Saturday night at Wall Stadium and that was where the popular driver who had the enthusiasm of a young racer and the knowledge and skill of a veteran ended his career in 1978 with 22 career victories.
Bohn’s relationship with his good friend and former car owner, however, continued for many years as they had a Hoosier Tire business that served Wall Stadium. Plus, the Bohn name continued to find itself in racing newspaper headlines as Parker’s sons Eddie and his grandson Danny carried on the family’s racing traditions.
Parker Bohn died at the age of 90 on July 13, 2008.
An exceptional driver best remembered for his exploits in an equally-exceptional race car, Parker Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey, was a sensation at the controls of the GMC inline-6-cylinder-powered No. 659 black and white 1936 Chevrolet coupe that was owned by fellow EMPA Hall of Fame member Tom Skinner. Being so associated with just one ride is sometimes a disservice to a driver and in this case, there is more to be said about him than that.
A longtime fan of racing, Bohn was a 37-year-old “rookie” when he ran his first race at the old one-fifth-mile asphalt Long Branch (N.J.) Stadium in June 1950 in the flathead-powered No. 52 1937 Ford coupe that he and his cousin Fred Lange built.
Amazing, though, it only took four races for Bohn to pull into the Long Branch winner’s circle Then, for the next five seasons, the driver-mechanic cousins raced their car with great success as they won more than 100 feature races at such asphalt tracks as the old half-mile Old Bridge (N.J.) Stadium, the old one-fifth-mile Ft. Dix/New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, the old Wilmington (Delaware) Speedway and the one-third-mile Wall (N.J.) Stadium.
The 1953 Modified Champion at Wilmington, Bohn drove Tony Cognetta’s No. 111 to a 100-mile victory in 1956 at Old Bridge. Then, at Old Bridge in 1957, he proved to be more than just as great driver as he pulled fellow EMPA Hall of Fame driver Pete Frazee from a flaming wreck that saved his life – a heroic action that saw Bohn cited with the Dr. Ray N. Sabourin Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship.
After winning the 1959 point title at Old Bridge, Bohn – a regular competitor at the old one-fifth-mile asphalt Islip (N.Y.) Speedway who also raced occasionally on dirt – began his association with Skinner in 1961 when he first drove the legendary No. 659 at the old half-mile asphalt Vineland (N.J.) Speedway. And that driver-owner combination lasted for 17 years.
The 659 – which expelled two feet of flame from its exhaust pipe when it entered a turn – was a unique race car. Built as a Sportsman, it generally competed against the Modifieds during a time when the two classes were combined in the feature event. And with Bohn at the wheel it held its own against its larger V-8-engined rivals and it was the car to beat in its own division.
In his first season in the 659 Bohn finished second in New Jersey Sportsman points and was ninth in NASCAR’s National Sportsman Championship. Bohn also won five Sportsman titles (1965-1968 & 1973) with the car at Wall Stadium and in that configuration he came from the rear of the field to win Wall’s qualifier for the 1967 Trenton (N.J.) Speedway NASCAR National Championship Modified-Sportsman 200 over a strong field of Modifieds.
Then, after Bohn won Wall’s 1973 Sportsman title, Skinner changed the 659 over to a Chevrolet Vega-bodied Modified with independent front suspension while still using the high-revving GMC-6 engine. However, business pressures for Skinner – who owned a custom glass manufacturing business in Hammonton, New Jersey – did not allow the car to be raced more than once a week.
With that limitation, Bohn and Skinner decided to just race each Saturday night at Wall Stadium and that was where the popular driver who had the enthusiasm of a young racer and the knowledge and skill of a veteran ended his career in 1978 with 22 career victories.
Bohn’s relationship with his good friend and former car owner, however, continued for many years as they had a Hoosier Tire business that served Wall Stadium. Plus, the Bohn name continued to find itself in racing newspaper headlines as Parker’s sons Eddie and his grandson Danny carried on the family’s racing traditions.
Parker Bohn died at the age of 90 on July 13, 2008.