Paul...
Well said, Paul, and an overdue tribute indeed. Kevin Potter built great
engines. The Beady Eye agenda (starting with engine builder Mike Belfer) was
not to build an engine to win a particular race, but rather to build one to
last all year and then be freshened come winter. I used to run 6-8 events a
year, and Bob probably ran 16 a year, after he retired. Fortunately we used to
help meet engine life expectations by not driving at 10/10ths. But engine
building seemed to be Kevin's labor of love, and every spring he would say,
"Bill...wait until to try this one!"
Kevin's Day Job was that of shop mechanic for my small masonry company. And as
a mechanic, he stood even taller in that capacity. There did not seem to be
anything he would not undertake. One time I went out in the shop, and he had
our crane in there. I do not know how the hell he ever got it in there (it was
crossways), but it was in there. The OVHD doors were closed, and it looked to
me like he was trying to take the boom off. He was a natural mechanic. He
could build stuff, fix stuff, paint stuff, weld stuff. Bring it on.
In his pre-Beady Eye days (while Steve's Dad Mike was still alive doing our
work), Kevin was a dyed in the wool NASCAR nut. He and his wife traveled to
NASCAR races all over the country. He was into Chevy V8s big time, and he
built a fine short track racer. I remember it well, because all of the body
parts were delivered to my shop one afternoon. They weighed 40 pounds (total).
Kevin built the car. Everything, engine, drive train, paint, graphics,
everything. It was a thing of beauty. I think he raced it once, which was
enough for him to learn that while he had the talent to build such a race
car...he could not afford to race. He sold the car. Down through the years
while he was building our engines, he continued to use that old machine shop
that specialized in Chevy V8s in general, and dragstrip stuff in particular.
But Kevin knew what he wanted, and had good ideas on how to get there, and the
shop found working on Kevin's little 'Brit stuff' an interesting diversion.
Back in the day, my wife loved Kevin, because as many of you know, her husband
was damn near worthless when it came to fixing anything. But with Kevin out
there in the shop...her problems were easily solved.
Well said, Paul and long overdue.
Bill Dentinger
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On Thursday, July 26, 2018, Paul Ricco <paulricco at att.net> wrote:
FOT,
I would like to acknowledge Kevin Potter?s engine building prowess and
contribution to our enjoyment of the TR4 that we race.
For those that do not know, we purchased Bob Wismer?s blue Triumph TR4. We
have had a great time with the car and have truly enjoyed getting to know the
Triumph community. Kevin Potter contributed greatly to our positive
experience. He may not even realize how much we appreciate the platform that
he provided for us to get our start. If that is the case, that is my fault for
not saying thank you sooner. I will keep this brief, but I would like to
recognize what Kevin Potter did for us.
Kevin Potter helped Bob Wismer and Bill Dentinger with engines and other
mechanical matters for their Triumphs.
Kevin built an engine for Bob to go with the TR4 that we purchased from Bob.
Bob really wanted the new owners of the car to start out with a solid and
reliable platform. Bob was very candid about the importance of the car being
sold with a well-built fresh engine. Kevin Potter built an engine that has
delivered on Bob?s wishes.
We have maintained the engine very carefully and gone through the lower end 1
time since we got it. We are in our FOURTH season with the motor that Kevin
built. We are running lap times below 3 minutes at Road America and and we can
consistently run laps under 1:29 at Blackhawk. That engine is now going to be
completely rebuilt. However, we have not suffered any major mechanical issues
with it and the head was installed so well that we have no issues with it in
the 4 seasons that we have run the car.
We have a lot of admiration for Bob Wismer and his vision for the new owners.
Furthermore, THNAK YOU to Kevin Potter for delivering on that vision by putting
together the motor that he did.
Sincerely,
Paul Ricco
Blue #4
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