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Photo ID # G09.24.10_999_HAR_FLM_0060_1
Car #: #999
Driver (s) : Otto Harwi
Location: Flemington, NJ
Date: 1960's
Photographer: Bob and Ted Lowery
Photo provided by: Bob Lowery
Comments: Comment from Bob:  THE 999 OF OWNER JOHN CRAMER AND DRIVER OTTO HARWI (THE EASTON EXPRESS ) ENTERS BACK GATE AREA OF FLEMINGTON. SADLY, OTTO WOULD LATER LOOSE HIS LIFE IN THIS CAR AT ORANGE COUNTY SPEEDWAY. BOB LOWERY PHOTO. OWN ORIGINAL SLIDE.
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09.24.10 3Wide Had a hard time posting this picture.  We look at at thousands of pictures and each one puts us in a place... Usually a place we want to be... It reminds us of a time that we want to remember and reminds us of things we haven't thought about for years.... 

The photo of the #999 takes us back... And on the surface, it takes us where we want to be.  But it also reminds us of the tragedy that we all know has been, and will continue to be a part of our sport.

I never got to see Otto run as many of you did, but I know that he was one of the top driver's of the day, and that he lost his life in 1964 at Middletown.

While the photo reminds us of the sadness that our sport randomly demands, its also an opportunity for us to stop what we're doing... and for us to remember Otto Harwi.  Remember that he will always be a Champion.  Remember that we all should be thankful for those, like Otto, who got behind the wheel... thrilled the fans night after night, who lost their life, but did so knowing what it was like to take the chances, that most of us never will.
09.25.10 Jack Kromer Nice shot of Otto's 999. Great looking car and one of Nazareth's greatest drivers. Check out the hood- "Mortified" and the sharp Corvair in back. The name Dornberger is on the car- is that Sonny Dornberger?
09.25.10 Ned Stites III Great picture of the Cramer 999, my dad and I really enjoyed watching Otto Harwi at Flemington in this car. This photo shows how nice the car actually looked. Otto was always running in the front of the pack with the 999. I remember my dad saying that he liked this car from the beginning. It’s almost like we’re at Flemington and I can still hear him. I believe there were two 999 coupes. One had a longer hood, different front bumper, and shorter front fenders. Dornberger’s name was not on this second car. I think it was "Sonny" Dornberger’s name on the car. As a 10 year old fan, I was deeply saddened by the tragic news from Middletown. This however brings to mind more pleasant memories of Otto driving through the first turn at Flemington showing his smooth style that won many feature events. Ned Stites III
09.25.10 Larry Jendras Jr. I have been studying this photo for a while because of the change made to the windshield. It appears the windshield has been enlarged by dropping the cowl. Notice how the molding lines do not match up. You can see weld marks below the hood. It appears they made a cut and dropped the cowl and added pieces to extend the posts.
What do you think?
09.25.10 3Wide The same was done on the Don House XL1 that ran at Trenton and was later purchased and run by Les Moody.  I met him at this year's Motorsports show and he said the reason that they dropped the hood down was for an aero advantage.  The speedway "Gypsy" #707 had the same treatment.
09.26.10 Joel Naprstek The dropped windshield was done on a number of cars in that era. I remember that I looked that look on some cars back then. I seem to remember it on one of Ray Cook's &87 cars, Billy Deskovich's #8B and some of the central Jersey cars. I don't think that Harwi won many races in this car but it was competitive and thought of as an advanced design at the time. I was at Middletown the night Otto Harwi lost his life. It was late in the feature that Saturday night. I don't recall many in the crowd seeing the crash happen as there wasn't much of a reaction that usually comes from the crowd when a wreck occurs. It happened over on the third turn and after a long time it was announced that racing was concluded for the night. It was not a good night.
10.05.10 George Pavlisko A long time back I sent 3 wide the AFTER pictures from that night at Middletown and we both agreed to NEVER publish them. All I can say is that no matter how well the car is built the unthinkable can happen. All the rumors that went around back then about unsafe car, bad welding etc was 100% BS. If you ever saw the pictures it was just something that no matter WHO built the car it as a tragedy period.  I watch him race many times and he, like Jackie McLaughlin had a talent that you had to see. I WISH we had U-TUBE and stuff like that back then to see some of these guys Like Otto in their prime.
12.22.13 DJ

Not sure if you’re still posting comments or not, but I recall seeing pictures of the 999 after the crash. As a teenager, I pumped gas for Larry’s Citgo on #191 & #248, right near the half-miler. My boss ran the push truck Jeep at Nazareth each week called the “Little Stinker.” At any rate, he had a couple of the pics posted on the wall behind his desk; I recall studying them whenever there was a slow moment in my shift. I can still remember them to this day; sad & haunting.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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