I had the privilege of becoming friends with Ben Campanale during the mid-1990s. Campanale, or Campy as his friends called him, was the first two-time Daytona 200 winner. I called Ben two or three times a year just to catch up and see how he was doing. In return he would occasionally send me photos showing me what he’d been up to. I came across this photo yesterday. It’s Dick Klamfoth (the first three-time Daytona 200 winner) and Campanale at a Laconia reunion in 1999. Campy would always write on his photos to explain the significance of the photos he sent. Note that he even wrote his name on his shirt, I guess just so I’d know who was who. Campy passed away in 2003.

Dick Klamfoth (the first three-time Daytona 200 winner) and Ben Campanale (the first two-time winner of the Daytona 200) at a Laconia reunion in 1999.