Larramie Duncan has been quoted as saying “The secret to being successful in racing is being
the guy that thinks about it the most and works the hardest”
He has followed that philosophy throughout a remarkable career that has spanned more than
50 years. Larramie has been the “man behind the scenes” in fabricating race cars for some of
the most successful drivers in southern Colorado racing history. It began while he was
stationed at Fort Carson and was introduced to Frank Clay, a local driver who needed some
welding help on his 55 Chevy stock car. Larramie was the man for the job, and the two enjoyed
much racing success at Pikes Peak Speedway. Frank eventually crashed that 55 Chevy, and
Larramie built a new car for him, his first constructed from the ground up.
When Colorado Springs International Speedway opened in 1976, Larramie worked with Tom
Hathaway to build Jerry “Fireball” Roberts a state-of-the-art Street Stock, and constructed
another car for Frank Clay to race on the bigger, faster track. Victories by cars built by Larramie
became a regular event at Southern Colorado speedways, and more drivers wanted to be part
of his race-winning program. His ability to not only build the best cars, but provide expert
advice on race nights attracted a growing list of customers that would keep him busy for years
to come.
Hall of Fame member Charlie Wilson teamed with Larramie to build a chassis for the emerging
IMCA modified class at Beacon Hill Speedway, then drove the car to three track championships
in his division. Larramie also used his experience and the latest technology to construct a Late
Model for another Hall of Fame driver, Bill Canty. Bill raced the car at tracks throughout
Colorado, winning more than his fair share of quick times and main events.
As the list of successful Duncan-built race cars grew, someone at a Beacon Hill driver’s meeting
stood up and said: “Anything that Larramie Duncan builds should be illegal”. Nobody could
figure out how to beat him!
Larramie measures his career accomplishments by the number of people who have trusted him
to build or repair their race cars, and notes that many still ask for his knowledge and guidance
to this day. He says he would like to be remembered as “someone who was always fair, honest
and did quality work”.
In recognition of his racing expertise that put countless drivers into victory circle, as well as his
dedication to Colorado racing, Larramie Duncan is a 2022 Inductee into the Colorado
Motorsports Hall of Fame.
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