Racing Hopes Rest Upon 3rd in Line of Spangler Clan : A Driven Family Supports Keith, Long a Confirmed Oval Teen

Loren Spangler is filled with pride when he declares 1988 “the 25th year of Spangler racing.” Gabby Garrison is filled with confusion.

“I get them all mixed up,” said Garrison, 71, who retired from racing last year. “I got a lousy memory. All I remember is there being a bunch of Spanglers going around up there.”

Up there is Saugus Speedway, where Garrison raced for three decades. The bunch of Spanglers is Caleb, Loren and Keith--father, son and grandson--who have raced at Saugus, and against Garrison, one after the other, since 1963. Garrison probably spots a Spangler in his rear-view mirror when he dreams at night.

However, Garrison has trouble recalling 18-year-old Keith Spangler in his memory laps. He raced against him only once, last year in Spangler’s rookie season in the Sportsman Division. For the year, Spangler finished 10th in a field of 30.

Spangler, a senior at Granada Hills High, finished second in his second race this season. He is currently 10th in the points standings entering his fifth outing Saturday night.

“I got on the track and just took to it,” said Spangler, who began racing go-carts at age 6. “But I still have a lot to learn. Dang, it’s a lot harder than just turning left and going around in a circle.”

Keith Spangler looks too young to be racing against drivers three times his age. One expects him to still be on the go-cart circuit. But Spangler is as confident as his father is proud--and as Garrison is forgetful. And he wants to make the Spangler name known outside the San Fernando Valley.

“For my grandfather and my dad, Saugus was basically it,” he said. “For me, I want to go further. Basically, that’s all I think about. I want to go big time.”

Said Loren, 38: “It’s a tough life, but he’s got the dedication to make it. If he does, you won’t see anybody prouder than me.”

Small wonder Loren is so proud, considering his son’s decision to follow in the family tread marks. But pride is about the only thing the Spanglers have to show for a quarter-century of small-time racing.

Caleb, 63, who began his career in a banged-up ’54 Buick, describes himself as “kind of an also-ran” during his 10-year career in Sportsman- and Modified-division races.

“Ours was a real low, low, low, low-buck operation,” he said. “We just did the best we could with what we had. We had a lot of fun.”

“Spang,” as he was known, went around and around and around the track until retiring in 1972 after walking away from a crash. He estimates he won about six feature races.

Loren spent nearly a decade chasing a racing career--mostly chasing the leader on the track--before hanging up his helmet in 1982. He returned briefly last year but has still taken only one checkered flag.

“I was married young and that kind of puts a damper on a racing career,” he said. “I had responsibility. So I told Keith, ‘If you want to make a career in racing, a family makes it hard to do. Take your shot while you’re young.’ ”

Keith is shooting. But Loren, who serves as head mechanic, is shooting, too. “He does everything,” Keith said. “He’s it. Without him, it wouldn’t go around.”

Oren Prosser, who won five Modified Division championships at Saugus before retiring in 1986, helps the Spanglers go around a little faster. Prosser, 47, owner of an automotive repair business, sponsors the operation by supplying minor car parts. He likes what he sees in Keith Spangler.

“It appears he has the ability,” said Prosser, who also holds the distinction of being the only racer ever to finish second to Loren. “But it’s going to take more than ability. It’s going to take a lot of breaks. And it’s going to take money.”

Big time means big bucks and, as Caleb might coin it, the Spanglers are in the slow, slow, slow lane financially.

“To go first class and try and compete with Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty takes real money,” Loren said. “Those guys spend between $2 million and $4 million a year. They usually build about 30 to 40 engines a year.”

The Spanglers, who run a “back-yard operation,” according to Loren, are miles away from millions. They’re piecing together the first rebuilt engine for Keith’s 1987 Camaro, in which they estimate having $20,000 invested. Almost all the funding is supplied by Keith, who earned $3,500 in prize money last year and works part time cleaning swimming pools to buy used parts and tires.

“I’ll do anything: clean pools, lay tile, anything,” he said. “I don’t think twice about spending any money on my car as long as it makes me go faster. It’s what I want to do.”

Last year, the Spanglers made some money the easy way. Coca-Cola paid them $2,000 for the use of Keith’s car in a television commercial. But they have yet to attract a permanent sponsor. Without one, they can look forward to a third generation on the one-third-mile oval.

All agree it is up to Keith to attract a big-time sponsor.

“You have to be exposed,” said Prosser, who in 1964 was Saugus’ youngest champion at age 23. “It’s just like being an actor. For every actor that makes it, 10,000 don’t. You have to be a colorful driver, show a little class and eagerness and take chances to win. You can’t be a follow-the-leader type guy.”

Caleb followed many a leader and, consequently, never landed a major sponsor. “A sponsor wants a guy whose car is in the winner’s circle more often than not,” he said. “Winning a championship is everything.”

A championship this year would make a big splash for Keith. He would replace Prosser as Saugus’ youngest champion, but he won’t stay long to defend his title. The Spanglers plan on hitting the road to compete on the Winston Southwest Tour within the next three years.

But big-time racing, Prosser says, is on the East Coast.

“It’s tough for a West Coaster to make it in NASCAR,” he said. “On the East Coast, you’re around the the environment you need.”

Loren agrees. “On the West Coast, racing is so sparse,” he says. “We’ve kind of got rough long-range plans to, maybe in a couple of years, pack up the car and go back to Nashville for a short-track race. Just unload and take a shot. And get seen.”

Adds Keith: “The whole idea is to finish and gain experience. And save my money and race. You gotta be up front where people can see you.”

And if Spangler is never noticed?

“I’ll still be around racing if it doesn’t work out,” he said. “I love the smell of it.”