Danny Ody passes on...

I got the news today that my cousin, Danny Ody, has passed away. I was in a state of denial but my mother called Dannys mom tonight to confirm this. I've none this guy my entire life and he is one of the finest people I have ever none. I thought I would share this photo Danny posted here on RaceNY a few years ago. In Danny's words- "This is me at Fulton Speedway final season race awarding the trophy to Lee Osborne 1969- I was 9 years old"  He had over 100 career victories and raced everything form 4cyl. mods to mini sprints to big block modifieds.  They say that your deeds are what you are remebered for. He has left a lasting legacy both on and off the track.  Anyone who knows him knows that what he had in spades was a big heart!  Race On Danny O'
 

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heroth00

Rookie
Danny was a great guy.  I always enjoyed talking with him.  Condolences to his family.

 

mikeman

Veteran
Condolences to his entire family at this terrible time. I have many memories of Danny with his 4cyl Modified at Five Mile Point Speedway. He always made it a point to say hello when ever I saw him. R.I.P. Mr. Ody!
 

bakes

Veteran
Very sad to hear.  Danny was a great guy and truly loved the history of racing in the upstate NY area.  My condolences to his family and friends, he will be greatly missed. :(
 
Danny was one of the good guys in racing.I once gave him a trophy naming him the "NOT READY FOR RACE TIME RACER" always late, always in the last heat. Came to the track one night without his helmet.I ran home to get mine for him. Last saw him at FMP with an IMCA  From the first we were great friends,always glad to see each other. Stayed at my house many nites after the show back when we were young and foolish I am shocked and deeply sadend by this news. REST IN PEACE my good friend                                        Brian Cochardo
 
I feel obligated to say something here because I knew Danny well and he was a close friend. Danny and I spoke regularly on the phone exchanging research results of NY racing history and I was his technical guy when he had questions about how to do certain things with video editing. There were times when the batteries on our phones would die before we had a chance to get to another phone, and we'd have to call each other back to pick up where we left off. It was nothing to start a phone conversation at 10 pm and finish at 2:30 am. Sometimes we'd have to call it a night and resume the next night.

Danny was as addicted to racing in all aspects as anyone was, and I think that is why he and I got along so well. In recent years, Danny had confided that he knew his physical racing career was coming to a close and that this history thing was how he planned on staying involved. I was only too happy to assist him in learning how to capture and edit video.

NOBODY uncovered more vintage racing film that Danny did. NOBODY. Danny would start a conversation with an old timer at a vintage racing party, at the antique shop or at a race car show and people liked him immediately. Before the conversation would end, some of the people would hand him a reel of film or tell him where he could find it. Danny is the undisputed king at this. Danny was also very likable at first impression, and people felt like they could trust him because of that. You only get one opportunity at a first impression and Danny batted 1000 in this category.

Danny takes with him thousands and thousands of mental notes about NY racing history... enough to write a good series of books about it. The loss from a historian's standpoint is as devastating as a library/museum fire because he truly is irreplaceable.

I'll close this off by saying that I am going to miss this guy as much as anyone will, and that is a fact. Save me a good seat, my friend. Until then, thank you for everything.


 

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