RIP R K “Dick” McKee

[Del in NE Ohio]

Another pioneer of our hobby has passed. Dick McKee of Columbiana,OH passed away at the age of 96. Over the years, Dick built hundreds of Model T and Model A motors and many exotic banger motors in his machine shop. He founded an organization that was dedicated to the restoration of antique short track race cars. Dick and his friends put on many exhibition races at county fairs throughout the Midwest running every kind of modified 4 cylinder you could imagine, even an occasional vintage Offy. He was a valued resource in NE Ohio. In his later years, his “racing” was reduced to tearing around a Puerto Rican village in his “island taxi”.

[Gary WA]

Condolences to All Family and Friends!! RIP

[Terry Burtz, Calif]

RIP Dick McKee.

Dick and others who did all kinds of modifications to Model A and Model B engines to improve endurance were the inspiration for me to create the "New Model A engine" and I thank you.

Terry Burtz

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Dick was a great pioneer and quite the innovator. When I was racing with his AARA group, after the racing for the day was over, we would sit around in the pits and fellowship. I used to enjoy listening to him tell of his past and the way he did things. He really was not one to just volunteer info until he knew you had tried on your own to figure it out first, but once he opened up, he was a wealth of information. I later became to respect him for that. Dick designed several overheads for Model-A/B engines including an air-cooled F-head. He also redesigned the Rutherford head and cast some of those. Dick rebuilt many Model-A & B engines over the years, and quite a few are still in service to this day.

Below is a pic of Dick that I think I took around 2007 at an AARA race in Wauseon, OH when Dick stepped in to give AARA Flagman (Jim Witzler) a break from flagging during the Offy race. What a craftsman Dick was! RIP Sir!!





Ohh BTW, yes we used to always have a nice field of Offys show up for the AARA events. They definitely were fast too. Below are a couple of pictures of some Offys that ran with the group.

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[Del in NE Ohio]

Tnx for posting Brent. I’m hoping to see more such photos at memorial service this Saturday. You should see all the old photos and posters lining the walls in what was his machine shop ( now Prus Engine & Machine)

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Originally Posted by Del in NE Ohio

Tnx for posting Brent. I’m hoping to see more such photos at memorial service this Saturday. You should see all the old photos and posters lining the walls in what was his machine shop ( now Prus Engine & Machine)

Ironically, I was on a tour with Kevin & Ginny about a week ago near Gatlinburg, and I asked Kevin how Dick & Joyce were doing. Kevin told me he was in a nursing home, and shared with me about Joyce's condition but we never dreamed just a few days later he would be gone.

[JRrev]

Dick was quite the lively character. I had used a couple of his rebuilds years ago. One time I went to one of his dirt track races. In between he demonstrated going around two laps blindfolded! He could tell he was entering the curve by the sound of his engine! Quite a show.