Following graduation from SAHS, I subsequently graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a B.B.A. in Business Administration. I enjoy living and working in Smethport at our family manufacturing and distribution business, Backus Co. and Chef Specialties Co., where I have worked since high school. My wife Mary and I met while we both attended SBU and we have two children, Gregory (Class of 2001), who lives in southeastern PA, and Caitlin (Class of 2004), who lives in North Carolina. I serve as a member of the Smethport Lions Club and as a director of Hamlin Bank and Trust Company.
A few years ago, I was introduced to two uncommon sports, which soon became my favorite mid-life crises.
The sports are Autocross and High Performance Driving Schools. These driving events are open
to anyone (with any brand of car), and are organized throughout North America by various car enthusiast
clubs. These sports are in essence Car Control Clinics where drivers learn to drive and control a car
at its limits. Autocross are staged at large parking lots with speeds rarely exceeding 60 mph. Driving
Schools are staged at paved professionally-managed racetracks, such as Watkins Glen
(www.theglen.com). Triple digit speeds are achieved, given the
professional instruction, the drivers experience level, and assuming the car is capable of these speeds. Ultimately,
once a student has mastered the skills learned in these sports, the skills become instinctive, the driver will be among the
best defensive drivers on the highways, and will have had great fun learning the skills. If anyone has interest in
participating or observing these sports, I would be glad to advise further information. For descriptive information,
go to www.gvc-bmwcca.org , and click on Event Descriptions.
Click on Autocross for specific information, and then click on Driving Schools, followed by
Driving School FAQ for specific information. 95% of the organizers/participants in these sports are men. Given
this fact, the event organizers/participants welcome and encourage women, and wish more had interest in the sports.
Should anyone wish to contact me for any reason, my phone number is in the Smethport phone book and I will be glad to
provide my email address verbally.
See the rest of the Class of 1969