Mike Sheppy, Pharmacist/Owner of the Medicine Shoppe sponsored several of Doc's race days over the years. (This is a sample of our Pit Board.)

Jason & Julie Freeburg, local Denny's franchise owners sponsored many race days in 1992, and became a "Fuel Sponsor" for 1993, getting the Denny's logo placed under the (fake)gas-filler cap on the Severely Disabled Chicken Coupe. (I learned to pose Doc with the sign and race car and made 8 X 10 photos for the sponsors to display in their businesses.)(Note: the device that Doc is holding between his knees, is what he referred to as his "third arm". He & a friend, Jay King, invented it when Doc was 17 years old. It enabled him to reach things, open doors, remove his jacket, smoke cigarettes, pick up things from the floor, etc. He was never without it.)

The "Dodge Boys", Tom Cathcart and Ken Blake (Blake Racing) sponsored Doc a bunch of parts and a lot of labor to get him out of the "Street" Class. Other racers were Doc's strongest believers, as he PROVED the Ability in Disability, and EARNED their respect.

Blake Racing, Doc's first (of several) motor sponsors, gets advertising on the hood. June 1992. Ken Blake was another racer who just wanted to help Doc go faster. He gave Doc a whole bunch of parts, including something called a "Purple Shaft"..(whatever that is, I told you I didn't know anything about cars!) and "new heads" and Ken and Tom "fiddled" with carburetors, linkage, etc, and got the Chicken Coupe running in the high 13. second range, and Doc moved into the "Heavy" class. Altho we gladly put Blake Racing on the hood, Ken explained that he wasn't really a mechanic, he just did this for fun and the joy of being able to help Doc.

So over the winter of '92-'93, Doc found some racers who were "real mechanics". Tom and Jerry Jackson of "Jackson's Specialties", Hillsboro, OR became our new motor sponsors. They did all kinds of things to the Chicken Coupe's motor. Tom custom-built headers, which was not an easy task for a 1935 Nash, and so many things, that I have no idea of what all. Doc was thrilled when on the first day of the 93 Season, he made his best time ever of 13.08 and fastest mph of 104.32. By the end of the Season, the Chicken Coupe was running in the low 12's. The Jacksons were over-joyed with the advertising their business received by being associated with Doc Lavinder and his Severely Disabled Chicken Coupe.

Our Farmers Insurance agent, Bert China sponsored several of Doc's race days every year. Jackson's Specialties were our motor sponsors and mechanics for the 2 full Seasons of '93 and '94. Their spot on the hood got a lot of publicity as Doc continued to go faster and his media attention increased.