Borchardt's Career Spins on a Fast Wheel
By Johnny McDonald

Ron's Tire & Brake 30th anniversary event will be held April 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2560 Main Street.

It's only natural that Ron Borchardt should be the proprietor of Ron's Tire & Brake because much of his life has evolved around cars - mostly the racing variety.

The long-time Ramona resident will be celebrating 30 years at the same family-owned and operated tire, brake and suspension repair shop on April 14 with a bevy of merchandise prizes. And, you may be sure, there will be time reserved for "bench racing."

A Minnesota farm boy, Ron quit school at 15 to work at a service station. "I worked 6 to 6 six days a week for $90 a month. But when I got home, I had chores, like plowing the fields," Ron said. Later, he worked for two years at a Chevrolet dealership before heading west to get married.

He said he came to Ramona with his new wife, Rosemary, in early 1960, working on a chicken ranch at Montecito.

Finally in '62, he joined his dad in a tiny tire and brake business, then located behind the old Douglas service station.

Recalling those times, he said Ramona didn't even have a stop sign. "To this day, I can't ever recall having a key to the front door," he said. "Didn't lock anything up, left the keys on the car seat.

"We used to sell eggs at the ranch with a cash box left on a table, eggs in the cooler and a sign explaining how much they cost," he said. "Counted it up at the end of the day and you were never short."

With the advent of a new drag strip at the Ramona airport, he went racing.

"We had to build something to go racing, so it was the family sedan, a 1961 four-door Comet," he said. "Cut off the exhaust pipe and went to the semifinals

in it."

Next was a '55 Chevrolet, then to a 1940s Gas C Willys and finally to a single A fuel dragster, where he campaigned at San Diego and Carlsbad raceways, Wilmington's Lions, Riverside Raceway and Irwindale. He said he borrowed $400 to buy the dragster chassis.

"I ran in the low-8 seconds at 190 miles per hour," he recalled. "On one weekend I made some money, finishing second at Carlsbad Friday night, getting eliminated in the first round at Lions Saturday, but came back to win at Irwindale on Sunday."

Borchardt's days of drag racing ended in 1973 when he said it was no longer a hobby but a business, too professional.

"I had a family to support and had a good job as a mechanic for Goodyear," he said. "One year I helped a friend with his car at Cajon Speedway but that was it."

When you're away from racing for almost 20 years, it's hard to rekindle that competitive edge. But Borchardt found it again with a little car known as the Dwarf.

He became fascinated one night seven years ago at Barona Speedway, watching these cars broad sliding on the dirt oval.

"I went back another night and told my wife I wanted one," Borchardt said. Racing compassion being what it is, he located a used car in Corona and bought it. He eventually purchased two more.

"Look at those cute little race cars out there," I motioned to my wife. Her first reaction: 'Just forget it.'

"When we went out the next Saturday she said:

'Just aren't going to let it die, are you.'" No, he didn't.

"Normally, these cars will cost around $4,500," he said. "They have motorcycle engines, limited to 1,200ccs and weigh 1,000 pounds."

His drivers are Bill Groves Jr. and Bruce Elliot, both finishing in the top five in points last year. The mechanic is Rick Rose from Santee.

To some degree, he calls himself a loaner.

"I haven't joined any organizations, not even the chamber of commerce," he said.

When it comes time to get away, he heads off to the casinos in Laughlin to gamble. "I just love those slot machines," he said.

He's not one for long vacations, but he wants to go to Florida next February to see the Daytona 500. "Can't miss that... it's their 50th anniversary."