PKL,
I ran across something in my stack of stuff that I am going to put on the Rockingham Speedway club page. I also thought it might make for a good Saturday Night Hero post. It is a letter to the Speedway from a fan that was printed in the track newspaper. We all remember the local favorites, out of town threats and villains at our home town tracks. The local papers gave local drivers a lot more ink and better reviews, as can be expected, but the fans sometimes had different views. John Sears and Bobby Webb were the top local drivers in late models at Rockingham and if you left the track mad, in most cases it was at one of these guys, as they rarely made a clean pass. When the fans spoke up it was normally because their guy had been put out by one of them or they had outrun him. I remember this type of letter to the editor, or in this case the track, being very popular with the fans in the stands and when one was published, that fan became a hero that Saturday night.
Dennis Andrews
Yep! I'm willing to bet that we all have that "stack of stuff", which if actually stacked might equal or surpass the dictionary definition of a mountain. Some could make a bigger mountain than others, and one or two I know could do Mount Everest. I'm forever reminding the gang here that they should share more of the "little things" that made racing what it was, back when it was all about the race. I know my readers, especially the younger ones, God bless them, love reading about "Back in the day" and get a much better feel for it when told by someone that lived it.
Many thanks to Dennis, who saw the lovable nature of this very Southern Belle, defending her driver to the utmost and beyond, when she felt that the local press had "done him wrong" in giving more coverage to the local villain than to "her guy", who actually won the race that particular week. I am left with a visual of Editor Jim Demski ducking for cover upon opening the envelope and reading Jean's version of "Bless your heart..."
I have not touched a single punctuation mark and her letter contains no misspelled words needing correction. Youngsters, let that be the first thing you notice. This lady knew how to slap someone down using proper English and spelling all the way, and she writes in such a dear, sweet manner that if she were to suggest you go to Hell, you would undoubtedly book the trip with her travel agency.
[Full name withheld due to lack of permission]
Rockingham Speedway News
Volume II – No. 2
Saturday, July 10, 1965
To: Rockingham Speedway News
Jim Demski, Editor
Rockingham, North Carolina
Dear Jim:
First I want to say with sincerity in every way possible that no one loves racing any better than my family. We live in Albemarle which is about forty-five miles from Rockingham and drive ninety miles each Saturday night to attend the races at Rockingham Speedway. You know as well as I do that there are some mighty good drivers at your speedway and I know that all the fans attending the races each Saturday night will agree to that, especially the Late Model Sportsman drivers. I have been attending the races for a long time but I have never enjoyed a race better than the one June 19th when Bill Bostick won …… The first Rocket 100 was an excellent performance of different drivers in different divisions, but, I was so sorry that Wayne Andrews didn’t get to drive that particular night because I feel that the fans were disappointed in not getting to see him drive.
I have been reading your write-up in the paper and I want to make a few comments but not in a way that will make you misunderstand me; I just have another favorite driver besides John Sears. Every-one can have their own favorite driver can’t they? All of us pick out someone before a race to pull for and that’s what it takes sometimes, I suppose, to make a driver realize that he isn't out on that track by himself. The fans all pull for someone and I was pulling for the winner in the first Rocket 100. Wild Bill Bostick is that one and I must say that you will have to agree that he did a wonderful job in winning the race that particular night. Tommy Bostick has to have some credit also, because there wasn't any slipping on his part to pass Sears to take second spot either.
[caption id="attachment_3972" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Bill Bostick - 1965
Photo Courtesy of Dennis Andrews[/caption]
The Late Model drivers have a good racing program going at Rockingham Speedway and they all live up to it I am certain. But, I’d rather see a good driver that will be a good sport about driving, etc., take first spot for the big purse than one that has often won many, many times. Sears is a good driver, but I have often seen him ride the bumper like Saturday night for example; but, it didn’t work out that night because I believe that Bill has learned Sears’ way of winning now. And look out from now on, because I think you will be writing about another driver after the July 3rd race.
I doubt that Bill Bostick, Andrews, Smith or Tommy Bostick or any of the drivers want to have a driver hitting them from behind so many times and that’s exactly what I have been talking about from the beginning of this letter to YOU. I know that you think a lot of John Sears but give the other drivers some of the credit. How can you give Sears such a write up in this past Rockingham Speedway News when the others deserve just as much, if not more. You should see John drive over at the Monroe race track some Friday night……Seems that Larry Wallace and a few of the others can handle him pretty good.
The first Rocket 100 was a very outstanding race, and put on by some of the best drivers. I’ll agree to that, and I am happy to see someone bigger than John for a change. Good luck to your driver Mr. Demski and I know you will be pulling for him, but, I believe with all my heart that the Bostick Brothers (my note: Bill and Tommy share the last name Bostick but claimed no kinship) will be up on top from now on along with Winding Wayne Andrews and Jack Smith and a few more.
Bill was just a better driver all the way around that Saturday night and I know he worked hard that night because the fans were pulling for him to win over Sears. You just can’t expect him to let Sears win every time can you? Bill was just wonderful and that track isn’t big enough to hold him back many times from winning first place and take that checkered flag each go round. I’ve never enjoyed a race as good as that one and a man that won fair and square. He is certainly an honest driver and I’ll bet that is the way he lives each day of his life too. I hope someday that I’ll get to meet Bill in person and maybe in the near future I’ll have that chance.
The fans enjoy seeing races like the one Saturday night and when you win there’s always another one coming up in the same way…. So fans keep pulling for Bill Bostick and you can’t go wrong. I hope you aren’t disappointed on July 10th at the Rockingham Speedway because I have a feeling that Bill Bostick will really be trying very hard to keep those points in winning to a higher bracket.
Sincerely,
Jean L
Jean, I remember 1965 quite well. I was 27 then, so I suspect you and I are somewhat of an age. On the odd chance that you might read this after the intervening 48 years, thank you! Thank you for being the perfect Southern Lady, for reflecting that in your writing, and for "not quite" resorting to "Bless your heart." You are indeed this week's Saturday Night Heroine!
Years back, I wrote with a gentleman named Mike Contreras, and together we did several columns of the "He said, she said" variety. Mike complained that he never felt he won an argument there because he always had in mind a picture of me, shaking my head slightly and saying, "Poor Mike. He's too dumb to know he's stupid, bless his heart" He was neither dumb nor stupid, but I encouraged him to hold that thought, as it made me look better.
Dennis, my friend, thank you so much for sending me this delightful little sliver of history. I enjoyed what it brought to me as a reader, and I'm sure all the others did as well. It made me want to be in the stands the following weekend, giving Jean her much deserved pat on the back. Don't stop chipping away at that mountain. I know there are other things lurking there worth sharing with our readers. Just send them to me; I'll dust 'em off and pass them along anytime.
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