In school, I remember hearing the stories of Paul Revere and the part the Old North Church played in the historic ride. A couple of years ago, thanks to my son, I was able to stand inside the old North Church and marvel at the history surrounding me. I saw the bell tower from where the lanterns signaled Paul to ride. From there, we walked the Freedom Trail which took us past Paul Revere's house which was surprisingly very small. We went aboard Old Ironsides sitting in the Boston Harbor and we saw the place where the American Patriots dressed as Native Americans emptied British tea into the harbor. Each step I took that day was special to me because of the history.
I have been to Gettysburg, PA, twice. Once when I was about 12 and the last time on the trip back from Boston where I had the historic walk. I have toured the battlefield and the museums all around Gettysburg and I could almost smell the gunpowder in the air the last time. I stood on Little Round Top and looked across the fields and could only imagine the carnage that happened 150 years ago this week.
There are many other historic places I've visited just to personally see the places I've read about all my life. When I was in elementary school, the library had an entire section full of historic books, biographies of almost every important American from the beginning of this Country through the current time which, for me, was the 1950s. I read each and every book at least twice and literally absorbed the history written out for me. Of course, these days there are things about George Washington that we didn't know then, or they didn't put in books then. Same with Thomas Jefferson, and well, you know, all the rest of the heroic Americans we held is such esteem back when I was a kid. Even so, the less than flattering "facts" the experts put in print today have done very little to change my opinion of the men and women who built this country. If you are ever at Walt Disney World, at EPCOT, you must, absolutely MUST stop in at "The American Adventure". The show presented in that theater has brought tears to my eyes every time I have seen it and that has been at least 75 times. When you leave that theater, you will know why, if you don't already, why America is so special.
This is the week we celebrate that "specialness". Thursday will be the Fourth of July which we should all celebrate for what it means to us beyond the barbecue, the day and the beach or the lake, or the day at the races. Oh wait, they don't race at Daytona on the Fourth anymore. But you get the drift. After all, my love of history comes full circle when it comes to racing history. As far as the history of NASCAR, I have been around almost since the beginning and I have watched the sport "grow" into what it is today. Whether or not what it is today is a good thing is up to each individual to decide. I will say that I'm happy that we have NASCAR and we have NASCAR racing. I will go on to say that, at least for me, it seemed better in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. But that's just me.
I say that, mostly because I think, I was so deeply involved in the sport in those days. I was extremely fortunate to have family that loved to go to races and friends who would go along to make each experience special and memorable. So many memories of so many races at so many tracks. But my nostalgia today is intense because it involves the July 4th race at Daytona.
I can sit here in the Lair and just imagine the naysayers blasting Big Bill France when he came up with the idea of running a race, first 250 miles, then 400 miles, on July Fourth, in Daytona, Florida. Even starting the race at 10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. as the first couple started, it was going to be a hot, hot day in the Florida sunshine. Honestly, one year in the mid seventies, probably '73 or '74, it was so hot that I was soaking a beach towel in the ice chest and wrapping it around me to stay cool as I stood on top of my car in turn three against the fence.
The first July 4th event was the "Firecracker 250" in 1959. Fireball Roberts romped in that event to win after such a heartbreak in the first Daytona 500 only five months earlier. 1960 was another 250 miler and Jack Smith drove his Boomershine Pontiac (always loved that sponsor) to victory. Another 250 miler in 1961 won by David Pearson. Richard Petty did not compete in this one but it was in February at the same track where his father Lee and Johnny Beauchamp went over the rail to end Lee's career. Fireball Roberts repeated his February, 1962, performance in the Daytona 500 to win the Firecracker 250 in July. In 1963, it was Fireball Roberts again, but this time it was a 400 mile race. It was also my first July event in Daytona although I had been to the 1962 and 1963 500.
A.J. Foyt came South to run a Ray Nichels Hemi Dodge in the 1964 event and bested the NASCAR regulars to take the win. 1965 was Foyt again, this time in a Ford as the Mopar boys were boycotting NASCAR because of NASCAR's ban of the powerful Hemi. Nevertheless, second place in that race was Buddy Baker in one of those big 1965 Plymouth Furys. The win by Sam McQuagg in 1966 was important to Sam, or course, but also important in the evolution of stock car racing. I was looking through the pit fence before the race and noticed a "lip" of metal on the back of McQuagg's Charger. At the time I had no idea what it was. When I learned later that it was a "spoiler" it still meant nothing to me. A month or so later, a friend of mine, who went on to become an engineer with Chrysler Corporation, explained the principle of the spoiler to me. Made perfect sense then. (applaud if you believe I understood that).
I will not continue with a year by year rundown of the Firecracker 400 but I want to remind you all that it was that race, in 1984, with the President of the United States in attendance (as well as our own Dave Fulton), that Richard Petty won that magical 200th race.
Of all the Firecracker 400 races I attended, it is difficult to pick a favorite because each and every one has some unique twist of memory to it. The races in 1972, 1973 and 1974 all went to David Pearson but the battles he and The King had, right to the checkers in each of those only added to the folklore of those two on the race track. Remember 1974when Pearson was leading and going into turn one on the last lap he slowed the pulled to the inside, apparently in trouble, only to trick Richard into going by him so Pearson could pull the famous slingshot off the last turn?
In 1975, the King won the race, but it was 1976 that was really special for me. I, along with several good friends, went down the night before. At the time, Goodyear had what they called the Goodyear Motorsports Club of which I was a member. It was in the Goodyear compound that I met Janet Guthrie before the race and got to spend so time talking with her. I had immediate respect for her and really enjoyed that time. She would finish 15th in the race, ahead of such notables as Bill Elliott, Johnny Rutherford, Richard Petty, Neil Bonnett, Buddy Baker, and Darrell Waltrip. I had several more encounters with Ms. Guthrie throughout the season and was really pleased to have her on "Racing Through History" a few months ago. She is a class driver and a first class lady.
So, to me, racing on July 4th, under the bright Florida sunshine was a true celebration of the holiday dedicated to the birth of the greatest Nation on Earth, ever! Never seems quite right to race on the Saturday night "closest to the Fourth", but at least the fans get a good fireworks display when the race is over. Even as I sit here in the Lair on this rainy Monday afternoon in Columbia, I can almost feel the heat of the track baking in the morning sunshine as we await the word for the drivers to report to their cars. Surely, to some of the old timers like me sitting in the infield at Daytona, an old Pontiac will rumble by as The Fireball warms up the fans. And soon to appear is that Purolator Mercury of the Wood Brothers. And the STP Dodge. Somehow, the sunshine of the Fourth of July always brought out the color of those fine cars, much more so than the lights at night. Guess I was born at just the right time in history to have memories of the best of days.
Remember, Thursday, to wish America a Happy Birthday. This country is getting old but the spirit of the true Americans is as strong as ever it was. And when the cars rumble around Daytona Saturday night, remember the naysayers that laughed at Big Bill, not only for his efforts to organize the sport, but most especially for scheduling a race on July 4th in Florida. As the fans we were, we came. Drove overnight after working all day and drove back after the race to work the next day when the Fourth came in the mid week. It was different then. It was worth it then. Not so much today, but television will show us that Saturday night.
Everyone enjoy the holiday and be safe.
