Was rumaging through the artifacts this morning and came across the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Yearbook for 1984 and it sure brought back some memories. I would never say one particular year was the best, but 1984 sure had its share of drama and history. All pictures in this post are from that yearbook.Thumbing through the pages, I was taken back to a year that was sure memorable. We still had car owners named Harry (Melling & Ranier), Bud, Junior and Junie. We still had track operators named Enoch, Clay, Paul and Coach. Bill Gazaway and Dick Beatty still ruled the NASCAR garage. The King, The Silver Fox and the Pride of Hueytown, along with his brother and neighbor were still top competitors. When you mentioned Neil, you were talking about the driver, not the peeping Tom ESPN race telecast producer. It was a different time in different places with different players. It was wonderful . NASCAR was run by two fellas bothnamed Bill - no Brian, no Lesa. Track operators couldn't build enough grandstands to handle ticket demand. TV ratings were exploding. Folks actually talked about NASCAR races at work on Monday morning.
When we got to New York in December 1984 for the awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria, top honors were bestowed upon a very quiet, but respected trio. The driver was Texas Terry Labonte from Corpus Christi. His car owner and owner of Stratagraph Engineering in Lafayette, Louisianna was Billy Hagan.
Billy Hagan & Terry Labonte
The crew chief, Dale Inman had won his previous championships for his cousin, Richard Petty.
Dale Inman
They were sponsored by Piedmont , the best little airline that ever flew, having just moved over to the Hagan/Labonte team from Richard Childress Racing.
Terry Labonte's Piedmont Airlines Sponsored Billy Hagan Chevy
It began in February at Daytona with Ricky Rudd in his first outing inthe Bud Moore T-Bird standing it on its nose in the Busch Clash at the entrance to pit road before beginning a series of violent rolls. He'd drive the Daytona 500 with his eyes taped open and then win the following week at Richmond. There were no two car tandems in the Daytona500. Cale broke from the pack on the third turn of the final lap to pass leader Jaws for the win, pulling Earnhardt, Sr. - still "One Tough Customer" - not yet "The Intimidator" with him for 2nd.
Cale Yarborough in 1984 Daytona 500 Victory Lane
An unassumingyoung superspeedway star from Dawsonville, Georgia named Bill Elliott and his family run T-bird team featuring brothers Dan, Ernie and father George, owned by Michigan's Harry Melling, came into its own, the beginnining of the Awesome Bill legend.
Awesome Bill Elliott in Victory Lane - 1984 - Charlotte National 500
A rookie car owner named Rick Hendrick took a chance on a grizzled veteran crew chief named Harry Hyde, hotshoe northeastern modifieddriver named Geoff Bodine, and legendary car builder Robert Geeand went to victory lane at Martinsville their inaugural season together.
Harry Hyde & Geoff Bodine
A youngster from St. Louis with a shock of rusty hairspotted first by Roger Penske and driving for Cliff Stewart claimed Rookie of the Year honors. His name was Rusty Wallace.
Silver Fox David Pearson was still winning poles, including at the tricky Pocono triangular layout.
Fans went to Michigan not to see today's gas mileage endurance events, but races with cars stacked five deep at the start finish line jockeying for position.
1984 Michigan races featured action from the top to the bottom of the track. Here the five cars of Bobby Allison, Dick Brooks, Dale Earnhardt, Tim Richmond and Darrell Waltrip contest position. See anybody saving fuel in this photo?
1984 was the only year Wrangler Jeans sponsored two cars. The #3 Chevy for Dale Earnhardt at Richard Childress Racing and the #15 Ford for Ricky Rudd at Bud Moore Engineering.
Earnhardt & Rudd battle at Richmond. Rudd won the race.
Bobby Allison was still winning and we didn't yet have Davey and Robert Yates Racing going against him.
Bobby Allison in Victory Lane - 1984.
Benny Parsons was still winning races, not describing them.
Benny Parsons in Victory lane - 1984
A bright comet named Tim Richmond began to blaze a short lived legend.
Tim Richmond in Victory Lane at North Wilkesboro - 1984
Darrell Waltrip won his 7th straight race at Bristol driving for Junior Johnson. (I don't think Legend watched the Bristol races in those days).
Darrell wins again at Bristol.
Margaret (Maggie) Claud - Miss Winston - was still in victory lane as the best sponsor rep to ever be there. Are you listening Sprint?
Maggie with Bill Elliott in victory lane.
Handsome Harry Gant was in his prime, winning his first Labor Day Southern 500. When you said Bandit, you were no longer talking about Burt Reynolds.
Harry Gant has just taken his first Southern 500 - one of the "real" ones. Those Racestoppers were none too shabby either.
In 1984, Dale Earnhardt could still "see" the air at Talladega and was still Wrangler's "One Tough Customer".
Dale in Talladega victory lane with crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine- 1984
We still enjoyed two visits to North Wilkesboro and two wonderful trips to Riverside, California every year. Only sporty cars raced at Sears Point.
The King at Riverside - 1984.
One day of the 1984 season, however, will forever stand out in the annals of NASCAR history. It was the day a President came calling to Daytona to see a King. The date was July 4, 1984 and it was HOT, a real barn burner. President Ronald Reagan flew to Daytona to attend the Pepsi Firecracker 400. He made racing history and so did the King. Richard Petty scored his last career Cup victory that day - #200 - a number unlikely to ever be equaled. I still remember the President giving the "Command" enroute from Andrews Air Force base. In 1984 we still called it the most exciting moment in all ofsports - not motorsports only as someone decided to change it. I'll never forget seeing Air Force One come down behind the backstretch side by side with Richard Petty's STP mount. Thrilling. Goosebumps.
President Reagan came up to the MRN Radio booth and called a few laps with Ned Jarrett.
President Reagan in the MRN broadcast booth at Daytona with Ned Jarrett.
As the race wound down, it was Richard and another Daytona master - the fearless Cale Yarborough fighting for the win. When the yellow flew with a only a couple of laps left, the excitement was on. This was still when we raced back to the yellow and there was no pit road speed limit. Coming off turn four, Cale and Richard put on a show. No two car tandem here. These guys were SIDE BY SIDE! Those two veterans were NOT trying to take the air off each other or get a side draft. They were BEATING and BANGING and knocking the snot out of each other all the way from turn four to the start/finish line. You could see the puffs of smoke every time they hit. Richard barely beat Cale to the line and scored his 200th win. Anybody who thinks it was a setup needs to watch a replay. Ironically, Cale forgot there was another yellow flag lap to run and went to pit road. Harry Gant is credited with 2nd place that day.
Richard Petty in Daytona victory lane - July 4, 1984
After the race, I was priviliged, along with my wife Joyce, to attend a private 4th of July picnic for the President in the cordonned off Busch Series garage. It was wonderful. I will forever remember the late Tammy Wynette coming out and singing "Stand By Your Man" to President Reagan.
Tammy Wynette in the Daytona infield with President Ronald Reagan as Bobby Allison and Richard Petty present the President with a checkered flag signed by all the Daytona starters. July 4, 1984
Yep,my old 1984 NASCAR yearbook brought back a lot of memories. Many great ones and many that I still can't discuss in public. It was one of my favorite NASCAR years and being invited to attend the President Reagan picnic on the afternoon of Richard Petty's 200th win will forever stand out as a milestone of my racing memories. When the checkered flag falls at Homestead to end the 2011 season, I wonder what will be written in the 2011 NASCAR Yearbook? When one of today's fans opens that book 27 years later like I did today, I hope they have more memories than empty grandstands, two car tandems and spilled M&Ms. I am prejudiced and I am now a "senior", but by gawd, in my humble opinion, the racing WAS better in 1984.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
