Listen to How It Really Was 50 Years Ago

Came across a link to the live radio broadcast of Charlotte's 1962 National 400 with my old friend Sammy Bland of Rocky Mount, NC as lead announcer and the late Hal Hamrick in the turn and Max Muhleman as statistician and "color" man. Sammy's daughter, Ann Bland Salster, is a member here.

This is the real stuff I used to listen to after church on Sunday afternoon and imagine being there before I saw my first stock car race.

I could picture every one of those cars in my mind.

Close your eyes for a few minutes and listen to the real time description of Fireball Roberts, David Pearson and Junior Johnson battling into the first turn after the green flag falls.

Who will lead the first lap and how??

Click on the link below and tell me it isn't still every bit as exciting as it was 50 years ago!

http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/audio/podcasts/Classic%20Races/1962%20National%20400.mp3

A few observations after listening to quite a bit of this broadcast:

* The announcers could no longer describe Junior Johnson as having his "foot in the carburetor." He would now have his foot in the EFI, I guess.

* Fascinating listening to the description of Fred Lorenzen driving through the turns and leaning out the window and being characterized as "Fearless" for so doing. Who else drove Charlotte leaning out the window through his safety net? Hint: His father scored a top-10 finish in this event.

* Loved the Junior Johnson Victory Lane interview. He said he wanted his check first, not like what happened a few weeks earlier at Darlington when his win was reversed and Larry Frank was awarded the money.

* Car owner Ray Fox only said one thing in his interview. Thanked FIRESTONE Tires for winning the race.

* Richard Petty ran the last 3 laps on 3 wheels as he battled Joe Weatherly for the 1962 National Championship with just one big race left - Atlanta.

* Loved hearing names like Rex White, Emanuel Zervakis, Doug Yates, Paul Lewis, Red Foote, Stick Elliott, Sherman Utsman, Bunkie Blackburn and so many others.

Dave loved listening to the broadcast. One name that did not come up and it to was their rookie year. And this person was in Daytona celebrating their 50th Daytona 500 race. Linda Vaughn...

Her career has outlasted most 1962 rookies in any field for sure! Thanks for mentioning that. Great history.

Listened to over 100 laps before i even realized it. Wish there more of these old broadcasts available.

Two things of particular interest came to me upon listening. One was the mention of a 35 mile an hour speed limit on pit road. Did they have a pit road speed limit for a short period of time during that era ? Also Bill France stated that two races remained on the 1962 schedule at South Boston and Atlanta , but checking the 1962 records, only one race was run at Atlanta. Was the SoBo event rained out and not rescheduled or did the Cuban missle crisis of that time frame figure in the postponement?

Those are two questions worthy of research.

Anybody have a 1962 Cup schedule to see if a second South Boston race was on it, or do you know if it was cancelled and rescheduled and if so, why??

PK... the question is whether there was originally a second 1962 SoBo race scheduled as Bill France mentioned on the broadcast that did not get run.

Thanks.

Yep... maybe somebody might have a 1962 GN schedule or early season program.