Racers have always been known for the practical jokes they play on each other. I never got to see Joe Weatherly or any of his buddies play their mongoose in the box/cage trick on anybody, but I sure wish I had.
I do, however, remember one practical joke very well.
One of Bud Moore's crew for many years was Harold Stott, who owned a Ford dealership managed by his brother in Tryon, NC. Harold was one of the best, if not the best, rear tire changers on the circuit. Every year he was voted by his pit crew peers as a member of the Skoal All-Star Pit Crew.
Harold, however, was superstitious and very jumpy. If you walked up behind Harold (who was built like a fireplug) and shouted, "Boo!" Harold would jump a foot off the ground. Other crew guys were always throwing rubber snakes on the ground at Harold's feet in the garage to watch him jump and shout!
At that time in the early 80s we raced at Richmond in February the weekend after the Daytona 500. It was often snowy, sometimes icy, and always cold. On Friday and Saturday night the Cup cars were housed in Richmond's open air, covered garage buildings under their car covers. Track owner Paul Sawyer employed several off-duty Henrico County, Virginia Police K-9 officers with their dogs to guard the race cars during the down time.
The car cover at that time for Bud Moore's Wrangler Jeans sponsored, Dale Earnhardt driven #15 Ford Thunderbird was actually made of the same 14 ounce heavy duty denim that we used in our men's Wrangler jeans. It was also lined/padded and very heavy, requiring two crew members to take it off the car and roll it up.
Late one Friday afternoon at Richmond, two of Harold Stott's fellow Bud Moore crew members had one of those brilliant ideas that racers sometimes get. They approached the police K-9 officers and made a deal for the next morning.
Just before the Richmond garage opened on Saturday morning, Bud Moore crew members Doug and Ray accompanied the K-9 officers to Earnhardt's car. They proceeded to sit a German Shepherd with two stainless steel teeth in Earnhardt's driver's seat and chain him to the roll cage with the assistance of the two K-9 officers.
The car cover was put back on the car just before Harold Stott arrived in the garage. Ray and Doug alerted all the other crews to watch and when Harold, standing by the driver's window, lifted that car cover the German Shepherd acted like it would eat him alive!
We were all convulsed with laughter until we became afraid Harold was having a heart attack. He didn't and for many years after was forced to listen red faced to Bud's crew describe that morning in the Richmond garage to newcomers in NASCAR.
I don't guess anything like that is done anymore. Too much on the line with all these professional pit crew members, but I'll never forget the sight of that German Shepherd in Earnhardt's seat!
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
