NASCAR Media Group's Poor Research Regarding Richard Petty / What was the Hall of Fame Staff Doing??

Don't know if any of you watched the television piece on the career of Richard Petty produced by NASCAR Media Group, hosted by country singer Trace Adkins, originating from The Hall of Honor at Charlotte's NASCAR Hall of Fame and broadcast on the GAC network Monday night.

This may have been a rebroadcast. I don't know.

What I do know is that I just about jumped out of the recliner when Trace Adkins read the NASCAR Media Group produced script line that said Richard Petty became famous in 1964 when he took his DODGE Hemi to Daytona and won the Daytona 500.

Am I wrong to expect the NASCAR Media Group to get it correct and know that the King's first Daytona 500 win was in a PLYMOUTH?

I thought about dropping them a note, but what good would it do?

Wouldn't you think that somebody at NASCAR, the NASCAR Media Group or the NASCAR Hall of Fame would have caught such a glaring error???

This production did nothing to increase my opinion of the competence of the staff at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Surely someone there would have (or should have) been required to read a script filmed there about NASCAR's all-time Cup winner.

I still question the Hall of Fame staff performing other jobs such as MRN Radio broadcasting when this kinda stuff continues to happen.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

I've grown to accept that the history of NASCAR isn't as well defined or documented as stick and ball sports. Memories are fuzzy, complete facts weren't always available at the time, and some things just weren't shared by drivers, owners, or ths sanctioning body.But what I STILL can't accept is how NASCAR and its partners don't seem to even CARE how info is misreported - especially when known data is available. Bob Coastas, Al Michaels, Chris Berman, etc would likely be fired if they routinely made colossal errors in reporting on TV or in print/web. Similarly MLB, NFL and other leagues would be trashed by fans and media if inaccurate stories and info were routinely disseminated.RR now has a group for fans of racing books. While I've read many, I cringe reading each new one KNOWING I'll find many glaring errors.Its magnified when the bozos who are overseers of the sport have such little passion for telling its history accurately.


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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.

I cringed when Ned Jarrett was portrayed as giving Wendell Scott " wore out parts" in the recent ESPN movie about the great Black driver. The parts sold to Scott in real life were used ( some barely ) but hardly worn out. Wendell would have vouched for that.

That is kindda sad that an error like that got past all the "Historians" leading up to the presentation.

A couple of other observations about this particular show:

• Much of it was re-purposed from the Petty Blue DVD. I believe the DVD was produced by the same outfit that runs CMT and GAC. So I'm guessing they control all those interview video clips to repackage however they like.
• The inclusion of Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne did nothing for me. Tony is the current champ so I guess I understand why they included him - even though his fan loyalties lie with AJ Foyt. The inclusion of Kahne was plumb silly. His comments made him look bored - and he never seemed to gel with the King and the team after Petty Enterprises was merged into Gillett Evernham.
• The comments about Petty and Pearson by Jim McKay on a Wide World of Sports episode cracked me. "Even their numbers are household words."
• The factual errors aside, Trace Adkins was a good narrator. He and the King share a common sponsor: Goodys/BC Powders. But his voice reminds me of a modern day Ed Bruce.
• The video shot of Andy Granatelli giving the ol' curmudgeon Lee Petty a big ol' kiss after the 43 won the 1973 Daytona 500 never gets old.
• I wish I knew how to contact Granatelli. Would love to spend time listening to him. Probably wouldn't have a choice as I doubt I could get a word in edge-wise.

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.

TMC, Funny you should mention Ed Bruce... actor, singer and writer of the classic "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys."

I was "roped into" naming Bruce as Grand Marshal of the 1983 Wrangler SanforSet 400 at Richmond - we also sponsored Willie Nelson who made a mint singing Ed's song. Ed, wife Patsy and band were there and Ed and the band were to perform at a Saturday afternoon infield cookout for all the NASCAR crews following the Busch Series race.

During Friday afternoon Cup practice, several members of the band decided they'd had enough of the infield and suddenly ran across the backstretch while the cars were at speed. Bill Gazaway red flagged the practice session and told me I would be held personally responsible by NASCAR if any band members were killed. I wasn't a very happy camper because I didn't want them there in the first place.

After the Saturday Busch race we took Ed and his wife and a few others over to Richard Petty's good friend Hugh Hawthorne's home to see the #43 Plymouth SuperBird in Hugh's den.

Doesn't hardly seem like that could be 29 years ago.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

"After the Saturday Busch race we took Ed and his wife and a few others over to Richard Petty's good friend Hugh Hawthorne's home to see the #43 Plymouth SuperBird in Hugh's den".

Dave,
Was Hugh Hawthorne the owner of Alpine Construction or Hawthorne Aviation, location: old Byrd Airport, City of Richmond,Va.?
What ever happened to Hugh Hawthorne and his #43 Plymouth SuperBird?
Was Hugh Hawthorne's home location on James River, somewhere near Cherokee Rd. aka ex-home of City of Richmond Used Car Dealer named "MAD MAN DAPPER DAN"?
MAD MAN DAPPER DAN's famous "tv & radio" used car advertisement slogan was "I would Give Them Away But My Wife Won't Let Me"!!! LOL
I think "MAD MAN DAPPER DAN" had his home build by an famous architect in dome shape of an flying Saucer, not the rectangle shape of his neighbor's. LOL
The home was torn down about 10 or 15 years ago? Fire Damaged? New Home Owner didn't like it's looks?

Thanks for any information given.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.23225

Dennis,

Hugh Hawthorne founded Alpine Construction in 1964. His home is on Courthouse Road in Richmond and the Petty Superbird is in his his den there, along with much Roy Clark memorabilia. He and Roy were both born in Meherrin, Virginia between Richmond and South Boston on U.S. 360.

For many years before concrete walls Hugh headed traveling crews for major NASCAR races in charge of guardrail repair and replacement during events.

When Paul Sawyer and Kenneth Campbell dissolved their partnership promoting races in Richmond, Hugh and several others bought Campbell's share. All stock later was reacquired by Paul. Hugh did all of the construction of RIR and it is his bulldozer on which Richard Petty tore up the first bit of asphalt from the old half-mile. That photo and many others may be found on the web site for Alpine Construction:

http://www.alpineconstcorp.com/index.html

Look under "Projects."

Richard Petty on one of Hugh Hawthorne's Alp[ine Construction bulldozers tears up the 1/2-mile asphalt Richmond track in February 1988.

Hugh has been a long time friend of the Petty family and did the site work for Victory Junction Gang Camp. He also is an original member of the Board of Directors for Victory Junction.

Hugh has been an avid collector and has literally warehouses of objects he has collected from different venues. He has been involved for many years in classic cars and for a numer of years I know he was president of one of the big classic car groups.

When we at Wrangler announced we would begin sponsoring the Richmond races in 1981, Hugh contacted me and asked for the birth year of every Wrangler executive and guest we would have at the Fairgrounds in September 1981. On race day, Hugh had an antique automobile for every single Wrangler executive and guest and the model year of each antique vehicle matched the birth year of our exec/guest!! They all rode in one of Hugh's cars in the pre-race parade. I have never seen anything like it.

Hugh is a fine guy.

And by the way, I well remember "Mad Man" with his pencil mustache and his used car dealership on Broad Street, not too far from and across the street from the old Sears store. I also remember that unusual home and his tag line of "I'd give 'em away, but my wife won't let me!" He had that on a billboard on the edge of the dealership and always rode in a little replica Model-T in the annual Tobacco Festival Grand Illuminated Parade.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Aerial view of Richmond International Raceway - 1988 - after site prep by Hugh Hawthorne's Alpine Construction

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

VICTORY JUNCTION GANG CAMP FOUNDERS

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The Bahre Family
Kurt Busch
Carolinas Credit Union Foundation
Goody's
Hugh Hawthorne
Hendrick Motorsports
Leo Hindery, Jr.
Kyle Petty Charity Ride, Inc.
David and Ruth Lind
Sam and Priscilla McCall and David Moon
Johnny Morris
The NASCAR Foundation
Paul Newman
Kyle and Pattie Petty
Richard and Lynda Petty
Sprint
Tony Stewart
Michael and Buffy Waltrip
Jordan Washburn
Walmart

Victory Junction Gang Camp Board of Directors

Pattie Petty Founder; Chairman & CEO
Kyle Petty Founder; Vice-Chairman
Brian Flynn - Treasurer & Chief Operating Officer, Richard Petty Motorsports
Diane Hough Secretary; Executive Director, Kyle Petty Charity Ride
Jon Abramson, MD & Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Brenner Children's Hospital
Carolyn Bechtel - Member, Board of Overseers, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
Brad Daugherty- Broadcaster/NASCAR Team Owner
Mimi Fitz - Owner, Perfect Designs
Brian Flynn - Treasurer & Chief Operating Officer, Richard Petty Motorsports
Frank Franzese Vice President & General Manager Cricket Communications
Hugh Hawthorne Founder; Retired Owner, Alpine Construction
Rick and Linda Hendrick Founder; CEO, Hendrick Automotive Group
Eddie Jarvis - True Speed Enterprises
Jerry and Linda Neal - Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Development, RF Micro Devices
Bea Perez - CMO, The Coca-Cola Company
Richard Petty Founder; President, Richard Petty Motorsports
Bill Rollnick & Nancy Ellison- Board of Directors Mattel, Inc, Co-Chairmen, American Red Cross Gala
Bobby Rice - Chief of Staff & Executive Vice President, Hendrick Motorsports
Paul Sagerman, MD & Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Larry D. Silver - Chief Executive Officer, The Silver Companies
Jordan Washburn - Retired, Morrisette Paper Company & Community Volunteer

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"