larry manning cup driver from 1963 to 1971 pass away today.enter 71 cup races 2 top 514 top 10.larry first race was hillsborough 1963 in ex ned jarrett chevy.in 2008 larry got to celebratin at hillsborough.larry praise everybodyat historic speedway group that in how he was being honor.larry was telling me that day he was feeling like richard petty that day.larry will be miss.prayer are to his family at this time 
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So sad. I had the pleasure of interviewing Larry that day at Hillsborough in 2008. He also came to our first Columbia event in 2009. It was certainly an honor to have met him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Another good guy gone and a part of history is gone with him. Prayers to the Manning family. Thanks for posting Ray.
Thanks, Ray, for the notification.
Godspeed, Larry.
He raced mostly in Bob Adams cars out of the Richmond area.
The heart shaped decal on the C-post in your picture is from the business of a distant relative by marriage, Bob Hart and Hart Auto Glass, behind the Krispy Kreme Donut Shop off West Broad Street across from Willow Lawn Shopping Center in Richmond. I remember being excited when I saw it on the car at the Richmond Fairgrounds.
Another journeyman driver has completed the final journey. Their days have passed with the locked in points system. Sure do miss those days. Thanks, Larry, for being part of what gave me so much pleasure.
RIP Larry
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesdispatch/obituary.aspx?n=larry-manning&pid=157763302&fhid=4726 service for larry manning
i feel a special kinship to this man as his first grand national race was my first grand national race. he was part of the backbone of the sport and will be missed.
Stock car driver Larry Niles Manning Sr., dies at 70
By: Ellen Robertson | Richmond Times-Dispatch
May 25, 2012
CHESTERFIELD, Va. --
In March 1963, 21-year-old Larry Niles Manning came into NASCAR headquarters in Richmond and wanted to join NASCAR's elite Grand National Class of drivers.
"He had never driven in any kind of race," said Joe Kelly, a local TV and radio figure who hosts the weekly "Let's Talk Racing" radio show with his wife, Ruth.
"He was driving a 1962 Chevrolet sponsored by Adams Heating & Air Conditioning that was bought and raced the year before."
The race he was going to was at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, N.C., a 1-mile dirt oval and one of the toughest tracks in America.
"All the top drivers were there Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cotton Owens, Glen Wood, Joe Weatherly, the 1962 National Cup champion. This event was done by time trial and they didn't think he (Larry) would do anything.
"A NASCAR man told a driver, 'Larry Manning's going to beat you today, Jack.'" They made a $100 bet.
In his first NASCAR race, Larry Manning Sr. finished eighth against the best racers in the world, Kelly said. The class now is called Sprint Cup.
Mr. Manning, who ran his last race in 1982 at Southside Speedway, died Wednesday at 70.
The Chesterfield County resident, who owned Pyramid Heating and Air Conditioning, will be honored at a funeral at 11 a.m. today, Friday, at Morrissett Funeral and Cremation Service, 6500 Iron Bridge Road. Burial will be at Dale Memorial Park.
"He had 10 Top 10 finishes and two Top 5," Kelly said.
"He was on a very underfunded team. There were no sponsors at all, just Mr. and Mrs. Adamses' name on the car. He ran out of his pocket. He finished 29th in points that year and was rookie of the year.
"The bad thing was that he didn't have any money to go further. He ran on his own. He went to Daytona and finished 15th. He went down and ran with the best, when they had 50 cars."
In later years, he ran Late Model Series cars, especially at Southside Speedway and South Boston Speedway.
"The guy could look at something and learn fast. I had a lot of respect for Larry Manning," Kelly said.
Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Lorraine Manning; a daughter, Marie "Dumplins" DeMay; three sons, Chris "Ray Ray" Manning, Nate "Murphy" Manning and Larry "Speedy" Manning Jr.; a sister, Joyce Musselman; and eight grandchildren.
erobertson@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6115
Ray, I am sorry to learn of Larry's passing. Isaw this in yesterday's paper. I knew Larry years ago. I went to high school with Jackie,his first wife, Speedy's Mom. (Larry Jr.) Larry alsoraced go-Karts some back in the early eighties when I was running at Amelia. Just last Saturday a friend and myself drove past the old Total Service Garage at the corner of Walmsley and Newbys Bridge Road. That little tin building is still there. Larry ran the '62 Chevy out of that joint. Red Britten housed andwrenched on the car. I may be wrong, but I think Bill Croxton owned the car. Bill was in sales at Martin Chevrolet back then, before moving on to owning his own real estate business. Jackie's Dad, Dick Hamm, spent many hours helping to prepare cars for Larry when Robert Adams became involved and they ran Plymouths out of theAdams Heating race shop on Hull St Road.
You may notice "Little Charlie's Auto Supply" on the car also. Charlie Goode loved racing and helped a lot of local guys through the years also. Dave Fulton had a reply concerning Hart Auto Glass and mentioned the Krispy Kreme on Broad. My wife's Mom worked at that donut shop for nearly 30 years. I have darn sure had my share of Krispy Kreme donuts through the years...mostly free ones. Hey...she had a daughter she was trying to marry off. (been married46 years now too)
Richard... a curiosity question....
I had a great uncle by marriage - Ben Goode - who was a plumber and married very late in life to my great aunt, Julia. He had a plumbing business in Chesterfield County on Broad Rock Road across from Branch's Baptist Church and also owned a big farm house next door. They lived in quarters above the plumbing shop and he fell to his death down steps leading to the basement when I was just 1-2 years old. Later they built a little strip shopping center sometime in late 50s/early 60s across Broad Rock Rd. that had a Ben Franklin Store and just down from them a restaurant was built and operated for some years called Iron Skillet or Flat Iron or some such.
Wonder if Ben Goode the plumber could have been kin to "Little Charlie" Goode?
Dave, It was the Branding Iron and it was owned by Mr. Wilkerson, of Southside Speedway. I believe his daughters helped to run therestauranttoo. We have enjoyed a steak dinner there on a number of occasions. On the Goode thing, I really haven't a clue. There was a Goode family that lived right behind us in Woodstock subdivision when I was growing up also. I went to school with even more Goodes. Little Charlie Goode was born handicapped and always used crutches to get around. He and his Dad opened the auto parts business so Charlie could earn a living after high school. Charlie enjoyed nice cars, had Corvettes and such. He loved racing too and helped tosponsor a number of different cars at Southside Speedway through the years.
I most likely will see someone this weekend, a friend who grew up in the Broad Rock / Branches area. He may know something about Uncle Ben. This fellow's family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, all lived right there in that area and this guy loves to recall what was. I couldn't tell you how truthful some of his recalls are, but he tells them with a straight face.
It is always sad to have one of our racing family pass. Every time I ever talked to Larry, he was very gracious, and that was back when he was racing. When I encountered him at the Columbia Speedway event, he was the consummate Southern Gentleman. Prayers of comfort for the family.
Thanks for the info Richard. Couldn't remember the name of that restaurant to save myself. Had no idea it was owned by the Wilkersons. Small world.
Dave, my friend tells me therestaurant was also the "Wagon Inn" prior to being bought by J.M.Wilkerson. He knew of a Mrs Goode that lived alone in the big farmhouse next to what became Thompson Hardware. We're guessing that may have been Ben Goode's mother, because it would have been in the 20's or 30's. This friend says before the great depression the Broad Rock area had several businesses and a number of very large homes with farmland, etc. It was a pretty well-to-do area populated somewhat with folks that came out from the Manchester area of Richmond. He was able to name several of the estates along Broad Rock. He claims the Cornwallis family had a large home and farm there. (Cornwallis from Revolutionary War era)I reckon it was kinfolks...Ha!
Thanks again, Richard. I remember the Thompson hardware store now. When Ben fell and died, my aunt, Julia Goode sold the building that became the Thompson hardware site and moved back into the big farm house.
Larry Manning posted 3 top-5s in just 5 starts during the 1964 Grand National season.
That is a great picture of Larry. Thanks for posting, Dave.
