A re-visit of a great 2009 article by Tom Higgins about the events of July 20, 1969. The Grand National circuit was in Bristol. But the eyes of the world were fixed on the heavens.
http://web.archive.org/web/20150720134358/http://www.thatsracin.com/2009/07/19/13822/the-day-that-racing-took-a-back.html
What a great post here!
I sure do remember watching the landing on the moon that night in 1969 , but I'd have lost the trivia quiz about Richard Petty driving the final third of that Bristol evening behind the wheel of rival David Pearson's #17 Holman-Moody Ford and taking it to victory lane.
We've all head of a "wolf in sheep's clothing." Guess we could call what happened that night a "King in Fox clothing!"
One thing hasn't changed at Bristol. Loved Richard's comment after he climbed from the winning car about what owner Larry Carrier had done to the track with the new, elevated banking. "They've ruined a good race track," said Petty. That, appropriately, was 43 years ago and nothing has changed. The current owner is still messing around with the track layout!
Today July 20, 2014 - the 45th anniversary of the wondrous event of Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
On the same day in Bristol, Cale Yarborough started from the pole. - Getty
David Pearson had the flu and got relief from fellow Ford driver ... Richard Petty ... to help him win the race and break a tie for the second most wins with Lee Petty.
Race report from Spartanburg Herald
Ironically, on July 20, 1969 I was working a summer job in Richmond at the corporate computer operations center of Philip Morris Tobacco Co. studying computer programming for IBM 360 Main Frames and supposedly learning FORTRAN and COBOL computer languages before my senior year of college. Philip Morris was the largest cigarette producer on earth. It'd still be two seasons before Winston Cigarettes/RJR screwed up the Grand National schedule by dumping some really great venues. At the Richmond track, Winston had a hospitality suite flanked by Philip Morris and PM-owned Miller Beer. That used to thoroughly tick off the Winston-Salem crowd, which was just fine by us.
I had a small 17'' Philco portable TV in my bedroom on a rolling stand. Had it right next to my bed when the first step took place. It really didn't excite me as much as listening to Alan Shepherd's liftoff at school on radio in 1961 or watching John Glenn take off for the first American orbital flight when I was home sick.
I wonder how RJ Reynolds selling the Winston and Salem brands to the British will go over in their hometown.
I saw that news, too, Andy and had the same thought.
Bump
