My first trip to Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol Motor Speedway, Waltrip Grandstands, turns 3-4, upper deck, top row, under the shade in day, only drawback was you couldn't stand up without cutting turns 1-2 off from from view with the overhang roof. I did like the TV cameras located on every beam though. A nice LED or LCD upgrade would be nice. Great facility but, the Will Call booth was not marked at all, and no roaming staff to point you in the right direction. Also, if you park anywhere other than the speedway parking lot, be sure you identify some landmarks so when you leave you find your way back, it took my military training to find the car, had to locate a narrow cut in a hedgerow at midnight to get back to the car, but watch out for the remaining barbed wire fence stomped down to ankle high, it got me, and stripped the flesh off the shin bone. All in all a good experience. Lastly, if you're out of shape DO NOT pick an upper level seat!!! Yes, it was my first "Trip" in more ways than one.

yeah but you would do it again in a heartbeat-----unless you a has been

LOL!

I had a great time Johnny, just me and my son, road trip to Bristol, grill some dogs on a portable, had some beach chairs, some drinks, life was good. I'm just saying, for those that always wanted to go to Bristol (like me) beware of some things that could turn a good day into a nightmare. Besides the blood running down my leg, I had a great time, and luckily we had the beach towels in the trunk left over from our summer beach trip to wipe the blood of. I'd recommend it to anyone.Some things you just can't plan for.

I understand completely sir theres no feeling like going with someone who loves racing like you and I. My 2 kids are grown now but im doing everything in my power to show my grandson what life was like when we grew up. And trust me he is head over heels in it I took him to Daytona last year and got him his first Nascar license and we toured the infied like pros. He met people that are on a wish list for most kids, but you know what,he talks of R/R more and the people he meets here than any of the today crowd.

Jim, on our first trip to Bristol for the Spring 1967 Southeastern 500, the bottom of our big styrofoam cooler decided to part ways with the rest of the cooler walking up one of the old ramps to the main grandstand. It's always been a special place to me, though I've not been since the concrete surface was put down.

Jim, I took the old ripped, torn and yellowed photos below from the Bristol infield with a Kodak Brownie Box camera following my first ever Bristol race in March 1967. Look how new the old concrete stands still looked. Note the Pure Oil sign and asphalt, lower banked surface:

#80 = Bob Pickerell

#49 = G.C. Spencer

#99 = Paul Goldsmith

#19 = J.T. Putney

#34 = Wendell Scott tow truck

Dave,those are great photos, I can remember those good ole days like it was yesterday (almost at least) that ole chevy #80 makes my skin crawl looking at it. I had a ride for a while in a 66 like that ,boy was it big compared to my chevelle. Keep up the good work Dave,my memory is coming back ......................................memories

Johnny, I did a recheck on the '66 Chevy #80 and it was Bob Pickell (not Pickerell) of Flemington, NJ, making one of just 3 career GN/Cup starts, all in 1967 for the Cozze brothers.

The guy I was driving for was Wayne Dawson out of Middle Ga. He would buy a car and bring it home,we would go run it a few times and he would sell it and repeat the process. I guess he made money at it but I got to drive several different cars back then.

Actually found an interview with Pickell and Frankie Schneider at the 2009 Flemington, NJ Fair:

Johnny.... got a question for you and Tommie Clinard....

In July 1970, Wally Bell's favorite National Anthem guitarist, Jimi Hendrix and a bunch of other "hippies" invaded Middle Georgia Raceway for the 2nd Atlanta Pop Festival -

Do you fellows remember this song that Paul Wilson wrote and sung about that event at Middle Georgia Raceway in July 1970, titled HIPPIE INVASION ???

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/GG/Paul_Wilson_-_Hippie_Invasion.mp3

Johnny, I guess this is the actual July 1970 event at Middle Georgia Raceway, complete with aerial view of the track. You or Tommie in that crowd???

Those are some good photos, i wish I could restore them for you, make them look almost brand new. Looking at the cars and rollbacks, it looks like it could be any Saturday at the local short tracks, it's hard to imagine how simple racing was back then. The level of how complicated NASCAR has become now is mind boggling, I'd prefer the concrete stands and $10 tickets any day.

that big chevy took home an 11th place finish. it was 68 laps down but that was the way racing was back then.

My first trip was 1963. Went back in 1964 and 1965. Went a couple times in the 80s. I loved the track in the 60s. As it got more and more banked and more and more stands, it sort of lost the appeal for me. Guess I'm just too much the old timer.

My preference, too, Tim was the lower banked original asphalt Bristol track, though I saw plenty of good action on the high banked asphalt version, also.

Our first trip out in March 1967 I had to get from school at University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Friday night and back to Richmond. In Richmond, 3 of us left early on Saturday morning in Art Rouse's dad's Dodge 440 cubic inch Coronet (I guess) and drove to Roanoke, Va. We spent the night there at the home of my UVa. roommate. That night was the first time I ever saw a topless dance club - Papa Joe's - or ate at the famed after hours Roanoke hangout Texas Tavern, known locally as the "Ptomaine Tavern."

We left Roanoke for Bristol before dawn on Sunday morning. There was no Interstate 81 to travel. We had to drive the same hilly and curvy two-lane U.S. Highway 11 that Curtis Turner, Paul Radford and other western Virginia drivers had hauled liquor over. I had never before driven in an area where you could receive no radio station not carrying "preaching." It was also the first time I had ever heard an "Obituaries on the Air" radio broadcast, sponsored by a local funeral home.

We didn't even have race tickets. Bought those after we got to the track.

Richard Petty was taken out almost immediately in a crash lapping cars in turns 3-4. Being die-hard "Anything But Ford" fans, the highlight of our first Bristol race was when the white #28 Holman-Moody Ford of "Fearless" Freddie began showing little wisps of smoke. The smoke became thicker each lap until Lorenzen finally pulled in. You could hear the cheers of the crowd over the cars. Stewart vs. Kenseth doesn't even come close to Petty vs. Lorenzen. David Pearson won in a Cotton Owens Dodge that day. One of our highlights was getting in the infield and taking a picture of Wendell Scott's #34 pickup truck in its rusty brown base paint.

We often used to buy our Rockingham tickets at the gate, too, back in those days. A different time and place. The drive to Bristol is without a doubt the most beautiful drive in all of stock car racing. I had some great times there.

Jim, you excel...in descriptive writing...as a former teacher....I loved it! As a race fan...I can so relate!! LOL

Thanks Patsy although, after rereading my post I noticed a few comma's where they didn't belong, I hope you gave it at least a B+, that would be an improvement over my high school english grade.