Need some Help with old NASCAR Winston Cup Schedule

It has been a while since I have posted here, but drop in from time to time to see what you all are up to.

I have been feeling a lot better lately and am gaining enthusiasm about writing that book I have been mulling over, and that is the reason for this post. I have not figured out how to contact folks on an individual basis at this point, so this question is for anyone that might be able to help.

I am in the beginning stages of a story that I think was in the early to mid '80s. I made a trip that I think started at a race in Texas-College Station, went to Phoenix and then Riverside during the middle part of the season. Either between Texas and Phoenix or between Phoenix and Riverside I went to Costa Rica. The problrm is that I have been unable to look at a schedule to determine if that sequence of races actually existed in that order, or if I am mis-remembering somethings.

Can anyone direct me? Have any info?I feel certain that even though Phoenix was on the race list, it was probably not an official NASCAR event.

Dave, can you help me here?

Cup schedule in that era was as follows. I also looked for Winston West races at Phoenix during that time, but none were in the summer. (Looked up schedules at racing-reference.info and ultimateracinghistory.com)

1979

05/27/79 - Charlotte - DW winner

06/03/79 - College Station - DW winner

06/10/79 - Riverside - Bobby Allison winner

1980

05/25/80 - Charlotte - B Parsons winner

06/01/80 - College Station - Cale winner

06/08/80 - Riverside - DW winner

1981

05/24/81 - Charlotte - Bobby winner

06/07/81 - College Station - BP winner

06/04/81 - Riverside - DW winner

I looked at the same sources as Chase and don't find a June Phoenix race of any kind. Could it have been a manufacturer test or ad shoot perhaps?

Did you film any movie scenes at Phoenix for the Hal Needham movies?

Noticed a Needham movie pilot for a tv series that wasn't picked up named "Stockers" that was released in April 1981 as a made for television movie. Cast included Terry Bradshaw & Mel Tillis. Plot had two stock car racers driving across the country trying to elude a bill collector. Written by Brock Yates. Any possibility?

Link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811086/

Hey guys, thanks for the prompt and helpful responses.

My memory of some parts of the past are better than others. I have decided to try to at least start on a book by catagorizing memories and trying to get them matched up to photos and memorabilia, but this particular memory is more puzzling at best.

I remember that around that time, I built the car for Mark Martin that we ran in the five races before he competed for Rookie of the Year. I also built some cars for Randy Ogden during that time frame, and in my research they overlap some how and I am having trouble figuring it all out.

It was around that time when I building a fiberglass bodied car called a Manta that was built in California. I have a picture of the car body being loaded in an 18 wheeler that was not mine with a lady standing in front of the car. I was dating this lady who was from Costa Rica and we went down for a week between two races. I also remember going from Texas to Phoenix and on to Riverside at some point around that time. I'm just not been able to sort it out well enought to get off top dead center to start writing.

It looks like if I do any writing, it will have to be in the 'creative non-fiction' genre as my memory sucks to bad to be 'real' detailed book, LOL.

1980 would work for it being an Ogden ride, but no mention of him in Riverside, and I do remember a transmission problem from Riverside, so perhaps we didn't make the show there. I had mated a chrysler transmission to the Chevy motor and perhaps screwed something up, I don't know.

At any rate, thanks for the help, just trying to figure this out is bringing back some details.

Hey Dave,

I worked on the Kenny Rogers Movie 'SixPack' for two weeks, but was heavily involved in the Burt Reynolds/Hal Needham Movie 'Stroker Ace'. I supplied 90 percent of the cars and trucks and all the pit equipment and drove the '7-Eleven' car.

I have just written some segments of the book about that involvement and here is the links to the htree 'stories'

Two Bird for Burt http://www.mantiquesresto.com/aboutus/Stories/twobirds.htm

Wounded Bird http://www.mantiquesresto.com/aboutus/Stories/wounded%20bird.htm

Lucky Penny http://www.mantiquesresto.com/aboutus/Stories/lucky%20penny.htm

I had not even heard about the "stockers' tv series. If it was anything like the movie making, you would need every other week off to give your stomach a rest from all the laughing!!!

Hey Will, if I remember correctly, the race at Phoenix was Winston West race and not a Cup race and sometimes a driver would stop by there and run it with a cup car. Not sure of the dates, but it was at the end of the season and drivers would stop by on their way home from Riverside.

Yes, They were all in November. I actually sponsored the 1984 Phoenix event, the 7-Eleven NASCAR 250. Tim Richmond drove a second George Jefferson/Derrike Cope Ford for me for free. Unfortunately it blew up and finished last. Derrike stayed up all night rebuilding that same motor after it had practice problems. Derrike wound up 16th winning ROY, but losing the Championship to Jim Robinson by just a couple of points.

1984 7-Eleven NASCAR 250

NASCAR Winston West Series race number 11 of 11

November 25, 1984 at Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, AZ
156 laps on a 1.000 mile paved track (156.0 miles)

Time of race: 1:34:05
Average Speed: 99.486 mph
Pole Speed: 116.849 mph Cautions: 3 for 16 laps
Margin of Victory: 29 sec
Lead changes: 3
Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led

1 9 73 Bill Schmitt Mountain Dew (Bill Schmitt) Chevrolet 156 5,090 running 117
2 6 78 Jim Robinson Hammer Security (Lois Williams) Oldsmobile 156 3,545 running 1
3 5 98 Jim Bown Wholesale Truck Parts (John Kieper) Buick 156 2,035 running 0
4 16 94 Harry Goularte Mountain Dew (Harry Goularte) Chevrolet 155 1,435 running 1
5 8 56 Ron Esau McDonald's (Jack Lee) Buick 154 1,450 running 0
6 7 83 Sumner McKnight Aero Wash (Sumner McKnight) Chevrolet 153 1,100 running 0
7 10 93 Jimmy Insolo Saied Contractors / Dry Sys. Buick 152 800 running 0
8 15 51 Scott Miller MDB Systems Pontiac 151 750 running 0
9 11 32 Ruben Garcia Suncrest Motorhomes (Fred Stoke) Buick 151 800 running 0
10 3 04 Hershel McGriff Mark C. Bloome / Stanton Industries (Gary Smith) Pontiac 151 1,010 running 0
11 18 28 Randy Olson RAO Construction (Rich Olson) Chevrolet 150 600 running 0
12 25 96 Pappy Pryor California Blending Dodge 149 550 running 0
13 20 45 Bob Kennedy Erlich Motors (Myung Suk Lee) Chevrolet 148 700 running 0
14 17 24 Buddie Boys Clements Automotive Buick 144 450 running 0
15 23 41 Kevin Terris Lone Star Auto Brokers Buick 144 425 running 0
16 4 95 Derrike Cope 7-Eleven / Jefferson Racing (George Jefferson) Ford 138 400 running 0
17 24 91 John Krebs KC Racing (John Krebs) Oldsmobile 133 375 oil pump 0
18 22 86 Eldon Dotson Stoner-Hurst Racing Buick 131 350 running 0
19 14 71 Scott Autrey McIntosh Ranch (Dick Midgley) Oldsmobile 108 325 engine 0
20 12 12 Terry Petris Petris Custom Homes (John & Terry Petris) Oldsmobile 108 300 rear end 0
21 2 2 Bobby Allison Miller High Life Buick 54 550 rear end 37
22 1 7 Ron Eaton Bondo / Lake's Body Shop (Ron Eaton) Buick 24 225 engine 0
23 21 16 Bill Osborne Pete Ellis Dodge Buick 24 220 engine 0
24 19 35 Pat Mintey Valencia Machine / Stick (Pat Mintey) Chevrolet 19 415 overheating 0
25 26 22 St. James Davis St. James Racing (LaDonna Davis) Chrysler 7 210 clutch 0
26 13 5 Tim Richmond 7-Eleven / Jefferson Racing Ford 7 205 engine 0

Very enjoyable excerpts, Will. I would have given a hundred dollars to have been there when Dale yelled about his mother, Martha being able to drive either of your two test cars at Talladega if the movie stunt guys couldn't! That's priceless.

By the way... we let Hal shoot V.I.P. suite scenes in our Talladega Wrangler Suite during the actual race weekend. My wife, Joyce got off her bar stool at our horseshoe shaped bar at the front of the suite to use the restroom. The late Bubba Smith in his chauffeur uniform took her place. He was one BIG fellow! When Joyce came out of the restroom she told me "that man" has taken my seat. I told her "that man" could have any seat he wanted!

Thanks for the contuinuing interest.

I too, have checked the schedules and agree with what has been presented, but I still have a memory of going to Texas, Phoenix and California, but it would not be the first time I had a memory mishap!