Racing History Minute - May 11, 1963

There were options today as to what race to use for the History Minute. I chose to go back exactly 50 years to a special race known as "The Rebel 300" which was run on this date 50 years ago.

The spring race at Darlington, back in the day when there were two races run there each year, started in 1957 (see tomorrow's History Minute for that story) as an event for convertibles. 1962 was the last convertible race and the ever innovative Bob Colvin, Darlington Raceway President back then, thought that a 300 mile race for the stock hardtops would not be such a huge drawing point with so many 400 and 500 mile races on the schedule, not to mention the 600 that would follow his event by two weeks. Colvin came up with a formula whereby there would be TWO 151 mile races, separated by an "intermission" and the winner would be determined by a "point system" even the current NASA rocket scientists could not figure out. Colvin's idea was that by using the split race, it would not be JUST a 300 mile stock car race.

Qualifying was held as usual, with Fred Lorenzen grabbing the pole in his Holman-Moody Ford. Second place was taken by Tiny Lund in the Wood Brothers Ford, still subbing for Marvin Panch who was injured in Daytona in February. When the green flag dropped on the first 151 lap segment, Junior Johnson literally drove through the front row starters from his fourth place starting spot and took the lead he would hold through lap 47 when Joe Weatherly would move to the point. On lap 51, Jim Paschal would put his Petty Engineering Plymouth in the lead and would hold that lead until lap 76 when Junior Johnson would regain the top spot.

Junior Johnson was leading with one lap to go when the rear gearing in his Chevrolet stipped and forced Junior to coast around the track where he would be passed by Joe Weatherly before the checkers. Fred Lorenzen and Rex White were knocked out of the event on the first lap when they crashed. Lorenzen took blame for the crash saying he got "over anxious" and collected Rex.

The second segment of the race included a "standing start" where all drivers would slam their mount in gear and speed towards turn one (now turn three). This sort of "modified drag race" enabled Richard Petty to put his Plymouth out front at the start and he would lead the first 67 laps. Bobby Johns took over on lap 68 and would lead for two laps before pitting and handing the lead to Fireball Roberts. But Petty, who had finished sixth in the first half of the split race, went back out front on lap 77 and would hold on to win the second segment.

Using the convoluted point systems devised by Colvin for this event, the top five finishers for the overall 300 miles were:

1. Joe Weatherly, Bud Moore Pontiac, winning $11,100.00

2. Fireball Roberts, Holman-Moody Ford, winning $6,200.00

3. Richard Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $4,960.00

4. Tiny Lund, Wood Brothers Ford, winning $2,665.00

5. Bobby Johns, Johns Pontiac, winning $1,965.00

Sixth through tenth were Jim Paschal, Darel Dieringer, Buck Baker, Jimmy Pardue, and Billy Wade. Eleventh through Twenieth were Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, G.C. Spencer, Curtis Crider, Stick Elliott, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Larry Frank, Larry Manning, Ed Livingsto and Ned Jarrett.

Reb Wickersham was 23rd, Junion Johnson 25th, Johnny Allen 27, and Possum Jones 29th. Fred Lorenzen in 30th and Rex White in 31st, rounded out the field.

It would have been possible for the overall winner of the race to have never led a lap using the Colvin inspired points system As it were, Junior Johnson was awarded 25th after completing only 110 laps in the opening segment and NO laps in the second segment, while Herman Beam, who completed a total of only 57 laps overall in both segments was listed in 24th. Ned Jarrett completed a total of of 197 laps in both segments and was awarded 20th place while David Pearson, who completed only 180 total laps was given 12th. Some of the best racing "experts" of the era commented that they could not figure out how the points were awarded and what it actually took to "win" the over all contest.

A few days AFTER the fact, NASCAR determined that it would not be a good idea to repeat such a confusing debacle and "suggested" to Bob Colvin that future Rebel 300 races be a 300 mile race without a popcorn intermission in the middle.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

Thanks, Tim. Just imagine what Colvin could do with our "modern" All-Star race! He'd have come up with scenarios that on his best day Humpy Wheeler never thought to include.

I always remember that anyone who had one, always wore their Rebel 300 shirt at the track like the uncredited photo of Joe Weatherly with Bud Moore posted at littlejoeweatherly.com. I believe they were originally given to Rebel 300 winners.

Race Program (from Thomas K. Craig collection)

Great side stories about Tiny Lund and Bob Colvin. (From Charleston SC's News and Courier )

The Front Row

The AP's race recap as printed in The Robesonian of Lumberton, NC.

Great photo!

And 4 years earlier, "Johnny Reb" hosted a pre-nuptial affair in Florence that was covered as far away as Charleston!!!

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m4BJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sQsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2790,5125254&dq=bob+van+witzenburg&hl=en

From Closefinishes.com:

Prior to the demise of the Rebel-themed events, the track used the image of a Confederate Army Rebel soldier in countless promotional fliers, posters and commercials touting the annual spring event at the track. In 1961, the speedway even created the character of Johnny Reb, a grey uniformed Confederate soldier. The character was initially played by Jimmy Patterson, a radio personality for WBT radio in Charlotte, NC. Later, an exchange student from Holland named Bob van Witzenburg served as the Johnny Reb character for several years.

And 5 months later, on October 2, 1963, "Johnny Reb" - Bob van Witzenburg - became a proud papa!

Florence Morning News - Florence, South Carolina - Oct 2 1963

Newspaper Archive

Text:	"... Van Witzenburg Son Mr and Mrs Robert van Witzenburg of Florence announce the birth of a son Robert Charles on Sept 30 at the Infirmary..."
Date:	Oct 2 1963
Publication:	Florence, South Carolina, United States Of America

From the April 12, 2009 Florence (SC) Morning News :

Couple to celebrate golden anniversary

MR. AND MRS. ROBERT VAN WITZENBURG

Mr. and Mrs. Robert van Witzenburg of Florence will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 12.

The couple was the first to be married in the current sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Florence. Mr. van Witzenburg, formerly of the Netherlands, met his bride while employed in Charlotte, N.C. and she was a student at Queens University.

Mrs. van Witzenburg is the former Mary Lynn Gregg. She is retired after 30 years as a school teacher.

Mr. van Witzenburg was employed for many years as sales manager with WJMX Radio.

The couple have two children, Johanna Davis of Pensacola Beach, Fla., and Chuck van Witzenburg of Florence. They have three grandsons: Tyler, Brett and Andrew Davis.

The couple's children are sending them on a cruise to celebrate the occasion.

MR. AND MRS. ROBERT VAN WITZENBURG

For about $60 + S&H, you can listen to the highlights from this race ... if you still have your LP turntable. I just found this album up for auction on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1963-NASCAR-Rebel-300-Championship-Stock-Car-Race-LP-Fleetwood-Records-/221184737589

Thanks Tim, and Chase and Dave for the clippings.

Interestingly, almost every stock/touring car series in the world uses a similar split race format today, including the BTCC, WTCC and V8 Supercars. The 400 kilometre V8 Supercar race coming up at the Circuit of the Americas next weekend will be split up into four 100k races. They do have a few long distance events like the Bathurst 1000 or Sandown 400 too. It's a good mix that I'd like to see in NASCAR, particularly for tracks like Pocono where four 100 mile or two 200 mile races would be more exciting than a single 400 or 500 mile marathon.

Now that is pretty darned cool! I do have a working turntable if you want to go ahead and buy it and have it shipped to Charlotte!

Bump Draft