August 12, 1973: Score one for the underdog at Talladega

Tim wrote about a memorable (yet surprising to me) race earlier today - the 1951 Motor City 250 in Detroit.

Also, I blogged about Jim Paschal's win at Asheville-Weaverville 11 years later. And a couple of years ago, I blogged about Richard Petty's [ win at Bowman Gray ] on August 12, 1967 that began a 10-race winning streak.

But August 12 is also the anniversary for several other racing memories. Seems a shame to stop at these three.

On August 12, 1973, a true feel-good story took place at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega. Journeyman Dick Brooks pulled the upset and scored his one and only career Grand National / Cup victory in the Talladega 500. Driving Jimmy Crawford's Plymouth, Brooks' win was the final Cup victory for that Chrysler brand name.

From Ray Lamm collection:

The feel-good day for Brooks was tempered heavily, however, by the death of second-year driver Larry Smith. From Randy Simmons collection:

Also, this was the race where Bobby Isaac was spooked by what he called voices in his head. He pulled into the garage, told folks the 'why' and left Cup racing behind for the season. (He didn't leave Cup altogether though as is often implied in many articles. He raced again in a handful of Cup races in 1974 through 1976.)

I'll add comments as I find more content from this race.

From Ray Lamm collection

Race report from Tuscaloosa News

Short track aces Jody Ridley and L.D. Ottinger were each making their second career Cup start.

Pre-race notes column from Gadsden Times

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Herb Nab replacing an engine in Cale Yarborough's car and the King going through tech.

The sidebar story of the sad day with Smith's accident and death.

Source: Hendersonville NC Times-News

And from Gadsden Times

Not only did Dick Brooks win in a loaner car, but he also had a loaner crewman for part of the race. One of Joe Frasson's pit crew pitched in to help the 22 Plymouth get the win.

And even the ol' 20th Century Drifter, Marty Robbins, made the race. He had a great qualifying run and started 10th. But he finished 36th in the FIFTY car field.

That was an event to see! I watched from my vantage point behind the infield fence going into turn one, just a little past the start-finish line. I didn't know until well after the race that Smith died in the wreck. I saw Isaac go behind the wall but didn't know why until we were walking the pits after the race, as we always did. Was very happy to see Dick Brooks with. I always liked that guy from the time he came to NASCAR saying the first NASCAR race he ever saw was the one he drove in. I remember that white Superbird he drove that year.

It had slipped my mind that the win was the last win for Plymouth in the Grand National ranks. Somehow that just doesn't seem right. Never will in my mind, but that is just me.

Thanks for posting Chase. What a wonderful record of history we have on this site!

Dick was one of the most likable fellows I ever met. After he stopped driving and was doing his MRN gig, he invited me to dinner in Atlanta one night with his mom and dad, who he'd flown in from California.

Junie Donlavey once said Dick was probably the most talented driver to ever wheel one of his cars and how it was ashamed he hadn't had better equipment for him.

I either didn't know this future chapter of Dick Brooks - or had forgotten it. Either way, this info is not in the forefront of my racing memory. In August 1994, on the same weekend Wally Dallenbach, Jr. made his final start for Petty Enterprises, it was reported Brooks bought 50% of SABCO Racing's #40 team. At the time, the car was driven by Bobby Hamilton. From what I can tell, Felix Sabates did not sell any portion of the company pertaining to Kyle Petty's Mello Yello team.

Source: The Albany Herald

Prior to the Sabco deal in 1994 , the last year Dick Brooks fielded a car was in 1974 . Dick started the year with sponsorship from Simoniz. Following the September 1974 race at Richmond, a "mysterious" fire burned down Dick's Spartanburg shop. Dick always said he had no insurance on the shop or its contents, but the fire was always the subject of winks and innuendo. In an interview with the Spartanburg paper, Brooks stated he was considering driving for someone else at the time of the fire. Following the fire, Dick only ran two more 1974 events for himself, both WITHOUT Simoniz sponsorship. At Charlotte he raced with no sponsorship and at Rockingham with Ellington Insulation.

Perhaps, one day, the circumstances of the mysterious Spartanburg fire at Dick Brooks' shop will be revealed.

The story below appeared on September 24, 1974 in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal :

Brooks moving his cars to the shop of Crawford Clements puts a Rex White connection to the story!

In a Twilight Zone moment, the clock might spring forward to the time of Sterling Marlin's shop fire.

I was also there that day. Sitting along the back stretch high on the bank in a lawn chair. I remember Brooks driving an extra cool down lap. He later said he had to because he was crying.