You may have seen in today's sports section or news that former pro football player turned actor, Bubba Smith passed away. Bubba was a big, big guy, listed at 6'-7" and 283 lbs in his college playing days. He earned some acting fame in the Police Academy movies, but we met him at Talladega (1982/1983?) when they were filming that awful Hal Needham/Burt Reynolds film, "Stroker Ace." Hal, of course, was listed as car owner for the Harry Gant #33 car sponsored by U.S. Tobacco's Skoal brand. U.S. Tobacco had no hospitality suite at Talladega (home of the Winston 500) but we had a beautiful freestanding Wrangler suite that we'd built past the start finish line, right across from the end of pit road before you got to turn 1, with an unexcelled view of the entire track. Johnny Hayes asked if Hal could use it to film scenes and to host some of the stars. We didn't think our guests would have any problem with Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson being around our suite and we said ok. In the movie, all the hospitality suite scenes you see with Ned Beatty, Loni Anderson, etc. are from our Talladega Wrangler suite. The suite had a beautiful horseshoe shaped bar, where my wife wasseated during the actual race, along side John and Eddie Rhodes of the famous Rhodes Brothers Review of Daytona and Miami that used to play for all the Wrangler and Winston media parties. In fact, John's son became the media liason for Dale Earnhardt for many years and Eddie's son ran the CITGO racing program. Anyway, while my wife, Joyce was visiting the powder room, they brought Bubba Smith, who was playing a chauffeur in the movie, to our suite and he sat down in Joyce's seat at the bar. He was one huge man. When Joyce came back out, she found me to tell me someone had taken her seat. Well, John and Eddie Rhodes were rolling in the aisle, snickering. My personal assessment was that anybody that big couild have any seat they wanted. I told Joyce there was no way I was asking that man to move. We all laughed about it later, but my wife was serious about wanting her seat back at the time. For our assistance, we were later invited to the movie's world opening at Oven's Auditorium in Charlotteand put up at the Radisson Hotel and chauffeured to the auditorium in a Limo. Skoal had the Charlie Daniels band there playing and Burt, Loni, Ned, Jim Nabors and Bubba all attended. It was a fun evening and has been a standing joke in our family for over a quarter century anytime a seat is taken by another person. I am saddened for Bubba's family and acquaintances at his passing and feel like I have lost another link to a funny racing memory.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
