Abandoned Tracks... Virginia & Carolinas

Since August, I have been following and posting on a thread titled FADING THUNDER - Abandoned Tracks in Virginia and the Carolinas on the JalopyJournal.com web site.

There's some real interesting stuff posted there reagarding early racing in Virginia and NC, primarily. I issued an invite for those folks to come over here and check out Stock Car RacersReunion.

If you'd like to take a look at the Abandoned Va. and Carolinas thread, just click on this link:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=618478&highlight=mooers+field

Dave, you will want to check out the Blue Ridge Folk Life exhibit that was done by Ferrum College. They have photos and info about old speedways in Virginia. I don't have the web site right now, but will try to find it again. Lots of good info and photos. Was done about three years ago I think.

Thank you, NB.. I have seen that before. Ole Paul Radford country. I believe part of that exhibit was also on display a few years back at the Virginia Museum in Richmond.

If I post this link correctly, it'll take you to a video on the site NB describes of famed Virginia racer Paul Radford describing moonshine running exploits.

http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/moonshine/videoMoonshiner.html

hmmmm... PK, I just played it from link and it worked great for me... teriffic song at end.. maybe you had a bad connection

PK, I just double checked the link and it still works great for me

PK,

you can go to this page and play the video at bottom of page:

http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/moonshine/liquor_cars_and_liquor_haulers.html

NB... I think this is the link:

http://www.vaautoracing.org/

yes to the tune....

sidenote...

My late paternal grandmother and her baby sister were born in Danville, Va. and raised in the caretaker's house of a cemetery there where her father was caretaker. She thought her oldest brother Bob Edwards, who was a newspaper columnist in Miami and Havana, Cuba was on the "Old 97." She and family walked to the wreck site. I remember her telling me there was a shipment of exotic birds on that train and that these colorful birds were flying above the smoking wreckage.

My dad was also born in Danville and lived in Columbia and Lake City, SC before moving to Richmond.

Wreck of the Old 97. My grandmother and her family may be in this photo.

Hey, as long as you found it, great! My computer is run by the hamsters and they are tired today!

Dave, thanks for the link. I went over there and saw a bunch of my own stuff.........pirated from local race chat. I know, it's the internet and once a photo is posted it's 'fair game' but still, it a'int right. I spent lots of time scouring google earth for these aerials, for somebody else to just copy it and post it on another site.....like THEY had actually found the old track.

Give 'em heck, Bopper! Credit needs to be given where it is due.

I get tickled reading my uncredited press releases from 13-32 years ago floating all around the internet. But, those were not intended to be credited to me, just generate the wanted publicity.

I try on this site when I see posted photos that I know old friends like the late Dozier Mobley took to point that out.

I'm not much on petitions (comes from having worked too many years in management positions in non-union companies), but they seem to be working these days with the publicity generated on the news from the websites, i.e. Bank of America rescinding Debit Card charges.

I have always been too blunt according to my wife and some business superiors by saying things such as, "Hey dumb---, that's mine, give me credit." I have been accused of not being a diplomat.

I have actually torn up a $7,000 check and thrown the pieces in the face of a Winston Cup car owner in the Charlotte garage when I was dissed with his extremely late payment after trying to steal my services. I only hurt myself, though. But, you should have seen the look on everybody's face in garage when I did it and they heard what I called him. It was extremely satisfying for about 15 minutes.

In 1999 I took a temporary government job (first and last) for the US Dept. of Commerce as Local Census Office Manager(LCOM) for Census 2000 for the Charlotte Region. I was was given a verbal and written reprimand for hurting the feelings of some extremely lazy U.S. Government employees by what I said to them. Sorry, but coming out of the textile and apparel industry, you didn't talk gently.

Oh, well.

As ole Harry S. Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."