Open Participation/Everybody Post: Who Finished Last in the 1st Cup/GN/Strictlly Stock Race You Attended or Watched?

If you're like me, you probably have a vivid memory of who won the first Cup/GN/Strictly Stock race you attended (or for you youngsters, maybe watched on TV). But, if you're also like me, you probably don't have a clue who finished last in that first race you watched, unless the driver might have exited the event in spectacular fashion. With all of the results to all the Cup races now available on-line, I thought it would be interesting for everybody to post who finished last in the first Cup race you saw and see what kind of a lineup we might come up with. My guess is that we'll have a prettyinteresting field after eveybody posts, so here goes mine.

1964 Richmond 250 - Richmond, VA

There was a real battle to see who could claim the last position in this event on the 1/2-mile dirt won by David Pearson in Cotton Owens' Dodge.

Credited with 27th and final position and earning $125, but not starting and credited with 0 laps completed was Bob Cooper of Gastonia, NC in his own 1962 Pontiac #61.

Credited with 26th and next to last was Fayetteville, NC's Bunkie Blackburn who crashed his #71 Roscoe Sanders 1963 Plymouth before the first lap was completed and was also credited wih 0 laps completed.

The first car to drop out after actually finishing a lap was Neil Castles of Charlotte, whose Buck Baker owned #86 1962 Chrysler was posted in 25th place, leaving the event after 1 lap with a broken connecting rod.

So my bottom 3 finishers in my first Cup race are:

Bob Cooper

Bunkie Blackburn

Neil Castles

My 1st GN/Cup race to attend was the 1978 Music City 420 at Nashville. The hated Cale Yarborough led every stinkin' lap. My treasured but bulky 43 Dodge Magnum gave a valiant effort but finished 3rd.

But the bottom feeders were:

30th - Jimmy Means - the 1974 Nashville LMS champ lasted only 12 laps

29th - Richard Waters - [insert own joke here] - Waters managed to last 1 more lap than Smut Means in his only career start

28th - Gary Myers - a veteran of 46 starts, he made it 128 laps before his Spencer's Baby Wear Chevy exited.

Dave, that would have to be Bill Champion in his own 68 Ford at the ''Rock'' in 1970...He crashed out after 3 laps.The first cup caution I ever witnessed...John searsfinished right ahead Bill... Fayetteville, N.C. S' Bunkie Blackburn did not fare any better in this race than he did in your first race... He finished just 3 positions ahead of Champion in a Tiger Tom Pistone car.

It being my first event at this level , I was estatic that the King won...In the Superbird no less.

Dave, my first Grand National race was the Motor State 500 at Michigan. June 15, 1969.

34th...Frank Warren

35th...Bill Champion

36th...Elmo Langley

37th...Richard Brickhouse

Last...Wayne Gillette

How about Jim Whitman of Paramus, NJ, making one of his five career starts, all that year. Whenever I hear Paramus, NJ, I expect Chris Schenkel to start whispering on Wide World of Sports about an 8-10 split on one of the Paramus Lanes!

Sorry for doubling up after PK.

I keep seeing Bunkie Blackburn appear which reminds me of a slightly humorous story about a race involving Bunkie...In the mid to late 60's Hoss Ellington purchased A 64 Grand National (as it was called way backyonder) Galaxie from Elmo Langley...

His first foray into Big time stock car racing took place at Daytona , of course...Being straight from a 60 Ford Starliner dirt Eastern Late Model to the G.N. Galaxy at Daytona's paved high banks was definitely something different..So different in fact that with 5 laps or so to go in the Permatex 300 (sportsman) race he found himself in front....To make this part of the story short he finished 2nd. to Bunkie Blackburn.

Now to the humorous part, after listening to to that race on the radio that day as a young boy, I could not believe that my local hero (Hoss) had run that good..I still remember the excitement..To say ecstatic would be the least you could say...

Anyway, fast forward to the mid 80's , Aka Tiki Lounge, Daytona Speedweeks...Sitting in the lounge after a few too many drinks and way too many renditions by Hoss of Eddie Rabbitt's ''I lovea rainy night , I asked him about that race and told him how happy I was at that time and he replied with, "" I could have won that race but I had neverbeen in frontand wasn't too sure aboutwhat to doso I let him around and followed him...True story, You gotta know Hoss.

I can't say for sure if was the 1st GN race because we went to short tracks every week so I might just not remember but I know for sure the 1st big track race was:

National 500 at Charlotte in 1966. The only thing I remember about the race is how big the track seemed and Curtis Turner in Smokey's black and gold #13 Chevelle and how that car sounded different than all of the others. Told dad it sounded like a bumble bee. Also remember he blew an engine. Had to look up the fact that LeeRoy Yarbrough won in a Thorne Dodge leading 301 of the 334 laps followed by Darel Dieringer 2nd, Paul Goldsmith 3rd, Gordon Johncock 4th and Earl Balmer 5th.

42nd was Dick Hutcherson followed by A.J. Foyt in 43rd and Buddy Arrington in 44th after starting 23rd but only running 7 laps before engine failure.

P.S. Remember the infield being a rock hole.

I was almost 6 years old when I watched my first race of any kind which was the 1958 Grand National Race at the Salisbury Super Speedway in Salisbury, NC. It was also the only GN race ever run there. There was also a convertible race run there in 58 that was won by Bob Welborn. It was a .625 mile dirt oval.

The Grand National Race was 160 laps. Lee Petty won and received $800. R L Combs ran 12 laps to finish last in 30th position. They only paid to the 24 finishing position and that was $50.

Of course all I remember is seeing the cars going around the track and the dust flying. (Thank goodness for Google LOL)

My grandfather took us and could not afford the tickets so we sat on the railroad tracks across Hwy. 29 from the track and watched the race.

My first race might actually be one that Dave was at...the 1981 Firecracker 400.

Last place was Rick Wilson, who went 8 laps before the engine let go. I'll admit- I had to research that one...I was all of 5 years old at the time so I don't remember much about the race, but I seem to remember the big one that happened, which involved Darrell Waltrip, Benny Parsons, Ricky Rudd, Dale Sr., and Bill Elliott.

NASCAR Grand National race number 9 of 62
Tuesday, March 10, 1964 at Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds, Richmond, VA
250 laps on a .500 mile dirt track (125.0 miles)

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1964_Richmond_250/W

Dave, You certainly bring back good old racing memories.

I think you and your parents was setting next to me and my parents during this race!!
As 11 year old what I remember about this race was what happen a couple days before the 1964 Richmond 250 race.
Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds race track owner Paul Sawyer and NASCAR must have asked the well known race drivers to have an autograph day for the race fans on (Saturday, March 7, 1964?), at the Richmond area car dealerships.
At least (7) race drivers showed up and met the race fans and signed their autographs at different Richmond area car dealerships:
The race drivers didn't have to be given out race post cards to be used to signed their autographs on.

Does Anyone know when the race drivers started to furnished free autograph race post cards?

My father had (3) 1964 Richmond 250 race tickets (On front of 1964 Richmond 250 race tickets was photo 1963 Richmond 250 winner Joe Weatherly and ticket information), on one of the tickets blank back was signed by all (7) race drivers. I'm looking for this and hoping to find it in my racing junk pile.
My mother had an autographs book that all (7) race drivers signed for me. shown autographs below:

Photos #0 - Photos #7.
The (7) race drivers autographs is:
#0 My Mother's Autographs Book*
#1. Junior Johnson#3 Chev. Emrick Chevy Dealership?
#2. Richard Petty #43 Plymouth Richmond Chryster Plymouth Dealership?
#3. David Pearson #6 Dodge Southside Dodge Dealership
#4. Jim Paschal #5 Dodge Southside Dodge Dealership
#5. Tiny Lund #32Ford Dick Strauss Ford Dealership?
#6. Ned Jarrett#11 Ford Dick Strauss Ford Dealership?
#7. Billy Wade #1Mercury "" Mercury Dealership?

Do anyone have any photo of 1964 Richmond 250 race tickets?

(On front of 1964 Richmond 250 race tickets was photo 1963 Richmond 250 winner Joe Weatherly and ticket information)?
The 1964 Richmond 250 race date was Tuesday, March 10, 1964?
Rain delayed race from Sunday, March 8, 1964?
Did they finished this race after dark and it's "State Fair" lights was used?
At this time, Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds race track had "State Fair" lights that was used only during the "Virginia State Fair" like tractor pulls, Non-NASCAR races, and Dare Devil Thrilled Shows.
I believed Paul Sawyer would had to have "NASCAR" and "Virginia State Fair" permission to run after dark?
This race track start and finished regular NASCAR races during the day.

No regular NASCAR night races until after new Richmond International Raceway was built and during the 1990's?

Thank you very for any information given.

Billy,

I'm not sure anyone's gonna top seeing the first race they remember from their dad's funeral home ambulance. Classic. Thanks for sharing. Great memories!

That's some good stuff Billy. NASCAR only ran 1 GN race at Golden Gate - and that's pretty cool to read you were there. Floridastockcars.com has some pretty neat photos from that race and others from the track. Click the links below to view them:

Richard Petty passing brother Maurice

Dieringer - Weatherly - M. Petty - Stan Parker

Rex White and Larry Thomas

Buzzie Reutimann in early 60s (but not the GN race)

Buzzie in 1963