OLD ORANGE SPEEDWAY

Found this video on U tube about Orange Speedway, I cant find where its been posted on Racers Reunion,if it is I apologize and will remove it if need be. But it is such a great video to see how older cars in the 50's really put on a better show than todays cars. Watch it and you will see. I cant believe that a 57 ford with a Yblock 292 or 312 could chase down and pass a 283 chevy like they do in this race,only trouble they werent reliable---anyway watch and you will see

Also ck the flat towing with the rare chevy pickup styleside,

Awesome stuff, Johnny. So glad you found it.

Black Widow sweep of positions 1-3, with Buck Baker, Speedy Thompson and Jack Smith in their '57 Chevys!

Same today... a check of '57 Ford registrations vs. '57 Chevys would be tilted heavily in favor of the Chevy, though more '57 Fords were sold.

Everytime we attend the Historic Speedway Group reunion at Occonnechee you can still feel the spirit of these races. The clips you show of the '57 race were incorporated into the 1957 television production of "Death of a Stock Car Racer" with James Whitmore driving the Buck Baker #87.

Back last year, LaVerne Zachary made the following post under our Racing Movies Club listing:

Comment by LAVERNE ZACHARY on February 6, 2012 at 7:40pm

Death of a Stock Car Racer was a 1957 made for television movie staring

James Whitmore as Buck Larson and Vic Morrow as Tommy Linden.It was actually filmed at Occoneechee Orange Speedway but was named Soltan

Stadium in the movie.Very cool!!

LAVERNE ZACHARY

HISTORIC SPEEDWAY GROUP

As you said that place has history wrote that will never be forgotten. I only wish I could have at least visited the track one time during its active life. True it isnt dead now and memories are still abound it will only be really enjoyed by those who were there. We have members who were there and smelled the victory and dealt with the defeat it offered.

Some may not understand that feeling. Come travel with Tim Leeming to our old tracks like Darlington or Columbia in his memories of racing. Set down one time as we all relive a track or event. I filmed one at Middle Ga raceway when we were putting together the first Middle Ga Reunion when Bob Moore told of a car hitting the back straight gate and how close it came to taking a great drivers life. Here is the Video if anyone wishes to relive it with the ones that were there.

Stop and watch the setup on the fords vs the chevys, very little steering wheel is used on the chevys where the fords push bad going into the turn then go loose under power. IF and only IF you have driven on dirt back in the day can you really get into seat with these cars, it is a feeling only some can describe.

Appreciate hearing the handling observation of a dirt competitor. Very enlightening, Johnny. Thanks.

Johnny, I'm sure this has been around here before, but it is superb 8mm color film of the April 1951 Occonechee race won by Fonty Flock to the accompaniment of "Down at Occoneechee" playing in the background.

Really special stuff.

Fonty led all 95 laps of the rain shortened event!

NASCAR Grand National race number 5 of 41
April 15, 1951 at Occoneechee Speedway, Hillsboro, NC
150 laps* on a 1.000 mile dirt track (150.0 miles)

Time of race: 1:10:20
Average Speed: 80.889 mph
Pole Speed: 88.287 mph Cautions: 1 for 7 laps
Margin of Victory: 0.75 lap
Attendance: 11,247
Lead changes: 0

Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
1 1 14 Fonty Flock Red Devil (Frank Christian) '50 Oldsmobile 95 1,250 running 95
2 7 23 Frank Mundy Perry Smith '51 Studebaker 95 800 running 0
3 2 41.5 Bill Blair Bill Blair '50 Oldsmobile 600 running 0
4 3 91 Tim Flock Black Phantom (Ted Chester) '51 Oldsmobile 500 running 0
5 5 52 Neil Cole John Golabek '50 Oldsmobile 300 running 0
6 17 110 Earl Moss Police Special (J.B. Watkins) '50 Ford 200 0
7 9 92 Herb Thomas Sanford Motors (Herb Thomas) '50 Plymouth 150 0
8 13 71 Jim Paschal Sam Rice '49 Oldsmobile 125 0
9 20 42 Lee Petty Petty Special (Petty Enterprises) '49 Plymouth 100 0
10 15 55 Glenn Dunaway Glenn Dunaway '50 Plymouth 100 0
11 18 2 Ewell Weddle Ewell Weddle '50 Ford 25 0
12 22 50 Bill Joslin Bill Joslin '49 Lincoln 25 0
13 29 72 Weldon Adams Harold Mays '50 Plymouth 25 0
14 4 11 Fireball Roberts Sam Rice '50 Oldsmobile 25 wheel 0
15 31 66 Red Ryder Pappy Hough '49 Ford 25 0
16 26 144 Johnny Grubb Johnny Grubb '50 Plymouth 25 0
17 33 37 Coleman Lawrence Mitchell Motor Co. (Coleman Lawrence) '50 Ford 25 0
18 24 10 Jim Fiebelkorn Jim Fiebelkorn '49 Mercury 25 0
19 19 60 Bill Rexford Julian Buesink '50 Mercury 25 wheels 0
20 12 59 Lloyd Moore Buesink Police Special (Julian Buesink) '49 Ford 25 overheating 0
21 14 4 Joe Jernigan Lambert's Auto (Joe Jernigan) '49 Ford 25 0
22 30 19 Bill Schade Bill Schade '51 Oldsmobile 25 0
23 28 90 Shorty York Russ Loh '50 Plymouth 25 0
24 27 26 Jimmy Thompson Leland Colvin '50 Plymouth 25 0
25 10 1 Walt Sprague Police Special (J.B. Watkins) '49 Ford 25 overheating 0
26 6 62 Pepper Cunningham Pepper Cunningham '51 Hudson 25 wheel 0
27 21 41 Curtis Turner Nash Motor Co. (Nash Motor Co.) '51 Nash 25 overheating 0
28 23 45 Eddie Anderson Nash of Blue Island (Eddie Anderson) '51 Nash 25 overheating 0
29 25 15 Ben Dixon Wesley McBell '50 Lincoln 25 0
30 11 9 Frank Luptow Rocket (Joe Winter) '50 Oldsmobile 18 25 wheel 0
31 16 98 Bill Holland Southern 500 Winner (Hubert Westmoreland) '50 Plymouth 13 10 valve 0
32 8 5 Ray Erickson Ed Hastings '49 Mercury 0 20 0
33 32 79 Ray Pruitt Ray Pruitt '50 Dodge 0 10 0
* Race shortened to 95 laps due to rain.

Welcome.

Here is one from 1951 at Charlotte that will take you back to the days of Thunder-- If watching these old videos doesnt prod this bunch on then I dont know what will----They sure make me want to again B A D

And one from a dirt track in Michigan

really en joyed the great videos love the racecars from those early years keep them coming

Dave, Great stuff, thanks so much. Very impressive to see 4 of the top ten were 6 cylinder cars.Hard to compete with those Oldsmobile OHV V/8's.