April 14, 1963 - RP wins in South Boston

The man from North Carolina wins in South Boston.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-14-this-day-in-petty-history.html

The write-up/newspaper clip from your blog link opens a flow of memories for me.

Memory #1 is how much we loved Pontiac driving Worth McMillion ( who gave his car to Championship points chasing Joe Weatherly at South Boston ) around the Richmond area. The great tag line on Worth was that he was employed by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board as a "revenooer" who during the week chased some of the guys he drove against on the weekends. There are some great photos of his and Al's #80 and #83 independent Pontiac cars on this site.

Memory #2 is how you can't always believe what you read, especially if it was distributed by RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. and its Winston brand. Case in point is the third finishing car at South Boston of Ned Jarrett. When I compiled the very first Richmond media guide in 1990 and interviewed Ned Jarrett, it came to my attention that he had won a Richmond race in 1963 driving for Charles Robinson, not for Bondy-Long, as the Winston Media guide with its then Len Thatcher provided stats suggested.

I got in a heated argument with RJR's sports marketing media folks over this. In truth, Ned won 8 times in 1963 in his number 11 Ford owned by Charles Robinson and sponsored by Burton-Robinson Construction of Manassas, Virginia. In 1964, Robinson changed car make, driver and car number. Jimmy Pardue was the new driver and he'd be killed testing his red Plymouth #54 at Charlotte in September 1964. Burton-Robinson never owned/sponsored a car again after 1963-1964. A big loss to Grand National racing.

Memory #3 The newspaper clip is from the morning Richmond Times-Dispatch ( we also had the afternoon Richmond News Leader ) and the author is Jerry Lindquist , a native New Yorker who was a pioneer motorsports journalist beginning in 1959 at Richmond. The late Harold Pearson, multi-time president of the National Motorsports Press Association followed Jerry at the Richmond morning paper. Jerry was a heck of a sports writer, covering Roller Derby, Darlington, and Richmond Virginians AAA baseball equally well. Nine years ago, Jerry was inducted as one of the few Media Members of The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame . I'd like to share his induction bio from the Hall of Fame:

The Class of 2003 - VIRGINIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Jerry Lindquist

In the writing world, there is quantitythe number of stories a writer can produce every year, and there is qualitythe certain degree of excellence in those stories. In modern journalism, it is rare to find a writer who can provide both quantity and quality without compromising one for the other. The Richmond Times-Dispatch was fortunate to gain one of those said writers when Jerry Lindquist, a New York City native and Washington & Lee graduate, joined its staff in 1959. Just two weeks out of college and with only a little experience from a weekly newspaper in Red Bank, NJ, Lindquist would prove himself to be one of the Times-Dispatchs most prolific writers. Over the years, he has won numerous Virginia Press Association writing awards.

Covering everything from the ACC to hockey to youth swimming, Lindquist was ambitious and always strove to do more for the newspaper. After seeing his first NASCAR race at the half-mile dirt Fairgrounds in Richmond in September 1959, he started the auto-racing beat at the Times-Dispatch, which he covered until 1969 before taking on the Richmond Braves and the old Southern Conference. A few years later, hockey was added to the roster of Richmond sports with the opening of the Coliseum in 1971. Lindquist asked to take over the hockey beat at the newspaper and covered the AHL Richmond Robins for the five years of their existence. He was named AHL Hockey Writer of the Year one season.

With the dissolution of the Robins, Lindquist went on to cover the University of Richmond, William & Mary, and other state schools prior to taking on the Virginia/ACC beat in 1984. His coverage of the Virginia Cavaliers spanned 17 years before he returned to his love of hockey and began covering the Richmond Renegades in 2000. Additionally, Lindquist covered the Richmond Kickers soccer team, horse racing, and arena football.

Lindquist continues to write for the Times-Dispatch, averaging more than 400 by-line stories a year for the past 20 years. Showing his versatility, he has also been the Radio/TV columnist since 1978, one year before the inception of ESPN.

And THAT sports fans is why I've enjoyed posting these things. I'm a Petty first and foremost. But getting these anecdotes about other storylines surrounding a Petty win has been tremendous. Thanks Dave.

One more thing....

Just noted in the Jerry Lindquist story, that Junior Johnson was entered, but didn't show for the South Boston race. He was still in California being fitted for his Indy 500 car! I never knew until I read the piece you posted that Junior ever tried to race at Indy. A real revelation to me.

Thanks for posting all these great pieces containing the actual news clips. It's like getting day by day history lessons on NASCAR.

Here's a link to a clip of the restored car Junior skipped South Boston for:

The Worth McMillion Pontiac in 1963 at Occoneechee as posted by John McMillion;

Ned Jarrett with the #11 Charles Robinson 1963 Burton & Robinson Construction Ford that won 8 Grand National races:

Turns out that the widow of Charles Robinson, founder of Burton & Robinson Construction in Virginia who fielded cars for Ned Jarrett and Jimmy Pardue now lives just up the road from Charlotte in Cornelius, NC - Lake Norman area. After reading her very impressive lineage, I have no doubt NASCAR would never again allow her or her family to own a car in the Series. Way too many Confederate connections. Sounds like she, Bubba Watson and Denny Hamlin ought to get together.

Check this out:

Mrs. Charles Corbett Robinson
(Nancy Dianne Alley)

Nancy Dianne Alley Robinson, a native of North Carolina lives in Cornelius, North Carolina after having lived in Virginia for 25 years. She is the daughter of Robert Moore Alley and Florence Lucinda Isenhour. She is the widow of Charles Corbett Robinson, and has one son, John Luther Boyter, III married to Melissa Knight Boyter, one adopted grandson, Edward Lee Boyter and one grandchild, Katherine Dianne Boyter. She attended Western Carolina University and is currently a business woman, a mother, grandmother and Domestic Engineer" (as fondly called by her husband). Mrs. Robinson and her husband were owners of Burton and Robinson, Inc., a concrete construction firm founded by her husband.

Memberships
* Order of the Crown in America
* National Society Americans of Royal Descent
* Order of the Merovingian Dynasty (Founder of the Scholarship, Secretary
General)
* Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America
* Colonial Dames of America
* Ancient Heraldic and Chivalric Order of Albion (Treasurer; Dame of Albion
of the Conversion of the Twenty-Three Kings)
* National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (Regent,
Secretary, Treasurer)
* National Society United States Daughters of 1812 (VA State Treasurer,
Chapter Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer
* United Daughters of the Confederacy (Chapter President, VA State
Secretary)
* Society of Daughters of Holland Dames
* National Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century
* Baronial Order of Magna Charta
* Plantagenet Society
* Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry
* Scotch-Irish Society of the United States of America
* Order of Descendants of Colonial Cavaliers
* National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims (VA State 1st
Governor General, VA State Treasurer)
* National Society Magna Charta Dames
* National Society Colonial Dames of the XVII Century (National
Headquarters Supervisor, Chapter President, Secretary)
* National Society Daughters of American Colonists (DC Secretary)
* National Society Dames of the Court of Honor
* Society of the Descendants of Knights of the Garter (Descendant
Member)
* National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars
* Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy
* Military Order of the Crusades
* Jamestowne Society
* National Huguenot Society
* Dutch Colonial Society
* National Society Southern Dames of America (VA State Treasurer)
* Flagon and Trencher, Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers
* Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars (VA State Treasurer)
* Point Lookout Prisoner of War Organization
* Descendants of the Knights of the Bath
* Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar
(Secretary National)
* Presidential Families of America (Treasurer National)
* Hereditary Order of the Families of Presidents and First Ladies of America
* Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesman 1607-1783 (Treasurer General)
* American Descendants of the House of Burgesses 1619-1699 (Founder,
Treasurer General)
* National Society of Saints and Sinners
* Descendants of Sheriffs and Constables of Colonial and Antebellum
America

Chivalric Orders
* The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
(bestowed by Elizabeth II, Queen of England)

Other Notes
Mrs. Robinson is an avid Genealogist with twenty-eight proven Confederate Ancestors, eighteen DAR Patriots, three Jamestown lines, and fifteen Colonial Dames lines. She is a Life Member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority and a member of Vienna Presbyterian Church. She does cross stitch, reads and loves traveling, collects antiques and has an extensive and reputable collection of Ren Lalique glass (over 600 pieces). A lover of football, she is an avid fan of the Washington Redskins.

Mrs. Robinson has been a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Childrens Charities of Greater Washington D.C. for twenty years. Additionally, Mrs. Robinson served as Chairman of Rally Round the Redskins auction for five years, raising over $750,000.00 for the charity. She served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2002-2007 and has been a member of the Board since 1989. She is still an active participant in raising money for the Houses and the families.

Mrs. Robinson received the Judah P. Benjamin Award from United Daughters of the Confederacy for civic work with Ronald McDonald House. She also received the Winnie Davis Award from United Daughters of Confederacy for work preserving the Virginia Division Minutes.

I sent the link to my blog - edited with the info & video link noted by Dave Fulton - to Russ Thompson. I think Russ has forgotten more about racing trivia than I'll ever know. He is the "unofficial historian" of Nashville fairgrounds speedway & he provides data/stats services to NBC for their Indy car coverage. I was hoping to pass along Dave's comment about Junior Johnson as a new trivia item. Instead, he replies with a photo of Junior Johnson behind the wheel of that roadster. So, TMC one-upping RT: 0, RR getting a cool photo: 1.

Wonder if Junior could do a bootleg turn in that car?!

Thanks for the find and sharing.

Photo of Ned Jarrett starting from the pole in the April 14, 1963 South Boston 400 driving the Burton & Robinson #11 Ford with winner Richard Petty on the outside - note the treaded tires:

Racing One/ISC/Getty Images

Papa Lee was giving eventual 1963 South Boston 400 winner, Richard Petty driving instructions during a pit stop:

Racing One/ISC/Getty Images

#73 JUNIOR JOHNSON KURTIS 500L INDY RACE CAR 1963 DNQ

PHOTO #01.

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PHOTO #03. & PHOTO #04 JUNIOR JOHNSON KURTIS 500 INDY RACE CAR ARTICLE
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Indianapolis 500

USAC Indy Car race
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN
May 30, 1963
200 laps on 2.5 mile paved oval; 500 miles

Junior Johnson #73
INDY CAR OWNER John Chalik
1963 Kurtis 500L126/Offenhauser did not qualify

http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=6265
PHOTO #05. The last (RESTORED) Kurtis Indy roadster, 1963; scheduled to be driven by Junior Johnson
Photographer Kenneth Plotkin

http://www.motorsport.com/general/photo/main-gallery/the-last-kurtis-indy-roadster-1963-scheduled-to-be-driven-by-junior-1

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1963 Kurtis KK500L news, pictures, specifications, and information

This 1963 Kurtis Kraft 500L Chalik American Rubber Roadster is a unique design and the last of the 106 Indianapolis cars built by Frank Kurtis. The unusual features were a combination roll bar cage, rack-and-pinion steering, a full four-wheel independent suspension, and a distributor ignition rather than the normal magneto meant that Robert Glenn 'Junior' Johnson (of NASCAR fame) was not able to get the car up to qualifying speed for the 1963 Indianapolis 500. Although it was one of the best handling cars that year, its Offenhauser 252 engine was around 75 horsepower down in power due to the missing magneto.
Frank Kurtis infatuations with automobiles began at an early age. His father owned a blacksmith shop located in Pueblo, Colorado that repaired automobiles and horse-and-buggy. The family later moved to Los Angeles, CA where Frank got a job working with Don Lee Cadillac, after lying about his age. By the 1930's, Frank was designing, building, and repairing racers in his four car garage located behind his house.

In 1941 he had created a car to be entered in the Indianapolis race which was driven by Sam Hanks. Near the mid-1940's, he had created two other racers designed for Indy. The first was for Ross page and the second was the Novi Special. The Novi V8 Specials were racing cars designed to compete at Indianapolis from 1941 through 1965. These were very fast and powerful machines that had a reputation for their handling, which had claimed the lives of two drivers.

During the 1940's, Kurtis fostered a reputation for his midget and Indy racers. In 1946, the Kurtis Miller Ross Page Special had been created and was ready to compete in the first Indy 500 after World War II. The rear faring was constructed of Plexiglas and powered by a 183 cubic-inch Offenhauser engine. It competed in the 1946-1948 Indianapolis 500 races.

By 1947 he had created the Kurtis-Kraft Special, his personal entrant in the 1948 Indy race. This one-off was built specifically to Frank Kurtis's specification and desire. During the 1948 season, it carried Frank to a 9th place finish at Indy and 12th in points. For the 1949 season, under the name of Wynn's Oil Special, it was driven by Johnny Parson and wearing the number 1 on its side, to a first overall finish at Indianapolis. The vehicle was later sold to Jim Robbins who drove it in the 1951 Indianapolis race where he finished with an impressive 2nd overall.

During the early 1950's, Kurtis continued to built Indianapolis and midget racers. He even began building sports cars which later evolved into the Muntz Road Jet. By 1952, the majority of cars entered in the Indianapolis race were designed and built by Kurtis Kraft.

In 1952, Herb Porter and Frank Kurtis built the Wolcott Special, also known as the Kurtis 500A. It ran at Indianapolis in 1952, driven by Joie James, where it set records and lap times of 140 mph.

The 500 S was constructed in 1953 where it quickly proved its potential at sporting events around the country. The 500 S was quickly followed by the 500 M. There were six 500 X cars produced during the mid-1950's. The cars featured a four-bar torsion suspension, hand-formed aluminum panels, and a 364 cubic-inch Buick nailhead engine with Hilborn fuel injection.

In 1956, Frank left the Kurtis-Kraft Company and his business partners to begin his new company called Frank Kurtis Company. The company continued to build midget roadsters, go-karts, and sports cars. Since then, the company has shifted their focus to designing airplanes. Contracts with Lockheed Corporation lead to the construction of Start Carts for the SR-71 Blackbird.

In 1968 Frank retired from the company leaving his son Arlen in charge.

During Frank Kurtis's illustrious career, he created vehicles that dominated the midget racing series, racers that filled the grid at Indianapolis, and sports cars that were street legal Indianapolis racer variants. His custom creations, such as his 1941 Buick was sensational which ultimately led to the Muntz Jet automobiles.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2011

http://www.conceptcarz.com/z19640/Kurtis-KK500L.aspx
These are standard specifications - not necessarily specifications for the vehicle(s) in the photo(s).
1963 Kurtis KK500L Specifications
Engine Location Front
Drive Type Rear Wheel
Torque tube
Body / Chassis Aluminum body on tubular steel frame
Weight 1750 lbs | 793.787 kg

FOLLOWING PHOTOS FROM 1963 Kurtis KK500L Image
1963 Kurtis KK500L information Event : Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Image credit: Conceptcarz.com

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Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

I was mistaken in my Memory #2 above.

With the recent addition of Buddy Burton as a RR member, it has come to my attention that following the death of Jimmy Pardue in September 1964 at Charlotte, Burton & Robinson did, in fact again sponsor race cars, including in the 1970s NASCAR Late Model Sportsman rides driven by Danny Collins, Lennie Pond and Bill Dennis at Old Dominion, Franklin County, Southside, South Boston and Beltsville. Member, Woody Delbridge has several photos posted here of Lennie's B&R car.