Never know what you're gonna stumble upon when you're out and about.
I was looking up some info on a big 1982 $100,000 NDRA race I attended at Satch Worley's Log Cabin Raceway near Rocky Mount, Virginia won by Donnie Moran on a Martinsville weekend back when JD Stacy had his hand in everything.
Back in April 2011 our own Bobby Williamson did a segment on the 1/2-mile dirt track opened by Virginia modified driver Satch Worley on the Goat Rodeo Ghost Track Segment. I didn't hear that broadcast last year, so I was delighted today to read the following story in the Franklin (Va.) News-Post archives:
Morris talks about Log Cabin Raceway
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
By MORRIS STEPHENSON -
Holy mackerel, Maude!
There are those occasions that come along and I'm glad to be me!
A week ago Tuesday was one of them. I was cruising along on a routine paper day, as I call it. That's the day the heat's on to get the next paper out. In this case, I had turned in all my stories for last Wednesday's edition and had turned my attention to Friday's issue.
Things can change with a single telephone call. In this case, it came from Marvin Young, a longtime friend and former successful dirt track driver at Log Cabin Raceway in its hey day.
To make a long story short, he had received a telephone call from Bobby Williamson . The name rang a faint bell but as it turned out, I didn't know him. Bobby is connected with Racers Reunion , along with Jeff Gilder , who drove a NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race powered by a Kelly Denton engine when I was at Lonesome Pine International Raceway. (The name was shortened by dropping the word "international.")
Marvin's call came about 3 p.m., but a little later, I got a call from Bobby. He asked if I would do a live 15-minute interview at 8 o'clock the same night on Log Cabin Raceway. He does the Ghost Track s feature of a radio broadcast over the internet on the Racers Reunion site. So arrangements were made for him to call a little before air time and we'd check it out.
About 10 'til 8, the call came and I chatted with Bobby and Jeff, who had a gathering of some old-time stars of racing a couple of years ago at Hometown Rentals, along with the other program guests.
Morris Stephenson
Promptly at 8, Bobby did a countdown and we went live over the internet. I should have done my homework before the program, but I figured I could cover anything in 15 minutes concerning Log Cabin. I could probably do it without taking a breath -- well almost.
Then Bobby started asking questions, and I was giving him answers without a problem. As we went deeper into the program, the questions came quicker and my memory got sharper. I was naming division winners, along with those who won the big money races held on Saturday nights during the Martinsville race weekend.
LCR held its first race in October (I think) of 1981. It was more like a dress rehearsal to check out the track. Geoff Bodine even raced in that event, as his father was working there at the time.
Satch Worley got me involved in the spring of '82 as all the D.E. Worley Sr. family members prepared for the opening season. I was hired on, as many know, to take pics, send out press releases, sell and lay out the program and peddle advertising. Race fans and friends also know I lived at the cabin between Providence Church Road and the track.
Satch Worley (R) and Ray Evernham
I was fielding Bobby's questions like a pro until he got to the big one: Why did Log Cabin close after only three seasons under the direction of the Worley family and a partial season in 1985 when driver/race car builder Patrick Gann of Mayodan leased the facility?
Without hesitation and without thinking, I gave him an answer. It went something like this. "The heart of the track, Marie "Momma" Worley, died of cancer. With her went part of our hearts. It was like taking wind from the sails of ship." At one point when I was talking, my voice broke and tears welled in my eyes. I took a deep breath and fought back my emotions so could continue talking.
That's Satch Worley ( not Jim Wilmore ) when he drove NASCAR modifieds for Mason Day
During the racing seasons, when Friday arrived, "Momma" Worley had everything in place for the race. D.E. "Poppa" Worley made sure everything was going as it should. Satch was the promoter. His younger brother and the construction guys watered and prepared the track for racing on Thursday nights.
The five Worley daughters, Judy, Fay, Rena, Betty and Linda, each had their own job to do and they did it well. For example, one sold tickets at the infield tunnel gate, one at the main gate, one was in charge of the infield concession stand and usually the other two were in or near the main concession stand or in the VIP tower as we called it.
Log Cabin Raceway in its 1980s heyday
"Momma" Worley made sure everything was ordered and there was enough food for the concession stands. Once in a while, she'd pitch in and make something special for the big event. Of course, that would sell out in a hurry, whatever it was.
Usually she was the one who handled everyone's problems and made the decisions. The Worley men made the track decisions. Cut and dried, plain and simple, it was a family operation. Even while she was battling the disease, "Momma" Worley was in control.
The guys handling the program on the other end of the phone understood exactly what I was saying. In fact, they cited some examples, like Junior and Flossie, along with others.
My father once said, "Behind every good man is a good woman," and in my opinion, that is so true.
So maybe one day, Satch and I can get together and do a book with a lot of photos about Log Cabin Raceway. I've even been thinking about a title like "Mythical Log Cabin Raceway" and a subtitle of "The True Story" or even "Never Before Told Story of...".
Who knows what may happen. That of course depends on Satch and if he can find the old track records and action negatives. I've still got the programs.
Thanks for everything!-- Friday, like April Fool's Day, was my birthday. The newspaper started off by surprising me with lunch for the staff.
Everyone was here, including Joe Canada, an attorney friend of a couple of years who has moved from Virginia Beach to his grandparents' old homeplace in Union Hall. He came in to visit and I talked him into eating with us since we had plenty.
About mid-afternoon, I dropped in at Hema's, and Abe and brother "Do" had decorated the place with balloons and streamers. Was that a surprise!
But the big surprise was when my Egyptian bros, joined by the waitresses, came out of the kitchen whistling, clapping their hands and bringing in an ice cream pie.
Of course when in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do. So I was coached onto a table with my head among the balloons doing my interpretation of an Egyptian dance as they sang happy birthday in their language, while clapping their hands and whistling.
With a super sharp knife, I cut the frozen cake and gave five or six youngsters in the restaurant a slice. Everyone got some cake and Peggy, Hazel's #4 daughter, came in just in time to take pictures for the record. So I decided to share a couple.
Also thanks to Elmer and Brenda Arrington who flagged me down the other day at Golden Eagle Vault Service. I shared with a great old-fashioned bowl of pinto beans, corn bread, onion, pickle relish and a drink. And we ate right there in the showroom and watched the traffic go by on Route 40 West.
My thanks to everyone. It was all fun and will be remembered for a long time!
Moonshine dinner update -- Lane Rakes and wife, Sue, of the Shootin' Creek area have been added to the program, along with Chubby Arrington. Watch for more additions next week.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/11/19 10:29:52AM
