Hey, Will Cronkrite... Who's the Guy with Janet Guthrie & Ralph Moody at Dover in September 1976?

I believe I am seeing our RR member, Will Cronkrite in action at Dover in 1976 with the Janet Guthrie entry.

The guy with the perfectly sculpted facial hair (even during pit stops) is you isn't it , Will?

With Ralph Moody & Janet. I believe I spot David Ifft in the crew shots, also?

Might even be The Legend in the 10-gallon hat standing on the motor home in the infield!

And the tall, lean guy at the back of the pits in the blue denim sporty car pre-Dick Berggren cap is the late Gene Granger of Spartanburg, SC - motorsports writer extraordinaire and an old friend - R.I.P., Gene.

And yes, newcomers, before there was concrete there was asphalt at Dover and it was named Dover Downs 'cause the ponies raced there, too.

A pretty good little film here:

Hey, Dave,

It does look a little like me, but I believe it is my much younger and better looking thin brother, LOL

A 45 second pit stop? Definately not me.

Gene Grainger was a very nice man. He was always nice to me and wrote correct coverage.

Yeah, every once and awhile I see a thin guy who looks like me, too!

Hope you enjoyed that. Can 35 years have possibly slipped by that quickly?

It doesn't seem right does it Dave. In my brain, it was last week, but that lying guy in the mirror each morning shows me it was that long ago.

It was nice of you to post that video.

I don't remember thing happening just as that photographer said. My prominant memory of Janet at that race was the motor blew up.Ralph and I determined thatshe was unhappy over how the car was running for some reason,I think we were having issues with the connecting link on the sway bar,and pushed in the clutchwhen shepeeled off turn four, and 'lunched' the motor.

I thought that she was quite a spoiled person, often offering her opinion as to what was wrong with the race car, regardless of what Ralph Moody thought, then providing a small tantrum, often making us wait to get the car back out on the track.

As 'smooth' and professional as she sounded in that video, she could be quite 'uncouth' during the race. At a race in Ontario, Cal. she was so vulgar on the radios about some of the other drivers,that James Garner, who was listening in our pits, took off his headset and just rolled his eyes at us and sat down on some tires.

Reckon she taught Darrel that move to use at the first Winston?

Since it is fall Dover weekend, here's a little reprise from 38 years ago at a pre-monster, pre-concrete Dover Downs (pre-International Speedway, too) in September of 1976, featuring our RR member, Will Cronkrite and a pre-Danica Janet Guthrie. Though green, the Ralph Moody assisted Kelly Girl ride didn't put your eyes out like the GoGirl green entry.

Hard to believe, but the GoGirl wouldn't even be born until 6 1/2 years after the footage above. Races at Dover were also 500 miles, not 400. The race distance didn't bother tough guy winner Cale Yarborough (sometimes called "NoNeck" by other competitors) in Junior Johnson's #11 Holly Farms Chevy.