Calling all sleuths... my memory has totally failed and something is bugging me that I can't remember.
You have heard me discuss here before how Ken Clapp, VP of NASCAR Western Operations would bring in Cup drivers to spice up the fields for Winston West (now K&N Pro West) Series races back in the 80s.
I did several deals with Ken, such as sponsoring Kyle Petty for 7-Eleven in a George Jefferson Ford in conjunction with his dad, Richard also driving at Kent, Washington (Seattle) in 1984. I also sponsored Tim Richmond in a George Jefferson Ford at the season ending Phoenix Winston West race in 1984. Both of those times Cup drivers Kyle Petty and Tim Richmond ran as teammates to rookie, Derrike Cope, who I was also sponsoring in Winston West for 7-Eleven driving George Jefferson Fords.
For some reason, last night I remembered that the first time I sent a Cup driver out to a Winston West race for Ken Clapp was in 1981, when I worked for Wrangler Jeans. The race was the G.I. Joe's Portland 150 on the half-mile Portland Speedway oval. Dale's Cup deal in 1981 was with Osterlund in a factory Pontiac so he had to race a Pontiac at Portland. He started 13th and finished 19th in a Wrangler sponsored car #72 Pontiac.
Earnhardt had to make a "flying" trip to Portland for the July 5th race from Daytona Beach, Florida, where he had competed the previous day - July 4th - in the Pepsi Firecracker 400.
Ironically, 22 year old Derrike Cope, who I wouldn't meet and begin sponsoring for 7-Eleven until his full Rookie campaign in 1984, was entered at Portland in an unsponsored Jefferson Racing Ford. Cope won the pole position for that 1981 race, one of a handful he ran until his full Rookie season in 1984. The late Jim Robinson won the race.
I did not attend that Winston West race, but while there Dale met the late Michelle Clapp who moved back east to Mooresville with Dale and became our first "Miss Wrangler." The relationship didn't last too long, as she and Tim Richmond had become an item by the end of the season and I had a new "Miss Wrangler" for 1982. Dale and Tim were competitive both on and off the track.
I have no photos of that 1981 Portland race and have no idea what that Wrangler Jeans Winston West car looked like. I can't even remember who owned the Pontiac #72.
Clapp usually had one of the "regular" Winston West owners / drivers furnish a second car from their stable for his visiting Cup star, so I "assume" it was owned by one of the regular 1981 Winston West Pontiac teams.
My very brief "research" shows that the #72 Pontiac appeared in one other 1981 Winston West race - the previous week on June 28 at the Laguna Seca Coca-Cola 200, where it was driven by Bobby Allison with Coors Beer sponsorship. Allison at the time was driving a factory Pontiac for Ranier Racing in Cup.
Does anybody know who owned the #72 NASCAR Winston West car driven just twice in 1981 - once by Bobby Allison and once by Dale Earnhardt?
Does anybody have a photo of either Winston West car - the Coors Beer #72 Pontiac or the Wrangler Jeans #72 Pontiac?
How many of you good RR members and visitors knew that before he drove a Miller Beer car, Bobby Allison drove a Coors Beer sponsored one? Wonder if Bill Elliott knew that?
Thanks for your help. This is really bugging me.
ps... here is a link to Associated Press coverage of the Portland race - note why Earnhardt only ran 2 laps -
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AWtEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=crIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4787,1088487&dq=gi+joe%27s+portland+150+nascar+dale+earnhardt&hl=en
I am also learning from the news archives that 20 year old Davey Allison tried to make the 1981 Laguna Seca field with his father, but totaled his car in practice. Here is the link to that story:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RlIuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7NcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1988,5637565&dq=laguna+seca+coca+cola+200+1981+bobby+allison&hl=en
To make matters even stranger, Roy Smith, who won the Laguna Seca 1981 race, showed up for the 1982 Daytona 500 in a Richard Childress owned Pontiac previously driven by Dale Earnhardt. Smith finished 10th in the 1982 Daytona 500 in the "second " Childress car. #1 Childress driver, Ricky Rudd in the #3 was 35th. Here's a story link about Smith and Richard Childress at Daytona:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jNohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tJ8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5994,1383225&dq=laguna+seca+nascar+roy+smith+1981&hl=en
Sadly, Roy Smith perished in 2004:
Smith raced in three Daytona 500s
Updated: February 27, 2004, 2:13 PM ET
Associated Press
VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Four-time NASCAR Winston West Series champion Roy Smith drowned when a commercial fishing trawler sank off northern Vancouver Island, rescue officials said.
Smith, 59, of Malahat, was a crew member of the 80-foot Hope Bay, which foundered in heavy seas early Thursday about 60 miles north of Vancouver Island in Queen Charlotte Sound. Two other members died, and one was rescued, Dennis Kimoto of the Rescue Coordination Center in Victoria said.
Smith competed in the Daytona 500 three times, and was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2002. His best finish at Daytona was 10th in 1982.
The other victims were Derek Myers, 48, of Victoria, and Dennis Webber, 44, of Errington.
Michael Slusar of Nanaimo, a Canadian Fisheries Department observer, was in good condition Thursday after being rescued and taken to Port Hardy, along with the bodies of two crew members.
The body of a third man was recovered several hours later, Kimoto said. It wasn't immediately clear when Smith's body was found.
"I know people in the trawl fleet are very upset. They were well-known and well-qualified,'' Stuart Nelson of the Deep Sea Trawlers Association said.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
