In addition to a history minute today, we will also take a look into the Richard Petty Crystal Ball of the day as what he had to say when this race was over is quite accurate.
On this date in 1971, seventeen cars showed up at the .333 mile paved track in Asheville, NC then known as New Asheville Speedway. The drivers were to race 100 miles/300 laps . Things got off to a contenious start on that day as it became known that promoter, George Ledford had paid Petty, the only factory backed driver in the field, $2,000.00 appearance money. Many of the "independent" drivers went to Ledford asking for lesser amounts for their appearance but Ledford flatly refused to pay anyone else.
Not suprisingly, Petty put his Plymouth on the pole, with Elmo Langley qualifying second. Cecil Gordon, Jabe Thomas and Bill Champion would fill out the top five qualifiers. The lead changed hands five times between Petty and Langley before Petty took the lead for good on lap 206 and finished four laps ahead of second place Langley.
Attendance for the race is listed as 4,500.00 Unknown to the paying public as they entered the gate, was the plan of some of the independents to stage a protest over the money paid to Petty and the refusal of the promoter to pay others to race. On lap one, James Hylton and Neil Castles pulled into the pits for good. Hylton was second in the points to Petty at the time. Soon after, John Sears, Bill Shirey, Frank Warren, Earl Brooks and Dick May were out of the race and the official run down gives their reason for falling out as "quit". With the normal attrition, there were only five cars left on track by lap 155 so that left little competition for the Petty factory backed Plymouth.
Top five finishers were:
1.Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Plymouth, winning $1,500.00
2. Elmo Langley, Langley Mercury, winning $900.00
3. Cecil Gordon, Gordon Mercury, winning $500.00
4. Jabe Thomas, Don Robertson Plymouth, winning $350.00
5. Bill Champion, Champion Ford, winning $325.00
Credited with sixth through seventeenth, although not on track at the end of the race, in order, were Dick May, J.D. McDuffie, Earl Brooks, Frank Warren, Bill Shirey, John Sears, Benny Parsons, Walter Ballard, Wendell Scott, Ed Negre, Neil Castles, and James Hylton.
After the race, Richard is quoted as saying "I think Grand National Racing will work itself out of short track racing into nothing but a large track circuit." Continuing, Petty said "I think for it to be what it started out to be - the very best in racing - then NASCAR is going to have to work up a circuit with 25 races or something like that". (many thanks to Greg Fielden's Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume Three, for that quote).
The end of this race is one of the few in which the winner was booed and jeered as fans felt they had been ripped off by the promoter. A week later, Mr. Ledford determine it was in his best interest not to continue promoting races at the track. He resigned.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
--
What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
