Racing History Minute - July 28, 1966

The fact that you are able to enjoy this site and to explore the history of stock car racing through the pictures, stories, Forums and personal memories of fans and competitors from the past is due to the efforts and dedication of one Jeff Gilder, the constructor and maintainer of this site. The fact that Jeff dedicated so much of his time and talents to such an endeavor is due to the story of the man we will call a "Winner" for the History Minute race for today. However, you need to know that being a "winner" in a race in Maryville, Tennessee 47 years ago is NOT what makes Paul Lewis a special man. Paul is one of those people who always touches the lives of others with a positive karma. His vocabularly of kind words far exceeds that of most folks on this planet today and he is liberal with his use of those kind words, always sincere. Paul see the good in everyone and so it goes that everyone sees the good in Paul. Funny how that works, huh?

Anyway, for today, we travel to Maryville Tennessee, to a half-mile dirt track known as Smoky Mountain Raceway for a 100 mile/200 lap race where 29 cars would enter. Buddy Baker would earn his first pole position in Dodge with J.T. Putney putting his Chevrolet on the outside front row. David Pearson qaulified third in a Dodge, James Hylton in another Dodge took fourth and Elmo Langley would put his Ford in fifth. Our Paul Lewis would start 27th after missing qualifying.

Buddy Baker led the first 17 laps before David Pearson made the move to take the lead. The crowd seemed to favor Baker over Pearson and was not so happy about that move. Pearson led until lap 116 with Baker hounding him but not mounting a serious challenge. Then, on lap 117, Baker took over the role of rabbit once more. Pearson moved back in front on lap 135 and looked in his mirror to see car number 1 making a move to overtake him. What? Who? This was independant Paul Lewis, who had been running sporadically since 1960, about to pass the Silver Fox. It was, in fact, only Paul's 89th start in the premier division of NASCAR, then known as Grand National. Although Paul was talented and respected by competitors, it was not really expected that the would be in a position to challenge David Pearson for a win in a 100 mile Grand National Race. But challenged he did, and win he did by 2 seconds over Pearson. It was a popular victory for the crowd of some 6000 because Paul was, and still is, an East Tennessee boy!

Top five finishers:

1. Paul Lewis, Lewis Plymouth, winning $1,000.00

2. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $600.00

3. J. T. Putney, Putney Chevrolet, winning $400.00

4. Doug Cooper, Cooper Plymouth, winning $300.00

5. Bobby Allison, J.D. Bracken Chevrolet, winning $275.00

Sixth through tenth were James Hylton, John Sears, Blackie Watt, Henley Gray and Johnny Wynn. Buck Baker would finish 11th, Wendell Scott 12th, Neil Castles 13th, Earl Brooks 15th, Clyde Lynn 18th and J.D. McDuffie 19th. Pole winner, Buddy Baker is credited with 22nd position after crashing on lap 134 when a tie rod broke. That crash enable Pearson to retake the lead from Baker. Twenty-fourth went to Buddy Arrington, 25th to Ned Jarrett with Elmo Langley 26th and Jabe Thomas 27th. Richard Petty left the race on the 17th lap and was credited with 29th (dead last) attributing his departure to "steering problems".

Soon after I posted the first Racing History Minute on April 5, 2013, I received ane-mail from Dave Fulton asking me to be sure to include this particular race on this date. I was more than happy to do so and appreciate Dave making sure I didn't miss this special event. Although I am sure I met Paul during his racing days, as I never missed a chance to talk with any driver, any time and any where, but I especially hung out with the drivers of Plymouths and Dodges. I don't have any special memories of Paul from those days. However, since my first encounter with him at the first RacersReunion event I attended, I can never forget Paul, or his wife Linda. Such gracious and wonderful folks!!!!!! Paul and Linda attend most of the RacersReunion events and I fully expect they will be at Hillsborough on September 28th for The Celebration of the Automobile. I would urge each and every one of you reading this to spread the word that, in addition to all the other wonderful things that will happen in Hillsborough on that day, getting a chance to meet Paul and Linda will make it an even more special event. Paul was driving car number 1 when he won the race featured here today. A very accurate precusor for the man he is, NUMBER ONE.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

We are so fortunate that Jeff Gilder was inspired by Paul Lewis to start the Stock Car RacersReunion site. Do we know why Paul didn't make a qualifying run? Mechanical problem? Late getting to track?

The July 30, 1966 Spartanburg Hearald-Journal carried Associated Press coverage of Paul's Smoky Mountain win.

Our RR member, Perry Allen Wood, has the answer to my question about why Paul missed qualifying in an interview with Paul Lewis in Wood's book, DECLARATIONS OF STOCK CAR INDEPENDENTS :

Saw this line in a story this week:

"Leading up to the first track time for the trucks at Eldora, Bloomquist tested at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn."

Maybe the bloomer boy shoulda hired Paul Lewis for his Smoky Mountain truck test. Bet Paul coulda gotten him out of the wedgie mind set and taught him a thing or two about driving a heavy NASCAR vehicle into a dirt corner!

In February 1966, the Daytona Beach Morning Journal carried the Associated Press dateline Johnson City, TN news of former driver and owner, Herman "The Turtle" Beam teaming up to turn wrenches for Paul Lewis on the 1965 Plymouth purchased from Lee Petty and once driven by Jim Paschal. Paschal drove the final 3 races of the 55-race 1965 season for the Pettys, finishing 3rd at Hillsboro, 5th at Rockingham and 4th in the final race of 1965 at Moyock Dog Track.

So a car the Pettys BUILT won the race, but the car a Petty DROVE finished dead last. How 'bout that. Wonder if 43's steering problems were attributed to a pair of vice grips that just needed tightening.

tim i really admire people like you and jeff gilder and you all are really appreciated thanks for all that you men do this is the best and by far the most entertaining site on the internet i really enjoy having the privelege to enjoy these history minutes i met mr and mrs lewis last year at hillsboro two really nice people thanks again

It's July 28th - once again the anniversary of Paul Lewis' win at Maryville. As Tim referenced a year ago, the 43 of Richard Petty lasted only 17 laps and finished dead last. Perhaps the PE team's minds were elsewhere. I learned this afternoon that one of Dale Inman's daughters was born that evening. I'm still trying to learn if Dale was back in NC with his wife Mary - or in Maryville.

But Petty's dead last finish was his last one for a long while. After finishing 29th on July 28, 1966, Petty remarkably didn't finish dead last again in a GN/Cup race until he finished 28th / last in the October 12, 1975 Capital City 500 at Richmond - a streak of 9+ years. Pretty amazing.

Race report from Knoxville Journal as included in [ Paul's photo gallery ].

Wonder if pole sitter Buddy Baker's #00 carried the H00KER for Governor sponsorship?

Still on the hunt for a pic of Baker's 00.

*bump for PAUL LEWIS*

Anyone have an update on how Paul is these days?

I can't confirm, but Gary Potter and his wife told me back in February that Paul was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but I cannot say if this is true or not.

It was a pleasure to chat a bit again with Paul Lewis at the Harley Davidson event in Charlotte back in May. I was able to introduce him to a couple of buds of mine who weren't familiar with Paul's racing contributions and accomplishments.