Racing History Minute - August 1, 1959

Well, let's see here. Connection of this Minute to RacersReunion (far afield though it may be).

1. RacersReunion Headquarters are in Mytle Beach, SC where today's Minute takes place.

2. Ned Jarrett is a member of the RacersReunion Hall of Fame located in Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville, NC.

3. Rambi Raceway still exists in a different unfiguration and under another name (Myrtle Beach Speedway).

Further, perhaps I should entitle this Minute as "Part One of Ned Jarrett's Grand National Career".

Twenty-seven entries qualified for starting positions for this Saturday race on the half-mile dirt track. Bob Welborn put his 1959 Chevrolet on the pole with Lee Petty in a Plymouth in second. Third was Joe Weatherly and fourth was Earl Moss. John Dodd, Sr. would start fifth. Starting ninth was Ned Jarrett who was guilty of writing a "bad check" otherwise known as writing a check without funds in the bank to cover it. You see, Ned, a Late Model Sportsman champion had been trying to get a ride in the top tier series of NASCARs with no success. He found a 1957 Ford for sale for $2,000.00 and wrote a check for that amount AFTER the banks closed on Friday. Ned's rationale was that there were two races over the weekend, each paying a good purse (by those days standards) to win, so he was going to win both of them and have the prize money in the bank first thing Monday morning so the check would clear. What could have been one of the most foolish moves to ever start a career in racing turned out to be a wonderful thing for race fans as Ned would go one to win two championships and tons of fans. But, for now, back to the race for this Minute.

Bob Welborn had qualified at 66.47 mph which, on the Rambi Raceway track was, as my granddaughter in New Hampshire would say, is"wicked fast". Although my reference resourse does not list lap-by-lap leaders, it is a safe bet to believe Welborn maintained the lead for the five laps he was in the race. He parked it on lap 5 with what is listed as "fuel tank" problems. Not sure what happened there unless the tank fell off.

Larry Flynn crashed on lap 42 bringing out the caution as Ned worked his way towards the front. On lap 171, Cotton Owens crashed and was out. At this point,, Ned had worked his way into the lead and when the green flag flew again, he had only 27 laps to keep Jim Paschal behind him so he could win the $800.00 first place money. Ned watched his mirror as Paschal was right there! Trying on the inside, then outside, determined to his Chevrolet in front of the Ford Jarrett was driving. On the final lap, running second to Jarrett, the wheel bearing on Paschals car "burned out" and that left Jarrett to cruise to one lap win. He was on his way to the money needed to cover that check, but still $1,200.00 short. But, the division was racing in Charlotte the next day and the $800.00 from that race would put Ned within range of making the check good. But, there were problems! As Ned was celebrating his victory at Rambi Raceway, he was facing a problem which would hamper him in the Charlotte Race. But we'll cover that in tomorrow's Minute.

Top five finishers were:

1. Ned Jarrett, Jarrett Ford, winning $800.00

2. Jim Paschal, Paschal Chevrolet, winning $525.00

3. Tommy Irwin, Irwin Ford, winning $350.00

4. Glen Wood, Wood Brothers Ford, winning $250.00

5. Joe Weatherly, Delta Auto Sales T-Bird, winning $225.00

Sixth through tenth were Lee Petty, John Dodd, Sr., Roy Tyner, Earl Moss and Harlan Richardson. Buddy Baker finished 11th, G. C.Spencer 12th, Neil Castles 13th with Cotton Owens 19th and Buck Baker 20th. Curtis Crider finished 21st, Speedy Thompson 22nd, Fred Harb 25th, Bob Welborn 26th, and the 27th and final positon went to Richard Petty who went out on lap 4 with a failed ball joint on his 1957 Oldsmobile.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see Ned Jarrett try to overcome the problem from this Rambi race to try and win at Charlotte with the hopes of making his "bad" check a good check.

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

Oh, and I was NOT at this race. Uncle Bobby and I had beenin Greenville-Pickens for the Friday night race and, as I recall, it was the wee hours of the morning before we got home Saturday so we did not attempt the Myrtle Beach trip, which, in those days, was about a four hour trip as there were only two-lane highways going there and more small towns with Barney Fife traffic cops on the way than my Uncle cared to deal with.

Haven't yet found a news clipping from 1959. But I did find this column from 1992 in The Item where Ned elaborates a bit on the financial gamble he took that weekend.

Interesting you have Paschal listed as being in the "Paschal Chevrolet". Racing-Reference has him in a #48 Julian Petty Chevrolet for a 4-race stretch of 1959 races: Rambi, Charlotte, Bowman Gray, and Greenville Pickens. Its possible R-R could be incorrect. And its certainly suspect because of the use of 48 - a number Julian didn't run that often. He did frequently run a #44 car, and Bob Welborn often used #49 whether he drove for Julian or himself.

In checking owner stats, R-R does show Julian fielding a #48 Chevy in 1958-1959 for drivers Possum Jones, Tiny Lund, Paschal and yes even Banjo Matthews. Now if only I could triangulate the truth by finding info on those cars... Hmm.

Thanks, Tim (and Chase). I have heard Ned Jarrett tell the story of writing the check with no funds many times.

Very rarely does Tim post a Racing History Minute that doesn't contain at least one name (often more) with which I'm not familiar.

In today's post driver Bill Poor would fit the bill. Finishing and starting 18th in a '57 Chevy #711, Bill was quite a ways from his Wheaton, Missouri home. Racing Reference lists Bill with 31 Grand National and 55 Converrtible starts between 1956-1959, a total of 86 Major League NASCAR starts.

Anybody remember Bill who can tell us something about him?

On the very same August 1, 1959 Myrtle Beach RAMBI date, another stock car race was being held 675 miles north in Canfield, Ohio. This was a John Marcum MARC race - Midwest Association for Race Cars, today's ARCA.

The third place finisher at Canfield, Ohio drove a '57 Chevy that day. Two years later, in 1961, the former Army tank driver would come south, run 15 NASCAR Grand National races and score his first NASCAR win on Labor Day at a track located not too far from RAMBI on a former South Carolina cotton patch.

The driver, of course, was Nelson Stacy, and he'd score his first NASCAR win in the 1961 Southern 500 at Darlington.

Once again, we are reminded there was good stock car racing going on all over the USA, not just in the southeast.

Don't know anything about him either. But would be cool if he had a brother name Richie.

A photo of Bill Poor and his wife was published in the July 25, 1958 issue of the Rochester Democrat Chronicle. It was to promote that night's 100-mile GN race that was won by Cotton Owens.

Cool to see the notation that driver Bill Poor's wife was the only registered female NASCAR mechanic.

Great find, Chase.

Below is an excerpt from a just published July 24, 2013 story at espnW.com:

According to NASCAR research, Nadine Poor was a mechanic, crewman and crew chief for her husband, Bill, in the Convertible Series in the late 1950s, making her the only woman to hold the job full-time.

Courtesy NASCAR Archives

Before the modern NASCAR era, Nadine Poor was a mechanic, crewman and crew chief for her husband, Bill, in the Convertible Series in the late 1950s.

Before the modern NASCAR era, Nadine Poor was a mechanic, crewman and crew chief for her husband, Bill, in the Convertible Series in the late 1950s.

driver Bill Poor's wife was the only registered female NASCAR mechanic.

It appears that Big Bill France approved an NASCAR membership card to Nadine Poor as an a registered mechanic, crewman and crew chief for race driver, Bill Poor.
And not listed on NASCAR membership card is a woman, wife of Bill Poor or mother of son, Bobby Poor!!

Back in the day, didn't the race drivers said "that Women, Kids, and Peanuts are Bad Luck" in the pits??

Darrell Waltrip would said "having listed his wife, Stevie Waltrip as race car owner got her in the pits and it opened the door for other women to be allowed in the pits.

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA