Racing History Minute - September 18, 1964

Today we head for Virginia to the historically important town of Manassas. By "historically important" I am referring more to the events there in the 1860s than the 187.5 mile race run there on this date in 1964. Of course, for those of us who gather here, the race is the important subject of the day.

Twenty cars and drivers came to Manassas to qualify for the race of 500 laps on the track known as "Old Dominion Speedway". When qualifying was over, David Pearson in the Cotton Owens Dodge number 6 would be on the pole. Richard Petty would start second , Ned Jarrett third, Elmo Langley fourth and Jimmy Pardue fifth.

Pearson led the first six laps before yeilding to Richard Petty. On lap 27, Ned Jarrett moved into the lead and stayed there through lap 248 when Pearson once more put the red and white Dodge out front. On lap 299, Ned found himself in the lead again and he would stay there until the end of the race. This would be Ned's 12th win of the 1964 season in the 54th, yep, 54th race of the season.

Now the interesting sidebar to this win is that the race was run almost entirely in THE RAIN. No, there were no rain tires, but the situation was that the weather was providing a "light mist" of rain falling on the asphalt track but NASCAR observed that the cars keeping the track hot were, it seemed, keeping the track dry enough for a race. No reports of drivers complaining but I am guessing it was easier for the flagman to wear a raincoat than it was for the drivers to complain. I'm not exaclty sure when the "slick" racing tires came on board but I am thinking that the tires in 1964 were still treaded tires which probably benefitted the drivers. But when you think of the pole winning speed by Pearson being 74.262 mph on a .375 mile track, that is sort of really "getting around the oval". Race average speed was 68.842 mph. There were no crashes reported, although 10 of the 20 starters failed to finish for due to one mechanical issue or another.

Top five finishers:

1. Ned Jarrett, Bondy Long Ford, winning $1,500.00

2. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $1,000.00 (1 lap down)

3. Richard Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $725.00 (4 laps down)

4. Larry Thomas, Herman Beam Ford, winning $600.00 (20 laps down)

5. Bert Robbins, Ford, winning $400.00 (33 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Wendell Scott, Worth McMillion, Elmo Langley, Roy Tyner and Curtis Crider. Remaining ten finishers were, in order, Gene Hobby, Neil Castles, Earl Brooks, Jimmy Pardue, Dennis Zimmerman,, Bob Derrington, Jack Anderson, Steve Young, Don Branson and Joe Coates.

Several of the drivers listed in this race should be at the annual Celebration of the Automobile at Occoneechee/Orange Speedway in Hillsborough on Saturday, September 28th. I can almost guarantee you can ask these guys about this race and they will have personal memories to share. Don't believe me? Ask Gene Hobby. He probably remembers what he had for breakfast that morning, he's that good.

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

Oh, and speaking of Occoneechee, I'm sure TMC Chase will let us know about Richard Petty's victory there on this date in 1960! Watch for his post later today.

5th finishing Bert Robbins of Washington, DC drove only two 1964 GN races, both for Maryland car dealer Henry "Big Henry" Woodfield .

Woodfield Ford - Mercury would often adorn the #64 rides of Elmo Langley and in 1966, the two formed a partnership, Woodfield-Langley Racing that lasted through the 1969 season and included the first green #64 Elmo machines.

Above - Ned Jarrett/Elmo Langley in Henry Woodfield's #64 run side-by side posted at Legends of NASCAR.

One of Elmo's 1st green #64 Woodfield rides as posted by former Elmo car letterer BNorton734 on RR.

Below - "BIG HENRY" WOODFIELD in a 1970 Washington, DC television commercial :

The Gore family's Old Dominion Speedway (which closed last year) has been the site of many historic moments in racing history. One such moment involved the crew chief for the Ned Jarrett / Bondy Long winning Ford #11 of the race chronicled by Tim.

Jarrett's winning crew chief was one of 13 children born in 1934 in Roanoke, Virginia, although most associate his name with the small town of Inman, South Carolina, which lies between Spartanburg and Campobello in the heart of peach orchard country and packing houses.

This young man, who had previously turned wrenches for GN champion Rex White, had an itch to get behind the wheel himself.

When the Bondy Long team headed out from Camden, South Carolina for 1964's annual summer NASCAR "Northern Tour" they carried a backup car for the title seeking Jarrett. On July 8, 1964, the team opened the northern campaign at this same Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia.

(History Note Interlude: The "Old Dominion" nickname for the Commonwealth of Virginia - also nicknamed "Mother of Presidents" - dates to the year 1660 when England's King Charles II was restored to the throne and thanked his faithful colonists in his "Old Dominion" of Virginia for their loyal support).

The Ned Jarrett/Bondy Long backup car had it's #11 changed to #71 and the young 29 year old crew chief turned 4 laps in the July 8, 1964 Old Dominion 400 in the state of his birth before retiring with a "handling" issue. He'd also start the Ned Jarrett/Bondy Long backup car on the 1964 Northern Tour at Old Bridge, New Jersey and Bridgehampton, New York.

He wouldn't return to the driver's seat until 1966, when he finished 2nd in NASCAR Grand National points and was named NASCAR Grand National "Rookie of the Year!" 601 Grand National / Winston Cup races after that first NASCAR start in 1964 at Old Dominion Speedway the driver took his final NASCAR Cup checkers in 1993. Not included in his total are Grand National East and other NASCAR division starts.

He didn't hang up his helmet, though. He continued to drive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and this year has driven in every single one of the 19 ARCA races staged to date. He turned age 79 on August 26th of this year and unless you've been hiding under a rock you all know the driver is JAMES HYLTON!

Three years ago, 5th place finisher of the September 18, 1964 Old Dominion Speedway race Bert Robbins ' daughter, Linda posted the following wonderful blog about her dad:

Dad gets an award!

Many drivers who have competed on the 3/8 mile oval have went on to make it big in the top rank Winston Cup Circuit. Drivers like Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Morgan Shephard, the Burton brothers, and of course the "King" Richard Petty. By the way, 2 of Petty's official 200 wins are at the Old Dominion Speedway. Other Winston Cup drivers who have visited victory lane include Ned Jarrett (a 500 lap event), Junior Johnson, and the late Elmo Langley.

Dad is now 79 years old and doesn't race anymore. He did race at Old Dominion speedway, however, with many of the drivers mentioned above. I get a kick out of this one race result from the October 1964 Nascar Newsletter. Dad came in 5th behind Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, and Richard Petty.

Here's a photo of one of his first race cars and his last.

Okay, so what has this got to do with cloth and creativity. Nothing! I did make him a single bed quilt once with these pictures in it, but forgot to take a photo of it before I wrapped it for Christmas.

"Eastern Bandit" Dennis Zimmerman of Glastonbury, Connecticut made his only career NASCAR Grand National start in this Old Dominion Speedway race driving Richmonder, Bob Adams' #09 Chevy, usually driven by Larry Manning or Roy Mayne.

Zimmerman used to keep his modified at Junie Donlavey's shop in Richmond when he and his mentor, "Steady Eddie" Flemke came south with Red Foote and Rene Charland to terrorize the southern modified and sportsman drivers with their lightweight cars.

4 years after his only GN start in this Mannassas, Virginia NASCAR Grand National race, Zimmerman, on Memorial Day 1971, would be named "Rookie of the Race" at the 1971 Indianapolis 500.

In that same 1971 Indy 500 where Zimmerman finished 8th and was named top rookie were NASCAR stars Donnie Allison(6th) and Cale Yarborough(16th). NASCAR's LeeRoy Yarbrough and Bobby Johns failed to qualify for that event at Indy.

I would have loved to have seen Denny stay in NASCAR and try his hand at Grand National, but he loved the open wheel cars.

The Fredericksburg Free Lance Star carried the article above.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/27275/september-18-1960-richard-wins-his-3rd-race

I wonder if the '64 Ford Ned drove in this race is the one that Bennettsville's Tommy Bostick would get in 1965 and start winning with in NC and SC for several years to come.