This "Minute" is being posted a day early because when the sun comes up on September 28, 2013, I, along with thousands of others, will be at the track where the subject of today's reflection took place in 1958. The annual Celebration of the Automobile will be happening Saturday, September 28, 2013 at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro (or Hillsborough) NC. There will be many show cars there not to mention a huge selection of historic race cars which will actually take to the track Saturday afternoon The race cars on the track is supposed to be a "parade" event but having been there last year, it turned out to be more of an unscheduled racing event! Ok, back to 1958.
There were 33 entries in the 99 mile event on the one mile dirt track, including Joe Eubanks, a veteran of 132 previous Grand National races but who had "retired" after the 1957 season when he couldn't find a ride. Joe lived in Spartanburg, SC and was good friends with Cotton Owens. Cotton just happened to have a spare 1957 Pontiac on hand and he talked Joe into driving it in the race.
Tiny Lund put a Buck Baker Chevrolet on the pole at a speed of 87.308 mph with Cotton Owens in his new 1958 Pontiac starting on the outside. Gober Sosebee would start third in a Chevy, Shorty Rollins fourth in a Ford and Jimmy Massey in a Pontiac fifth. Joe Eubanks, in the borrowed Pontiac would start 6th. Joe was driving Pontiac number 6 while Cotton Owens wheeled the number 3 Pontiac.
Cotton took the lead on the green and was being chased hard by Tiny Lund. Finally, on lap 33 Tiny forced his way to the number one spot. Lund was pulling away when the suspenion on the Buck Baker owner Chevy broke forcing Lund out of the race. It was the second time in two consecutive races that Lund started on the pole and fell out with susupenion issues. Buck and Tiny were good friends but Buck's comment after the race may have caused Tiny some concern. Buck said, of Tiny "If I gave that man an anvile, he'd have it in about six pieces before you'd know it".
With Lund sidelined, hard charging Junior Johnson took over number one positiion. Johnson was solidly out front with 12 laps to go when he crashed the Paul Spaulding Ford. It was at that point that Joe Eubanks, who had been running a steady pace, took over the lead he would hold untilthe end although he had a heated battle with Doug Cox for a couple of those laps on the restart.
Top five finishers were:
1. Joe Eubanks, Cotton Owens Pontiac, winning $800.00
2. Doug Cox, Ford, winning $525.00
3. Buck Baker, Baker Chevrolet, winning $350.00 (1 lap down)
4. Tommy Irwin, Ford, winning $250.00 (1 lap down)
5. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Oldsmobile, winning $225.00 (2 laps down)
Sixth through tenth were Shorty Rollins, Roy Tyner, Gober Sosebee, R. L.Combs and Bob Walden. Bill Blair finished 11th, Junior Johnson 15th, Herman Beam 16th, and Brownie King 17th. Speedy Thompson would capture 19th, Cotton Owens 22nd and Fred Harb 23th. Gene White finished 24th, Tiny Lund 25th (without the anvil), Larry Frank 26th, Richard Petty 31st, Ken Rush 32nd and Whitey Norman is credited with 33rd although he never made a lap, having engine failure before the start of the race.
IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE NEAR THE HILLSBOROUGH AREA, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, TO COME OUT TO THIS HISTORIC FACILITY AND TALK TO SOME OF THE ACTUAL COMPETITORS IN THIS EVENT. YOU CAN CHECK OUT www.historicspeedwaygroup.org for more information or check the Events section of RacersReunion. Will be an awesome time for sure and there is NO CHARGE to see everything.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
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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
