November 1, 1964: Dieringer Aces Augusta

The next-to-last 1964 Grand National season race was the 300-lap, 150-mile Jaycee 300 at Augusta Speedway in Georgia. Richard Petty had locked up his first GN title and was coming off a win a week earlier at Harris Speedway in NC.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-25-this-day-in-petty-history.html

As he did at Harris, Petty raced car number 41. It was the 22nd and final time for him in his career to race the number. From Tim Leeming pic in Team SC Midlands collection

Ned Jarrett won the pole in his Ford, and Petty qualified the 41 Plymouth 2nd. David Pearson and Billy Wade comprised row 2. Darel Dieringer and Larry Thomas qualified 5th and 6th. From Tim Leeming pic in  Team SC Midlands collection

The Augusta race was the final one for Billy Wade. He did not race in the 1964 season finale at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, FL a week later on November 8, 1964. And he was killed during a tire testing session on January 5, 1965 before the teams returned to Riverside for the Motor Trend 500 on January 17th.

One of the more interesting names in racing - Bubba Into - made his GN debut. He qualified 29th and finished 22nd. He raced just once more in NASCAR's Grand National division - a week later at Jacksonville where he finished 25th.

Pearson and Wade led a few laps early. From there though, the lead was swapped every couple of dozen laps by by Jarrett and Dieringer until about the 2/3 mark. But with fewer than 75 laps to go, the engine broke in Jarrett's Bondy Long-prepared Ford while leading. The pole winner parked it and had to settle for 19th in the 30-car field.

After starting 2nd, Petty had a rough go of it. He didn't lead any laps, and he popped the fence about 1/3 of the way into the event. The soon-to-be-crowned 1964 champion finished 25th after winning just a week earlier - presumably in the same Plymouth.

With Jarrett out of the race, Dieringer's Bud Moore Mercury was left unchallenged. He led the final 73 laps and 201 overall. From  Harvey Tollison collection.

Race report from  Harvey Tollison collection

Notes column from the race. From  Harvey Tollison collection

3rd place finisher, Larry Thomas was driving the 1964 Plymouth owned by Charles "Red" Robinson and sponsored by his Burton-Robinson Concrete Construction Co. of Fairfax, Virginia. With the car number changed from #54 to #36, this was the same team that had fielded cars for Jimmy Pardue until he was killed in a test prior to the October 1964 National 400 at Charlotte.

Taking over the Pardue ride beginning with the National 400, Thomas would make only three starts for the promising Burton-Robinson team before he, himself, was killed when he ran off I-75 on January 25, 1965 enroute to a tire test at the Atlanta track.

Burton-Robinson won 9 races in the two seasons it competed, all with Ned Jarrett at the wheel. During the 1963 season Jarrett drove Robinson's car to wins at Augusta, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Asheville, Spartanburg, Moyock Dog Track and twice at Richmond. Jarrett also scored in a late 1963 event at Concord - part of the 1964 season.

After the death of his second driver in just 4 months, Red Robinson ended his two season NASCAR venture.

Bubba Into was winning in the Charleston / Summerville, SC area in 1966:

"After the death of his second driver in just 4 months, Red Robinson ended his two season NASCAR venture." - Hard to blame him. Amazes me how Bud Moore kept things going after losing 2 drivers in about 12 months.

18th place, Cotton Farmer was also an interesting name. Do you if any other Farmer name variations competed in NASCAR, such as Tobacco Farmer, Corn Farmer, Hog Farmer, etc.?? Red Farmer raced out of Alabama and Snookie Farmer out of Richmond, but those weren't cash crops.

The race also featured Crawfish Crider and Possum Jones, two wonderful nicknames. "Wild Indian" Roy Tyner placed 13th and "Soapy" Castles 10th. Tiny was 8th.

I also see a Squirrel in the field!

We could use some good nicknames in today's NASCAR. Maybe Kevin Harvick will oblige and give a couple to the Dillon brothers!

I think the last really good, genuine nickname racing had was Buckshot Jones. His career kind of flamed out - but I did like the name. I particularly found it funny when Randy LaJoie intentionally poked at him by calling him by his real name, Roy.

Darrell Wallace Jr.'s nickname is Bubba. Hardly original but I suppose it's his. Yet because of the connotations of "Bubba", I'm sure NASCAR, Toyota and Gibbs are trying to scrub his use of it.