A story you may have heard or maybe not
The story goes like this- It was said he was a racer from the word go as he was always around people of importance in stock car racing back in the 50's. He would set in his grandpa's lap and drive the car all day wherever they went. Eventually he got a real taste of racing as he was taken to a real race at the big track down the road and that sealed the deal. He was a racer from then on.
He helped on anybody's car that would let a scrawney kid help and learned tricks fast for his future in motorsports. Finally, he turned 16 and he was a terror on the roads around home with the local police bringing him home more than once for drag racing. His grandpa said boy you going to have to stop this foolishness of racing on the roads.
About a month later his grandpa loaded him up and they went over to the auction in Florence just look around as the story goes. Three other guys that was always around the shop was along for the ride but when they got there they acted as if they were on a mission, looking at almost every car there. As bidding started they watched each car go through the line and what the prices were. Guess they were checking prices for a deal later on.
But when the stragglers that did not sell were run back though a second time they bidded on a couple of old cars to repair for resale.
Looked like the evening was a success as each person had an old car to drive back to the shop. The next day when he got out of school there sat the three cars out front just as they were at the auction. He walked in and was immediately met by his grandpa. Which one of them cars we bought at the auction do you think would make good racecar for a client of mine? He went out and surveyed the three with a close look then came back in and said that old two door Valiant would make a good hobby car I think because its light and its a straight shift in the floor ,motor sounds pretty good too.
His grandpa then said how long do you think it will take to get it ready for the track. Now here was a question he had no earthly idea how to answer, but he looked grandpa square in the eye and said three weeks providing there are parts around for what it takes.
Well, there is a race next month over at Sumter and the car needs to be ready for that. He looked at his grandpa and said you want me to build the car? Young man, just who else would you want building a car if it was for you? He stepped back a step or two and said what??You heard me either you build a race car out of it or you going to have to quit driving on the streets because you cannot be caught again lest you loose your license. Wow, talk about a low blow but with a touch of wow to it. That statement got his attention.Are you telling me we building a racecar for me to drive?Yes I am and if you don't get to it you wont make the race.
A stall was cleaned out just for the racecar and all the help he needed seemed to appear. He worked on it well into the nite and finally he was told time to go home. School the next day didnt go to well because all he could think of was the racecar, his racecar. Finally school was out and he started to peel out to the shop when setting dead in front of him sat john law. You in kinda hurry today, ain't ya Sonny? Well yes sir I got work to do at the shop and I'm in kinda of in a hurry. Well you just drive over there kinda slow and everything will be ok. He left school and turned the corner and there sat another cop,dang they out to get me now. So he just took it easy all the way there and when he got there everyone was standing in the stall where the Valiant sat.
He looked at the car and it sure wasn't in the shape he left it, rollbars in and interior stripped out and extras were being taken off everywhere.Now mind you, these guys have been around racing before as one of them used to wrench for that little red faced driver out of Timmonsville before he hooked up with that fancy chicken farmer. The other guy used to drive himself but had hurt his back in a wreck out on the interstate so he rather help someone else instead.
They took the car out to the local track that Sat. to see how it ran. At first he took it easy for a few laps but finally poured the coals on and was doing all he could. Finally he pulled in the pits where everybody was standing watching him come in. He got out and looked around all smiles at everyone when someone said we got a lot of work to do.
Back at the shop they first pulled rear end out and took it apart and locked the rear,that should help on getting out of the turns. Next they set it on the lift and started working on the suspension. Front end was easy because it was on torsion bars but the rear was a little harder. They took the springs out and went to the press in back and proceeded to dearch the springs. Then they added two leaves to each side to stffen it up. Now the car is setting like 4 inches lower than before and stiffer too. New shocks were added to the car and torsion bars were beefed up also. Now time to set it up,first was the front end and that was the guy who had worked for the chicken farmeron his cars. This jobwas different ,he set caster and camber to his own specs along with the tow in. Then they went around back and jacked it up till the rear end tires were just clearing the ground,this will never work he said and off came the spring hangers. They set in and made new ones out of stock steel and then replaced the old ones.This changed the stance of the car, then things started looking better.
After a few adjustments there was a clearance of about 5 inches under right tire with left just touching the ground. Satisfied with this then they checked stagger and found this way off also . The right side was shorter than the left. After a relocation of stay arms they finally got it where all felt like it would work. The tires came in that afternoon and were already mounted on some neat rims. Well now the car was looking more like a race car than a flower pot they said. Evening had caught up with them and it was time to call it a day. But by now the buzz in town was there was a new racer in town and people was stopping by to see the car.
His grandpa said it needed to go over to Joes body shop for a paint job in the morning,so before going home they hooked the wrecker up to the car and took it over to the paint and body shop.
He couldnt set still in school hardly and visions were bouncing all in his head,at least this was Friday and he wouldnt have to worry about school till monday. He got back to the shop and there setting in front of the shop was a gleaming shining valiant.
After school finally got out and he made it back to the shop, he jumped out and made a quick pass around the car looking at it. Then looked at his grandpa and just stared,that was it, the tears broke loose in both their eyes because this was a thing of beauty in each of their eyes but each was seeing a different beauty.
After a few minutes the local sign painter arrived and brought his board and stick,thats to rest his hand on when making a delicate stroke, a chalk line and three ft ruler. The three sat down and discussed the layout on the car and what colors were to be used.After that was settled they started to leave when the sign painter asked one more question, what number did you say to use? Grandpa looked at his grandson and asked what you want? Shucks I haven't thought of a number then he looked around and saw the address on the building and pointed, why not, lets use the address number on the garage. With that settled they were ready so off they went to show the world their new creation, to the onlookers that were there watching anyway.
That nite about 7:30 he finished and stood away and looked, then said that should look good from the stands and really sparkle under the lights.
The big day has come and off to the track the little sparkling hotrod went on a brand new trailer built especially for this moment, they thought of towing it with a chain through a pipe but after a test and nearly tearing the bumper off the service truck the trailer came into play real quick.
They pulled in to the track and as expected the little Valiant sparkled along with about 40 other cars,it even looked looked like a festival kinda, at least in his eyes. Well now the time has come and out on the track he went for warmups and to really see if he had what it takes to become a player in this sport.
Well right off they seen that the little light car had what it took to get off the corner with the other cars and even pulled a few down the straight, but entering the turn he was a little to careful and some would get around him entering the turn.Drivers meeting and now its time to draw for starting positions, so out came the pill bottle with the numbered cubes, wow a 11 was draw-ed and that was pretty well up front in the heat race.
Heat race comes and goes with it a typical follow the leader 8 laps.A few tried to pass but the Valiant would pull them on the straight and get back ahead, he finished 4th so he was in the feature without having to run the consi race.
The modifieds went out and put on a heck of a show for the fans and now it was the sportsman classes turn to shine in their feature.
Lineup was complete and with the pace car out front they went around a few laps settling in to a routine, then green flag and they are off.It didnt take long before they stretched out in single file and he started picking off the cars one at a time on the straights, but corners were still difficult but he was gaining confidence each lap and actually finished second. Way to go said grandpa and high fives all around the guys in the crew and behind him stood the local town people that came to see him run.
Boy things were lining up for him now and when the season ended in Oct. he ended second in class so that was a great improvement over when he started. He would graduate next spring and his plans were already in his head. But as you know plans always seem to change at the wrong moment. Well, this one did too, big time.
A letter in the mail squashed that and all future plans for a period of time, even ruint his plans with his newfound girlfriend. Uncle Sam wants him to be on his team for a short tour of the world.
Well this wasn't what grandpa had in mind but little could he do to correct this so off to the world of unknow he went.
The little Valiant sat huddled all alone covered up in the corner of the shop still on her trailer. Some say you could hear faint noises coming from over there when things were quiet,but you and I know a car doesn't have feelings, do they?
After his tour he gets out a wiser lad and a healthier one too. He was more muscular too but that haircut he came home with just didn't settle in good with the girls.
After a few days of meeting everybody and retelling the stories of his worldly travels he went over to the shop hunting his car and looked over in the corner, there it sat just as he left it. But wait, it does not quite look right for some reason.
Well they moved things around in the shop and hooked the old Ford tractor that doubled as a forklift to the trailer and moved it out carefully into a stall. There they parked it and stood back as he pulled the tarp off the car.
Wait a minute thats not my car?? What's this he says, it looks like a Grand National car. He spins around and looks at his grandpa and says I don't understand.
This is a real thing of beauty here. Its got a V8 in it and its a Satellite body too. Wow, this car can run on that track over in Columbia and that one in Darlington too.
The next few seasons are good to them as they continue getting better and better and seem to finally get a decent sponsor too.
That winter grandpa takes sick and never recovers and now this is a real blow to everyone in town.
That next season wasnt the best season for him and his heart was still heavy without pop being there. Now he was alone in the world and had no body to help him with the shop or racing and racing was the one thing he loved most.
Along came a prospective buyer for the shop and the sale was made,so now with a little money left over after all the bills were paid he set out to make a name for himself.
First off was this little thing of beauty that's been catching his eye lately. Was she for real or was she just a show hunter.
Next year things get off to a better start now with him being married. Yup that happened during Christmas, and a new motor in the car that he bought from that team up in the North Carolina mountains. So now they off to Columbia to run the first race there of the year and a lot of heavy hitters are here too.
The race is a success with him running in the top 5 all race and finishing in the money so now they are happy going home.
Next race is in two weeks at that big track in Hillsboro and he is all wound up over running there. The race is a complete success with him up front again at the end .
The season is at its end and he has held his head above water but no reserve even with his bride managing the money and even working on the side to make ends meet.
That winter a decision is made and its either the car will have to be parked and a real job taken to survive or else try to race and live out of the truck.
He reverts back to what he learned in the military and settles down into a real job and once again the car moves into the corner of the shop covered again.
Years go by and he is still working at this same job and doing well,his kids are growing up and they are moving out on their own. One afternoon they setting in the back yard and something falls in the shop out back. They get up and go check it out and its a tire thats fell out of the rack he built out of wood years ago,the wood has somehow broken.
While he gets the tire over out of the way he snags the cover and part of the car becomes uncovered. He hasnt looked at it for awhile but he pulls the cover off and its just as he left it.
Wow,its still pretty as cars go in fact it still has that glisten it had in the shop when he came home from service. They roll it outside and wash it and set back to let it dry. Now if you ever had a car in your back yard that wasn't supposed to be there it draws eyes and this one did that .
Neighbors were curious and kids were nosey and they got him to talking about racing and she saw that gleam in his eye. That nite they sat down and talked of maybe running a few races next year and that was quickly agreed on by both.
It's coming on to Christmas and there are parties everywhere,they go to as many as they can and still exist, but you see neither one of them ever drank or even smoked for that manner, so parties were the same to them fun but no hangover.
It's December 1st and his boss is not very happy acting,in fact he has the look of total disaster.
My wife has left me for another man and has filed papers for divorce demanding about $12,000.00 in support and I cant pay that so im going to have to let you go as of this Friday.
Now if this isn't a twist there never will be one. Now what to do. He gets out and starts shopping for a job and goes by a dealership where he knows people. He meets the manager and they strike up a deal where he can work here for awile until he finds better work. Between this and what little he can recieve from unemployment he may just pull off the great escape after all. In a few years he will be able to retire and then things will be better all around,but thats getting ahead of the story.
Next week there is a piece on the paper about a race for old vintage cars in sumter and he says lets take the car to the races Sunday just to get out for awhile,agreed they pack up.
There at the track there are cars from all over and believe it or not he fits right in,an old gentlman walks over and says I remember this car. That did it. They are back in the limelight as there are numerous people coming by asking questions and taking photos. A guy comes up and tells him there is a vintage organization started for old cars and guys you might be interested in and they fixing to have a big race down at the rock on the first and everyone is invited. This is really good news now .
They make the pull home with all sorts of thoughts going through their head as he pulls in to the yard. Next day he tells the guys about their weekend and of their plans for going to the big race in Rockingham. This gets to the boss and he calls him into his office and says set down and close the door too. Uh oh, here we go again, he said. Seen this scene played before but he is prepared this time.
Well the boss questions him as to where the car came from and how things went at the last meet and what was his plans for the next meet. He tells him he is thinking of going but if that was going to jeopardize his job he could cancel that. The boss looks at him for a long time studying him then says not exactly what I had in mind.If I sponsor your car will you try to make all the shows you can to advertise us? And in return we will prep your car here so you can continue working?? Uh, how do you answer this question. His mouth opened but nothing came out. Finally a squeak eased out that kinda sounded like ok, but he wasn't sure so he asked again and this time he managed a yes sir out before almost passing out. This was news he wasn't prepared to hear but was delighted to accept. He politely walked out into the shop and then hollered at the top of his lungs as every shop person looked around and the big boss looked down and smiled big time.
This may turn out to be a good year after all. We shall see.
This story is loosely wrote about someones life we all know here on Racers Reunion. Hope you enjoy it..--------------------------------------------------------------------------------memories
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
