Racing History Minute - June 26, 1976

A new project I'm tackling is to revisit several races from my 'home track' - Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway.  Over the years, the track has had many names including Fairground Speedways, Nashville Speedway, Nashville International Raceway, and Music City Motorplex. But to me, it's always been simply The Fairgrounds.

The races I attended at the Fairgrounds in the 1970s have all run together over the years. We went to many nights of a regular slate of races - twin races for each of the divisions of that era: mini-stock, limited sportsman, and late model sportsman. And we went to the occasional big events like 200 lap features for the national late model sportsman drivers or a 50-lap local late model feature paired with Cup qualifying.

And we even went to a combo night of a 200-lap ARCA feature and a 200 national LMS race. To this day, my dad can't stand ARCA because of all the wrecks that happened that night in Music City. He mainly wanted to see his LMS faves, and no one in my family (except perhaps me) was terribly excited about the late night getting longer because the ARCA regulars couldn't keep their cars out of the fence.

We never went to any of the GN/Cup races together as a family. The tickets cost a few dollars more, and we simply didn't have it in the family budget. And with the big boys in town, the crowds were larger. My dad is an amputee, and the parking and walk to the stands was a challenge in its own right. All the extra people and cars for the 420s made it a non-starter for him.

This post will be about the 1976 Spirit of '76 200 NASCAR LMS race. The race was the 2nd in a four-year run with sponsorship from Union 76.

Race preview from the June 26, 1976 edition of The Tennessean: Darrell Waltrip says a homecoming, complete with familiar, friendly faces, home-cooked meals, and a spin around the track he cut his racing teeth on may be just what the doctor ordered. That's why tonight's Spirit of 76 200 at Nashville Speedway represents more than just a race to the 29-year-old Franklin. Tenn. driver. It also represents a much-needed break from the stress and strain of the relentless Grand National grind. Waltrip admits it was that pressure, combined with frustrations born of a rash of mechanical failures, that prompted a verbal blast at his pit crew Sunday. Forced into the pits with overheating problems in the early going of the Michigan Motor State 400, Waltrip told a nationwide radio audience in no uncertain terms that the pit crew was responsible. And, he added, if it were up to him, he would get rid of the problem once and for all. Yesterday from his DiGard racing headquarters in Daytona, Waltrip admitted he had spoken harshly in the heat of frustration but stopped just short of apologizing. "We have had one mechanical headache after another this season," he said. "And the situation had become like a volcano, with the pressure building and building. Finally, Sunday, it erupted. When we went out of the race almost before we got started, I lost my temper." Waltrip said he and crew chief Mario Rossi "had a long discussion, and I believe we have got some things straightened out. Sometimes there's nothing like a little constructive criticism. We have had heated conversations in the past, and generally something good has come out of it. I hope that's the case this time." Waltrip was scheduled to fly up from Daytona last night in order to be ready for today's 1-4 p.m. qualifying. "I always enjoy running at Nashville," he said. "You aren't under the tremendous pressure of a Grand National race. You can relax and enjoy yourself. That's not to say the race is an easy one of course. I understand they have most of the country's top Sportsman drivers entered in this one. So the competition will be stiff, but that's what makes it fun, and I'm looking forward to it."  And also, hopefully, to a win? "That goes without saying," Waltrip laughed, always ready for that." Waltrip will indeed be lining up alongside many of the nation's leading Late Model Sportsman drivers. Included in the field are: - L.D. Ottinger, Newport, Tenn., defending national LMS champ and current point leader - Butch Lindley of Greeneville, S.C., winner of 20 of 27 races this season - Harry Gant, Taylorsville, N.C. who has won 1 1 of his last 13 starts - Alton Jones, Birmingham, local LMS point leader - Neil Bonnett, Hueytown, Ala., winner of last month's Falls City 200 here - David Sisco, Nashville driver who will be seeking his first win on his home track in seven years, after getting off to a hot start on the Grand National circuit this year - Local hard-charging youngsters P.B. Crowell III, Mike Alexander, Sterling Marlin and Dennis Wiser - Defending track champ Walter Wallace - Former track champ Freddy Fryar of Chattanooga. Thirty-four entries had been received yesterday, making this afternoon's qualifying for the 30-car field all-important. The Speedway and Union Oil have planned a special surprise for drivers and fans preceding the 8 p.m. start. A 7 p.m. 50-lap Karco Limited Sportsman race on the five-eights-mile oval will start the action. Current point leader and defending champ Sonny Upchurch figures to be the man to beat.

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Though I don't remember many specific races or winners, I DO remember the pre-race activity for this one. As noted in the preview article, the track had a "special surprise for drivers and fans". Each car included a passenger holding a US flag during a pace lap. With America celebrating its bicentennial in 1976, the tribute was appropriate. Union 76 had sponsored other Spirit of 76 200s at Nashville in prior and subsequent years. But the race name was particularly poignant in the year of the country's 200 birthday.

Here is another pic of the pre-race flag ceremony pace lap from Randy Binkley's gallery.

I'm enjoying your "new" project, Chase. I can hardly imagine the difficulties encountered by your father navigating track parking lots, crowds and the hike to seating. Right after my 16th birthday, in October 1964, I dislocated my right hip playing sandlot football. After my hospital discharge from 3 weeks in traction, I used crutches for 6 months. When the spring 1965 Richmond 250 rolled around, I foolishly accompanied buddy, Frank to the Richmond fairgrounds and somehow made it to the top bleacher row coming out of turn 4. I wasn't as lucky trying to shoot movie film standing on crutches. While changing the roll, I dropped it through the bleachers where Frank recovered the severely over exposed film. At the race's conclusion, I held my ground on the crutches at the pedestrian cross over gate while being mightily jostled by the crowd waiting to visit the pits. I would never do it again and cannot imagine the challenges faced by your father attending a race.

My pop lost his leg in the early 1960s when he was launched through a windshield FROM THE BACK SEAT after an auto accident. He then lost his right eye in a 1970 work accident, and his left one has degraded ever since. I've often referred to him as a cat who has already used up 3 or 4 of his lives! Ha. But he has never complained. Over the past few years, some of the challenges he faces have become more noticeable. And some of the pain he tries to mask reveals itself on his face or the occasional grunt. But he generally refuses (often to his detriment) to be seen as "burden" for my mother or anyone else.

Growing up, I really didn't think much about what it was like for him to lumber along with a fake stick. He still went to work 5 to 7 days a week. He mowed the lawn each weekend. And he always went with us as our family of five went to the Fairgrounds for a night of racing. 

In recent years, I've come to recognize how those visits were mainly for my benefit. My sister and brother didn't care a lot about them - and have no interest in racing today. My mother was the driver of the family after my pop lost his vision. So if we were going, she was going too! She did become partial to Sterling Marlin - and had a disdain for anyone in the blue, Harpeth Motor Ford 84 including Darrell Waltrip and Mike Alexander. Ha. 

My dad's faves on the national level were Harry Gant and Butch Lindley. He didn't pull for any particular local - nor did he have a Cup favorite. But he always enjoyed watching Gant and Lindley run their smooth lines around the Fairgrounds.

Just noticed for first time the 21st place finisher: Paul Lewis. Could it be THE Paul Lewis of RacersReunion?

Waltrip's "working things out" with Mario Rossi in late June devolved into Rossi's firing on August 17, 1976.