Dale Earnhardt had a beast of a season in 1987. He won 11 of 29 races and his third Cup title. In addition to his rising presence on the top level of NASCAR, he opted periodically to pocket a little extra cash to race with local guys. One such event in 1987 was the Coors 250 at Nashville Motor Speedway - the then current name for the track also known as Fairground Speedways, Nashville Speedway, or simply The Fairgrounds. Leaseholder Gary Baker changed the name of the track to Nashville Motor Speedway in March 1985.
The news of Earnhardt's possible participation in the Coors 250 was surfaced by Larry Woody during practice and qualifying for Daytona's Firecracker 400.
From the July 3, 1987 of The Tennessean:
Dale Earnhardt has reportedly entered next week’s Coors 250 at Nashville Speedway, but the controversial racing star yesterday huffily refused to confirm he’ll be in Music City.
Speedway president Gary Baker earlier in the day announced that he has received an entry from Earnhardt for next Saturday night’s race. The NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, on which Earnhardt is the defending champion and current points leader, has an open date next week.
Asked about his Nashville plans yesterday, Earnhardt snapped: “Ain’t made up my mind yet” Earnhardt was approached in the Daytona Speedway garage area following yesterday’s final practice session for tomorrow’s 29th annual Firecracker 400. Earnhardt qualified 13th.
After saying he “Ain’t made up my mind,” Earnhardt began to walk away. He was asked when he thought he might have his mind made up. “I’ll look at my schedule next week and decide what I want to do. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
What other events is he considering? “Look, I told you I’d let you know something tomorrow,” said Earnhardt, disappearing inside his garage trailer. A slammed door ended the interview.
Earnhardt has been on short terms with The Tennessean since the newspaper ran a story picked up and circulated nation-wide by the wire services in which Coo Coo Marlin said he thought someone “ought to take him (Earnhardt) out behind the barn and beat the hell out of him.”
Marlin’s comments came after Earnhardt spun and crashed Sterling Marlin, Coo Coo’s son, to take the lead during a race at Bristol this spring. The elder Marlin went on to say that Earnhardt is “trying to bully his way to the national championship.”
After seeing the story, Earnhardt’s team owner Richard Childress accused the Marlins of “whining.” Following the Marlin altercation, Earnhardt had a similar run-in with Bill Elliott during The Winston at Charlotte, N.C. Both drivers were fined and placed on probation by NASCAR.
Although many have criticized Earnhardt’s means, they can’t criticize his ends. He has won an unprecedented seven of 1 4 Winston Cup races this season, not including The Winston which paid a $200,000 bonus. The 36-year old Kannapolis, N.C. driver has a solid lead in the NASCAR points standings and $760,730 in winnings. By merely starting the remaining 15 races this season, Earnhardt is assured of a second straight $1 million season.
Earnhardt has not raced at Nashville Speedway since NASCAR dropped the track from its schedule three years ago.
Marlin has filed an entry for next week’s race at Nashville Speedway, where he is a former three-time track champion. Marlin, from Spring Hill, Tn., qualified 18th here yesterday.
Another former Speedway track champion, Darrell Waltrip, will not be able to race in the Coors 250. Waltrip’s DarWal, Inc. company is promoting a race in Jefferson, Ga., and Waltrip is committed to race there.
About a week later, Bobby Allison announced he too would like to race in the event. His appearance would be a boon to Gary Baker as Allison had just won the Firecracker in what turned out to be his next-to-last Cup win. From the July 9, 1987 edition of The Tennessean
Race driver Bobby Allison, fresh off last Saturday’s stunning Daytona Firecracker 400 victory, hopes to make it a double Saturday night at Nashville Speedway. Allison, of Hueytown, Ala., contacted Speedway president Gary Baker yesterday and said he wants to race in this weekend’s Coors 250.
There’s just one snag in Allison’s driving plans. He doesn’t have anything to drive. “If we can find him a car, he wants to race,” said Baker yesterday. “Right now, the search is underway. We’re hoping to come up with something by tomorrow (today).”
Allison was scheduled to take advantage of an open date on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule this week. He planned to race in Maine. Those plans fell through, however, and Allison turned his attention to Nashville. “He said he might even show up even if we can’t find him a car,” said Baker. “He said he may come up and watch the race and sign autographs.”
Allison, 49, became the oldest driver to win a Winston Cup race when he rallied from one lap down to win last Saturday’s Firecracker 400. Another Winston Cup star, Dale Earnhardt, is entered in Saturday night’s race. Earnhardt, of Kannapolis, N.C, has arranged to drive a car borrowed from local driver Tony Formosa Jr.
Earnhardt is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow morning to test a pair of Formosa automobiles and take his pick. Later in the day, Earnhardt will participate in a special Rape and Sexual Abuse awareness function at the Speedway.
A day later, Earnhardt's entry and car were confirmed. Back in the day, track promoters seemed so much more engaged with selling their events - you know, PROMOTING. The Fairgrounds continues to host races today (more on that below), but the current promoter doesn't advertise in The Tennessean, run radio spots, work with the paper on advance awareness of the races, etc. The track has a website and some weak social media presence. That's about it. And oh, the current promoter and leaseholder? Tony Formosa, Jr. - the same driver who provided a car for Earnhardt back in 1987. From July 10, 1987 The Tennessean:
Nashville Speedway had already signed the villain. Yesterday it added the hero. Bobby Allison, one of the sport’s all-time fan favorites, confirmed he has secured a ride for tomorrow night’s Coors 250.
Allison will join Dale Earnhardt whose controversial driving style continues to win him races and enemies in the 7:35 race. Allison, who won last Saturday’s Daytona Firecracker 400, and Earnhardt, a seven-time winner, account for over half the victories on the NASCAR Winston Cup tour this season.
There is a chance Davey Allison, Bobby’s 26-year-old son, will also be in the lineup if he can land a ride. The younger Allison, in his rookie season, has two victories.
Bobby Allison, who raced in British Columbia, Canada last night, will borrow a car from local driver Nicky Formosa. Earnhardt will pilot a loaner from Formosa’s brother, Tony.
“It’s a dream lineup,” said Speedway president Gary Baker after helping arrange an Allison sponsorship from Metropolitan Federal. “In Earnhardt we’ve got the defending national champion who has been the talk of the circuit this season. And in Allison, we’ve got the most recent winner and one of the all-time fan favorites.”
Allison, of Hueytown, Ala., won this spring’s 250-lap race at the Speedway. Earnhardt, of Kannapolis, N.C., has not competed here since NASCAR dropped the track from its schedule three years ago.
Also spicing up the field will be Sterling Marlin, a former three-time track champion from Spring Hill, Tenn. Marlin, who has crashed in his last two Speedway appearances, will drive a car provided by defending track champ Ricky Cruz.
Marlin, a regular on the Winston Cup circuit, became involved in one of Earnhardt’s numerous controversies earlier this season. The two collided while battling for the lead in a race at Bristol. Marlin, who was knocked out of the race, accused Earnhardt the eventual winner of deliberately spinning him into the wall. Earnhardt has also been involved in altercations with drivers Harry Gant, Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine.
Ironically, they are three of the sport’s most mild-mannered drivers. Not so mild mannered was retired driver Coo Coo Marlin, Sterling’s father. Coo Coo said the way to deal with Earnhardt’s push-and-shove style was to “take him out behind the barn and beat the hell out of him.”
Sterling has avoided adding additional fuel to the controversy but said he is “looking forward to racing against Dale on my home track. I imagine the fans will give him a big Nashville welcome.”
Qualifying was held on Friday night before Saturday's feature. From July 11, 1987 Tennessean:
Young Murfreesboro driver Darryl Sage stole the twinkle from some of NASCAR’s brightest stars last night at Nashville Speedway. Sage turned the swiftest qualifying lap around the five-eighths-mile track to land his Chevrolet on the pole for tonight’s Coors 250. The Top 10 qualifying:
- Darryl Sage, Chev., 103.90
- Chad Chaffin, Buick, 103.00
- Chip Mullinax, Buick, 103.00
- Zillon Felts, Ford, 102.90
- Jack Collier, Buick, 102.90
- Dale Earnhardt, Chev., 102.86
- Mark Smith, Buick, 102.86
- Gary Adams, Chev., 102.41
- Ricky Cruz, Chev., 102.22
- Chubby Crowell, Chev., 102.07
Much of the attention and a mixed chorus of boos and cheers was directed toward Earnhardt. The controversial Kannapolis, N.C driver is the defending Winston Cup champion and current points leader, with seven wins in 15 races this season. Two of the field’s top drivers, Sterling Marlin and Bobby Allison, did not participate in last night’s qualifying.
Davey Allison, Bobby Allison’s son, will serve as honorary starter tonight. The younger Allison, with victories at Talladega and Michigan, has become the first rookie driver to win two Winston Cup races.
Despite the two Big Guns in town (albeit in arranged cars), a good ol' local boy took home the money. In fairness, the local boy was ALSO a Cup big timer in an arranged car. And his win wasn't without some controversy. From July 12, 1987 Tennessean:
Sterling Marlin, who used three past Nashville Speedway track championships as a springboard to stock car racing’s major leagues, last night returned to his racing roots. Marlin took advantage of an open date on the premier NASCAR Winston Cup circuit to make a successful homecoming in the Coors 250.
The 30-year-old driver from Spring Hill, Tenn., led the final 113 laps of the race, out-distancing pole-sitter Darryl Sage by some 20 car lengths. A season-high crowd estimated by track officials at 21,400 turned out for the race.
Even after the race was over, Sage kept battling. He filed a protest of Marlin’s car. At press time, the car’s legality had not been determined. Chip Mullinax finished third, the only other driver in the lead lap and one of just 13 survivors from the original 26-car field.
Winston Cup superstar Dale Earnhardt had jocked with the leaders for much of the race before his car began to balk on lap 209. Earnhardt limped into the pits, and by the time he exited he was a lap down. Earnhardt returns to the Winston Cup circuit this weekend at Pocono, Pa, as the circuit’s winningest driver this season (seven) and current points champion.
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Another of Earnhardt’s fellow Winston Cup celebs failed to fare well. Bobby Allison, who jetted in yesterday from a race in British Columbia, Canada, bailed out after 79 laps with a burned foot. Nicky Formosa took over the car, ran 67 laps, and then had to call on his brother Tony Jr. for relief. The Allison-Formosa-Formosa effort resulted in a fifth-place finish, behind No. 4 Gene Albert.
Darryl Sage of Murfreesboro had nabbed the pole with a speed of 103.90 mph. Sage consistently ran up front and, as late as lap 237, held the lead. At that point Marlin, who had been nipping at Saga’s heels for a dozen laps, squeezed around as they exited the second turn.
With just four scheduled laps to go Marlin had built a commanding lead. The Formosa car stalled on the straightaway, however, bringing out the 11th caution flag of the race and wiping out Marlin’s lead.
The race was re-started on lap 253 of the scheduled 250-lapper. Under track rules, the final four laps must be run under green-flag conditions. Marlin had no problem, using his track savvy to get a good jump out of turn four and leaving Sage in the distance.
“It feels good to come back and win one on my home track,” said Marlin, who at one point was being black-flagged off the track by track officials. His tailpipe came loose and was dragging beneath Marlin’s car, but broke free a few laps later, producing a caution but allowing Marlin to duck in for a free pit stop. “I was going to come in the next lap,” said Marlin. “If the tailpipe didn’t come off when it did, I’d probably have lost the race.”
And about the protest?
“As far as l know, the car is legal,” said Marlin. “All I do is drive it. They had it ready for me when l got here.”
Marlin, a former Winston Cup rookie of the year, has struggled on the circuit this season. “We’ve had some bad luck, and that makes this win even better.”
Sage and his father weren't pleased with Sterling returning home and leaving town again with the loot. But in the end, track officials validated the legality of Marlin's borrowed ride. From July 13, 1987 Tennessean:
Sterling Marlin withstood a post-race protest and charges of preferential treatment to win Saturday night’s Coors 250 at Nashville Speedway. Lee Sage, who owns and maintains the race car of his son Darryl who finished second, filed a protest of Marlin’s motor immediately after the race. Sage also claimed Marlin won only because of rule-bending by track officials. .
A post-race inspection of Marlin’s car found the engine legal. Track officials denied they showed any favoritism to Marlin by allowing him to run several laps with the tailpipe of his car dragging along, showering sparks over the track. “We waited until we could determine exactly what the problem was,” said track steward Don Gregory. “Then we gave Marlin the black flag for two laps. If he had run one more lap and taken a third black flag, his car would have no longer been scored.”
The only thing that saved Marlin was Marlin. His tailpipe finally dropped off, bringing out a caution lap. Sage maintained that under the rules Marlin should have had to start at the back of the field since it was his car that brought out the caution.
Gregory said a car has to start at the back only when it spins out. Gregory said it is a matter of officials’ “discretion” when to black-flag a malfunctioning car off the track.
Sage didn’t buy the explanation. “The track brought Sterling in here and paid him appearance money,” said Sage. “They helped get him a car to drive. And then they helped him win.
“It’s no wonder Sterling was able to win three track championships on this track,” said Sage. “Name one race he’s ever won on any other track. I don’t know of a single one. It seems odd that he’s unbeatable at Nashville and can’t win anywhere else.”
Marlin, meanwhile, was long gone. He departed for his home in Spring Hill, Tenn., immediately after the race, without even bothering to wait around to see if his car borrowed from defending track champion Ricky Cruz was legal. “I don’t know anything about it” said Marlin. “I just showed up and drove it.”
Marlin said the same thing at Daytona last year when his car was caught rigged with an illegal fuel cooling system during pre-race inspection for the Firecracker 400. Marlin denied any knowledge of the illegal device. He placed the blame on car owner Hoss Ellington, who was subsequently fined by NASCAR.
Marlin, a former NASCAR Rookie of the Year, was expected to be a top contender this season. But at the halfway point of the season, his Piedmont & pantyhose Oldsmobile has floundered. Marlin’s best finish has been 4th. His poorest finishes have been 32nd, 30th, 28th, 21st, 19th (twice), 18th and 17th. He has blamed his troubles this season on “bad luck.”
Though I don't have a picture of Sterling's car from that night, I do know it was provided by Ricky Cruz and bore the #1. I believe it looked like this Chevy from 1986 which had the same paint scheme and sponsor as Cruz' #99.
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Sterling won his first career race - a late model feature - at Nashville in June 1977. Ten years later in July 1987 as a Cup regular, he won the Coors 250. And 30 years after that in July 2017, the young gun turned old man won yet again at The Fairgrounds. Last Saturday, I was there to see him take the $5,000 top prize for winning the 100 lap Pro Late Model feature.
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| 1 | Sterling Marlin |
| 2 | Darryl Sage |
| 3 | Chip Mullinax |
| 4 | Gene Albert Jr. |
| 5 | Bobby Allison |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 7 | Phil Spickard |
| 8 | Dorrls Vaughn |
| 9 | Bobby Hamilton |
| 10 | Ricky Cruz |
| 11 | Jerry Coble |
| 12 | Mike Montgomery |
| 13 | Mike Oliver |
| 14 | Joe Thoni |
| 15 | Rod Stillings |
| 16 | Harold Ferguson |
| 18 | Jim Berry |
| 19 | PB Crowell III |
| 20 | Mike Sneed |
| 21 | Don Jenkins |
| 22 | Dan Ford |
| 23 | Jack Collier |
| 24 | Newt Moore IV |
| 25 | Mark Smith |
| 26 | Chad Chaffin |
| 27 | Tony Formosa Jr. |
| 28 | Zillon Fells |
| 29 | Charlie Whitefield |
| 30 | Donnie Kaylor |
| 31 | Gary Binkley |
| 32 | Jeff Ladd |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 07/12/17 10:43:37AM
