Forum Activity for @simon-cook

Make up Your Own Mind

Current NASCAR

I know one thing and that is that this is not brilliance. Excuse my French but high level NASCAR has become manafactured bullshit, not motorsport. I mean, it has been going in that direction for years, but this is just a new low. At least when NASCAR threw 'debris' cautions in the past you never really knew when it was coming, not to say that they should have been throwing them.

"Fans, partners and the industry have embraced the new Chase format like nothing we've seen in the sport's history," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.

Sometimes I question Brian France's sanity. I don't believe I am the only one to do that, either.

Buddy's Gone

Stock Car Racing History

Announced on the Sirius XM twitter channel.

With overwhelming sadness, we regrettably announce the passing of our friend and colleague, Buddy Baker.

updated by @simon-cook: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Julian Buesink Home Movies

Stock Car Racing History

Last but not least, the 1953 Langhorne clip contains a brief shot of the long-searched NASCAR Volkswagen (at 1:34.) You can see it getting passed by a Jaguar.

Julian Buesink Home Movies

Stock Car Racing History

Actually, I just had a look again, and there is actually footage of the first race in MARC history.

As far as I can tell, these are the clips available.

NASCAR
1950: Langhorne (April), Southern 500, Winchester
1951: Charlotte (April), Hillsboro (April), Martinsville, Canfield, Dayton, Grand Rapids, Langhorne, Thompson, Lakewood
1952: Canfield, Detroit, Southern 500, Dayton (September)
1953: Daytona (Grand National/Modified-Sportsman), Langhorne (June)
1955: Daytona (Grand National/Sportsman/Modified-Sportsman), Southern 500
1956: Daytona (Grand National/Convertible/Modified-Sportsman), Martinsville (May)
1957: Daytona (Grand National/Convertible/Modified-Sportsman), Southern 500
1958: Daytona (Grand National/Convertible/Modified-Sportsman)

MARC (now ARCA)
1953: Dayton (May), Canfield, Dayton (September)
1954: Dayton (April/June)
1955: Dayton (April/June/Sept), Columbus, Canfield
1956: Dayton

Julian Buesink Home Movies

Stock Car Racing History

I just came across a real find.

"allendale101" on Youtube has recently posted a pile of racing home movies from Julian Buesink's collection.

There is some really rare footage amongst it. Most impressively, there's footage of the inaugural Southern 500, and footage of MARC (now ARCA) from it's first two or three seasons, including footage from the second race in MARC history. What's better is that most of it is in color.

As a sidenote, the videos haven't appeared in "allendale101's" uploads, so you'll just have to find them by doing a search on Youtube.

updated by @simon-cook: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Jaguars in the First Daytona 500

Stock Car Racing History

Here's a bit of a interesting fact, that probably isn't particularly well known:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19590217&id=22YpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=E8oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3146,2854764

Alongside the Convertible Series & Grand National cars intended for the 1st Daytona 500, Bill France Sr. made provisions for 4 Jaguars to compete. As it happens, these Jaguar entries did not materialize.

updated by @simon-cook: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PHOTOS GONE

Current NASCAR

I think what you'll find is that this applies to many other sites, as well. There just aren't as many new photos appearing on the web as there were three or four years ago.

Richard Petty Drives His '67 Plymouth Again

Stock Car Racing History

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England:

http://grrc.goodwood.com/festival-of-speed/latest/king-richard-petty-continues-reign-fos#/0

updated by @simon-cook: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

To Comment or Not Comment on Historical Racing Photos in the Photos Section??

Stock Car Racing History

I agree completely. I haven't been registered here long (although I was lurking without being registered for quite a while), but if anyone ever asks me what I like about Racers Reunion, I'd tell them one of the best things about this place is the comments.

Take, for example, the Racing History Minutes. Of course there were the initial posts, and they had (and have) plenty of good information, but then members would post period newspaper articles for the race, their own recollections of the event in question, additional general information about the race and the drivers competing in it, and additional photos and video of the event that weren't posted in the original post. Put simply, a lot of good information and interesting posts were posted that probably wouldn't have been posted if it wasn't for the comments of members of this site, which obviously never would have happened if there wasn't a comments section.

Longtime NASCAR personality Ray Fox dies at 98

Stock Car Racing History

Oh man, another one's gone.

Seems like we're losing an old timer once every two weeks or so at the moment...