Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

Longtime NASCAR Broadcaster Eli Gold Resigns From MRN Radio

Current NASCAR

I'm not a big Moody fan either. (Interestingly, he is technically a member here at RR though he hasn't posted in several years). His SXM show is a painful listen. BUT that entire station is dreadful by and large. I'm on my 2nd trial subscription - the system can be gamed. Ha - but the whole premise of the channel seems to be to invite the biggest collective of morons to call.

I'm unsure if the subscribe base is so limited that they'll take ANYONE that calls - or if the producers/screeners intentionally want the nutjobs to call so all can mock them.

Eli had his share of clueless wonders on NASCAR LIve over the years. But to your point, he generally handled them with more class and discretion.

Sunoco 260

Stock Car Racing History

Racing History Minute - June 17, 1972

Stock Car Racing History

Myrtle Beach, SC has a history of NASCAR racing dating back to the late 1950s with tracks such as Coastal Speedway and Rambi Speedway. Rambi hosted NASCAR sanctioned races from 1958 through 1965. Though racing continued and the track was rebranded as Myrtle Beach Speedway, NASCAR sanctioned events did not continue for a while.

In 1972, NASCAR made its return with with the Sun-Fun 200, a Grand National East race scheduled for Friday, May 19. Several WInston Cup Grand National regulars were expected to race in addition to some of the GNE regulars.

The race was rained out, however, and rescheduled for Saturday, June 17. Anytime a race is rained out, fans, drivers and especially the promoter is disappointed. When NASCAR set the new date, track management recognized the date fell as the Saturday night before the Sunday Golden State 400 Cup race in Riverside, CA.

The drivers went their separate ways and waited for the next race. A few weeks later, the teams arrived for the Riverside Cup race. Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino promoted a race on its quarter-mile bull ring. Some of the drivers who were promoted as participants included a few who had planned to race at Myrtle Beach in May. One of those drivers was Elmo Langley.

Back at Myrtle Beach, it was announced Lee Roy Yarbrough would race in the rescheduled GNE race in a Ford owned by BIll Seifert. The race was to be Yarbrough's first in the still-new GNE series. Another racer expected to compete was Tiger Tom Pistone.

Though the GNE race fell the same weekend as the Cup race, some drivers didn't make the trek to California. Instead, they raced at Myrtle Beach. Some included Baxter Price, Wendell Scott, D.K. Ulrich, and Richard Childress.

Elmo Langley returned from Riverside to race at Myrtle Beach. Though he had been promoted to race in San Bernardino, Elmo made the long flight back east to race. Elmo was a full-time GNE competitor, so the start was needed to stay in the title hunt.

After qualifying at Riverside, he flew back and strapped in his car. In practice, it was clear he had engine issues. Unfortunately, Lee Roy was unable to race as folks had hoped because of illness.

Being without a driver, Bill Seifert offered his car to Langley. The two swapped rides. Langley then went out and won the pole in Seifert's #45 Ford. Soapy Castles qualified second. Jim Paschal, Gary Myers and David Ray Boggs rounded out the top 5 starters.Wayne Andrews lined up 10th in the Thomas Brothers Hams Ford.

Within two laps after the green fell, Langley's concern about his own car were realized. Seifert fell out with what was officially deemed a 'water hose' problem in Elmo's #64 Ford.

Castles and Langley battled back and forth throughout the race. They split the laps as the leader almost right down the middle. As the race neared the 3/4 mark, Elmo passed Soapy's Dodge.

Elmo continued to lead down the stretch, and Soapy continued to push ... and burn gas. Castles finally ran out and hit road for a splash. By the time added fuel and pushed the stalled car to re-fire it, Castles had lost a lap. From there, Langley cruised to the win - his only GNE victory to pair with his two Grand National wins in 1966.

Meanwhile, the race at Orange Show Speedway went off as scheduled. Cup regulars in that race included James Hylton,J.D. McDuffie, and Benny Parsons. Hylton had originally planned to race in the Myrtle Beach GNE race in May.

Though he won the GNE race, the trade-off for Elmo was that he missed the start of the Cup race on Sunday. Logistically, he couldn't a timely return flight to arrive in time. Dick May started the race in Elmo's car and was credited with the official start.

Fin	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car
1	Elmo Langley	Bill Seifert	'71 Ford
2	Neil Castles	Neil Castles	'71 Dodge
3	Randy Hutchison	Warren Prout	'70 Chevrolet
4	Sam Sommers	Don Miller	'69 Chevrolet
5	Earl Brooks	Earl Brooks	'70 Ford
6	Jimmy Vaughn	Wayne Vaughn	'69 Chevrolet
7	Tiny Lund	Ronnie Hopkins	'72 Pontiac
8	Baxter Price	Baxter Price	'69 Chevrolet
9	David Ray Boggs	R.L. Boggs	'70 Dodge
10	Wendell Scott	Wendell Scott	'70 Ford
11	Eddie Yarboro	Eddie Yarboro	'70 Plymouth
12	Ernie Shaw	Ernie Shaw	'70 Ford
13	Bobby Fleming	Bobby Fleming	'72 Chevrolet
14	E.J. Trivette	Stan Starr	'72 Chevrolet
15	D.K. Ulrich	D.K. Ulrich	'71 Ford
16	H.B. Bailey	H.B. Bailey	'72 Pontiac
17	Jimmy Hailey	Roscoe Leonard	'71 AMC
18	Bill Hollar	Bill Hollar	'69 Ford
19	Buck Baker	Buck Baker	'71 Pontiac
20	Wayne Andrews	Thomas Brothers Hams	'70 Ford
21	Dub Simpson	William Strong	'71 Chevrolet
22	Tom Pistone		'72 Pontiac
23	Frank Sessoms	Gwen Blackwell	'70 Chevrolet
24	Richard Childress	Richard Childress	'72 Chevrolet
25	Gary Myers	Taylor Myers	'70 Ford
26	John Sears	J. Marvin Mills	'70 Dodge
27	Bill Shirey	Bill Shirey	'70 Plymouth
28	Tommy Lechlider		'69 Chevrolet
29	Jim Paschal	H.C. Stewart	'72 Pontiac
30	Bill Seifert	Elmo Langley	'71 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 01/06/17 12:00:09PM

Nascar August 11th 1956 Road America

Stock Car Racing History

Found a few extras - though not about your grandfather specifically.

Three years ago, I posted about the August 12 GN race here:

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/august-12-1956-tim-flock

I found these extras this morning.

I found it interesting Ab Jenkins had been scheduled to drive the pace car before his death from a heart attack.

My late uncle met Ab at Indianapolis in 1938 along with the eventual winner of the 500 that year, Floyd Roberts. A few years ago, I blogged about Ab Jenkins and included the note my uncle sent me along with the "hero card" Jenkins gave him 50+ years earlier. I still have the card and my uncle's note.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2009/04/ab-jenkins.html

Racing History Minute - June 13, 1970

Stock Car Racing History

In the mid to late 1970s, the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse - the Moody Mile - hosted several prominent dirt modified races titled Schaefer 100 and later Schaefer 200. In 1970, the Schaefer 100 was held as a USAC stock car division race.

From: Motor Racing Programme Covers

The race was slated as a 100-lap affair around Syracuse's one-mile dirt surface.

The superstar if you will of USAC's stock car series - Don White - won the pole in Ray Nichels' Dodge. Butch Hartman qualified alongside White in second. Paul Feldner and Tom Kippel made up the second row. Dave Whitcomb rounded out the top 5 starters for the 22-car field.

Roger McCluskey was scheduled to race in the event as part of a three-day, three-race schedule. After practicing Saturday in Langhorne for an Indy Car race on Sunday, the Syracuse flew McCluskey on a chartered flight to make his afternoon race. The flight was delayed a little bit which pushed back the start of the race.

McCluskey's car owner, Norm Nelson, qualified the car for McCluskey. But because he was late in arriving and didn't qualify his Plymouth, he was forced to start shotgun on the field in 22nd.

Despite starting last, McCluskey did the promoter right and gave the fans a show. He worked his way up through the field and into the top 5. The race admittedly wasn't full of name drivers, but to see someone work traffic and the dirt had to be a great sight.

Then as the race entered its final third, perhaps the most "only in USAC" thing happened after McCluskey passed Hartman for the lead. Dale Koehler, who had started 15th, spun on the backstretch as the leaders were right on his tail.

Koehler raised a cloud of dust, and neither McCluskey nor Hartman could see. McCluskey drilled Koehler injuring both of them. Hartman wrecked as well, but he wasn't injured. The Big One then expanded when four more cars piled into the fray.

With two drivers hurt, the two leaders wrecked, and a third of the starters involved in a single accident, USAC made the call to end the race after 67 completed laps. Even though McCluskey had passed Hartman on the 68th lap, the finish was determined by reverting to the leader of the last completed lap.

As a result, Hartman was awarded the win. McCluskey was taken to the hospital with a broken nose, other facial injuries and a P2 finish. McCluskey was injured badly enough that he missed the Sunday Langhorne race. The scheduled race at Lancaster was cancelled due to an expected low car count - including the scratch of McCluskey.

Koehler is the driver who really got the worst of things. He suffered a neck fracture and other head injuries plus went into cardiac arrest following the wreck.

Three weeks after the Syracuse wreck, McCluskey was amazingly back and ready to roll. He qualified third in his Norm Nelson-owned Superbird looking pretty good. He was competitive and finished third behind winner A.J. Foyt and second place Don White.

Koehler recovered as well. Though I can't find anything to indicate he raced again in 1970, I did find that he submitted an entry blank to race in the 1971 and 1972 Pennsylvania 500 USAC stock car races at Pocono. His name isn't listed in the finishing order for either race, so I'm unsure if he didn't show or DNQ.

The trail is cold for 1973 and 1974, but I did find that he raced in a USAC stock car race at the Milwaukee Mile in 1975.

See his Hemming's article for a bit more about the race and a handful of photos from it:

http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/mus/2010/03/One-of-those-Days/2934291.html

Fin	Driver
1	ButchHartman
2	RogerMcCluskey
3	VerlinEaker
4	DaveWhitcomb
5	TomKlippel
6	LesHeikkila
7	PaulFeldner
8	DaleKoehler
9	BillyRies
10	JimShampine
11	RossSmith
12	DonWhite
13	GeorgeRondelli
14	BillBehling
15	WoodyWalcher
Others 16-22(?) based on qualifying
	Tom Helkkila
	Bill Nelson
	Tom Bohlander
	Carl Jackson
	Bill Berwanger
	Terry Nichels

updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Racing History Minute - June 11, 1964

Stock Car Racing History

Back in 2012, I posted by blog entry about Richard Petty's win at Concord Speedway, his 31st career victory.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-11-this-day-in-petty-history.html

Though the laps led were split almost evenly between Petty and David Pearson, the race featured a secondary storyline. Or at least a storyline BEFORE the race. Mary Skipper Allen wanted to become the first woman since Louise Smith in 1964 to race in a NASCAR GN event.

She was confident in her abilities butcoy about her experience. After a private test session and lap times well off the expected race pace, NASCAR denied her attempt to enter the race. As far as I can tell, she never raced in a NASCAR sanctioned event.

And yes, her husband's name was Woody. Woody Allen.

updated by @tmc-chase: 01/06/17 12:02:34PM

Racing History Minute - June 10, 1973

Stock Car Racing History

Alamo 500 - Texas World Speedway

A few years back, I posted a blog about Richard Petty's win in the 1973 Alamo 500.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-10-this-day-in-petty-history.html

I found a few more goodies this week from that race in the newspapers from Waco, Corsicana, and Denton TX.

Individual driver promos were a pretty neat advertising gimmick. Never mind that a few of the publicized drivers didn't show to race.

The most interesting one may have been for driver Ed Sczech from San Antonio. He DID race in the Alamo 500 for Don Bierschwale plus 3 other Cup events in 1973. That's it. His whole NASCAR career.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Richard Petty	'73 Dodge
2	Darrell Waltrip	'71 Mercury
3	Joe Frasson	'73 Dodge
4	Cale Yarborough	'73 Chevrolet
5	Cecil Gordon	'72 Chevrolet
6	Buddy Baker	'73 Dodge
7	Benny Parsons	'73 Chevrolet
8	Ramo Stott	'72 Plymouth
9	David Sisco	'72 Chevrolet
10	J.D. McDuffie	'72 Chevrolet
11	H.B. Bailey	'73 Pontiac
12	Jabe Thomas	'73 Dodge
13	Frank Warren	'73 Dodge
14	Bill Champion	'71 Mercury
15	James Hylton	'71 Ford
16	Walter Ballard	'71 Mercury
17	Buddy Arrington	'72 Plymouth
18	Charlie Roberts	'71 Ford
19	Henley Gray	'71 Mercury
20	Ed Sczech	'73 Chevrolet
21	Bob Whitlow	'71 Ford
22	Dean Dalton	'71 Mercury
23	Tony Bettenhausen Jr	'72 Chevrolet
24	Lennie Pond	'73 Chevrolet
25	Raymond Williams	'72 Ford
26	Bobby Allison	'73 Chevrolet
27	Elmo Langley	'72 Ford
28	Coo Coo Marlin	'72 Chevrolet
29	Marty Robbins	'73 Dodge
30	Jimmy Crawford	'72 Plymouth
31	D.K. Ulrich	'71 Ford
32	Bobby Isaac	'73 Ford
33	Dave Marcis	'73 Matador
34	Rick Newsom	'71 Ford
35	Richard Childress	'73 Chevrolet
36	Mel Larson	'71 Ford
37	Ed Negre	'73 Dodge
38	Richie Panch	'73 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Earnhardt Trivia

Trivia

My first thought was 1979 Daytona 500 when he raced the Osterlund Buick. But then I thought this might be a trick question & that he'd led a lap here or there in 77 or 78. But if my research is right, his first laps led were indeed in the 79 500.

Bowman-Gray 250 June 5, 1971

Stock Car Racing History

Racing History Minute - June 4, 1978

Stock Car Racing History

NASCAR's Grand National / Winston Cup raced at Texas World Speedway five times between 1969 and 1973. Through a litany of challenges, NASCAR stepped back from TWS but then returned for races in 1979 through 1981.

Meanwhile, USAC continued to race in College Station - even during NASCAR's "gap period". USAC's stock car division readied for the Texas 500 on June 4, 1978. From Motor Racing Programme Covers .

The two quickest drivers in final practice before qualifying were Terry Ryan and Freddy Fryar. Ryan started second in the 1976 Daytona 500 after the top 3 speeds by A.J. Foyt, Darrell Waltrip and Dave Marcis were tossed. Fryar was rallied to practice and qualify Bobby Allison's Matador. Allison was in Nashville for what was to be the first Cup race I attended - the Music City 420.

Race weekend got off to a solemn start when the garage learned one of Sal Tovella's crew had been killed when the team's transporter was involved in an accident on the way to the track.

Neither Ryan or Fryar were fasted on pole day though. Tom Williams - who I know nothing about and sounds more like a CPA than a race driver - won the pole. Ryan timed second. Fryar placed Allison's Matador third on the grid, but Allison had to start from the back of the field after the driver change for the race.Click article to open larger version in new tab.

Despite NASCAR's irregular visits to TWS, Allison continued to race at the track with races sanctioned by groups other NASCAR. As a former winner at the track and the fast laps laid down by Fryar, Allison was expected to be the driver to beat.

Foyt had a rotten weekend. After finishing 7th in the Indy 500, he turned his attention to readying his stock car for Texas. The Buick needed extra work because Ron Hutcherson wrecked the car after tangling with Al Holbert in James Hylton's car in NASCAR's World 600 at Charlotte. He was quick in practice but had engine issues.He and his Gilmore team made a return trip to Houston to resolve them. By the time they got back to the track, he had missed qualifying. As a result, Super Tex started near the end of the field. Then after completing only three laps, Foyt's engine woes returned and he was done for the day.

Terry Ryan and Joe Ruttman led some of the early laps of the race, but both fell out of the race. As expected, Allison was quick again once the race got underway. He worked this way through the field and eventually found his way to the point. As he piled up the lap leader count, he built a two-lap lead over the field. But then, his Matador first broke a track car and then developed an overheating problem slowing his pace. When the race ended, he returned to Hueytown with a 5th place finish. All in all, the finish wasn't bad - but after leading 114 laps and building the two-lap lead, Allison couldn't have been happy with a P5.

The scariest incident of the day happened on lap 9 when Bob Keselowski spun. In an effort to miss the spin, Ricky Otts ended up tagging the wall. Ken Rowley then spun as well. The back of his car nailed the back of Otts car rupturing BOTH fuel cells. A huge fireball erupted, but thankfully both drivers were generally OK.

With Allison and Foyt out of the picture, defending winner Bay Darnell took over the lead. Close behind him was 21 year-old Gary Bowsher, son of USAC and ARCA veteran Jack Bowsher. Bowsher led a sizable chunk of laps - particularly as the race entered the final 50 laps. But then with about 25 to go, Bowsher's car began to slow a bit and Darnell re-took the lead.

With 15 to go, Darnell then had overheating issues of his own. He lost his engine and coasted helplessly on the apron of turn 1. Bowsher who had slowed to help offset some of his overheating problems swept by Darnell to take the lead and the win. Darnell still managed to finish second despite his DNF.

The attrition rate was as brutal as the Texas sun. Of the 38 starters, only 7 cars were still running at the end of the 250 laps:

1. Bowsher

3. Paul Feldner

4. Keith Davis

5. Allison

6. Tom Harrington

7. H.B. Bailey

12. Williams

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Gary Bowsher	Ford Torino
2	Bay Darnell	Chevrolet Camaro
3	Paul Feldner/Dave Decker	Dodge Magnum
4	Keith Davis	Chevrolet Chevelle
5	Bobby Allison	AMC Matador
6	Tom Harrington	Pontiac LeMans
7	H.B. Bailey	Pontiac Trans Am
8	Dave Watson	Buick Skylark
9	Dale Koehler	Chevrolet Monte Carlo
10	Wayne Watercutter	Chevrolet Malibu
11	Kevin Housby	Plymouth Volare
12	Tom Williams	Chevrolet Chevelle
13	Tom Sturdivant	Chevrolet Camaro
14	Bill Venturini	Plymouth Volare
15	Randy Ogden	Chevrolet Camaro
16	Larry Schild	Chevrolet
17	Ken Jai	Chevrolet
18	Bob Schacht	Chevrolet Laguna
19	Terry Pearson	Chevrolet
20	Terry Ryan	Chevrolet Laguna
21	Rich Sundling	Chevrolet Chevelle
22	Gordon Blankenship	Dodge Magnum
23	Eddie Wachs	Chevrolet Camaro
24	Bob Labonte/Billy Hagan	Chevrolet Laguna
25	Paul Feldner	Dodge Magnum
26	Bob Brevak	Dodge Magnum
27	Jim Hurlbert	Dodge Magnum
28	Tommy Taylor	Plymouth Fury
29	Joe Wallace	Chevrolet Camaro
30	Dean Roper	Dodge Magnum
31	Joe Ruttman	Pontiac
32	Bob Keselowski	Dodge Aspen
33	John Haver	Chevrolet
34	Ken Rowley	Plymouth Volare
35	Jerry Jolly	Chevrolet Chevelle
36	Ricky Otts	Chevrolet Laguna
37	A.J. Foyt	Buick
38	Tom Meinberg	Chevrolet Laguna

updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM