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Racing History Minute - April 13, 1969

Stock Car Racing History

For Dave Fulton - our RacersReunion colleage who may have the most passion for the history of Richmond Raceway and all its various surfaces, lengths and names.

I originally blogged this today here and will re-post to RR:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2016/04/april-13-1969-richmond-500.html

Richmond's spring race has bounced around a good bit over the decades. Throughout the 1970s and most of the 1980s, the race was scheduled for late February or early March. At the opposite end of the season, the race was scheduled a few times in June. Nowadays, the race floats from mid-April to early May - which seems ideal for that area of the country. The 1969 Richmond 500 was slotted in that optimal time frame on April 13th.

After more than a dozen years as a dirt track, track promoter Paul Sawyer paved Richmond following the first Grand National race of 1968. In doing so, the track was lengthened ever so slightly from a true half-mile to a .542 mile oval. David Pearson won Richmond's final 250-lap race on dirt, and Richard Petty won the first 300-lap one on the new asphalt surface.

The spring 1969 race was lengthened to 500 laps and about 250 miles - the longest race held to that point at the track. Despite the change in track surface and distance, the race featured little drama. David Pearson won the pole in his #17 Holman Moody Ford. He then set forth to puttin' a whuppin' on the field. He led a dominating 416 of 500 laps, lapped most of the field by multiple laps, and finished a full lap ahead of second place finisher Richard Petty.

From Dave Fulton's pictures:

Pearson notched his third consecutive spring Richmond win. It was also his sixth and final Richmond win - including six trophies in ten attempts - and the 33rd of 63 times Petty-Pearson finished first and second. When you're the winner, smoke 'em if ya got 'em!

From Dave's pictures and archives of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Fin	Driver	Owner	Car
1	David Pearson	Holman-Moody	'69 Ford
2	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises	'69 Ford
3	Elmo Langley	Elmo Langley	'68 Ford
4	Neil Castles	Neil Castles	'69 Plymouth
5	Bill Seifert	Bill Seifert	'68 Ford
6	J.D. McDuffie	J.D. McDuffie	'67 Buick
7	Bill Champion	Bill Champion	'68 Ford
8	E.J. Trivette	E.C. Reid	'67 Chevrolet
9	Henley Gray	Harry Melton	'68 Ford
10	Pete Hazelwood	Pete Hazelwood	'68 Ford
11	Dick Johnson	Dick Johnson	'68 Ford
12	Jabe Thomas	Don Robertson	'68 Plymouth
13	Ray Hendrick		'67 Chevrolet
14	Worth McMillion	Roy Tyner	'69 Pontiac
15	James Hylton	James Hylton	'69 Dodge
16	Paul Dean Holt	Dennis Holt	'67 Ford
17	Earl Brooks	Earl Brooks	'67 Ford
18	John Sears	L.G. DeWitt	'67 Ford
19	Ed Negre	Ed Negre	'67 Ford
20	Sonny Hutchins	Junie Donlavey	'67 Ford
21	Cecil Gordon	Bill Seifert	'68 Ford
22	Ed Hessert	Lyle Stelter	'69 Mercury
23	Buddy Arrington	Buddy Arrington	'69 Dodge
24	Wendell Scott	Wendell Scott	'67 Ford
25	Ben Arnold	Don Culpepper	'68 Ford
26	Dick Poling	Mack Sellers	'67 Chevrolet
27	Bobby Isaac	Nord Krauskopf	'69 Dodge
28	John Kenney	Bill Champion	'67 Ford

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

To Be The Legend

Administrative

Wait, are we talking about this mascot...

...or this one?

Without the hat and glasses, it's kind of hard to tell 'em apart. Just want to make sure I know which is which. Ha.

Racing History Minute - April 3, 1966

Stock Car Racing History

Never let the truth get in the way of a good advertising campaign.

Racing History Minute - April 3, 1966

Stock Car Racing History

The Grand National drivers arrived in Hickory on April 3rd for the first of two races in 1966.

Through the early part of the schedule, David Pearson led the points despite not having won in first eight races of the schedule. The big storyline for Hickory, however, was the debut of the Ford Fairlane. The driver to feature it - Curtis Turner - was with the one of the two teams most likely to field it: the Wood Brothers.

Allen Rankin won the preliminary sportsman race. The late Don Tilley who later operated a Harley dealership and rode regularly on Kyle Petty's Charity Ride finished P3.

Elmo Langley won the pole for the GN race - the only one of his career. Pop plopped his #41 on the front row alongside him. Ned Jarrett and Pearson made up the second row.

Ned was the lap bully. He led 138 of the race's 250 laps. Unfortunately for him, he led them in the mid stages of the race and had to settle for a third place finish.

Paul Goldsmith started 8th and finished 5th in his year-old Plymouth. - Ray Lamm pic

Turner and Clyde Lynn diggin' through the corners. Curtis led the first three laps and another 28 late in the race on his way to a P2 finish. - Paul Woody pic

Tiger Tom sliding high in an effort to get around Jimmy Helms. Tiger started sixth but finished 22nd after an overheating issue. Helms fell out with a failed differential after only 96 laps. - Paul Woody pic

I don't know where the heck Toy Bolton was headed - and likely neither did he. The pole winner Langley, King Richard and Turner all get by him. - Paul Woody pic

Buddy Baker had a rough go of it too. He was around at the checkers but was FORTY-EIGHT laps down to the winner. He started and finished in the same spot: 17th. Petty again had a bird's eye view of another driver with a bad day. - Paul Woody pic

When the dust settled, it was Spartanburg's David Pearson who got the win. He seized control of the race with about 50 laps to go and pretty easily held off Curtis to get the win in his Cotton Owens Dodge. After not having won in the first few races, Pearson's victory started a streak of 4 wins in a row. He followed Hickory with consecutive wins at Columbia, Greenville-Pickens and Bowman Gray.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	David Pearson	'64 Dodge
2	Curtis Turner	'66 Ford
3	Bobby Isaac	'66 Ford
4	Ned Jarrett	'66 Ford
5	Paul Goldsmith	'65 Plymouth
6	Elmo Langley	'64 Ford
7	J.D. McDuffie	'64 Ford
8	Toy Bolton	'66 Chevrolet
9	Roy Tyner	'65 Chevrolet
10	Richard Petty	'65 Plymouth
11	Wayne Woodward	'66 Chevrolet
12	J.T. Putney	'65 Chevrolet
13	Henley Gray	'66 Ford
14	Wendell Scott	'65 Ford
15	Clyde Lynn	'64 Ford
16	Stick Elliott	'66 Chevrolet
17	Buddy Baker	'65 Chevrolet
18	Tiny Lund	'64 Ford
19	Cale Yarborough	'64 Ford
20	Jimmy Helms	'64 Ford
21	Gene Cline	'64 Ford
22	Tom Pistone	'64 Ford
23	Gene Black	'64 Ford
24	Joel Davis	'65 Plymouth
25	John Sears	'64 Ford
26	Buck Baker	66 Oldsmobile

updated by @tmc-chase: 04/03/17 11:40:15AM

Racing History Minute - April 2, 1961

Stock Car Racing History

A couple of posts have been started here in recent years about races on or near Easter including:

Easter Monday races at Peace Haven and Bowman Gray

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/36221/who-remembers-easter-monday-races

Easter Monday 1976 at Trico

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/22075/bobby-allison-ray-hendrick-raced-where-easter-monday-1976-any-rr-members-race-there-that-day

Easter Sunday racing pre-Winston era

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/general/8273/so-what-if-the-grandstands-just-burned-down-weve-got-a-race-to-run-wheres-the-easter-bunny

Easter Sunday racing post-Winston era

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/12949/history-of-easter-weekend-nascar-points-races

I've found two additional races held on Easter Sunday, 1961. One was a NASCAR GN race at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro. The race had been scheduled for March 19 but was rained out. Rather than run it the next day, Good Friday, or a non-Easter weekend date, the promoter scheduled it for Easter Sunday. The make-up race meant the GN drivers raced on 3 consecutive days - Saturday at Greenville-Pickens ( Tim Leeming RHM ), Easter Sunday at Hillsboro, and Easter Monday at Bowman Gray.

The promoter at Hillsboro? Big Bill France. The reason for re-scheduling the race for Easter? Most likely because of another race scheduled for Easter Sunday.

Bruton Smith scheduled a USAC stock car race for Concord Speedway on Easter Sunday. The event was to be the first time USAC's stock car division raced in the south. As expected, France and the NASCAR suits weren't thrilled with the idea. They said the right things - mostly - about not being threatened by Bruton's move. But they also let it be known that NASCAR drivers who opted to race in the USAC event risked being suspended from racing in NASCAR sanctioned events. This warning included Curtis Turner who originally said he intended to race in Bruton's event. France's folks let it be known Turner risked not being able to race in the World 600 at Charlotte - the very track of which he was president.

Both races went off as scheduled. Don White took the checkers in the USAC race, and Cotton Owens won in Hillsboro. I blogged more about the USAC race today here:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2016/04/april-2-1961-usac-stock-cars-make.html

updated by @tmc-chase: 04/02/17 10:04:09AM

Racing History Minute - April 2, 1950

Stock Car Racing History

The newly renamed Grand National division arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina for a 200-lap race at the 3/4-mile New Charlotte Speedway on April 2, 1950. The race was promoted by NASCAR President, Bill France Sr.

The race was the second of the 1950 season and the first since [ Harold Kite won the Daytona beach and road course race  ] in February.

Red Byron was named as the early favorite by some...

...while others wondered if Glenn Dunaway could return to New Charlotte to snag a win after being DQ'd at the track a year earlier in the first ever NASCAR Strictly Stock race.

Lee Petty wasn't expected to race at Charlotte because of a cast he had on his hand. Coincidentally, Richard Petty had to [ miss a couple of races  ] around the same time of year in 1966 because of a cast on HIS hand. Despite his injury, Papa Lee DID show up at Charlotte and race.

Red Byron won the pole and led 42 laps early in the race. Unlike the predictions, however, Byron couldn't hold the lead and eventually finished fourth, four laps down to the winner.

Second place qualifier, Bob Flock, led the first five laps. He finished the race in the same sot he started it - second, the only other car on the lead lap as the winner.

Bob's brother Tim was the class of the field in his #21 1949 Lincoln. He led 153 of the race's 200 laps and claimed his first career NASCAR GN win. The Mercury was fielded by car owner - Harold Kite. It's probable the car Flock raced to the win on the short-track at Charlotte was the same Lincoln Kite raced to the win in Daytona.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Tim Flock	'49 Lincoln
2	Bob Flock	'49 Oldsmobile
3	Clyde Minter	'50 Mercury
4	Red Byron	'50 Oldsmobile
5	Bill Snowden	'49 Buick
6	Glenn Dunaway	'49 Plymouth
7	Jack White	'49 Mercury
8	Fred Johnson	'49 Ford
9	Herb Thomas	'47 Ford
10	Huey Dunn	'49 Oldsmobile
11	Frank Mundy	'49 Oldsmobile
12	Bob Apperson	'49 Ford
13	Bill Rexford	'50 Oldsmobile
14	Lloyd Moore	'49 Lincoln
15	Curtis Turner	'50 Oldsmobile
16	Cotton Owens	'50 Ford
17	June Cleveland	'48 Buick
18	Lee Petty	'49 Plymouth
19	Bill Blair	'49 Cadillac
20	Bill Harrison	'49 Lincoln
21	Fonty Flock	'47 Buick
22	Buck Baker	'50 Ford
23	Jim Paschal	'49 Ford
24	Ray Erickson	'48 Mercury
25	Buddy Helms	'47 Hudson

updated by @tmc-chase: 03/30/17 02:24:28PM

Pete Corey and the Fonda Speedway fan.

Stock Car Racing History

Not sure how many news clippings you've saved from back then - or are interested in today. But I spotted several with just a quick search of old newspapers at FultonHistory.com. The archive includes many NY newspapers from the 1950s.

http://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html

Pete Corey and the Fonda Speedway fan.

Stock Car Racing History

Cool post. Not familiar with Pete. But I can relate to finding a larger-than-life, racing hero at a young age.

Racing History Minute - March 28, 1982

Stock Car Racing History

Diane Teel's 14 year-old (at the time) granddaugher - Macy Causey - races late models. Last fall, she practiced for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville. Her goal was to qualify for the race and become the first grandmother-granddaughter combo to have raced at the track. She wasn't quick enough in qualifying unfortunately, and she missed the show.

From Martinsville's website:

https://www.martinsvillespeedway.com/Articles/2015/09/Macy-Causey.aspx

Causey Following In Grandma's Tire Tracks

9/24/2015

Racing History Minute - March 28, 1982

Stock Car Racing History

NASCAR's long running late model sportsman division was significantly revamped beginning in 1982. Gone was the LMS moniker and boocoodle of races. In its place was a shortened schedule and a re-branding as the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Division.

Despite the dramatic changes to the series, one constant remained on the schedule - the Dogwood 500 at Martinsville. The 1982 edition of the LMS / modified races was scheduled for March 21, 1982 - the same day Cup raced in Atlanta.

Qualifying was held, and Geoff Bodine won the pole for both races. Bodine won the 1981 LMS half of the Dogwood twins. He was looking to accomplish what only one driver had done in the Dogwood 500 - win both races from the pole. Ray Hendrick turned that trick in 1970. Paul Radford won both races in 1977, but he didn't start from the pole in either of them. [ Dave Fulton RHM ]

From  Motor Racing Programme Covers

On race day, however, rain arrived. The race was postponed one week to March 28 - the same day Cup raced at Rockingham.

In 2015, Martinsville recognized Diane Teel as the first woman to start an Xfini ... err, Nationwi ... um Busc ... I mean BUDWEISER LMS race. Just about every website and article will quote the same "fact".

In the most literal sense, Teel was the first female to start a race in the newly rebranded series. But in my opinion, they slight her accomplishment by ignoring the fact she also raced in the Dogwood 500 a year earlier - BEFORE Anheuser-Busch's money arrived. NASCAR still seems to struggle with how to adapt pre-1982 LMS stats into the post-1981 era. (Another example, it is frequently stated Dale Earnhardt won the first Xfinity Series race. Again, true on some levels - but wrong on many others.)

The opening 250 lap LMS race included some tremendous and expected racing action.

From  Getty Images

The race came down to a great battle between Sam Ard and Butch Lindley. Ard got the win after nipping Lindley at the line.

From  Getty Images

New York hot shoe Greg Sacks captured the closing 250-lap modified race. As with Ard's close win, Sacks had to defeat perhaps the greatest modified driver - Richie Evans. Sacks led much of the last 50 laps, but Evans kept him honest until the checkered flag fell.

Looking back, it seemed NASCAR, Anheuser, the tracks, owners, drivers, TV, etc. had a pretty good idea. Reform the series into a contemporary format - yet keep many of the traditional elements. But...that concept wasn't sustained.

As it turned out, the 1982 Dogwood 500 was the final one. In 1983, only the LMS (later renamed Busch Grand National) cars returned for the spring race. The modifieds ran occasionally but not as a spring pairing with the Busch race. The twice-annual LMS races at Martinsville were reduced to a single Busch race at track. Then following the 1994 season, the race was dropped from Martinsville's schedule altogether.

updated by @tmc-chase: 03/26/17 01:47:23PM