Forum Activity For @Tmc-Chase

@tmc-chase
02/10/16 12:48:17PM
4,073 posts

R.I.P. Lennie Pond

-RacersReunion® OUTREACH

Lennie in for Richard Petty at 1973 Southern 500. 43 finished P4.

Lennie with King and Neil Bonnett before start of 1976 Daytona 500

Lennie in for Petty at 1978 Volunteer 500, Bristol's first night race. Helped get the awkward looking 43 Monte Carlo a P5 finish. The Chevy was rented-borrowed-bought-whatever from Henley Gray at the last minute after the team's only Chevy was wrecked in its debut at Michigan.

Lennie also started on the pole for my first ever Cup race, the 1978 Music City 420 at Nashville.

@tmc-chase
02/10/16 12:21:30PM
4,073 posts

R.I.P. Lennie Pond

-RacersReunion® OUTREACH

A tough start to 2016 in a lot of ways. Sadly, the reality is many more obits like this are headed our way. As someone who began following racing in the early 1970s, news about the death of drivers I never knew much about has been unfortunate but didn't resonate with me as much. But now that news has begun to hit with more regularity about the deaths of drivers I did know about such as Lennie and Buddy Baker, the loss is definitely felt deeper. Human nature I suppose. But Lennie will certainly be missed. He filled in on more than one occasion for King Richard when heat and/or injuries forced from the 43 during a race.

@tmc-chase
02/08/16 10:54:03AM
4,073 posts

Daytona Activities

Stock Car Racing History

I'm planning on a Speedweeks trip for the first time since 1997. Hoping to hit twins on Thursday and 500 on Sunday. Nothing planned on Friday and Saturday right now. Would be interested in learning more about either of these events if they fall in those 2 days before the 500.

@tmc-chase
02/05/16 12:32:27PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - February 5, 1961

Stock Car Racing History

Indy car driver Jimmy Bryan won the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1958. After running in the 500 and a few more races the next year, he retired from racing. But he returned in 1960 for another run at Indy. He also raced at Milwaukee and picked up a top 10 finish. He was then recruited to race at the famed Langhorne Speedway as a substitute for Rodger Ward in June 1960. The decision was an ill-fated one. Bryan's car hooked a rut right at the beginning of the race, and his open-wheel roadster was tossed high in the air. Bryan was killed when the car fell and landed on him.

In February 1961, west coast race promoter and Indy car owner J.C. Agajanian promoted the Jimmy Bryan Memorial USAC stock car race in Bryan's hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. The 100-lap race was held on the one-mile dirt track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds - not Phoenix International Raceway built a few years later.

The race drew several of the bigger names from USAC's open wheel series and stock car division - drivers such as Parnelli Jones, Ward, Jim Rathmann, A.J. Foyt, Tony Bettenhausen, and Bobby Unser. A couple of other drivers entered the USAC race who would also participate in several NASCAR races in the 1960s and 1970s - Paul Goldsmith, Dick Hutcherson, and Ron Hornaday Sr.

Goldsmith won the pole, dominated the race by leading 89 of 100 laps, and captured the win. From what I can tell, he raced a Pontiac for car owner Ray Nichels. The race's only significant accident involved Ward and Parnelli. Jones was transported to the hospital but wasn't seriously injured.

John Rostek from Colorado finished second. Exactly one week after the USAC race in Phoenix, Rostek made his NASCAR GN debut with a crash and 39th place finish in his 100-mile qualifying twin at Daytona. He did not transfer to the 500. About 2 months after the USAC race, however, Rostek returned to Phoenix where he won a NASCAR GN race in only his second GN start. He raced three more NASCAR events in 1960 plus a sixth and final career start in 1963 at Riverside. In his fifth and final start of 1960, Rostek traveled all the way to Montgomery NY where he won the only GN pole of his career. He finished 7th in that race that was won by Rex White. Tim Leeming RHM:

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/racing-history-minute-july-17-1960

Though Agajanian planned to make the Jimmy Bryan Memorial race an annual event, a "second annual" one never happened at the fairgrounds. When PIR opened in 1965, the memorial race was restored. The Jimmy Bryan Memorial was held regularly in the late 60s and then sporadically until the last one in 1984. However, all the memorial races held after PIR opened were all open-wheel cars meaning the first one was the only one for USAC's stock cars.

When the Jimmy Bryan Memorial race name returned in 1965, some media reports interestingly referred to it as the first annual event with no acknowledgment of the stock car race in 1961 in the same city.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	PaulGoldsmith	1960 Pontiac
2	JohnRostek	1960 Ford
3	ElmerMusgrave	1961 Ford
4	DickHutcherson	1961 Ford
5	NormNelson	1960 Ford
6	RonHornaday Sr.	1961 Ford
7	DaveLundman	1960 Ford
8	JimBlomgren	1960 Ford
9	BrownieBrown	1960 Ford
10	DempseyWilson	1959 Plymouth
11	DannyLetner	1960 Ford
12	GordonGorman	1958 Ford
13	EddieMeyer	1961 Ford
14	BruceWorrell	1960 Ford
15	GeneLong	1958 Mercury
16	JackNorton	1959 Chevrolet
17	DickCook	1959 Plymouth
18	JimRathmann	1961 Ford
19	LloydDane	1959 Ford
20	A.J.Foyt	1961 Ford
21	RodgerWard	1960 Ford
22	ParnelliJones	1960 Ford
23	TonyBettenhausen	1958 Ford
24	WhiteyGerken	1960 Ford
25	MarvinHeinis	1960 Ford
26	MelLarson	1958 Mercury
27	BobbyUnser	1960 Chevrolet
28	BillCheesbourg	1959 Ford
29	BillSmith	1960 Ford
30	BobHogle	1958 Pontiac
31	WayneWeiler	1959 Plymouth
32	BillShoulders	1960 Ford

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

@tmc-chase
02/04/16 11:29:37PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - February 4, 1951

Stock Car Racing History

The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) hosted a stock car race at Plant Field in Tampa, Florida on February 4, 1951. The 100-mile, 200-lap race was the featured event during the Florida State Fair.

Plant Field was the first sizable sports facility in Tampa. It was named for Henry Plant, an industrialist who owned railroads, hotels and other business interests. About 32 years before the IMCA race, the legendary Babe Ruth slapped a 500+ feet home run. I'm guessing the record still stands. Maybe it still does - or doesn't. I'm not sure because I'm not a baseball guy, so I really have nothing more to add other than "HOLY COW! 500 ft IS A FRIGGIN' LONG WAY AWAY!" - From FloridaTraveler.com.

I don't know the starting line-up. But Frank Luptow was seemingly in command of the race as it got well under way. Then Luptow ... with a nine-lap lead ... had issues with his fuel system. After an extended pit stop to make the repair, Speed Thompson soldiered around, made up this laps and claimed the win. Eddie Anderson finished 2nd, and Luptow fell all the way back to 3rd. - From St. Petersburg Times

Sadly, Luptow was killed about 18 months later in an accident during the September 21, 1952 AAA stock car race at Lakewood Speedway near Atlanta. Article from St. Petersburg Times

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

@tmc-chase
02/03/16 09:26:24PM
4,073 posts

Retirement of Randy Hallman

General

Happened upon the news that Randy Hallman retired from the Richmond Times Dispatch as of Monday, February 1. Randy is a member here at RR though I don't think he checks in very often with us. Still, he covered racing very well for the Richmond News Leader and Times Dispatch.

Hopefully some of you here still know how to reach Randy. He should be congratulated on a fine career as a reporter - not just for motor racing but in other aspects of journalism as well.

http://www.richmond.com/business/article_8fa81738-c869-11e5-aa2c-df31abdf56e9.html

updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

@tmc-chase
01/31/16 09:43:26PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - January 31, 1954

Stock Car Racing History

Carrell Speedway in Gardena, California was open only a few short years. As best I can tell, it opened around 1948 and hosted its last event - a NASCAR Grand National / Pacific Coast late model division race - on Memorial Day, May 30, 1954.

On January 31, 1954, promoter J.C. Agajanian hosted a American Automobile Association (AAA) sanctioned stock car event. The race was slated for 200-laps, 100-miles on the 1/2 mile dirt oval.

Program from Motor Racing Programme Covers

Race preview from the Long Beach Independent Press Telegram

With five laps to go, Johnny Mantz - the winner of the inaugural Southern 500 in 1950 - had the race well in hand. But as is so often the case, the money is paid to the driver leading with 5 to go. It's paid to the driver who actually takes the checkered flag.

Mantz had issues with the win seemingly in his grasp. He faded to a fourth place finish. Mantz's misfortune became the good fortunes for someone else. Chuck Stevenson inherited the lead and was flagged the winner. But as Lee Corso often says on ESPN's College Football Game Day...

After reviewing tape and scoring records, it was found Stevenson was behind another driver. Unheralded racer George Fleming from way back east in Pennsylvania was then recognized as the winner of the race.

Stevenson was scored as finishing second. Lou Figaro was third followed by Mantz and Marshall Teague to round out the top 5 finishers. I don't yet know the rest of the running order. Based on the race preview articles, however, it seems 19-20 cars were in the race.

Race report from the San Bernardino Sun Telegram.