Racing History Minute - New Year's Day Racing
Stock Car Racing History
More NYD racing - 1963 Tobacco Bowl at Bowman Gray
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/01/20 12:18:30PM
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Stock Car Racing History
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/01/20 12:18:30PM
Racing History Minute - New Year's Day Racing
Stock Car Racing History
Reed's win on January 1, 1957 was his second consecutive win at Gardena on New Years'ish. He also won on January 2, 1956 in a NASCAR Pacific Coast division race.
Racing History Minute - New Year's Day Racing
Stock Car Racing History
Found another one. Brown's Speedway in Eastaboga, Alabama - near the site where Alabama International Motor Speedway was built - hosted a slate of races on New Year's Day, January 1, 1948. One of the drivers expected to participate was native Alabaman, Red Byron. I haven't yet found any articles indicating who won the race(s).
Racing History Minute - New Year's Day Racing
Stock Car Racing History
NASCAR's Pacific Coast late model division raced at Gardena Stadium speedway in California on New Year's Day - January 1, 1957. Multi-time NASCAR Short Track Division champion, Jim Reed, from allll the way up in New York traveled about as far west as one could go to claim the victory on the quarter-mile dirt track while driving a Pete DePaolo Ford.
Though the preview article seems to indicate the race was 200 laps, the day's events actually consisted of two 25-lap qualifying races plus a 150-lap feature.
Four years later, NASCAR ran another Pacific Coast late model race on New Year's Day. However, the 100-lap race on January 1, 1961 was held at the famed half-mile Ascot Park dirt track and was won by another Jim - Jim Cook. Unlike Reed, Cook was from nearby Anaheim, CA.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/06/17 12:30:59PM
RIP Marvin Panch
General
So sad. Another one gone. So glad I got to meet him in October 2014 at Memory Lane Museum.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20151231/SPORTS/151239929/101001?Title=Local-NASCAR-racing-legend-Marvin-Panch-dies-at-age-89
Local NASCAR racing legend Marvin Panch dies at age 89
By Godwin Kelly
godwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com
Published: Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 12:10 p.m.
Marvin Panch, who gained fame by winning the 1961 Daytona 500 while driving Smokey Yunick's backup stock car, died Thursday.
Panch, 89, was born in Oakland, California, but spent a good part of his life in Port Orange, with his wife Bettie. They raised two children, Richie and Marvette.
Richie died in an airplane crash in 1985. Bettie passed away in 2006.
Panch was found unresponsive in his car Thursday morning and pronounced dead of natural causes a short while later.
He raced NASCAR in the 1950s and '60s and made 216 Sprint Cup Series starts and won 17 races, including that 500.
Panch had a near-death experience at Daytona International Speedway in 1963, when he flipped a sports car, which caught on fire, during a practice run over the track's road course.
Several people near the crash site, including NASCAR Grand American driver Tiny Lund, came to his rescue.
Panch suffered excessive burns and was unable to start the 1963 Daytona 500 for Wood Brothers Racing.
The injured driver asked Wood Brothers to put Lund in his place. The team agreed and Lund went on to score the 1963 Daytona 500 victory.
Panch's last NASCAR start was in 1966.
He worked in the automobile and racing business until he retired about two decades ago.
After retirement, he did extensive traveling. He was heavily involved with the local club, Living Legends of Auto Racing.
Panch wasn't supposed to win the 1961 Daytona 500. Pontiac, under the direction of new general manager Bunkie Knudsen, flooded the Daytona field with brand new 1961 Pontiacs. One of them, the black and gold No. 22, was prepared by Yunick, the legendary local mechanic in Yunick's Best Damn Garage in Town." That car was driven by Fireball Roberts, Yunick's fellow Daytonan and a NASCAR star of the day.
Pontiac was making a big marketing push with its new car, and the Daytona 500 was designed as a coming-out party.
Panch got a hand-me-down from the Yunick shop, a 1960 Pontiac Catalina (No. 20) that Roberts ran the previous year. The 1961 Daytona 500 belonged to Roberts until the closing laps, when his engine blew up. Panch, among those unsuccessfully chasing after Roberts, was given the go sign from Yunick and, in a bittersweet day for the Pontiac marketing team, Panch outran all of the new Pontiacs -- and everyone else -- in his year-old Catalina.
Panch took his half of that day's winnings (roughly $10,000) and used it to buy a piece of property on the south side of town, which today sits just west of I-95 of Taylor Road in Port Orange. He called the acreage Pancho's Rancho, and though in retirement he hit the road for months at a time in his RV, it remained his home for the rest of his life.
Ken Willis contributed to this report.
updated by @tmc-chase: 08/07/18 08:23:02AM
RIP Fremon Treadway
General
Fremon Treadway (I've also seen his first name spelled Freeman) passed away Sunday, December 27, 2015. He worked for Petty Enterprises as a welder and jackman from around 1964 through about 1968. As I understand it, he went to work for Don Robertson - either as an employee or as a contractor - in 1969 when the Pettys turned to Ford.
Treadway helping the 43 get going after a stop in the 1967 Motor Trend 500.
His obituary below includes some of his additional notable accomplishments in racing.
http://www.finchandfinchfuneralservice.com/obituaries/Fremon-Treadway/#!/Obituary
Obituary for Fremon Arthur Treadway
Fremon Arthur Treadway, 78, of Altavista died peacefully Sunday, December 27, 2015 at his home with his family by his side. He was the husband of Phyllis "Trudy" Goodman Treadway for fifty-four years.
He was born July 21, 1937, in Flag Pond, TN, a son of the late Arthur Alvin Treadway and Mary Lee Bailey Treadway. He attended First Baptist Church in Altavista and was the owner of Treadway Racing and Truck Service. Fremon worked in the NASCAR racing industry since 1964, beginning with Richard Petty. He opened his own shop in 1970 continuing to build for Petty Enterprises which included Kyle Petty's first Grand National race car, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Wood Brothers Racing. In 1994, he built A.J. Foyt's Inaugural Brickyard 400 car. He was a member of the Lynch Station Ruritan Club and received the "Man of the Year" award in 1973.
During his lifetime as husband, father and grandfather, Fremon taught his children and grandchildren many life lessons; canoeing, fishing, swimming, go-cart racing and 4-wheeling. His daughters remember growing up at the race tracks every weekend during NASCAR season. They never considered their dad famous; it was just the "norm." They always admired his intelligence and creativity. "Daddy could do or fix anything".
Fremon spent many long days and nights at his shop. He had several employees and took many others under his wing to teach them his skills. "Daddy was a perfectionist and never quit or gave up on anything." He instilled that in everyone who spent time with him especially his daughters and grandchildren. Fremon was always making people laugh with his joking nature. To know him was to love him.
We are so thankful to have had him as husband, dad," Popie" and now, as our guardian angel.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four daughters, Tamera Treadway-Pippin of Lynchburg, Suzanne Treadway of Altavista, Shelly Treadway Peery (James) of Troutville, and Dale Treadway-Mann (Ricky) of Madison Heights; five grandchildren, Lyndsey Bennett (Brad), Callie Prest (Ryan), Taylor Hall (Seth), and Carson and Tucker Peery; two brothers, J.L. Treadway, and Floyd Treadway (Judy); three sisters, Bea Morton (James), Lois Ann Cooper, and Lucille Dudley (Dennis); three sisters-in-law, Peggy Treadway, Anita Treadway, and Barbara Treadway; a brother-in-law, William "Billy" Goodman (Daisy); and a very close friend, Bob Childress, as well as many others.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Dallas, Earnest and Guy Lee Treadway; and one sister, Willedean Rocchins.
A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 31, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Altavista by the Rev. Dr. Michael Lee with interment to follow in Green Hill Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at Finch and Finch Funeral and Cremation Service, Altavista and other times at the residence.
updated by @tmc-chase: 08/09/18 03:26:28AM
Christmas Day racing
Stock Car Racing History
A half-mile dirt track in Riverside, California scheduled a Christmas Day race in 1924.
As it turned out, however, the race had to be postponed until Sunday, December 28th, because of weather conditions.
The race was held on the make-up date, and Floyd Roberts won the Santa Claus Sweepstakes.Fourteen years later, Roberts won the 1938 Indianapolis 500. Tragically, he was killed in the 1939 running of the 500.
Christmas Day racing
Stock Car Racing History
A couple of years ago, Tim Leeming asked if anyone knew of any races on Christmas Day.
http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/29452/december-14th-racing-related-history#r29454
I've found nothing to indicate NASCAR's Strictly Stock, Grand National or Cup races have ever run on December 25th. Nor have I found anything to suggest other divisions such as NASCAR's sportsman/beer/insurance/cable TV division, the trucks or modifieds; ARCA; USAC-CART-Indy Car; etc. opted to race on Christmas Day.
But after a couple of years, I have found where a track was bold enough to host racing on that day. While not exactly stock car races like the ones on which this site focuses, it was racing nonetheless.
The original Ascot Park raceway opened as a horse racing facility. Its debut races were held on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1903.
In 1908, the track was sold with plans to convert it to an auto racing facility. Though the track isn't the same one that opened as the famed Ascot Park in the 1950s, the original track did host racing in the early 1900s - including more than one event on Christmas Day. The new owners initally planned to create the first Dover or Bristol by concreting the dirt surface. From what I can tell, this did not happen. From Los Angeles Herald, December 2, 1908
The new promoters wasted no time getting ready for the new direction of the track. A two-day race program was scheduled for after Christmas, December 26-27, 1908. That then set the stage for a run of Christmas Day races over the next few years. Some for which I could find information included:
1909
A two-day race program was set for Saturday-Sunday, December 25th and 26th. Famed speedster, Barney Oldfield, arrived in LA via train with his car having been shipped to port for him to race. Oldfield proclaimed he'd set a track record with his car. I guess a record has to start somewhere. I'm not sure how boastful it was for a driver to say his automobile could break the existing record set by a horse. But hey, as PT Barnum often said...
As expected, Oldfield won the Christmas Day event.
From January 8, 1910 Automobile Topics Illustrated
1914
Three years later, Oldfield returned to Ascot Park to race on December 26, 1914. Before doing so, however, he participated in a match race on Christmas Day at Santa Ana Race Track - against an airplane!
The race between Oldfield's Fiat Cyclone and an airplane (piloted at Santa Ana by Mickey McGuire) was one of several match races in which Oldfield participated that year from coast to coast. From what I can gather, Ol' Barn got a lot of show money to put butts in the seats. From December 17, 1914 Santa Ana Register
From December 24 Santa Ana Daily Register
From December 26 Santa Ana Daily Register
Though this photo from Wikipedia and short video clip aren't from the Santa Ana "race", it'll give you a good idea of the excitement that the match race surely delivered to the fans.
Between the Christmas Day races in 1909 and 1914, Oldfield also returned to the sands of Daytona Beach where he made a record speed run in his Lightning Benz in March 1910. - Getty Images
For years, the section coming out of turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway was known as Oldfield. With the new stands as part of Daytona Rising, I'm not sure sure if the section names will remain. But for ages, folks in Oldfield got the first look at the field as they rumbled out of turn 4 and down the front straightaway.
1916
Two years later, Ascot Park again hosted racing on Christmas Day - albeit without Oldfield. Though the superstar wasn't in the field - and no airplanes raced - the fans still got their thrills.
Earl Cooper, Wilbur D'Alene, and Eddie Pullen were slated to race in a 50-lap match race. Cooper won the race, and D'Alene went for a crazy ride on lap 2. Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured. D'Alene was even able to pen an article for the LA Herald about his accident - and could even laugh about how lucky he was. However, he did decline to run #13 in the future. Hmm, a precedent to be set for almost all future racers?
From what little I've learned, D'Alene was a wild and crazy guy . Perhaps he could be considered in the same vein as drivers such as Curtis Turner, Tiny Lund, Eddie Sachs or Jabe Thomas.
If I learn about additional Christmas Day races, I'll add info about them in the comments to this post. Everyone else - please do the same!
updated by @tmc-chase: 06/23/19 01:44:33PM
Rockingham Speedway - 2016?
Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks
I wouldn't put much stock in Billy Ray Silas's plans to return the Rock to racing. After all, he is the one who saddled us with Achy Breaky Heart and Hannah Montana. Wait. What? Ohhhh SILAS. Got it. Never mind.
Still, if you think racing is coming back to the Rock, I'm afraid you'll continue to have an achy breaky heart.