Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

Racing History Minute - October 13, 1957

Stock Car Racing History

Posted the following to my blog today as part of my year-long Julian Petty series.Will re-post much of it here as well.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2015/10/october-13-1957-gwyn-staley-nabs-norfolk.html

Gwyn Staley ran about half the NASCAR Grand National races in 1955 and 1956 - with pretty much all of them behind the wheel of Chevrolet's fielded by car owner Hubert Westmoreland.

In 1956, Staley and Westmoreland ran about half the convertible division's races in addition to their GN schedule. In 1957, Staley and Westmoreland began their season focused only on the convertible races - perhaps in an effort to claim the division's championship that was won by Bob Welborn in 1956.

For whatever reason, the duo parted ways about half-way through the season. Staley hired on with Julian Petty to run most of the remaining convertible races as well as a dozen GN events.

The new arrangement paid dividends early for Staley in the GN races as he won three times in Julian's cars. The convertible races were a different story though as Gwyn and Julian couldn't quite find their way to victory lane despite a number of top 5 finishes.

Then with three races to go in the 1957 season, the ragtops rolled into Virginia for a 250-lap race on the 4/10-mile, dirt Virginia Beach Speedway. (The track, built in 1947, seems to have gone through a a series of name changes over the years including Chinese Corner Speedway, Weatherly Speedway and Norfolk Speedway.)

Glen Wood won the pole in the Ford maintained by his brothers. Staley qualified on the front row alongside him in Julian's #38 Chevy. Lined up third was Welborn in his own #49 Chevy, and starting fourth was 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Weatherly. Starting shotgun on the 14-car field was perhaps an unexpected entrant: Julian Petty. In addition to fielding Staley's car, Julian saddled up in the #88 Oldsmobile belonging to his older brother Lee. The race was Julian's one and only career convertible start - and his first race as a driver since June 1955.

Welborn controlled the race as was often the case in the convertible races from 1956-1958. When he made a pit stop with 40 laps to go, however, Staley was able to take the lead from him. Staley was able to prevail over the remaining laps to finally secure the long-sought, ragtop win. Welborn soldiered on to finish second, and he all but secured his second consecutive convertible division title.

As an owner, Julian Petty had a fine day. As a driver, well... not so much. He apparently tooled around on a Sunday afternoon in a '57 Oldsmobile owned by his brother Lee. After all, he did have the top down. Though records indicate he was still running at the end of the race, Julian finished where he started - 14th and dead last - 195 laps down to the winner's car that he owned.

The four victories in the two divisions in the back half of the schedules likely gave Gwyn Staley and Julian Petty the confidence greater things lay ahead for them in 1958. They returned the next season to run the full schedule in both series - including the beach race at Daytona.

Fate had a different plan, though, and Staley was tragically killed in Julian's car on the first lap of of the convertible race at Richmond's fairgrounds raceway. His win at Norfolk in October 1957 turned out to be his final one.

Fin	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car
1	Gwyn Staley	J. H. Petty	'57 Chevrolet
2	Bob Welborn	Bob Welborn	'57 Chevrolet
3	Possum Jones	Possum Jones	'57 Chevrolet
4	Darel Dieringer	John Whitford	'57 Ford
5	Larry Frank	Lonnie Fish	'57 Chevrolet
6	Emanuel Zervakis	Junie Donlavey	'57 Chevrolet
7	Bill Poor	Bill Poor	'56 Chevrolet
8	Neil Castles	Neil Castles	'56 Ford
9	Joe Weatherly	Holman-Moody	'57 Ford
10	Don Gray	Lonnie Fish	'56 Chevrolet
11	Glen Wood	Wood Brothers	'57 Ford
12	Bill Champion	Bill Champion	'56 Ford
13	James Jones	James Jones	'56 Ford
14	Julian Petty	Petty Engineering	'57 Oldsmobile

updated by @tmc-chase: 10/13/17 09:57:06AM

Racing History Minute - October 9, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

Alex - well done! I had the October 10, 1954 Memphis-Arkansas race tee'd up to post about today. Instead, I think I'll contribute to yours for October 1955 race there.

Pops and Johnny Mantz from Getty

The eventual winner goes toe to toe with Norm Nelson. - Getty

Race report from Daily Standard of Sikeston, Missouri.

All the Guys n Gals in the Southeast

-RacersReunion® OUTREACH

Anyone heard from Tim & Ann down in Columbia - or any of our other folks in NC and SC??

Racing History Minute - October 1, 1950

Stock Car Racing History

Well, there ya go. Had no idea there were 2 of them. But does make sense seeing as how the Vernon race in 1950 and Jocko Jr's final season in 1988 spanned 38 years. Spotted the name and accepted it at face value as I hammered through my post last night. Thanks for the correction.

Racing History Minute - October 1, 1950

Stock Car Racing History

For the the 16th race of the 19-race, season 2 of NASCAR's Strictly Stock / Grand National division, the drivers found themselves in Vernon, NY at the Vernon Fairgrounds. Ed Otto promoted the 200-lap race on the half-mile dirt track. The race was the second of the season at Vernon, and it turned out to be the final time the GN cars raced at the track. The first race was on June 18, 1950 ( link to my RHM ).

Race preview

The race was expected to draw a mixture of GN vets as well as several area, local drivers who planned to make their first GN start or certainly an infrequent one. One of those drivers was Bashful Bill Burton, a frequent winner in Vernon's weekly series of races. He made the show - and the race turned out to be his one and only career GN start. (A crash relegated him to 19th in the 29-car field.)

Otto made sure to promote another big name for his race. Johnny Mantz, the winner of the first Southern 500, was expected to race. For reasons that aren't clear, Mantz apparently didn't race. His name is not listed in the finishing order. The car with which he raced at Darlington DID race at Vernon but with Ted Swaim behind the wheel rather than Mantz.

Pittsburgh's Dick Linder won the pole. The rest of the starting line-up is unknown. Linder came into the event on a bit of a hot streak. He had won two of the five races immediately preceding Vernon - including back to back wins in Dayton, OH and Hamburg, NY.

Linder grabbed the lead at the drop of the green. He dragged the field around the dirt half-mile for the first 30 laps. NASCAR HOFer Herb Thomas then took over the top spot, and he led the next 41 circuits.

Linder, however, wasn't done. He re-took the lead and didn't surrender it the rest of the way. He led the remaining 129 laps to claim his third win in six starts. The victory also turned out to be his last career GN win. His win wasn't an easy one though. Swaim in the re-numbered #38 Plymouth hounded Linder in his 1950 Oldsmobile.

Twenty of the field's 29 cars were still running at the finish - including Ann Bunselmeyer who finished 18th in a Packard. Bunselmeyer is among that small group of female drivers who have participated in a NASCAR SS / GN / Cup race. Her one and only start was in the Vernon race.

But Bunselmeyer apparently had pretty good credentials to enter the show. The weekend before Vernon's GN race, Bunselmeyer won the pole and led the first 20 laps in a race at Rhinebeck Speedway. (The race also featured JockoMaggiacomo who later had a limited GN / Cup career of his own.)

A month after Vernon, Bunselmeyer won a late model race at the famed track in Islip, NY.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Dick Linder	'50 Oldsmobile
2	Ted Swaim	'50 Plymouth
3	Lloyd Moore	'50 Mercury
4	Tim Flock	'50 Oldsmobile
5	Jack Reynolds	'50 Plymouth
6	Bill Rexford	'50 Oldsmobile
7	Lee Petty	'49 Plymouth
8	Jimmy Thompson	'50 Plymouth
9	Chuck Mahoney	'50 Mercury
10	Dick Jerrett	'49 Oldsmobile
11	Herb Thomas	'50 Plymouth
12	Robert Sprague
13	Frank Keller
14	Jim Delaney	'50 Plymouth
15	Paul Parks	'50 Plymouth
16	John Borden	'50 Ford
17	Ted Chamberlain	'50 Plymouth
18	Ann Bunselmeyer	'49 Packard
19	Bill Burton
20	Paul Smith
21	Speedy Thompson	'50 Plymouth
22	Frank Mundy	'50 Nash
23	Paul Pettit	Ford
24	John DuBoise	Ford
25	Augie Walackas	Chevrolet
26	Dick Eagan	Ford
27	Jack White	'50 Ford
28	George Bagnell	Mercury
29	Felix Wilkes	Hudson

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

Racing History Minute - September 24, 1961

Stock Car Racing History

The Grand National drivers made their annual trek to Martinsville in September 1961. Though NASCAR's top division had raced at the track since 1949, it was only in the late 50s that the traditional race names formed. The 6th running of the Old Dominion 500 was on September 24, 1961.

From  Motor Racing Programme Covers

Rex White had won the 2 previous GN editions of the OD500 in 1959 and 1960. (link to  Tim Leeming's RHM about 1959 race.) Interestingly, the 1959 convertible race was ALSO named the Old Dominion 500. It was won by Tiger Tom ( link to my RHM ).

Despite Rex's 2 previous fall wins, some thought it was time for Fireball Roberts to be the rabbit of the weekend at the Virginia half-mile. From Burlington Daily Times-News.

But the guy who was fastest on pole day was no real surprise. Fast Freddy Lorenzen captured the top starting spot. Lorenzen won one of the two spring Martinsville races. After the first one was shortened, Lorenzen was awarded the win ( Tim's RHM ). Junior Johnson won the second one that was scheduled on an impromptu basis ( Tim's RHM ).

Rex White timed second. Glen Wood and Joe Weatherly made up the second row. Fred Harb rounded out the top 5. Qualifying report from Florence Morning News

A somewhat surprise entry was Art Malone who was making his GN debut. Malone qualified an impressive 8th in a Petty Enterprises #42 Plymouth as a teammate to Richard. Malone eventually finished 15th and only a handful of laps down to the winner. - Getty Images

Another surprise of the day was Fireball Roberts. His entry in the race wasn't a surprise. After all, folks expected him to race. HIs car owner, however, WAS a surprise. Roberts made his one and only career start in Cotton Owens' #6 Pontiac in the race. - Getty Images

Lorenzen took the early lead from his top starting stop and led the first 57 laps. From there, however, he began to develop rear end issues with his Holman Moody Ford and was done at lap 300.

One of the spring race winners, Junior Johnson, had his time up front as well. He led significant chunks of laps including stretches of 55, 162 and 42 laps. But as the race headed into its final 100 laps, Junior couldn't keep up. He ended up with a respectable third, one lap down to the winner.

The last 100 or so laps came down to a couple of familiar faces: Rex White - the 2x defending champion of the race - and the Virginia native Little Joe. - Getty Images

Rex took over the lead from Junior Johnson and led 58 laps to get the race to near the 420 lap mark. Bud Moore's Pontiac was ready to seize control though. Weatherly got by White and led the rest of the way. His win prevented Rex's desired three-peat.

Race report from Florence Morning News.

Lorenzen was apparently scheduled to receive the trophy for his pole win after the race. Once he fell out of the race at lap 300, however, he left the track. He was finally awarded the trophy in late December that year.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Joe Weatherly	'61 Pontiac
2	Rex White	'61 Pontiac
3	Junior Johnson	'61 Pontiac
4	Fireball Roberts	'61 Pontiac
5	Ken Rush	'61 Pontiac
6	Jimmy Pardue	'60 Chevrolet
7	Emanuel Zervakis	'61 Chevrolet
8	Art Malone	'61 Plymouth
9	Larry Thomas	'60 Chevrolet
10	Bill Morton	'60 Chevrolet
11	G.C. Spencer	'60 Chevrolet
12	Herman Beam	'60 Ford
13	Ned Jarrett	'61 Chevrolet
14	Fred Harb	'61 Ford
15	Doug Yates	'61 Plymouth
16	John Hamby	'61 Dodge
17	Richard Petty	'61 Plymouth
18	Fred Lorenzen	'61 Ford
19	Jim Paschal	'61 Pontiac
20	Glen Wood	'61 Ford
21	Buck Baker	'61 Chrysler
22	L.D. Austin	'61 Chevrolet
23	Bob Barron	'60 Dodge
24	Wayne Lambath	'59 Ford
25	Curtis Crider	'61 Mercury
26	Bob Presnell	'59 Chevrolet
27	Tommy Irwin	'61 Chevrolet
28	Wendell Scott	'60 Chevrolet
29	Joe Jones	'60 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/24/17 11:21:35PM

Racing History Minute - September 23, 1973

Stock Car Racing History

Today, I blogged about the 1973 Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro here:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2015/09/september-23-1973-close-one-at.html

Curious who on RR was at that race and could add more memories to this post.

The King, Richard Petty,  won an astounding 15 races   at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway. His record included  eight victories  in  twelve races  in the six season stretch of 1970 through 1975. The King also had three in row - both 1972 races and the spring 1973 Gwyn Staley 400 - as the Winston Cup series returned to the hills of Wilkes County.

Petty's career rival, Bobby Allison, was all business on pole day. He arrived to the track later than expected, took a quick couple of hot laps to shake down his Coke Machine, won the pole in qualifying, and then left immediately for a late model race in Missouri. Petty qualified alongside him on the front row. Eventual 1973 Cup champion Benny Parsons started third, and three-time Cup champion from 1976-1978 Cale Yarborough timed fourth.

The field took the green on a Sunday afternoon. Allison got the hole shot at the green, charged into turn one, and led the first 57 laps.Petty stayed close and led the next 34 laps. And so it went - back and forth - the rest of the day. Yarborough and Buddy Baker had opportunities to lead also, but each only led for a single-digit number of laps.

With the race well past half-way, Petty found his well-known groove. He took the lead from Baker at lap 256 and led the next 79 laps. With about 65 laps to go, Dale Inman made the call to bring the 43 to pit road for his final stop. The track was greasy, right side tires were wearing, and the Petty Enterprises felt it was time to get the STP Dodge Charger its last pair of shoes for the remaining stretch.

Allison, who had been running second to Petty, stayed on the track to take the lead rather than follow the 43 to pit road. He led an 18-lap stint before pitting for his final service. Allison's team noted the 43 only took right sides, and they made the call to change all four. Doing so meant an extended stop, but the team believed the call would pay dividends over the remaining eighth of the race.

The #12 Coke Chevelle returned to the track a full lap down to Petty. With four fresh tires and eighteen fewer laps on them, Allison was able to pull away from the 43. Yet, Petty was easily in control with 48 laps to go.

Allison's four stickers, however, continued to pay dividends. With each passing lap, Allison was passing more cars and making up time on the 43. Along the way, the Maurice Petty built Hemi lost a cylinder. King was running on seven cylinders and worn out left side tires, but he still had a sizable lead on Bobby.

After only a handful of laps after his stop, Allison was able to unlap himself. He then had to repeat the cycle to catch Petty again and compete for the win. As Petty took the white flag, Allison was right on his bumper - shades of how the 1972 Wilkes 400 last lap began between the two.

As the pair rumbled down the back straightaway, Allison was finally able to pass Petty for the lead. With worn out tires and an inability to lay the pedal to his Mopar, Petty had no choice but to see Bobby pull away. At the stripe, Allison was almost 2 seconds ahead of Petty.

I've accepted over the years that you can't win 'em all. Petty had a remarkable career - especially at North Wilkesboro. The King was a half-lap away from what would have been his 201st career win. Instead, it didn't happen. And to lose a close one to Bobby Allison though, grrrr that burns deep.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Bobby Allison	'73 Chevrolet
2	Richard Petty	'73 Dodge
3	Cale Yarborough	'73 Chevrolet
4	Buddy Baker	'73 Dodge
5	Benny Parsons	'73 Chevrolet
6	Lennie Pond	'73 Chevrolet
7	Dave Marcis	'72 Dodge
8	Dick Brooks	'71 Mercury
9	Cecil Gordon	'72 Chevrolet
10	J.D. McDuffie	'72 Chevrolet
11	Coo Coo Marlin	'72 Chevrolet
12	James Hylton	'71 Mercury
13	Walter Ballard	'71 Mercury
14	Elmo Langley	'72 Ford
15	Henley Gray	'71 Mercury
16	Jabe Thomas	'73 Dodge
17	Richard Childress	'73 Chevrolet
18	Raymond Williams	'72 Ford
19	Dean Dalton	'71 Ford
20	Mel Larson	'73 Dodge
21	Frank Warren	'73 Dodge
22	Ed Negre	'73 Dodge
23	D.K. Ulrich	'71 Ford
24	Earl Brooks	'71 Ford
25	Buddy Arrington	'72 Dodge
26	Charlie Roberts	'72 Chevrolet
27	David Sisco	'72 Chevrolet
28	John Sears	'71 Dodge
29	Bill Champion	'71 Mercury
30	Darrell Waltrip	73 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 11/28/17 04:53:27PM

Racing History Minute - September 22, 1957

Stock Car Racing History

The first race on the newly PAVED North Wilkesboro Speedway was a 160-lap, 100-mile NASCAR convertible division event on September 22, 1957.

Race preview from Statesville Record and Landmark.

The field was expected to include a handful of GN stars including Lee Petty, Bill Amick Fireball Roberts and Buck Baker.

The day before Wilkesboro, the GN cars raced at the Cleveland County fairgrounds track in Shelby NC. Buck Baker and Bill Amick won and placed third, respectively. (Link to Tim Leeming's RHM .) A long-night of celebration may have prevented them from making the trip to North Wilkesboro. Fireball Roberts blew a tire and smacked the fence in the race at Shelby, and the team may not have been able to repair the car overnight for Wilkesboro.

Ken Rush in a Frank Hayworth-owned Mercury won the pole. After finishing 5th at Shelby, Lee Petty made the trek to Wilkesboro and qualified second In one of his occasional convertible division starts. Glen Wood and Paul Goldsmith made up the second row.

Rush leveraged his top starting spot to lead the first 21 laps. The driver of car number 21 - Glen Wood - then took the point to pace the field for the next 42 laps. I'd like to say the driver of car number of 42 - Lee Petty - then took over to dominate the rest of the day. But that wasn't the case. Instead, it was Goldsmith who took the lead from Wood. Once out front, Goldsmith led the remaining 97 laps to claim the victory.

Photo of the winner - Getty Images

Fin	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car
1	Paul Goldsmith	Slim Rominger	'57 Ford
2	Lee Petty	Petty Engineering	'57 Oldsmobile
3	Possum Jones	Bob Welborn	'57 Chevrolet
4	Glen Wood	Wood Brothers	'56 Ford
5	Roger Baldwin	Roger Baldwin	'56 Ford
6	Joe Weatherly	Holman-Moody	'57 Ford
7	Shorty York	Jim Paschal	'57 Mercury
8	Ken Rush	Frank Hayworth	'57 Mercury
9	Pee Wee Jones		'57 Ford
10	Bill Morton		'56 Ford
11	Bob Welborn	Bob Welborn	'57 Chevrolet
12	Ted Chamberlain	Ted Chamberlain	'56 Plymouth
13	Neil Castles	Neil Castles	'56 Ford
14	E.J. Brewer	E.J. Brewer	'56 Chevrolet
15	Pete Stewart		'56 Plymouth
16	Larry Frank	Lonnie Fish	'56 Chevrolet
17	Dick Walters		'56 Ford
18	Jim Paschal	Holman-Moody	'57 Ford
19	Whitey Norman	Whitey Norman	'56 Ford
20	Dave Terrell	Dave Terrell	'57 Chevrolet
21	Don Gray	Lonnie Fish	'57 Chevrolet
22	Gwyn Staley	J. H. Petty	'57 Chevrolet

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/22/17 12:02:28PM

New transportation for Goat Rodeo to Occoneechee?

General

Or perhaps to Florence. Could have been a TRUE throwback for Darlington's Southern 500 weekend.

New transportation for Goat Rodeo to Occoneechee?

General

OK, which one of you old timers opted for this Italian sports car ride to Hillsborough for a racers' reunion?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3235125/Motorist-stunned-man-dressed-Roman-soldier-overtakes-vehicle-look-like-horse-drawn-CHARIOT.html

When in.... North Carolina! Motorist left stunned as a man dressed as a Roman soldier overtakes him on a trike made to look like a horse-drawn CHARIOT

Driving along a motorway for miles on end can be a very dull experience.

So this man will be forgiven for thinking he was hallucinating when he was overtaken by a customised vehicle made to look like a chariot.

The hilarious footage was captured on a freeway in Hillsborough, North Carolina after the road user took a double take and quickly grabbed his camera.

The clip shows the man filming out of his window while travelling at speed along the motorway when suddenly a plastic horse comes into view.

Behind the horse is a vehicle made to look like a chariot with a man dressed as a Roman solider sitting at the controls.

The man speeds by without even turning to look in the direction of the man filming - as if his custom chariot would not take anyone by surprise.

Adding to the humour is the fact that behind the chariot the man tows a very modern looking trailer with rear lights and its very own number plate.

updated by @tmc-chase: 08/29/18 06:36:58PM