The following year - 1966, my Chevy guy, J.T. Putney contracted to be the "camera car" for the annual promotional film produced for the 1966 Southern 500 at Darlington. J.T. was running at the finish, but 31 laps down. My buddy, Frank and I were greatly dismayed that J.T. kept pitting to change film rolls.
Footage of the AJ Foyt crash:
And... in 1968 Richard had several white variations on his Plymouth Roadrunner... white hood AND roof at Daytona for 1968 Firecracker 400 and white roof only at Nashville in 1968:
All photos above posted by PMOSSBERG on Richard Petty fans section of ProBoards.com
Lafayette Ford is still going strong in Fayetteviile, NC - since 1949!
Before Dirty Dancing, Roadhouse and Ghost, look who was dancing for "Blues!"
And... of course, you noted the inclusion of Augie PABST in the video?!
Our RR member, crabber1967, a Hampton, Virginia resident, once wrote these interesting remarks about the Joe Weatherly tombstone:
Not too long after the death of Joe Weatherly, I was riding with my father when he told me he wanted to stop at a place where I might see something interesting.
We pulled to a stop at a monument company! Displayed in front of the building were examples of the companys main product: headstones.
When we got inside, Dad asked the man to show me a proposal drawing for a headstone.
The proposed headstone was for Joe Weatherly. While the actual finished design of the marker differs from my memory of the drawing, the designs distinctive features are intact.
The marker is in the shape of Riverside International Raceway, as it was used for the NASCAR races.
(The cars followed the track going through the esses, then taking the right-hand Turn Seven then going straight to the right-hand Turn Twelve, for a 2.62-mile, nine-turn lap.)
The point where Weatherlys car impacted the wall (Turn Five) being marked on the headstone by crossed checkered flags.
Perhaps such an unusual headstone is appropriate for a man who was called The Clown Prince of Racing.
From a May 1965 story about the Joe Weatherly Museum at Darlington in the Charleston, SC paper:
Having worked with Joe Weatherly's last car owner, Bud Moore, as well as his first and business partner, Paul Sawyer, I heard many tales about Joe.
Bill Stroppe, the Mercury guru on the west coast had helped prep Joe's Riverside car.
In 1984, Tom Madigan released his Bill Stroppe biography, BOSS The Bill Stroppe Story .
The book contains this sad passage:
The Joe Weatherly Museum at Darlington used to have a pair of Joe's saddle oxfords on display. Don't know if it still does or not.
Joe's tombstone in Norfolk, Virginia's Forest Lawn Cemetery is shaped like the layout of the Riverside track:
Find a grave
The January 19, 1963 Daytona Beach Morning Journal carried the Associated Press Wirephoto below of 1963 Riverside 500 qualifying:
