The listed owner of Tiny's Camaro, Ronnie Hopkins, was a noted chassis builder who built many winning NASCAR Late Model Sportsman rides.
Ronnie passed prematurely at age 58 in Greenville, SC in 1995. But, as late as 1994, he was still making NASCAR headlines:
Derrike Cope made his Winston Cup debut in this event, also driving a Ford Thunderbird "Shoebox" fielded by George "Jeff" Jefferson and sponsored by his father's and uncle's engine building shop:
U.S. Presswire photos as posted at Spokeo
"The Shoebox!" Thanks, Scott.
And, the excerpt below is from a 2010 Rick Houston story chronicling how a hairdresser was primping up Junior Johnson's locks before his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. You can see Henry Benfield's pompadour in the 1976 photo of him waliking behind Richard Petty on his bikle at Ontario:
After work on his snow-white mane is finished, Johnson puts on his shoes and socks. The bathrobe stays for now. Someone wonders what Johnson's buddies back in Wilkes County would think of so much fuss being kicked up about his hair. Johnson laughs, but his response is quick.
"Henry wouldn't mind," Johnson said, referring to Henry Benfield, his former employee at Junior Johnson & Associates. For many, many years, Benfield wore a pompadour to rival Elvis'. He still does, for that matter.
In the photo the late Bobby Jones is to the left of Junior Johnson who would be involved in the rag in the carburetor scandal of rookie Mark Martin's Richmond pole winning car in September 1981 not being able to fire when the command was given to start engines.
Great photos, fellas. I was at the 1982 Riverside event, where our Dale Earnhardt / Bud Moore / Wrangler Thunderbird finished dead last with another engine issue.
Looks like Junior Johnson team gas man and hauler driver, Henry Benfield walking behind Richard on the bike.
The story below about Henry Benfield appeared in the June 22, 2002 St. Petersburg Times. I didn't attempt to post the photos from the story... they're illegible:
Scott, that's a great photo. Thanks for sharing.
The first Miss Winston, Marilyn Green, was hired by my future boss to be at Wrangler, Bob Odear, when he was setting up the Winston Racing program at RJR for 1971. Bob later married (and divorced ) Marilyn.
Bob Odear was the gentleman who Humpy Wheeler mistook for Jack Watson at Wrangler. You can see from his 2011 obituary notice in the Princeton Alumni Weekly that Bob Odear was quite the eclectic individual.
Robert M. O'Dear Jr. 59
Published in the Mar. 23, 2011, issue of The Princeton Alumni Weekly
Bob died April 7, 2010, at home in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Bob came to Princeton from University High School in Lexington, Ky. He joined Quadrangle Club but left at the end of sophomore year to assist his family. He graduated from the University of Kentucky and Harvard Business School. He then began an eclectic career in business.
Bob gravitated to Winston-Salem, N.C., where he started out in the cigarette business (he was quick to note that this was before the Surgeon Generals report). He then moved into the hosiery business as a marketing vice president for Leggs. His employment required several moves, and in 1981 he was living in Greensboro, N.C. His marketing expertise led to his involvement in promoting the Winston Cup, a forerunner of NASCAR, and being an early backer of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt. At the time of his death he was working on a book about his experiences in this milieu.
Following these more conventional occupations, Bob then started a birding tour company, Observ Bird Tours, leading groups throughout the West to places such as Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, and Manitoba.
Divorced a few years ago, Bob is survived by a son, Robert M. ODear III.
The Class of 1959
After her reign as Miss Winston, Marilyn opened a modeling agency in Greensboro that provided all future Miss Winstons.
Miss Winston: Marilyn Green from Jennifer G. on Vimeo .
I see where Steve Addington, the crew chief Tony Stewart hired from Penske after he fired Darian Grubb following his last championship, is no longer employed by Stewart-Haas Racing.
Guess where there's "SMOKE", there's fire!
