Racing History Minute - October 16, 1949
Stock Car Racing History
Wonderful photos that you found.
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Racing History Minute - October 16, 1949
Stock Car Racing History
11th place North Wilkesboro finisher, Bob Apperson of Charlottesville, Virginia - who won $50 for his efforts - drove the first NASCAR modified in 1949 built by Richmond's Junie Donlavey. In 1950, Donlavey would prepare Apperson's car for the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington.
The excerpt below is from a 1999 Al Pearce story in the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press:
The 1950 Southern 500 was the first long-distance NASCAR race and its first on a paved superspeedway. Qualifying was spread over two weeks, and the 75 cars took the green flag in 25 rows of three cars, similar to the Indianapolis 500.
Starting 49th that Labor Day - on the inside of the 17th row - was a 1949 Oldsmobile owned and tuned by Richmond native Junie Donlavey. Because 500 miles seemed too much for one man, he recruited local hotshots Bob Apperson and Runt Harris to share the driving duties.
On Thursday, Donlavey once again will head for Darlington, this time for Sunday's 50th annual Southern 500. Now that Bud Moore has sold his team and Hershel McGriff has retired, Donlavey is only competitor from that 1950 race still active in NASCAR.
"Back then, we were racing Modifieds on short dirt tracks,'' he said during a Tuesday test session at Richmond International Raceway. "To us, a half- mile track was a superspeedway. When we heard about this new place in South Carolina, we had to go down there to see what it was all about. At the time, it was the biggest race track we'd ever seen.''
Preparation was fairly simple: Donlavey bought a wrecked Olds from a junkyard and fixed it up. He banged out the dents and replaced the broken parts, then towed it to Darlington. After going through tech inspection at a downtown garage, Donlavey towed the car back to Richmond.
"We went back a few days later and qualified,'' Donlavey said. "They didn't even look at us again except to make sure we weren't running Modified stuff. Everything was stock: wheels, axles, spindles - stuff like that. Really, nobody knew what to expect because nobody had ever tried what we were trying.
"The thing is, we didn't think much about it. It was a happening, and we had to be there. The full- time racers knew what they were doing and were ready. Us? We were out in left field, but we were still having a good time.''
Apperson started and ran to the first pit stop. From then on, he and Harris swapped off during each stop. Finally, the car quit after 249 of the 400 laps. Apperson was scored 61st, behind Curtis Turner and ahead of Tommy Thompson.
AND.... Amen and a second to Tim not wanting Bill Blair, Jr. to stop telling about the early days of stock car racing. It is absolutely mesmerizing to hear him talk of those days and show you tidbits on the cars in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
October 15: Some firsts and some lasts
Stock Car Racing History
A very nice and interesting compilation, Chase.
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Also, on this date - October 14 - in the year 1967, my NASCAR Grand National racing hero, J.T. Putney won the Qualifying Race to determine the final seven starting positions in the 10/15/1967 National 500 at Charlotte. Putney parlayed his Saturday Chevy win into an 11th place finish in the Sunday main event won by Buddy Baker. Results from Ultimate Racing History:
National 500 Qualifying Race
NASCARGrand Nationalrace
Charlotte Motor Speedway ,Charlotte,NC
October 14, 1967
20laps on 1.5 mile paved oval;30 miles
| Fin | St | Driver | # | Owner | Car | Laps | Money | Status | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | J.T.Putney | 22 | J.T. Putney | Chevrolet | 20 | 150 | running | 20 |
| 2 | 4 | LarryHess | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 20 | 100 | running | 0 |
| 3 | 6 | E.J.Trivette | 91 | Roy Dutton | Ford | 20 | 75 | running | 0 |
| 4 | 3 | HenleyGray | 19 | Roy Dutton | Ford | 20 | 70 | running | 0 |
| 5 | 5 | DubSimpson | 84 | Henry Woodfield | Ford | 20 | 65 | running | 0 |
| 6 | 8 | BobbyMausgrover | 24 | Betty Lilly | Ford | 20 | 60 | running | 0 |
| 7 | 9 | ClydeLynn | 20 | Clyde Lynn | Ford | 20 | 50 | running | 0 |
| 8 | 10 | KenSpikes | 62 | Harold Collins | Pontiac | 20 | 50 | running | 0 |
| 9 | 7 | DonBiederman | 94 | Ron Stotten / Don Biederman | Chevrolet | 20 | 50 | running | 0 |
| 10 | 2 | BillSeifert | 45 | Bill Seifert | Ford | 17 | 50 | engine | 0 |
| 11 | 11 | FrogFagan | 75 | Bob Gilreath | Ford | 5 | 50 | quit | 0 |
| 12 | 12 | LeeRoyYarbrough | 26 | Junior Johnson | Ford | 0 | did not start | 0 | |
| 13 | 13 | JackieStewart | 5 | Cotton Owens | Dodge | 0 | did not start | 0 |
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Map Link to original 1950s Western North Carolina (WNC) Fairgrounds in Hendersonville, NC, site of Hendersonville Speedway:
http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=35.28512&lon=-82.42817&datum=nad83&zoom=4
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Wonder if Bopper has this in his ghost track directory?
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
An excerpt from a 1990s news story regarding the controversy of state funding for the Mountain State Fair and its name:
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Chase, after seeing a number of other articles and ads, I've come to the conclusion that the WNC fairgrounds of 1951 were at Hendersonville, NC and the racetrack often referred to as Hendersonville Speedway.
Racing History Minute - October 14, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Chase, the current WNC Fairgrounds ( W estern N orth C arolina), home of the Mountain State Fair , are located in Fletcher, NC... see website:
Found several references to races at WNC Fairgrounds in 1951-1954, but don't know if it was locarted in Fletcher then or not.
Racing History Minute - October 13, 1953
Stock Car Racing History
As Tim pointed out above, the Martinsville 1953 win was the first for Jim Paschal in GN competition. His final GN win would come in 1967 at Montgomery, Alabama, where he wheled his 1967 Friedkin Enterprises Plymouth crewed by Bill Ellis to victory over the Plymouth of former teammate, Richard Petty.
On August 14, 1970, I was one of the fortunate to watch Jim Paschal drive his Red, White & Blue Huggins AMC Javelin to victory over RR member, Joe Dean Huss of Roanoke Rapids, NC in the Casey 200 NASCAR Grand American Series race on the dirt half-mile of the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
Race results from Ultimate racing History
Casey 200
NASCAR Grand American race
North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC
August 14, 1970
200 laps on 0.5 mile dirt oval; 100 miles
Fin St Driver # Owner Car Laps Money Status Laps Led
1 Jim Paschal 1970 AMC Javelin 200 running
2 Joe Dean Huss 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
3 Richard Childress 1968 Chevrolet Camaro
4 Buck Baker 1969 Pontiac Firebird
5 Jim Vaughan 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
1 Tiny Lund 1970 Chevrolet Camaro
Time of race: 01:34:10
Average Speed: 63.717 MPH
Pole Speed: 26.32 seconds