August 12, 1956: Tim Flock
Stock Car Racing History
Good stuff, Chase.
Thanks.
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
August 12, 1973: Score one for the underdog at Talladega
Stock Car Racing History
In a Twilight Zone moment, the clock might spring forward to the time of Sterling Marlin's shop fire.
August 12, 1973: Score one for the underdog at Talladega
Stock Car Racing History
Prior to the Sabco deal in 1994 , the last year Dick Brooks fielded a car was in 1974 . Dick started the year with sponsorship from Simoniz. Following the September 1974 race at Richmond, a "mysterious" fire burned down Dick's Spartanburg shop. Dick always said he had no insurance on the shop or its contents, but the fire was always the subject of winks and innuendo. In an interview with the Spartanburg paper, Brooks stated he was considering driving for someone else at the time of the fire. Following the fire, Dick only ran two more 1974 events for himself, both WITHOUT Simoniz sponsorship. At Charlotte he raced with no sponsorship and at Rockingham with Ellington Insulation.
Perhaps, one day, the circumstances of the mysterious Spartanburg fire at Dick Brooks' shop will be revealed.
The story below appeared on September 24, 1974 in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal :
Brooks moving his cars to the shop of Crawford Clements puts a Rex White connection to the story!
August 12, 1973: Score one for the underdog at Talladega
Stock Car Racing History
Dick was one of the most likable fellows I ever met. After he stopped driving and was doing his MRN gig, he invited me to dinner in Atlanta one night with his mom and dad, who he'd flown in from California.
Junie Donlavey once said Dick was probably the most talented driver to ever wheel one of his cars and how it was ashamed he hadn't had better equipment for him.
Austin Dillon to sub for Tony Stewart at Michigan International Speedway
Stock Car Racing History
I didn't see that coming.
Racing History Minute - August 12, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Here's more video (film) of the 1951 Motor City 250 NASCAR Grand National race on Detroit's 1-mile Michigan State Fairgrounds dirt track. You'll see the start and watch winner Tommy Thompson of Louisville, Kentucky literally knock Curtis Turner out of the lead in a side-by-side battle. Tommy is also shown in victory lane with Bill France.
Racing History Minute - August 12, 1951
Stock Car Racing History
Tim, your opening really caught my eye:
In current news, Detroit, Michigan is a bankrupt city. Decay and decline are obvious even to the causal observer. A few years ago, back in the days when I did allow the airlines to abuse me before I gave up flying completely, I flew into the Detroit airport and then drove a rental car over to Dearborn to spend a week at Ford Headquarters. Yep, me, a Mopar guy, spending a week in the Ford Towers.
In Spring 1983, when I was managing the Wrangler Jeans NASCAR program with Dale Earnhardt, I was invited up to Ford HQ by Mickey Matus in the Ford Marketing office. Dale wanted to bail from his Ford Bud Moore ride and go with Junior Johnson in 1984... of course, he ended up returning to Richard Childress.
The drive in from the Detroit airport in Romulus, Michigan (where we also flew in commercial for M.I.S. races) was the most depressing ride of my life. I was put up at a brand new Westin Hotel next to the just completed Cobo Hall complex overlooking the river. All I saw on both sides of the road for mile upon mile were abandoned factory buildings with the windows broken out. I thought it must have looked something like that in Berlin when the Nazis surrendered in 1945.
I went to a fabulous dinner at a little French restaurant with Edsel Ford and the next day lunched with he and Ford's new racing chief, Michael Kranefuss atop the Westin in a revolving restaurant. It was at that lunch that Kranefuss declared Dale Earnhardt was not a championship caliber driver and Ford wasn't interested in keeping him in a factory Ford ride. Kranefuss further stated that Earnhardt's 1980 Championship was a fluke, never to be repeated. Then, he and Edsel tried to sell Wrangler a sponsorship package on Roush vehicles in all forms of racing except Winston Cup. I declined on the spot.
Funny thing... they then pitched Southland Corporation (7-Eleven Stores) on the same deal, with support of Kyle Petty in a Winston Cup Ford thrown in. &-Eleven bought the deal hook, line and sinker. Ironically, I wound up working that program for the next 2 1/2 racing seasons. But, I lost all respect for Michael Kranefuss the first time I met him. He and Jeremy Mayfield deserved each other.
Virginia Mega Mile - An AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle Race at Colonial Downs, New Kent County,Va., Saturday, August 24,2013.
Stock Car Racing History
Now let's book the stock cars on the 1 1/4-mile dirt oval. Have to draw better than the ponies have at Colonial Downs.
AMA Pro Flat Track Racing Comes to Colonial Downs on August 24th
August 3, 2013
(NEW KENT, VA) The nations top flat track motorcycle riders will travel to Virginia and compete over a one and one quarter mile oval at Colonial Downs on Saturday August 24th in the inaugural running of the Virginia Mega Mile, an AMA Pro Flat Track Racing series event.
Colonial Downs, which will host Round 12 of the series, is only one of three east coast venues to host an AMA Pro Flat Track Race presented by J&P cycles this year. The track is the second largest oval for horse racing in the country and is the largest oval on the 2013 flat track calendar. Only Belmonts one and one half miles horse racing dirt track is larger.
Both the AMA Pro Grand National expert and the J&P Cycles Pro single classes will compete in a series of afternoon heat races and championship events. The two respective classes feature twin engine bikes and 450 cc bikes.
Were thrilled to bring our series to the legendary Colonial Downs race track, said Dan Johnsen, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. We are very proud to add a venue of this caliber to our schedule. Our riders will now have an additional opportunity to battle for position in the point standings and the new venue also allows us to showcase our magnificent sport to a new market hungry for flat track racing.
Advance sale general admission tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Reserved grandstand and box seat tickets are $35. Jockey Club dining room tickets are $50 and 4th floor Turf Club tickets are $75. Sky Suites are also available for group rentals. Day of pricing increases $10 in each level.
Gates open at 9 AM on August 24th. Timed practice among competitors runs from 10:15 AM 12 Noon. A rider autograph session and open pit area will follow from Noon until 12:30 PM, at which time opening ceremonies begin. The first of nine heat races starts at 1:00 PM and the respective championship races will be run at 3:00 and 3:30 PM.
Tickets are on sale at colonialdowns.com and via phone at 804-966-7223, ext. 1032. General admission tickets are also available at the Richmond area Harley Davidson stores at 11501 Hull Street Road in Midlothian and at 10441 Washington Highway (Rt. 1) in Glen Allen.