1967 Moonshine Bust at Middle Georgia Raceway News Coverage
Stock Car Racing History
And not even the names have been changed to protect the innocent?!!
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Stock Car Racing History
1967 Moonshine Bust at Middle Georgia Raceway News Coverage
Stock Car Racing History
The subject of the moonshine still under turn 3 was talked about on the Goat Rodeo radio broadcast Tuesday night with the good folks from Middle Georgia Raceway preparing for their Saturday, August 31st Reunion with Richard Petty as Grand Marshal.
The story was so big it made national headlines.
Here's the Associated Press story as carried by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in its edition of September 26, 1967:
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
July 30, 1961 - Another racing minute
Stock Car Racing History
Bristol announcer Barney Hall introduces 1967 Southeastern 500 Grand Marshal, Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts. Photo in the Barney Hall book Tales from the Trackside as furnished by Motorsports Images & Archives.
July 30, 1961 - Another racing minute
Stock Car Racing History
Great aerial photo, Chase of the football field in the infield. I've read about the 1961 pre-season NFL exhibition game in the Bristol infield between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, but have never seen a photo showing the field.
At my first Bristol race, the 1967 Southeastern 500, Grand Marshal / Honorary Starter Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts threw footballs into the stands riding in the convertible pace car.
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
A little more on DW driving the Al Rudd, Jr. car from the Fredericksburg, Va. paper:
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
Ricky did indeed qualify and pilot Junie's #90 at Pocono. I have a very clear memory of the first time I was introduced to AJ... by Ricky.
I had arranged for Ricky to meet with me and Bud Moore in October 1983 to discuss the vacancy in Bud's Wrangler sponsored ride for 1984 with Dale Earnhardt returning to Richard Childress.
Ricky flew into our Blue Bell Aviation complex at the Greensboro, NC airport in a 4 seater late in the afternoon from Chesapeake, Va. to pick me up and fly on down to Spartanburg, SC to meet with Bud.
Ricky's brother, AJ was piloting the small plane. After we took off, Ricky allowed to me that he hoped we got to Spartanburg before dark because AJ couldn't fly after nightfall! That was the last time I ever flew in a small plane.
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
Yep, Chase... that was the Dinwiddie County project which came after the Prince George County project but before the Isle of Wight County 1.75-mile project in which Smithfield Foods and Gwaltney (current sponsors of car #43) were heavily involved. As we all know, none of those came to fruition and the Richmond track was eventually enlarged after Paul Sawyer purchased the fairgrounds property.
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
Tim, it hardly ever fails that your racing History Minutes either teach me something(s) I didn't know or rekindle nearly lost memories.
Scanning through the full results for the Pocono race, I came upon Tommy Gale in 17th place driving Elmo Langley's #64 Ford.
Tommy Gale (R) & Elmo Langley (L) wait in the truck in the Nashville infield in 1981 - David Allio photo
I hadn't thought about Tommy Gale of McKeesport, Pennsylvania in a long time. Tommy passed in 1999 at the young age of 65. A nicer gray haired guy never sat down next to you at a motel bar near a NASCAR Cup venue on race weekend. He was just a good fellow to listen to as he told stories that would make you laugh and make you think. Tommy made 246 Winston Cup starts. He was usually called a "journeyman" or "independent" if he made the copy of a race report.
Tommy reminded me a lot of Dick May, right down to the black boots he drove in. Like Dick May, he'd run a car however hard it needed to be run. He was capable of running harder than he usually did, due to financial constraints.
Anyhow, Tim, it was nice to remember because of your story one of the truly nice folks I met at the NASCAR tracks back in the day. Tommy Gale was pleasant company and a good driver.
In 1987, writer Dave Molinari of The Pittsburgh Press did a series of "Whatever Became Of?" stories about Western Pennsylvania sports figures. On July 13, 1987, his subject was Tommy Gale. I hope you enjoy the story. I did.
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
The Pearson/Pond relief driving team still managed a 7th place finish (credited to Pearson) at Bristol, just 4 laps down.
Pearson's other three 1979 relief starts for Earnhardt in the Osterlaund #2 after Earnhardt's Pocono injuries resulted in finishes of 2nd at Talladega and 4th at Michigan (starting from the pole) before Pearson's win at Darlington on Labor Day. Pearson posted 4 top-10s, 3 top-5s and 1 win in 4 relief starts.
When Earnhardt returned the week following the 1979 Southern 500, he put the #2 Osterlund Monte Carlo on the Richmond pole and drove to a 4th place finish.
The 1979 Osterlund team was a stout outfit.
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
The Earnhardt wreck at Pocono led to David Pearson winning the 1979 Southern 500 at Darlington as Earnhardt's replacement in the #2 Rod Osterlund car. Ironically, Pearson won the race when Darrell Waltrip, who had a very big lead, literally went to sleep at the wheel and spun out on the repaved Darlington track, almost giving the new Darlington concrete retaining wall in turns 1-2 a test!