The July 2, 1959 St. Petersburg (FL) Evening Independent notes that Big Bill France welcomed Elmer George with open arms for his summer Firecracker 250. George, suspended from USAC competition, was the son-in-law of Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where France had once been treated shabbily.
Hope you have an enjoyable trip and race. Used to haul the family to the Firecracker. In 1984, for Richard's 200th, we drove from Dallas with two bikes and maybe the kitchen sink! I flew back and the wife and girls drove on to NC after the race.
Thanks, Tim. As you know, I lived in Wilson from 1970-1979. It is my wife's hometown and the birthplace of my two daughters. It was also where my dear friend and employer, Paul Sawyer once promoted races with Joe Weatherly, leasing the track from the American Legion. Paul would later install the Wilson lights, run a race with the grandstands burning down and become an honorary life member of the Wilson American Legion Post. All of those things, though, happened after the 1953 race you chronicle.
How I wish I could have seen a GN race at Wilson. I loved that old 1/2-mile dirt track. It's difficult to look at the photos of the now razed track.
Fonty Flock and Joe Weatherly posed in sombreros seem to be a popular period shot. I've seen several. Wonder if it had anything to do with the Mexican Road race - La Carrera Panamericana ? By the way, the 1953 Raleigh race won by Fonty on the 1-mile paved Raleigh Speedway paid the second largest purse of the 1953 Grand National season, surpassed only by the Southern 500.
Please understand I am only the messenger of comments. All photos have other originations!
We sure have a "star" among us! Legend is one of those fellows who doesn't think Better Business Bureau when he sees the letters BBB!
I believe it's still around at this link:
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/photo/tim-the-legend?context=latest
Or you can take a peek below of the Jack Walker posted photo, but the link will have all the wonderful comments by the RR membership!
I can tell that Bill McPeek has been a shrewd businessman and negotiator in his day., but I'll take the free offer, Tim... thanks!
Wouldn't it be great if the RR membership might be allowed some small discount on the purchase of the autographed photo? Perhaps $4.50?
All I have to say on this subject of Sparkle Ponies is summed up at the link below:
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/photo/tim-the-legend?context=latest
Just an historic note.... this race was named to honor the late driving star, Buddy Shuman, who made a big name for himself in both NASCAR and non-NASCAR events. As Tim Leeming mentions in his April 28, 1957 post, Buddy had been asked to head up Ford racing operations, but tragically died in a Hickory hotel fire from smoke asphyxiation on November 13, 1955.
1956 - Wilmington Star-News
NASCAR annually presents the Buddy Shuman Award each year to an individual or organization that has gone over and above to better the NASCAR experience.
One of my treasures is a CD copy of the 1951 78rpm record recorded in Richmond by Crazy Joe Maphis documenting a night of racing in 1951 at Richmond's Royall Speedway sanctioned by the Richmond Stock Car Racing Association. On his record, Crazy Joe Maphis refers to Buddy Shuman at Richmond as an "Ole Tar Heel." Many thanks to Richmond's Joe Kelly for providing me with the song.
I'm trying to picture where you'd have put 10,000 fans at Hickory. Grueling schedule. Not bad on your resume to include back-to-back wins 72 hours apart both above and below the Mason-Dixon Line!
