Travis Pastrana... Does He Drive for Ford or Dodge, lol?
Current NASCAR
Now that's the kind of driver a fan will appreciate!
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Current NASCAR
Travis Pastrana... Does He Drive for Ford or Dodge, lol?
Current NASCAR
I just happened to think after seeing that Travis Pastrana had won the Talladega Nationwide pole in his Roush Ford that I keep seeing that young fellow on television every day doing commercials for the Dodge Dart II and I guess he does or did drive one in Rally competition.
How do you reckon he manages to get a paycheck from both Ford and Dodge at the same time? Must have a pretty good agent!
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Wish they'd still had that Pick-5 Total game at Southside when I started attending modified and later LMS shows there on Friday nights in 1964. Wonder how many cards had Pardue listed as winner?
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Here's some much cleaner film of racing at Richmond's Royall Speedway (now Southside Speedway) in 1953 - #39 is Ray Hendrick & #9 is Joe Weatherly:
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
The day before the 1962 Grand National race won by Pardue at Richmond's Southside Speedway, the promoters of Fredericksburg Speedway just up Route 1 from Richmond announced they were upset with NASCAR and dropping their sanction:
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Here's a link to actual film of 1952 racing at Royall Speedway, before it was renamed Southside in 1959:
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/royall-speedway-vide...
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Today's Southside Speedway facility is a far cry from the primitive oval where Jimmy Pardue won in 1962. Back then the infield was both sandy and muddy, with sparse grass. It looked much better under the lights than it did in daylight.
The place opened for business originally in 1949 as Royall Speedway, built and promoted by Nelson Royall and sanctioned by the Richmond Stock Car Racing Association. Royall later paved the 1/3-mile oval and sold it to J.M. Wilkinson who renamed it Southside Speedway in 1959. The place was home to the 4-H Boys - Ray Hendrick, Sonny Hutchins, Runt Harris and Ted Hairfield, as well as many other famous names, including two-time NASCAR National Modified Champion, Eddie Crouse.
Many consider the promotion years of Emanuel (The Golden Greek) Zervakis, beginning in 1968 as the track's golden era. Zervakis in 1968 brought in Late Model Sportsman racing for the first time.
In May 1983, the track's original wood plank grandstands on cinder blocks- on the front stretch and several stands in turn 1 and turn 2 - were condemned and the track closed.
In 1999, Langley Field Speedway's late promoter, Wayne Wyatt took over promotions and made many improvements, including paving the infield. In the past several years, Southside (no longer sanctioned by NASCAR) seems to have once again regressed, but Jimmy Pardue wouldn't recognize the place.
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Woody, according to this recent news article the Satellite still exists and still appears to be a pretty dangerous spot:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/crime/motive-still-mystery-...
Seth Gaines photo - Flickr (and previous Satellite photo, also)
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
I'm amazed, Woody, to hear the Satellite might still exist.. A friend of mine, who was also a Wrangler plant manager in North Carolina, Jerry Jackson (deceased) and I visited there once and once only, in the winter of 1972. The bartender was shot soon after we left that night by a former employee! Too rough for me.
There were so many things up & down the Pike back in the day that had ties to the local racers and Southside Speedway. Just a few things I recall are Lacy's C&B Auto Parts, Flippo's Body & Fender Repair, Emanuel Zervakis' Southside Glass Shop, and Luther the Roofer. When I worked at the Philip Morris computer center on I-95 as a college intern the summer of 1969, I recall buying a 5 gal. surplus Army gas can at the Army/Navy store on the Pike.
It was not my neck of the woods, being a west end (Willow Lawn area) Richmond boy, but most all of the Southside Speedway sponsors and the racing sponsors on WXGI radio had Pike ties. Eddie Anderson did many Lacy C&B spots for the race broadcasts and his daily shows... he'd always say, "Ask for Sarge." I did go there and ask for Sarge in 1969 and bought an AM radio for my '63 Chevy.
Racing History Minute - May 4, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Tim, just like you, I remember standing on the sidewalk in front of our house at dusk in October 1957, as the adults pointed skyward tracking the flashing Sputnik with their fingers. It was the time of bomb drills at school and soon fallout shelters.
When Richmond Ford Motor Company - the dealership that graced the sides of Ned Jarrett's blue Fords - built their new dealership at West Broad and Westmoreland, a huge multi-colored revolving satellite sign graced the roof. Some of our other Richmond residents and many local racers will remember the Satellite Club & Restaurant on Jefferson Davis Highway - U.S. 1 South - a sometimes extremely rough place.
How I wish I could have seen that race, or any of the other GN ones at Southside. That is my home weekly track, but I didn't get there for the first time until 1964 and have only seen modifieds, Late Model Sportsman, Late Model Stock Cars and International Sedans race there.
Last year Southside honored the 50th anniversary of Jimmy's win. Thanks, Tim.
The Wilkes Journal-Patriot carried this story last year:
Remembering Pardues first win
Anniversary of first win remembered
AT SOUTHSIDE -- Gary Pardue (Jimmy Pardues son), left, North Wilkesboro Mayor Robert Johnson (center), and Tom Pardue (Pardues cousin) were recognized during the 50th anniversary observance at Southside Speedway .
Posted: Friday, May 11, 2012 1:54 pm
This past Friday night, on the 50th anniversary of that victory, officials at Southside held a special ceremony to remember the race and its winner. Seven members of the Pardue family were present, as was North Wilkesboro Mayor Robert Johnson, a long-time friend of the Pardue family. Certificates commemorating the first win, with a photo of Pardue and his car, were presented to the family.
According to a speedway release, Rex White won the pole for the 200-lap race in 1962 and led the first 134 laps before retiring with engine failure. That left the door open for Pardue, who had started 12th in a 1962 Pontiac. Pardue held off Jack Smith for the win, with Richard Petty finishing third.
In Pardues four starts at the track, he finished fifth, first, third and fourth.
Pardue scored his second career win in July 1963 at Dog Track Speedway in Moyock. He was killed the following year on Sept. 22, 1964 during a tire test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The wreck occurred just a few weeks after Jimmy nearly won the famed Southern 500 at Darlington. Jimmy is buried within sight of the family homeplace on Old 60, in the Fishing Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
The fans at Southside Speedway are no strangers, even now, to the Pardue family. Jimmys brother, Sherrill, raced in the weekly racing series at the track for many years. Sherrills son is, and has been, the track public address announcer for many years at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, and he was also the track announcer last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Sherrill lived in Alexandria, Va., until his retirement. He then moved back to Wilkes 15 years ago. He died in the fall of 1994 and is buried next to his brother.
All these years later, people remember the driver of Car 54. I overheard someone say recently that they can clearly remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of his death. I interupted the conversation and assured them that they were not alone...that everyone who knew Jimmy could remember, just as clearly, that day in 1964.
The Wilkes Heritage Museum has several artifacts from Jimmys career on display, including a drivers suit and a door from his car emblazoned with the bright gold No. 54.