We used to stand outside the press box late into the night and watch the backed up traffic on Laburnum Avenue. Henrico and Richmond police were afraid to reverse the traffic lanes at night (like they do at Charlotte) and that really impeded things. I did not see the article about the motorhome fans who didn't buy race tickets. Thanks.
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Bobby Allison & Fred Lorenzen at Elmhurst, Illinois Historical Museum Video - April 5, 2013 and Road to Glory: Fred Lorenzen Video
Stock Car Racing History
Bobby Allison, sitting with Fred Lorenzen at the Elmhurst, Illinois Historical Museum on April 5, 2013, tells how he got started in racing at Hialeah in Florida. Aren't we lucky to have folks in our sport like Bobby to do wonderful things like this? Bobby's wife, Judy and Fred's daughter, Amanda Gardstrom were also in the exhibit room, titled " On the Road to Glory: Fred Lorenzen" when this video was shot.
And this official Elmhurst Historical Museum video, written by NASCAR writer, Ben White and narrated by Bobby Allison & Ned Jarrett below from April 2, 2013
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
First STP NASCAR Plymouth Pole Driver?
Stock Car Racing History
And this link where Herk refers to driving #42:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oZgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mqoFAAAA...
With the Daytona qualifying races paying owner points back then, was Lee just looking ahead and switched the drivers?
First STP NASCAR Plymouth Pole Driver?
Stock Car Racing History
A year after I had come out of college, I built Herk's 1971 #56 Miller Chevelle, from the MPC kit.
I have a curiosity question, Chase....
Driving for Petty Enterprises at Daytona in 1963, the Racing Reference results show Herk finishing 17th driving #42 in qualifying race #1, but #41 in the Daytona 500. Results also show Jim Paschal finishing 23rd with a blown engine driving #41 in qualifying race #2, but #42 in the Daytona 500. Is this correct and is there a story behind Hurtubise and Paschal switching cars for the 500? Jealousy? Long term commitment to Paschal?
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bHwoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YsoEAAAA...
Newspaper link:
First STP NASCAR Plymouth Pole Driver?
Stock Car Racing History
I saw the timeline earlier, but didn't think of what you just questioned. Wow.
First STP NASCAR Plymouth Pole Driver?
Stock Car Racing History
...and the hits keep on coming!
Nichels was the winning car owner for Paul Goldsmith's #99 Plymouth at my 1st superspeedway race - Rockingham Spring 1966.
Thanks for the photo, Chase.
First STP NASCAR Plymouth Pole Driver?
Stock Car Racing History
If you guessed Richard Petty was the first driver to put a STP Plymouth on a NASCAR pole, I think you'd be wrong.
There may be an STP sponsored Plymouth that captured a pole before the race I cite, but it looks to me like it would be the Ray Nichels #99 STP Plymouth driven by "The Golden Boy" - "Fearless Freddie" Lorenzen on Thursday, March 11, 1971, at Rockingham. His run during his "comeback" year earned the pole for the 1971 Carolina 500.
Here's what the second qualifying driver was quoted as saying after Lorenzen's comeback pole run in the STP Plymouth: "Racing needs Fred Lorenzen. He is a whole lotta driver."
If you guessed 2nd qualifying Richard Petty said that about Lorenzen's STP Plymouth pole run, you'd be correct. As TMC has pointed out previously today, there are often interesting coincidences in racing.
And please... if there is an earlier STP Plymouth NASCAR pole run, don't hesitate to correct my guess.
Fred Lorenzen STP images captured as posted on Fred Lorenzen for NASCAR Hall of Fame Facebook page.
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
May 3, 1987 - Allison Stories Rule The Day at Dega
Stock Car Racing History
As you prefaced, Chase, that day at Talladega had a huge impact on stock car racing still felt today.
By the way, standing beside Davey in the Talladega winner's circle photo you posted, wearing the Winston outfit, is Bob Janelle . Bob was my first assistant program manager of the Wrangler/Dale Earnhardt program when we started it in 1980. Bob came from a racing family. His uncle was Ray Janelle, a former northeastern midget and AMA motorcycle racer who relocated to the Miami area in the early 1950s, very late in his career and ended his racing driving stock cars.
Ray Jannelle - Uncle of Bob Janelle in the Talladega Victory Lane photo with Davey Allison
When Bob lived in Miami, he had driven a tow truck for Bobby Allison, so this was a really special win for him, too. Bob had been working for Daytona Speedway and was recommended to Wrangler by Jim Foster, ISC V.P. of Marketing & Communications when we hired him at Wrangler in 1980.
When I got to Daytona for 1981 SpeedWeeks, Bob took me by the hand and literally introduced me personally to everybody in the garage I needed to know. It would be impossible for me to ever repay Bob for all the intros he made and all the doors he opened for me. Bob was a very giving individual who never asked anything in return. I would have never made it in NASCAR without his tutelage.
Following the 1981 racing season, we promoted Bob to head up the new Wrangler AMA SuperCross Series stadium motocross program.
It was Bob who called me at home late Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend 1983 to inform me of the terrible head-on motorcycle accident in Oxford, NC that would claim the life of our Wrangler show car driver, Ricky Parham and his father.
After the leveraged buyout of Wrangler, prior to its sale, Bob went to work in Winston-Salem for RJR. The last time I saw Bob at the Richmond track in 1999, he was running the Featherlite at-track program and had a side business in Mooresville selling autographed racing tires. His wife, Pattie, was a former Eastern Airlines flight attendant based in Miami and they had a very cute litte redheaded boy named Joey, who would be about 35 today. Very scary. Time marches on.
The next season, 1988, I contracted late in the season to represent Plasti-Kote Spray paint. Davey's car owner, Robert Yates was in negotiations to purchase the team from Harry Ranier. We cut a deal for Robert to run a Plasti-Kote decal on Davey's car above the rocker panel and he and Davey became personal spokespersons for Plasti-Kote.
In February 1989, Plasti-Kote brought several busloads of guests to the Daytona 500. They stayed in Orlando. Robert and Davey spoke on Saturday night to the dinner group in Orlando. It fell to me to chauffeur Davey back to Daytona in my 1986 Ford station wagon Saturday night before the 500 with Davey sitting beside me. The longer I drove, the more nervous I was, but Davey was so polite and would do anything you asked.
We booked Davey and Robert Yates Racing's motel rooms for 1989 and often stayed beside or near Davey. Regardless the temperature, he'd keep the heat in his motel room wide open, "training for race day."
Sometimes it seems like just yesterday, other times, when I look at my grown daughters, it seems several lifetimes ago. But the memories can never be erased. Amazing the memories just one photo can unleash. Thanks, Chase.
Oh... also in the victory lane photo, that's then Ranier crew chief Joey Nuckols leaning across the windshield to touch Davey. Joey's then wife was a dental hygenist at my periodontist's office in Charlotte. I almost bit off her finger one day while under nitros oxide.