Forum Activity for @dave-fulton

Besides Sam Ard, Monk Tate , Harold Fountain & Wayne Andrews, Many Forget This Thomas Bros. Country Ham Car

Stock Car Racing History

I note a little spooky irony here regarding this post and the first photo from Martinsville.

10 years after that photo, Sam, at the exact same age as Ray in the post above - 45 - would make his only career Cup start. It was at Martinsville in a Chevy fielded by the same Richmond car builder who owned Sonny Hutchins' #01 in the first color photo above - Emanuel Zervakis, the "Golden Greek."

That venture in the September 23, 1984 Goody's 500 ended prematurely on the first lap with what is shown in the race rundown as a "steering" issue. I don't know the story, but I'm sure you do. Anyway, isn't it interesting how paths cross in stock car racing through the years?

Thanks greatly for the timeline history lesson on Sam.

Besides Sam Ard, Monk Tate , Harold Fountain & Wayne Andrews, Many Forget This Thomas Bros. Country Ham Car

Stock Car Racing History

The car carried Thomas Bros. sponsorship, but it was Clayton Mitchell's car, based in Norlina, NC near the Virginia/North Carolina border.

updated by @dave-fulton: 02/21/22 01:03:05PM

Besides Sam Ard, Monk Tate , Harold Fountain & Wayne Andrews, Many Forget This Thomas Bros. Country Ham Car

Stock Car Racing History

Probably 95% of the time when we hear NASCAR and Thomas Brothers Country Ham in the same sentence we think of the great two-time NASCAR Busch Series National Champion, Sam Ard and his white #00 cars. We may also think of Monk Tate, Harold Fountain and Wayne Andrews.

How often do you think of the late Ray Hendrick of Richmond? Maybe never?

Well in 1974, famed Norlina, NC car builder Clayton Mitchell debuted a new "Flying #11" Chevelle for Hendrick to compete in NASCAR's Late Model Sportsman Series. Hendrick was already age 45 by then, but age didn't keep him from putting the Chevelle upfront.

There was something very, very different about this Chevelle, though, from all other Hendrick driven cars through the years. In deference to sponsorship from Asheboro, NC-based Thomas Brothers Country Ham, this Hendrick ride was WHITE , not the cherry red flying 11 usually associated with Rapid Ray's Modified and Sportsman rides.

The car debuted at Martinsville's Dogwood 500 on March 21, 1974, starting on the front row beside fellow Richmonder Sonny Hutchins in the powder blue #01 owned by Emanuel Zervakis. Hendrick put the new Thomas Brothers sponsorship in victory lane first time out.

The T. Taylor Warren photo of the car's front row Martinsville debut in 1974 appears on the cover of the 1974 Martinsville fall Cardinal 500 program below, to the inside of Sonny Hutchins' #01.

The story didn't end at Martinsville, though.

Feeling their oats, Mitchell and Hendrick decided to do something they'd never done previously. They decided to tow the new, white Thomas Brothers Country Ham "Flying #11" from eastern North Carolina 584 miles to Nashville, Tennessee for the opening 1974 race at the Nashville Fairgrounds. It was the NASCAR National Championship Permatex 200 for Late Model Sportsman cars on April 13, 1974.

If anyone thought 45 year old Rapid Ray Hendrick would be intimidated running with the likes of Bobby Allison and Red Farmer and Neil Bonnett at a track he'd never seen, they didn't know Ray.

Thanks to the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway blogs and photos of Russ Thompson, we have a good picture of Ray's Nashville visit in his unusual white car. For starters, Ray qualified the car on the front row next to Nashville star Darrell Waltrip. However, trying to get back by Ray later in the race would prove DW's undoing. He wound up in the wall.

When all was said and done, Ray finished second to Richard Orton that day on his first Music City visit. The photos below are all by Russ Thompson. Look at that lineup of cars at the finish. Quite a field!

Results - 1974 Permatex 200 Late Model Sportsman Race
Fairgrounds Speedway - Nashville, TN - April 13, 1974

Finish	StartPos	CarNo	Driver	Car
1	5	2	Richard Orton	Chevy Nova
2	2	11	Ray Hendrick	Chevelle
3	9	12	Bobby Allison	Chevelle
4	8	97	Red Farmer	Ford Torino
5	21	63	Jimmy Hensley	Chevelle
6	20	43	Phil Stillings	Chevelle
7	15		Paddlefoot Wales
8	26	64	Freddy Fryar	Chevelle
9	19	92	Jimmy Means	Chevelle
10	27	00	Wayne Andrews	Chevelle
11	17	7	Bob Burcham	Chevelle
12	29	10	Steve Spencer	Chevelle
13	16	2	L.D. Ottinger	Chevelle
14	32	16	Jerry Sisco	Chevelle
15	13	25	Charlie Binkley	Chevelle
16	4	88	Flookie Buford	Chevelle
17	22	3	Brad Teague	Chevelle
18	1	84	Darrell Waltrip	Ford
19	25	50	Bill Morton	Chevelle
20	11	02	Dave Marcis	Dodge
21	14	11	Jack Ingram	Chevelle
22	6	40	Buddy Baker	Chevelle
23	28	21	Wayne Carden	Chevelle
24	7	18	Dave Mader	Chevelle
25	30	44	Rod Stillings	Chevelle
26	12	55	Gene Payne	Chevelle
27	23	16	Ray Putnam
28	33	59	A.C. York	Chevelle
29	3	1	Neil Bonnett	Chevelle
30	31	39	Billy Hammonds	Chevelle
31	10	26	John Utsman	Chevelle
32	18	41	Gary Myers
33	24		Clyde Peoples

In the black & white photos, that's Ray leading Bobby Allison in #12 and leading Darrell Waltrip in #84. Remember, he was already 45 years old. Imagine how he drove at 25!

updated by @dave-fulton: 06/22/22 03:46:16PM

Before He Beefed Up

Stock Car Racing History

Here's a David Allio shot of rookie pole winner Mark holding off Dale Earnhardt in 1981 at Nashville in the Busch Nashville 420. He'd eventually complete 415 of 420 laps. Winner Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison and Benny Parsons were the only cars that went the distance.

Before He Beefed Up

Stock Car Racing History

Today we know driver Mark Martin at age 54 as one of the fittest drivers in the garage. It has been that way with Mark for many, many years. His regimines on the rowing machine have been well documented.

When Mark first came to Cup at age 22 in 1981, he was fast from the get-go, winning poles at both Nashville and Richmond in just 5 starts. However, the heavy Cup cars with no power steering were a handful. That's why Mark became such a fitness guru. It sure paid off.

The Bob Brown photo below of 22 year old Mark taking oxygen after completing 398 of 400 laps in the 1981 Wrangler SanforSet 400 at the demanding old Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway half-mile bears little resemblance to how a fit and beefed up Mark always looks fresh as a daisy when he climbs out of his cars today.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Richmond Airport Discounts Plane Fuel for NASCAR Teams/Fans

Current NASCAR

Maybe they'll bring back their penny pinching pump from the 70s.

Richmond Airport Discounts Plane Fuel for NASCAR Teams/Fans

Current NASCAR

You will let us know when they do that, right?

Richmond Airport Discounts Plane Fuel for NASCAR Teams/Fans

Current NASCAR

I don't own a plane and won't be flying up to Richmond, but I think the efforts being demonstrated between the Richmond Airport, Raceway, and Visitors and Convention Bureau illustrate how hard the folks in that Richmond area have worked for so many years to be "Fan Friendly" and reach out to fans and competitiors, rather than sticking it to them like so many racing venues.

Many other tracks "preach" "Fan Friendly," but the late Richmond promoter, Paul Sawyer taught the Richmond area hospitality operators how to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk."

My hat is off to anybody up Richmond way who has found another way for teams and fans to save a dollar or two while attending the events there. Kudos.

Economy
RIC to give NASCAR fans break on plane fuel

Posted: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 12:00 am

BY PETER BACQU Richmond Times-Dispatch

Richmond International Airport is putting its money where its welcome for NASCAR is.

Teams and fans flying corporate and private aircraft into the airport for NASCAR race week April 22-28 will save 6 cents on every gallon of aviation fuel they buy for their planes for about a 1 percent savings.

Just a friendly gesture to NASCAR is how Troy Bell, the airports director of marketing and air service development, described the Capital Region Airport Commissions action Tuesday.

The popular auto races are big business for the Richmond region, said Jon E. Mathiasen, the airports president and CEO.

It means a lot to us, he said. It brings us traffic on RICs airlines and in private and corporate planes, making waiving the airports fuel flowage fee a good marketing strategy.

We have a great partnership with the airport, said Aimee Turner, director of communications for Richmond International Raceway. They see the benefits of everyone who comes into town for our events race teams, drivers, fans in general and goes through the airport.

Aircraft based at Richmond International also will be able to take advantage of the waived fee normally charged on aviation fuel sales, Bell said.

Dozens of private and corporate planes fly into RIC for the NASCAR races, making them far and away the busiest times for general aviation at the airport.

Theyre parking aircraft on every available corner of asphalt or concrete out here, Bell said. The (aircraft parking) ramp space fills up nicely.

General aviation jets and turboprop airplanes can take aboard hundreds of gallons of fuel when they top off their tanks. Jet fuel sells for $5.51 to $5.98 a gallon at Richmond.

A lot of the public is unaware that the drivers have their own private planes, as do the sponsors of the race and the race teams, said Jack Berry, president and CEO of the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The airports race-friendly attitude just reinforces why drivers like Richmond more than other race destinations, Berry said.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

March 27, 1960: Lee Petty Whoops 'Em at Wilkesboro

Stock Car Racing History

I actually got to see Maurice drive. At my first-ever NASCAR race in spring 1964, the Richmond 250, Maurice in the #41 PE Plymouth outqualified brother, Richard in the #43. Maurice started 4th that day and Richard 6th!

March 27, 1960: Lee Petty Whoops 'Em at Wilkesboro

Stock Car Racing History

Yes it is/was! Cool!