I'm pickin' and he's AL GRINNAN! Named previously by Charles Ray Stocks.
Never raced without his red socks and a pickup truck load of watermelons for the competitors he usually beat on the dirt arenas up and down the entire eastern seaboard. Only driver I ever knew to date country music legend Patsy Cline (when he raced at Winchester, Virgina) - that's worthy of a bonus point!
From the comments I've heard about them being involved in RR get togethers, they've dropped a number of big balls.
What imbeciles. Thanks, Patsy.
How about the Darlington Museum - home of the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the site of Larry's Southern 500 win?
NASCAR's Memory Lane
An early drawing of the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum.
(from the Raceway web site)
Most visitors to the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum aren't quite sure what to expect. Old cars, or modern ones? A history lesson, or a fresh look at a most contemporary and constantly evolving sport?
The answer: The museum offers all this, and a lot more.
Originally, the facility was called the Joe Weatherly Stock Car Museum; the name was changed following a major renovation and expansion project in 2003.
"Little Joe" Weatherly had a reputation as one of racing's most colorful characters back in the sport's early days, even earning the nickname "The Clown Prince of Stock Car Racing." He was known for his zest for life, his no-holds-barred driving style and his seemingly endless creativity in the field of practical jokes.
But Weatherly was much more than a prankster. He was a serious competitor on the track, with two wins at notoriously tough Darlington Raceway, in 1960 and 1963.
Joe Weatherly was killed while driving at Riverside in 1964, but he left a legacy at Darlington that went beyond a couple of entries in the win column. The driver who like so many others began his career racing on dirt had a real disdain for the fancy Indy cars so popular at the time, describing them as looking like "cucumbers with hayraker wheels."
Just as Darlington Raceway had originally been constructed in 1950 to give stock car racing a platform to rival that of the Indianapolis 500, the Museum was intended to do the same for the history of the still fledgling sport.
After a visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Musuem, Weatherly suggested to his good friend Bob Colvin, then president of Darlington Raceway, that he consider building a stock car museum in South Carolina. Colvin not only liked the idea, but followed through with it; following his friend's death, Colvin brought plans for the Joe Weatherly Stock Car Museum before the Raceway's Board of Directors, where they were unanimously approved. The facility was officially dedicated on May 2, 1965, and still stands as a testament to the greatness of the sport of stock car racing and those who compete in it.
A walk through the Museum is not only a trip through the history of Darlington Raceway, but of the entire sport. On the end of a line of classic cars, looking like a prop from a 1940s film, sits the 1950 Plymouth Johnny Mantz drove to Victory Lane in the very first Mountain Dew Southern 500. Mantz was the slowest qualifier for the race which he eventually won by 15 laps over second-place finisher Fireball Roberts.
Did you know that the winningest car in the history of stock car racing is a convertible? The 1956 Ford convertible which sits in the Weatherly Museum won 22 races in a single year racing in the convertible series, plus three more races that same year with the top welded on - including the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington.
Sitting quietly in the middle of a row, sporting its trademark blue and the number 43, is the 1967 Plymouth of Richard Petty, a car that won 10 races that year. Occupying a prominent spot in the back is Darrell Waltrip's 1991 Chevy Lumina, which rolled eight times in the '91 Pepsi 400 in one of the most fearsome crashes in stock car history. Waltrip walked away from the incident, and the car stands as an impressive witness to stock car safety.
In the rear of the building visitors can find the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame, filled with photos, memorabilia and interactive exhibits showcasing the sport of NASCAR racing and the personalities who have inhabited it over the years. Alan Kulwicki; David Pearson; Junior Johnson. Lee and Richard Petty. Neil Bonnett.
Ever wondered what a restrictor place looks like? How about the famous "Hemi" engine? Both are on display in the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum, along with other bits and pieces of racing trivia such as Fonty Flock's Bermuda shorts and Joe Weatherly's very own racing shoes.
A very unique exhibit is a bittersweet favorite with fans. It features Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s handprints, preserved in concrete. Earnhardt was a nine-time champion at the track "Too Tough To Tame," second only to David Pearson on the all-time win list.
The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and NMPA Hall of Fame offer those who are interested in the history of stock car racing an in-depth look at the roots of the sport, and has a lot to pique the interest of newer fans as well. All in all, both facilities provide a unique stroll down NASCAR's memory lane.
The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum, NMPA Hall of Fame and Darlington Raceway gift shop are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum admission is $5.00 for adults, and free for kids under the age of 12.
Danica Sue was interviewed on KUSA Television in Denver (Colorado, not NC, lol) this week. I am happy to be able to keep you good RR folks abreast of the latest Danica news.
Danica Patrick ventures outside the racetrack
9:53 AM, Dec 6, 2012 Written by
Blair Shiff
As Seen on 9NEWS
KUSA - Nascar racer Danica Patrick finds herself in a different type of racecar - a digital one. The female racer will be featured in "Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed."
Patrick talked about how she got the opportunity to be in the game.
"They were doing a racing game and they asked if I would be interested in being a part of it in character. So it's very cool be in a game and having been a kid that played games and to have that come around full circle is pretty neat to get the opportunity," Patrick said.
She talked about her thoughts on the game.
"Yea, I played the game. It's 'All-Star Racing Transformed' means that you go by land, by see, by air and I'm definitely the weakest in the water category so I need some there," Patrick said.
Patrick also talked about her transition into Nascar.
"Yea, it's obviously my first full-time year in Nascar. It's so nice to be welcomed like that from all of the fans. It was really really nice and flattering, so it was fun to be able to get that award. Thank you fans for voting.
She also refuted the rumors of her and "GoDaddy" parting ways.
"Yea, those were weird rumors. They're not true at all. [There] was a story that came out that made people have some questions, but no we are great and we have a long term deal. When we were racing in Phoenix a few weeks ago now at the end of the season. I was in Scottsdale at 'GoDaddy's' headquarters there and Bob Parsons, the CEO was doing a press conference with me and he announced that I will be in both super bowl commercials. So that was very flattering. We haven't shot them yet, but I'm excited to shoot them for sure," Patrick said.
For more information, you can go to http://www.sonicthehedgehog.com/racing/ .
Nate Chisholm contributed to this report.
(KUSA-TV 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
I thought it was hilarious that they offerred the job to the University of North Carolina coach, Larry Fedora, who is trying to repair all the damage done by BUTCH Davis. He turned down the Vols.
Butch Jones' old team, Cincinatti, will be here in Charlotte playing in the Belk Bowl later this month... and Cincy has already replaced Butch, hiring Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville. They'll soon have scandals at Cincy is my prediction.
By the way, did I forget to post something this week?
Virginia Downs Tennessee, 46-38
Akil Mitchell had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Dec. 5, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Akil Mitchell had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Joe Harris also scored 13 as Virginia won a battle of stout defenses Wednesday night, 46-38 against Tennessee.
The victory was the sixth in a row for the Cavaliers (7-2) and came after they limited the Vols to 28.8 percent shooting and just 15 field goals.
Trae Golden scored 11 to lead Tennessee (4-3), which scored just 36 points in a one-point loss to No. 15 Georgetown on Friday and picked up where it left off.
The Vols scored just six points in the first 14:50 of the game, and just five more after using a 12-2 run to get within 38-33 with 7:41 left. Golden and Skylar McRae hit 3-pointers in the burst, and Kenny Hall closed it with two free throws, but Tennessee scored just one point over the next 6:14.
The Cavaliers, meantime, became the fourth team held scoreless for a period of six minutes or more by the Vols this season, and with the drought at 6:18, Virginia coach Tony Bennett called timeout. After the break, Harris fed Mitchell down low for a short bank that pushed the Cavaliers' lead back to 40-33.
A free-throw by Jarnell Stokes for Tennessee made it a two-possession game with 3:03 left, but Harris scored inside for Virginia, and neither team scored again until Jordan McRae's dunk for the Vols with 1:27 to play. After Harris missed the front end of a one-and-one for the Cavaliers, Stokes' putback made it 42-38 until the Vols fouled freshman guard Teven Jones, who made both halves of a one-and-one.
The Vols scored the first five points after halftime to pull within 25-21, but consecutive layups by Jontel Evans, Virginia's first 3-pointer of the night from Harris and Mitchell's putback restored the margin to 34-21. The Cavs added two more on an inbounds play when the Vols lost track of Harris and Evans fed him right in front of the basket for an uncontested layin, making it 36-21.
Virginia led 25-16 at halftime, and that was after the Vols outscored them 10-4 over the final 5:10.
Mitchell had seven of his nine first-half points during a 19-4 burst that took more than 10 minutes and gave Virginia a 21-6 lead. Three dunks by Kenny Hall sparked the Vols run to close the half.
Will,
For the Talladega qualifying results, I'd suggest contacting the Speedway Public Relations office. Jim Freeman was the PR guy there in 1983 and he kept great records. If they haven't thrown them away, the Speedway should have a file for each race and have copies of each day's official qualifying results for each race.
Here's the contact info from the track web site:
Andrew Smith
Sr. Manager Public and Community Relations
256.315.4556 (Office)
arsmith@talladegasuperspeedway.com
Office Address:
Talladega Superspeedway
3366 Speedway Blvd.
PO Box 777 (35161)
Talladega, AL 35160
Fax: 256-761-4717
The addition of the Eldora race for NASCAR Trucks on dirt in 2013 has stirred a lot of favorable comment. We've spoken here on this RR site about dust at dirt venues.
Have you ever heard the story of Lee Petty red flagging a NASCAR dirt race?
From NASCAR.com in 2011, Mark Aumann recounted the visit by the NASCAR Grand National Division to the Tulsa, Oklahoma Fairgrounds. I doubt Tony Stewart would have found the site of his Chili Bowl wins much to his liking in 1956.
Tulsa was a dusty adventure for NASCAR in 1956
Large dust storm leads to furious Petty climbing from his car, waving the red flag
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
December 16, 2011
Sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances that force the postponement of a race. Usually, it's caused by inclement weather. But in rare instances -- such as the Florida wildfires of 1998 or the 9/11 attacks of 2001 -- events outside of NASCAR's control have required the sanctioning body to reschedule.
But an outright cancellation? There may be only one instance in NASCAR's Cup history where a race was started and never completed -- that being the scheduled 100-mile event on the half-mile dirt track at the Tulsa Fairgrounds in 1956, when a dust storm created a nightmare for drivers and officials alike.
In an effort to generate interest in that era, NASCAR scheduled races anywhere and everywhere. Many times races would be held on back-to-back nights as the series barnstormed through different regions of the country.
That was the case in August of 1956, as NASCAR scheduled a two-race visit to a pair of Oklahoma dirt tracks. To say there weren't many takers might be an understatement. Just 12 cars started the race at Oklahoma City -- a record for the smallest Cup field ever -- which paid all of $850 to winner Jim Paschal.
Lee Petty had led 168 laps before he broke a differential with seven laps to go, so he was already in a bad mood by the time he pulled into Tulsa. So imagine the surprise and disappointment that he and the other teams had when they realized the fairgrounds "track" was nothing more than a large expanse of dry hard-pan clay, set off with traffic cones to demarcate the turns. And even worse, according to one report, the only lights were a pair of bulbs that lit the grandstand area.
The 12 drivers from Oklahoma City who towed to Tulsa -- plus John Schipper, who entered his convertible -- reportedly argued with the promoters about their safety concerns, particularly after seeing the amount of dust kicked up during qualifying. But the weather was clear and a crowd of about 6,000 people showed up for the race, so the decision was made to go on with the show.
Almost immediately after the green flag dropped, the 13 cars began to create a huge dust storm, which covered everyone in the grandstand in a layer of red clay and made it almost impossible for the drivers to see more than a yard in front of them. As the sun began to set, the visibility got worse, as two cars crashed in the first 17 laps. At that point, no one dared try to make a pass for fear of unintentionally running into one another.
By Lap 32, Petty had had enough. According to reports, Petty pulled his Dodge into the infield, ran across the track, climbed into the flagstand, grabbed the red flag from the starter, and began waving it to stop the race. That set off an argument between the drivers, NASCAR officials and race promoters as the crowd became more and more unruly.
Local authorities were called in to restore order, the promoters eventually relented and refunded money to the fans, and NASCAR packed up and left. Although Speedy Thompson led all 34 laps from the pole, the race was declared abandoned and removed from the official record. No prize money was issued and no points were given.
Despite his mid-race mutiny, Petty was not reprimanded by NASCAR. In fact, his impertinence was probably welcomed, as Tulsa never returned to the schedule.
However, Tulsa's racing reputation was restored with an indoor race for open-wheel midget cars called the Chili Bowl, which uses much of the original clay surface from the fairgrounds -- albeit heavily watered.
And just to show that Mother Nature has a sense of humor, the race that followed -- NASCAR's first visit to Road America in Wisconsin -- is the only Cup race believed to be run to its full completion in a steady rain. Thanks to grooved tires -- and the standard windshield wipers on his 1956 Mercury -- Tim Flock won by 17 seconds over Billy Myers. It was Flock's 39th and final Cup victory.
Recap from Racing Reference:
1956 Race #37 (cancelled)
Exhibition or unclassified race
August 4, 1956 at Tulsa Fairgrounds, Tulsa, OK
200 laps* on a .500 mile dirt track (100.0 miles)
Time of race: n/a
Average Speed: n/a
Pole Speed: 60.512 mph Cautions: 1
Margin of Victory: under caution
Attendance: 6,200
Lead changes: 0
Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
1 1 500 Speedy Thompson Carl Kiekhaefer '56 Dodge 34 running 34
2 3 22 Fireball Roberts Pete DePaolo '56 Ford 34 running 0
3 5 300 Buck Baker Carl Kiekhaefer '56 Chrysler 34 running 0
4 7 75 Jim Paschal C U Later Alligator (Frank Haworth) '56 Mercury 34 running 0
5 2 12 Ralph Moody Pete DePaolo '56 Ford 33 running 0
6 6 92 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas '56 Chevrolet 33 running 0
7 9 59 Blackie Pitt Brownie Pitt '56 Ford 33 running 0
8 4 42 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises '56 Dodge 32 quit 0
9 12 264 Johnny Allen Spook Crawford '56 Ford 30 overheating 0
10 11 7 Augie Howerton Augie Howerton '56 Chevrolet 28 engine 0
11 8 88 Jack Zink John Zink '56 Pontiac 17 crash 0
12 13 11 John Schipper John Schipper '56 Mercury 11 crash 0
13 10 551 Bill Moore Bill Moore '56 Pontiac 9 overheating 0
* Race shortened to 34 laps due to excessive dust.
Lap leader breakdown:
Leader From
Lap To
Lap # Of
Laps
Speedy Thompson 1 34 34
What a sweet act of kindness.
