July 31, 1951 - Lee Rolls in Rochester
Stock Car Racing History
Burma Shave!!!! I used to love to read those signs as we traveled. Thanks for the Memories Dave.
Forum Activity for @tim-leeming
Stock Car Racing History
Racing History Minute - July 31, 1955
Stock Car Racing History
Our History Minute for July 29th, covered an event in Altamont, NY in which Tim Flock finished 11th. Big deal, right? Standing alone, 11th place is not that great among 25 starters. However, on July 30, 1955, Tim Flock won a 100 mile race on a ONE MILE dirttrack in Syracuse, NY. But, Tim won often so even that was not worth of an extra special note in the annals of history. However, considering he had raced 100 miles in New York State on the 30th AND THEN raced 250 miles on another 1 mile dirt track the next day, July 31, 1955, in, are you ready for this? San Mateo, California! Across country to race a total of 350 miles on one mile dirt tracks within 24 hours.
The secret to this adventure is that Tim was driving for Carl Kiekhaefer who was always hell-bent on winning races whatever it took. Carl flew Tim from New York to California to have his best chance of winning the California event as a follow up to the New York escapade. Lee Petty, who had finished third in Sryacuse also ran San Mateo where he finished 6th. The deal here is that Kiekhaefer had planned in advance to fly Flock to the West Coast, but in a last minute display of what Kiekhaefer called "fairness" he allowed Lee Petty and Buck Baker to board the plane for the trip. Please note the use of the word "allowed" rather than invited. Just a point of interest I think.
Thirty-four cars started the San Mateo event on the track known as Bay Meadows Race Track, with Tim Flock on the pole in his Mercury Outboards Chrysler. Fonty Flock actuallyqualified the car for Tim at anpole winning speed of 79.330 mph. Tim had also started the Syracuse race from the pole. Johnny Keiper in an Oldsmobile would start second, Danny Letner in an Olds third, Marvin Panch in a Mercury fourth, and Allen Adkins would roll off fifth in a Dodge.
There were two crashes in the race, Carl Harrill on lap 144 and Bill Amick on lap 155. There were mechanical issues which eliminated some others, but 27 of the 34 starters were running at the finish. One of the most interesting reasons for leaving the race is listed for Bob Stanclift who parked his Hudson on the 36th lap. The "official reason" given for Bob not finishing is "no explanation". Guess the pit road reporters were not as curious back in those days.
Now for the real excitement! Johnny Kieper crossed the finish line first but Tim Flock was declared the winner. Seems there was a major scoring mix-up. NASCAR official realized, half way through the event,, that the score cards were out of order but decided to go ahead and complete the race without disclosing the scoring mixup to the fans. After the race, when the score cards were straightened out, and this was HOURS after the race, it was discovered that Johnny Kieper had actually completed 251 laps, one lap MORE than the scheduled distance. He should have won, right? Not so fast! The recheck discovered that Tim Flock had actually run 252 laps, 2 more than the scheduled distance. Having scored my share of races years ago, I know you can mess it up in a heart beat if you don't give it your complete attention. I guess there was too much going on that day for the scorers to focus. Who knows, but it makes for an interesting story. Oh, and by the way, the "official" winning average speed for the race was 68.571 and was credited to Tim Flock although NASCAR wasn't exactly sure that speed was actually correct.
Top five finishers were:
1. Tim Flock, Mercury Outboard Chrysler, winning $2,050.00
2. Johnny Kieper, Oldsmobile, winning $1,450.00
3. Danny Letner, Oldsmobile, winning $700.00
4. Marvin Panch, Panch Mercury, winning $650.00
5. Buck Baker, Baker Buick, winning $550.00
Sixth through tenth were Lee Petty, Bob West, Lloyd Dane, Ed Negre and Bill Stammer. Dick Rathmann finished 24th, and finishing 34th and last was Crash Carson. Crash only completed 8 laps before losing oil pressure in his Ford so he did not "crash" out of that one.
Worthy of note here is that 8th place finisher, Lloyd Dane, as a West Coast NASCAR champion is the oldest living NASCAR champion of a major division. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Lloyd at the Hillsborough event last year and hearing some of his stories further enhanced my admiration for the early pioneers of this sport. I am hoping he will be back in Hillsborough on September 28th for this year's event.
I would like to thank TMC Chase for recommending this particular event for today's History Minute. Chase and Dave Fulton contribute so much to these posts and, in fact, actually make the History Minute a great record of racing history. After all, that's what this site is about! Thanks to you guys.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
1967 Moonshine Bust at Middle Georgia Raceway News Coverage
Stock Car Racing History
Quite a description of an adventure! Thanks, Dave.
Johnny, if the still ain't working, why should I drive that far?
July 30, 1961 - Another racing minute
Stock Car Racing History
Chase, you are simply amazing! I have had the pleasure to being with Johnny at Hillsboro the past two years and this past February in Daytona. His soft spoken stories are truly a time capsule of memories of the days we all treasure. Keep up the amazing work!!!
July 30, 1961 - Another racing minute
Stock Car Racing History
No apologies required Chase. You're the man!
Racing HIstory Minute - July 30, 1979
Stock Car Racing History
Today's History Minute comes from the 1979 season, must more contemporary than most Minutes, but an interesting race I think. Actually, had the race not been postponed a day due to rain on the scheduled July 29th date, I would have had to look elsewhere for a History Minute for this date. The track is Pocono, where we will be with the Cup boys again very soon.
Thirty-nine cars would start the race on this Monday before a crowd of 40,000. Harry Gant would start on the pole for the first time in his rookie career. It is noted that Harry was using McCreary tires which were excellent for qualifying but didn't hold up long at race speeds. Harry was driving the Race Hill Farms Chevrolet. Cale Yarborough would start second in the Junior Johnson Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt started Rod Osterlund's Chevy third with Bobby Allison in Bud Moore's Ford fourth. Benny Parsons rolled off fifth in the M.C. Anderson Chevrolet.
Cale would lead lap one before Dale Earnhardt powered his way to the front for 14 laps. Then Darrell Waltrip took the lead in Al Rudd's Chevrolet. D.W. had crashed his DiGard ride in practice on Saturday and wrangled the Rudd ride in an effort to gain points in the season long points battle. The lead would change hands 57 times between 11 drivers including Neil Bonnett, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Harry Gant, and Buddy Baker.
While leading on lap 98, Dale Earnhardt's car blew a tire and crashed, driver's side first, into the steel barriers in turn two. Dalewas admitted into intensive care in the local hospital with fractures of both collar bonesalong with several cuts and bruises.An Osterlund spokesman said Dale would "probably miss up to six weeks" while recovering. AlHolbert and Roger Hamby were involved in a fiery crash on lap one but both exited their cars before injury.
Cale Yarborough was leading by 3 seconds over D.W. with a hand full of laps to go when Nelson Oswald, running several laps behind, blew an engine in the third turn, bringing out the caution. Second place D.W. and third place Neil Bonnett both hit the pits for fresh tires, certain the race would go green with one or two laps left on the almost flat triangular track which would greatly benefit the cars on fresh tires. Junior Johnson, Cale's owner, elected to leave Cale on the track. Junior knew, fresh tires or not, trying to past Cale in the last lap would not be an easy thing to do.
But, alas, the green flag never came back out as NASCAR allowed the race to finish under the caution with Cale creeping along behind the pace car with Richard Petty holding down second. The 40,000 assembled fans erupted in loud "boos" as the checkered flag was displayed to Cale. D.W., who finished seventh, blasted NASCAR saying "They could have given the green and white flags together, they have done that before". Buddy Parrot, crew chief for D.W. was extremely angry as he said "NASCAR wanted anybody but No. 22 (car D.W. was driving for Al Rudd) to win the race".
Harry Gant, the pole winner on McCreary tires, found the tires were fast, but would last only a few laps before blistering. He would end up in 15th place five laps off the pace.
Top five finishers were:
1. Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson Chevrolet, winning $21,465.00
2. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Chevrolet, winning $15,465.00
3. Buddy Baker, Harry Ranier Chevrolet, winning $8,490.00
4, Benny Parsons, M.C. Anderson Chevrolet, winning $7,765.00
5. Ricky Rudd, Junie Donlavey Mercury, winning $6.215.00
Sixth through tenth were Joe Milliken, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Bobby Allison and Tighe Scott.
D.K. Ulrich would finish 11th, Richard Childress 12th, J.D. McDuffie 13th, and Ronnie Thomas 14th. Cecil Gordon finished 18th, Frank Warren 19th, Buddy Arrington 22nd, James Hylton 33rd and Lennie Pond 34th. Finishing in 39th and last place, completing only one lap before being involved in the crash with Holbert and Hamby, was Steve Gray driving the Henley Gray owned Chevrolet.
Now, in this day of three attempts at the green-white-checker finishes, the outcome of this race may have been different. But, having watched Cale for so many years, I can only imagine a repeat of that last lap action that happened at Daytona in February, 1979. It would have been quite a finish!
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Racing History Minute - July 29, 1955
Stock Car Racing History
Getting on to the end of summer and I think we either are, or are about to, be in the "dog days of summer". But this morning we are going to take a trip back in time to July 29, 1955, and go to a track known as Altamont-Schnedtady Fairgrounds Speedway located in Altamont, NY. This was a half-mile dirt track, as were many tracks in those days, and would host a 100 mile/200 lap race. At least that was the intended distance when the green flag fell.
Tim Flock qualified his Mercury Outboards Chrysler on the pole with Buck Baker in another Chrysler to his right. Don Oldenburg driving a Buick Convertible would start third and Bob Welborn in a Chevrolet fourth. Starting fifth was Jim Paschal in the Helzafire Oldsmobile.
Buck Baker stromed from third into the lead on lap one and would stay there only 8 laps before his engine blew, parking him for the day. Junior Johnson took over when Baker had his bad luck and would lead until lap 62 when Jim Paschal in that Helzafire Olds moved out front. On lap 90, it was Johnson back out front and he was building a lead over second place Paschal which would soon be a full lap.
On lap 177, Don Oldenburg put his Buick convertible through the fence and destroyed the guard rail. Although he was not injured, NASCAR ruled the guard rail irrepairable and decided to call the event at the 177 mark. Most of the 5,936 paying fans were no happy about being "cheated" out of 23 laps of racing, but NASCAR surely was thinking of the tragedy in LeMans where 82 people lost their life to a runaway race car. The incident in France had politicians already considering action against auto racing and NASCAR chose not to take a chance on any adverse publicity from one of its events.
Top five finishers were:
1. Junior Johnson, B&L Motors Oldsmobile, winning $900.00
2. Jim Paschal, Helzafire Oldsmobile, winning $600.00
3. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Chrysler, winning $525.00
4. Jimmie Lewallen, Ernest Woods Oldsmobile, winning $335.00
5. Gene Simpson, Buick, winning $200.00
Sixth through tenth were Blackie Pitt, Russ Truelove, Bob Welborn, Charles Dyer and Don Oldenburg. Tim Flock came home 11th, Jim Reed 23rd, and Buck Baker was credited with 25th and the final position.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
July 29th - Paschal and Petty Victories
Stock Car Racing History
Outstanding posts Chase!!!! I had almost forgotten that USAC win for The King. I must really be older than I think.
Racing History Minute - July 28, 1966
Stock Car Racing History
The fact that you are able to enjoy this site and to explore the history of stock car racing through the pictures, stories, Forums and personal memories of fans and competitors from the past is due to the efforts and dedication of one Jeff Gilder, the constructor and maintainer of this site. The fact that Jeff dedicated so much of his time and talents to such an endeavor is due to the story of the man we will call a "Winner" for the History Minute race for today. However, you need to know that being a "winner" in a race in Maryville, Tennessee 47 years ago is NOT what makes Paul Lewis a special man. Paul is one of those people who always touches the lives of others with a positive karma. His vocabularly of kind words far exceeds that of most folks on this planet today and he is liberal with his use of those kind words, always sincere. Paul see the good in everyone and so it goes that everyone sees the good in Paul. Funny how that works, huh?
Anyway, for today, we travel to Maryville Tennessee, to a half-mile dirt track known as Smoky Mountain Raceway for a 100 mile/200 lap race where 29 cars would enter. Buddy Baker would earn his first pole position in Dodge with J.T. Putney putting his Chevrolet on the outside front row. David Pearson qaulified third in a Dodge, James Hylton in another Dodge took fourth and Elmo Langley would put his Ford in fifth. Our Paul Lewis would start 27th after missing qualifying.
Buddy Baker led the first 17 laps before David Pearson made the move to take the lead. The crowd seemed to favor Baker over Pearson and was not so happy about that move. Pearson led until lap 116 with Baker hounding him but not mounting a serious challenge. Then, on lap 117, Baker took over the role of rabbit once more. Pearson moved back in front on lap 135 and looked in his mirror to see car number 1 making a move to overtake him. What? Who? This was independant Paul Lewis, who had been running sporadically since 1960, about to pass the Silver Fox. It was, in fact, only Paul's 89th start in the premier division of NASCAR, then known as Grand National. Although Paul was talented and respected by competitors, it was not really expected that the would be in a position to challenge David Pearson for a win in a 100 mile Grand National Race. But challenged he did, and win he did by 2 seconds over Pearson. It was a popular victory for the crowd of some 6000 because Paul was, and still is, an East Tennessee boy!
Top five finishers:
1. Paul Lewis, Lewis Plymouth, winning $1,000.00
2. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $600.00
3. J. T. Putney, Putney Chevrolet, winning $400.00
4. Doug Cooper, Cooper Plymouth, winning $300.00
5. Bobby Allison, J.D. Bracken Chevrolet, winning $275.00
Sixth through tenth were James Hylton, John Sears, Blackie Watt, Henley Gray and Johnny Wynn. Buck Baker would finish 11th, Wendell Scott 12th, Neil Castles 13th, Earl Brooks 15th, Clyde Lynn 18th and J.D. McDuffie 19th. Pole winner, Buddy Baker is credited with 22nd position after crashing on lap 134 when a tie rod broke. That crash enable Pearson to retake the lead from Baker. Twenty-fourth went to Buddy Arrington, 25th to Ned Jarrett with Elmo Langley 26th and Jabe Thomas 27th. Richard Petty left the race on the 17th lap and was credited with 29th (dead last) attributing his departure to "steering problems".
Soon after I posted the first Racing History Minute on April 5, 2013, I received ane-mail from Dave Fulton asking me to be sure to include this particular race on this date. I was more than happy to do so and appreciate Dave making sure I didn't miss this special event. Although I am sure I met Paul during his racing days, as I never missed a chance to talk with any driver, any time and any where, but I especially hung out with the drivers of Plymouths and Dodges. I don't have any special memories of Paul from those days. However, since my first encounter with him at the first RacersReunion event I attended, I can never forget Paul, or his wife Linda. Such gracious and wonderful folks!!!!!! Paul and Linda attend most of the RacersReunion events and I fully expect they will be at Hillsborough on September 28th for The Celebration of the Automobile. I would urge each and every one of you reading this to spread the word that, in addition to all the other wonderful things that will happen in Hillsborough on that day, getting a chance to meet Paul and Linda will make it an even more special event. Paul was driving car number 1 when he won the race featured here today. A very accurate precusor for the man he is, NUMBER ONE.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
HAVE YOU EVER KISSED THE FUTURE ?
Trivia
I did not see that on the telecast of the race Johnny so thanks for posting it. Mr. Dillon is definitely a part of the future of the sport. For the first time in a long time, I'm thinking the future of the sport is getting brighter instead of dimmer. Got a fine group of young drivers coming along.