Racing History Minute - May 16, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
Hope Dave or Chase come up with come good pictures from this event. Hickory is a track with many first hand memories for me although I haven't been there since about 1998.
Forum Activity for @tim-leeming
Stock Car Racing History
Racing History Minute - May 16, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
Yesterday we were in Hampton, Virginia with the good ole boys as they had just completed a 100 mile race on a .4 mile dirt track won by Ned Jarrett. Overnight, the open trailers towed the cars to Hickory, NC, to compete on another 100 mile event on a .4 mile dirt track. Ned Jarrett had returned to his home track and a crowd of 10,000 folks showed up to watch their neighbor try to win two in a row.
Junior Johnson out qualified Ned to start on the pole, but Ned qualified second. Fans were happy! Most fans, however, knew that Ned seemed to be "jinxed" at Hickory so they weren't ready to start counting their good fortune just on qualifying. Junior took the lead on the green flag with Ned on his door. On lap 3 Ned went around Junior's Ford to take the lead. Ned would lead until lap 46 when David Pearson would move to the point. Ned went back out front on lap 137, but Pearson retook first spot on lap 148. Ned was chasing David but not able to catch the swift Dodge Pearson was driving but with 14 laps to go, David had a tire go down coming off turn two and was forced to the pits.
Ned went to the front with David's pit stop, but David returned to the track and made a blazing run to make up the distance but there just weren't enough laps. David would finish second, one lap behind the winning Jarrett. Hometown fans of Jarrett had been rewarded with a victory and Ned surely felt great after winning before such a partisan crowd. Surely Ned has fond memories of that race, even today.
Top five finishers were:
1. Ned Jarrett, Bondy Long Ford, winning $1,150.00
2. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $600.00
3. Richard Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $400.00
4. LeeRoy Yarbrough, Louie Weathersby Plymouth, winning $300.00
5. Buddy Baker, J.C. Parker Dodge, winning $275.00
Sixth through tenth, in order, Earl Brooks, Neil Castles, Elmo Langley, Wendell Scott and Doug Cooper.
The remaining eight finishers (only 18 entries) in order, were, Buck Baker, Jimmy Pardue, Marvin Panch, E.J. Trivette, Don Tilley, Jack Anderson, Junior Johnson and Jimmy Helms.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Danica? What say you?
Current NASCAR
I had not heard this. I am truly disappointed in the Hall of Fame for allowing such a display in what is supposed to be a place to honor stock car racing history. Danica on the pole at Daytona? I know I get the label of "hater" for believing this, but I think everyone knows that was as rigged as anything has ever been in sports. NASCAR and Daytona wanted that week of publicity and they got it. I'm glad for that, but don't expect me to buy into that being a legal car.
I frankly think Janet Guthrie was 1000 times the driver than Danica. There have been several others. But I will stop right here before I get off on the tangent of how I really feel about Danica and Go Daddy.
Danica? What say you?
Current NASCAR
NASCAR announced, yesterday I think, that the rules for the All Star event in Charlotte this weekend are being "modified". Prior to last year's event there was no rule specifying that the winner of the Fan Vote had to be on the lead lap in the "pre-event" to qualify for the main event. That was changed last year requiring that any car making the big show MUST be on the lead lap if voted in by fans. Not sure what the reasoning was for that change but it seemed to make sense. My guess is that it was for the purpose of getting someone competitive in the field for the main. The rule has NOW been changed to say that the winner of the Fan Vote must only have a car in "raceable condition" (Kerry Tharp's words) to be entered in the main event.
NASCAR is so certain that Danica is going to win the Fan Vote, that the rule change was made to remove any obstacle that would prevent the Go Daddy Girl from "wiggling" her way into the big show. Of course, NASCAR denies that, and also denies knowing who is winning the Fan Vote, but think about the obvious.
There is a great article on Yahoo Sports pages this morning, written by Matt Myflia who has been a writter and blogger for the past 15 years on NASCAR and is published in "The Oakland Press". He is convinced the rule change is strictly to benefit Danica. The comments made by his readers support his theory and some express strong dissatisfaction with how NASCAR has handled this.
My concern is that NASCAR is admitting they already know who has "won" the Fan Vote. Isn't that premature? What about fans still voting and thinking they make a difference? I just don't like this scripted "Hollywood" B.S. where the fans are supposed to make a difference. It would appear to me that NASCAR has, and will, take every possible precaution to ensure Danica's presence in that race, including rigging the fan vote. I would guess D.W.'s fingers are worn to a numb from all the votes he has been casting.
NASCAR has been great at fining those who criticize the "product" this year. Maybe they ought to fine Danica and for stinking up "the product". It will be interesting Saturday night to see what strings are going to be pulled to get that green car in the main event. Oh wait, isn't the "Main Event" a term used by the WWE? Guess it's not that far off.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
May 16, 1958 - Lee Rules The Ragtops At Charlotte
Stock Car Racing History
Awesome Chase! I'm liking this.
Racing History Minute - May 15, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
No, Dave, I can't claim her as a friend, but I do like her music!
Racing History Minute - May 15, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
Dave, the spelling error was MINE, not Greg's. I went back and checked. I was thinking of a friend of mine with the last name "Loveless" and trying to read the small print with my ever diminishing eyesight, and subconciously thinking of my old friend, I messed that up. My apologies for that. I have now acquired a huge magnifying glass to be kept here in The Lair for future use.
Thanks, as always, for all you add to these posts.
Racing History Minute - May 15, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
That's a good point about critcizing the product. Gentleman Ned would never have done that intentionally but I think he should be warned that NASCAR does not honor Statutes of Limitation.
Those are some awesome pictures you have added. Ray Lamm was in his usual good form with that Jarrett pit stop.
Thanks for adding to the History Minute.
Racing History Minute - May 15, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
The 1964 season of Cup racing was, to say the least, a most interesting one from a fans' perspective as it was from the drivers' perspective. There was real competition on most tracks between the Chrysler Corporation and Ford Motor Company cars, and drivers such as Richard Petty and Ned Jarrett, along with David Pearson, were competing on all the tracks running for the championship. There were, however, some races where the fans could be bored to sleep unless they simply enjoyed being at the race track. I always one of the folks who just enjoyed being there. I was not, however, in attendance at the event we will chronicle today.
Langley Field Speedway, the .4 mile track located in Hampton, Virginia, was the scene of the 100 mile/250 laps race on the dirt track located in the hotbed of the U.S. Navy bases where I would eventually serve some time later in the sixties. Seventeen cars showed for the event, which was about the norm for the smaller races throughout the early part of the 1964 season.
David Pearson put his Cotton Owens prepared Dodge on the pole and Doug Cooper in a year old independent Ford would start second. David put the hammer down and put the Dodge out front for the first 23 laps. On lap 24, fourth place starter, Ned Jarrett, moved ahead and would lead the rest of the 250 laps, building up a three lap lead. David Pearson continued to run second to Jarrett until lap 87 when his Dodge lost oil pressure and he had to park it for the evening. Richard Petty blew an engine at the drop of the green flag and finished last (17th).
There were no cautions in this race and Ned averaged 65.300 mph for the 100 miles, which, when you think about it, is a pretty nice average speed on a dirt track less than a half mile long. Gentleman Ned opined, after the race, that "it's nice to win by acomfortable margin but it must have been boring for the fans". In fact, Ned led second place by three laps, second place led third place by five laps and third place had two laps on fourth. Fifth place was sixteen laps down.
Top five finishers were:
1. Ned Jarrett, Bondy Long Ford, winning $1,000.00
2. Marvin Panch, Wood Brothers Ford, winning $600.00
3. Buddy Baker, J.C. Parker Dodge, winning $400.00
4. Wendell Scott, Scott Ford, winning $300.00
5. Curtis Crider, Crider Mercury, winning $275.00
Sixth through tenth were, Elmo Langley, Earl Brooks, Worth McMillian, LeeRoy Yarbrough and Neil Castles. The remaining seven finishers, in order, were Gene Loveless, David Pearson, Doug Yates, Jimmy Pardue, Roy Mayne, Doug Cooper, and Richard Petty.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Barney Retired
Administrative
Nice new selection, Jeff. However, as Barney would have said, you should have "nipped it in the bud" as to the old picture.