A Tale of life
I think it would be kinda neat,special,or just plain fun if all involved in this site would stop and remember back in the good ole days where our fathers or maybe another Special person led us down that path to build and or go racing ,And take those fond memories and put them to print,you never know you might inspire a younger version of your self to take a path in life that wont entail drugs,drinking,or wrong doing and maybe become the next NASCAR champion. Think about that,would be kinda neat and something to be proud of.
I'll give it a try. My Uncle Chris has been a NASCAR fan my entire life. Back in 1975 he ask me if I wanted to go the The World 600 and I jumped at the chance. We always sat on the backstretch back then so we got up early and left for the hour drive around 5:00 am. Chris was always a big believer that you need to get to the gate as early as possible so you could be one of the first in to get the best seats. Well this year it was very hot and we all dread the heat of the mid day but looked forward to a great race. We raced in when the gates openned at 8:00 am and hurried for the best seats we could get which was about 5 rows down from the top, not bad seats. As more and more fans arrived we started the NASCAR squeeze untill we were so tight we could move, and the temperature was climbing.This particular race we had this very large fellow sitting just in front of us. He was dressed in the typical Red Neck NASCAR attire for such a hot day, Red Flannel Shirt and Jeans. Fortunately 'Tiny' had a full cooler of iced beer so we knew he would be fine. As we waited for the race to start, this fellow begain to work on his cooler. He worked on it at a very steady pace and as he got closer to the bottom of his supply, he took of the red flannel shirt. Now we are squeezed so tightly in our sets that it was imposable to set comfortably and the heat had us all miserable. The race started and by now Tiny was so drunk he didn't care. He just sat with his head down and his elbows propped on his knees. The only time he moved was to get another beer or step out to relieve himself.My Uncle Chris is a heavy smoker, but in those days most fans were. He was having a hard time putting out the butts and flicking his ashes due to the tight confines we all were in and the fact that Tiny's rear was between his feet. By now the temperature is in the upper 90's with no air Tiny is burnt and glistening from all the sweat beads that cover his exsposed body. Chris noticed that Tiny wasn't moving and that the waistband of his jeans were gapped open and that a few ashes had fallen into the cavern. Chris started flicking the ashes into the back of Tiny's jeans and it brought no reaction from the drunken blob, so he continued. This went on for hours and now there was a trail of ashes, in a cone shape, that led into the back of his jeans. The mixture of ash and sweat was growing and became darker and darker.About the 500 mile point of the race, Tiny realized he was out of beer and started coming around a little and finally stood up and gathered his empty cooler and shirt and waddled his way out and left. We laughed at the strip going down his back and noticed that most folks around us were getting a good laugh as well. I'm sorry to say I don't remeber the race or who won it, but I do remember how hot it was and I still remember Tiny. We still laugh when it comes up and have often wondered what Tiny found in his pants when he got home and what he thought. What memories...Thanks to all.
now thats what im talking about-----next please----------------------------memories
Here's one I don't share too much. I think it was 1982, I was a valonteer crewman for James Hylton. I knew the crew chief, Johnny Davis, and was invited to join the team to a race at Talladega. This was my first trip to Dega and I was amazed at the place. We worked on the car and prepared it for practice and I noticed the ARCA cars were going through inspection. One car caught me eye due to the finish and clean lines on the car. It looked more like a Cup car compared to the other ARCA cars that I saw in the area, smooth fender flares and it looked like it was very well built. It was a black and silver Buick Regal, #47. We continued to work on the car, very calm, getting it ready for final practice later that day after the ARCA race. Everyone had a task and all was going as planned. The ARCA race started and we all watched the start and would stop long enough from time to time to see who was leading. I don't remember how many laps had passed when I heard a loud 'BOOM' and saw a few guys looking towards the track. It was so loud in the garage area you couldn't ask what happened so I walked to the fence and saw a dust cloud rising up over at the exit of turn 4 and noticed the cars on the track were all slowing for the yellow caution lights. I climbed up on a stack of tires and saw that same car, the black and silver #47 sitting in the grassy area at the bottom of the track and it was destroyed. The hood was gobe and the front was flattened. I watched a few seconds and then returned to work. After a few minutes I noticed some standing at the fence turned and walked away and went back to work themselves and I took a quick look again and saw them loading the driver into the ambulance. All seemed fine. The race resumed and we finished getting the car ready for practice. It was only after the ARCA race was finished and James drove the car for practice that I heard the the driver, Gene Richards from the Chicago area, had died in the crash. I was floored. I began to notice the change in the Cup garage area. We all were effected by the event but we knew we had a job to do, so we continued and tried to stay busy. Nothing was said about the wreck, no one talked about it. It was like we all put it out of our minds, or we tried to.I'm sure everyone knows that James Hylton didn't have a lot of money, no big sponsor, that is why I, and a few others, were volonteers. I didn't know how James could keep going with the cost climbing more and more each year. This was a 'No Frills' team that barely made it from race to race. That is why I was more surprised when we came to the garage Sunday morning to do final preparation that someone I hadn't seen before was working under the car. He had his own toolbox and worked from one end of the car to the other, top and bottom. We were told to give him room and all went smoothly, then I looked up and he was gone. Later that morning I ask another crewman, "Who was that guy working on the car earlier, and is he working the pits?" I was told then that James made a few calls the day before and hired this guy to come it that morning and do nothing but check every bolt and connection on the car. I guess this was for James himself, to give him a little peice of mind. I don't remember how he ran that day but I'm sure he did all he could do. The only thing I do remember is that all the drivers made it through that race and we all went home with this driver we didn't know fresh in our memory. I still remember the look of that car sitting in the inspection line. Thankfully I don't remember the details of the wreck.Bumpertag
ok bumpertag you are on a roll ----you got another one ??-----------------------memories
Kindda bummed out after the last one. Let me think a while and maybe I can come up with a better one. Thanks
Here's a good story. I live just south of Charlotte and it's common for folks around here to be NASCAR fans. My wife has family out in Kansas City Missouri, an uncle and 2 cousins, and thay caught the racing bug back around 1995. They wanted to go to their first race and they wanted to come to Charlotte. We all baought tickets and headed off to the race early that morning so they could do a little souvenir shopping. They were so excited, they couldn't believe the crowds or the number of real cars on display. This was better than Disneyland!!! We made or way into the track and their jaws dropped. This was the first track they had been to and the cars were being lined up down pit road, and with each car that was rolled out they would grab each other and shout the driver name. "There's Bill Elliott, Theres Dale Earnhardt"! It was almost embarrassing to be there with them. I had told the that TV couldn't show how bright the colors really were and I had told the speed seemed faster in person. When the cammand was given to start the cars, they were about to explode. We watched them do their pace laps and the green came out and they were off. We sat in the Chrysler stands, down near the exit of turn 4, and I kept my eyes on them as the cars raced down the backstretch and entered the third turn for the first time. These guys grabbed their heads in shock as the cars dove down into the turn. They couldn't look away. Then during the first caution one of the guys turned to me and said, "You were right, I didn't think they would make past the third turn. They are going so much faster in person."All the way home we relived the entire race. Every little thing that caught their attention they recalled in great detail. They continued to come back for every October race at Charlotte untill the prices outgrew their desire. It's great to take someone to their first race.
How many of you remember going to the garage area after the races. My first race was the 1973 National 500 at Charlotte and when the race was over they openned the garage and you could walk in, get postcards and autographs. I remember standing for what seemed like an hour to get Richard Petty's autograph and a few of his postcards. I wish I still had them. When I left I must have had a dozen different postcards and several autographs. Even the wrecked cars were left out so you could look at them. I wish they still openned the garage area after each race. Memories...Bumpertag in S. Carolina
I got one that happened in Pheonix City Alabama back in the late 60's---We had just built a new modified chevy,the black and gold 57 with X-1 on it,to run with boys in al. Well you got to remember that them boys over there kinda run what you brung so things are kinda fast paced from the get go.I had already had a good taste of them in Birmingham when Donnie brought a coupe out that didnt quite look right,it had a long hood on it that made you think the body was set back but it wasnt,and the injector tubes stuck up through the hood kinda intimadating all who dared look,but run---man that thing would haul the mail,and had a unique sound.Well my dad evidently couldnt stand the suspense any longer and walked over to Red and ask him about Donnies car,all he said was blower---yup thats why car was longer than normal---it had a blower mounted on front of engine ---thats what put me to not believing most of what you thought you see in alabama---so back to Pheonix city.where we had pulled the skeeter motor out and put it in the 57---Bob Brown wanted to try something different for over there so he installed a powerglide in car with a clutch and no converter,it worked ---man you could get a jump on the start like never before--I had started about middle pack and green flag,2 laps and yellow comes out,ive gained 5 spots ---green flag again and yellow follows and now im up to the big boys ---setting in line behind sam mcquag and none other than Donnie,green flag again and i set sail in the middle of them --three wide we sail off into the corner stay that way down the back stetch and then it happened---they have a pile up and red flag race while they move cars off race track---thats when the arguing started between sams bunch and the crew of car thats running behind us needless to say that kinda moves out on to the track while this "discussion" is going on--after thats settled we back to racing, green flag and we off to the races again stacking up and putting on a show for sure,there is nothing prettier than cars stacking up on dirt in a turn---to me at least--well mr hot shot thats behind us decides its time to change the line up so he bumps Donnie,who is on inside into sam who in turn taps me on the outside--dont laugh tim---and off the turn i go cause there are no fences around track excepton front straight---well i manage to miss the trash and stuff and come back on track on straightaway ahead of the wreck--and that puts me in 3rd place ahead of the mess---well the good ole boys didnt like that for nothing and started a ruckus over at out trailer and i only had dad --bob --and one other there so it was kinda one sided and one took a poke at dad and red guys didnt like that ===well we all red that if he had known we were part of the gang they wouldnt have said nothing--- anyway we off and running again and finish 4th all goes well till we get to the bridge in columbus to cross back into ga and we are stopped in traffic a big ole guy walks up and said best for us to not come back over to race here with that car again---hmmm can you take a hint??-----------------i left out some stuff i cant figure how to put it in print but it has memories in it galore these have been the topic of talk at various times with all involved and many laughs have come from them--------memories
how about one of those discussions on the way home--you remember any??
hey tim do you remember what you thought about on your drive back home from savannah in 1970 i think you had something on your mind going home that night