What has Dave Fulton done now????????

After my youngest brother, Gary, died in 2006, we were cleaning out the "old home place" where he had been living since my Mama passed away in 1998. Gary's daughter and I were in the attic and found several old home movie reels which my Daddy had spliced together. Some were 8MM and some were Super 8, but the two projectors he had both had burned out bulbs. I made an attempt to secure replacement bulbs from on-line suppliers as there is simply no "brick and mortar" place around that sells such merchandise.

The first company shipped me two bulbs, one of which was actually bigger than the projector for which the company indicated was the right one. The other bulb may possibly have worked in a night light, but not a projector.Let me be clear that I gave the company the exact model numbers of each projectors and even the writing off the burned out bulbs themselves. I returned those two and had a long conversation with a nice gentleman on the phone who agreed to send what he thought would be the correct bulbs.

When the new bulbs were received, both would actually fit the projectors, but would not work for reasons I cannot explain and neither could the gentleman with the bulb company. I returned those for credit and had to pay a "re-stocking charge" because it was my second return. The guy then told me they couldn't help me so there were apparently no replacement bulbs available for the 8mm or Super 8 projectors I have.

I explored the possibility of having these films converted to DVDs as I was told that was possible. I talked with one company here in Columbia that does that type work and after showing them just one reel of the five I have, I knew that was cost prohibitive for me. I exhausted every avenue I could think of to see what was on those reels.

Enter our own Dave Fulton. Not quite sure how Dave became aware of the situation but he told me one day that he had a projector stored somewhere that would handle both 8mm and Super 8. He promised he would "dig it out" and check out the bulb situation.

Being the man of his word that he is, Dave showed up at the RacersReunion Hall of Fame trip with the projector. After a quick lesson in operation held in the parking garage at the Hall of Fame, I headed home with the intention of watching some home movies, most of which I was sure would include racing footage as that's what my family did most of the time.

It took me a couple of weeks before I had time to sit down and fire up the projector for the first time. Over the past two days I have watched over 3 hours of home movies, most of which contain racing footage. The earliest race I can identify is one of the 1970 races from Darlington. We have racing footage from Darlington, Daytona, Rockingham, and Atlanta, which includes shots from in the pits and garage area where we were allowed because of press credentials. We have several family trips to the mountains. We have my brothers in their teenage and early 20s. We have shots of me with the shoulder length hair of the seventies. We have probably 40 minutes of Historic Columbia Speedway footage, including some of a race my Daddy tried to film at night so you can imagine how that went, but there are some really good shots of the speedway and cars in action.

There is footage of the very first motorhome my parents bought when we were at both Darlington and Rockingham. There are so many memories for me on those reels that it is difficult to explain just how much these films can mean to me. There is one part where King Richard had won at Rockingham and was brought around to the grandstand entrance for a trip up to the press box for the post race interview. As he is getting out of the station wagon, my Mama is standing right there. She is hugging Richard and Richard is smiling an hugging her back and they talk for a few seconds. There is no sound to these films so I don't know what was said, but from the smiles on both faces, it must have been good.

Finally, one last thing. Not exactly sure when he filmed this as my Daddy, bless his heart, just spliced the things together without regard to chronological order, but it appears to be 1968 or 1969. It had snowed here in Columbia and several of us were having a snowball fight in the woods across the street from my parent's home. There I am, cowboy boots and cowboy hat in place, throwing snowballs! Remember what I've been saying about that race driver that dresses that way? Who is the original here???????

Thank you, Dave Fulton, for allowing me a chance to travel down a very special memory lane! I have three very small rolls of 8mm left to watch and I'll do that today. Then I'll repackage your projector for safe keeping until I can return it to you. Maybe now I'll take out a second mortgage to see if I can get these films on DVD.

You are most welcome, Tim. I have one small request. Some day, let our extremely talented"Dangerous" Devin see a couple of the frames you mention above. I suspect with her amazing abilities, the members of RR would soon be able to see a shot of the Legend with shoulder length hair!!!

Dave, that shoulder-length hair is visible in the shot of me sitting on the hood of the Gatorade car in Victory Lane at Talladega. lol

If DW was driving it, I guess you were going incognito to protect your reputation!

Yes, D.W. was driving it. I was in the pits during the race and as it came close to the end, I went to the motorhome and got out of my "professional journalist" clothes and put on my Richard Petty t-shirt and cap. I was walking out of the pits after the checkers and that idiot (sorry about the rules of engagement, Jeff) cut around the pit wall and almost hit me. I grabbed his roll bar and was running along beside the car telling him exactly what I thought as he drove into Victory Lane. The crew surrounded us and they closed the gate to Victory Lane so I was there. So, I climbed on the hood with my Petty T-shirt and grabbed one of those bottles of Gatorade they were passing around. For the record, I kicked D.W. in the butt when he was in front of me but I don't think he even noticed it.

As I left Victory Lane I passed the parking lot where Lynda Petty was setting out supper so I stopped in to speak. Richard came walking up and saw me with the Gatorade bottle and said "I see you've switched over to the enemy". I cleared that up quickly. True story.

That picture made the front page of the NASCAR Newsletter (a copy of which I have) as well as the advertising brochure for the Nashville race (although I have no idea why Nashville used it other than it was D.W.).

So, that was one day that I literally kicked D.W.'s butt.

Tim,

We must meet up so that I may take still photos of the speedway footage or get it transferred to DVD. Meeting at the museum, perhaps?

I think it is this shot, Dave:

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/photo/tim-leeminggatorade-car-88?context=user

Thank you, Devin. A shot for posterity (not posterior)!

Long Haired Legend wearing Petty attire grins after confronting Jaws!

Wonder if TMC-Chase has that photo on his wall?!

lol.Absolutely! You are most welcome.

Congrats Legdon

It is, indeed, that shot.

And, for the record, that Petty t-shirt is hanging on the ceiling here in The Lair!

Devin, the footage from the race way is on three of the five reels, maybe even four. My Daddy did not put things in any specific order. You see the track and practice, then the family in the mountains, then more track, then the family at the beach. I have no idea how you could do that. Interesting note though is that there is footage of my brother Richard's car both at the shop and at the track, several of his cars, in fact, from the Hobby Division to the Late Model Sportsman. Quite a number of cars. I didn't even remember him having that many until I watched the film.

Now,Leon,upon what grounds am I receiving your congratulations? I do appreciate anything you have to say at any time but I need to know for what I am being congratulated. If it is for being "famous", Dave took his sign back.

Maybe Leon is congratulating you for buying American. This is the label in the tee shirt, isn't it?

Thanks Tim, very interesting post, enjoyed reading.

Awesome, Tim. Another thought. Our friend, Alex Whit, may have some ideas about how/where to get the footage transferred, at a reasonable cost.

Dennis, you have a sharp eye! As I retrieved my magnifying glass and looked at the picture I have to agree that is a Winston Cap. After thinking about this long and hard I remember a guy from RJR putting Winston caps on all of us. He snatched my Petty Cap and I almost put him down (I was tough back then) but I tucked the Petty Cap in the back of my belt and wore the Winston Cap for what I now know is the famous sponsors' hat dance. It was shortly after that picture was taken that I departed Victory Lane.

The item around my neck is a headset radio I used to listen to race broadcasts. Still have them although I don't know is they still work.

Thanks for such attention to detail. Thanks for stirring up more memories for me. If I had it to do all over again, I would be sure D.W. felt the kick.

Oh, and for the record, I remember the hood of that car was really hot!!! Duh!

Yep, on a dartboard. Boogity, boogity, bullseye!

That hat dance brings back some memories when Adam Petty won his first Arca in Charlotte. I was in victory lane with Kyle and kyle told Adam, Son, its not how fast you drive, Its how fast you change those hats in Victory Lane.