Any regular reader of posts at this site knows that I always maintain my old friend and former employer, the late Richmond promoter, Paul C. Sawyer as the best promoter in NASCAR's history.
Here's just another example of what Paul could accomplish through friendships with drivers.
Over a 12 year period between 1961-1988, 3-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford - "Lone Star JR" - made 35 career NASCAR GN/CUP starts. Only one of those starts came on a NASCAR short track.
Prior to our September 13, 1981 Wrangler SanforSet 400 at the old Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway (the first ever race sponsorship for my company Wrangler Jeans), Paul called me at my office in Greensboro, NC to let me know Rutherford would be in our race. It was just one more example of what big things were constantly accomplished by a promoter with little to work with.
Johnny Rutherford/Ron Benfield Pontiac at M.I.S. in 1981 cropped from John Betts photo.
Paul and car owner, Bud Moore will ALWAYS be my two NASCAR heroes.
Here's a clip from the Spartanburg newspaper. You can see that it was difficult to get a sponsor's name in the paper in 1981.
A few other variations of the AP story:
JR started 24th in the Ron Benfield Levi Garrett ride and crashed out after just 53 of the 400 laps in our first Wrangler race, but it was just one more item on a lengthy list that earned my ever lasting respect for Richmond promoter Paul Sawyer.
Stats from Racing Reference:
1981 Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400
NASCAR Winston Cup race number 24 of 31
Sunday, September 13, 1981 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway , Richmond, VA
400 laps on a .542 mile paved track (216.8 miles)
Time of race: 3:05:50
Average Speed: 69.998 mph
Pole Speed: 93.435 mph |
Cautions: 9 for 63 laps
Margin of Victory: 3 cl
Attendance: 27,000
Lead changes: 18 |
|
|
| Fin |
St |
# |
Driver |
Sponsor / Owner |
Car |
Laps |
Money |
Status |
Led |
Points |
| 1 |
4 |
15 |
 Benny Parsons
|
Melling Tool ( Bud Moore ) |
Ford |
400 |
18,525 |
running |
121 |
180 |
| 2 |
3 |
33 |
Harry Gant
|
Skoal Bandit ( Hal Needham ) |
Pontiac |
400 |
10,195 |
running |
16 |
175 |
| 3 |
2 |
11 |
Darrell Waltrip
|
Mountain Dew ( Junior Johnson ) |
Buick |
400 |
12,500 |
running |
149 |
175 |
| 4 |
10 |
44 |
Terry Labonte
|
J.D. Stacy ( Billy Hagan ) |
Buick |
400 |
7,550 |
running |
13 |
165 |
| 5 |
7 |
28 |
Bobby Allison
|
Hardee's ( Harry Ranier ) |
Buick |
400 |
7,275 |
running |
95 |
160 |
| 6 |
11 |
3 |
Dale Earnhardt
|
Wrangler ( Richard Childress ) |
Pontiac |
398 |
6,270 |
running |
0 |
150 |
| 7 |
1 |
02 |
Mark Martin
|
Ams Oil / Prototype ( Bud Reeder ) |
Pontiac |
398 |
3,300 |
running |
0 |
146 |
| 8 |
8 |
5 |
Joe Millikan
|
Performance Connection ( Cliff Stewart ) |
Pontiac |
397 |
5,675 |
running |
0 |
142 |
| 9 |
19 |
90 |
Jody Ridley
|
Truxmore / Sunny King ( Junie Donlavey ) |
Ford |
396 |
4,750 |
running |
0 |
138 |
| 10 |
22 |
75 |
Gary Balough
|
Chaparral Trailers ( RahMoc Enterprises ) |
Buick |
395 |
3,580 |
running |
0 |
134 |
| 11 |
21 |
43 |
Richard Petty
|
STP ( Petty Enterprises ) |
Buick |
395 |
5,660 |
running |
3 |
135 |
| 12 |
12 |
88 |
Ricky Rudd
|
Gatorade ( DiGard ) |
Chevrolet |
392 |
5,550 |
running |
0 |
127 |
| 13 |
30 |
67 |
Buddy Arrington
|
Hills Racing ( Buddy Arrington ) |
Dodge |
389 |
3,120 |
running |
0 |
124 |
| 14 |
17 |
12 |
Tim Richmond
|
UNO ( Kennie Childers ) |
Buick |
388 |
1,465 |
running |
0 |
121 |
| 15 |
18 |
92 |
Joe Fields
|
Fields Racing ( Joe Fields ) |
Buick |
387 |
965 |
running |
0 |
118 |
| 16 |
27 |
52 |
Jimmy Means
|
Broadway Motors ( Jimmy Means ) |
Pontiac |
385 |
2,900 |
running |
0 |
115 |
| 17 |
20 |
64 |
Tommy Gale
|
Sunny King Ford & Honda ( Elmo Langley ) |
Ford |
378 |
2,740 |
running |
0 |
112 |
| 18 |
32 |
48 |
James Hylton
|
Palatine Auto Parts ( James Hylton ) |
Pontiac |
375 |
2,305 |
running |
0 |
109 |
| 19 |
13 |
71 |
Dave Marcis
|
J.D. Stacy ( Dave Marcis ) |
Chevrolet |
374 |
2,470 |
engine |
2 |
111 |
| 20 |
28 |
66 |
Lake Speed
|
Speed Racing ( Lake Speed ) |
Oldsmobile |
364 |
2,285 |
running |
0 |
103 |
| 21 |
14 |
99 |
D.K. Ulrich
|
Ulrich Racing ( D.K. Ulrich ) |
Buick |
362 |
1,940 |
engine |
0 |
100 |
| 22 |
29 |
42 |
Kyle Petty
|
STP ( Petty Enterprises ) |
Buick |
343 |
1,665 |
running |
0 |
97 |
| 23 |
26 |
40 |
Cecil Gordon
|
Midlothian Texaco ( D.K. Ulrich ) |
Buick |
323 |
690 |
running |
0 |
94 |
| 24 |
25 |
25 |
Ronnie Thomas
|
Thomas Racing ( Ronnie Thomas ) |
Chevrolet |
320 |
1,240 |
running |
0 |
91 |
| 25 |
5 |
47 |
Ron Bouchard
|
J.D. Stacy ( Jack Beebe ) |
Buick |
229 |
1,230 |
crash |
0 |
88 |
| 26 |
6 |
55 |
Tommy Ellis
|
Industrial Boiler ( Tommy Ellis ) |
Chevrolet |
207 |
635 |
brakes |
1 |
90 |
| 27 |
15 |
68 |
Lennie Pond
|
J.D. Stacy ( Lennie Pond ) |
Buick |
149 |
615 |
rear end |
0 |
82 |
| 28 |
23 |
29 |
Dave Dion
|
Central Seeding ( Dave Dion ) |
Ford |
143 |
615 |
crash |
0 |
79 |
| 29 |
16 |
24 |
Morgan Shepherd
|
Washington Freightliner ( Cecil Gordon ) |
Buick |
125 |
1,115 |
transmission |
0 |
76 |
| 30 |
9 |
2 |
Joe Ruttman
|
Jim Stacy |
Pontiac |
68 |
4,950 |
engine |
0 |
73 |
| 31 |
24 |
98 |
Johnny Rutherford
|
Levi Garrett ( Ron Benfield ) |
Pontiac |
53 |
525 |
crash |
0 |
70 |
| 32 |
31 |
37 |
Mike Alexander
|
Rogers Auto Leasing ( Bob Rogers ) |
Buick |
0 |
500 |
wiring |
0 |
67 |
|
--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 09/13/24 02:19:02AM
