Early Virginia Racers - Otis & PeeWee Martin

Brothers Otis & PeeWee Martin were two very early post-war stock car drivers on the scene even before NASCAR formed, and raced well into the '50s.

PeeWee was listed as from Bassett Virginia, and most know as the driver of the famous #34 " Celt Special" of owners Hardy Campbell, George Eanes, Dick Lawrence, and Andy Taylor. Before that, he drove a #19 and a #4. According to articles in Bill Mangum's book "Virginia & Carolina Early Dirt Racers V.1" PeeWee won at least 3 times at Danville Fairgrounds, but I have no further racing stats for him.

From the 1950 NASCAR Yearbook -

1951 NASCAR Yearbook -

Back row - third from right - Unknown track, circa 1948 -

PeeWee in the #19 at Iredell Speedway in Statesville NC, either April 4 or June 15, 1948 -

#34 Celt Special probably Greensboro Fairgrounds 1949? (photo by RR member Joey Campbell) -

Peace Haven Speedway aka Winston-Salem Speedway driving the #34 Celt Special on April 10, 1950 (Courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library ) -

Otis was listed as from Roanoke Virginia and raced in Strictly Stock. I have nothing further on Otis.

1950 NASCAR Yearbook -

1951 NASCAR Yearbook -

Does anyone here have anymore information about PeeWee & Otis Martin? Photos, racing stats, memories?

love the race car with the license plate still on the car...those were the days for sure.

Good job, Robert! When my dad started racing in 1964, one component of his '55 Chevy late model, was the 'tow light'. Flat towing was the norm.......a single red light, mounted in the space where the back windshield was located, and was permanent fixture of the car.

Thanks, Robert, for adding this post. Otis and PeeWee were my uncles. PeeWee ran mostly local dirt tracks and a few newspaper articles considered him among the top two Virginia racers.

Otis competed in 23 NASCAR races from 1949-1954, including two Daytona Road Courses. One of his road courses included a 50 lap battle with Buck Baker for eighth place which created two paragraphs in the Daytona newspaper the following day.

I am interested in learning more about their racing careers, so if anyone has info they would choose to post, I'd certainly appreciate it.

Otis Martin NASCAR DRIVER Statistics
Born: March 1, 1918 Died: November 21, 1955
Home: Bassett, VA

http://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Otis_Martin
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Otis Martin 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1949/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1949-01/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1949-03/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1949-06/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1949_Wilkes_200/W
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Otis Martin 1950 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1950/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1950-01/W
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Otis Martin 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1951/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1951-28/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1951-34/W
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Otis Martin 1952 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1952/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1952_Wilkes_County_200/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1952-15/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1952-16/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1952_Motor_City_250/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1952-30/W
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Otis Martin 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1953/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953_Wilkes_County_200/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953-05/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953-08/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953-10/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953-11/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953_Raleigh_300/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953-20/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1953_Southern_500/W
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Otis Martin 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martiot01/1954/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1954-02/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1954-04/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1954_Southern_500/W
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Otis Martin NASCAR Owner Statistics
http://www.racing-reference.info/owner/Otis_Martin

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Pee Wee Martin NASCAR DRIVER Statistics
Born: June 29, 1922 Died: January 18, 1991
Home: Bassett, VA

http://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Pee_Wee_Martin
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Pee Wee Martin 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martipe01/1949/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1949-01/W
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Pee Wee Martin 1950 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/martipe01/1950/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1950-10/W

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1950_Southern_500/W
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Pee Wee Martin NASCAR Owner Statistics: NONE FOUND
http://www.racing-reference.info/owner2.htm#M

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Thanks, Dennis! I appreciate this. Do you, by chance, have any racing stories on them?

Here are some race articles from Bill Mangum's book "Virginia & Carolina Early Dirt Racers" -

1948 inaugural NASCAR season results -

A race at Winston-Salem Speedway on April 18, 1949 that PeeWee almost won -

Danville Speedway June 16, 1950 -

Danville July 7, 1950 -

Danville August 4, 1950 -

Lynchburg Speedway June 14, 1953 -

Love the clips, Robert.

Dave, these wonderful old clips are from the books "Virginia & Carolina Early Dirt Racers" - Volume 1 & 2, of RR member Bill Mangum, son of pioneer Virginia racer Gordon Mangum (as I'm sure you are aware already). Got the books from his brother Clyde Mangum, also a RR member whom by-the-way I haven't seen here or heard from in quite a while. I hope they are doing okay. Clyde, you out there??

Robert, these clips are like pieces to a puzzle I had started. I had found the first 4 articles when Jim Lewallen won at Danville. The 5th race was a rare treasured find for me. Thank you so much.

Dennis, I just had a few minutes to check out these statistics. They are great!

Thanks, again.

Teena

Teena, I WAS BORN IN 1953 AND MISSED THE OTIS & PEEWEE GOOD OLD DIRT TRACK RACING STORIES.

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE:

#34 Celt Special PHOTO AND COMMENTS
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/photo/34-celt-special

#34 ready for tow PHOTO AND COMMENTS
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/photo/34-ready-for-tow
SAME #34 RACE CAR AS ABOVE #34 Celt Special PHOTO.

I understand, Dennis. I was born in 1955, about 10 days before Otis died in a car crash. But these stats and pictures are great. Thanks for sharing them. I am learning daily about these two careers.