From Johnson City Press
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/128365/local-racing-legends-reunite-at-kingsport-speedway
Local racing legends reunite at Kingsport Speedway
July 31st, 2015 11:11 pm by Jeff Birchfield
KINGSPORT Brad Teague has had many memorable victories over a four-plus decade racing career.
Few were as memorable as October 19, 1980 when the Johnson City driver won a Late Model Sportsman national event at Kingsport Speedway.
Driving for car owner Charlie Henderson, Teague beat the likes of Jack Ingram, Sam Ard and Butch Lindley to win on the 3/8-mile asphalt track. However, he most remembers the race for it being a family affair.
My brother, Bobby, who lives in Maryland, it was the first race where came to see me win here, said Teague, who was one of many local racing legends at Kingsport Speedway on Friday night. But, there were a lot of good drivers you raced against here.
Teague won several other races at Kingsport in the No.3 Chevrolet Chevelle for car owner John Hodges, who operated a machine shop on Austin Springs Road. Teague was also runner-up for the track championship on two occasions.
On a night when the track was celebrating its 50th anniversary, Teague wasnt the only former winner from Johnson City on hand.
Paul Lewis of Johnson City holds the distinction of being one of the few drivers to win races at Kingsport on both on a dirt-track surface and on asphalt.
With either surface, he said there were common characteristics.
This was a fast, challenging race track, Lewis said. You cant overdrive a driver in these corners or get a car too tight or it will get away from you. From what Ive been told, I won the last race here when it was dirt and the last race on asphalt before it went back to dirt.
Lewis, along with fellow Johnson City racer Brownie King, posed in front of the No. 32 Chevrolet which they raced in the NASCAR Cup Series. Also on hand was Gary Potter, whose father Jess, built the race car. Gary Potter raced at Kingsport, but pointed out he never won at the track other than a consolation race.
It was nothing to be ashamed of. The competition that frequented the track in those days included future Cup Series winners Harry Gant and Morgan Shepherd.
I started racing here around 1974 or 75 in the Late Model Sportsman, Potter said. Ive got fond memories of winning that consolation race, but there were a lot of good times racing here. You had those great drivers racing here and my brother, Mike, was one of them. He would outrun me usually, but we really just had a lot of fun at it. I can remember Jimmy Hensley and Bradley (Teague) ran side-by-side for probably well over 100 laps here one time. That was good, enjoyable racing.
Larry Utsman of the famous Bluff City racing family was also on hand Friday. He raced at Kingsport from the 1970s all the way into the 2000s. One of his biggest career victories came in 1979 driving a No. 23 Pontiac Ventura to victory in the Jim Hayes Memorial race. He pointed out that the track was actually faster in the 1970s than it is today.
This track has changed a lot, Utsman said. The asphalt is a little faster than it is with the concrete, plus theyve reconfigured the track. But, you had a lot of competition here. I raced with Hall of Famers like Bobby Allison and Jack Ingram here. I feel like I raced with the very best in NASCAR here.
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
