A Different AARP - All Racing

One of the things I really love about our RR site is reading and hearing about racing history in various sections of the country.

While we have many discussions focused on the history of stock car racing in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida, I NEVER see any discussions about or posts by folks about the rich stock car racing history in the state of Alabama.

Growing up in Richmond, I became acquainted with the strength of Alabama weekly stock car racing when Bobby Allison's photo started appearing in our Richmond newspapers in 1960 after winning big feature NASCAR Modified events at our local Southside Speedway.

So many great names have come out of Alabama over the years and there was so much great local racing that the Allisons and others deserted Florida in the late 50s to hang their hats in Alabama. But, we never read any Alabama racing stories on these pages. Why not??

I have found a group online named the Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers - AARP - which has a Hall of Fame and some good photos and videos posted. They have a section devoted to their Hall of Fame at Talladega in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

I wish some of our members who are familiar, would write of the wonderful local racing in Alamaba in the 50s and 60s.

Just to whet your appetite, I'm posting a video from the Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers of 1961 NASCAR Grand National dirt racing at Birmingham Fairgrounds. You'll see our RR member, Rex White throwing up a roostertail!

How about some Alabama racing history? Here's the website for the Pioneers organization and below it just one of many videos and photos they have posted:

www.aarpinc.org

Just wait Dave I wil get around to the boys in Alabama and my trips over there racing

Wish I had some knowledge of the Alabama racing scene. I hope Johnny's memory is as sharp on Alabama as on Georgia!

By the way, courtesy of Racing Reference, to decipher the car numbers in thta 13 car field in the video above, you're watching Ned Jarrett racing for the win in the B.G. Holloway Chevy, beating out Jim Paschal in that big ole Julian Petty Pontiac!

NASCAR Grand National race number 26 of 52
June 4, 1961 at Fairgrounds Raceway, Birmingham, AL
200 laps on a .500 mile dirt track (100.0 miles)

Time of race: 1:38:15
Average Speed: 61.068 mph
Pole Speed: 65.91 mph Cautions: n/a
Margin of Victory: 2 laps +

Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
1 4 11 Ned Jarrett B.G. Holloway '61 Chevrolet 200 800 running 1
2 6 14 Jim Paschal Julian Petty '61 Pontiac 198 525 running
3 2 46 Jack Smith Jack Smith '61 Pontiac 198 375 running
4 5 4 Rex White White-Clements (Rex White) '60 Chevrolet 197 375 running
5 10 39 Tommy Wells '60 Chevrolet 192 250 running
6 9 19 Herman Beam Herman Beam '60 Ford 190 215 running
7 7 99 Wilbur Rakestraw Joe Jones '61 Ford 185 175 running
8 13 71 Bob Barron Bob Barron '60 Dodge 168 150 running
9 11 48 G.C. Spencer G.C. Spencer '60 Chevrolet 110 140 rear end
10 1 69 Johnny Allen B.G. Holloway '61 Chevrolet 91 130 a frame
11 3 86 Buck Baker Buck Baker '61 Chrysler 44 125 rf hub
12 12 89 Bob Welborn Joe Lee Johnson '61 Chevrolet 7 110 con rod
13 8 54 Jimmy Pardue Jimmy Pardue '59 Chevrolet 3 100 crash

look forward to those stories

That'd be great, Jimmy