Elvis Presley gave us a beautiful rendition of "Memories" which starts with the verse "Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind. Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine. Gentle thoughts come floating down and settle softly on the ground like golden leaves around my feet......" Well, you get the drift. We lost Elvis on this date in 1977 but he left us a ton of memories to which I often listen. I do so love to hear "The American Trilogy" and it is one of those songs I often sing when driving alone! But, for all those who are here to read about racing, I've got that for you today.
This series of Racing History Minutes debuted here on April 5, 2013. Since that time of daily additions, I have refreshed some beautiful memories from my own experience, but most heavily rely on Greg Fielden's excellent collection of racing records in his "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing". I am often amazed at the information I garner from Greg's books, and then thrilled with the additions enhancing the posts from members like TMC Chase and Dave Fulton and, at times, others with personal memories and/or pictures. Everyone is encouraged to add to these posts as we try to build not only a history of the racing facts, but also a history of personal memories and experiences.
I have to admit the race for today's minute was a shock to me. Long before 1963, I read everything I could get my hands on about stock car racing and, thanks to my uncle, were at many of the races. I did not know, however, or at least did not personally recall the "International 200" run on this date in 1963 at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. It was called the "International 200" because NASCAR was actually allowing foreign makes, and/or what were called "sports cars" back then. Be that as it may, only two such "international entries" were included in the field of 19 cars. Bill Whitley drove a Corvette which qualified 19th, and finished 19th after crashing on the first lap. Smokey Cook entered a MG which went out on lap 12 with overheating issues. So much for "international" on that day. Regardless, as is almost always the case at Bowman-Gray, the place was packed with 11,500 fans.
Another memory of the 1963 season was that awesome white Chevrolet with the red number 3s and the"Holly Farms" on the quarterpanels. When that car was running, it was usually in front and pulling away, but the problem Junior Johnson had was the engines just seemed to want to explode. Junior had started 22 races in the 1963 season prior to the "International 200" and finished only 8 of those races, with five of those finishes in first place. Fast is good, but endurance is better may have been the watchword for the Johnson team in 1963..
Bowman-Gray is a quarter-mile flat track, as most reading this will know, so the 200 lap event constituted only 50 miles but on that track, 50 miles is an eternity for a driver. However, in this one, Junior Johnson started on the pole and led the entire 200 laps to win by a full lap over second place.He did, in fact, lap the second place car by lap 62.The win was the 32nd career win for Junior.
Top five finishers were:
1. Junior Johnson, Holly Farms Chevrolet, winning $580.00
2. Richard Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $500.00
3. Glen Wood, Wood Brothers Ford, winning $370.00
4. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $275.00
5. Ned Jarrett, Burton-Robinson Ford, winning $200.00
Sixth through tenth were G. C. Spencer, Curtis Crider, Larry Thomas, Joe Weatherly, and Buck Baker. Wendell Scott would finish 11th, J.D. McDuffie 12th, Neil Castles 13th, Bob Keck 14th, and Stick Elliott 15th. Fred Harb took 16th, with MG driver Smokey Cook credited with 17th. Roy Tyner was 18th and Corvette driving Bill Whitely got 19th position out of his one lap one.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 08/15/18 05:04:56PM
