Today, fittingly I think, for me, we end the Racing History Minutes at the Speedway where my lifetime adventure in stock car racing began. The half-mile dirt track actually located in Cayce, South Carolina, but known as The Columbia Speedway. It is now known as The Historic Columbia Speedway and while not hosting races anymore, there are events held there from time to time after RacersReunion came together to clear the property and to once more bring crowds to the hallowed grounds of stock car racing.
For this History Minute, we return to April 4, 1959, for a 100 mile/200 lap race at the Speedway. Jack Smith would start the Bud Moore Chevrolet on the pole with Bob Welborn in another Chevy to his outside. Curtis Turner in the Rupert Safety Belt T-Bird would start third, Speedy Thompson in the Bruce Thompson Chevrolet fourth, and Lee Petty in the Petty Engineering Oldsmobile fifth. Smith won the pole at a speed of 60.73 mph.
Smith jumped into the lead on lap one but was challenged by Bob Welborn, with Welborn taking the lead a couple of time before his Chevy lost a piston and was sidelined on lap 18. It was apparent that Smith would then dominate the event. But wait!!! Suddenly, in his mirror, appeared the Paul Spaulding Ford that was supposed to have been driven by Junior Johnson. Johnson had been unable to make the race so Spaulding recruited a young Ned Jarrett, a Late Model Sportsman hotdog from Conover, NC, to take over the entry. While Jarrett had a great reputation in the Late Model circuit, he was not expected to contend in the Grand National Division. Nevertheless, there he was, driving that number 11 Ford for all it was worth and aggrevating Smith lap after lap.
At the end of 200 laps, it was Smith taking the checkered flag, but Jarrett was right there with him as the only two cars on the lead lap. Jarrett had made an impressive run for sure. Buddy Baker also made his first Grand National start in this race, driving a Chevrolet owned by his father Buck. Buddy would start 18th in the field of 21 but was out of the race on lap 94 when his ride broke a shock absorber.
This was race number 9 in the 1959 season and gave the Grand National division its 7th different winner. Lee Petty came into the event, and left the race track, leading the points for the title.
Finishing order:
1. Jack Smith, Bud Moore Chevrolet, $900.00
2. Ned Jarrett, Paul Spaulding Ford, $525.00 (on the lead lap)
3. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Oldsmobile, $350.00 (9 laps down)
4. Tiny Lund, Chevrolet, $250.00 (10 laps down)
5. Cotton Owens, W. H. Watson Pontiac, $225.00 (14 laps down)
6. George Green
7. Harvey Hege
8. Skip Langdon
9.J. C. Hendrix
10. L. D. Austin
11. Herman Beam
12. Gene White
13. Speedy Thompson
14. Buddy Baker
15. Curtis Turner
16. Bunk Moore
17. Max Berrier
18. Bob Welborn
19. Buck Baker
20. Jimmy Pardue
21. Shorty Rollins
Average speed for the 100 miles was 57.343 mph.
PERSONAL NOTE: I do remember being at this race. I remember Uncle Bobby telling me that something wasn't right with Lee Petty's car (Lee was his driver in the Grand National series) as soon as the race started. Although I don't think we ever found out what was wrong, it was a discouraging evening watching Lee attempt to be a part of the action but never really having a shot at the win.
I have no distinct memory of Ned Jarrett's performance that night although Ned would come to play a huge part in my racing life over the years. Each time I encounter Ned these days I see the Ned Jarrett of the 50s and 60s and the age in his face seems to disappear as I imagine myself once more watching him finesse a car around a dirt track somewhere.
I also have no distinct memory of Buddy Baker from that race but, in fairness, at that time I was 12 years old and went to races with Uncle Bobby to pull for Lee Petty EXCEPT when Richard Petty was racing. I had chosen Richard as my favorite at his first race at The Columbia Speedway in July, 1958, mostly because I was exercising my right as an independent 11 year old to choose my own driver after pulling for Lee along with my uncle. That was my first adventure into the wild world of expressing myself.
Check back tomorrow (Saturday) for one final History Minute wrap up. It has been a great ride for me to be a part of this.
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: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
