March 1, 1970: An Independent Has His Day

It's well established that I'm a Petty Lifer. Have been since being introduced to racing in 1974. Yet I've always had a soft spot for the independent underdogs that were as much a part of GN/Cup racing as the big dawgs.

Very few of those guys got to reap the glory of victory lane. The short list includes guys such as Wendell Scott, Dick Brooks, Elmo Langley, Paul Lewis and in recent years Regan Smith with Furniture Row I suppose.

Today is the anniversary of James Hylton's first GN win at Richmond on March 1, 1970. I posted a blog about it with assists from Ray Lamm with pics and Perry Allen Wood with his book, Declarations of Stock Car Independents .

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2015/03/march-1-1970-1ndependent-has-h1s-day.html

I`ve always been impressed with James Hylton. Hylton finished second a dozen times before this first win.

I used to have that race on 8mm film I shot that day at Richmond, but it was destroyed. James had abandoned his pale yellow cars for a more garish shade. His winning car was sponsored by local Richmond speed shop proprietor, Sonny Mallory, whose Mallory's Speed Shop was located not too far from the track on The Boulevard, just a couple of blocks from the old Richmond mile dirt track.

I watched James almost score his first GN win 4 years earlier at Beltsville, Maryland in 1966, a race I have written about previously: http://racersreunion.com/independents-day-by-dave-fulton/

James will be inducted into the AIRPS HOF in September

Bump

Another historic race I was fortunate to attend - Hylton's first win and the King's 1st start in a 1970 Roadrunner. 47 years now under the bridge.