Racing History Minute - March 19, 1972

While the fledgling Grand National East series raced at Hickory Speedway on March 19, 1972...

http://racersreunion.com/jack-walker/gallery/64654/grand-national-east-hickory

...NASCAR's modifieds and late model sportsman cars raced at Martinsville Speedway in the Dogwood 500 spring classic.

From  Motor Racing Programme Covers

Racing action from Dave Fulton's photos

Field lined up for the start of the LMS race

Ray Hendrick

The mods in action

Sonny Hutchins won the LMS portion of the event, and Bugs Stevens won the 250-lap modified race.

Race report from Burlington NC Times-News

--
Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 03/16/17 11:14:02AM

Sorry for the faded brownie Hawkeye Kodak photos,but you get a little sense of the "old" martinsville. That crowd of 23,000 was huge for a stand alone non-grand national event(s) on a blustry March afternoon.

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Those Martinsville doubleheaders were some of the best and most exciting races I've ever seen. Fields full of racers' racers.

Caravans of tour buses came to Martinsville from Canada and upstate New York. The Canadian National Anthem was sung along with The Star Spangled Banner.

I never saw a Cup race at the paperclip that came close to matching the competition and rivalry in those 1970s Late Model Sportsman (pre Busch Series) and Modified (pre Tour) doubleheaders staged by Clay Earles. They were the best.

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Dogwood Bump

--
Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.