Dargan Watts
Columbia Speedway Pete Hamilton 1974
When Columbia dropped the NASCAR sanction in 1974, it didn't take long for a new crop of cars and drivers to invade the .518-mile paved oval. Former national sportsman champion and Grand Touring and Grand National/Winston Cup driver, Pete Hamilton came up from Atlanta to take on the local drivers. Hamilton walked away from the field and was never challenged in three trips, which forced promoter Don Sharpe to ask that he find somewhere else to race. Actually, the car was somewhat illegal anyway.
The track shut down for the season a few weeks later and closed for good to race cars midway the 1975 season.
Photo by Dargan Watts
Why was it illegal?
Billy, you might know the answer to this. There was a driver who had a couple of these Kit Cars from Petty and raced them successfully in the North in the mid 70's, I think. I think he was from Ohio and might have been a distributor of the Kits. Do you recall??Pete
Gee Robbie, thanks for keeping me up half the night thinking about this guys name. I believe his last name was Fisher (probably need another sleepless night to think of his first name). He had a couple of Petty kits and ran good. I can't remember the driver of the other car. Also, he might have been a beer or beverage distributor in Ohio, I think.Pete, sleepless in Michigan
Billy got it figured out for me. It was Woody Fisher. Thanks for remembering Billy.Pete
Great pitcher and i had no idear Pete ever raced there
Hamilton competed in one of the Grand Touring (Camaro, Mustang, Firebird, Cougar) events when the track was dirt and had a hard time making the field, due to spinning and not being used to dirt. He spun in the race a couple of times. My record books are not with me at the present time to be able to look up the finish, but he did give it a try.