Greenville-Pickens 200 1968
Stock Car Racing History
Ad that ran in Spartanburg Herald
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Greenville-Pickens 200 1968
Stock Car Racing History
Race preview from Spartanburg Herald
Race report from Herald
2015 NASCAR HOF class
Stock Car Racing History
Perhaps I should've said 'unexpected' vs. surprised. Rex is very deserving of the selection. But many folks clamored for and conventional wisdom suggested others may get the votes such as Benny, Terry, Robert Yates, Childress or Hendrick as owners, Jerry Cook as another modified rep, etc.
Little Joe as 2x champ was a slam dunk.
Elliott had the credentials and fit the mold of recent, more contemporary selections such as Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace.
Lorenzen was an automatic too in my opinion - just surprised he only got 30% of the vote. Perhaps the vote was diluted by choices spread amongst the other nominees.
So for Rex to slip in there solidly is certainly to be applauded - even if it was a bit unexpected considering the caliber and popularity of the other nominees.
2015 NASCAR HOF class
Stock Car Racing History
The legacy of Wendell needs to be acknowledged by the Hall - no doubt about it in my mind. The hell he persevered through is nothing short of amazing. Yet...his stats don't merit inclusion with the other nominees being considered for 2015 in my opinion. The Hall created a new award for 2015 - the Landmark Award. As it was described, Wendell would have been THE perfect candidate for it. Instead, it was awarded to the friggin' bookkeeper of NASCAR. I'm a CPA so perhaps I should jump for joy that one of our own was selected. Ha! But Anne France's selection to it makes a mockery of the award from the word go. I would have preferred another nominee get the vote for the 5th entrant to the Hall with Wendell getting the Landmark Award.
But...that's not how it went. Can I accept Wendell as a NHOFer along with King, Pearson, Cale, Bobby, Chief, Buck and the others? Absolutely! Just saying where my voice would have been had I been part of the panel.
2015 NASCAR HOF class
Stock Car Racing History
Bill Elliott
Wendell Scott
Joe Weatherly
Rex White
Fred Lorenzen
Congrats to all of them and their families. I disagree with Scott selection, but I felt like it was going to happen anyway. Rex has to be the surprise of the five'some - though a very welcome one. Surprised he was voted in over Jerry Cook, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Benny Parsons and Terry Labonte.
Also, no owners or crew chiefs this year (at least not in most noteworthy role). All drivers with 4 of 5 being very old school.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
At CMS this weekend - come join us
Current NASCAR
Several friends and I will be tailgating Saturday and Sunday again this year near CMS. We'll be set-up along Bruton Smith Blvd in front of the dirt track. Follow the metal guard rail until it ends and the white plastic fence begins. Look for a white canopy picnic tent, plenty of good-time-havers and Schaefer beer signage.
Come by and introduce yourself if you are at the races this weekend.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
The TRUE All-Star Race really happened back in 1985
Stock Car Racing History
I've long advocated the dumping of The Winston and Clash races - or whatever they're called these days. I'll give NASCAR, the teams, TV and the sponsors their due for launching them when they did.
As TV became more viable, the first few years of the Busch Clash were great. A quick, compact TV package that gave viewers a short view of what was to come in the 500. Win a pole, get in the Clash, get more air time for your sponsor, everyone supposedly gets paid more and is happy.
Then in the 1980s as Cup was poised to explode, RJR had great idea with the Winston Million and The Winston. Really was intended to bring even more focus to their brand and again reward teams and their sponsors for WINNING a race. From the first one to last year's event, the TV part of it never really caught on though.
The drivers all act like they still love it. Why? One, they have to vs. risk being fined by NASCAR for detrimental actions. Two, they get to stay home. Three, the money is good.
Many have suggested rotating the event to different tracks. With RJR having been a NC based company, it probably made sense in those early years to have it at CMS. But with KC based Sprint sponsoring the series now, I'm truly surprised they haven't lobbied to have it moved to Kansas Speedway.
Either way, if you move the event to a permanent location or a rotating one, the drivers and teams would really start to chirp about more travel costs and wrecked cars.
Many complain too that the schedule is too long or this track or that one deserve another date. My solution has been to either give the teams a well-deserved break before the summer tour - or make the weekend a points paying, legitimate race event somewhere in the country.
But the idea of an All Star race as others have said is nonsensical.
The TRUE All-Star Race really happened back in 1985
Stock Car Racing History
Cheshire Cat grins for everyone! Even Miss Winston was skeptical.
